I liked the premise of the story but struggled to stay engaged because of the large amount of inner dialogue about mundane details (eg how to rearrange the space for the wedding and other many details like checklist items) and too many details about each space they are in. This level of detail would be great for a play, movie or tv show to set up scenes, but for a reader it’s a lot of detail to get bogged down in. I also struggled to see the spark/chemistry between the couple.

Some things done well are setting up the mystery, the suspects and the unraveling of the mystery part of the story.

Booked on Murder is the 8th and final installment of the Haunted Library cozy series. This was a great wrap up to the series. I will miss these characters. It is a great series overall.

In this one, Carrie Singleton is preparing for her wedding to Dylan Avery. They also need to find a new place to live because it is time to move on. She couldn’t possibly have time to solve an old crime before the big day, could she? We have scenes in the library involving the finding of an old diary by a woman who was executed for being a witch. We have ghosts, lots of wedding preparations, and missing money from a bank robbery plus a dead body or two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Do not start with this book, read at least two or three in this series before this one. Please check this series out if you haven’t already. I gave this novel 4 plus stars.

Booked on Murder is the eighth, and final, cozy mystery in The Haunted Library Mysteries series. Carrie is getting ready for her wedding that is to take place in a few weeks and the last thing she needs is another murder case on her plate, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. When Carrie and Dylan discover a dead body while taking a look at their wedding venue, Carrie is pulled into another sleuthing adventure. Unable to put her curiosity to rest, Carrie jumps into the mystery and does her best to unravel it in time for her wedding. Will Carrie be able to search out the killer before it’s too late? Will she uncover their identity in time for her wedding or will the murderer get the best of her?

I have loved this series since I picked the first book up years ago and always look forward to another installation. When I picked up this book I didn’t know it was likely the last one in the series and I’m glad I didn’t because then I wasn’t sad until I found out at the end. I really enjoyed this mystery and was left guessing at who the killer was and how everything was tied together. Carrie is a great lead in these mysteries and I love seeing how much she has evolved over the books. This series will always hold a special place in my heart and I am so glad I read it. I love how everything is tied together at this book in a great conclusion to Carrie’s life as we knew it. I really wish there was more to come with this series, but I’m also content with how everything ended. If you are looking for a great cozy mystery series set in a library with a ghost or two along the way this series is for you! I will miss coming back to see Carrie every year when a new book comes out, I would always look forward to it.

I absolutely love this series, and this book was exactly what we've been hoping for. It has it all: a charming small town, a library, wonderful characters, a cat, and murder. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to this one on audiobook instead of ebook 🤪 I really enjoyed the narrator she kept me engaged the whole story!
I liked all of the characters! This book was a lot more dark than your usual cozy mystery 😬 There was a lottttt of murder and not coziness 🤪 I loved it! So many twists and turns! This was more of a thriller than a cozy mystery! It started with such an innocent library and then went so dark! I loved it!
I can’t wait to read all of the rest in the series!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Carrie Singleton and Dylan Avery have found the perfect place to hold their wedding and can't wait to say "I do". But when they visit the venue to go over some details they find a dead body by the gazebo next to a large hole and a shovel. Billy Carpenter had just been released from prison where he was incarcerated for robbing a bank. It is believed he had buried the money from the heist there and that whoever killed him is now in possession of the cash. His accomplices in the robbery, Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez are the prime suspects. Then Luke is killed and Tino is missing.

Time is coming down to the wire, so Carrie starts diligently looking for clues. She is ready to walk down the aisle and she doesn't want the murders casting a pall on the ceremony. Will she be able to unite the killer with a jail cell? Or will it be her wedding plans getting killed?

____

Sadly, Booked On Murder is the final installment of the Haunted Library Mysteries. Carrie Singleton has grown so much since we met her in Death Overdue. Evelyn is such a friendly ghost with a wardrobe to die for. She is great at pushing Carrie to do what she wants and a font of information. It was unique that both Carrie and her niece were the only ones who could see her. Other ghosts came to visit and Dylan was able to see and hear them too. Two special ones are introduced in this story. I have enjoyed meeting all the core characters in this series. I appreciated that they all continued to develop and form close bonds.

