I kept picking this up and trying to read it but abandoning it for someone else. This is not my typical read and didn’t work for me

I have never read a book that was a “cozy” mystery. So I guess when I won this, I didn’t make it a priority to read and that’s a shame because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am so excited to have won the second book in this series and get started to see what these women can wrap themselves up into …. Librarians make good detectives.
One of my favorite shows is Murder She wrote, while reading this book and how it unfolds is like reading an episode of Murder She Wrote.

“Death Checked Out” by Leah Dobrinska (@whatleahwrote)🍁♥️

4 super cozy stars ⭐️

This audiobook was the coziest, cutest little murder mystery! It gave all the small-town-vibes, pumpkin-patch-cute characters, but still a murder mystery, which is one of my favourite genres! 🎃👻

Greta works as a librarian in the tiny town of Larkspur. She’s friends with an older man, Franklin, a bookcollector Greta likes to bring books from the library 📚

As she’s on her way home from the library one day, she stumbles upon a dead body. But then a very (!!) grumpy detective decides to consider her a suspect! 🕵️‍♂️

Greta decides to prove her innocence and starts her own investigation! She must get the full story to figure out who’s behind the murder 🔍

Honestly, the cutest little cozy murder mystery, perfect for autumn and honestly just October in a book. Also, beautifully narrated by @elizanarrates 🫶🏼 And, let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than a book about books 🥹

*Thank you NetGalley (@netgalley) and the publisher (@levelbestbooks) 🤍

I finally made it around to read Leah Dobrinska's book, Death Checked out. I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed this title! I also was excited when I saw the author's next book popup on NetGalley which totally prompted me to read this so I can read that one now!!

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for a copy of Death Checked Out!

“I don't always love the content of the books I read. Or the writer's style. But I can always learn something from them. I maintain there is at least one decent line, one takeaway, if you will, in every book. That's why I like them all. There's something good somewhere in every book.”

Death Checked Out is a cozy mystery set in a small town where people live in lakefront cottages--but for some reason, I still imagined it as Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls lol). Our MCs are librarians which TBH great choice for murder mysteries!! My uni librarians helped me find the best research material back in grad school and I honestly believe they can find the information you need lol. This is fast-paced and easy, and it kept me on the hook trying to figure out who was the murderer!

Pick up Death Checked Out if you're looking for:
- cozy mystery
- library setting
- books, books, books
- friends sleuthing around
- a splash of romance (just a splash!)

Death Checked out is a cozy mystery , which I often enjoy, that lacks the cozy atmosphere. This was not an easy or enjoyable read . The plot was easily figured out early in the book, the characters were not well thought out along with the overuse of library terms. I would suggest this book to those who want a quick read or perhaps to get out of a reading slump , then pick this book up. Thanks to #Netgalley for the advanced e-book copy.

Everything seems to going okay for Greta Plank, she's just moved to a small town as a librarian, she lives in a nice little house on the river, and she's even made friends with the town's grumpy old man. What could go wrong? oh, she's the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

'Death Checked Out' was such a fun little cozy and very good start to a mystery series. Greta was pretty likable, and I always love a protagonist who knows her books. Of course, I don't advocate for putting yourself in the middle of a murder investigation, but because the detective, Mark McHenry, has pinned Greta as a suspect, she must investigate to clear her name.

Detective McHenry and Greta had some chemistry going on, I honestly thought I wasn't going to like him but I ended up liking him a lot. The only drawback was that I actually guessed the murderer as soon as they were introduced, I don't know if I was just that good or if it was obvious.

Overall, a good start to a cozy series.

I absolutely adored the cover on this book. And I loved the concept of a small town librarian.

Greta Plank is the library director of a small town in Wisconsin. Her boundless optimism and faith in humanity is tested when her neighbor is killed, and the new police detective in town is looking at her as the main suspect.

I was really charmed by the setting. There was a lot of love for small town America in here, and the side characters were all distinct and intriguing. I really enjoyed Greta's relationship with her two coworkers and friends. Greta really shines in her interactions with her community and what she hopes to do for them. I'm glad the romance wasn't really the forefront, which would really give the relationship time to build for me.

The mystery kept me guessing, which I really appreciated. Although, i do feel that there could have been more clues dropped for teh final reveal. There was a particular reveal that almost felt like it was thought of 3/4 of the way through, and written from there.

