Due or Die

March 1, 2012

Things are not going swimmingly for Briar Creek's Friends of the Library. Bill Sint, the group's former president, is not taking being voted out lightly. His replacement comes home to find her husband shot dead in his TV chair. With recent events definitely not normal, the library director, newcomer Lindsey Norris (Books Can Be Deceiving), wonders about the goings-on in her quaint New England town. She doesn't have time to waste, though, what with a puppy abandoned in the book drop, a nor'easter bearing down on the Connecticut coast, and a murderer still roaming free. Lindsey's amateur sleuthing may put her in the line of fire next. VERDICT What a great read! I can't wait to go back to the first title in this cozy, library-centered series. McKinlay has been a librarian, and her snappy storyline, fun characters, and young library director with backbone make for a winning formula. Add a dog named Heathcliffe and library programming suggestions--well, it's quite a value-added package!

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Every Thursday, the crafternoon club meets at the Briar Creek Public Library, along the coast in Connecticut. As they discuss the book of the day, the members do needlework and eat. Lindsey Norris, the recently hired head librarian, joins the eclectic group, and at the first of the meetings that bracket the story, she's asked to observe the meeting of the Friends of the Library, taking place later that evening. On the agenda is the election of the Friends president, and Lindsey's friend Carrie Rushton wins, earning the ire of the president she ousts. Carrie is late to the next meeting, due to car trouble. Following the meeting, Lindsey and the local tour-boat captain give her a ride home. There they find her husband, dead. The investigation is hampered by a nor'easter, confused by a fire in a warehouse, and lightened by a puppy, abandoned in the library book drop. Extras at the back of the book provide all the ingredients for a meeting of the crafternoon club: a crochet pattern, book-discussion questions, and a recipe. For fans of library crime.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)