Not only did the characters grow, so did the library. Carrie excelled at her job. With all the programs she arranged the library became an even bigger asset to the community. It was fun to read about the children's programs and the wide variety of programs for adults. The expansion added more room to showcase art and historical pieces and documents. The new auditorium opens all kinds of possibilities from lectures to plays and more.

The mystery was complex and fed by greed. Money from a bank robbery and a diary from a woman who was hanged for being a witch in 1652 had people scrambling. I found the diary to be quite captivating, others saw it for the dollars it could bring. Were the diary and robbery connected? or were there separate suspects for each? I was entertained following along as Carrie uncovered clues and worked to make them fit together. Carrie and Dylan tried to not only catch the killer but tried to help someone tangentially involved. That doesn't go exactly as planned. There were some terrifying moments when things came to a head.  I loved it! My heart was racing just a bit.

My very favorite part of this book though was the wedding. After everything Dylan and Carrie had been through, Dylan took the lead and got everything under control and in place for their wedding to happen. Thank you, Ms. Brook, for sharing the whole thing with us. I hate when authors skim over events that have been building for several books and leave readers feeling short-changed. She did an extraordinary job of letting her readers in and in the end, we knew these wonderful characters were in a good place. Although, I think a spinoff could be a possibility. For now, we can use our imaginations about what happens next for Carrie, Dylan, Smokie Joe, and all the people of Clover Ridge.

Booked on Murder was another Perfect Escape. Phenomenal characters, a strong mystery, and a beautiful wedding bring the marvelous mystery series to a close.

The entire Haunted Library Mystery Series is fun and entertaining. Each can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment start at the beginning and escape into every one.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Carrie and Dylan have one of the most memorable wedding days in cozy mysteries!

Whenever I’ve read a new mystery in this series, I thought it was the best one – and I am saying it, honestly, once again. This is the best cozy mystery in the Haunted Library Mysteries series! I have enjoyed following Carrie, her cat, Smoky Joe, and Dylan, her fiancé. Carrie and Dylan are days from getting married, and life has never been better.

Character development throughout the series has been remarkable! Characters change the same as we do, sometimes within the course of one novel. Carrie could probably win the award for the character who has changed the most in this series. Carrie was hired as a part-time clerk at the library. She had no place else to go when she came to stay with Harriet and Bosco, her great aunt and uncle, and was ready to move on when the library offered her a position commensurate with her education, to be the head of programs and events. The goth girl had a huge decision to make. Should she accept the position and, if so, would she upgrade to a professional appearance?

Clover Ridge, Connecticut has not been the same since. She met Evelyn, the ghost of a former library staff member who had been murdered. Carrie is one of the only people who could see and hear Evelyn, one of her greatest encouragers. Carrie began to help solve murders associated with the library or her loved ones. Like Harriet and Bosco, she became very active and respected in the community.

Carrie found a diary tucked away in the historical room that had been written by a young widow convicted of and hung for witchcraft in the late 1600s. When Carrie wrote an article for the newspaper, she was very vocal that Verity Babcock should be pardoned, and many agreed, including Winnie, a woman considered a leader in the community. She was invited to join the Wise Women’s Circle, a secret group that benefits individuals or causes in need.

Carrie and Dylan went to the elegant home of Victor, a dear friend who offered the use of his home for their wedding and reception. Victor was not in but had given them a key. They needed to verify measurements both inside and out. Near the gazebo, they saw the body of a young man, next to a shovel and the hole he had presumably been digging. He had been murdered.

Billy had been released from prison that week. He had served time for a bank robbery a few years ago. The money was never found, and he never revealed who else was involved in the heist. Billy was the nephew of the couple Victor had bought the home from and had stayed with them on and off after his parents divorced.

Carrie did not want to get involved with solving this murder. Then, Luke, one of Billy’s close friends suspected of being involved with the robbery, was killed. Someone contacted Carrie, afraid to go to the police, yet wanting to tell her who killed Luke.

Verity’s diary was at the forefront of several people’s minds when they began to write letters to the editor. Most wanted the people who had been hung as witches exonerated, one person very vocally didn’t. Winnie, the current leader of the Wise Women and only known descendent of Verity Babcock, wanted Verity’s diary for herself and was beyond furious when it was stolen.

