The Librarian and the Time Machine by Brian Yansky

The Librarian and the Time Machine by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
We know the setup. Kevin is the librarian of Eden, (maybe) Lucifer aka Karl's son, and is trying to stop the apocalypse. This time around he's also trying to find out who killed his mentor when he was a teenager. Happily, there's a groovy time machine in the library he can use. I'm not a fan of time travel usually, but this book does not take itself seriously at all, so it works. It's also the only way to leave Eden and the four teenagers who have spent their entire lives in the village are desperate to leave, if only for a little while. I like the history of Eden we get here - why it's important and why the teenagers are the only children. The plot twists are interesting, if slightly ridiculous. It's light and entertaining and a quick afternoon read. It is one of those series where each installment feels like a to-be-continued episode....
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The Librarian and the Book Thief by Brian Yansky

The Librarian and the Book Thief by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
This is the second book of the series featuring Kevin, who is the librarian of Eden and (maybe) Lucifer aka Karl's son. This time around he's on the hunt for a missing book, My Side of the Story, is the Bible but from the point of view of Karl and the other fallen (jumped?) angels. Angels, demons, a trip to Vegas - it's another fun ride. Maybe not quite as charming as the first, since the absurdity and irreverence is expected. I do like the dark sense of humor and the eclectic townsfolk. My only complaint, aside from the editing, is that it feels more like an episode than a full story and at 200-ish pages I want a full story....
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The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky

The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky

by CarolNo Comments
The Librarian of the Haunted Library is not necessarily a good book, but it is entertaining and compulsively readable. Kevin had a rough childhood, but is "talented" and has spent the last several years traveling around the US essentially doing good. Now, he's ended up in Eden and was just handed the librarian position. And his first duty is finding out who murdered the last librarian - they seem to die pretty often. The plot is a bit all over the place. It's absurd and funny and I truly enjoyed the characters. It's a light read and can't really bear up to too much scrutiny, but if you enjoy quirky characters, a bit of religious fantasy - Kevin is (maybe) the devil's son after all, and can just go with the flow, you might enjoy it. I immediately picked up the second in the series....
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The Mystery of the Missing Man by Karen Baugh Menuhin

The Mystery of the Missing Man by Karen Baugh Menuhin

by CarolNo Comments
Persi has invited a group of archaeologists to Ashton Steeple for the Roman temple excavation, but Dr. Quayle disappears somewhere between boarding the train and arriving at the station. What starts as a missing person case, soon transforms into a murder investigation. The plot works well. With a bunch of archaeologists, it makes sense that the mystery has historical ties and I enjoyed the connection to Lennox' family. We have a lot of characters- Lennox, Persi, their staff and friends, Swift and Florence, and all the visitors, but they each have fully developed personalities, with their own motives and relationships. I always enjoy Lennox - he's likeable and competent and, here the author does a good job at balancing his sleuthing with his other responsibilities. I think I enjoyed this one more than the last couple in the series. They're always fun, with plenty of tea, adorable pets, and interesting mysteries, but this one just grabbed my attention more....
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On the Hook by Rae Keech

On the Hook by Rae Keech

by CarolNo Comments
I think this might be the first sailing cozy mystery I've read. Anne is a teacher at the elementary school in her hometown and is a member of the local boat club. Following the women laser regatta, one of the competitors is killed and Anne becomes a suspect. She and her friend, Tim, the dockmaster at the club, start to investigate. The mystery was good. We had several plausible suspects, good clues and a few red herrings. I do wish the author had trusted the reader a bit more, instead of repeating points over and over. I liked Anne, but I didn't quite understand her. She's been a widow for 18 years, her husband died suddenly when they were in their twenties. Why is she now, right when a murderer is loose in town, becoming interested in Tim, whom she has known for at least a couple of years. And the whole couple of chapters where he leaves town and somehow...
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