Marilyn LevinsonRezensionen

The last book in a cozy mystery series, this work is the first one I've read from The Haunted Library Mysteries. I enjoyed the plot, supporting characters (ghosts included), the secret women's society, and the incorporation of a witch trial victim. A lot of time was spent on the wedding (makes sense since its the last book,especially for those readers who've followed the entire series, but a large portion of the book is dedicated to describing all things related to Carrie and Dylan's upcoming nuptials).. I liked this one enough to try some of the other books by this author in the future.

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This fifth installment in the series is mostly about Angela and her wedding. It was quite memorable, considering a family member drops dead at the reception. Now Carrie feels compelled to find out who poisoned the good doctor and why. There is more than one suspect, but should she follow the money or was the deceased involved in an extramarital affair? Another murder narrows the search but adds to the dilemma. I like the characters and library setting, including the ghost who haunts it, but this mystery was too little about the murder and too much about a bride on the verge of being a bridezilla. Maybe when everyone gets married the series will settle back to the library, Evelyn the ghost, and Smokey Joe the cat.

Carrie is bogged down trying to find the perfect venue for her wedding, but it doesn’t stop her from investigating a murder . . . or two. The owner of an art gallery is found murdered, and it’s not long before Carrie’s sleuthing, aided by her PI husband and the library’s resident ghost, unearths some terrible secrets about the deceased. Forged paintings and even the underworld figure in the not-so-cozy mystery. It’s another fine addition to the series. The setting of a much loved library in a quaint town is well described, and the characters are quite likable (well, most of them) and seem like real people. It would a wonderful place to live, even with the occasional murder.

Homeless people are a concern for the librarians, who want to allow them access to the library when they have to leave the shelter where they sleep. But because some of their regular patrons are upset by a ruckus caused by a couple of the younger homeless men, they want to find them a place to be during the day, but that is proving to be difficult task. Adding to Carrie’s distress is the death of one her coworkers, a person much disliked by many people. It’s murder for sure, but list of possible perpetrators is lengthy. Carrie is determined to get to the bottom of this case, but keeping herself from harm is going to be difficult. It’s another entertaining installment in this well-written and imaginative series. The characters are interesting, especially the library’s ghost, and the mystery is a good one.

Carrie’s long-lost dad shows up, not in a traditional way but by breaking into her cottage. There are some tense moments between them, since Carrie cannot forget all the hurt he has caused her, nor the fact that he is a thief. In fact, recovery of some stolen gems is what brought him to her town now. But the murder of one of his cohorts turns everything upside down, and she wonders who her father really is. This cozy is enhanced by the resident library ghost who offers advice to Carrie as well as information about the residents of the town. Well-written and quite interesting, this mystery is entertaining and the characters are believable, even the ghostly one who seems as real as when she was alive.

This was an eerie, creepy story that will have supernatural chills running down your spine. Simon's life has been turned upside down, and it only gets worse when he goes to live with an aunt and uncle he's never known. Levinson did a great job of building the tension, and slipping in clues that things aren't quite right early on. I loved Great Aunt Lucinda, she's a great character, and although a bit off-kilter in her own way, she has much better energy than Simon's aunt and uncle. Overall, the characters had a nice amount of depth, even though at times they feel more movie character worthy than like real life people, (no complaints). If you're looking for a YA book that will get you spooked, then you're going to want to grab this.

Overdue Or Die is the seventh book in The Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook.

Carrie and Dylan have been busy working on their plans for their wedding. They’ve been researching various venues but haven’t found one they can agree on. They put the search on hold as Dylan had to go to Chicago to settle his late great-uncle’s estate and pick up a valuable Terrance Haggerty painting. While Dylan is on his way to Chicago, Carrie learns that her Great-Uncle Bosco has been admitted to the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

At the library, the staff is getting ready for the opening of the recently completed renovation of the building next to the library. This addition will provide more meeting rooms, an auditorium, and a room to display artworks that will be loaned to the library. Also of concern to Carrie is that the owner of an art gallery in town, Martha Mallory, is trying to hire away Carrie’s valuable employee, Susan. The opening of a new addition doesn’t go off without a hitch, though. An elderly lady later learned to be suffering from dementia, stands at the beginning of the celebration and claims she owns the building. A quick investigation proves her to be wrong.

