This cozy mystery by Leah Dobrinska is charming and fun! Readers who love mysteries and libraries will enjoy it!

Greta is a librarian who stumbles upon a murder, and I thought it was interesting how she went about solving the case! The flow was natural and I had a hard time putting the book down. I appreciated Greta’s friendships with her fellow librarians, and I laughed over some of her mishaps as she chased various leads.

Larkspur, a small town in Wisconsin, is the kind of place I would love to visit in person. The descriptions are beautiful, and I felt as though I was right there with the characters while I was reading. Also, I loved the literary references. I used to read Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books all the time, and the references to those stories made me especially happy!

I haven’t read many cozy mysteries, but I hope to read more in the future because I thought this book was so much fun!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska was the first book in Larkspur Library Mysteries series.

The idea of this book showed so much promise that I couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately I have to say that I simply didn't enjoy it.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I feel that main heroine was not well developed and drawn out. I barely know nothing about her and it took quite a long time to find out some basic information. It was hard for me to "see" her and really bond with her.
There was a pretty high number of side characters that I at times struggled to keep track with all of them.
I also feel that romance side of the book was not well done, at leat I didn't enjoy it and I am sorry since enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes.
There is nothing special or different in this book that would make it stand out especially for those who prefer to read this genre and have read many similar books and possibly have higher expectations.
However I believe that for someone starting with cozy mysteries it would be a good introduction to the genre.

If you’re looking for a small town cosy mystery book, then you can give this one a try!

What I love about this story is the setting of a small town called Larkspur, it’s a beautiful and friendly town which turns upside down when a murder case occurred.
It causes a loss of sense of security and everyone becomes suspicious of others, especially Greta who founds solace in this community.

The characters are likeable, it took a while for me to warm up to the Detective's character. I wish we'll get more background story on him in future books if he's going to stick around in this series.

The pacing is a bit slow, it’s missing the suspense build up in mystery thriller books.
Regardless, I keep on reading it because it’s easy to read and it was fun following through Greta’s own investigation.
The twist at the end of the story quite surprised me when the culprit was revealed because I didn’t come to suspect that person in the beginning.

Overall, this is an enjoyable story. It’s a good start for a cosy mystery series and I’m looking forward to see what other case will happen in Larkspur.

Actual rating: 3.5⭐

I received this advanced review copy through Netgalley and I’m leaving this honest review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher.

What a delightful introduction to Larkspur and Greta Plank.

In this first book in a new series, we get to know Greta Plank who prefers to see the positive in all situations. It is how she copes with some difficult events in her past. She is a librarian at the local library and works with two of her good friends.

Great lives in a small cottage on the lake and after much work and determination has gotten to know one of her neighbors. When she finds his body on one of her visits, Greta is immediately suspected of committing the crime. It will take all of her patience to not only clear her name but try to find who the killer really is.

Greta’s determination to only see the good will be tested also as she is faced with one challenge after another,. As reminders of her past push their way to the front of her mind, Greta begins to wonder if she is in fact right to stay in Larkspur.

On the surface this is a delightful cozy mystery with a cast of characters and a setting I can’t wait to return to. On a deeper level, we watch Greta battle with herself over her choices, and if perhaps it is time to stay put and truly make a home for herself in her new community. I think in some way we can all relate to events in our past and deciding when to put them to rest and build our life.

I loved this story. Cozy mysteries are my go to when needing a lighter read, a good setting, great characters. Leah Dobrinska will now be a cozy author I search out for each new book she writes, especially each installment to this series.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska is the debut of A Larkspur Library Mysteries. Greta Plank is a woman who has a cheery attitude (she wears rose colored glasses because she wants to ignore anything bad or negative). She enjoys living in Larkspur. It is a fresh start for Greta. She moved to Larkspur to get away from her ex-boyfriend (the louse). Greta likes the small town where everyone knows you and gossip spreads faster than maple syrup on hot flapjacks. I enjoyed getting to know the town and its residents. Larkspur reminds me of Stars Hollow. There is a lack of character development. I wish the author had spent more time fleshing out the characters especially Greta. I thought it was odd considering everything else is overexplained. I thought the dialogue was awkward and expected. The mystery was straightforward. Greta finds her neighbor dead. It looks like an accident at first blush, but Detective McHenry is quick to find evidence that it was murder. Greta is at the top of Detective McHenry’s suspect list (of course). She feels the only way to clear her name is to find the guilty party. Greta gets help from her fellow librarians Josie and Iris. Greta is told to keep details of the case to herself, but she is quick to share them with everyone she encounters (that is one way of helping the killer stay one step ahead of her). There are a couple of suspects, a red herring, and pointed clues. The whodunit can be solved early in the story (before the murder). I kept hoping for a twist (anything to make the story less predictable). There is a tense reveal. The crime has a good wrap up at the end. I am not a fan of Detective Mark McHenry. I do not know what Greta saw in him (maybe she is a fan of somber, broody men). I found the encounters between Detective McHenry and Greta to be frustrating. Death Checked Out is an okay cozy mystery. It felt like the author was following a cozy mystery formula or checklist. She was making sure to include a nosy main character, a death of someone close to protagonist, a dogged detective, a charming small town, gossip galore, and, of course, a touch of romance. I enjoyed the Nancy Drew references in the story. I also liked how Greta, Josie, and Iris were there for each other (Josie more than Iris). Death Checked Out is an upbeat cozy with Biff the tabby, a librarian in love, a deceased recluse, rampant rumors, a caring community, a determined detective, and a sleuthing librarian.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

