Librarian Carrie Singleton is building a haven, but one of her neighbors is misbehavin’. Can resident spirit Evelyn help Carrie catch the culprit who made her a ghost?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, … 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?
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A really cozy mystery story that I enjoyed a lot. I haven’t read the other books in the series but I liked the heroine quite a lot and she’s very reliable and caring.
The homeless topic brought in the book brings a great addition to this story and shows that there are still people who cares for others without any ulterior expectation.
First, let me say that I haven’t read the other books in this series and I had no problem following the story. Would like to read the other books though just to flesh it all out. It was a very entertaining read. I used to work in a library so naturally I loved the setting. We didn’t have a ghost that I know of though! LOL! The characters are wonderful, even the ones you don’t like. The homeless using the library during the winter is definitely on point and it really highlights the problems they face due to stereotypes and prejudices. All in all, a really good cozy!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
This is the third book in this cute series. It is about Carrie a Librarian and her cat and the resident ghost. A fun who dun-it book with well written characters and very lively storyline. can be read as a standalone but I have enjoyed reading all of the series so far and it is getting better with each book look forward to reading what comes next!
This series just keeps getting better! Take one black-clad goth girl with purple hair, put her in a small-town public library, give her a promotion that results in a new outlook. Voila! Carrie is a respected and loved member of Clover Ridge. No longer defined by her family history or rebellion, Carrie has roots in the town, special boyfriend Dylan, an irreplaceable, heroic cat Smoky Joe, and her father is on the straight and narrow for the first time. I love most of these three-dimensional characters. The mystery is a challenge, with enough plot twists to keep it exciting.
Carrie is the library’s Sunshine Delegate. If an employee has a long-term illness or a death in their immediate family, Carrie sends a card and visits or sends a gift basket. The first person in need of a visit is her once-nemesis, Dorothy. Dorothy wanted the promotion to head of programs and events that Carrie was given and took it out on her. One of Dorothy’s favorite things to do is learn someone’s secrets, then bribing them for her silence. She fell on ice at the supermarket and is hospitalized with several injuries. When Carrie visited her, she seemed terrified of her husband, Fred, and begged Carrie to not leave her alone because Fred tried to kill her.
Evelyn was Dorothy’s aunt and a library aide. She died outside the library several years ago on a cold night when she slipped on ice, hit her head, and never regained consciousness. She is a ghost at the library, visible only to Carrie, Smoky Joe, and her four-year-old cousin Tacey.
The library is a daytime refuge for some of the local homeless people. Carrie is concerned for them, and It is frustrating to some patrons. Some people have purchased an older home that is being renovated to be a daytime safe place for the homeless to read, watch TV, or participate in other activities when the shelter is closed. Dorothy’s brother Roger and her sister and brother-in-law, Francesca and Gerald, are involved in the Haven House. They might also be involved with rumored, shady activities that would take place at night, including high-stakes card games.
Roger wanted Dorothy and Fred to help him invest in a new project promising huge returns, and Dorothy refused. Within days of turning him down, Dorothy was murdered. Carrie doesn’t want to help solve this murder as she had others…but her dear friend Evelyn is desperate for answers, especially when Dorothy’s journal is found, fearing that Fred was trying to kill her as he “killed Evelyn”.
This is a series I’ve genuinely enjoyed since the release of Death Overdue. The author includes intriguing plot twists a-plenty! I appreciate the dignity she affords to the homeless people and their needs as well as the reality of many of their backgrounds. Carrie seeks solutions and becomes involved with Haven House fundraisers. Dorothy’s murder, Haven House, the library, her best friend’s upcoming wedding, and Dylan opening his new office are keeping Carrie hopping!
I had an idea who the bad guy was but bounced back and forth between a couple suspects. There are so many people Dorothy annoyed that it is hard to narrow down a motive and bad guy. The electrifying ending is satisfying with all loose ends tied up. I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates well-written cozy mysteries, and libraries with engaging characters and a caring community.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.
I enjoyed the third book in the Haunted Library series. While I’ve read the second and third book in the series, I am hooked and hope there will be more books to come!
I love the characters and the way the author has you invested in their lives. There was a good mystery that was not resolved until the end. It was interesting to see how the relationship between the characters had a variety of good and bad moments. And the story line about the homeless was good and made you understand some of the issues those individuals face and how they could end up in that type of situation.
I appreciate receiving an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fun little escape read with a ghost and library cat to boot! Carrie is in charge of the events and programs in her library.She has just been asked to take over the added duty of “Sunshine Delegate”. This means she gets to purchase card for staff that may have a special event or be ill. Wouldn’t you know it, she no sooner accepts that the meanest, least like coworker in the library has an accident and Carrie gets to visit her.
Something is off, at first Dorothy (the coworker) seems frightened of her husband and accuses him of pushing her. Then she denies it. Later Dorothy is murder, and Carrie sets out to figure out who. And could the same person be responsible for the resident ghost, Evelyn’s, death. Evelyn is/was Dorothy’s Aunt. With Evelyn’s ability to snoop unseen, she aides Carrie in her sleuthing. Smokey Joe, Carrie’s cat is along for the ride and all the treats he can get from library patrons.
