#FlashbackFriday – One for the Books (A Library Lover’s Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay #Review / #Giveaway @BerkleyMystery

On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.

One for the Books (A Library Lover’s Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Berkley: (September 1, 2020)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 059310174X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593101742
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593101758
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593101759
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B082H2D2LP

Wedding bells are ringing in the latest page-turning Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Word to the Wise.

Love is in the air in Briar Creek as library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan are finally tying the knot. The entire town is excited for the happy day, and Lindsey and Sully’s plan for a small wedding evaporates as more and more people insist upon attending the event of the year.

When Lindsey and her crafternoon pals head out to Bell Island to see if it can accommodate the ever-expanding guest list, they are horrified to discover a body washed up on the rocky shore. Even worse, Lindsey recognizes the man as the justice of the peace who was supposed to officiate her wedding ceremony. When it becomes clear he was murdered, Lindsey can’t help but wonder if it had to do with the wedding. Now she has to book it to solve the mystery before it ends her happily ever after before it’s even begun…

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Briar Creek is getting ready for the wedding of library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan. Sully and Lindsey are surprised at the number of people planning to attend because they had planned to have just a small wedding with family and a few friends. So Sully, Lindsey, Violet, and Nancy head over to Bell Island to meet with Sully’s parents to work out the logistics of holding a much larger winter wedding than originally planned. His parents are not worried at all that the guest list has tripled. But then they find a body washed up on the shore. The dead body of the man who was supposed to officiate their wedding and a long-time friend of Sully. It isn’t long before they realize his death was no accident, Steve Briggs was murdered.

Can Sully and Lindsey get married with a murderer on the loose? Can they find a new officiant with such short notice? With Lindsey and Sully get their happily ever after? Not leaving anything to chance Lindsey knows she has a mystery to solve before she walks down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.

The big day is almost here. A day fans of this series have been waiting for. We also knew it would be easy sailing leading up to Sully and Lindsey’s nuptials and author Jenn McKinlay did not disappoint.

Lindsey Norris has grown by leaps and bounds since this series began. In One for the Books, she really has her hands full which leads to some moments of panic but she is surrounded by wonderful friends and family willing to help and support her in any way they can. Sully, we learn is a lot like his parents. It takes a lot to ruffle his feathers. All he wants is to make Lindsay his wife and he will handle any obstacle that gets in the way. This couple’s relationship evolved so naturally and their bond just continues to get stronger.

The supporting cast has continued to grow and develop as well. Heck, “the lemon” Mrs. Cole is running for mayor. Beth, Lindsey’s matron of honor, and her husband  Aidan are having a baby. Paula comes up with a perfect wedding favor for the crafternooners to make. Violet and Nancy are the calm in the storm helping all the wedding plans fall into place. Almost everyone in Briar Creek is engaged and invested in this wedding taking place. I really enjoy the closeness of this community.

Ms. McKinlay has plotted out quite a mystery for her characters. Tons of twists served up plenty of suspects. There were a couple of unexpected turns when a secret is revealed but quickly they were understood. Soon thereafter, the pages were turning at breakneck speed as the quest for the real killer came more into focus, someone I had earlier discarded.  My stars! The reveal and the aftermath had me practically falling off the edge of my seat. Any questions I had were fully answered by the end of the story.

Then it was time for a wedding the author didn’t shortchange her readers one bit. The mother/daughter time, the father/daughter time, the beautiful wedding venue that family and friends created, the not-so-surprising officiant, the music, the happiness for all who attended, Heathcliff being a part of the ceremony, the beaming couple, everything was perfectly described to put readers right in the moment.

The theme of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, runs throughout the story and there is even a Reader’s Guide for the book at the end of the story along with a couple of recipes and instructions for making the craft featured.

One for the Books was everything I had hoped it would be. A complex mystery with fabulous characters that takes place in a picturesque setting, and a wonderful winter wedding.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Jenn McKinlay

Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”