Review: Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Crooked Lane Books

Release Date:
September 10, 2019






Synopsis from Goodreads:

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, 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?

My Review

Carrie Singleton loves her job at the library, but things get a bit complicated when winter arrives and the homeless use the library for shelter.  A group of investors purchase a house that will provide shelter for the homeless by day, but Carrie learns that it’s to be a cover for illegal activities at night.

As she does some investigating, Carrie discovers there’s more going on than she ever suspected. When one of her co-workers is killed in a car accident (which turns out to be no accident), Carrie vows to learn the truth. To make matters even more curious, Carrie has been befriended by a ghost, Evelyn. It’s starting to look like Evelyn’s death could be connected with what is happening today.

Against the advice of the local police and her investigator boyfriend, Carrie throws herself into the investigation. It’s not long before her own life is on the line.

This is the third book in the Haunted Library mystery series and I think it’s the best one yet. I always have a soft spot for any cozy mystery set in a library or a bookstore. This one has the added fun of a resident ghost. I’ve read all the books in this series, but I also think it could be read on its own. However, it’s so much more enjoyable when you start at the beginning and watch Carrie’s character grow.

It’s a captivating plot and it had my attention from beginning to end. There were several possibilities as far as the suspects go and I was totally off base. The author did a good job of keeping the suspense going. She focuses more on the mystery than Carrie’s romance which is exactly how I like my mysteries. There’s even Carrie’s library cat Smokey Joe. Cozy cats always win my heart :)

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

For reading challenges:
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2020
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2020 (Connecticut)
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2020

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.