Member Reviews

Booked on Murder is the eighth and final book in the Haunted Library series and Carrie Singleton is preparing to marry Dylan Avery. Of course, before this can happen, there is a murder to solve!

A man recently released from prison for committing a bank robbery is murdered on Victor’s property (which is the wedding venue), and it is believed that he was there to retrieve the stolen bank money buried there. Did one of his partners in crime kill him and take the money? Or a fellow prisoner who also was recently released and knew about the money?

I have enjoyed this series and love Evelyn the library ghost and the residents of Clover Ridge whom Carrie and Dylan regularly interact with. Ms. Brook writes a good story with the interaction of the characters such that you fee you know them. The story of Verity Babcock being hanged as a witch and the movement to exonerate her is very interesting and makes you think about how people were treated in the past.

I loved the story, however, I felt it was very busy with so much going on—the final details of the wedding, the Verity story, and trying to solve the murder before the wedding. Also, there were so many new characters to keep track of, which added to the confusion for me. While I felt the story was busy, it was still very enjoyable and I am truly sad to see the series end.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a great ending to the series. The author does a wonderful hob wrapping everything up for the last book. She can write a mystery, I couldn't figure out who the culprit was. I liked that she included the author's note at the end which told about the history of witches and witchcraft in the 1600's in Connecticut.

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Is time for a wedding, and Carrie is more than ready to say I Do with Dylan. Unfortunately fate didn't get the word that she needed to have calm in these last weeks, it threw her a murder! Librarians, books and murder always make for a good weekend read.

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It is just a few days before Carrie abs Dylan’s wedding. All is going well until Carrie is asked to write a story about Verity Babcock a woman who was accused of witchcraft in the 1600s and killed. As Carrie reads Verity’s diary she starts to have som emotions and possible doubts about the wedding. The while checking in on the venue they two of them find a body and become involved in a bizarre investigation. Is this a coincidence or could this dead body also be related to Verity Babcock. There is also a bank robbery that occurs and a sinister plot that erupts. Will Carrie and Dylan be able to solve this mystery before their wedding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. Apparently, this is the last book in this series and I guess I need to read it now from book one,

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Carrie’s last sleuthing adventure before her wedding almost became her last one. As much as she tried not to get involved in the burglary at the library, she couldn’t avoid becoming entangled in the web of greed. With their wedding looking like a non-event Carrie refused to give up, she needed to outwit the thieves, and the killer because she had no plans to skip her honeymoon.

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I enjoyed this book. I really like when a novel has a lot of cool side stories but not an overwhelming amount. I enjoyed all the twists and turns along the way, and the unexpected end!

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Finding a dead body not only a few days before your wedding but at the actual wedding site is never a good thing. In this case, it kicks off a flood of seemingly unrelated things. What things? In this, the 8th and final installment of the Haunted Library mystery series, they range from, let's see, bank robbery, old diaries, witchcraft, mysterious emails, a long lost diary of Verity, a woman hanged as a witch, a secret society, newspaper articles, wild rides, and, well, more. And, oh, yes, let's not forget, ghosts. In the middle of it all, Carrie Singleton is seeking to bring order to the countless lists of wedding prep tasks she's tasked with, from dress fittings to seating arrangements.

I enjoyed this last chance to hang out with Carrie, Evelyn the library ghost, and her family and friends. It's always an interesting read. With this being the grand finale, so to speak, I expected various things to be brought to a timely, neat end. True, the happily-ever-after ending was delightful, but some things just seemed to be "off". Like, how did Carrie not know about the secret club when so many other non-members seemed to know? Also, Evelyn didn't even play a particularly major role here, so the addition of two child ghosts in Carrie and Dylan's soon-to-be new home was unexpected. Kinda fun but not quite sure what it added given this is the end of the series. What did actually pull me out of the flow, however, was the actions taken or, in this case, not taken to protect the long dead Verity's old diary. They knew someone wanted the diary. Yet, Carrie and the library staff never seemed to think about finding a safer, out of the public eye spot to store it safely, even after an attempt to steal it was made. They seem determined to right old wrongs but don't seem to do the minimum to keep it safe, hence I kept being thrown off by that inaction every time the manuscript was mentioned.