After Dylan returns, they visit Victor Zelinka’s beautiful estate to select artwork from his collection, which will be displayed at the library. Carrie thinks his home is gorgeous and would be perfect for their wedding. After leaving, Dylan confides with Carrie that some paintings are forgeries, particularly a Terrence Haggerty painting. When Martha is found murdered in her art gallery and some mobsters arrive in town, Dylan believes there may be an art forgery ring at work in Clover Ridge. Martha had worked at the library with the library’s resident ghost, Evelyn, who asks Carrie to look into the death of Martha.

As Carrie and Dylan begin investigating, they find an art forgery ring working in Clover Ridge, but it’s unclear who it is or how widespread it is. They will soon find no shortage of suspects.

The book is an exciting addition to this wonderful series. I found the book to be well-written and plotted. There is a wonderful cast of very believable and well-developed characters. I particularly like Evelyn, the library’s resident ghost. Evelyn’s appearance was a bit light in this book, but she still brought a smile to my face.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this great series.

Carrie Singleton is really busy in this seventh Haunted Library Mystery. The new wing is opening. She's trying to find a venue for her wedding. She's worried about losing her best assistant to the local art gallery. And she has three murders to solve.

A local art dealer is murdered in her shop which leads to an art forgery ring. Dylan has spotted a forgery at the home of Victor Zalinka who has a wonderful art collection. In fact, he will be showcasing some of his collection in the library's new gallery.

Then an elderly lady with dementia is murdered. She's the same lady who disrupted the dedication ceremony of the new wing by claiming that the building belonged to her. Evelyn, the library ghost, is encouraging Carrie to find her murderer since Evelyn knew and liked her when she was alive.

This story was filled with twists and turns and with lots of suspicious characters who have all sorts of hidden relationships with each other. I like the way Carrie manages to gather clues and share them with the police.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode. New readers will find great characters and an interesting plot.

library-cat, library, librarian, family, friendship, friends, relatives, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, ghosts, suspense, art-theft, detective, swindles, angst, art-forgery, series, private-investigators****

Carrie is a librarian who is engaged to Dylan (who is a Private Investigator specializing in art thefts) and in the midst of planning their wedding. Then her beloved uncle has a heart attack, Dylan gets beaten and left in a parking lot in Chicago while a valuable painting is stolen from him, the library has an Open House for their new building but it goes awry, and local art gallery manager Martha gets murdered. Let the sleuthing begin! Lots of suspects, plot twists, and red herrings along with some sly humor. Loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Crooked Lane Books. Thank you!

Carrie Singleton is trying to find time to plan her wedding to Dylan Avery, the owner of a private investigation firm. But she's also wondering if her employee Susan is going to be poached by the owner of a local art gallery. In between this, an art collector, Victor Zalinka, is willing to offer several of his paintings for a show at the library.

But more is happening in Carrie's life: there's a problem with her Uncle Bosco, and she's worried about him; and Dylan has to travel once more to retrieve a painting his late uncle left for him. So, Carrie is manning everything by herself without trying to feel overwhelmed, even if it's hard to do. Then, the owner of the art gallery, Martha Mallory, is found dead; bludgeoned with a heavy object, and of course the first suspect is her husband Ron. But when he turns out to have an alibi, Carrie once again tries to find out who the murderer might be. Was it a wannabe artist who has a bad past and disliked her? Was it the son of a noted mob boss? Or could it have been someone Carrie never even suspected in the first place...

