For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay comes an enthralling series debut featuring a librarian who solves mysteries with the help of a ghost in the stacksCarrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she’s offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented … program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.
The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie’s determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it’s the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura’s case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.
Now it’s due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook.
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4.5 stars. After reading the second book in ‘The Haunted Library Mysteries’ by Allison Brook last year, I ordered a copy of the first in the series, Death Overdue, to read and get current. It’s a great setting and has a little bit of everything for cozy mystery lovers. Carrie Singleton (late 20’s, single) is about to leave Connecticut after visiting her aunt and uncle for a few months when she’s offered a promotion at the Clover Ridge library. Although she wants to escape, a ghost haunting the building convinces Carrie to stick it out. After her first event is held, the author she brought in to discuss new leads in a murder case from ~10 years earlier is poisoned and dies in the library. Carrie investigates to ensure no one thinks poorly of her, but she also finds the challenge an easy distraction to help her decide to stay in town.
Full of great supporting characters and side stories, this series has a lot of potential. You’ve got the ghost of a former employee who died under somewhat mysterious circumstances in a fall in the parking lot (we know that’ll be a mystery in future books!), a few colleagues who dislike Carrie because of her appearance or connection with her uncle as a member of the library board, her thief father who is missing, her sudden attraction with local sexy investigator Dylan, and a whole lot more. I look forward to all the capers and trouble that could happen in this charming New England town.
Brook has a simple yet strong writing style. It’s easy to get lost in the book for a few hours before realizing how far you’ve read. I like the descriptions and dialog as much as the narratives and past details being dropped throughout the story. I am very curious to learn more about Carrie’s aunt and uncle who likely have a very suspenseful and crazy past. This mystery was medium-complex and had a lot of family drama. Ultimately, I thought the killer was a little too easy to identify, but it did keep me guessing a few times in the middle section. I’m curious to see which characters stay in the future books and which ones disappear. There are only 2 in the series so far, but I’m sure a new one will be out in 2019. I’ll be looking for that ARC!
Excellent debut for the Haunted Library Mysteries! Strong protagonist, plot moves swiftly, Ghost is a great character. Definitely reading the next books in this series!
Filled to overflowing with everything that makes a cozy so enjoyable, Death Overdue gave me a few days of delightful entertainment. I love the setting. The Clover Ridge Library has enough going on to keep every scene full and every reader interested. Brook doesn’t miss a trope–we have descriptions of food, cats, a ghost, furniture–and an amateur sleuth to root for throughout. Touches of romance sprinkled about are the icing on the cake. I’m recommending this book to all my friends who want a book they can chill with.
Totally enjoyed spending time with this book, my thanks to the author, great job!
Tricks and Treats! Death Overdue is the first book in A Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook. Carrie is the new program director at Clover Ridge Library. After a tumultuous childhood, Carrie may have finally found a place to call home that offers family, friends, a new career and romance to boot. But first, Carrie finds herself in the middle of a tricky Halloween riddle when her first program guest ends up murdered in front of his audience! Carrie’s devil-may-care nature provokes her into hardcore snooping that might just get her killed in the process. With the help of the library ghost, who can only be seen by Carrie and Carrie’s little cousin, she just might solve the murder and rid herself of a couple of enemies in the process. Death Overdue made me excited for the next books in the series, thanks to Allison Brook’s fast paced writing blended with vivid description.
Everything a cozy mystery should be – a wonderful little town, a fantastic cast of characters, and a library cat. I would love to live in this town and befriend everyone but since I can’t, I’ll keep reading the series!
It kept my interest, was well written and the characters well developed. I enjoyed it.
As a card-carrying library fan, I enjoyed how Allison Brook wove behind the scenes elements of library life into this cozy mystery. CHECK IT OUT. You’ll be glad you did!
What a fun beginning to a series! I love cozies, libraries, and books. Brook’s characters are fun and quirky, and her ghost appears at just the right time.
I enjoyed reading this first book in the Haunted Library Series. I picked this up because it was a Halloween Biblio Cozy. Carrie has just been offered a position at the local library as head of programs and events. At her first event a local retired policeman claims to have solved a cold case and will be giving a talk. When he is murdered she sets out to solve the crime. She receives help from a local deceased librarian who is still haunting the library. I liked the library setting and the characters. The mystery was good and there were lots of suspects to keep it interesting. I was able to solve the mystery before the end. This was a good foundation for a fun series. I am looking for word to reading the next one. Enjoy
I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it not only had Halloween celebrated but Thanksgiving as well. The main character is really likeable. I can’t wait to read the second book. I really enjoyed the library setting although I wouldn’t consider it haunted. There is a ghost but not a big part of the story. If you’re not a fan of ghost or paranormal, I still recommend cause it’s lite.
A Halloween Cozy That Is a Surefire Hit!
This book had me from the first glance. Several items immediately attracted me to this book before I’d even read the summary paragraph.
First was the cover. For those of you who are like me and enjoy reading cozy mysteries in the season they are set, then this is a Fall / Halloween pick for you! Second was the series name. A Haunted Library Mystery. It was such a perfectly inspired idea for a Halloween cozy, I just knew I wanted to read it.
