3.5 ⭐ rounded up to a 4 for Goodreads

Who is this book for? Fans of mysteries with a supernatural twist will love this. Did you watch Matlock and enjoy Murder She Wrote as a kid? Do you love a little Agatha Christie or Poirot, but also enjoy demons, talking cats, and mysterious occurrences?

It's giving cozy mystery mixed with a cozy fantasy vibe. Our main character Sherry is the main investigator in the book and weird things keep happening.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book but it's definitely a little out there. A few times I wondered if I missed something but it all made sense in the end!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of the book to review.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. It starts you off thinking it’s just a regular small-town murder mystery, and then boom! Weird demons, cats who speak, and an unsettling return to 1980s fashion make for an entertaining story and really, just don’t mess with the librarians.
There are lots of references to other mystery novels which added a fun touch.
There is a tease for a sequel, and I admit to hoping that a sequel is written!

This was a DELIGHT. It was so funny and smart. There was a perfect amount of twists and banter. I love the references to Agatha Christie and Jessica Fletcher. Sherry is a great protagonist who truly takes her circumstances in stride, considering what’s thrown at her. Sentient pets, magical barriers, a hot priest and his twin… what else could you ask for in a cozy paranormal mystery ? Can’t wait for more for the author.

A little surprised by this one. I can't figure out what I expected, but the first third is a basic cozy mystery and then the whole thing kind of starts to slide sideways (in the best of ways) until you're in for a whole demon-hunting, mystery-solving ride. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but would have liked to see a bit more character development in the beginning instead of shoehorning it all in later.

I went into this book kind of blind. I didn't really know what it was about, but the title and cover caught my attention. I really enjoyed the story. Sherry, who is a librarian, lives in a small town that seems to have something suspicious or supernatural going on. There's been several murders, which Sherry has helped solve. She apparently is also a demon slayer. 😈 I'm a bit of a chicken, so if you're concerned with this being scary, it isn't at all. Think more hocus pocus/buffy/humorous. That's the vibes I get. I think this is coming out at a perfect time because if you are a mood/vibes reader, this would be perfect come Fall/Halloween.

Thanks net gallery for the ARC.

I found this to be a good, more on the cozy side supernatural mystery. The narrative felt a bit disjointed, like I was coming into a scene already in progress. I found that disorienting and even checked to make sure I hadn't skipped a book (I hadn't).

This was a lovely cozy horror that I absolutely ate up. It was like Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Knives Out. If you like murder mysteries, low fantasy, or meta stories about books - you'll definitely enjoy this one. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Synopsis: Sherry lives in a small, quaint village working as a librarian while solving murders on the side. Too many murders for such a quaint, little town. Are these deaths being caused by outside forces? And how will she prevail over them? With the help of a talking cat, a newly ordained priest, and a few friends, Sherry decides she is willing to find out.

This was just quite adorable. I worried that it would get a little too scary for my tastes because I'm not great with a lot of horror, but this really was just a delight. Written by someone who has a clear love for Miss Marple and Murder She Wrote, this book was a delightful little mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so disappointed! The first 1/3 of the book was witty and enjoyable. Then it became offensive religiously, and I don't want to keep reading. What a shame.

Well that was interesting.
Not entirely sure I didn’t just get possessed by a demon and forced into an acid trip for the last 265 pages.
Ending leads to a nice sequel of which I have to admit sounds way more enticing than this one.

I liked the concept. Execution was a bit iffy.
Characters felt like random scrabble pieces picked at random. Everything was very all over the place. It was hard to interpret the authors intent at times.

Cute, but bizarre.
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC as always.

3 ⭐️

This one had me at Buffy meets Murder, She Wrote, so I went for it. Knowing full well that cozy mystery isn't a winning genre for me. Well, consider me converted if I can get more like The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner! How, exactly, does one make supernatural murders and a demon possessed cat 'cozy'? I'm not sure, but this book did it.

It ended up being humorous in the same ways that Buffy is, that tongue in cheek 'well demons abound but let's make the most of it' kind of way. But overall it's more murder mystery than anything else. For those that enjoy that genre, there's great red herrings and a likable MC sleuth/librarian, plus tons of references to Agatha Christie novels to pick up on.

Glad this is getting a fall publication date, because it's an ideal autumn read for those that want to enjoy spooky season with a little less spooky.

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Get ready for a thrilling read with The Village Library Demon Hunting Society! This cozy paranormal mystery features a charming librarian who is both a skilled murder-solver and demon-hunter. Fans of popular detectives like Jessica Fletcher, Columbo, and Poirot will love the witty references throughout the story. As the librarian's list of suspects continues to grow - with herself included - the clock is ticking to crack the case.

As a contemporary fantasy, C. M. Waggoner’s The Village Library Demon Hunting Society feels quite different from Waggoner’s previous books. But like The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry and Unnatural Magic, it is packed full of characters I absolutely adore. First among them, the protagonist, Sherry Pinkwhistle: the kind of character you’d get if you crossed Miss Marple with Jessica Fletcher and made her a village librarian. Or… is she? When Sherry solves her umpteenth murder she begins to realize all isn't as it seems in the village––and the wrongness might just trace back to her. The Village Library Demon Hunting Society is macabre and hilarious and so beautifully heartwarming. I loved every single second of reading.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story and I think the supernatural aspect helped give the plot exactly what it needed. Up until about the 30% mark I felt the story was super slow but once it went into the paranormal direction it became a fun read. Overall I enjoyed this novel, I just don't think the author's writing style vibed with me well. I would still recommend giving this a chance, because it might vibe with you!!

Although I thought the writing of this book was very readable, the combination of cozy mystery with urban fantasy/supernatural fiction did not work well for me. The main character was intriguing although I'm not sure I empathized with her. The other characters seemed a bit unrealistic, partly on purpose, I think, but again, without giving away the plot, it didn't work well for me. I will not be reading the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved Waggoner's writing! The ability to "stereotype" the characters based on how they appear verses how Sherry "thought" they should appear was genius and hilarious. I enjoyed the story and would definitely read more in a series or by this author!

I don't know, maybe demon cozies aren't my thing (and other sentences I never thought I would utter/type).

A delightful cozy mystery with an unusual detective main character. I enjoyed all the fourth wall breaks and the characters we met along the way. The mystery was fairly easy to follow, yet I didn't guess the ending of it, which is good. My only real gripe was how slow-paced it was. Even after we solved everything, the wrap-up felt like it was taking forever to end. I almost felt like I was stuck in a fog like the townspeople, but the meta aspects and the demon-introduction was cute and I appreciated it.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed the story which continually caught me by surprise. In spite of the title, I still found myself surprised at the introduction of the demon being behind the murders. I love how we get such a mundane scene it seems like, I found myself also not being surprised at the amount of murder happening in the town, The writing is done in such a way that you experience every emotion right alongside the main character. Such a fun spin on the usual cozy mystery!