Killer Research
Library Lover’s Mystery #12
By Jenn McKinlay
ISBN#9780593101773
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Spring is livening up Briar Creek after a long, cold winter, and newlyweds Lindsey and Sully could not be happier. Even though the upcoming mayoral election is getting heated, everything else in town is coming up daffodils…until a body is found.
Ms. Cole, a librarian and current candidate for town mayor, is shocked when she opens her trunk to discover a murder victim who just so happens to be a guy she dated forty years ago and the founder of the baking empire Nana’s Cookies. As the town gossip mill turns, a batch of rumors begins to circulate about Ms. Cole’s rebellious youth, which–along with being a murder suspect–threatens to ruin her life and her budding political career. But Ms. Cole is one tough cookie who will not go down without a fight.
Has the campaign for mayor turned deadly? It is up to Lindsey, Sully, and the rest of the crafternoon pals to see how the cookie crumbles and figure out who is trying to frame Ms. Cole for murder and why. (Goodreads)
Review:
Spring has sprung in Killer Research, the immensely entertaining twelfth entry in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. Newlyweds, a mayoral campaign, a baby on the way, and murder all make a delightful diversion from everyday life.
Even though Briar Creek’s mayoral election is six months away, librarian Ms. Cole is campaigning and excited to show off her new campaign signs to her coworkers and friends. That is until she finds her signs scattered near her car and a dead body in the trunk in their place. At first, the deceased is unidentified, but Ms. Cole is a suspect by circumstance. However, when the victim is identified as her long ago fiancé Henry Lewis, she comes under greater scrutiny, and the current mayor starts a massive smear campaign. Sure that Ms. Cole is innocent, library director Lindsey turns her attentions to the likes of Henry’s business partner, his family, a business foe, and others. Even the mayor is on her suspect list. Ms. Cole handles everything with maturity and grace.
Ms. Cole has been a consistent “sour lemon” throughout this series, but she has thawed a bit in recent books and really evolves here. In Killer Research, she is the focus of the mystery, and readers really get to know her and the life experiences that have made her the woman she is today. I loved this look back at the much younger, more passionate Ms. Cole. As always, the whole cast of characters make appearances and are endearing. I am so glad that protagonist Lindsey and her husband Sully have finally settled into domesticity. Everything just feels right. Lindsey is a smart, methodical sleuth, and readers never find her in situations where her choices and actions make her “too stupid to live”. Beth, the children’s librarian and Ms. Cole’s campaign manager is heavily featured within these pages, and she is just so cute.
The mystery is well thought out, and the pace is steady. There are several viable suspects with believable motives. I did briefly consider the killer but then dismissed them too easily. I think I was so bothered and distracted by the awful mayor’s antics, wanting him to dig himself into a hole. The story is quintessential cozy, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, it might be my favorite of the series thus far.
Killer Research is a great addition to the Library Lover’s series, and I hope there are many more murders for Lindsey and crew to solve. Highly recommend.
