A fun, darker take on 'Murder She Wrote' if Jessica Fletcher had been a librarian in Upstate NY. This was an entertaining and fun concept though the world building got confusing at times. Halfway through the book it's mentioned that people are dressing like it is the 1980s and there is no internet? I enjoyed the way it poked fun at the cozy mystery tropes and tried to go for something more sinister with the added demonic element. It didn't all come together perfectly for me but still an enjoyable read and a perfect book for Halloween.

Many thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for the ARC.

I received a gifted galley of THE VILLAGE LIBRARY DEMON-HUNTING SOCIETY by C.M. Waggoner for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE VILLAGE LIBRARY DEMON-HUNTING SOCIETY follows Sherry Pinkwhistle, a librarian who seems to stumble into a large number of mysteries. All around her, people keep dying and she’s enlisted to step in and solve the murders. When the latest victim is someone she cares about, it sends her spiraling and she can’t help but wonder why her small town has so many deaths. She’s beginning to think there is something supernatural at play, which is reinforced by the demonic possession of her cat. She enlists the new priest in town and some friends to try to figure out what is going on.

I have a bit of a mixed history with cozy mysteries, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. It is pitched as Murder She Wrote crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I think it leans more Murder. I really liked the way it pokes a bit of fun at cozy mystery tropes (how do these innocent main characters find SO many bodies?) and doesn’t take itself too seriously. I also enjoyed the fact that we got an older main character who is out to save the day.

Overall, I did find the story a bit slow for me and while it had some interesting twists (the demonic cat possession for one), I didn’t find myself entirely invested in the story. Still I think this is one that I would recommend this to those who love cozy mysteries and are looking for an interesting take!

The Village Library and Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner features a librarian, Sherry Pinkwhistle with a knack for solving murders. In the book, the first murder is Charlotte's husband John, a local gallery owner. Sherry solves that murder in pretty short order, but the next murder is close to Sherry. A good friend. The Sheriff starts beating on her door demanding her assistance in solving the case - something he would never do, and then her cat, Sir Thomas Cromwell, becomes inhabited by the spirit of Thomas Cromwell, yes that one, and Sherry knows something is seriously amiss. The sets up a meeting with the new, and very handsome, parish priest to talk to him about demonice possession. Then the priest, Sherry, the ever grateful Charlotte, and Sherry's bestie form the Village Library Demon Hunting Society to solve the case. This is a cozy mystery with a demon and I really enjoyed this read. Thank you to #netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for my advance reader copy.

Sherry lives in small town Winesap. She’s very proud of the help that she’s given to the sheriff’s department in solving various murders. While older, she’s not exactly elderly but she IS a librarian. A perfect cozy novel heroine. Or is she? It seems odd that there are so many deaths in her town. And it’s even odder that so many people come to her to solve the murders. It all starts to go off the rails when someone close to her dies. Is this really her life or is there something more… demonic going on?
While there isn’t as much demon hunting as you might think based on the title, this book is laugh out loud funny in several places and I really, really hope that there are going to be more in the series.

Four stars
This book comes out September 24, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Overall, a fun cozy-adjacent mystery! Obviously, I love a librarian MC. I love a small town. And the paranormal twist was unique. But was it particularly necessary to the mystery here? That’s… questionable. Suffered with pacing about 75% of the way through and had trouble being connected.

This is a fun cozy mystery with a twist. I quite enjoyed this book. It 100% has the flow of a cozy mystery, and that little surprise is perfection. This is one of the best cozy mysteries I have read this year. I don’t want to say too much as to give away anything, but if you like a good cozy and are willing to try something new. This book is for you.
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/Ace, and C.M. Waggoner for an e-arc of The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had such a good time reading this. I loved the premise of an older librarian being tangled up in the fight against demons. The cast of characters were diverse and I loved the friendships formed through the course of the book. I also loved all the throwbacks to the classic detective novels such as Poirot and Mrs. Marple, and trying to piece together the mystery as I was reading was so much fun.

The only thing that knocked it down a star for me was the beginning. It started off pretty slow and didn’t really hook me until around the 30% mark. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this and I hope there will be a sequel.

