Death on Dickens Island - A Guest Post. Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Delia Dickens to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Delia on the pages of the Books on the Beach Mystery series by Allison Brook. DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND is the first book in the series and was released last week.

Hi, Everyone. My name is Delia Dickens. Yes, I'm one of the Dickens family that founded Dickens Island in the Long Island Sound between Long Island and Connecticut. I'm thirty-eight, divorced, and I've just moved back to the island to live with my fifteen-year-old son Connor in the beautiful Victorian house that Helena, my grandmother, left me. Connor has discovered a small secret room lined with bookshelves. Here, unknown to anyone but Riley, our Bearded Collie, Helena appears to me in ghostly form and reveals secrets that help me solve two murders fifty years apart.

My parents live nearby. My father sees himself as the family's patriarch and responsible for the island's residents' peace of mind and well being. However, Dad dislikes confrontation, and so he usually relies on my mother to resolve conflicts. Dad runs the Dickens General Store. Mom has moved into my Manhattan apartment to take a break from Dad's depending on her to resolve problems and his refusal to accept her suggestions to modernize the store, and has taken up writing a novel. Sales have improved since Dad's agreed to let me order new merchandise. I'm doing my best to work around his stuck-in-the-mud attitude about making changes that the general store sorely needs if its going to survive.

My brother, Wayne, a well-known author, lives with his partner on the island part-time. He owns and edits the island's weekly newspaper, for which I've been writing articles.

Right now my aunt and uncle, who love each other dearly are having one of their public squabbles. Aunt Reenie, my mother's younger sister and Dickens Island's manager (mayor), is all for more housing and a ferry line to Connecticut while Uncle Brad, Dad's younger brother and the town council's president, wants to keep the island the same way it's been for years. Also suspecting him of having an affair with Missy Faraday, Aunt Reenie has thrown Uncle Brad out and he's staying with my dad. With Mom away, Dad expects me to convince my aunt and uncle to make nice and stop squabbling. An impossible job.

Riley came into our lives when he followed Connor home one afternoon and seemed to adopt us. While I was happy to have him live with us, I knew that, despite his badly matted coat, a wonderful dog like Riley had to belong to someone. And so I contacted our local vet, Jack Morrison. Reluctantly. Jack and I were an item years ago when I was sixteen and he was nineteen. Then he broke my heart. Believe me, I had no intention of rekindling our relationship, but one thing led to another . . .

And so you see, my life is rather full at the moment. Even more so, when Uncle Brad brought Missy Faraday to dinner at Dad's and the next morning she was found dead in her house. Of course Uncle Brad became Suspect Number One and I felt obliged to prove his innocence. So much goes on in a supposedly sleepy island, and I, being a Dickens, am right in the middle of everything.

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Review

DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND by Allison Brook
The First Books on the Beach Mystery 

After years living in Manhattan Delia Dickens has returned to Dickens Island living with her 15 year old son, Connor, in the house her grandmother left her. All is not peaceful on the island however. Her mother, claiming she needs a break from Delia's dad, is living in Delia's Manhattan apartment. Delia's aunt and uncle are leading members of the town with diametrically opposed views on what's best for the island. Their contentious behavior has divided the town and Aunt Reenie has thrown her husband out! Then, of course, there's the drama of living with a teenaged boy. But things come to a head when Missy Faraday is found shot to death in her own home. Missy was manipulative, at least in regards to men on the island, but why would anyone want to kill her? As Delia tries to deal with her family, she can't help but be interested in solving the murder, especially as both her aunt and uncle make good suspects. Unexpected help comes in the form of her grandmother's ghost who help her uncover secrets from the past that just may be impacting the present.

I enjoyed meeting Delia Dickens in the first Books on the Beach Mystery. I appreciate how she has taken past trauma, and while it still affects her, she learns and evolves from it. Delia has a solid supporting cast too, my favorite being Helena, her ghostly grandmother. I also love Riley, who shows how dogs can bring people together and help mend hurts.  

