Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Buried in the Stacks" (The Haunted Library Mysteries #3) by Allison Brook.  I read lots of books over the last few weeks trying to catch up on all the ARC's I picked.  We drove to Vernon this last weekend and I had 7 hours both ways to read so was able to read almost 3!

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (Sept. 10 2019)

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?

I have not read the previous two books in the series but I did not have any trouble following along as the author did a wonderful job of retelling things without overloading you with the past books.  She also dealt with some pretty uncomfortable/sad issues in society today like swindlers, homelessness, Alzheimer's care, and dealing with unpleasant judgmental people. 

The protagonist Carrie is one of the librarians and Evelyn (ghost) was also before her untimely death.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. I also loved the inclusion of the library cat, Smokey Joe into the story.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, and I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down. 


I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends, and plan on buying the first two books.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Allison Brook is a Pseudonym for Marilyn Levinson.

"I was a bookworm from the moment I learned how to read. I devoured Nancy Drews, Judy Boltons, and Trixie Beldons – sometimes two books in one day. Was it any wonder I ended up writing mysteries?

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I dreamed of becoming a ballerina or a writer. I practiced my pirouettes and penned short stories. My family moved to Long Island, where I continued to write stories until I was discouraged by a high school English teacher.

Turned off to writing, I continued to read voraciously in college and concentrated on my major, Spanish. I studied in Mexico and Spain, intent on becoming fluent in the language. I taught high school Spanish, married my dentist husband, and we started a family. When our two sons were small, I found myself drawn back to writing fiction.
​
A writer is a writer forever. We may have more than our share of disappointments, but the rewards are many – knowing you bring joy to readers; sharing the camaraderie and support of your fellow scribes. Writing is a way of life, one I wouldn’t relinquish for anything."

Website:      http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Twitter:       marilynlevinson

Bookbub:    https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marilyn-levinson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16542055.Allison_Brook
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10
Amazon:     https://www.amazon.com/Allison-Brook/e/1


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