Yet, I honestly enjoyed the story. Having read the series from the start, it's been fun to watch the growth Carrie has undergone. Let's face it, she didn't seem to promising at the start given her Goth Girl tendencies. Now she's getting married and apparently planning a family. She's made good friends and her relationship with her own family has grown closer, too. I liked the relationship Dylan and she have developed, too. They don't always seem to be on the same page but do have each others' back, even when danger is involved. Well, especially when danger is involved. I'm going to miss visiting the library, too, with all its fun and interesting activities, many born from Carrie's mind. Although Evelyn seems to have appeared less and less frequently as the series went along, it was always something I looked forward to. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for introducing me to Carrie, Dylan, and Evelyn but, hey, we never found out where she got her ever changing wardrobe!

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Booked On Murder by Allison Brook is the latest installment in the Haunted Library Mystery series. While Carrie is planning her wedding to Dylan, a dead body is found on the front lawn of the venue for their wedding. The deceased is Bill Carpenter who was recently released from prison. He had served time for bank robbery. The stolen money had never been found. The suspects are Billy’s two partners. However, one of them is also murdered and the other one is missing. Will Carrie be able to solve this murder in time for her wedding!

Book On Murder is my favorite book from the Haunted Library Mystery Series. Parts of the story are very suspenseful and we are introduced to two new ghosts!

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Carrie Singleton and Dylan Avery have a wedding coming up in a few weeks and Carrie is really looking forward to it. But while at the home of their friend to check on the place that will be their wedding venue, they find a body. The victim victim turns out to be a young man who was in prison for a bank robbery years ago for which the money was never found. When one of the suspected accomplices is also killed and another goes missing, things get even worse. Carrie soon winds up getting involved and hopes she can figure things out before her wedding day.

I've really enjoyed this series and have looked forward to each one, so as this was the last in the series, it was a slightly bittersweet read. Still, the book was exceptional. The book was, as always, well-written and the characters were well-developed while the plot was fast-paced. I was immediately drawn into this captivating story and kept hooked from beginning to end. The story was fully fledged with a lot going on including a couple different mysteries that are intriguing and will keep you guessing and on your toes. Allison Brook is a wonderful author and storyteller and this series is a fantastic showing of her skill. I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to seeing where Allison Brook goes next. I do highly recommend both book and series. I did receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest, unbiased review.

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Booked on Murder is the last book in this haunted library series and the first I have read. A delightful find and sad all the same. I will go back and read one through seven now.

Carrie, a librarian, has been tasked with writing a news article about a woman killed as a witch in the 1600s. A recent acquisition of an old book about the woman is the impetus for the article.

In the meantime she is about to get married in a few short weeks. That is when a dead body appears on the lawn of the wedding venue. She is then on a deadline to figure out who killed the man so that her wedding can proceed on schedule.

A comfortable cozy where I quickly became enamored with the characters and caught up in the mystery,

Thoroughly enjoyable and stand alone but you will want to read them all

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It’s hard to believe we’re eight books into the Haunted Library series, and reaching a natural conclusion. From arriving in small town USA, taking up a career as a library events planning, and finding the man of her dreams, Carrie’s next big adventure is finalising the planning for her imminent wedding. Well, that is, until she and her fiancé stumble across a dead body on the lawn of their ceremony venue!

What looks like a simple case of bank robbers (quite literally) stabbing each other in the back to get their hands on the missing stolen cash takes several twists and turns as Carrie uncovers more and more clues about what’s really going on. As the blurb puts it, can she track down the killer without becoming her own ‘something blue’?!

