BOOKED ON MURDER (The Haunted Library Mysteries #8) by Allison Brook will be released on August 6, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books.
Librarian Carrie Singleton is checking out her wedding venue when she stumbles upon a dead body. The victim is Billy Carpenter, a bank robber who had recently been released from prison. It’s believed that Billy was murdered by one of his partners while retrieving the missing bank money. Soon, one of Billy’s compatriots is also murdered. The other partner is missing, and his brother is asking Carrie and her fiancé to help find him. Meanwhile, Carrie is also dealing with problems at the library. The diary of Verity Babcock, a woman that was hung as a witch back in the 1600s, is causing havoc around town. Some people want to see Verity exonerated of the witchcraft crime. Others believe Verity got what she deserved. When Verity’s closest living descendent is murdered and her son steals the diary from the library, Carrie is also on the case of yet another murder plus a theft. Carrie is determined to help the police wrap up their multiple murder cases and located the missing diary before her wedding day.
BOOKED ON MURDER is the first of the Haunted Library Mysteries that I have read, and I felt like I needed some more backstory to fully understand certain things—including the main character’s relationships with other characters. While the mystery and the several murders were interesting, I felt like the story was rushed and could have used some more details. There’s a lot going on, and it sometimes was difficult to keep all the plots and subplots straight. I did enjoy the subplot concerning the historic witch trials and the current movement to exonerate the accused. Overall, an interesting book. I plan to go back and read the series from the beginning.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.