REVIEW: Motto for Murder

 Motto for Murder
Author: Leslie Langley

The Merry Wrath Mystery series always has something zany and unusual going on. How could it not? The main character, Merry Wrath, is a  former CIA operative who retired after being outed publicly. She returns to her small hometown and becomes a....Girl Scout Leader. 

Motto for Murder is book 6 in this series. And, it takes full advantage of the weird possibilities an ex-CIA operative/Girl Scout Troop leader vibe can create. Seriously, the plot of this one was all over the place. Wedding plans and jitters. New neighbors who may be spies.A string of arsons. Mix insomnia, cats who look like Hitler and Elvis, and Girl Scout events and you get a good picture of the craziness of Merry Wrath's life. 

Most of the time I wouldn't enjoy a plot that was pretty much just all over the place. But....in this series....it works. Perfectly. 

A fun, entertaining addition to this series! I enjoyed the book and will continue reading this series. 

I am a bit weary of the love triangle/can't choose which man trope-y part of the ongoing plot though. I've been reading another long series that also has a love triangle that has plodded on and on and on for years -- with no hint of resolution. That series pretty much killed any interest I have in love triangles in cozy mysteries. I hope it doesn't drag out in this series as well.....not a fan. 

 

REVIEW: Mud Run Murder

 Mud Run Murder
Author: Leslie Langtry

Mud Run Murder is the 5th book in the Merry Wrath Mystery series. 

Preparing a Girl Scout Troop to participate in a Mud Run Competition is rough enough....but to do it with murders and CIA Intrigue going on at the same time is just epic. And to think it all started with an innocent trip to the movie theater!

I am enjoying the humor and fun of this series so much! Merry Wrath is a former CIA operative turned Girl Scout Troop leader. She needs all her wits and experience to handle a troop of 12 little girls. Plus, despite being retired from the CIA, strange and dangerous incidents seem to always happen to her. It makes for a fun and entertaining read every time! 

My favorite character? Philby the cat, course! Leave it to Merry Wrath to have a cat that looks like Hitler. :) I love the Girls Scouts in these books. They aren't scared of anything or anybody, and go with the flow....even when things get dangerous!

I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book -- Motto for Murder!

REVIEW: Movie Night Murder

 Movie  Night Murder
Author Leslie Langtry

An overnight lock-in with her Girl Scout Troop turns into a bit extra when a dead body is discovered. Being an ex-CIA operative turned Scout Leader is never dull. And the situation is more than a little bizarre. Not only does Merry recognize the dead woman, her Scouts know her, too.  What they don't know is who killed her and why.....

I'm enjoying this series. The mix of humor, crazy antics and sleuthing is just fun to read. I never know what's going to happen next! From unexpected hair dye to murderous evil-doers, this story is a great addition to this series. Merry's life never has a dull moment, that's for sure! 

I love how her scout troop just goes with the flow and is so excited over the weird and more than slightly dangerous things that can happen on outings and events with Merry. Kinda makes hanging out with 12 little girls seem almost as dangerous as being a CIA operative, doesn't it?! 

Moving on to the next book -- Mud Run Murder! 

REVIEW: Progressive Dinner Deadly

 Progressive Dinner Deadly
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Myrtle Clover just wants her Book Club to choose some better books. She wants to read more classics than beach reads. But somehow her planned Book Club Coup ends up morphing their book discussion nights into a.....progressive dinner club instead. The group will now troop through the neighborhood going from house to house for each course of a dinner. And, Myrtle is in charge of the dessert. 

Myrtle hates this new format. And somehow the entire group thinks it was her idea. How could this possibly get worse?

But it does. 

When the group gets to one of the next stops in the progressive dinner.....the host is dead. 

 Murdered. 

She just wanted to read better books! Not get sucked into a murder investigation......   

But...at least that's better than finishing all the stops on that doomed progressive dinner night. I don't think Myrtle would have made it through all the courses to host the group in the final dessert course at her house! 