This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all. I loved this one even more than the last. While we watch Carrie's angst at planning her wedding, we also see that she can handle stress and multitask like there's no tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is no tomorrow for the dead woman, and Carrie only hopes that her employee Susan isn't involved in the murder. While Evelyn, the library ghost, offers cryptic clues and pushes Carrie to solve Martha's murder, Carrie soon finds that the list grows with every day. But what surprises her is actually a surprise about Martha, and this revelation brings more doubt and even more suspects. For Carrie, the truth isn't going to be easy, and no matter what she does, she discovers that she might have her eye on the wrong people.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it is a cold day indeed; one that brings us to realize just how one of the Seven Deadly Sins can cause murder and distrust. This story is not only well-written, it is done with aplomb and intrigue, and kept me reading in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Carrie is not only used to seeing the resident ghost, Evelyn, she enjoys their visits together at the library. The building next door was recently purchased for the library expansion, and after renovation work was begun, a body was discovered there, hidden in the basement. Not long after, a new ghost arrives in the library. It seems this ghost can’t move on until his murderer is found. But complications arise. The ghost has a remarkably bad memory and offers little help in finding out what had happened to him. Gradually new facts slowly become known, and Carrie and her fiancé are surprised when the ghost’s identity is finally known. It’s an intriguing mystery, with the cold case that goes back more than five years still having repercussions in the present. The mystery is well thought out, intriguing, and quite entertaining. The characters are delightful - ghosts included - and the library setting is perfect. It’s another great addition to the series. I’d like to see a ghost cat show up to keep company with Smoky Joe; now that would be entertaining!

Dewey Decimated is the sixth A Haunted Library Mystery. It can easily be read as a standalone if you are new to the series or if you have missed a book or two along the way. I found Dewey Decimated easy to read. The pacing, though, was on the slow side. It picks up in the latter half of the book. We follow Carrie as she goes about her day-to-day routine (big yawn). She goes to work with Smokey Joe, does her work, goes to lunch at the diner with best friend, dinner with her aunt and uncle, etc. It does get monotonous. Evelyn is back and she has a friend who needs help. I just love Evelyn. I am glad that we got to see more of her in this book. Her spirited friend causes some upheaval in the library as well as in the life of someone close to Carrie. The mystery involves a skeleton found wrapped in a blanket in the new library expansion as well as a current murder. The mysteries were straightforward. There are a couple of suspects in both cases along with some misdirection. I wish the solutions to both crimes had not been so obvious. Case details are repeated frequently throughout the story (I got it the first time; I do not need it repeated twelve times). Carrie does not begin investigating right away. She eventually begins sleuthing (what happened to the Carrie we met back in Death Overdue). A pushy reporter keeps nagging Carrie to team up with her to solve the case. I did not like how the reporter (Julie Theron) put down Lt. John Mathers. Both cases have a good wrap up at the end. Carrie is on the town council, and they are debating what to do with Seabrook Preserve. The preserve loses its sanctuary status in three months. There are three different proposals for the property. The debating is hot and heavy plus there is behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. The situation is discussed quite a bit throughout the story (which means a lot of repetition). The ending is sweet and hopeful. Dewey Decimated is a nice story (humdrum), but I felt it lacked some pizzazz. There needed to be more action and less about Carrie’s daily activities. Dewey Decimated is a chilly tale with a fall festival, a discovered skeleton, a cuddly cat, a spirit surprise, a preserve dispute, a shocking murder, and a nervy reporter.

The cozy written by Allison Brook (pseudonym of Marilyn Levinson) captivated my attention from the first paragraph. Reading a story that begins in the same month you’re reading, in a favorite season of nature’s remarkable colors, sets the scene for even more delights.

Then the unimaginable happened. Al Buckley, former detective, and guest speaker at the Clover Ridge Library, cannot continue his program discussing a cold case of the murder of Laura Foster, a part-time library employee. Carrie Singleton, Head of Programs and Events, makes a shocking announcement even though the audience witnessed Al’s sudden collapse in the preceding minutes.

A dear aunt and uncle, a cute little feline, a former library employee that’s now a ghost, library assistants and coworkers, and a new landlord combine to bring a treasury of new experiences and a touch of romance to Carrie’s life. Thank goodness this is the beginning of a series, as I want to spend much more time with the characters in Clover Ridge.