A librarian living in a small, cozy town?
A mysterious murder? Sign me up!

This book has the perfect cozy, fall feeling sprinkled with a little whodunit.
Greta is just your average bookworm working in a local library in a little lakeside town, Larkspur and suddenly she's in the middle of a murder investigation as a prime suspect.

It was a fun and quick read. I like murder mysteries, so this was definitely my type of book.
Also there's a cute cat!

I love the cover for this. It’s so cute - although closer to a romance cover than a cozy crime - but it’s cute. I liked the idea of the book and the set up, but the execution just doesn’t work for me. I had the culprit pegged early on and too stupid to live doesn’t even begin to cover the heroine. It just felt hurried and not very well thought through and I wanted to give several characters a good shake. Never mind

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinski is a lovely, cozy mystery that follows librarian Greta Plank as she navigates her new community of Larkspur, a quaint town in Wisconsin. Things get complicated when she finds her neighbor, a rare book collector, dead.

This was a delightful, light-hearted read. I really enjoyed reading about Greta and her friends and neighbors. The town of Larkspur is written with such detailed love and care. It was easy to fall for the idyllic setting and townspeople. I love the way Dobrinski included descriptions of the library work and other charming parts of town life. There’s even a snuggly cat named Biff.

The mystery was interesting albeit a bit predictable, which I don’t mind at all in my cozy books. There were many periphery characters that I had trouble keeping track of at times and the book stretched a tad too long for my taste. However, I really liked this book and would definitely pick up the next in the series.

If you’re looking for a light, charming, cozy mystery, give this a try!

Death Checked Out releases on December 6th, 2022.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is the first book I've ever read by Dobrinska, and it didn't disappoint.

Death Checked Out is a cozy mystery, featuring a nosy librarian, a shocking murder in a safe and charming town, and a bunch of intrigue. To begin, Greta is the main character. There is a tiny bit of mystery surrounding her because the reader is informed from the very beginning that she left her old stomping grounds to move here to start over. But the question is, what is she starting over from?

I loved Greta. She was down-to-earth, smart, not too nosy and inquisitive, which I found refreshing because in cozy mysteries I always feel that the main character can be too much of a busy-body sleuthing machine, so it was cool to see that Greta's actions stimmed from the need to prove her innocence, and there was a small part of a busy-body that drove her actions, too. However, it came together nicely.

There are a few things that begin in the book that are used to further the plot for future books and the growth of the characters introduced in the story, but there were no cliff-hangers, or anything like that. There is a lot of promise for future stories in the years to come.

My favorite things about the book were Greta-she was strong and smart, and I liked that she had this identity and strength outside of her mystery-solving hobby. I loved the tight knit group of friends and Greta's family. Side characters can be so crucial to a good story because they supply additional warmth and intrigue, which definitely occurs here with these characters. And I am looking forward to what might happen between Greta and the detective.

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books!

In a quaint lakeside town, a group of librarians have turned into a group of investigators in hopes of solving a series of crimes that has completely shaken this small community.

There was quite a bit of breached police protocol and tampering of evidence/crime scenes which is the only reason this book did not receive five stars. This was a simple and easy read! A good clean mystery that anyone is sure to enjoy!

A perfect cozy mystery to curl up with on an autumnal afternoon, full of books, a cat, a little romance and plenty of intrigue. If you’re looking for hard-bitten detectives, forensic work and clues to help you solve the case, that is not that book. But if you want to simply sit back and enjoy a tale, you won’t go far wrong with Death Checked Out, especially if you’re a library fan.