I'd love to follow the adventures of Greta and her small town shenanigans in any follow up stories, especially if we get to see more of her relationships around the town.

My thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-copy in exchange for review. I thoroughly enjoyed this small-town mystery although did feel our heroine stuck her nose where it didn’t belong far too often. I’d be interested in reading more in this series in future.

I absolutely loved this novel.
Such a great story with defined characters and a great plot.
What drew me in the most was how fleshed out the characters were
The writing style was fluid and relateable.
The cover was fascinating as well.
A reviting read overall
Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!

Such a cozy mystery. It gave me Elle alexander vibes. She’s one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I loved the audio of this novel. I felt like I was in the library with Greta in Larkspur.

I do love a cozy mystery and it made it even cozier because the MC worked at a library. I think the characters and setting were the perfect start to a cozy mystery series. Plus, the mystery part was fun! I'll be excited for the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Can you tell I'm ready for fall already? I've been on a cozy read kick, and Death Checked Out fits right into that category! It's a wonderful mix of books, slow (SLOW) burn romance (like nothing happens in this particular book), and whodunnit.

I really loved how this was a cozy mystery rather than one that just freaked me out. While I do love those kinds of thrillers, we're going to be spending the weekend in a wooded area and I'd rather not have to think about what's lurking in the dark.

I enjoyed Greta's character and the support system she's created in Larkspur. So many people are there to rally around her when she's grieving. And I loved how they all stuck up for her when Detective McHenry decided she was his prime suspect.

This was my first book by Leah Dobrinska, but it won't be my last. I'm already excited for the next book in this series. Although I don't think there's a date set yet. And while this book isn't on KindleUnlimited, I think all of her other books are, so I'll be checking those out as soon as I can!

Thanks to @whatleahwrote, @levelbestbooks, & @netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded amazing but when I got in to it the characters just didn’t delve lol and I lost interest

I really thought I would love this book, but it really didn’t do it for me. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters as they all felt very one dimensional and…unfortunately rather dull. I would have loved to have gotten to know the characters in order to root for them. There were a lot of characters and they all merged a little as every character felt one dimensional - toxically positive, grumpy, loved up etc. Who asks someone on a date at a funeral? You just met and exchanged maybe two sentences? I didn’t buy McHenry as a detective. Just bring the suspect into the house for a wee nosey, sure! Then let her parents come too. Ah it’s fine, just wear gloves This book quickly became infuriating and I wish I’d DNF’d but I did want to know who the murderer was…I called it quite early on and wanted to know if I was right. I was.

I don't read a lot of cozy mysteries however, so another reader might enjoy it very much so. Just not my cup of tea.

Cozy mysteries are a love of mine, and Death Checked Out was a fun addition to my growing pile of them! Greta is a realistic and plucky lead without coming on too strong, the twists were clever and the subtle undertones of a potential romance down the line were woven in quite seamlessly. Some of the dialogue did seem a little bit on the nose, but it was a solid start to a series and I’d be very interested to read more about Larkspur and its goings on.

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗


Really enjoyed the book!!!

When library director Greta stumbles on a dead body, she decides to do some “off the books” sleuthing to clear her name.

Of course, I had to request this cozy mystery set in a library when I saw it on NetGalley. I enjoyed this one, and I can’t wait to read more about Greta and her friends!

Greta Plank works in the local library and lives a perfectly simple life, but her cheery outlook takes a hit when she discovers a local dead. To top it off the new detective in town seems to think she’s the top suspect. Greta needs to clear her name and so takes on the role of detective herself, uncovering some hidden secrets along the way, will she be able to prove she’s innocent.

This a good little cosy mystery following Greta, I love when a main character takes on the role of detective and is racing to uncover clues before they get caught. Greta was a sweet character I just didn’t feel as pulled into the story as I hoped, I wanted to feel captured by the mystery. The ending was good and I liked how it was all wrapped up after the clues and red herrings along the way.

Thank you Level Best Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Death Checked Out! All opinions in this review are my own.

I was immediately drawn into this cozy mystery because of the murder victim. You are introduced to Greta's reserved but sweet neighbor Franklin, and then she finds him in his backyard a few chapters later! Having already been introduced to Franklin, made me more invested in solving the mystery. I felt like there was a good balance between real clues and red herrings so that the solution fit the story well.

Death Checked Out is the first in the Larkspur Library series and I look forward to the sequel!