This was a cute addition to this series. Myrtle gets so worked up about things!  And the people around her are so small town nosy, dramatic and just.....too much at times. [Which is why I live in a big city, and not a small town. Never going back!]

I enjoy this series. It has a nice mix of humor, small town quirkiness and old lady sass. But, I do wish the plots were a bit more varied. This author seems to write her books on a basic formula (her Village Library series was the same way), and it gets boring after awhile. I enjoyed this second book in the series, but I'm not sure I will make it through 24 books. Unless there is a little more plot variety thrown in, I think I will move on way before I finish all the books in this series. 

We shall see! I can always take a break if the series gets old, and read the books from my local library. I donated my paperback copies to make room on my bookshelves. Not a reflection on the quality of this series. The books just took up an entire shelf, and I wanted the space for other books. I will continue reading at  my own pace through these books by checking out through Hoopla rather than keeping all those physical books.

REVIEW: Remarkably Bright Creatures

 Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author: Shelby Van Pelt

A coworker recommended I read this book. She specifically mentioned the audio book, stating that the voice actor for the octopus character was perfect. And, I agree. I loved every minute of listening to this story. 

The basics: Tova lost her son. He disappeared one night and authorities chalked it up to a boating accident or suicide. Then, years later, Tova lost her husband to cancer. She feels alone. But, at night as she cleans in the local aquarium, she befriends an Octopus. Marcellus. Little does she know that Marcellus will be one of the best friends of her entire life, in ways nobody could have predicted. 

I wish there had been just a little bit more Marcellus in the story. But the portions narrated from the Octopus' POV, made this story for me. The other characters are wonderful -- Tova, Cameron, Avery, and Ethan. But Marcellus.....totally my favorite.

Ever since I found out that octopuses (It was knocked into my skull in school that octopi is the correct plural for octopus, but I discovered while writing this review that octopuses and octopi are both accepted as correct. Lovely instant font of knowledge, the internet.) are incredibly intelligent, I have been obsessed with learning about them. I watch every documentary I come across, read magazines and books.And octopuses have been firmly added to my ever growing list of animals I consider murderous to eat or purposefully injure. The list keeps getting longer. I might as well just go vegetarian at this point as my days of eating other warm-blooded creatures is coming to an end. I just....can't. Even though the story is fictional, this book reminded me why I feel this way. 

I enjoyed this story. A bit predictable in places, but sometimes predictable feels comforting and right. At least that's how I felt as I listened to the audio book. The audio book is just a bit of 11 hours long and narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie. Urie's depiction of Marcellus reminded me so much of Frasier Crane or his brother, Niles. Both narrators are excellent voice actors and brought this story to life. 

I don't usually read this sort of fiction. I'm glad I made an exception and branched out enough to enjoy this story. Loved it! 

REVIEW: Pretty Is As Pretty Dies

 Pretty Is As Pretty Dies
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

As part of my quest to read more books off my own bookshelves, I finally got around to starting on the Myrtle Clover series. I've had most of the books on my shelf for more than two years. It was time to get busy reading! 

Myrtle Clover is a feisty, intelligent octogenarian. She fills up her days by writing a helpful hints column for the local newspaper in Bradley, NC, making life a bit stressful for her Police Chief son, and sticking her nose into other people's business as she pleases. When a local property developer is found dead in the Bradley United Methodist Church, Myrtle puts her best snooping skills to work to ferret out the killer. 

This story is entertaining and fun to read. Myrtle is so outspoken and feisty! And she does cute things to get back at her son....like filling her yard with garden gnomes when he's coming over to mow the lawn. He gets in a few jabs of his own like recording an obnoxious ringtone for her new cellphone that screeches a lovely message in his voice when he calls her, and threatening to put her into Greener Pastures Retirement Home. 

The mystery moved along at a nice pace. There were plenty of suspects and quite a bit of amateur sleuthing. The plot had a balanced mix of humor and mystery. 

