Murder at the Lakeside Library is the first book in a new library cozy mystery series by Holly Danvers. Due out 13th July 2021 from Crooked Lane Books, it's 336 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
It's always fun to find a new library cozy, and this one is off to a promising start. Protagonist Rain has only been at the lakeside summer cabin community less than 24 hours before she stumbles (almost literally) across a body. The usual pool of small-town-oddball characters are present, there's skullduggery and hidden motives to be unearthed, there's even a handsome law enforcement officer, and Rain is motivated to establish her parents' innocence, as well as her own.
Some of the plot developments are admittedly a bit over the top and there are some twists which require a healthy suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's a pretty good example of why the librarian cozy subgenre is so popular. I found the denouement and explanation out of sync with the majority of the rest of the novel and made me roll my eyes so hard I could almost see the inside of my skull. The language is squeaky clean and the violence is off-page and not graphic.
Three and a half stars. This would be a good light summer read for fans of cozies. It would be perfectly safe for work/commute reading. I'm interested to see what comes next for Rain and co.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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