Easy writing style and fun characters. Some of the characters were very unlikable. The ending was a surprise.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Dorothy, the library’s research librarian, has come up murdered. After a brief stay in the hospital after a serious fall, Dorothy blames her husband. So when when someone runs her off the road, suspicion falls on his shoulders. But Dorothy, being a not so nice person, has many enemies. Can Carrie, the towns resident sleuth, weed through all the suspects, before she becomes the killers next victim?
Full of stories within the main story, there is a lot going on. But some how the author pulls off an entertaining mystery without overcrowding the story, while dropping clues to who done it.
cozy-mystery, ghosts, friendship, family, librarian, library, library-cat, law-enforcement, murder
A nice, comfortable cozy murder mystery with some library praise as well as highlighting the uncomfortable subjects of swindlers, homelessness, Alzheimers care, and dealing with unpleasant judgmental people. Carrie is one of the librarians and Evelyn was also before her untimely death. The current corpse is Evelyn’s unpleasant niece. Lots of suspects, plot twists, and red herrings along with some sly humor. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books. Thank you!
It’s winter time and several of the homeless community are seeking refuge in the library. A few of the homeless are causing a disturbance in the peacefulness of the library. When Carrie finds out about the Haven House that is a recently purchased vacant home that was purchased as an establishment for the homeless to spend their daytimes. Carrie offers the committee the library as a meeting place and joins in the planning of the House. When one of Carrie’s fellow librarians dies in a suspicious accident Carrie wants to find out what really happened. During Carrie’s investigation, she finds out there are illegal activities being planned for Haven House. Can Carrie solve what really happened to her co-worker and the real reasons behind Haven House?
This is the 3rd book in the series and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. However, I would recommend reading the books in order for a better understanding of character backstories. The characters are unique especially Carrie and her friend the library’s ghost Evelyn. Evelyn is an interesting character, even though she is a ghost, she still wants to keep secrets about her family even when they can help solve a crime. Another of my favorite characters is the library cat, he just adds a wonderful element to the storylines. The setting of the library is wonderful especially for a library and book lover like myself. The mystery is face paced, well plotted with several twists and turns along the way.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
if you like suspense and romance you will like the story, also there is a ghost,that helps solve a murder. she works in the library and that is where the ghost hangs out, along with her cat. she tries to stay out of trouble but it seems to find her. I was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review
Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook is the third in the Haunted Library Mystery series. I truly enjoy this series. This can be read as a stand alone as Ms. Brook gives enough past info so you are not lost.
It’s winter in Clover Ridge and Carrie is busy working and helping her best friend with wedding plans. She also been asked to be the Sunshine Chairman for the library and no sooner then she has agreed, she is handed the task to visit Dorothy who is in the hospital after falling in an icy parking lot. Carrie and Dorothy are far from being friends, so when Dorothy tells her she thinks her husband is trying to kill her Carrie is stunned. Then when Dorothy dies in a hit and run car accident, Carrie’s radar go off and she starts asking questions. Then when it is determined it was not an accident, Carrie is out to find out who is to blame. Since her boyfriend, Dylan, is out of town for work she has plenty of time to investigate. She gets help from the library’s resident ghost, Evelyn.
This story also addresses homelessness and mental issues. There is romance, family, friendship, and plenty of plot twists to have you guessing until the end.
I was given an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
Still loving this series! It is fun to realize how much mayhem happens in ordinary lives without actually causing any of it. Again, the author does a great job of describing the characters and the interactions between them. Can hardly wait to start the next book in this series.
This is one of my favorite mystery series – it’s a cozy with a librarian, a small town, a cat and a resident ghost. The perfect escape reading. Carrie is growing as a librarian, getting used to sharing library space with a ghost who can only be sensed by herself and her niece. She has a relationship with a nice guy and, aside from the occasional dead body every once in awhile, it’s not bad. When the local homeless situation brings a group to purchase a vacant house with the intention of turning it into a daycare center for the homeless, Carrie offers them library space for their meetings and adds her own help to the project.
When she gets a phone call that the research librarian, Dorothy, has been injured in a fall, all is not as it seems. Dorothy says the fall was no accident. She suspects her husband of the attempt and says that her was responsible for her aunt’s death. Her Aunt is the library ghost. Soon Dorothy dies in a car accident and her Aunt Evelyn, the ghost, needs Carrie to find the killer. It turns out that more than just Dorothy’s husband is on the list of suspects. Carrie needs to tread carefully while tracking down the killer – one false move and she might be joining Evelyn as a ghost.
Buried in the Stacks works as a stand alone but, in order to get the most out of this series and to see how Carrie has evolved, it would best to read them in order. Full disclosure – I’m one of those readers who really does prefer to read any series in order but I can, sometimes, be lured into reading in willy nilly order.
