Library director Lindsey is excited to have famous thriller novelist, Helen Monroe, as their writer-in-residence for the winter season. But when an old acquaintance of Helen's, Jackie, arrives in town and starts causing trouble, things don't look so cheery. Lindsey worries that Jackie is stalking Helen and that her life could be in danger. But when Jackie is discovered dead under suspicious circumstances, it shocks the town... especially when Helen is named the chief suspect.

I love this series so, so much. I've listened to almost all fifteen books on audio because the narrator is so fabulous. She captures Lindsey's voice so well, in addition to perfectly portraying all the other chaotic characters in town. This story was also such a fun read--it really did keep me guessing until the end. I had suspected the killer early on, but then honestly forgot about that possibility with all the other elements going on, so it did end up being a surprise. No complaints, and a great holiday read (or listen).

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This latest book was a great addition! I loved seeing Mayor Cole in action, and there were some interesting developments with Chief Emma and Robbie!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I love this author and everything she writes.
This was a great cozy mystery book and the start of a new series. Loved the characters and the narration was perfect!

Librarian Lindsey and the residents of Briar Creek are back and ready to solve another crime. This time the mystery surrounds the town’s first writer in residence, Helen Monroe, who seems to have found herself on local snob and incoming Friends of the Library president, Betty’s naughty list. Between Betty wanting to ban her books, getting her newest book started, and the reappearance of her former friend turned stalker, Jackie Lewis, poor Helen is struggling to get in the holiday spirit. When Jackie turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Lindsey must work to unearth the truth before any more lives are lost.

I love this cozy mystery series and was excited to receive an advance copy from the publisher. All the major players return with their usual charm and quirks and the current true crime obsession helps shape the plot. While this is part of a well established series, you can read it as a stand alone without much issue.

A Merry Little Murder Plot and that is just what this is.
This is part of a series but easily could be read as a standalone despite the characters already being established with one another.
The murder mystery was interesting and kept me engaged however not riveting or exciting in the least.

Helen Monroe is the author in residence at the Briar Creek library. I didn't really love her; she was not kind or very likeable.
Lindsey was fun and easy to like. After an unexpected death of an acquaintance, Lindsey feels compelled to investigate the death and determine if this was accident or murder.
Many of the characters have secrets keeping this suspenseful and interesting.
I feel like starting at book 15 probably wasn't the best idea and I think I would possibly have enjoyed it if I started with book one. Looking forward to back tracking a bit with this series.

I listened to the audio book and really enjoy Allyson Ryan. This is not my first book she has narrated, and she was just as great with this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun little holiday season cozy murder mystery. It was an entertaining story. I did not initially realize it was book 15 of a series. Despite not knowing a lot of backstory, it really wasn’t necessary for the plot of the book. So dig in and read as a standalone and enjoy!

I was provided with a review copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 3.5 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.)

Narration was great. I plan to go back and check out the rest of this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jenn McKinlay!

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

I have to admit, I have read and loved this series since book 1! I look forward to the new book each year, and this one didn't disappoint. I love catching up with Lindsey and all the characters who seem to come off the page and feel very real. It has been 15 books, though, so they should feel like real people!

I look forward to listening to this one again, closer to the holiday. For lovers of cozy mysteries or books set in a small town library, I encourage you to pick up this series. They are well worth it!

4 stars for "really liked it."

Another good episode in the ongoing 'Library Lover's Mystery' series.

Briar Creek gains a writer-in-residence when author Helen Monroe comes to town. But she isn't very welcoming of any attention, and she doesn't get involved in many of the town activities.

Lindsey Norris, library director, starts to get concerned when another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, is very interested in the author. She is giving off the 'vibe' of a stalker and Lindsey thinks Helen needs to be aware of the interest. When Jackie is found dead, electrocuted by Christmas lights, Helen becomes the main suspect. Lindsey offers to help Helen clear her name.

Set against the backdrop of the towns Christmas festivities, there are several elements to the plot, including concerns about the banning of books. Lots of red herrings were encountered, and several suspects were indicated before we found out who really was the killer. The typical cast of old favorite characters were there, although we didn't see much of Sully in this book.

I listed to the book, and the narrator did a very good job of keeping all the individual characters separate and distinct. I liked the pacing of the narration.

All in all, it was another lovely read from Jenn McKinlay.

I found this cozy mystery series a while ago and have truly enjoyed it. I have only listened through book 4, but I saw this ARC, decided to request it, and I wasn't disappointed.

This book centers around the winter holidays and a Writer-in-Residence program that the library has set up. And, of course, a murder mystery. It's up to Lindsey Norris (library director) and a variety of citizens to solve the mystery and bring the killer to justice.

The characters are well-developed and the pacing of the story is good. I think this book can be read as a standalone, but I had a few spoilers occur of events that take place from books 5 to 14. It wasn't a big deal, but just know it could happen if you're not caught up.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner! I was almost expecting there to not be a murder the way this one starts, but I knew Jenn would never let us down! The perfect cozy murder!

Cozy murder mystery about a resident writer in a small town at Christmas time... Yes please! These are all the ingredients for a wonderful story. The narration is beautifully executed. I want more!