There were red herrings and unusual twists throughout this intense mystery, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I became too caught up in it to even try to figure who the killers and thieves were. It was a stunning revelation to me when each solution was revealed! This is the final novel in the series, but don’t let that stop you from reading it! I am going to miss Carrie and the people of Clover Ridge very much! Each of the mysteries in this fabulous series can be read as a standalone, but whether you read them in order or not, I highly, highly recommend this cozy mystery and series!

I’ve been following the Haunted Library Mysteries from the beginning, and I’ve looked forward to each new book. So I’m naturally sad to say goodbye to Carrie and Dylan and Smoky Joe and Evelyn and all the supporting characters who make this series such a delight to read … but a wedding IS the perfect send-off, and the author leaves us with no doubt that Carrie and Dylan have a lovely future ahead of them. Even if we won’t get to see it for ourselves (wail!)

Carrie has a lot on her plate in Booked on Murder – an article to write for the local newspaper, an historically-significant diary to protect, a new group to consider joining, a house to hunt for, an increasing number of murders to solve…. and of course her wedding in a few days. Assuming she makes it there in one piece. Or at all. Yet even with all the different plot threads to juggle, the author keeps the pace steady and the storytelling cohesive. I remained intrigued by each new layer that’s revealed and enjoyed following along as Carrie (often with Dylan’s help) works her sleuthing magic. As usual, I especially loved it when Evelyn (the resident library ghost) makes an appearance – and honestly I think I’m going to miss her most of all.

Bottom Line: Booked on Murder by Allison Brook is a lovely farewell to a lovely series, but even if you’re just jumping on with this last book you’ll find much to enjoy, from the intriguing mysteries to the winsome characters. Carrie remains an engaging protagonist that you can’t help but root for, and the addition of a few friendly ghosts along the way gives the book a magical feel that makes it all the cozier. As the bodies pile up along with the plot layers, readers will love tagging along with the bride-to-be/amateur-sleuth as she tracks down the suspects, the motives, and even some treasures too. A delightful way to spend a weekend!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Nice ending for the series with two murders solved and Carrie and Dylan’s wedding. I liked the story about the diary of accused witch Verity Babcock but couldn’t make the connection to #metoo. It’s fitting that the wedding portion was dragged out as it’s been nonstop discussed for the last few books (if it wasn’t Carrie’s, it was Angela’s). Otherwise, I felt that the series was wrapped-up nicely.

I’m sorry to see this series end. But it goes out with good story and characters. Want to check out what else author has written. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Bookedonmurder for advanced digital copy.

Carrie Singleton and Dylan Avery are getting married in two weeks! Everything will be perfect. Every detail is perfect. Their friend is offering his estate for their wedding venue. He's out of town, but he lent them a key so they could come by whenever they needed to while he's gone. When Carrie and Dylan go to the estate to take last minute measurements, they discover a dead body and a freshly dug hole near the gazebo.

The body is Billy Carpenter who was just released from prison after serving time for a bank robbery. The money was never found and the estate belonged to his family at the time of the robbery. The police suspect Billy’s two alleged co-conspirators, his friends Luke Rizzo and Tino Valdez. They search for Luke and Tino but when they find Luke, he has been murdered, too. The search continues for Tino.

This story continues with the search for Billy's killer and some related situations that need to be resolved before the wedding day.

This is the eighth installment in the Haunted Library Mystery series. I absolutely love this series! I was so sad to read in the acknowledgments that this will be the last book in the series. I hope Allison Brook changes her mind. If not, I'm sure I'll read anything she writes.

#BookedOnMurder

Carrie and Dylan are on a countdown to their wedding day and finishing up all the bits and pieces and last minute details before the big day. In the middle of one of those last minute details - figuring out the arrangement of chairs for the ceremony - they stumble across a dead body. The dead body of a man who has connections to the previous owners of the house where the wedding will take place. Carrie and Dylan are pulled into an investigation involving a bank robbery from several years ago and the missing money.

As well as the investigation for the murder, Carrie becomes involved in the research of a historical diary found at the library and a movement to exonerate those who were convicted of witchcraft several hundred years ago. This brings her into contact with a number of women in the community motivated to work for the good of other women. I loved this expansion of the community that fills out this series. I love seeing the day to day library business and it was so fun to see Carrie and Dylan planning for the future together.

