Member Reviews

The third book in the Lakeside Library series and I have read all of them.

Rain, in her position as Librarian at the Lakeside Library, decides to set up a book club at the library. The first meeting goes reasonably well with a few minor confrontations between the attendees, but, later the same night, one of the people present is murdered. There are clues that indicate one of the other book club members must be responsible, so Rain and her best friend Julia begin their own investigation.

The mystery is well done and there are many red herrings as each of the club members' past histories have to be examined individually. Julia's brother Jace is also the policeman dealing with the case and he and Rain actually manage to move their romance a little further forward.

I am enjoying this series - nice, friendly characters, a library setting and now a new dog called Benzo. He is pictured on the cover. I look forward to book 4.

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Book 2 in the Lakeside Library Mystery series, Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers, publishes Tuesday August 8th, and I’m thankful for the eARC from @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks.

For cozy mystery fans who especially enjoy bookish settings, this latest entry into the series did not disappoint. The setting of summer in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin was lovely and felt a bit like armchair travel. As I read I could pretend the breeze from my ceiling fan was actually a breeze from the lake.

This summer Rain decides to bring back her mother’s summer book club. The club gathers on the deck one evening to discuss an Agatha Christie title and the discussion is animated and even at times a little heated. Rain is excited for upcoming meetings until she discovers one of the book club members murdered. It sure looks like one of the book club members could be the murderer and could other club members be in danger? Rain and her best friend and next-door neighbor, Julia, decide to help the handsome local policeman (Jase) and get into all sorts of crazy situations.

This was fun. I do love Rain and Julia’s friendship and the developing romance between Rain and Jase. And Rain adopts a beautiful rescue dog and I am here for dogs in cozy mysteries 100%. So sweet. This was a solid entry into the series and a perfect read for the dog days of summer.

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Holly Danvers has taken a clue from an Agatha Christie book and based her newest book by starting a book club and the events that follow are like the Christie book. Add in a touch of romance, two dogs among the dog days of August and you have a winner. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC; the review is my honest opinion.

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of Read to Death at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Mystery #3) by Holly Danvers from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

… a fun cozy mystery featuring a fast-paced plot, some humor, a few fur babies and just a touch of romance that does not overshadow the plot…

It is a sweltering summer in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin and in keeping with family tradition Rain is bringing back her family’s summer book club. During the first book club get together the wine was flowing but so were tempers between a few members over that week’s read, Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide. When Rain and Julia visit one of the book club members, they stumble over the body of Lily Redlin who appears to have been murdered in a similar fashion to the victim in Sparkling Cyanide the similarities make Rain and Julia wonder if in fact it someone from the book club was responsible. When a mysterious note is found at the library it appears that their worst fears are coming true, and Rain feels compelled to make things right.

When Rain and Julia start to dig, they find there is more to the story than they could ever imagine. Could the death of Lily’s old classmate and the cover up be motive for murder or Lily becoming the beneficiary of a large inheritance from a long-lost family member or did Lily really know the location of priceless Laura Ingles Wilder manuscripts? Rain And who stands to gain the recently inherited piece of waterfront property that Lily received from a long-lost relative? With Jace, the officer in charge of the case focused on one of the club members, Rain and Julia disagree and it is up to them to do a little investigation of their own, hopefully they will not meet the same fate Lily did.

Overall, it was a fun cozy mystery featuring a fast-paced plot, some humor, a few fur babies and just a touch of romance that does not overshadow the plot. Having read the entire series thus far, I enjoy the way this series is developing. It has a quirky cast of characters and I really enjoy the protagonist Rain, and although in previous books I was not particularly fond of Julia, I am pleased to say I have finally warmed up to her and she has redeemed herself in this book. If you are looking for a quick fun cozy read with a focus on friendship this is a perfect read for you. I highly recommend it!

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Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is a cute little cozy mystery. It has all of the elements that make a successful cozy mystery. The mystery was interesting, the confrontation with the killer was Murder She Wrote level danger. I loved our two best friends and amateur sleuthers, Rain and Julia. Plus the rest of the supporting characters. The setting is perfect for a cozy mystery, a library on the lake! I also love the relationship that is starting to develop for Rain.