This book was a happy delight! I immediately liked the shape of the story, the twists and the main characters. This was the 15th book in a series but I hadnt read any of the others and it was good as a stand alone also although I plan on reading more of hers! The narrator was good!

4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date:10/08/2024

I love visiting Connecticut with the library lovers series. This time it is winter and Christmas is coming. There are loads of festive activities including an ugly sweater contest that Robby Vine attends and participates in under protest.
Helen Monroe is the writer in residence at the library. It’s hard to know what to think about her at first as she isn’t very friendly to Lindsey.
There is mean girl/woman Betty. There is stalkerish Jackie. There is a secret marriage and a secret new book. Emma, chief of police, is acting a bit off.
Lindsey feels compelled to investigate the death, and all sorts of interesting things happen.
I wondered about the person who ends up being the culprit. This is an interesting and twisty Christmas time mystery. I enjoyed it.
A Merry Little Murder Plot could be read as a stand-alone but to enjoy these characters fully I recommend reading the series. This is book 15. I listened to the audiobook and enjoy the narrator, Allyson Ryan.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

It's the holiday season in Briar Creek. The new author in residence, Helen Monroe, is spending her days writing in a glass office at the library. One day after her departure, Jackie Lewis walks into the library. New to town, Jackie claims she is looking for Helen as she is her #1 fan. But Lindsey Norris, head librarian, is getting a weird vibe from her... Turns out Jackie is not a fan, but rather a former friend and rival of Helen, who has sued her alleging she stole her ideas, among other things... Then Jackie is found dead with a copy of Helen's current manuscript, and all eyes go to Helen. After all, how could Jackie have it in her possession?

This was a fun, quick holiday read. All the series favorites are there including Robbie, one of my faves. And the perp is not obvious, which is always a plus. Highly recommended for this holiday season.

I love the entire series. The narrator is outstanding. I didn’t figure out the murderer, so it kept me guessing. I always love how characters who have been out of sorts with one another resolve these issues. I was blessed with a free audio ARC and I’m voluntarily submitting my review. Looking forward to more in the series. Highly recommend.

I've followed Jenn McKinlay for several years enjoying her cozy mysteries. While I haven't read through this entire library series, I know that her books can also stand alone as easy fun little mysteries and grabbed the chance to read the new release. This is perfect to start to get into cozy holiday mystery season. I love the fun process of the amateur sleuth running through all the possibilities of the potential villain, almost always getting herself into some type of trouble in the process, and then the grand reveal of the bad guy in the end and all goes back life as usual for the small town librarian, well until the next unfortunate event. Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

Thanks to Jenn McKinlay, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I normally wouldn't consider starting at book 15, but even if all previous 14 books were available at my library, how likely would it be that I'd make it through all of them without losing interest? Not very. So I decided I may as well dip a toe in and get a feel for the writing.

I definitely felt like I was late to the party. All the characters had relationships and rapport that I did not see develop. The world was clearly established and there was no audience stand-in to ask questions. So I'm afraid little in the story held meaning for me.

The mystery was interesting but not riveting. I'll definitely be more wary of garland lights now. Bookstore and library settings are quickly becoming rote, especially in cozies. The narrative was written well enough and the characters likeable enough that I'd be interested in starting at the beginning of the series, but I wouldn't say anything stood out about this book. Not bad but not great.

During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her “bah humbug” attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy. Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she’s visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. hen Jackie’s body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen’s latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan.

Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's series is one of my favorite bookish cozy mystery series. While I have read a few of the earlier books (it's my next series to play catch up on) I steadily began reading this series with book 10. Merry Little Murder Plot is book 15. It can easily be read on its own if you are new to the series.

Christmas in Briar Creek is always fun and eventful. The characters are wonderful and slightly quirky so it adds to the fun.

I don't remember Robbie ever playing such a prominent role in the novel but he was in a lot of scenes and he is wonderful. He's very dramatic - he's an actor after all. I found myself grinning just about every time he showed up.

Allyson Ryan is a terrific narrator. I've listened to a few books in this series as well as other books she's read and I always enjoy the books she does.

If you are looking for a light Christmas mystery then definitely get this book. And if you are looking for a Christmas craft stay tuned until the end for instructions for a paper ornament.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/10/2-christmas-capers-to-listen-to-instead.html

Thanks NetGalley for starting my holiday season early. Christmas with Lindsey and her gang couldn’t be better! Meet Helen, do we hate her or like her? What we do know is that people are dying around her for sure. Really enjoyed the start of the holiday reads.

Yesssss! What another amazing visit to Briar Cliff and the Crafternoon friends! The characters are so amazing in this series. This group of multigenerational ladies are the ladies you aspire to have as friends. They are there with you through thick and thin as well as helping sleuth out the villain when there is a dead body found in their small town. Set in a small coastal New England town the main character is a local librarian so is naturally curious and adept at research making her the perfect amateur sleuth. The author always weaves an engaging plot and this story definitely lives up to that. She kept you on the edge of your seat with a few obvious and a few not so obvious suspects. I couldn't put the book down and you won't be able to either! I actually listened to the audiobook and it was even more outstanding than just reading the book. The narrator really makes the individual characters come to life and enhances the already amazing story. Now I am back to anxiously awaiting the next book to be written in the series!