The mystery was satisfying. I particularly enjoyed how the past played a big part in the present with a pirate log, Helena's youth, and family drama adding to the mystery. As for the present, who would want to kill Missy? And why? I admit I figured it out the motive well before Delia, but it was fun seeing her catch up. 

With likeable characters and a well thought out mystery DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND is a charming start to a new series.

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 Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery by Allison Brook

About Death on Dickens Island

Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - On Dickens Island, a fictional island in the Long Island Sound between Long Island & CT.
Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: ‎ October 21, 2025
Hardcover Print Length: ‎ 320 pages

A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve-year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her fifteen-year-old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present, and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, novels of suspense, and books for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her suspense, Come Home to Death, was released in April 2024, and her suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025. Death on Dickens Island is the first book in her Books on the Beach series.

Marilyn's juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. Rufus and the Witch's Drudge, the second book in the series, has been released, and the third, Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic, will be out later this year. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, came out in a new edition in January 2024.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids, and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Author Links: 

Website/Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.marilynlevinson.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson  

X: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilynlevinsonauthor/  

Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Bookshop.org PenguinRandomHouse

Overdue or Die - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

OVERDUE OR DIE by Allison Brook
The Seventh Haunted Library Mystery

After a trying renovation, the new addition to the library is finally opening. In addition to providing much needed programming space, the library is also kicking off an art exhibit with paintings on loan from the debonair Victor Zalinka. With the grand opening overshadowed by a woman claiming the building actually belonged to her and worry that one of her employees is about to be poached by a local art gallery librarian Carrie Singleton barely has time to plan her wedding to Dylan. But when Dylan spots a forgery among Victor's paintings and gallery owner Martha Mallory winds up dead, murder becomes Carrie's main concern.

Art forgery, affairs, and one rotten family dominate the seventh Haunted Bookshop Mystery. I love how Dylan's expertise marries with Carrie's as they work to solve the mystery together...along with the Sheriff, of course. I also really like how Carrie has grown since her arrival in Clover Ridge. And honestly, I'd be as possessive as she is about the new library wing. 

There were plenty of people to distrust and dislike in OVERDUE OR DIE, with a crime boss even making an appearance-and he was a character I liked! The plot skillfully weaved around art fraud, murder, and wedding preparations with some characters proving to have more depth than I'd originally thought. The ghostly Evelyn didn't make much of an appearance in this entry, but never having cared for her, I didn't miss her, although the haunted library wasn't very haunted.

With overlapping crimes OVERDUE OR DIE is an engaging and entertaining mystery that will keep you on your toes!

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Overdue or Die (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook

About Overdue or Die

Overdue or Die (A Haunted Library Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 7th in Series
Setting - Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (October 10, 2023)
Hardcover: ‎ 304 pages

Carrie Singleton has a wedding to plan, a killer to catch, and a conspiracy to uncover in this charming seventh novel of Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.

Carrie Singleton has more than her fair share on her plate: her job at the Clover Ridge Library, preparing for her wedding to Dylan Avery, and hoping that the local art gallery doesn’t steal away one of her part-time employees. Her fiancé Dylan accompanies her to the beautiful home of Victor Zalinka—art collector and successful businessman—to select paintings for an art show at the library. While Carrie muses that Victor's home would be the perfect wedding venue, Dylan spots a forgery among the paintings in Victor's collection. Then Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery. With the assistance of Evelyn, the library ghost; the resident cat, Smoky Joe; and the office manager of Dylan’s private investigation company, Carrie comes up with a suspect list long enough to rival the size of an encyclopedia. During her investigation, Carrie stumbles across a terrible truth: Martha’s murder was part of something far bigger and more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And it all leads back to the art gallery. How far will Carrie go to find the killer and uncover the truth? If the killer finds her first—will Carrie finally be taken out of circulation?