In Larkspur, a small lakeside town in rural Wisconsin, librarian Greta has found the perfect solace for a broken heart and a devastating loss in her family. Her philosophy in life is to smile and carry on. This has made her lots of supportive friends, including her two colleagues at the library, Josie and Iris. But she has also been working her charm on her somewhat reclusive wheelchair-bound neighbour, Franklin, and they have forged a friendship based on a common love of books, in spite of their age difference. And she’s rather hoping that there might be romance in the air for Franklin and her other neighbour, Dolores.

But soon Greta’s peaceful world is shattered when one of her friends dies violently. When the new police officer turns up to investigate, he soon realises this is murder. As the last to speak to the victim, Greta comes under suspicion. While she’s trying to clear her name with the rather hostile Detective McHenry, she becomes intrigued with the case. Inspired by a childhood love of the Nancy Drew mysteries, she starts to spend her spare time snooping, creeping about and eavesdropping, roping in her friends to help her solve the mystery.

Before long, other disturbing things take place. Greta no longer feels safe. Particularly since she realises that several of the people she knows are not as trustworthy as she once thought.

After a slightly slow start, I warmed to Greta. At first I thought she was an older woman; descriptions of her wardrobe certainly gave that impression. Even for a backwater in Wisconsin, the library seemed decades out of date with its manual checking out of books, but maybe rural libraries in the US are still like that. The amount of interaction between librarians and patrons also surprised me and seemed archaic; I’m not sure anyone’s consulted a librarian about anything since the advent of the internet. Greta also seems to spend a lot of time helping people choose books. Even in the 1980s, librarians in my experience were much more hands off, out behind the scenes. In any case, Larkspur’s library team are proactive and dedicated and bring on a nostalgia for a warm and welcoming library that I’ve never really experienced.

Soon I was thoroughly invested in the case, worried for Greta and her friends. Who can she trust? How many people will get hurt before they find what is really going on? I don’t know about anyone else, but I was gripped. Even though it’s definitely cozy rather than thrilling, there are certainly a few tense moments and the final confrontation doesn’t disappoint. And the best thing of all? It’s the first book in a series, the Larkspur Library Mysteries, so there’s more to look forward to!

Greta Plank is a Library Director in a small town, and safe to say she enjoys the 'rose tinted glasses' cosy life. After work one day she discovers the dead body of her neighbour - and what Greta initially thinks is a terrible accident, turns out to be something much more sinister. Worse still, as the the murder investigation commences, Greta finds herself under suspicion. In order to discover the truth Greta sets off on her own investigation in the hope of clearing her name.

As a reader there was quite a bit of 'you need to allow this to happen for the storyline' e.g. Sidenote: I don't live in a small town in the US but I'm still fairly sure the police wouldn't have taken Greta & her parents to search Franklin's house for some documents as part of their investigation. In that vain I felt there was a little too much 'convenience' to really grip me however that aside, I did enjoy the book and I did not see the murderer coming, so that was a good twist.

Overall, this is a cute and easy read and I would recommend for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club.

**Thank you to Leah Dobrinska, NetGalley and Level Best Books for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review!** I really enjoyed this book! I hadn’t read anything from this author but I was intrigued by the synopsis and the cover. This was such a fun read. I don’t read mystery novels very often but I sure picked a good one! I enjoyed all of the twists and turns and I felt satisfied with the ending. I don’t want to give too much away of the mystery but I loved that our heroine was a librarian. The book wasn’t too graphic and I would feel comfortable recommending it to others. I look forward to reading more novels from this author in the future.

'Tis the season for cozy mysteries! I wanted to like Death Checked Out to be a fun read that would keep my mind off of the chilling temperatures outside, but the book fell a bit short. The mystery itself was compelling, if not too cozy for my taste - it was too light, too casual, could have been more intense. I would have loved to learn more about Greta, Josie, and Iris, as much of the characterization felt pretty superficial - though maybe Josie and Iris will get their turns in respective sequels? I might come back to the series again but would hope to come back to something with more substance.

If you like Hallmark’s Aurora Teagarden mysteries, you’re going to LOVE Death Checked Out!

As a cozy mystery, it ticks all the boxes. Small town, seasonal coziness with a likable main character and a dangerous mystery. Halfway through, I wanted the next book in the series! It definitely doesn’t seem like Death Checked Out is Dobrinska’s cozy mystery debut.

