It was Christmas and Carrie was working for the Clover Ridge Library. Her father had left the family when she was young. He was never there for the holidays either. One night, she heard noises. When she checked she found her father, Jim Singleton, in her house. Her father was a thief and had been in jail a few times. He and the local jeweler, Benton Parr, had been involved in a twenty million dollar gem heist. Her father wanted his share of the money and he wanted Carrie to help him get it, but Carrie refused. Benton was not answering his phone or emails. The next day, the police found Benton Parr murdered and Carrie’s father was the main suspect. Carrie had to help her father clear his name even tho that would mean he would take off again when he was cleared. Carrie planned to ask the library ghost, Evelyn Hovers, to help her. Read along to see if Carrie can solve the murder and find the gems. A fast paced story which was very enjoyable. I was sorry when the book ended. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is the second book of the series, and even though I haven’t read the first part, I was able to follow this book quite easily. There are a few references to the past and you can quickly realise what happened. Though, if you wish to read the series, don’t start with #2, because there are a few spoilers here that you wish you hadn’t read if you read book #1. I won’t be reading #1 because the spoilers kinda ruined it for me. But I am sure it’s an amazing story as well.

Carrie works in a library and has a cat that brings with her at work. Her father is a famous bad guy, that spent all her childhood in jails. One day, he returns to town, trying to get his share of a box of jewellery that he stole with another man. But a murder changes everyone’s plans, and Carrie has to make some dangerous decisions. It is a wonderful story about family, love, Christmas and tragedy that ends well. 

This is a book full of mystery and crime, but it also is warm and family-oriented. I loved the mystery - crime part of it, I loved the scenes where everyone, mostly Carrie plays out to be a detective, but there were also scenes where things were so obvious, and she made terrible choices that made me cringe.

I struggled a lot to understand and like Carrie -  I didn’t like the way how she gets quiet and doesn’t talk and just cries, and suddenly when she leaves the situation, she bitches about everything and how things should've been done differently. WELL WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE, THEN? But then, there were also moments when she would come up with some interesting hypothesis and actually succeed into making a right choice, and I would think - YEAH, that’s my girl.

All in all, definitely a beautiful read, with a few tweaks here and there. I would love to read something similar to this, and for you that love chick-lit and detective stories, you would most probably enjoy this read :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books  for giving me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

i enjoyed reading the story, if you like cozy mysteries you will like the story, i was given a coy by net galley but this is an honest review. i will check out more of her books.

This is the second installment from the Haunted Library Series. And yes that describes the library in this small town. Haunted. But with the loveliest of ladies who only Carrie and little Tacey can see and chat with. She is an extremely helpful ghost!

Carrie and her brother Jordan didn't have an ideal childhood. Her father was never around and after going to jail, she knows why. He was on the lam. Now he comes sneaking into her life and her home, hoping she can be talked into helping him on one last job. Getting his share of millions of dollars of stolen gems that his partner in crime has been hiding for him.

Of course, our Carrie the Librarian, isn't having any of that. She is not cut our for a life of crime. Murder solving maybe, but not crime. Especially since her boyfriend is investigating the same stolen gems for his insurance company.

When dad shows up in jail after his partner in crime is murdered, Carrie needs to find those stones before more people end up dead.

For such a small town there is no lack of suspects. Secrets come spilling out of every mouth. Affairs, unrequited love, selfish parents and a lot of badly behaved characters.

This is a newer series and I really enjoyed Carrie and all of the ladies of the library. I especially love cozy mysteries that include lovable characters of all ages and this one ticks off all the boxes.

Well Done Crooked Lane Books!

NetGalley/ Crooked Lane Books    September 11,2018

Organizing programs for adults is fun and challenging for Carrie Singleton. Everyone loves sparkling jewels and the presentation by local jeweler, Benton Parr, has an extensive waiting list. The problems arise when Parr is found murdered in his store and Jim Singleton, Carrie’s wayward father shows up in search of a cache of diamonds that Parr supposedly is holding on to for Jim.

Brook’s second installment of her Haunted Library series is a feel-good holiday story. This is a perfect book for a light read during the hectic holiday season that you can immerse yourself into to escape. Don’t be fooled though. This is a well plotted mystery but it moves quickly. Pure guilty pleasure.

Carrie has charmed and easy life but dives into local crime that sorts out well, with humor, (tepid) love affairs, and of course she's clever and good looking, sought after and happy in her extended family and friends .. with a cat. I know these are all the ingredients for a good 'cozy' but characters, including Carrie, are just too derivative, I've read them all before only more sharply developed. Just about good for what it is, but I have high standards even for fiction that demands so little of its reader.

A definitely intriguing mystery with ghosts, cats, murders, and romance! I enjoyed the surprising elements of the story that kept me reading!

I enjoyed this clever cozy with a library setting, and a resident cat, and who could forget the ghost - Evelyn Havers - wish there was more interaction with her. The plot was enjoyable and the excitement perked up when Carrie's father Jim shows up after being in prison and wants her to help him recover part of the seven million dollars worth of gems. from Benton Parr. Whoa!! Then Benton turns up dead and all suspect that it was Carrie's father Jim, but Carrie doesn't believe Jim would murder, so Carrie and her boyfriend Dylan set out to find the real culprit. Kept me entertained and just enough to want to read more of this series.

