thanks to netgalley and the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review this ARC.

my rating: 3/5
my initial thoughts upon reading the book were that there were a lot of characters (considering that it's the 3rd book into the series, i get it) and that the sentences flows rather smoothly so it was an easy read for me personally!

throughout the book, i could definitely feel that it aims to be a cozy mystery read and it delivered! if there's one thing that made me go a little "awwwh" was that the romance between greta and her detective boyfriend, wish there was more on them!

wardah.

Greta is back and this time Greta and her friends are hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference. Greta has been working non-stop to make sure this conference goes off without a hitch while avoiding her ex-boyfriend who she hasn't seen since leaving Green Bay. Everything is going well, until a woman is found murdered next to Bobber's Bar. Blythe was part of the local treasure hunting club and is believed to have a secret discovery that she planned to announce at the showcase this weekend. Was her murder related to an infamous gangster from the past?

I love this cozy mystery series. I devoured the first two books in a week and was excited to dive right into A Killer Hold. The historical significance that was imbedded into the murder mystery was intriguing and I was excited to see that it was based off of true events that was stated in the author's notes. My only disappointment with this book was the relationship with the Detective and Greta. Although we get to learn more about the Detective's past, I wish there was a little more romance between the two in this story. I am hoping that their relationship continues to grow in the next book of this series.

I love a cozy mystery. Greta is such a lovable character. The romance between Greta and detective is so sweet, I’m hoping we get to see more of it. The book as a whole is a very easy read with plenty of plot twists and very wholesome romance.

This is the third book in the *Larkspur Library* series, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the characters, their friendships, and the rich history of the small town of Larkspur. This installment focuses on the Midwest’s history as a haven for gangsters fleeing the FBI, along with the rumors of hidden treasures they may have left behind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review ~ A Killer Hold~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been excited for A Killer Hold since finishing book 2 and Leah did not disappoint! I was especially interested in learning more about Greta’s ex and seeing how the various couples are progressing. I read this book in one sitting, it was cute with just enough drama and mystery to keep me intrigued all the way to the end! I highly recommend this series if you are looking for something sweet and cozy!

Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books for this ARC!

Book Review: A Killer Hold by Leah Dobrinska

Rating: 4 Stars

As a lover of cozy mysteries, I was thrilled to dive into A Killer Hold by Leah Dobrinska. The story follows Greta Plank, the director of the Larkspur Community Library, who finds herself juggling not only the upcoming Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference but also the unexpected drama of her ex-boyfriend's arrival. To add to the chaos, she’s helping a local treasure-hunting club with an event that showcases the notorious gangster history of Northern Wisconsin. As spring blooms, so does a tangled web of secrets that Greta must unravel.

Things take a dark turn when a heated argument between the library board president and a charismatic member of the treasure-hunting club catches Greta's attention. When one of them mysteriously ends up dead shortly after leaving behind a book filled with peculiar markings, Greta can't resist the pull to investigate despite her new boyfriend, Detective Mark McHenry, urging her otherwise. The stakes rise as she deciphers clues that suggest there’s more than meets the eye regarding the deceased’s life and her connection to the gangster trail event. The plot thickens as Greta races against time to uncover the truth, leading to a thrilling conclusion that kept me on the edge of my seat.

First off, I have to mention what a delightful cover this book has! The writing is sharp, witty, and entertaining, making it easy to get lost in the story. Dobrinska has crafted a well-plotted mystery filled with likable characters who feel real and relatable. I particularly enjoyed the historical tie-ins that added depth and richness to the storyline.

Overall, A Killer Hold is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys a good whodunit with a mix of humor and heart. I give it four out of five stars for its engaging narrative and captivating characters—it’s a delightful addition to the cozy mystery genre that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite mystery series. But then I'm a sucker for a librarian sleuth. And this third book in the series is just as good as the previous two. I love that all of the titles have library related titles with a puny twist.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This spring Greta Plank, Director of the Larkspur Community Library is getting ready for a slew of librarians to arrive for the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference. Speakers, accommodations, and meals have all been planned to make the event a rousing success, but Greta is nervous about her ex-boyfriend/ex-boss taking part in the event.