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

Author Links: 

Website and Sign Up for My Newsletter: http://www.marilynlevinson.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson; https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook  

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/  

Purchase Links : Amazon B&N Bookshop.org Kobo Penguin Random House (has links to many sellers) 

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Dewey Decimated - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

DEWEY DECIMATED by Allison Brook
The Sixth Haunted Library Mystery

Librarian Carrie Singleton knew things wouldn't be quiet around Clover Ridge, not with her new position on the town council and construction on the building the library just bought. Contentious plans for the towns nature preserve is one thing, but finding a body in the library's new building is something else. Especially when the ghost of the dead man decides to remain at the library. Now Carrie will have to find her footing as the newest council member, appease a new ghost, and help find his killer all before a hot shot journalist gets her killed!

DEWEY DECIMATED focuses on themes of trust and family. The fun uncle who later let you down too many times, the domineering brother, father and son dynamics, happily married couples, and Carrie, who doesn't want to set her own wedding date...yet, all of these relationships play out and shape the murder mystery.

I enjoyed the way several storylines overlapped as they twisted and turned. An old homicide, a new one, and a debate over town property all mingle creating motives and suspects and find Carrie finding her way as a responsible citizen. I appreciated the way Alec adapted to his ghostly form as well as the way Carrie worked to help solve the murder and dealt with the future of the nature preserve. I also liked the way she put that intrepid reporter in her place...although I don't think we've seen the last of her.

One thing really bothered me, however, though it had nothing to do with the writing or plotting of the mystery. I got really annoyed at Angela who was determined to get a designer dog, but pleased with Carrie for recommending adopting a dog from a shelter. However, at the end of the book Carrie talks with Dylan about getting two dogs, the first from a breeder, the second from a shelter, as they ooh and ahh over Angela's new puppy-a "Maltipoo". With so many wonderful dogs, including purebreds, being euthanized in shelters daily, the very idea of promoting breeders is irresponsible, especially backyard breeders "creating" new "breeds" that are actually just mixed breeds, AKA mutts. There is nothing wrong with mixed breeds, I've had several in my life, what's wrong is breeding them to try and make a profit. Unless you're wanting a rare purebred for a specific reason, adopt, don't shop! While it didn't stop me from enjoying the puzzle that was the mystery, I lost a lot of respect for the characters.

DEWEY DECIMATED combines greed and family dynamics in a captivating ghostly mystery.

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 Dewey Decimated (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook

About Dewey Decimated

Dewey Decimated (A Haunted Library Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 6th in Series
Setting - Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (September 6, 2022)
Hardcover: ‎ 336 pages

Librarian Carrie Singleton is back on the case, alongside library ghost Evelyn, in the sixth installment of Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.

Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centered around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smoky Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit.

First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?

Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land?

As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.  

Author Links: 

Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com  

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 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson  

Purchase links: Amazon Penguin Random House B&N Kobo Google Play 

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Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook. This book is the sixth in the Haunted Library Mystery series and was released yesterday!

Librarian Carrie Singleton knew things wouldn't be quiet around Clover Ridge, not with her new position on the town council and construction on the building the library just bought. Contentious plans for the towns nature preserve is one thing, but finding a body in the library's new building is something else. Especially when the ghost of the dead man decides to remain at the library. Now Carrie will have to find her footing as the newest council member, appease a new ghost, and help find his killer all before a hot shot journalist gets her killed!

Death on the Shelf - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

DEATH ON THE SHELF by Allison Brook
The Fifth Haunted Library Mystery

 

Angela, Carrie Singleton's best friend, is usually cheerful and calm. That is not the case in the weeks before her wedding. With the brother who tormented her through her childhood coming to town and the restaurant catering her bridal shower cancelling less than a week before the event, it's no wonder Angela's having a bit of a meltdown. Angela's cousin, Donna, steps in to save the day, hosting the shower in her home. Everything is going well, until Angela's brother makes a scene at the rehearsal dinner, angry that Donna's husband won't invest in his film. When the good doctor drops dead at the wedding reception Angela is certain that her brother is a murderer. Although confident that the police will solve the case, Carrie can't help but begin her own investigation. Is one of Angela's relatives really a murderer? 