"Dewey Decimated" continues the adventures of Carrie the librarian, as she and her staff contend with construction workers and planning for a new addition to the library utilizing an old building next door. . During the construction, a body turns up in the building. While law enforcement investigates, Carrie engages with Evelyn, her local library spirit, and the spirit of "Charlie" the deceased individual. They try to find out more about who "Charlie" might have been in life. Carrie also deals with a nosy news reporter and members of the town council as they decide the fate of a community nature preserve.

Although I do not usually read books featuring supernatural characters, the spirits in this novel were friendly and lovable, not at all scary or fierce. The characters are described in detail and the plot features enough red herrings to keep most mystery readers interested. This is a clean novel, without any swear words, overt violence, or descriptive intimacy. Although part of a series, the book worked as a stand alone novel.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Lexie Driscoll is heading book club that has a murder attached to every single meeting. A plethora of events cause the reader to believe one person is the killer because of a particular motive then something else happens to lead you to a different conclusion. Bottom line, you won't guess the ending. This is the first time I have read this author's work. if you love Agatha Christie, you will enjoy Ms. Levinson's work.

Dewey Decimated is the sixth book in The Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook.

The addition will give the library much-needed space and provide an auditorium for Carrie, director of events and programs. Construction halted when a body was found under a shelf in the basement. The body is believed to have been in the basement for around five years. The next day, Carrie is talking with Evelyn, the library’s resident ghost. Carrie and her young niece are the only persons who can see and hear Evelyn. As Carrie is telling Evelyn about the body, the spirit of that body shows up. The ghost doesn't know who he is, where he is from, or why he is in Clover Ridge. Julie, Carrie’s nemesis, an investigative reporter, provides Carrie with his name-Alec Dunmore Alec, it turns out, is the estranged uncle of her fiance, Dylan. Dylan had lost contact with his uncle in his teen years. Carrie and Dylan will work together to learn how Alec met his tragic end.

A subplot to the story involves the recent appointment to the Town Council. The council needs to decide within three months about a plot of land called Seabrook Preserve, or it will lose its sanctuary status. The council needs to determine if the property will be sold for condominium development, turn it into a park, or keep it as a sanctuary.

The book is another excellently written and plotted story from Ms. Brook. Most of the well-developed and interesting characters are back once again. There were plenty of red herrings that I kept guessing until the end about who the killer was.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series.

In this sixth installment in the Haunted Library series, Librarian Carrie Singleton is excited about the renovation of the building next door which will expand the library and give her space for her programs. She is also getting comfortable with being on the town council.

Things go terribly wrong when a body is discovered in the building that is being renovated. Things get worse when the man's ghost finds its way into Carrie's library. Carrie can see him, as can her ghostly assistant Evelyn, but that doesn't help much since the ghost has amnesia.

When a local TV reporter encourages Carrie to help solve the mystery, Carrie isn't really interested. She doesn't want or need the publicity. But then she learns that the ghost is the long-lost uncle of her fiancé Dylan. And when the renovation's lead contractor, and fellow town council member, Sean Powell is murdered Carrie needs to solve both murders before Dylan's uncle's ghost can move on to the afterlife.

Between a contentious issue regarding the future use of a piece of property left to the town which has put the council members at odds and arguments about the renovation, the suspects are many. Carrie also has to keep secret that she's getting help in her investigation from a couple of ghosts.

I enjoyed this episode and think fans of cozy mysteries with a paranormal bent will enjoy it too.

Having worked in a haunted library (unfortunately I didn’t get to talk to the ghost) and for my local council I found a lot to relate to in this book.

This is the first book in the series I have read so I wasn’t familiar with the main characters Carrie and Dylan (an engaged couple), Evelyn (the library’s friendly ghost and Smokey Joe (the library cat).

I think it works OK as a standalone story. Topics and character information from previous stories were smoothly incorporated so the reader doesn’t feel lost, but I still wish I had read the previous stories. (This is the 6th book in the series).

