Read and Gone: A Haunted Library Mystery
by Allison Brook
About the Book
Read and Gone: A Haunted Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 11, 2018)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683317340
Digital ASIN: B078M7MXGR
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 11, 2018)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683317340
Digital ASIN: B078M7MXGR
Twenty million dollars’ worth of missing gems bring Carrie Singleton’s long-lost and larcenous dad back into her life and it’s up to Carrie to clear his name.A devoted dad is as precious as diamonds, but Carrie Singleton wouldn’t know since her dad Jim’s been on the lam most of her life. In an unusual family reunion, she finds Jim breaking into her cottage in the middle of the night. The fun really starts when he begs her to help him recover his half of a twenty-million-dollar gem heist he pulled off with the local jeweler, Benton Parr. When she refuses, Jim takes off again.Carrie finds her father again behind bars for the recent murder of Benton Parr. Who made the connection? Unbeknownst to her, Carrie’s boyfriend Dylan, an insurance investigator, has been searching for the gems. Determined to find the jewels herself, she starts examining every facet of Parr’s life. She turns up a treasure trove of suspects, one of whom bashes her on the head as she’s searching the victim’s country cabin.Retreating to the quiet confines of the library where she works, Carrie watches as Smokey Joe, the resident cat, paws at a hole in the wall. Is he after the library’s ghost Evelyn, or something shinier?
My Review
Things are finally going well for Carrie Singleton. She has a new job at the library, a new boyfriend, Dylan, and even a devoted cat named Smokey Joe. Smokey Joe has become the resident library cat and is a hit with all the local patrons in the small town of Clover Ridge, Connecticut. In fact, for the first time in her life, she feels a part of a family.
It’s Christmas time in Clover Ridge when someone breaks into Carrie’s house. Suddenly she’s not feeling so safe anymore. She’s even more stunned when she learns the man who broke in is her estranged father. A man who has shown no interest in her life since she was a child. Now he’s back and asking for a favor. Not a small favor, but a huge one. He had been involved in a gem heist, worth in the multi-million dollar range, and his heist partner is hiding the gems. He wants Carrie to help find the stolen goods.
Then, her father’s partner turns up murdered and her father is the prime suspect. He may not be perfect but Carrie doesn’t believe he’s a killer. She’s determined to find the real killer and the gems as well. When she learns her new boyfriend is actually an investigator hired to find the gems, she’s hurt and confused. She vows to prove her father’s innocence and make everything right.
Read and Gone is the second book in the Haunted Library series. If you haven’t read the first one, there’s plenty of background information throughout this one.
The characters are well rounded - both the main and secondary characters are vividly portrayed. I found myself really caring about Carrie and her family, especially Smokey Joe - cat lover that I am :) There’s a resident ghost in attendance but she’s not a huge part of the story. She does add a bit of charm to the series, though.
The author does an amazing job of bringing this small town to life. It was a quick read for me. The storyline is filled with mystery, adventure and romance mixed into one captivating read. The ending took me by surprise. I hope there will be more books in this series.
For reading challenges:
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge 2018
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Allison Brook is the pseudonym for Marilyn Levinson, who writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. She lives on Long Island and enjoys traveling, reading, watching foreign films, doing Sudoku and dining out. She especially loves to visit with her grandchildren on FaceTime.
Author Links
Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
My Amazon page: http://amzn.to/K6Md1O
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/
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Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing READ AND GONE and for giving it 5 kitties!
I really liked the first book in the series. Looking forward to reading "Read and Gone".
ReplyDeleteIt sounds super fun and it has a library in it. A haunted one! LOL Always happy to come across another cozy series. Thanks for your wonderful review.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great :)
ReplyDelete