In the first installment of the series, Death Overdue, Carrie Singleton is drifting through life, not feeling like she has found anywhere to call home. All that changes with a promotion at work. Carrie is loving her new adventure as Director of Programs and Events at the Clover Ridge Library. Until one of the library’s guest speakers, a retired homicide detective, is poisoned after he claims he knows who committed a local murder that has been unsolved for the past fifteen years.
This book is entertaining and engaging. A solid start to the series. Here is why you should check it out.
Carrie is a work in progress
I think we can all relate to those protagonists who are still working to find their way in the world. Carrie is finally on a path to finding where we belongs, but I’m sure the path will have a few more twists and turns along the way. She is a determined protagonist ready to take on the world!
The library is haunted?!?!
Well, yes. But in a good way! I won’t give away any secrets about the library ghost, but she fits into the story in a supporting role. She is an endearing character who doesn’t overwhelm the story, but adds a delightful dynamic to it.
It’s set in a library
Working in a library is always one of those “dream jobs” I think would be so much fun. Carrie and her fellow library colleagues are center stage in this book. They allow me to live through them and read about all the fun without having to actual re-shelf books myself.
A Halloween Hit
This is a Halloween hit that is sure to have you wanting to head over to your local library to see if you can find any resident ghosts to chat with. Death Overdue is one that you want to pick up today. It would be the perfect book to read while you are waiting for the neighborhood kiddos to ring your doorbell on Halloween night!
First published at: https://cozyexperience.com/halloween-cozy-surefire-hit/
This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/8dQeWki896s
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/paracozy-escape-book-club-chat-death-overdue-by-allison-brook-a-haunted-library-mystery-book-1/
I absolutely loved this book about a young woman being offered a job as the head of programs and events at the local library in Connecticut. Carrie Singletons soon discovers that the library is haunted by a former employee who she can see and talk too.
There are lots of questions but not everyone is offering the answers.
A well written and planned story. The plot thickens with each character involved in the murder of a woman who was killed 15 years prior. I was not disappointed with the first book of A Haunted Library Mystery.
“Delightful start to a series I know I am going to love. My preferred subgenre is Paranormal Cozy Mystery so I was so pleased to read that the main character, Carrie Singleton, can see a ghost (friendly) and that the ghost helps her solve mysteries. I am already starting the 2nd book in this series to see what other mysteries and mayhem are going on next! I highly recommend this series!”
I started reading this book and got to the middle where unfortunately… I lost interest. Sorry. I skipped to the end just to see who the killer was and there again I wasn’t surprised. Guess it just wasn’t for me.
A great book.
Carrie Singleton is staying in Clover Ridge,
Connecticut with her Aunt and Uncle. She
has been working in local library but is
getting ready to move on to something new.
Then she is offered the head of programs
and events at the library. She accepts and
will stay in Clover Ridge. Little does Carrie
know that the library is haunted with a resident
ghost. Carrie is the only one at the library who
is able to see and communicate with the ghost.
The first event hosted is a retired homicide
detective. He is presenting a program regarding
the unsolved, cold case of a former, part time
library aide who was murdered, Laura Foster.
Rumor has it he is going to reveal the murderer.
He eats a cookie then drops over dead. The
cookie was not one supplied by the library. It was
poisoned.
Who wanted to kill the detective? Was this related
to the Foster murder?
With the help of the resident ghost, Carrie decides
to investigate.
With a myriad of suspects with various temperaments,
Carrie has her job cut out for her.
Fast paced, well plotted mystery with drama, suspense
plus some humor and a touch of romance.
An enjoyable read!!
I enjoyed this first in the series. Carrie ends up getting a full time job at the library where she is working and not everyone is happy, which is Carrie’s first problem her second is when a guest speaker who has been investigating a 15 year old murder and is going to announce who the murderer is suddenly drops dead. Add a ghost that shows up to help her with her job and Carrie’s life is kept interesting. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters and will move on to the next in this series.
I gave this 3 1/2 stars
As a book lover, how could I not enjoy a book set in a library?! I did of course. This is a new series set in a small town in CT and Carrie is thinking about leaving town but is offered a job in the library…one of my dream jobs!
The book has some interesting characters and the surface is just scratched on a few including a long time friend and new landlord for Carrie. There is also the library ghost, a former employee, but we don’t know why she is still tied to the library and hasn’t moved on. Interesting that Carrie and a young family member are the only two that can see her. But she comes in handy when Dorothy, the ghost’s niece, gets out of line and information about her is used to bring Dorothy back in line.
There are a couple of mysteries to unravel – a retired police detective, Al, and Laura Foster. Al thinks he knows who killed Laura after all these years, but he is murdered before revealing the truth about Laura’s death all those years ago. The killer has to be someone in the town. Not a lot of clues are revealed to help us solve it until near the end. I am not sure if I suspected this character, but they did act a little suspicious at times.
Overall a good start to a new series and I look forward to the next installment.