 

Love is in the air in the fifth Haunted Library Mystery. Weddings and reunions, friendships and family, illicit relationships and the pretense of love, all can be found here. Ultimately, DEATH ON THE SHELF is about family, love, and fitting in.

 

We learn quite a bit about Angela's relations in this book. Talk about a dysfunctional family! Kissing cousins, one-upmanship, and a hot headed violent brother make for a stressful wedding and plenty of motives for murder. I really liked the way the mystery developed, with characters showing very different faces as the story progressed. More than one person has some secrets going on! In fact, duplicitous characters really had me guessing and I wasn't sure who the murderer really was!

DEATH ON THE SHELF is a complex mystery that proves appearances can be deceiving, love can come in many forms, and acceptance is possible. 

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 Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook

About Death on the Shelf

Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery 5th in Series
Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books (November 9, 2021)
Hardcover: ‎ 320 pages

Librarian Carrie Singleton sleuths a murder at her best friend's wedding in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook's fifth Haunted Library mystery.

Clover Ridge librarian Carrie Singleton is thrilled to attend her best friend Angela's wedding, but Angela's family can be a bit...much. Angela’s wealthy cousin Donna hosts an extravagant bridal shower at her resplendent home, but the celebrations turn to gossip as the guests notice Donna's surgeon husband, Aiden, spending a bit too much time with Donna’s cousin Roxy. At the wedding reception, the sweet occasion turns darkly bitter when Aiden topples into the chocolate fountain--dead.

The suspect list is as long as the guest list, and as difficult to sort out as the seating chart. A few of the top contenders on Carrie’s suspect list are the flirtatious Roxy, emotionally unstable since her recent divorce; Angela's grouchy brother, who feels Aiden betrayed him; and Roxy's scorned ex-husband. Even Donna may have had reason to want her husband dead. And Aiden's gossipy office manager has plenty to say about them all.

Then another member of Angela's family is murdered, making Carrie more determined than ever to find the killer. Can library ghost Evelyn and library cat Smoky Joe help Carrie solve the murders before she becomes the next of Angela’s wedding guests to head to the grave?

About Allison Brook

 

 

Allison writes the Haunted Library Mystery series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series. Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.  

 

Author Links:

 

Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com  

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: @MarilynLevinson; @AllisonBrookML 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/  

 

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound  

 

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Checked Out for Murder - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Carrie Singleton to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Carrie on the pages of the Haunted Library series by Allison Brook. CHECKED OUT FOR MURDER is the fourth book in the Haunted Library series and was released last week.

Hello, Everyone! My name is Carrie Singleton. I am the head of programs and events at the Clover Ridge Library in the small town of Clover Ridge, Connecticut. I'm lucky to have a job a love, a wonderful boyfriend, relatives and friends. And I seem to have a knack for getting involved in murder mysteries, which I help solve.

I wasn't always the happy person I am today. A little over a year ago, when I was twenty-nine, I came to stay with my Great-Uncle Bosco and Great-Aunt Harriet because I was feeling sad and unsettled. Coming from a dysfunctional family—my father was a thief and my mother not very maternal—I had fond memories of the summers my brother and I used to spend on the Singleton Farm when we were little. After seven months of doing low-level work in the library, I had just decided to leave Clover Ridge when I was offered the position I now have, for which I am qualified. I was about to turn it down when a voice urged me to consider taking it.

And that was how I met the ghost of Evelyn Havers, who had been a library aide for many years. It turned out that no one else could see or talk to Evelyn besides me and my four-year-old cousin, Tacey. Evelyn's niece, the unpleasant reference librarian Dorothy Hawkins, was very angry that I was given the position she wanted and made things difficult for me. But I quickly figured out how to make things difficult for Dorothy! You can read all about that in DEATH OVERDUE.

Evelyn is helpful to me in many ways, especially when it comes to solving mysteries. Having lived and worked in Clover Ridge all her life, she knew many of the townspeople and their secrets. However, she holds back information when she fears it might implicate one of her relatives.