There was only one thing that I didn't like about this book. Myrtle and a couple of other characters make some snide comments and jokes about other people's physical appearance and weight multiple times. I don't like that sort of thing in real life, and don't like it in books I read either. Not a major thing, but it did pull me out of the story when it kept happening. 

Nice start to this series. I'm moving on to book 2! Can't wait to find out what sort of trouble Myrtle gets herself into! 

REVIEW: Death's End

 Death's End
Author: Cixin Liu

I have spent the last 4 months reading and listening my way through Cixin Liu's The Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy. I read physical copies of the first two books while listening to the audiobook versions so that the Chinese names, places and words would be pronounced correctly (or at least better than the attempts I would have made!). The third book I only listened to the audiobook. The wait list at the library was long and I didn't want to wait, and I didn't want to buy another paperback copy. After 40 plus hours listening time for the first two books, I didn't really need to read and listen together to keep the characters straight and get the correct pronunciation for the Chinese names and words. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this series! Wow -- so much happens!! So many twists, betrayals, mistakes, unexpected good and bad! I loved every word!

The audiobook for Death's End is just shy of 29 hours long. I made a rule when I started this trilogy that I could only read/listen when I had time to completely focus on the story. No listening while driving, doing chores, etc. Only when I had time to just stop and focus on the book. So, it took me months to get through the entire trilogy. This was a story that I knew deserved time and careful attention. I'm glad I took as much time as I needed to complete reading. If I had hurried or only given the story part of my attention, I would have missed some of the complexities. I'm also glad I avoided spoilers. The ending of the series was still a surprise, and that made it much more satisfying.

When I only had 10 hours left in the final book I decided to go ahead and watch the series on Netflix. Because they announced that the series has been renewed for for a 2nd and 3rd season, I knew they wouldn't be revealing the end in season 1. Over two sessions, I binge watched the series. I mostly enjoyed the Netflix series, even though I had some disappointments with changes that were made to Cixin Liu's story. I did feel better when I found out he approved at least some of the changes and that other changes were made to allow the story to flow better for multiple seasons. I'm hoping the parts that were left out of the series will show up in subsequent seasons. 

There is another book set in this world written by another author. I'm going to take a break and come back at a later date to read this final book. I'm so curious how the story will continue! Because I have spent months reading the trilogy, I want to read some other things that have been waiting at the top of my TBR. After I get caught up on other reading, I will return and see how the last book compares to the trilogy.

I definitely want to read more by Cixin Liu. This trilogy is amazing!

REVIEW: Booked Up

 Booked Up
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Booked Up is the 10th book in the Village Library Mysteries series. 

This time around, someone kills a local doctor. Librarian Ann Beckett finds the body, and is on the case to discover who killed the beloved physician. 

This book followed the usual formula for this series -- dead body discovered, murder investigation begins, follow up murder happens, more investigation, twist in the story & reveal. After 10 books, the similarity in the plots is becoming a bit old. I did however enjoy the character development in this book for at least one of the regular characters. 

All in all, a quick enjoyable read. I do wish the plots were a bit more varied. Each book is just a variation on the same basic formula. 

There is one more book in this series currently, but I'm going to take a break and come back at a later date to read the last book. I pretty much binge read my way through the first 10 books in this series. That's why the same basic plot is getting a bit tiresome. 

However, getting these books read and donated has freed up a nice little bit of space on my bookshelves! That means I can purchase some new books without guilt! :)

REVIEW: End of Story

 End of Story
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

End of Story is the 9th book in the Village Library Mystery series. 

This series tends to follow a basic formula for each book. Murder occurs, investigation starts, another murder, more investigation, twist/reveal/mop up. This time, the setting for the story does change from Whitby, NC to Charleston, SC. But the formula stayed pretty much the same. 

Despite the investigations/plots being very similar, I do enjoy this series. The characters are entertaining. I love Fitz the Library Cat. And the main character, Librarian Ann Beckett, is very intelligent and capable. 

I wish the author would shake things up a bit and change the basic formula she seems to follow for this series. I'm sure it's easier for the writer to follow a basic outline, but it gets a bit tired after 9 books. The change of scenery and having the two main characters being on vacation did shake things up a little, but the mystery followed the same path as the prior books. 

