Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Death on the Shelf by Allison Brook

DEATH ON THE SHELF by Allison Brook
SERIES: Haunted Library Mysteries #5
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane
RELEASE DATE: November 9, 2021
PAGES: 320

Librarian Carrie Singleton sleuths a murder at her best friend’s wedding in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s fifth Haunted Library mystery.

Clover Ridge librarian Carrie Singleton is thrilled to attend her best friend Angela’s wedding, but Angela’s family can be a bit…much. Angela’s wealthy cousin Donna hosts an extravagant bridal shower at her resplendent home, but the celebrations turn to gossip as the guests notice Donna’s surgeon husband, Aiden, spending a bit too much time with Donna’s cousin Roxy. At the wedding reception, the sweet occasion turns darkly bitter when Aiden topples into the chocolate fountain–dead.

The suspect list is as long as the guest list, and as difficult to sort out as the seating chart. A few of the top contenders on Carrie’s suspect list are the flirtatious Roxy, emotionally unstable since her recent divorce; Angela’s grouchy brother, who feels Aiden betrayed him; and Roxy’s scorned ex-husband. Even Donna may have had reason to want her husband dead. And Aiden’s gossipy office manager has plenty to say about them all.

Then another member of Angela’s family is murdered, making Carrie more determined than ever to find the killer. Can library ghost Evelyn and library cat Smoky Joe help Carrie solve the murders before she becomes the next of Angela’s wedding guests to head to the grave?

Other Books In This Series

Bottom Line: I’ve followed the Haunted Library Mystery series from the beginning, and I always know I’m going to love the next book. Death on a Shelf is no exception. I adore the dynamics between Carrie & Evelyn (the resident library ghost), and their scenes are inevitably my favorites, though I always love the swoony scenes between Carrie & Dylan too. The author does a great job of capturing the sort of tension that is unique to weddings & the family drama they seem to stir up… and when you throw a couple of murders into the mix, too, well you can imagine all the emotions that are flaring. She weaves these elements together along with a couple of subplots and a slew of suspects to deliver a mystery that proves challenging to amateur sleuths on and off the page. Another excellent installment in this cozy series!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some scattered, mild cursing throughout this novel.

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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 and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

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