Read To Death is the third in the Lakeside Library Mystery series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone. Rain owns the local library in Lofty Pines, a town in Northern Wisconsin. She also lives in a house on the property. Her friend Julia helps her to run the library.

After a fiery bookclub, where they are discussing Agatha Christie's Sparkling Cyanide, Rain and Julia find one of their book club members dead, poisoned. Rain and Julia need to help figure out who her killer is to ensure the other bookclub members aren't under suspicion for her death.

If you are a cozy mystery fan, you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. I received an advance copy of this book for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

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Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is the third book in the Lakeside Library Mystery series.

The story takes place in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. Rain Wilmot runs the library that her grandfather started. Her friend and neighbor, Julia Reynolds lives next door with her husband, Nick, but she also helps out at the library. They have been friends since they were young.

Rain decides to start a book club that would meet every other week in the evening. They are about to have their first meeting discussing Agatha Christie's mystery "Sparkling Cyanide." The turnout is a success and the next book to be discussed is to be a romance.

The next morning one of the participants is found murdered. Rain and Julia budding sleuths decide to solve the mystery themselves, which is interesting since Julia's brother is a police officer. They find many clues that do not solve anything and only gets them to be more involved than they should. As a result, they find themselves in danger.

This is a fun cozy mystery with lots of characters and a few suspects to choose from. Rain and Julia are the main characters, and their friendship is endearing. The book also includes a couple of recipes which are talked about in the book. I like the fact the author took the time to include them because I was curious about how to make them and it saved me from having to search for them.

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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Holly Danvers for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Read to Death at the Lakeside Library coming out August 8, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Summer is just getting started as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this feels like the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. The first meeting goes off without a bang. But tragedy strikes when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home.

Alongside her bestie and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain deduces that the murder was inspired by the book Sparkling Cyanide, recently discussed by the book club. They decide Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel is the starting point of their investigation. Who would kill Lily?

The deeper Rain delves into the story, the more confusing the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident that occurred years ago? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess an original Laura Ingalls Wilder manuscript and someone killed her for it?

Rain and her friends take advice from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to suss out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be overdue?

I love this series! I listened to the first two books, so I wanted to read this one. I always love cozy mysteries set around libraries and quaint towns. Rain definitely seems to have the perfect set up and is living the dream! I love she has a bestie and is being romanced by Jace who by the way has a lovely name. I also love the tie-in with famous mysteries and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys cozy murder mysteries!

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I always enjoy cozy mysteries set in the Midwest. This one is set in Wisconsin. As I grew up in Minnesota, we have visited Wisconsin several times for vacation. This book definitely has the summer vibe on the lake down pat. This is the third book in the Lakeside Library series featuring Rain Wilmot. Thank you to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for my free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt like there were too many mysteries in it. The murder happens after a book club meeting where they have discussed an Agatha Christie book. The murder that happens soon after appears to have been inspired by the book that they were discussing. However, they then find what appears to be a long lost manuscript by an American author hidden away, which might be the motive. Also the victim may have been part of a coverup of an old incident that happened on the lake.

Ultimately, I gave this book 4 stars. I am recommending it to anyone who wants a good book set in summer with a bit of mystery and a bit of romance too.

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Delightful to be back at the Lakeside Library. A couple of mysteries are involved. Interesting room discoveries. An exciting or perilous moment or two. A smidgeon of romance. Nice variety of characters, including a couple of dogs. All in all a pleasant cozy mystery. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

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It’s summer at the lake and Rain and Julia have started a book club at the library. The first meeting has a diverse group of women. There are good moments and some tense times. When Rain and Julia go to follow up with one of the attendees, they find her dead.
Rain and Julia get into some trouble as they investigate. They have so many interesting ideas and such fun together that the reader is drawn along for the ride.
The mystery was set up well and came to a blazing climax.
The interpersonal relationships are a strength in the series. It’s great how Nick and Jace support Julia and Rain.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this book.