Her romance background definitely shines through in the light-hearted tone of the book, but the mystery is amazing and she nails all the tropes. We also see a main character that is optimistic, but not annoyingly cheerful and has to confront her problems head on. While Detective McHenry is gorgeously gruff without being too aloof for future development. There’s room for growth and an exploration of every character’s backstory, so I’m excited to see where future books take us.

And the plot! There was a point I thought I knew how everything was going to end, but Dobrinska added just enough of a twist that readers were left surprised but satisfied. Her writing style and the pacing of events and everything were perfect. It all came together to create a book that was hard to put down!

So, if you’re a cozy mystery fan or you like books about books, this one is for you. It’s a lighthearted, quick read that feels a lot like a pumpkin spice latte in a book.

A super fun new series. Very well written with characters who are well developed. Greta Plank, the library director is a very likable character. When a friend is murdered, it puts Greta under suspicion . She investigates. A cozy that will keep you guessing until the end. Highly looking forward to more! Thanks #netgalley and #LevelBestBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Greta Plank actually really enjoys her job as a library director in a small town. She's new and she's settling in after leaving a larger town and her rat of an ex-boyfriend. One of the things she's started doing is bringing library books to her neighbor as he is in a wheelchair and it can be hard for him to get around. She's delighted to learn that he seems to have a new love interest. It makes it that much more difficult to believe when she finds him dead. Even worse, it looks like it may have been a murder.
Of course, the detective sent to investigate is new to town from a big city. Also not a surprise, he's fairly handsome. I did appreciate the addition of two friends from the library and some parents that seem to appreciate and love Greta. A decent first book in a series.

Three stars
This book comes out December 6, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Level Best Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Death Checked Out was such a fun and lighthearted read! If you haven’t read a cozy mystery before, this would be a great start. I loved Larkspur, the budding romance thrown in, and all 3 librarians with their friendship. It was fast paced and kept me enthralled until the end. I also really loved how real Greta felt. After getting attacked, instead of saying ‘I must be getting close to the killer, better keep going no matter what’ like a lot of main characters in other books do, she takes a step back. Thinking she could have been killed, she has such a normal reaction to let the police handle it. It was surprising in a good way because it felt like a reaction most people would have. That shouldn’t give away any spoilers, but I felt it was an important part to mention!

I’m not a big one on series, but I would definitely read another book with the Larkspur Librarians! I give this one 4/5 ⭐️s!

* Thank you to Net Galley and to Leah Dobrinska for this ARC! *
(Also Leah Dobrinska retweeted me about this book and I think I about DIED.)

I already normally love cozies, and this one was great! I thought the characters were really well rounded and thought-out, and the storyline flowed really nicely. The true tell for me is always whether or not I can figure out the killer before the end of the book, and I didn't! I was getting close before the reveal, but definitely didn't have it figured out. Greta and her crew are eclectic and easy to imagine. I'm already looking forward to the next book.

I made two highlights, but I don't have my kindle with me, so I'll have to come back and add them later.

"Greta hated being left in the dark. It went against the nature of her job - librarians knew things, and what they didn't know, they knew how to find out."
- As a librarian, I feel this on a cellular level. It definitely made me appreciate Greta's character.

"She kept her voice firm but cordial - just like they taught her in library school - and stared at the intercom, waiting to see what Richard would say."
- All of the de-escalation techniques I learned I did not learn in library school. I could get on a soapbox here about how my MLIS was purely theoretical knowledge, and anything dealing with actual patrons comes from on the job experience, but I won't. Just know that this particular phrase struck me funny.

Greta Plank, library director in the small, lakeside town of Larkspur, Wisconsin, prefers her rose-tinted glasses extra rosy, thank you very much. It’s how she copes with the hard stuff in life…like her sister’s death and her ex-boyfriend’s deception. But Greta’s cheery resolve takes a hit when she stumbles upon a dead body on her way home from work. What she assumes is a terrible accident Greta soon learns is something more sinister, and to make matters worse, a new-to-town detective cites her as not only his primary source for the case, but his top suspect.
To clear her name and save her reputation, Greta decides to do some off-the-books clue cataloging of her own. After all, asking questions is what she does best. With the help of her fellow librarians and her lawyer mom, Greta flips through the pages of the murder, uncovering details about Larkspur’s real estate market and the deceased’s rare book collection as she tries to understand why anyone would have authored his death.
With friends and neighbors stacking up as both victims and suspects, Greta must cross reference the facts and put a hold on her idyllic worldview if she wants to get the full story without paying the fine of her life.
The villain in this story was unexpected.
This is an excellent book! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.