I have enjoyed every book in this series and this was no different. I love the mysteries, the library setting, and the community that surrounds the characters - and the ghost and the library cat and an extra bit of special. I am sad that the series is coming to an end as I hate to say goodbye to these characters but I am looking forward to seeing what is next from this author.

First I'd like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing to review this ARC with honesty.

Alright, so I've been along for the ride and read all seven books prior to this one. I did not know that this book would the final book of the series until after I read it and found it in the acknowledgements. Wow - okay so I found that a bit surprising because I feel there were some tidbits not answered and some things left unresolved. That being said, it did make sense with the ending being a little drawn out now. I'm sad to say, I was a little upset it was the last book. There isn't much on Evelyn - I feel like we were left in the wind about "where she disappears to" (unless I'm forgetting or mistaken about it being addressed in a previous book) and a little sour I admit that it felt the whole point went untouched.

That being said - I didn't dislike the book as a whole. I did enjoy reading about the gang. Some of what others have said, I felt it was weird that Carrie wanted to move away from the cottage but if there were more books after, that would have made a lot of sense. Who knows - it's possible the author had to abruptly wrap this up quicker than she meant. I still like the characters. The whole debacle about the diary still has me a bit left confused. Why was it stolen when they had no appraisal? Why have the Verity storyline and then revert to the bank job and stolen money instead? It's almost like there were two stories here and one took over the other. Again, I still had fun reading it and am sad to see the series end.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Carrie Singleton is finally getting ready to marry her love, Dylan Avery. Everything seems almost ready, save for the rehearsal and a few errands such as picking up her wedding dress. But she's still focused on work...

It seems she located an old donated diary from the Seventeenth Century. It was written by one Verity Babcock, who was later branded a witch and sentenced to death. But was she really? Reading the diary, Carrie doesn't think so, and neither does her boss at the library, Sally. So Sally tells her that the newspaper wants her to write an article about it -- and it does nothing but stir up trouble. Two people are having a war of 'letters' with one wanting her exonerated and the other branding Verity a murderer. Who is right? It doesn't matter, as the diary has now become the focus of people in the town, and especially Winnie Thompson, who claims Verity was her ancestor and she should have it.

Unfortunately, the library disagrees and things get worse from there. How worse could they get? When Dylan and Carrie go to check their marriage venue, which is their good friend Victor's home, they find a dead body on the lawn, and now there are more problems than Carrie can deal with.

Missing money from a bank heist. Another body. A missing man. Last minute wedding plans -- and Carrie is caught up in it all. Just when she thinks it might be sorted out, it gets even worse -- and now Carrie might not be able to get married after all...

I have read every book in the series, and I have grown fond of the characters. I don't think I will be giving anything away to let people know that this is the last book in the series. When I finished, it was as if I had lived there and was suddenly moving away. The loss of friends, of family. The sadness one feels knowing you can't go back. I definitely felt a loss at the end, even though the author managed to give us a wonderful ending.

I hate to see series end, but I understand the author wants to move on. What makes me doubly sad is this is the second series that has ended for me in two months. (I won't name the other). I have enjoyed following Carrie as she grows and changes. Watching her as she moves forward with her life. It's a series I will remember.

And do remember this: this last book is wonderful. The writing is crisp and colorful, and allows us to go on 'one last caper' with Carrie before she ties the knot. It's filled with secrets, lies, and the many machinations of people, and Carrie is in the midst of it all. But it is, albeit, worth reading, and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Booked on Murder is the eighth book in the Haunted Library Mysteries. This series has been consistently good and, while the mystery was interesting, I was sad to find out that Booked on Murder is the last one. Carrie and Dylan were great characters, always driving the story forward. Booked on Murder is a great finale for a wonderful series. Thank you Ms. Brook for this pleasant and enjoyable cozy mystery series. You helped me forget my problems while I was reading.

As the final book in this series it sure packed alot with its punch. I loved the drama surrounding the library and it's historical find and all the changes happening for Carrie in her personal life.

The overall mystery was interesting with many red herrings that had me questioning what I thought until the end.

I am very happy that so much time was spent at Carrie's wedding. It was very satisfying to see the characters wed after reading about them falling in love.

