Review - Buried in the Stacks

This is a new series for me and I am jumping in without exposure to the prior books in the series.  That presented no problem for me in understanding the backstory and history.  If you love cozy mysteries, check out my review of this newest in the Haunted Library series.

Author: Allison Brook

Copyright: Sept 2019 (Crooked Lane) 336 pgs

Series: 3rd in Haunted Library Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild 

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Mystery with friendly ghost touches

Main Character: Carrie Singleton, librarian

Setting: Modern day, Clover Ridge Connecticut

Obtained Through: Publisher ( Netgalley) for honest opinion

Cover blurb:  "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?"

Carrie is a character I related with.  She is settling in and loves her job, reasonable and smart.  She sees and talks to the library's resident ghost, Evelyn Havers, who had worked at the library and died in the parking lot.  Evelyn is a nice lady but has all the same personality and opinions as when she was alive.  Dylan Avery is her boyfriend and a private investigator away working a case. I don't have much to go on since it was mostly phone calls with him and never a description.  Smoky Joe is Carrie's cat but he roams the library whenever she is at work and gets fat off all the food patrons slip him.  He steps up to protect Carrie in the climax!  BFF Evelyn is getting married and preoccupied so Carrie is facing the sleuthing by herself.  Sally the Library Director brings in a touch of the political side of running the library.

The plot moves along and reveals in bits and pieces as you read.  The pace keeps moving with the subplots of the homeless in the library and solving the bigger problem of suspected illegal activity at Haven House meant to help the homeless.   

The climax springs forward as the killer reveals him/her self to Carrie and provides a nicely done climax where even Smokey Joe gets his claws out. 

This is a classic cozy with plenty of local color and town characters with a good mystery to figure out.  I like Carrie and will likely back and start from the beginning just to see how Carrie and Dylan got together.   Highly recommended for cozy fans.  It reminded me of a younger take on the Cat Who mysteries with the town and characters.  I am pleased to have discovered it.  I would have liked a description of Dylan to get an image of what he was like, though.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list