I'm moving on to book 10 -- maybe Ann goes totally rogue in this one and breaks the usual formula. We shall see! 

REVIEW: A Novel Idea

 A Novel Idea
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

In this 8th book in the Village Library Mystery series, the Whitby Library hosts an event featuring a local author. Sally Simmons has a bestseller about several people who share guilt in a killing and how their emotions change their lives. The author doesn't realize how much speaking at the Whitby Library is going to change her life....and not for the better. Yep....you guessed it....she turns up dead. And, Librarian Ann Beckett is on the case again. 

If my local public library was embroiled in so many murders, I would be afraid to go check out books! :) Not to mention living in a small town that has so many bodies showing up. Luckily, cozy mysteries allow readers to suspend reality and just enjoy a good bit of amateur sleuthing. 

I enjoyed this book. The mystery and the antics of the characters kept me engaged with the story the entire time. My favorite character is still Fitz the Library Cat, of course! 

The series is a bit formulaic as most of the novels seem to follow the same general plot outline: Murder, investigation starts, another murder, more investigation, twist, and reveal/end. But the circumstances are varied enough that I'm not getting bored, and I like the characters/background theme. So, I plan to read this series to the end. I just wish the plots would deviate from the standard. I have another series from this author on my shelves, the Myrtle Clover series, that I plan to read next. I hope those books don't follow this same standard each time. We shall see! 

On to the next! I have already pulled book 9, End of Story, off my bookshelves and getting started reading right away! :)

REVIEW: The Dark Forest

 The Dark Forest
Author: Cixin Liu

I have been wanting to read Cixin Liu's Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy for years. My TBR list is ponderous and the books just never seemed to make it to the top of the list. So many books....so little time. 

Then Netflix made a series based on the books. I have a self-imposed rule that I have to read the book(s) first before watching a series or movie based on a book/series. I immediately moved this series to the top of my list and started reading. 

It has been SO hard to avoid spoilers!! I'm being so careful....avoiding anything about the unsolvable Three Body Problem, the books, the author, book reviews....I'm not looking at anything related to these books. I haven't even watched the trailer for the Netflix series. I want to read my way through these books without any outside opinions, information or plot knowledge other than the basic book blurb. I have looked up some Chinese cities, places, famous scientists/philosophers, and history so that I better understand the story. But I've even been super careful about that!

I continued my habit of reading the physical book while listening to an audio book. For stories that have a lot of foreign names and words, I like to read and listen so that I'm hearing them pronounced correctly. It makes the story more enjoyable. I find I also enjoy the story more.  The audio I listened to (Macmillan Audio) is narrated by PJ Ochlan and is just over 22.5 hours long. 

PJ Ochlan is an okay narrator. I found his voice a bit irritating so I had a hard time getting into the story at first. His voice is just too nasal and often monotone. I just didn't like his performance. But, the story is so interesting that I just finally learned to ignore what annoys me about Ochlan's voice. I much prefer the audio narration done by Luke Daniels for the first book, The Three Body Problem. I wish Daniels had recorded all 3 books, not just the first one! Ochlan narrates the audio for Book 3 as well. I'm just going to have to get over it and suffer through. :) 

I'm also not sure why book 2 was translated into English by another person. Ken Liu translated Book One and Book Three. But The Dark Forest is translated by Joel Martinsen. There are fewer footnotes in Book Two. It's making me miss Ken Liu - there were many footnotes in Book 1 explaining nuances of passages that were difficult to translate, information on Chinese history, scientists and famous people mentioned in the text, etc. There were a few footnotes in book 2, but I missed the extra details that Ken Liu included for Book One. I hope the extra footnotes come back when I get to Book Three. 

