Tag: Level Best Books

A Killer Hold: A Larkspur Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (December 3, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685127797
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685127794
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DHY5Y9HZ

A librarian’s rule for sleuthing: Better to be bookish than brash!

Spring has sprung, and with it, a full line-up of programming at Larkspur Community Library. Director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference—and dreading the arrival of her ex-boyfriend—while also helping a local treasure-hunting club coordinate a showcase highlighting Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail and the nearby hideouts of the notorious criminals of the early twentieth century.

When Greta overhears the library board president and a larger-than-life member of the treasure-hunting club arguing about a secret discovery, her curiosity is piqued—even more so when one of the women leaves a book with a sequence of strange markings on its pages in the library book return bin. Before Greta can ask about the marginalia, the book’s outspoken owner turns up dead.

At the request of the police—though against the better judgment of her new beau, Detective Mark McHenry—Greta sets to work trying to decipher the peculiar notations, and she quickly hypothesizes that there’s more to the story. Was something sketchy going on at the deceased’s jewelry shop? Did her death have anything to do with the gangster trail event she was helping to plan and the personal research she was bragging about? Greta must work against the clock to decode the dead woman’s book code. What she finds is someone willing to go to great lengths to keep a secret buried in the stacks—and the past—even if it means killing again.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This spring Greta Plank, Director of the Larkspur Community Library is getting ready for a slew of librarians to arrive for the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference. Speakers, accommodations, and meals have all been planned to make the event a rousing success, but Greta is nervous about her ex-boyfriend/ex-boss taking part in the event.

While Greta is busy with the conference, library board president Cindi Fields is working on an event with her treasure-hunting club focused on Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail. One of the members, Blythe Prescott says she has made a secret discovery and can’t wait to share all the details at their event the following weekend.

After Blythe leaves the library Greta realizes one of the books she returned didn’t belong to the library. It was filled with odd markings – letters circled and notes in the margins. Greta wants to return the book to its owner but before she can the woman is killed. When Greta brings the book to the attention of Police Chief Sorenson thinking it may help find the killer she is surprised that he asks her to work as a consultant and try to figure out what the notations mean. This doesn’t make Detective Mark McHenry. her new significant other happy but it may keep her busy while the police try to solve the case. Wrong . . . when she starts to uncover clues to the killer she realizes she could be the killer’s next victim.

The librarians in Larkspur are a tight-knit bunch. Greta, Iris, and Josie are friends as well as co-workers and Iris and Josie are there to support Greta and try to help her avoid spending time with her ex Nathan. He really was a creepy dude trying to press himself into conversations and trying to get her alone. He also wants to insert himself into the new murder case. I was very happy that Detective McHenry was by her side and made their relationship quite clear the first time they all came face to face.  All the characters Ms. Dobrinska has created for this story/series feel very true to life. Some we can love and others easy to dislike. There were a couple that pushed my buttons but you have those in every small town. The relationship between McHenry and Greta needs more depth but it is moving in the right direction.

What intrigued me was the way the author explored Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail as part of the story. Living in Wisconsin I have heard the stories many times but the way she used the history of the Little Bohemia Lodge as a “jumping off point” for her fictional story gave it solid roots that I really enjoyed. Larkspur became the middle of a hotbed of quite a mystery.

The mystery wrapped around the history was filled with twists and well-plotted but it did bog down in a few places. I found myself having a hard time getting a bead on who could be the killer which always makes things fun. Greta took risks and her findings added more layers to the mystery. They also put her in grave danger but she had a plan. The identity of the killer surprised me. I liked the way everyone worked together to bring them down.

A Killer Hold was an enjoyable escape full of history and mystery with likable characters in an interesting Wisconsin Northwoods town. I am ready to see what the next chapter brings for Greta and the people of Larkspur. Until December . . .

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Level Best Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Fall In Love romcom series, the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of award-winning standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. As a kid, she hoped to grow up to be either Nancy Drew or Elizabeth Bennet. Now, she fulfills that dream by writing mysteries and love stories.

A sucker for a good sentence, a happy ending, and the smell of books—both old and new—Leah lives out her very own happily ever after in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she’s not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting the local library, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website, leahdobrinska.com.

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Also written by Leah Dobrinska

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