Very fun, very cozy, and very meta. I would definitely read a potential sequel and will hope for one!

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society was a fun cozy mystery featuring an older (60s) protagonist, Sherry Pinkwhistle, and a loveable collection of friends and neighbors. I loved how eccentric just about every person in this story was. Father Barry and his dinner parties was a particular highlight, and Lord Thomas Cromwell the possessed cat was a joy whenever he appeared. There was, however, much less demon activity than I expected from the title. Most of this story follows Sherry's internal monologue as she sleuths her way through the mystery. Sherry is shrewd and funny, but also rambling. While her final deductions were impressive, we weren't privy to how she actually came to her final conclusions - we sort of skipped from her initial thoughts straight to some much more complex criminal activity that Sherry deduced off page. Overall a fun and light read, but more geared for a cozy mystery audience than an audience pulled in by the "Demon-Hunting" part of the title.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner is a fun, cozy mystery with a paranormal aspect. Our protagonist, librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle, unofficially helps the police solve the alarming number of murders in their small town. Occasionally, Sherry will consider it odd that there are so many murders, but then the thought slips from her mind. Until there is a murder that is a little too personal to Sherry, and she starts to realize that there may be a demon problem in her town. The cast of characters in this book are lovable and quirky, and I enjoyed watching them solve the mystery in their little town.

Unfortunately this read was not for me. I was not a fan of the writing style. It felt like I should have had context to another book but this is the first one. Some might like the crime solving aspects of this book. I do think the female main character will resonate with some readers. She was very quirky and knew what she enjoyed.

Sherry Pinkwhistle moved to the town of Winesap in upstate New York several years ago and has been happily serving as the town librarian and amateur sleuth ever since. Every once and while Sherry is puzzled by the amount of murders in a town with such a small population, but she doesn't dwell on it for too long. However, when one murder hits a little too close to Sherry, it's revealed that there may be something supernaturally diabolical at play. Now, Sherry must use all her detecting skills (plus a little assistance from her friends and a talking cat) to confront the darker forces that have taken control of Winesap. This book has been written by someone who ADORES the mystery genre and is affectionately romping with all sorts of tropes in their personal sandbox. Despite the gleeful winks and nods to classic mystery stories, the characters and the universe are very well-crafted and the witty conversations were a pleasure to read (such a relief to know other librarians delight in a new vocabulary word!). This fiendishly clever book is a killer way to start leaning into your fall reading. Give to mystery fans who don't mind a bit of a laugh over their favored genre's foibles or folks who've commented on sleepy towns that are also murdery hotspots.

This was Jessica Fletcher (Murder She Wrote) meets Miss Marple (Agatha Christie). This was essentially a cozy, supernatural murder mystery.

The main character, Sherry, finds herself in the center of multiple murder investigations. She feels like her best self when she helps the local sheriff solve a murder. Also to note, her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, might be possessed as he starts to talk to her. Then her boyfriend ends up dead and she has to help solve his murder. She makes her suspect list, of which she has to include herself, and things in her village start getting strange.

Sherry never questioned why there were so many murders until her boyfriend ended up dead. In a town just over 5000 people, how can so many people be murdered? And why is her cat suddenly talking to her? She starts to wonder if she doesn't need an exorcist. As a librarian, Sherry has access to research, but where to start?

The secondary characters in this are just as interesting. Sherry befriends the local priest, who is very young and also has a twin brother. Sherry finds she has more friends than she thought in this small little quaint village. I especially enjoyed her rich best friend turned grieving widow, Charlotte. These secondary characters are more than mere background—they’re integral to the story, offering humor, heart, and sometimes surprising insights that keep you invested in every twist and turn.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner is a delightful mash-up of Jessica Fletcher's sharp wit and Miss Marple's shrewd instincts, set against a charmingly supernatural backdrop. This cozy murder mystery pairs village intrigue with demon-hunting adventures, making for a whimsical yet suspenseful read. Waggoner masterfully blends the familiar comforts of a classic whodunit with a touch of the arcane, crafting a story that feels like your favorite detective series—with a twist of the paranormal. Perfect for fans who love their mysteries with a side of magic.