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4/5 stars: It's great to be back with Rain and the folks of Lofty Pines, Wisconsin in Danvers' third entry of the Lakeside Library Mystery series. Danvers' not only writes incredibly likable characters but the mystery blends just the right balance of suspects, clues and red herrings that will have you guessing until the last page. Plus there's a great new addition, Benzo the Siberian husky. FYI Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide plays an important part in the plot so you may want to hold off reading this book until you've finished the classic. Oh and there are some very tasty recipes included too. Sensitive topics are discussed, so take care and check the CWs. To get caught up on this great series, be sure to pick up Murder at the Lakeside Library, book one.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

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Things don't go as Rain had planned and hoped when she revived the Book Club at the Lakeside Library. Lily, one of the members, was not nice at the meeting but...poison? Turns out that just like the Agatha Christie novel, she's been given poison so of course Rain and her BFF Julia must find out who the villain is and fast! Fans of this genre know there will be a number of people who disliked Lily. The mystery here isn't too difficult so focus on the characters. Julia's brother Jace is Rain's love interest and all three of them have good chemistry. And now there's Benzo the dog who Rain adopts. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's the third in a series but should be fine as a standalone.

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Julia, Rain and Marge all take care of the Lakeside Library and they have built a massive deck behind the library so that they can hold book club.

Unbeknown to them, someone decided to take the book they were reading and turn it in to their own murder mystery.

I loved the characters in the book and Rain and Julia always seemed to be getting themselves in trouble. Jace is a Police Officer and Julia's brother. They enjoy helping him solve the mysteries.

A good book that I think you will enjoy as much as I did.

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I love the lake setting and I like how the characters are working through personal issues. The pacing of the mystery, the clues, and the reveal felt off. Rain and Julia were investigating and didn’t seem to be getting anywhere until a bunch of stuff came together in the end. They didn’t seem to reflect on the information that they found and purposely left Jace out of it. So I didn’t really like her investigation style. The solution was well explained and laid out clearly. Overall the mystery just wasn’t what I was hoping for, but the interactions outside of that were great.

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Rain, Julia and Marge have decided to start a book club for the residents of Lofty Pines, and have chosen an Agatha Christie book for their first meeting. When one of their members is found dead soon after the meeting, and the murder seems to have been inspired by their book, Rain and the rest start their own investigation, hoping to uncover a murderer before someone else turns up dead.

This is the third book in the Lakeside Library series, and I liked it as much as the first two books. I love the setting of a small town on a Wisconsin lake, and the descriptions make me feel like I’m there with the characters. I like the recurring characters, although Julia seems a little pushy at times and Marge plays the “poor me, I’m old” card a bit too often.

The murder victim in this story was new to the area, so there weren’t many suspects to consider at first. As they learned more about her, they discovered several avenues that could lead to possible suspects, which added more names to my list. I was suspicious of one character, and that increased as the book progressed, so I wasn’t surprised when the killer’s identity was revealed, but I wasn’t quite right about the motive.

The last part of this book read almost like the end of the series, but I hope that’s not the case. If there are more books, I will certainly read them.

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This is book 3 in the series and can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to the publisher, the author and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I enjoy this series for all the perfect cozy mystery elements the author incorporates into each book. The protagnist is smart and savvy. The sleuthing is well crafted and pets are included for fun. I like the supporting charcters that return in each book. Each book has a exciting sleuth that captures the reader from beginning to conclusion. As a avid cozy reader I highly recommend this series for your reading enjoyment. Well done to the author.

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Rain Wilmot starts her summer book club at her Lakeside Library. One of the members dies after the first meeting so Rain uses the book they read for clues for clues to solve the murder. Was it something from their past or a possible fraud crime.

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The first day of book club brings discussion on a Christie book that has a murder by eyedrops in it. The next day, Lily, a book club participant is found dead.

Julia, Rain, & Jace look into the death. Jace & Rain grow closer, the mystery is resolved, and Rain adopts a rescue Husky named Benzo.

Enjoyed the story, the continuing characters, and the twists. Looking forward to book four.
I was given an advanced copy and am NOT required to leave a positive review.

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Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is a sweet cozy mystery. A perfect escapist read for the cold wintery weather we're having here at the moment.

Enough of a mystery to keep my guessing and sweet romance but which doesn't overtake the style of the novel.

An enjoyable read.

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This was a great series. It had a nice interesting background and was filled with lots of twists and turns that kept the reader engaged. Love stories with pets involved. It had fun and relatable characters as well. I would highly recommend this to those that love cozy mysteries w pets

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