DUE OR DIE by Jenn McKinlay

Publisher:    Berkley

Published:    March 6, 2012 

ISBN:      978-0425246689

Genre:    Cozy Mystery

Format:  Print

Obtained via:  Publisher

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

FOUR HEARTS

Librarian Lindsey Norris has settled nicely into her job at Briar Creek library.  Things have been pretty mellow until she the pending election of the president of the Friends of the Library.  While she cannot vote on board members she has been invited first because she is, after all, the head librarian and then to make sure things are done correctly.   She is thrilled when her friend Carrie is voted in unanimously, but the outgoing president, Bill Sint is less than thrilled.  In fact, he blames Lindsey for losing the job.  But someone else is even more unhappy at the choice because on her way home from work someone tries to not only run her down.  Before she can fully comprehend why someone would take such strong actions she walks into work to find someone has dropped a puppy into the book drop.  But that’s not all…Carrie returns home to find her husband shot and killed.  It doesn’t take long for Carrie to become suspect number 1.

Can Lindsey find the killer before the killer decides to put an end to her sleuthing?

Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lovers Mystery series is one of my all-time favorites.  What’s not to like about a series that takes place in a library?  The series became even more fun in book 2, DUE OR DIE with more of the characters’ personalities coming out.  Beth and her myriad children’s stories and games is one of my favorites.  She, however, was quickly replaced with the introduction of Heathcliff.  He is quite the charmer and a wonderful addition to the series.

I pretty much figured out who did it as soon as that character appeared on the pages of this book, but that did not detract from the story in the least.  I attribute that to McKinlay’s skill as a story teller—I think there is a lot of her in Beth.  The setting and camaraderie of the characters feels real and right—Briar Creek is the kind of town I’d like to live in. 

DUE OR DIE is a standalone and you do not have to have read book 1 to enjoy it—however, if you pass on it, you’re passing up a good read.

This is an objective review and an endorsement of this book.