Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery)
by Allison Brook
About Booked on Murder
Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books (August 6, 2024)
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639108459
ISBN-13 : 978-1639108459
Digital ASIN : B0CLKZ83SX
Librarian Carrie Singleton must catch a killer before she can say “I do” in the 8th delightful installment in Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mystery series.
Carrie Singleton is ready to kiss the single life goodbye. Her wedding to Dylan Avery is just a few weeks away, and a happy ending is about to be hers. But when a body is found on the lawn of their wedding venue, happily-ever-after is looking deadlier than ever.
The victim turns out to be Billy Carpenter, a young man recently released from prison after serving time for a bank robbery. The stolen money he’d buried is gone and Carrie and the police suspect Billy’s two alleged co-conspirators, his friends Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez. But then Luke is murdered and Tino is nowhere to be found.
With no leads and only a week to go before her big day, Carrie is on the hunt for clues. She hopes to wrap up this investigation with a neat bow before she and Dylan tie the knot. Carrie has something old, something new, and something borrowed ready for her walk down the aisle. Now she needs to find the killer without becoming the ‘something blue.’
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Carrie Singleton and Dylan Avery have found the perfect place to hold their wedding and can’t wait to say “I do”. But when they visit the venue to go over some details they find a dead body by the gazebo next to a large hole and a shovel. Billy Carpenter had just been released from prison where he was incarcerated for robbing a bank. It is believed he had buried the money from the heist there and that whoever killed him is now in possession of the cash. His accomplices in the robbery, Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez are the prime suspects. Then Luke is killed and Tino is missing.
Time is coming down to the wire, so Carrie starts diligently looking for clues. She is ready to walk down the aisle and she doesn’t want the murders casting a pall on the ceremony. Will she be able to unite the killer with a jail cell? Or will it be her wedding plans getting killed?
Sadly, Booked On Murder is the final installment of the Haunted Library Mysteries. Carrie Singleton has grown so much since we met her in Death Overdue. Evelyn is such a friendly ghost with a wardrobe to die for. She is great at pushing Carrie to do what she wants and a font of information. It was unique that both Carrie and her niece were the only ones who could see her. Other ghosts came to visit and Dylan was able to see and hear them too. Two special ones are introduced in this story. I have enjoyed meeting all the core characters in this series. I appreciated that they all continued to develop and form close bonds.
Not only did the characters grow, so did the library. Carrie excelled at her job. With all the programs she arranged the library became an even bigger asset to the community. It was fun to read about the children’s programs and the wide variety of programs for adults. The expansion added more room to showcase art and historical pieces and documents. The new auditorium opens all kinds of possibilities from lectures to plays and more.
The mystery was complex and fed by greed. Money from a bank robbery and a diary from a woman who was hanged for being a witch in 1652 had people scrambling. I found the diary to be quite captivating, others saw it for the dollars it could bring. Were the diary and robbery connected? or were there separate suspects for each? I was entertained following along as Carrie uncovered clues and worked to make them fit together. Carrie and Dylan tried to not only catch the killer but tried to help someone tangentially involved. That doesn’t go exactly as planned. There were some terrifying moments when things came to a head. I loved it! My heart was racing just a bit.
My very favorite part of this book though was the wedding. After everything Dylan and Carrie had been through, Dylan took the lead and got everything under control and in place for their wedding to happen. Thank you, Ms. Brook, for sharing the whole thing with us. I hate when authors skim over events that have been building for several books and leave readers feeling short-changed. She did an extraordinary job of letting her readers in and in the end, we knew these wonderful characters were in a good place. Although, I think a spinoff could be a possibility. For now, we can use our imaginations about what happens next for Carrie, Dylan, Smokie Joe, and all the people of Clover Ridge.
Booked on Murder was another Perfect Escape. Phenomenal characters, a strong mystery, and a beautiful wedding bring the marvelous mystery series to a close.
The entire Haunted Library Mystery Series is fun and entertaining. Each can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment start at the beginning and escape into every one.
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 the Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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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, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her romantic suspense, Come Home to Death, was released on April 30, 2024, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025.
Marilyn’s juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice and recently appeared in a new edition. 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
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Twitter/X: @MarilynLevinson; @AllisonBrookML
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Great Escapes Praise for Booked on Murder (A Haunted Library Mystery)
by Allison Brook
I highly recommend Booked on Murder for its wonderful characters, well-plotted mystery, and its happily ever after for Carrie and Dylan! The author does a beautiful job of sending them off into their future. I miss them already!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
I have adored reading all eight books in this series, and while I (unrealistically, I know) dream of my favorite series going on forever, I understand that things do end. And while endings are hard, this was handled beautifully. Well done!
~SARAH CAN’T STOP READING BOOKS
Booked on Murder is A Haunted Library Mysteries swan song with nuptial preparations, a slain parole, missing money, house hunting, a purloined diary, and a contented couple.
~The Avid Reader
I highly recommend Booked on Murder – and the whole series – for fans of cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy library settings, small-town locales, and a light-friendly ghost element will particularly like this series.
~View from the Birdhouse
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy mystery. This is a great book and series and I suggest you read it.
~MJB REVIEWERS
The characters and their relationships have always been the foundation of this series and it’s no exception in BOOKED ON MURDER. The mystery was compelling, the diary intriguing, and the wedding heartwarming. Blended together it made for a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series.
~Cozy Up With Kathy
Booked on Murder by Allison Brook is a lovely farewell to a lovely series, but even if you’re just jumping on with this last book you’ll find much to enjoy, from the intriguing mysteries to the winsome characters.
~Reading is my Superpower
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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than thirty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is currently writing four cozy mystery series: the 
for Kensington, the 
for Penguin Random House, the 
, and, as Eva Gates, the 
for Crooked Lane.