I am loving this series. This is not a fast paced Sci-Fi Adventure. It's a slow burn. While I do like fast paced, action packed sci-fi, for this series, the slow development works perfectly. It gives the characters and story time to develop, leaves time for discussion of science, physics, human nature, etc. The story is amazing! I love the fact that this story is told from the Chinese point of view and not a Chinese POV filtered through an American or European viewpoint. It gives a story line that has been done many times before (alien invasion of Earth) a different feel. It's not just another oh no the aliens are coming story where the western world military runs in like Roger Ramjet to save the planet. The characters are different. The vibe is different. And the story progression/build-up is different. 

It is taking me a long time to get through this trilogy as I only read/listen when I have time to pay complete attention to the story. I listed to 30 minutes here and there as I can, or longer when I have time to just Be, and enjoy the book. When an audio book is 20+ hours long, that means it takes a good long while to get through to the end. But -- so worth it!! 

7/10/2024 -- I discovered this morning when I loaded up my blog to start working on the draft for the review of Book 3 that I neglected to actually post this review when I finished the book! Oops! I'm almost through book 3 now....and finally posting this review of The Dark Forest. I finished the Dark Forest in June 2024. :)

REVIEW: Spine Tingling

 Spine Tingling
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Spine Tingling is the seventh book in the Village Library Mystery series. I'm enjoying reading my way though this entire series. Clearing out bookshelf space! And, the mysteries are entertaining and fun to read. 

This time, two elderly residents of Whitby turn up dead. The killings seem related because one of them may have seen something she wasn't supposed to. Librarian Ann Beckett finds herself involved in yet another murder investigation. Did curiosity kill the elderly snoop? And if so....whose secrets did she discover?

I enjoyed this book. The ending seemed a bit rushed, but I still enjoyed the story. 

My favorite character is still Fitz the Library Cat. He's calm, cool and collected at all times and just goes with the flow. Perfect library cat!! 

There was some interesting character development in this book for several characters in the series. I'm interested to see where things go in the next few books!  One main character is getting more and more annoying. I'm very interested in seeing if she turns over a new leaf and stops being quite so prickly to everyone around her, or if she's just going to stay the same gruff and grouchy. 

On to the next book: A Novel Idea! 

REVIEW: Frictional Characters

 Frictional Characters
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I had to chuckle a bit while reading Frictional Characters. The Village Library series is set in a small NC town. I grew up in several small towns in the Midwest and then lived 20 years in another small town in NC. The  depiction of Whitby, NC reminds me so much of things I experienced living in tiny towns. 

In a small town, if residents don't know you personally, they know "of you." Gossip flies through town at the speed of sound. Everyone knows everybody's business, or thinks they do. And every neighborhood has That Neighbor -- the one who doesn't mow their lawn or keep their property clean or has a tendency to be a troublemaker. Every neighborhood also has the person (or persons) who believe they are the resident Yard Police. Who needs an HOA when you have Nosy Nellie walking around?

Plus, small towns are NOT like Mayberry. They seem idyllic at first.....but there are hidden dark secrets. Every little town I lived in had nasty little things going on behind the scenes. Jealousies, lies, whispers about infidelities, crooked business deals, suspicious deaths, good old boy politics.....even cults (two small towns I lived in had religious extremist cults that caused problems. How I managed to hit that particular jackpot twice is a mystery....ugh!

The plot in Frictional Characters really hit home with me when The Problem Guy in Librarian Ann Beckett's neighborhood turns up dead. Family squabbles, neighbor squabbles, business squabbles, relationship squabbles. Nearly everyone in town had some sort of grief with the guy. Librarian Ann Beckett finds herself sifting through the list of people with grievances with the deceased. It's difficult to find the person angry enough to kill someone when that person has made almost everyone in town upset. Frictional Characters is a perfect title for this book! 

The plot definitely kept me engaged the entire time. The investigation moved along at a nice pace and there were plenty of suspects and twists. I definitely enjoyed the story.

