This series is so very enjoyable. I love catching up with what is going on with Carrie. This time we get to know her mother a bit more and there are two murders in town. Seemingly unrelated but maybe not?

I honestly don't think the writing is very good, but I love this series. I've read all four books, and I'll keep reading them.

This is book 4 in the Haunted Library Mystery series. It's a good cozy with a ghost helper solving the mystery, Carrie has just booked a psychic for a library presentation when her ghostly friend Evelyn appears in the office. Daphne, the psychic has a strong reaction to Evelyn. But now Daphne is dead and Smoky Joe, Evelyn and Carrie need to find the killer . Can be read as a stand alone but all the friends and family from previous books are back. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a fun cozy mystery. There is no shortage of suspects and several twists and turns to keep the reader entertained. The characters are well-developed and likable. One of my favorite characters is Evelyn (the library ghost). She has a strong personality even in her afterlife. I look forward to the next book in the series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

Checked out for Murder by Allison Brook

Book 4 in A Haunted Library series.

This book is set in the small town of Clover Ridge and the main character, Carrie Singleton the local library events organiser, is also a somewhat successful amateur sleuth whose main confidante is the resident library ghost!
This is the 4th book in the series and although I hadn’t read any of the previous books I was able to jump in and pick up on the characters and the setting quite easily, without feeling I had missed out on anything essential.

In this instalment a newcomer to Clover Ridge (Daphne Marriot) offers to give a talk in the library on her recently acquired psychic powers and the town is also the setting for the filming of a movie. In close succession Daphne and one of the actresses in the movie are murdered! Although there is no obvious connection Carrie becomes embroiled in both investigations.

Carrie is a likeable character and her relationship with the Evelyn, library ghost is treated as quite normal. I suspect that this element of the story may have been more noteworthy in some of the earlier books. In this one Carries talks to Evelyn just like any other person and it’s not hugely significant that she’s a ghost.

The other members of the town are also sympathetic characters and you get a nice feel for the setting.
The mystery is unravelled at a good pace with just enough danger and suspense to keep you interested and there is a satisfying twist at the end.
This is a cosy, gentle mystery with a charming setting and cast of characters. Perfect for a relaxing evening’s reading!

This is the perfect book to add to your summer reading list. A very light and cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and fun and the storyline was simple but also contained many twists and turns. Definitely a must read!

Checked Out for Murder is the fourth book in the Haunted Library Mystery series written by Allison Brook. The books take place in Connecticut and revolve around Carrie, a 30ish librarian who has a friendly ghost helping her solve crimes. I've read the previous books in the series and enjoyed them all... let's dig a little deeper into this latest cozy mystery.

Carrie's mother and her younger second husband visit for a few weeks. Tom is an actor and will be filming in Carrie's hometown. When they arrive, something is amiss between the married couple. Carrie never got along well with her mother anyway, but this time makes for even more difficult matters. It appears Tom's ex-girlfriend wants him back... at the same time, a psychic moves to town and befriends Carrie. When she ends up dead, and Carrie learns the strange woman used to live in Clover Ridge, the murder plot unfolds. How does Carrie hold up trying to solve one murder, handle her mother's antics at the filming, and get by when her own boyfriend, Dylan, needs to leave town for work again!?!

Brook's settings are idyllic, minus the murders of course. The library is a cheerful and friendly place, and I love getting to know more about the surrounding town. When you toss in a little psychic power, the usual haunting atmosphere becomes even more cool. I like that it's not an overwhelming piece of the story... just enough to give you the chills but also remain fairly realistic in terms of day-to-day life. All the characters are clearly drawn and well-developed. I really like Carrie's dad - he's so down to earth, despite some of the things he's done in the past. Seeing how he supports his ex-wife, Carrie's mother, is also heartwarming. Carrie and Dylan have a good relationship, and they protect one another. There's a bit of an individualistic streak in both, and at times, I want to yell at them -- in a good way, of course.

The mystery is full of solid clues and red herrings. A second murder makes waves. I had my suspicions, and this time, I was definitely wrong. I hadn't expected the history to develop the way it did, but it was quite clever. I did guess a piece of the secret lover's identity from years ago, but not the specifics. Brook easily blended the past and the present so it felt seamless. I enjoyed the quick trip to Long Island to discover clues from the past -- it helps that the author and I are both from there. The series has great imagination and is becoming one of my favorites... I look out for the new releases and I follow the author's blog and newsletter... so should you!

Our patrons really like their cozy mysteries and this series is perfect. Carrie and her ghost friend Evelyn solve another murder. Enough twists to keep mystery readers happy.

Checked Out for Murder by Allison Brook Reviewed on June 23, 2020 4 Stars
Awww a haunted library, a library cat named Smokey Joe, and Evelyn the Library ghost!
In addition, our Librarian Carrie Singleton is a psychic.
Books and ghosts do sound like fun to me.
This #4 in the series and although I have not read the other three, I felt I wasn’t missing anything. However, I did enjoy this novel, so want to go back and read the others.

Since this is a cozy mystery and “murder” in the title, we know of course, there is a murder ~ not one but two. Both are ladies from out of the area One a leading lady in a movie being made and also was engaged to Carrie’s now stepdad; and Daphne who is also a psychic and was going to do workshops at the Library. Hmmm both have a connection to Carrie!!

I am a big psychological thriller fan and sometimes a nice cozy mystery is a special Treat!
Doesn’t disappoint ~ has twists and turns

Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 11, 2020

This is a charming cozy with some interesting characters. I love Ghost Evelyn And think that she kicks the story up a notch. It is a fast paced, enjoyable mystery.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Release Date: September 8, 2020
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Carrie is bracing herself for her mother’s visit to Clover Ridge. Brianna/Linda is coming with her husband Tom, who is shooting a movie in the small town. Drama abounds when Tom starting flirting with his ex and co star. Meanwhile Carrie is making a new friend who claims to have psychic ability...include knowing that Evelyn is around! When two murders happen within days, everyone is on edge. Dylan warns Carrie to leave it alone but he soon begins helping her with the cases!