The story is set in a charming small town, Clover Ridge where everyone knows each other but there are still hidden secrets. We meet Carrie, one of the local librarians responsible for events and newly appointed member of the local council. The council has purchased the building next door to the library which is being converted to extend the facilities.

The library is haunted by a friendly ghost, Evelyn, who has helped Carried solve murders in the past. Carrie and her niece are the only ones who can see Evelyn who is friendly and charming.

Carrie is well known as the local amateur sleuth. It is evident she has assisted the local police on previous occasions.

During the demolition of the building a body is discovered and obvious he was killed many years earlier.

Carrie has resolved not to take on anymor amateur sleuthing but when the ghost of the murdered man turns up in the library with amnesia and refuses to leave until he finds out who he is and what happened, she is forced to get involved. He is disruptive as he rushes through the library disturbing both papers and patrons. She calls on Evelyn for help to control him and help solve his murder. They call him Charlie. Later they discover he is Alex Dunmore, Dylan’s uncle.

An irritating and determined local reporter, Julie Theron, wants to join with Carrie to solve the murders.

Meanwhile, a secondary story involves her position on council. It is the role of the council to decide on the future of a parcel of land known as Seabrook Preserve. There are three options put to council – a high class park, development of condos or leave it as a protected reserve. A member of the council who is also involved in the library renovation is later killed. But how are the two stories connected?

The characters were likeable when they should have been, and the unlikeable ones were well portrayed.

Carrie Singleton works for the Clover Ridge library and is settling into her new life as fiancée of Dylan, her investigator boyfriend. She loves her cat, Smoky Joe, who comes to work with her every day, and is beginning a new chapter as the newest member of the town council.

The library has bought the vacant building next door and people are anxious for the renovations to be finished, no more than Carrie, who is looking forward to the new auditorium, which will seat more people and she will be able to hold more programs as the Events and Programs Director for the library. But things take a nasty turn when a body is found in the basement. With no identification the police are having a hard time discovering who it is. But the ambitious news reporter uncovers the name of the deceased, who turns out to be Alec Dunmore -- and the uncle of Dylan. Now Carrie has to find a way to tell Dylan about Alec, and figure out why Alec hasn't crossed to the other side. With the help of her resident library ghost Evelyn, who knows more than she's telling, Carrie is determined to figure things out.

While she doesn't want to step on her friend John Mather's toes, the police detective isn't having as much luck as the reporter is. So Carrie reluctantly teams up with her to discover exactly what is going on. As Alec remembers more, Carrie becomes suspicious of a lot of people she's come in contact with recently. And with a big vote on the Seabrook Preserve coming up on the council, it seems everyone has an agenda. And they want her to vote their way. Could one of them be a killer? Or is it someone closer to home?...

This is the sixth book in the series, and I must say that I've enjoyed it the most. We get to see a lot more of Evelyn, and she plays a larger part in this book. We also get to see how Carrie's new relationships with the town council are playing out. Carrie still has a reluctance to get married, seeing as how her parents' marriage turned out; but we learn more (through Alec and Carrie's relatives and friends) what Dylan's parents were like. It's an insight that's been a long time coming, and it makes the characters become more real to us.

Getting insight on someone's background brings them into the world of reality; you can empathize with them and decide whether you like them or not, whether you agree with their decisions. It's an important part of this book, and it makes things a little more whole in the big picture.

All Alec wants to do is move on, but realizes he can't do so until his murder is solved, which makes it a major part of the book. We learn about the type of person he was in life, and it explains his relationship with Dylan. There's also a couple of surprises in store for Dylan and Carrie.

But when we learn about the murderer and the way the murder occurred it makes us saddened, and finding out the reasons why are callous. However, the book brings us satisfaction and makes us look forward to the next in the series (I'm waiting...). Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I received an advanced copy via NetGalley.