After reading several of these books in a row, I am starting to see the author's formula for her books. Murder.....preliminary investigation and basic suspects.....follow up additional murder discovered.....more investigation....twist and reveal....wrap up/end. Each book is pretty much following this basic outline....with a bit of character development, humor and fluff thrown in. I'm enjoying the stories, but hoping that later books in the series deviate from this basic outline. At least in this one, a different person found the dead body. I swear if Librarian Ann Beckett finds one more dead body the state police are going to lock her up just on principle. :)

 This book also had several typos and errors that weren't caught in editing. Most of the errors weren't glaring but there were multiple mistakes. At one point a character had gone home from the library, but at the beginning of the next chapter she was still in the library, even though another character stated previously she had just driven her back home. A bit later in the book two sentences in a row said basically the same thing, with only small changes. It was as if during rewrites the author had replaced that sentence but the original version remained as well. As a former news editor, those type of errors pull me right out of the story. Continuity errors like that should have been caught in editing! Perhaps in later editions this has been corrected.  

Enjoyable read! I'm continuing with this series as I like the characters and the plots make for an entertaining, quick read. But I do hope the next book varies the basic plot outline a bit. It's getting a bit predictable with each book being just a variation on the same basic formula. 

On to the next book in this series!

REVIEW: Where There's a Will

 Where There's a Will
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Renovations are underway at the Whitby Library. A local construction company owner is making repairs to the building and donating the services of his construction company for free. But a murder soon silences the hammering and drilling.....and Librarian Ann Beckett finds herself on the trail of a killer once again.

I am really beginning to feel sorry for Ann Beckett. Every time she turns around, there is a new dead body and another murder to investigate. If this happened in real life, I'm sure the state police would be questioning her or another library employee, or law enforcement would be all over the small town of Whitby, NC looking for a serial killer. Small towns just don't have murder after murder after murder....but, I love the fact that in books you can suspend reality and just enjoy a story. So, Ann is safe for now......unless she starts reading True Crime novels and gets a hankering to do a little killing as a side hobby. :) 

Where There's a Will is the 5th book in the Village Library Mystery series. I'm enjoying these books! I like the setting...a small town where everybody knows each other is the perfect place for a cozy mystery series. The characters are likable and the plots have the perfect blend of background theme, humor and amateur sleuthing. My favorite character? Fitz the Library Cat, of course! 

I've had these books on my bookshelf for quite awhile. I'm glad to finally be reading them! I'm halfway through the series, so I'm invested now. I want to know what happens next!! I would be a bit worried if I was a resident of Whitby though....seems like a lot of people are ending up dead. 

On to the next book -- Frictional Characters.

REVIEW: Hush-Hush

 Hush-Hush
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I really like the Village Library Mystery series. I've had the books on my TBR bookshelf for quite awhile. I recently noticed a new book in the series had come out, and figured it was a perfect time to read the rest of the series....so I can buy the new book! :) 

So glad I finally started reading my way through this series. I like the main character - Librarian Ann Beckett. She uses her research and people skills as a librarian in her amateur sleuthing, and it works wonders for ferreting out the killer! I enjoy the side characters as well, especially Fitz the Library Cat. 

This time, a blackmailer has been targeting residents of Whitby and gets squashed by a falling bookshelf. You would think that residents of Whitby would be too scared to use their local library since it seems to be a murder magnet. Every killing in this series has something to do with the library or the library staff. I would definitely be checking ebooks out online and not venturing to the actual library after the first couple of dead bodies. :) 

I've been totally binge reading this series since I'm home on a staycation for a few days. Perfect timing to just read my way through the books! I enjoyed Hush-Hush - read through about half of it.....took a break to walk the dog at a local trail with my son and get GusGus a pupcup....then came back and finished reading! I had to know how things ended! I love it when I find a series that makes it hard for me to put the books down! :) 

On to the next book -- Where There's a Will!

REVIEW: Borrowed Time

 Borrowed Time
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I'm very glad I have almost this entire series on my TBR bookshelf because I'm binge reading this series! I love it when I come across a cozy series that I enjoy so much that I have a hard time putting the books down. I'm currently on a staycation from work, so this is like perfect timing all the way around! 