This is the fourth novel in the #hauntedlibrary series and was very enjoyable! I loved the set up and how the stories past and present wove together. My only critique is why the author used “knifed” so often to describe one of the murders. I loved getting to see more of the ‘Nick and Nora’ dynamic from Carrie and Dylan. As always Smokey Joe and Evelyn are scene stealers.

#hauntedlibrary #checkedoutformurder #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #cozymysteryseries #netgalleyreview

I forgot how much I enjoyed this series!! While I tend to find Carrie a bit obnoxious, I still enjoy the rest of the characters and I got a kick out of the plot of this one. An easy little cozy mystery for someone looking for lighter reading with just a hint of the paranormal.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3395667560

While I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher, all opinions remain my own.

I am going to just copy the synopsis here because I've now tried twice to explain it and cannot get it out for the life of me:
Carrie Singleton and Evelyn the ghost sleuth the slayings of a starlet and a star-crossed psychic in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook's fourth Haunted Library mystery.

Daphne Marriott strolls into Clover Ridge and informs librarian Carrie Singleton that she's a psychic. But had she foreseen what fate awaited her, Daphne would have steered clear of the quaint Connecticut town. Evelyn, the library ghost, tells Carrie that there's more to Daphne than she lets on.

The mysterious woman grew up in Clover Ridge with her no-good dad, who apparently met his end at the hands of Daphne's brother, Billy. Still, Daphne proves a welcome distraction when Carrie's overbearing mother hits town. Mom's much younger husband, Tom, is in a movie that's lensing locally, and she's there to keep an eye on him: Tom's costar, sultry Ilana Reingold, is also his ex-fiancée, and there's no denying the chemistry is still there. Soon after mingling with the moviemakers at a meet-and-greet, Daphne is found dead.

Carrie and Evelyn investigate, assisted by bushy-tailed library cat Smoky Joe. But the suspect list could overflow the library shelves. Has Billy killed another relative? Is their long-missing mother involved? Or Daphne's mean ex-husband? Carrie's sure she knows who committed the crime, but can she bind together the clues before the culprit Dewey-decimates the town?

MY THOUGHTS: First of all, this is book four in a series and I never would have known that! I love that I could just pick it up and go. No need to read any of the previous or any after (if I don't want to.)

The characters weren't so shallow that you hated them. I actually started to like some of them. Had to keep a few at "arms length" in case they were the murderer, but I liked them still. The relationships between them seemed real and developing. While some things were a bit predictable, other times I was left wondering what just happened because it was NOT what I was expecting AT ALL!

No spoilers, but the ending I loved. Couldn't put it down and finished it very quickly. Would definitely read another Haunted Library Mystery.

This is the fourth book in the Haunted Library series and it could be read as a stand alone. For best results though I recommend starting the series at the beginning and getting to know the main characters well.

There is some interesting character development in Checked Out for Murder when Carrie gets to spend a significant amount of time with her wayward mother, and even her father comes for a short visit. Carrie has done well to grow up so normal with those two as her role models!

Evelyn, the library ghost, plays her usual advisory role when not one but two visitors to the town are murdered. Carrie herself is unusually restrained and even confides in her boyfriend and the police when she uncovers possible clues instead of blundering into danger on her own.

This really is a cosy mystery with the emphasis on cosy. Nothing really unpleasant happens ( well except for the murders but the details there are brief), nothing is scary or tense, and the ending is mild although the actual murderer came as a big surprise to me. An enjoyable, light read and I will continue to look out for new books in this series.

This was a very enjoyable read. Yes, it contains some not so nice people who do not so nice things to other people, but the characters and their community are so entertaining....you'd think they were your mother's long lost cousins....and a ghost librarian! I got a few chuckles and couple of outright laughs from the antics of the investigating team!!! Great read!

I ADORE this series and this 4th entry did not disappoint. Includes all the perfect elements of a strong cozy mystery--great characters, wonderful small town setting and a tricky mystery. Well done and highly recommend!

Carrie, Evelyn and Smokey Joe are quite a team. Carrie with Evelyn's help solve the murder of Daphne, a psychic new in town. It's a fun mystery that has many suspects as well as motives for Daphne murder. I would love to visit Clover Ridge to visit with Evelyn!

Checked Out for Murder was such a fun book in this series. Evelyn might not be as present in this book as the previous I've read in this series, but it didn't take away the charm of the book. The characters were well crafted and the plot and storyline was engaging with a good pace. It was overall an entertaining read.

Carrie is back at it in another installment of the Haunted Library series. This time, her mother and much younger husband are coming to town to film a movie, bring with them several well-known actors. At the same time, some long forgotten town history gets stirred up when a psychic makes a visit to the library and becomes friendly with Carrie. After promising her local detective friend and boyfriend she wouldn't get involved in any more cases, Carrie is loathe to do any investigating as things heat up in town, but is soon drawn in to this mystery. Evelyn is not nearly as present in this book as she was in the last few, although she does offer up some insights at just the right moments. Overall a good read.

I thoroughly enjoy this series! It has a little bit of everything: a library, a cat, an entertaining female protagonist, and a cozy mystery. These books are a perfect read when you want something quick and entertaining.

What I liked about this book is that the plot took Carrie out of the library and town on her search for clues. I enjoyed seeing her in different settings.

I definitely recommend this book to any fan of cozy mysteries.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.