An engaging cozy, I will now have to go back and read the first book in this series.

Fun and excitement for all.

This was my introduction to Allison Brook's books. I enjoyed Carrie's adventures through her town while trying to find the stolen diamonds and keep her dad out of jail. Since Jim, Carrie's dad, had spent most of her 30 year life absent she wanted to reconnect with him. She despises him from bring trouble to her door and wanting her help to find the stolen gems but she also wants the love and approval she missed growing up. The story is a fun and easy read. I really love cozy mysteries that can take you on wild crazy journeys and still have happy endings.

I recommend this author and will be looking for more of her work.

This was a very cute mystery. It works well as a stand alone story though the characters have been introduced in prior stories. A great recommendation for a reader looking for a mystery without added sex or violence. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

This book could be compared to Jenn McKinlay's Library Lovers Mysteries with a curious Librarian being the star of the show. But both authors have a distinctly different style and protagonist.

Brook delivers a tale that is both a mystery and a family drama. In the beginning, this book was more about the mystery of the missing gems than who killed Brenton. But of course these are related so they both do end up featuring in the story line.

For those who enjoy a small town/librarian/Christmas cozy mystery, this should be a good read.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Haunted Mysteries series and I loved it as much as the first one.

There wasn't as much Evelyn involvement as there was in the previous book, but it didn't take away from the magic in the story. And the story had plenty of magic.

I enjoyed watching Smoky Joe get up to his antics, even begging for food in the cafe. I loved watching all the relationships throughout the book and can't wait for the next one.

Awesome read! Great mystery, loved the family connections. Kept me guessing till the end. Great book!

Read and Gone is a terrific cozy mystery. The book has a great plot and characters. I enjoyed the author’s writing and hope to read more of her books. If you enjoy a good mystery. I recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this cosy murder mystery.

This was the first I had read in the series but it was just as good as a standalone. Carrie was a fearless and feisty heroine and I really liked when the book had her thought process and opinions in italics.

I enjoyed the writing style and would recommend this book to friends.

Carrie Singleton works in the local library after returning to her home town that she left behind after a rough childhood. She’s a law abiding citizen, has a strained relationship with her Mother and almost none with her career criminal father. However when Carrie’s father shows up in her home, she has to wonder, if having her father in her life is really what she wants given their disparate standings on crime.

While Jim Singleton is looking for some gems he helped steal, his partner in the heist is found murdered. Carrie believes her father is not guilty of murder and stands by him. Two more bodies are added to the bodycount and Carrie finds herself in danger. Are the gems really worth risking her life over?

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and there are a lot of suspects that keep you guessing right up to the end. I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and look forward to the next installment in the Haunted Library Mysteries.

I thought that this book lacked both humour and pace.

I had hoped from the mention of a Haunted Library that it would be more ghostly and not less - this ghost was very tame - as were all the characters. I should have realised what 'charming' meant in the book's description...

A book too cosy for me as I only managed 26% and got bored. Sorry Alison.

*I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I would give this book 1.5 stars. I read the description of this book and I thought it was going to different than it was. This book is described as "Cozy Mystery" and I guess that would describe it. There were a lot of characters and none of the relationships or conversations seemed to flow well or work well together. There was not enough character development between the characters and it made the relationships not work.

I wanted to get lost in a good mystery novel, but I was unable to do so. The whole plot of the book did not work for me that well and I could not get into the book. By the time I was three quarters of the way through, I had just wanted to get to the end and finish the book. This was not my favorite mystery and not a book I will be recommending to other people.

Even though I promised myself I wouldn't go on NetGalley, I did... then I requested a few books... then I was awarded said books... and now my 'ready to read on the shelf' TBR is back around 25! So... I started with NetGalley reads this weekend, choosing a new author and a book series I'd not read before: The Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook. I even read the second book, Read and Gone, before the debut of the series since I don't have that one in my possession. I can safely say that I will go back to read the first book and continue reading the whole series.

In this cozy caper, Carrie Singleton is celebrating Christmas with her family and new boyfriend, Dylan. After everyone leaves, Carrie's thief father shows up asking for help. Before she knows it, a frustrated and angry Carrie agrees to help him in between her duties running one of the departments in the local library. As the story unfolds, her father Jim's former partner is found murdered, and Carrie is stuck trying to prove her father isn't a killer. Add in a few more bodies, and a second mystery at the local senior care facility, and Carrie is quite busy. It's all connected, but she's not sure how. In the end, she solves the crime and figures out how to move forward.

At first, the story felt a little too stiff and formulaic, but by 10% it settled in with a really positive and engaging flow. The ghost of a friend's dead aunt watches over the place, but really doesn't provide many clues thus far -- it's just an other-worldly presence for some humor. Carrie also struggles in her relationship with Dylan, whose job forces him to play on opposite sides for part of the story. There are lots of suspects, several side-stories, and a welcome amount of refreshing honesty about private citizens acting as detectives. Carrie pushes the limit, but she's also clearly showing us why she has to. It's believable.

All in all, I'm glad I downloaded this one, and it only took 3 hours to get thru... a strong start for me in the series pushing me to go back and read more.