Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers Book Review

About the Book:

Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.

Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book the club recently discussed Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?

The deeper Rain dives into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident that occurred years ago involving an old classmate? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess a priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscript and someone killed her for it? And what about the mysterious letter Lily received just before her death from a supposed long-lost relative? Was it a hoax?

With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain's plan succeed - or will this librarian's book be checked out for good?

My Review:

This is another fun cozy mystery centered around a private library and a newly formed book discussion group. I like the setting on a Wisconsin lake and the community involved. Rain is a good amateur sleuth, getting her friends to help her. The plot is fun in that a murder happens after reading an Agatha Christie mystery. Part of the book discussion points to the manner the contemporary murder was committed. There is a historical aspect too as a possible murder from years ago seems to have a part in the current one. Rain and her friend Julia are tenacious on solving both cases, getting them into a bit of trouble near the end of the book.

This is the third book in the series but reads well on its own. It's a fun cozy mystery for book lovers. A little romance, lots of friendship and an intriguing murder make for a fun read.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This is the third book in the series. You can read my reviews of the previous books: Murder at the Lakeside Library, and Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library.

About the Author:

Holly Danvers also writes under the name of Holly Quinn and is a prolific author. She lives in the Midwest with her husband. You can find out more at https://www.authorhollyquinn.com/

Crooked Lane Books, 288 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)