4 Stars
 

How did we reach the eighth book already? Flora and Jack are delightful characters, and you can’t help but root for them when they go sleuthing. 

While the book still works as a standalone, it’ll be more enjoyable if you read at least the previous 2-3 books. The dynamics in their relationship will be easier to understand with some background knowledge. 

The mystery is independent and decently done. The reveal makes sense, and we take a logical path to uncovering the secrets. Flora and Jack have some differences of opinion, but both have the same goal –dig up the truth and find the killer. 

There’s a sub-track, which I thought would be complex. However, I like how it is sorted. This is a cozy mystery, after all. No point in complicating things more than necessary. 

Young Charlie is fifteen now! Can you believe it? I miss his younger days, though I hope he’ll one day play a bigger role in solving a crime (pretty please). 

The books in the series are small, compact, and steady-paced. This one is no different. I’d have liked it better if we got a little more detail about the crime conference and the authors who attended. While one of them gets space, there is no chance of character development. 

As always, I love historical settings in my cozy mysteries. Abbeymead village in 1958 is old-school but with more touches of modernity than the locals would like to accept. Yet, we see a balanced narrative where the side characters are good but with some flaws, and the grumpy ones have some redeeming qualities. 

To summarize, The Library Murders is a solid addition to the series and an entertaining read. There are a couple of leads for the next book, so I’m curious to see where it goes (and hopefully no more delays for the wedding). 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #TheLibraryMurders