My boyfriend, Dylan Avery, is an investigator. I met him when I rented the cottage on his estate. While Dylan sometimes worries that my sleuthing will put me in danger, he knows there's no point in telling me not to get involved. I reassure him that I don't take unnecessary risks, but honestly—sometimes things just get out of hand and you have to follow up a clue.

Angela Vecchio, who works at the circulation desk, is my best friend and confidante. She and her boyfriend Steve are about to get married. And wouldn't Angela like to see me get married, too? But I'm far from ready for such an important step. But who knows? Maybe some day in the future . . .

And let's not forget Smoky Joe, the library cat. Actually, Smoky Joe is my cat. I bring him to work with me every day—ever since he showed up at my cottage and jumped into my car. All the library patrons love Smoky Joe. He actually helps solve a mystery.

In CHECKED OUT FOR MURDER, my mother and her younger husband Tom come to Clover Ridge because Tom is in a movie they're filming in town. Trouble arises when Tom's ex-fiancée shows up to play opposite him and makes a play for him. What's worse is Tom seems to be smitten. My mother gets very upset and there are repercussions. . . .and a murder or two.

As you now know, my life is never dull. You can read all about my adventures in the Haunted Library mystery series. 

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Review

CHECKED OUT FOR MURDER by Allison Brook

The Fourth Haunted Library Mystery

Although she has a job she loves, a great boyfriend, and wonderful friends and family to support her, Carrie Singleton is apprehensive. A movie is being filmed in town and since Tom, her mother's young husband, has a leading role, Brianna is coming to stay in Clover Ridge. Dealing with Brianna has never been easy and the fact that Tom is playing a romantic role against his former fiance doesn't help matters. When the actress is murdered days after Carrie's new friend is killed Carrie has no choice but to get involved.

All the world's a stage and in CHECKED OUT FOR MURDER no one is who they seem. A murder from long ago, a shattered family, it's no wonder the players wish to reimagine themselves and start fresh with new names.

I admire the complexity of the mystery in the fourth Haunted Library Mystery. Three murders, one years earlier, how could they possibly be related? The first two have a ready connection, but the third seems to be a total outlier. I love how Carrie tracks down clues, with a little help from Dylan, and pieces the puzzle together. I love the friendship and caring prominently shown throughout the story. From the way everyone cares about the lovable Smoky Joe to meals with friends and family, it's heartwarming and comforting. It's cozy and it's important.

CHECKED OUT FOR MURDER is a well structured complex mystery that delves into identity. You may take on other disguises, but in the end, for better or worse, the real you will shine through.

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Checked Out for Murder: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook

About Checked Out for Murder

Checked Out for Murder: A Haunted Library Mystery  

Cozy Mystery 4th in Series  

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (September 8, 2020)  

Hardcover: 320 pages

Carrie Singleton and Evelyn the ghost sleuth the slayings of a starlet and a star-crossed psychic in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook's fourth Haunted Library mystery.

Daphne Marriott strolls into Clover Ridge and informs librarian Carrie Singleton that she's a psychic. But had she foreseen what fate awaited her, Daphne would have steered clear of the quaint Connecticut town. Evelyn, the library ghost, tells Carrie that there's more to Daphne than she lets on.

The mysterious woman grew up in Clover Ridge with her no-good dad, who apparently met his end at the hands of Daphne's brother, Billy. Still, Daphne proves a welcome distraction when Carrie's overbearing mother hits town. Mom's much younger husband, Tom, is in a movie that's lensing locally, and she's there to keep an eye on him: Tom's costar, sultry Ilana Reingold, is also his ex-fiancée, and there's no denying the chemistry is still there. Soon after mingling with the moviemakers at a meet-and-greet, Daphne is found dead.

Carrie and Evelyn investigate, assisted by bushy-tailed library cat Smoky Joe. But the suspect list could overflow the library shelves. Has Billy killed another relative? Is their long-missing mother involved? Or Daphne's mean ex-husband? Carrie's sure she knows who committed the crime, but can she bind together the clues before the culprit Dewey-decimates the town?