Dewey Decimated is the 6th book in the Haunted Library Mysteries, set in modern Clover Ridge, Connecticut. Carrie is a librarian and town council member, and she can also see ghosts--and has a reputation for solving murders as well. I hadn't read any previous books in the series, but I had no problems getting into the groove. The premise of the book seems straightforward at first: the library has acquired the long-abandoned building next door to expand their space. A man's body is found on the premises, dead for many years--and his bewildered ghost begins haunting the library. Things become more convoluted as the dead man is identified as the uncle of Carrie's fiancée. A local reporter puts heavy pressure on Carrie to get back to her amateur-sleuthing ways, and she can only resist the urge for so long...

The setting here is incredibly fun, and I loved how the mundane library work was paced into the plot. Carrie is a great character, realistic and compassionate, and her romance with Dylan is quite sweet. The pacing of the mystery, though, didn't work for me in major ways. The ghost that the action centers around has amnesia, and only remembers things in perfect timing with the rest of the plot. It annoyed me in how it felt so contrived. I'd been excited to see how ghosts would be used in the plot and it was a big disappointment to find them integrated in such a clunky way. So many other aspects, like the local political drama and the ambitious local reporter, worked well, too.

Carrie Singleton is excited that the work on the addition to the library is finally getting started but a snag arises on the first day - a body has been discovered in the basement of the old building being renovated and upon its discovery a new ghost appears in the library. Problem - the ghost has no memory of who he is, how he died, and when. The mystery ghost is identified by a pain in the ass reporter and it turns out to be Carrie's fiancé's uncle. At the same time as the ghost is taking up residence at the library, Carrie begins her time on the town council and is caught in the middle of a decision regarding some land development. When one of the council members turns up dead after the crucial vote, Carrie wonders if the two murders are somehow related.

I really enjoyed the mystery, the ghostly interactions, and the character development of Dylan, Carrie's fiancé.

When a body is discovered next door, Carrie now has two ghosts roaming the library. When the mystery ghost with amnesia turns out to be Dylan's uncle things get interesting. Small town politics create tension when the council must decide on land left to the town, and someone winds up dead. Will Carrie figure out what happed all those years ago, and are the murders connected?

A fun and quick read, it is great for a day off. I found it easy to follow along even not having read the previous books. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for the ARC and to NetGalley.
#DeweyDecimated #AllisonBrook

In winter, the Haunted Library is a refuge for homeless townspeople. When a group purchases a vacant house to establish a daytime haven for the homeless, Carrie offers the library as a meeting place for the Haven House committee, but quickly learns that it may be used for illegal activities.

As the new Sunshine Delegate, Carrie heads to the hospital to visit her cantankerous colleague, Dorothy, who had fallen outside the local supermarket. She tells Carrie that her husband tried to kill her—and that he murdered her Aunt Evelyn, the library's resident ghost, six years earlier.

And then Dorothy is murdered—run off the road as soon as she returns to work. Evelyn implores Carrie to find her niece's killer, but that's no easy task: Dorothy had made a hobby of blackmailing her neighbors and colleagues. Carrie, Evelyn, and Smoky Joe the cat are on the case, but are the library cards stacked against them?

A fun, quick mystery with more humour than I expected!

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

cozy-mystery, family, family-dynamics, librarian, library, library-cat, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, renovation, swindles, flim-flam, ghosts, sly-humor****

A body in the basement, an amnesic ghost, problems with the town council, unsettling issues with her fiance, and more make this installment into the series unique. Lots of suspects, plot twists, and red herrings along with some sly humor. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books. Thank you!

3 star
The characters are all likable except for the ones we’re not supposed to like such as the petty jealous librarian Dorothy

This read more as an event planner book then a librarian book. Which makes sense as the main character Carrie is the head of programs and events at her town’s library. Carrie has a very busy life, she has just gotten a new promotion at work, she’s moving and also trying to solve a crime. The main thing I seem to notice is that Carrie never seems to read or at least lament that she doesn’t have time to read.

The ending was very abrupt, just after finding evidence that Helena is the killer, Helena tries to kill Carrie and Jared by forcing them off the road. Dylan was following Carrie and apprehends Helena this all happens in the space of a few pages.

Interesting start to the series, I’m hoping that book 2 in the series has more about the library. I’ll just have to read it soon to find out.

Cozies Reading Challenge