Looking back at my reviews of this series over the past 6½ years (!), it turns out that I wasn’t all that keen on the series back at the start. In truth, the ‘Haunted library’ series name still feels like something unearned, with the library ghost (and a few others along the way!) playing very minor roles in any of the stories. But, Carrie is a likeable lead. Her romance is sweet and not allowed to take over the story, at least in this final volume of the series.

Like many mysteries and especially cosies, there is a little bit of eye-rolling at how many silly risks the heroine needs to take in order to make the plot work – acknowledging it as you’re doing it doesn’t make it better, Carrie!

But, overall this is a great blend: decent mystery that keeps you guessing, characters I enjoy spending time with, and side plots that enhance not take over. I won’t say I’m sorry that this chapter is bringing things to a close as it’s good to go out on a high, and I’m glad this series grew on me so much.

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Very cute, and well done wrapping up the series.

I didn’t realize it was the last one, but was able to piece together the happenings in precious books.

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The last book in a cozy mystery series, this work is the first one I've read from The Haunted Library Mysteries. I enjoyed the plot, supporting characters (ghosts included), the secret women's society, and the incorporation of a witch trial victim. A lot of time was spent on the wedding (makes sense since its the last book,especially for those readers who've followed the entire series, but a large portion of the book is dedicated to describing all things related to Carrie and Dylan's upcoming nuptials).. I liked this one enough to try some of the other books by this author in the future.

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Another hit from Allison Brooks Haunted Library Mystery series. Carrie and Dylan's wedding is just around the corner. But when Billy Carpenter is found deceased on the lawn of the wedding venue, Carrie sets out to find who did the recently released convict in. I'm sad that it's the final book in the series but I've enjoyed each book. Great character development. Good plot. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

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I did not realize that this was the last book in this series. I have read it from the beginning and am sad to find that is over. This was not my favorite. There was a lot of stuff covered that made it awkward in trying to wrap up the series. The book kept going back and forth between the wedding planning and the mystery and sometimes got a bit confusing about what was happening. The mystery resolution wasn't much of a surprise but it didn't seem to be the focus.

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I did go into this book knowing it was the final one in this series. I always love cozy mysteries that center around anything to do with books so this has been a wonderful series for me. I feel it was wrapped up well and may have been dropping crumbs for a new series..... I will be excited to read anything new by Allison Brook and definitely recommend this series to cozy readers!

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This series continuation had me hooked from the moment I started it. Great characters and storyline. Cozy mysteries like this are always fun to read.

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Dylan and Carrie's wedding week has finally arrived and of course there is upheaval and murder. The book is a bit all over the place, which could definitely not make any sense had the reader not read the previous 7 books. It is typical "Carrie" fashion-lots of "we did this/went here/saw this", as well as having her (& now Dylan) going after the suspects vs calling the police. I feel like the story was thrown together to tie up all the knots, while also leaving it a bit open for a new series. I had no idea this was the last installment until after finishing the book.
Thanks to NetGallly, Ms Brooks, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

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Thank you Netgalley and Allison Brook for allowing me to read the newest Haunted Library Mystery before it's out.

I was thrilled to receive a copy because I had to know what happens next in Carrie and Dylan's lives.

Goodness this 8th book was jam packed with a lot. What a rollercoaster.

Carrie and Dylan's wedding is just weeks away when they discover a dead body in Victor's backyard, the very place where the wedding is taking place. The victim, Billy Carpenter, was a man who was released from prison for a bank robbery that occurred years ago and he was searching for the money he hid. As the game goes, follow the money.

As Carrie and Dylan get wrapped up in yet another murder mystery, and Carrie gets kidnapped, the wedding is in jeopardy.

As always, great story Allison. I loved being a part of the wedding. My choice would have been Prime Rib as well. I only wish I could have seen her dress!

This review was also shared to Goodreads.

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Just like any of the other books in Allison Brook's series this one does not disappoint. I love this series because I am a librarian and some of the things Carrie Singleton says resonates with me and I think this is one of the best librarian series that I have read. I read and reread this series when I need a comfort read.

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