BURIED IN THE STACKS by Allison Brook
The Third Haunted Library Mystery
Things are going well for Carrie Singleton. She’s happily dating Dylan, who will soon be living and working in Clover Ridge, she’s supporting her best friend who’s planning her nuptials, and she’s satisfied with her job as the Program and Events Manager at the library. Carrie’s even come to a truce with the despicable research librarian, Dorothy. But things aren’t quiet at the library for long. With the cold weather and no place else to go several homeless people are hanging out at the library. As problems and complaints start pouring in, Carrie is intrigued by the idea of a day center and looks to support its creation, while all the librarians cover for Dorothy, who had fallen of the ice. But even on crutches Dorothy seems to be up to her old tricks, and when her car is rammed no one is too surprised. But would somebody actually murder Dorothy? And could a day center for the homeless really be a solution or just a front for illegal activity? Despite warnings to leave things to the police, Carrie is determined to ask questions, but in doing so will she provoke a murderer?
There are a lot of annoying characters in Clover Ridge. Women desperate to be part of a couple, nasty troublemakers, greedy relatives, self absorbed snobs, and even Carrie, who goes all out to appease an ungrateful ghost. Evelyn continues to be more of a hindrance than a help despite her otherworldly status. No wonder murders occur in this small Connecticut town!
Belief in family, worthy or not, loyalty to friends and corresponding pride and shame cause rifts and further the plot in the third Haunted Library Mystery. An important social issue is raised, specifically that of homelessness and particularly how libraries deal with the issue. While good points were brought out, the naiveté of the townsfolk was a bit pronounced with their “solution” to the problem.
BURIED IN THE STACKS is a diverting read combining social issues with murder.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
I’m enjoying this series, but the individual books just don’t seem to be what I was hoping they would be. This book especially seemed to suffer from having too much of the stuff I didn’t want and not enough of the stuff I did. I like Carrie and I love we’ve gotten to see her “grow up” from where she started book one, but I really don’t need so much of the minutia of her day; such as what she ate, what she’s wearing, what makeup she put on, where she had to find the cat. I’m also having difficulties believing in the library she works for. I realize that many libraries want to be the center of their communities, but this sounds more like it’s set in a Community Centre. Where are the books and the authors? And where the heck does this library get all the money it’s able to spend? There’s a lot of stuff happening in this book, and not very much of it directly impacts on the murder mystery. Fairly early on, by random guess, I’d managed to pick the correct villain and most of the correct motive. Though, I have to give the author credit, I spent most of the book second guessing myself if I’d managed to choose correctly. I just would have liked to see a bit more time spent on the real mystery rather than chasing down wild geese. Did we really need to accompany Carrie while shopping for Angela’s wedding or Dylan’s office? Or to every blessed restaurant in town? Overall, I did enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
I did not realise that this was book 3 in a series when I requested it, however it can be read as a standalone (and I will go back and read the previous books)
I liked our leading lady Carrie, and the way she gets dragged (or insinuates herself into) local murder investigations, even when she really is trying not to lol
My sister is a librarian, so I could kind of picture the library workers here as some of her workmates (well, without the murderers!)
Smokey Joe is a great additional character too.
I liked the way that the author dealt with the homeless people around town and didn’t make Carrie look down her nose at them, however treated them like the human beings they are.
I have to say, I am not to sad and won’t miss the character who was killed off, from just this book she was unlikable, and I am sure she was the same in the previous two books.
This book gave off a smaller-town vibe (not sure if it is like that, however the relationships in the town made it feel that way).
I read this story in one afternoon, and look forward to more in the future.
This is my first book in this series. You can read this book as a stand alone but I think it would be better to have more background that was most likely in the first two books. I did know who the killer was early on but it was still fun to see how Carrie figures it out. Smokey Joe is my favorite but he’s a cat so that could be why. I think it will be interesting in future books to see how Dyland and Carrie’s relationship develops. I do like that it takes place in Connecticut which is my home state. I look forward to reading more in this series.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Carrie is a relatively new librarian in Clover Ridge. This is a very busy, large library from the size of the staff. Carrie works in the special events area. The library has a resident ghost, Evelyn, the aunt of another librarian. An ongoing issue during this winter book is the use of the library by the homeless. They can’t stay in the shelter during the day and few places welcome them. Fortunately, the town is in the process of building a center to be used during the day. However, something is going wrong. One of the librarians is killed and there are rumors regarding another purpose for the day shelter. Carrie becomes involved in both mysteries.
This is the first book that I have read in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is well-written. The characters are likeable and the story line is well-developed.
This is a cute cozy mystery. I didn’t quite get the connection between the crime and the title other than the main characters worked in a library. It has many components that will appeal to a wide audience. There is a ghost that helps librarian, Carrie, out. Carrie owns a cat that travels with her to and from work. And of course there is the boyfriend who is absent most of the time. I thought the middle of the book did drag some. It could have been just me wanting it all to end. If you’re looking for a quick read that’s clean in every sense of the word, check out this book.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.