I love reading about the Briar Creek Library and the people of the town. The weekly "crafternoon" sessions combine all the joys of food, a book club, and craft projects. But library director Lindsey Norris is called out of the latest meeting by a former town resident who would like to donate the extensive book collection from his family home. While Lindsey and her friends are busy assessing and packing up the books they discover a secret room behind one of the bookcases - and there is a skeleton in it.
Now, let's be real, most people would be a bit put off by finding a skeleton. But Lindsey is made of sterner stuff and immediately goes into research mode. Her friend Robbie tells her, "There's no way you're not going to try and figure out the identity of the body, especially when an unsolved case impedes your progress on moving the Dorchester library here." So with the help of her crafternoon friends, her husband Sully, and police chief Emma, Lindsey is determined to solve the mystery of who was sealed up like the poor victim in "The Cask of Amontillado."
These mysteries are fun to read for several reasons. The recurring characters and the setting of Briar Creek give it familiarity and the "cozy" vibe. The library always plays a big part in each story since Lindsey is the director and her friends are all volunteers and frequent visitors. Their involvement with the library also leads to plenty of book discussions and literary references. And author Jenn McKinlay has included a discussion guide for the book the crafternoon group was using in their meeting, as well as recipes for some of the special snacks they made and directions for a craft project. Readers can be virtual crafternoon members.
The book came out October 11, so you should be able to find it at your favorite bookstore or request it at your local library. I read a review copy provided by the publisher.
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