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Author Links:  

Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com  

Amazon: http://bit.ly/Amazon_MarilynLevinson  

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MarilynLevinson_Facebook  

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Goodreads_MarilynLevinson  

Twitter: @MarilynLevinson; @AllisonBrookML  

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/ 

 BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/allison-brook  

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilev4/  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound  

 

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Buried in the Stacks - A Review & Giveaway

Review

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.

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Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook

About the Buried in the Stacks

 

Buried in the Stacks: A Haunted Library Mystery  

Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series  

Crooked Lane Books (September 10, 2019)  

Hardcover: 320 pages 

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?

About Allison Brook

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/

 Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound

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Currently Reading...

I just finished reading Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook. This book is the third in the Haunted Library series and was released yesterday.

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?

Read and Gone - A Review & Giveaway

Review

READ AND GONE by Allison Brook

The Second Haunted Library Mystery

It may be Christmastime, but all is not jolly in Clover Ridge. Carrie Singleton is happy to be able to finally put down roots, having friends, family, a boyfriend, and a job she loves at the library. Everything changes when her absentee thief of a father shows us asking her to locate some gems that he helped steal. Now her relationship is on the rocks, a surprising amount of people know about the gems and are searching for them, and people are getting murdered! Will Carrie find the gems and send her father on his way, or will she become another victim?

The characters in this second Haunted Library Mystery have rich backstories which add depth to the novel. Carrie's low self-esteem and abandonment issues drive her to act quite juvenile in regard to her relationships and her goody two-shoesness can be irksome. Still in all, she's loyal and devoted to her job and Smoky Joe, although she really needs to get a cat carrier! I really enjoy her co-workers, well, Dorothy the sourpuss is a real pill and I wish the ghostly Eleanor made more appearances.

A pleasurable read, READ AND GONE is a well plotted enjoyable mystery focusing on family relations as well as murder!

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READ AND GONE EXCERPT

Wednesday morning I was enjoying my second cup of coffee when the landline phone rang. Did Sally need me to come in early for some reason? My pulse quickened. Or had Dylan found a free moment in his busy schedule to call me?

“Carrie, you have to come and get me out of here!”

“Jim? Where are you?”

“In jail, dammit. They think I killed Parr, but I swear I didn’t.”

“Benton’s dead? I just saw him last night. Why do they think you killed him? How did they find you?”

“Caro, slow down. I went to his store before opening time. The lights were on, so I went inside, figuring he was in the back room. Only he was lying on the floor. There was all this blood coming from his abdomen. The kid who works for him came in and called the cops. I took off, but they nabbed me a few blocks away. Knocked me down. I’m bruised and all scratched up.”

“You need a lawyer.”

“I don’t have money for a lawyer.”

“I’m calling Uncle Bosco.”

He let out a long exhalation. “I don’t know, Caro. I haven’t spoken to the man in twenty years.”

“I know a lawyer. He doesn’t handle criminal cases, but he’ll know who to call.”

“All right, honey, call who you want. But please get down here as soon as you can.”

Uncle Bosco was not happy to hear my father was back in town. “When did he get here, Carrie? Why did he come?”

“He arrived a few days ago. I think he wanted to see me.” Both accurate statements, but far from the whole picture. “There’s more, Uncle Bosco. Benton Parr is dead. Murdered. And the police arrested Jim. He insists he didn’t do it.”

My uncle let out a long sigh that sounded very much like the one my father had exhaled only minutes earlier. “My poor brother. He’d turn over in his grave if he knew what his son has become.”

I cleared my throat. “Would you be willing to put up bail? I don’t have much savings, but I’ll take out a loan if I need to.”

“Of course I’ll put up bail. Your father’s a Singleton, whether I like it or not. I can’t let him rot in jail until his trial. Meanwhile, I’ll speak to John. Find out exactly what they have on him.”

“Thank you, Uncle Bosco. I’m going to call Ken Talbot. Have him recommend a good criminal lawyer for Jim.”

“The man doesn’t deserve to have you as his daughter.”

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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 

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?

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/  

Purchase Links:  Amazon B&N BookBub

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