Booked on Murder by Allison Brook is the eighth and final A Haunted Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone (the author provides the necessary details for new readers), but I recommend reading the series from the beginning (it will allow you to get to know the characters and their storylines). Carrie and Dylan are two weeks away from their wedding. A significant amount of time is spent discussing their plans and taking care of items on their to do list. For some reason, Dylan and Carrie are house hunting. Evidently, the cottage where they currently reside will be too small after the wedding. I did not understand why they could not move into Dylan’s manor house (on the same property as the cottage). The story has repetitive details and continuity issues. There are two mysteries in Booked on Murder. One revolves around a historical diary written by Verity Babcock who was hung as a witch. The second deals with a man who was recently paroled after serving a prison sentence for bank robbery. The authorities never recovered the stolen money. The victim is found dead by Carrie and Dylan on the lawn of their wedding venue near an empty hole. Carrie asks questions and searches for clues in between working at the library, wedding planning, and house hunting. Evelyn, the fashionable library ghost, provides some helpful tidbits. Evelyn must have an extensive wardrobe. She wears a new outfit every time she appears, and we get to know every detail of each ensemble. We are told where Carrie goes, what she does, and what she asks. She then shares the information with Dylan and others. I thought Carrie and Dylan’s wedding day suited them perfectly. I did find the ending to be lacking. There were some unanswered questions, and some items were only tied up superficially. Since Booked on Murder is the final book, I felt the story needed an epilogue. Fans of the series will enjoy the nuptials and be sorry to see the series come to an end. Booked on Murder is A Haunted Library Mysteries swan song with nuptial preparations, a slain parole, missing money, house hunting, a purloined diary, and a contented couple.

Booked On Murder is the eighth and final book in the Haunted Library cozy mystery series. Small town librarian Carrie Singleton is planning her wedding to Dylan Avery when they find a body on the grounds of their wedding site. As they look into the mystery, there is another mystery that pops up involving a very old, historical diary of a woman who was persecuted for witchcraft years ago. As always, Carrie's ghostly friend Evelyn and her library friends all play an important part in the story.

I wanted to read this mystery because I absolutely love this series! I have recommended it so many times to friends, and have loved reviewing the previous books in the series here as well.

This is one of my favorite books in this series! I am sad the series is ending but this conclusion was absolutely perfect. The author did a wonderful job at balancing Carrie and Dylan's story with the different mysteries in this book. And this novel was mystery packed! There was one case after another ... with questions of how they were related.

The mystery aspect of this novel was well done, with several strong suspects. I guessed the suspect, but enjoyed watching Carrie solve the mystery (with a very dramatic denouement!).

I highly recommend Booked on Murder - and the whole series - for fans of cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy library settings, small town locales, and a light friendly ghost element will particularly like this series.

This is the 8th release in the charming popular cozy series " The Haunted Library Mysteries". Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own. I have read and enjoyed this series from the beginning. The characters are wonderful, the sleuthing always intriquing and each book is a fun addition to this enjoyable series. This is the last book in this series and we readers are sad to see it go .. The author did a nice exit with a romantic wedding for our protagnist however we readers are sorry to see it end.

In this next in series our protagnist Librarian Carrie is getting married . Before the ceramony happens a murder is discovered in the wedding venue. A mystery is afoot with missing suspects, red herrings and lots of mysterious clues. A nice ending to a wonderful series.

Thank you to the author for 8 delightful books in this series for your readers.

And here we are! The last book in this lovely series. Say it ain’t so! While you could read this entry as a standalone, I think you’d enjoy it even more if you started with book one. So if you haven’t read any, go now and catch up! Especially if you love mysteries featuring books and librarians – this series is for you.

In this latest entry, Carrie has a full plate! As she goes about her days as a librarian, she’s mentally reviewing her wedding to do list. I loved getting to be a part of the lead up to her wedding to Dylan. Carrie is a great character (she’s a librarian, so of course she’s the best). I also felt that we got to spend time with each side character and got to soak up time around town and in the library. The mysteries were layered and it was fun to watch them unravel, with Carrie leading the charge, of course. I love all the day to day details the author includes that really brings me into the cozy experience.

I have adored reading all eight books in this series, and while I (unrealistically, I know) dream of my favorite series going on forever, I understand that things do end. And while endings are hard, this was handled beautifully. Well done!