eBook – Carol's Notebook

A Murder at Midnight by Ellie Alexander

November 3, 2026November 3, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I've been reading this series from the beginning and always enjoy them. This time around, Annie and Fletcher have agreed to let a ghost-hunting television show film at the bookstore right before Halloween. Quite honestly, they should have known it was a bad idea. When the crew arrives, the tension is palpable and it's no surprise when one of them ends up dead. The mystery was fine. The people working on the show gave you plenty to be suspicious about, with plenty of resentment and old secrets to go around. we have several clues and a couple red herrings. I didn't love how it was wrapped up, the method the killer used seemed a little unclear or maybe I missed something. We don't see as much of the usual friends this time around. The investigation is pretty much centered on the Sleeping with Spirits crew and the town suffers a major storm that same evening, so everyone's got their own...

The Chester Grand Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin

October 20, 2026October 20, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

This time around, Lennox and Swift are called to the Grand Hotel in Chester. Three members of the Grand Proprietors’ Syndicate have recently died, each ruled an accident, but three accidents among ten members is more than suspicious. Lennox and Swift are there usual selves, Swift more practical and by the book, Lennox willing to act bit more on instinct - and to stop for a bite to eat. The whole gang shows up - wives and children and pets to add to the fun and chaos. I appreciate that the secondary characters get full personalities, with secrets and entanglements and plenty of drama. I did figure out the whodunnit and kind of wish the book had gone a different direction, but it all made sense and the clue worked together well....

Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley

September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I love a good foodie cozy mystery and Delilah's pizzas sound delicious. This time around, she has reluctantly agreed to cater a wellness retreat led by an overly demanding mindfulness influencer. When a guest is found dead in her zen tent, it’s up to Delilah and her usual crew to track down the killer. There's a new police chief in town and she was quirky, I guess. I like it when the police and our amateur sleuths can get along and both are competent, but the way the chief brough Delilah into the case and setting up Capone undercover as a bartender in a town where literally everyone knows him, even if the retreat attendees don't, seemed odd. The mystery itself was put together well. We had several suspicious people, and a couple of motives floating around. I felt like Delilah could have put together a few pieces quicker than she did. I also don't love that her ex owns...

The Librarian and the Time Machine by Brian Yansky

July 28, 2026July 28, 2026 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....

The Librarian and the Book Thief by Brian Yansky

July 25, 2026July 24, 2026 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....

The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky

July 24, 2026July 24, 2026 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....