I like the main character, Librarian Ann Beckett. She is smart, a talented librarian, and a savvy amateur investigator. Her research and people skills from her career as a librarian make her a perfect amateur sleuth. I also enjoy the side characters, especially Fitz the Library Cat. 

Borrowed Time in the 3rd book in the Village Library Mystery series. This time, Ann gets invited to a fancy weekend party by a coworker. Things go south when one guest just seems to go out of his way to make everyone angry....and then ends up dead. A second murder follows.....leading Ann to believe the motivation behind the killings is much darker than a simple impulsive act of passion. 

The plot kept my attention from start to finish. The story has plenty of investigation, twists and surprises. There were enough suspects to keep me guessing, although I did know one character was involved somehow pretty quickly. But, I wasn't quite for sure until the final reveal. This 3rd book also has some nice character development for some of the regulars in this series. It will be interesting to see how things unfold!! 

I closed book 3 after reading the final sentence.....and immediately pulled Book 4 off the shelf to read. The binge continues!! 

REVIEW: Overdue

 Overdue
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

 

I have a lot of books. I will always have a lot of books. There's just something very calming about having full bookshelves around me...it makes my apartment feel more like home. Books make me feel comfy in my space. The only issue I have with my lovely book collection is that my reading time is limited. And unread books are a bit sad, or at the very least...wasted. So, I have made an effort to start reading books from my shelves and donating or trading them to friends when I'm finished. That's a win-win-win situation all the way around. The books get read...which is their purpose. I free up space on my shelves so I can buy new books without feeling the least bit of guilt. And, I pass my books on to friends and family who want to enjoy them. 

Most of what I have on my shelves are mystery novels. I have loved reading mysteries ever since I read my first Agatha Christie book when I was 9. I pick a series from my shelves and read my way through it. Glad I decided to FINALLY start reading the books I have collected!! 

The latest series from my shelves that I'm enjoying is The Village Library Mystery series by Elizabeth Spann Craig. This is the first series I've read  by this author, although I do have several of her Myrtle Clover series on my shelves as well. 

Overdue is the second book in the series. I'm enjoying the books so far! I like the setting and background plot. The main character is a librarian in a small town library. The side characters are a nice mix of quirky and likable. My favorite character is of course the library cat, Fitz. The library theme and the adorable kitty cat don't overshadow the mystery portion of the plot, but add depth to it. There is a nice mix of humor and amateur sleuthing. The mystery moved along at a nice pace and there were a couple nice twists before the reveal. All in all, Overdue is a great addition to this series.The story is entertaining and kept my attention from start to finish. 

On to book 3 -- Borrowed Time! I do hope Ann stops discovering dead bodies all the time though. In a small town, that will start to look a bit suspect! :)

REVIEW: Checked Out

 Checked Out
Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I've had the Village Library Mystery series on my bookshelf for awhile waiting for me to read my way though it. I have a lot of books, and that means I sometimes have a hard time deciding what I'm reading next. And, at times, really good mysteries sit on my TBR a lot longer than I intended just because my reading time is limited due to work and I have so many books to pick from. I finished the latest cozy mystery series I have been reading and stood in front of my bookshelves trying to decide. This series caught my eye, and I grabbed book one. 

So, glad I did! This book is an entertaining, fun and enjoyable mystery! 

The basics:Ann Beckett is having a bad day. Her day starts out with two cats stuck in a flooding culvert and progresses to the worst blind date imaginable, which morphs into a murder investigation. Ann finds herself working with the local police chief to solve a murder....then two....then three.....   And, of course, murderers don't like nosy librarians hot on their trail.  Can Ann discover who the killer is before she's the next victim?

I like Ann as a main character. She is dedicated to her job, intelligent and trying to navigate her 30's. Fitz the Cat is adorable, of course. And I like all the side characters. The background premise of the series is enjoyable and the library portions of the plot don't overshadow the mystery. It all blends together well, with each nuance furthering the plot. The mystery moved along at a nice pace with enough twists to keep me guessing. 

Great start to this series! I already have my bookmark in Book 2!