Lindsey and Sully are back in the 13th book off the Library Lovers Mystery series. In this story Lindsey is excited to get a huge book collection for the library. As she heads to where the books are located, and she is more than certain that it is a valuable collection, she is about to find a gruesome discovery. The hold library at a Victorian estate has more than books in its vaults. There is a hidden room, and this room contains a skeleton that has a collection of Edgar Allen Poe in its hands. In fact, with Poe’s creepy stories, The Pit and the Pendulum just might follow that course.

Naturally, Lindsey’s attention is drawn to the old collection of books, but her attention is redirected to the deceased body. She promptly employs her exceptional deductive skills to identify the individual and potentially uncover the reason behind the skeleton’s possession of Poe’s book. The release of this book coincides with mid-October, which may evoke a sense of unease and foreboding among readers.

I manage to get a book ahead of time but don’t get around to reviewing it right away, I can usually borrow it from my library using Libby. I’m glad I did because there are some really cool additions at the end of this book. Since this was an audiobook review, and Allyson Ryan’s narration was amazing, I decided to check out the e-book. Jenn McKinlay added some really fun stuff at the end too!

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I didn’t realize this was an extensive series when I jumped into this book. I had no problem reading it as a standalone, though I’m sure I missed some of the nuances one might glean if they had read the whole series. Nevertheless, it was the perfect cozy mystery I was looking for.

While this is very far along in the series (book 13 so far), I love cozy mysteries like these because you don't need to know all the history of the characters to dive in. They just welcome you into the story and you learn all the important facts you need to know about the characters as the story progresses. (What I'm saying is I haven't read any other of the Library Lover's Series.)

In this novel, Lindsey, the library director, is informed of a rare book collection that will be donated to the library as long as she gets people to come pick it up. Ends up discovering a secret room in the library, as well as the skeleton of the long-lost runaway bride from 20 years earlier. Lindsey, having helped solve a few mysteries previously, decides that she's going to ask some questions around town. She's not trying to step on the police's toes, but she just wants to ensure the safety of all the rare books.

Lots of fun book talk, a cute cat, and a neatly wrapped-up ending really made me want to go and read all the other books, Very much enjoyed this and the narrator was perfect.

This was a super cute cozy mystery and I am definitely adding it to my list of series that I read! I have yet to read a Jenn McKinlay book that I did not love! I am going back to the beginning of this series and starting over so that I am ready for the latest installment when it comes out!

#ThePlotandthePendulum
#NetGalley

The Plot and the Pendulum is the 13th Library Lovers cozy mystery by Jenn McKinlay. Released 11th Oct 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a bookish cozy with an ensemble cast of librarians and library allied folks. There's a spooky mansion with an incredible library being donated to the local community library, a disappearing cat, secret rooms, and a long ago disappearance cold case for Lindsey and co. to solve. There are lots of classic book tie ins and title-dropping typical for library cozies. The author has also included a selection of autumn themed vegetarian recipes (figs in a blanket, sweet potato casserole, and radish chips). The author has also included a chapter excerpt from the 7th Hat Shop mystery, Fatal Fascinator.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 7 hours and 4 minutes and is narrated by Allyson Ryan. This book has a fairly large cast and for the most part, Ms. Ryan does a credible job of keeping the voices for each character distinct and recognizable. She has a standard American accent and her voice has a slightly nasal quality, but it isn't obtrusive, and she does a good (neutral) job with the narration. Sound and production quality are high throughout.

It's a cozy, so the violence is toned down and the language is quite clean. There's a creepy gothic vibe throughout much of the book, but it's not too scary. The denouement and resolution are well done and self contained in this volume so it works well enough as a standalone.

Four stars. With 13 books in the series, it would make a good choice for a long binge read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Even though this book is the thirteenth in a series I was able to read it without feeling I was missing out having never read any of the others. It’s a wonderful selection for a cozy mystery and is great as a stand alone book even though it is part of a series.

The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay
Narrated by Allyson Ryan
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: October 11, 2022

Killer Research is the 13th book in Library Lover's Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. Don't let the high number in the series scare you. This is easily read as a standalone cozy mystery. (I've only read two other books in the series.)

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narration by Allyson Ryan was tons of fun. She does a great job bringing each character to life!

The story was great, set in a small town, with interesting & likeable characters. The mystery was tons of fun to try to solve and had lots of great twists and turns. I was definitely a little nervous at times and I loved the Edgar Allan Poe tie-in!

The narration by Allyson Ryan was great! She brought the story to life!

