Melina's Book Blog: July 2021

Murder at the Lakeside Library: A Lakeside Library Mystery by Holly Danvers

About Murder at the Lakeside Library

Murder at the Lakeside Library: A Lakeside Library Mystery

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (July 13, 2021) Hardcover: 336 pages ISBN-10: 1643856324 ISBN-13: 978-1643856322 Digital ASIN: B08L5VF4X5

In this series debut perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Miranda James, Rain Wilmot must discover the killer, before the book closes on her life.

Rain Wilmot has just returned to her family's waterfront log cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin after the untimely death of her husband. The cabin is peaceful compared to Rain's corporate job and comes with an informal library that Rain's mother, Willow, used to run. But as Rain prepares for the re-opening of the library, all hopes for a peaceful life are shattered when she discovers the body of Thornton Hughes, a real estate buyer, on the premises.

The community of Lofty Pines starts pointing fingers at Willow, since she has been unusually absent from the library this summer. A fishy rumor surfaces when Rain learns that Willow had been spending a lot of time with Thornton. The town even thought they were having an affair.

While theories swirl about Thornton's death, Rain takes it upon herself to solve the case to exonerate her mother. As more clues surface, Rain will have to piece together the mystery. But if she isn't careful, she may be the next to end up dead in the water in Murder at the Lakeside Library, the first in Holly Danvers' new Lakeside Library mysteries.
What I Thought:

This is the first in a new series, Lakeside Library Series. It is also the first book I have read by Holly Danvers. I enjoyed this story, though it started out a little slow. In this one, Rain goes up to the Northwoods to Lofty Pines after the death of her husband. Her family has had home on the lake there where they had a library for Lakers during the summer. Rain's mother usually runs the library, but she is in Africa digging wells. Rain's father is in Japan because her parents have decided to spend some time apart, which Rain is struggling with. When Rain's friend, Marge, stumbles on a dead body, some disturbing things start coming out about Rain's parents. Rain and her friend Julia decide to take matters in their own hand and investigate. I thought this book was well written. There were two mysteries in this book. The murder and also a mystery about Rain's family. The plot was well thought out and realistic. There were not a lot of suspects in this on, in fact there were no suspects really, Rain and Julia just kind of stumble on the truth. I enjoyed the setting of this one, a Wisconsin Lake in the summer time. While this was a mystery, it was a little different than a lot mysteries as the author did not allude to who the killer was and why until the end of the book. I will definitely be looking forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Holly Danvers

Holly Danvers grew up devouring every mystery novel on the shelf of her local library. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and 3 chickens, where she's already plotting her next novel.

Author Links Website - www.authorhollydanvers.com GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20823355.Holly_Danvers Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HollyDanversBooks/ Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Moonshine Shack Murder (A Southern Homebrew Mystery) by Diane Kelly

About The Moonshine Shack Murder

The Moonshine Shack Murder (A Southern Homebrew Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Berkley (July 6, 2021) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-10: 0593333225 ISBN-13: 978-0593333228 Digital ASIN : B08KPKD22T

In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright--until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack.

The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars for locals and tourists alike. All signs indicate her new 'shine shop will be a smashing success. What's more, mounted police officer Marlon Landers has taken a shine to Hattie. For the first time ever, the stars seemed to have aligned in both her work and romantic life. But when a body ends up on her store's doorstep alongside a broken jar of her Firefly Moonshine, it just might be lights out for her fledgling business.

The homicide detective can't seem to identify the person who killed the owner of a nearby bar. The only witness is Hattie's longhaired gray cat, and Smoky isn't talking. When the detective learns that the victim and Hattie had a heated exchange shortly before his murder, she becomes her prime suspect.

Lest Hattie end up behind bars like her bootlegging great-grandfather a century before, she must distill the evidence herself and serve the killer a swift shot of justice.

What I Thought:

Once I started this book, I did not want to put it down. It was very well written and flowed really well. It kept my attention from the time I started it till I finished it. In this one, Hattie has opened her the Moonshine Shack. She tries to make a deal with the bar owner across the street to sell her shine, but the deal goes south. When the owner of the bar, Cormac, is found murdered on the steps of the Moonshine Shack, Hattie becomes a suspect. Hattie decides she needs to help the hunky mounted policeman solve the crime. As I said, this one was very well written, It flowed really well and was a very quick read. I enjoyed the setting of the story. I have not read any books set in a Moonshine shop. Hattie was a very likable protagonist as well. The other characters in the story were likable as well. The plot was well thought out and very realistic. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

About Diane Kelly

Diane Kelly writes stories that feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends. Diane is the author of over 30 novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes, Paw Enforcement, and House Flipper mystery series. In 2021, she’ll launch two new series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries. Find Diane online at DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram @DianeKellyBooks, and on Facebook at her Author Diane Kelly page.