I struggled with this book. The main character was a delight in the fact that she was older, a librarian, and a little odd. She was fun to read about. I was waiting for the paranormal aspect, and it took almost 40% of the story before it appeared.

This was a fun, easy to read cozy mystery. I enjoyed the twists and turns and hope that there at more books to follow along this plot/storyline. This was my first read by this author and I'm excited to read more of their work.

This was a cute reward.
I liked the pluckiness of Sherry was fun and I liked her quirky nature
I thought the demon possessing the cat was humorous at times.
I loved the library setting and the mystical nature.
It’s the perfect season to delve into the demon possessed cat.

If you start reading The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society you might find yourself thinking "wait, is this book two or book three in a series?" because it feels like it is. I know I asked myself that question multiple times, and even checked Goodreads and Google to be sure. But reading this novel isn't jumping into a series late. It's definitely arranged as the potential jumping-off point for a series, but it's the first. I promise.

And that leads to a couple issues with the story.

The first is that Sherry Pinkwhistle, the main character, is set up as a late middle-aged lady with a Past of some sort. So much hinting at her Past and so much never really explaining her Past. Sherry, a librarian in a sleepy little village in upstate New York, is always explained to have been busily solving murders in Winesap for a little while now... much to the relief and annoyance of the sheriff. But we never really find out who got murdered Before or why.

It's just... all of a sudden we're dropped into a story where people are dropping dead and demons are demanding Sherry solve the murders. It's hard to make connections to the victims or to the characters involved in the story.

And the title of the novel is a little bit of false advertising in that Sherry, the hot new priest, the widow of Story Victim #1, and another lady I never fully understood, do form what they call "The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society" but they never really do anything and it's more of a vaguely condescending thing they do because they think she's going nuts. Except for Hot Priest Barry, and he's just adorably out of his depth.

In the end, this novel tries to be a cozy mystery, a thriller, and a supernatural frolic all at the same time. And it feels like it could've worked best as one or the other. Not all.

I might read it again, now that I know what to expect, and I'll see what I missed the first time around.

(I received an advance copy of this novel through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange only for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.)

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by CM Waggoner is a standalone paranormal mystery. We meet our heroine, Sherry Pinkwhistle, who is a 63years old librarian; she also solves murders in their small town. Sherry is concerned, as the body count is rising; with her becoming convinced that there is something unnatural going on. Especially when her boyfriend is found dead, and her cat seems to be possessed, talking back to her. Is there a demon in disguise?

Sherry is an unofficial consultant to the local Sheriff, as she is always investigating and solving the murders. She is smart and self-sufficient and always creative in working with the sheriff, and the towns people all know that Sherry will find the culprits. She also realizes that a real demon is revealed, and Sherry will have to find a way to defeat the demon once and for all.

There were a number of great characters; including Sherry, the detective, the new priest, her two female friends (grieving widow and BFF). Of course, the cat, Lord Thomas, who became possessed, and talked. There were a mix of other famous books that gave some humor, such as Jessica Fletcher, Buffy, and Hercule Poirot. As we reach closer to the end, Sherry will call a meeting with her friends, and a number of possible suspects. She gives her thoughts on each person who is a suspect, and reveals who the murder was. This was a surprising and amazing revelations.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society was a fun, bizarre, spooky, clever and entertaining story that kept me unable to put the book down. Sherry was a fabulous character that turned into a wonderful detective. The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society was very well written by CM Waggoner. If you enjoy mystery, librarian sleuth, and an enjoyable story, you should read this book.

I really enjoyed the slow unraveling of reality thought this book. Some parts were drawn out too long, but overall very entertaining. I hope there is a second entry but if not definitely a nice standalone. It was nice to see a main character try and move and start over that was older, but I wish she didn't keep saying she was old.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society was a fun, quick cozy mystery with a couple of great twists. I don't think I've encountered this author before (and that's the joy of NetGalley!) and I look forward to seeing what they write next!