I look forward to reading the next book in the series and recommend this for cozy mystery fans!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was given a NetGalley widget for this one a year ago and I just got around to reading it and dangit it was so good. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have consumed this wildly relevant fictional tale, which felt not at all fictional, more like historical fiction, due to the times. The cover initially was what drew me in, but I'm so thankful to have stuck with it because the outcome was magical. I always love listening to audiobooks and when they sweep me off my feet, I'm just utterly captivated! I always really enjoy multi-cultural thrillers, for I embark on a journey through a land unknown to me, while still getting spooked.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of The Pit and the Pendulum, but I did love the new Library Lover's Mystery. Secret rooms, a decades-old murder, a mysterious cat? And of course Lindsey, Sully, Beth, and the crafternooners. Perfect.

The narrator has a pleasant voice and did a good job with the narration.

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

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Pretty cute cozy mystery, don't mind reading them as they come out

Jenn Mckinlay is always at the top when it comes to cozy mysteries. The plot is engaging and different. I love how the large cast of characters keeps the story moving and never boring. I listened to this in one sitting and I couldn’t get enough. Lindsay and Sully are my favorite but it’s really the world that has been built in Briar Creek that keeps me coming back for more after 13 books!

This is a great cozy mystery. The characters were delightful and the setting was perfect for any book lover. If you're looking for a quick, cozy, fun read 0 this one is for you.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I have read a few books from this series. Some of them I have loved and some I didn't.
But I have to say I really did like this book in the series. It might actually be my favorite one so far. This book takes place just before Halloween, so it might be a good read for Halloween Month.

It's been a while since I visited Briar Creek, Lindsey, and Sully, but I'm happy to have returned. This time, we're hit with a cold case, and while there are plenty of suspects, it's hard to find witnesses. A lot of speculation and a few red herrings make this an enjoyable read. I'm actually quite pleased that no one died this time around. It gets to a point where you think they'll have to start importing bodies, so this was a nice change. The narrator also did a good job with pacing, and the different characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and/or the publisher for giving me this title in exchange for an honest review.

This was a spooky good entry into the library lover's series. I enjoyed re-visiting these characters. I was completely surprised by the ending. I don't think that this series has to be read in order.

I did this as an audiobook. This book starts off intriguing with the invitation to donate a home library’s rare book collection and everything is all fine and dandy until a body is found in a secret compartment in that library. It’s written like a fun ghost story. Not horribly scary. There’s a woman’s disappearance from years ago and it's all connected to the loves and relationships of the people who live in the house that holds the library. I was intrigued, and I read this book over a month ago. Just didn't find time to write the review. I apologize on that. But writing a review later, helps me evaluate if a book stays with me or not. This one, unfortunately, not so much.

Fun cozy mystery set in a small town with a librarian protagonist. Lindsey discovers a body in a hidden room while she is boxing up a private book collection that has been donated to her library. When the body turns out to be a women that went missing 30 years old, it sends shock waves through their community and suspicion falls on the victim’s husband. Lovely characters and great pacing make this a great read and interesting mystery.

The Plot and the Pendulum
by Jenn McKinlay
Narrated by Allyson Ryan
Pub Date 11 Oct 2022 | Archive Date 08 Nov 2022
Dreamscape Media
Mystery & Thrillers



I am reviewing a copy of The Plot and Pendulum through Dreamscape Media and Netgalley:


After Lindsey and the Crafternoon crew stumble on a cold case, they decide the case is in need of solving, that justice is long overdue, for this long unsolved murder mystery.


If you're looking for a great who-dun-it that will let your imagination run wild with theories and possibilities then the Plot and the Pendulum would be a great book for you.


I give The Plot and the Pendulum five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

I couldn't get enough of this book. It kept me intrigued the entire time. She has one of the best series in my opinion. Red herrings galore!

The Plot and the Pendulum is the latest book in the Library Lovers Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay. In this installment, Lindsey Norris has been approached by William Dorchester offering his family's entire collection of books to the Briar Creek Library due to the necessity of moving his elderly mother to an assisted living home. To give her an idea of what the collection contains, he brings a first edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Because William has informed her that the collection contains more than 12,000 books plus the cabinetry that currently houses the books, Lindsey recruits her fellow Crafternooners to assist in the packing of the collection. While boxing up the books, they discover a hidden room that contains a skeleton sitting at a table clutching an old copy of The Collected Works of Edgar Allen Poe.

The author has done an excellent job of maintaining consistency throughout the entire series with character and plotline creation and building. By creating this story as an old unresolved mystery in town, the author also gives the reader an insight into addition history of the town and the related dynamics among a variety of families. Through the use of unique clue delivery and plotline twists, the reader's attention is grabbed and held from start to finish giving a shocking resolution to the mystery. The author also includes enough background for this story to be read as a standalone book but also whets the reader's appetite to go back and read the entire series while waiting for the next installment to be released.

The narrator, Allison Ryan, has done a wonderful job of creating unique voices for each of the characters within this story as well as a separate voice for the descriptive text. She also maintains excellent pace and cadence throughout the story to keep the listener's attention.

I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and am leaving this review voluntarily.