While Greta is busy with the conference, library board president Cindi Fields is working on an event with her treasure-hunting club focused on Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail. One of the members, Blythe Prescott says she has made a secret discovery and can’t wait to share all the details at their event the following weekend.

After Blythe leaves the library Greta realizes one of the books she returned didn’t belong to the library. It was filled with odd markings – letters circled and notes in the margins. Greta wants to return the book to its owner but before she can the woman is killed. When Greta brings the book to the attention of Police Chief Sorenson thinking it may help find the killer she is surprised that he asks her to work as a consultant and try to figure out what the notations mean. This doesn’t make Detective Mark McHenry. her new significant other happy but it may keep her busy while the police try to solve the case. Wrong . . . when she starts to uncover clues to the killer she realizes she could be the killer’s next victim.

The librarians in Larkspur are a tight-knit bunch. Greta, Iris, and Josie are friends as well as co-workers and Iris and Josie are there to support Greta and try to help her avoid spending time with her ex Nathan. He really was a creepy dude trying to press himself into conversations and trying to get her alone. He also wants to insert himself into the new murder case. I was very happy that Detective McHenry was by her side and made their relationship quite clear the first time they all came face to face. All the characters Ms. Dobrinska has created for this story/series feel very true to life. Some we can love and others easy to dislike. There were a couple that pushed my buttons but you have those in every small town. The relationship between McHenry and Greta needs more depth but it is moving in the right direction.

What intrigued me was the way the author explored Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail as part of the story. Living in Wisconsin I have heard the stories many times but the way she used the history of the Little Bohemia Lodge as a “jumping off point” for her fictional story gave it solid roots that I really enjoyed. Larkspur became the middle of a hotbed of quite a mystery.

The mystery wrapped around the history was filled with twists and well-plotted but it did bog down in a few places. I found myself having a hard time getting a bead on who could be the killer which always makes things fun. Greta took risks and her findings added more layers to the mystery. They also put her in grave danger but she had a plan. The identity of the killer surprised me. I liked the way everyone worked together to bring them down.

A Killer Hold was an enjoyable escape full of history and mystery with likable characters in an interesting Wisconsin Northwoods town. I am ready to see what the next chapter brings for Greta and the people of Larkspur. Until December . . .

When I saw there was a new release in Leah Dobrinska’s Larkspur Library series, I knew I had to get my hands on A Killer Hold. I absolutely love this series.

This series follows Greta, a librarian in a small Wisconsin town. Her two best friends are her sidekicks, and she’s in a relationship with one of the town’s cops. Honestly, this series feels like a love letter to Nancy Drew, and I’ve even read somewhere that Nancy is a big inspiration for the series. And I’m here for it.

In A Killer Hold, Greta’s library is co-hosting the state’s annual library conference alongside the neighboring town’s library. During the first day of the conference, a local is killed outside a bar where the librarians are gathering. And while Greta initially tries to stay out of it, she ends up juggling investigating and attending the conference.

I’ll be the first to admit that this book has a lot going on. There is a lot of history about gangsters in Wisconsin and a mystery around a possible treasure left behind. Then there is all the conference stuff, and Greta has to deal with her ex, a fellow librarian in attendance. Add in the murder and a host of suspects. But in the end, Ms. Dobrinska was able to tie it all together, and, for me, it was a satisfying mystery and conclusion.

While the mystery was quite good, the main characters are the best part of this book (and the series). I find Greta very likable. I enjoy her relationship with McHenry and her friendship with Josie and Iris. Greta’s interactions with these three, while sleuthing or not, round out the book and keep me coming back.

I’m enjoying the development of the characters, their relationships, and their growth as sleuths. I found this mystery complex yet well-rounded, and I figured out the solution right before the reveal, which is always nice.

A Killer Hold is my favorite book of this series to this point. I recommend this series to fans of Nancy Drew or anyone who loves a good, cozy mystery.

“A Killer Hold” is the nicely done third book in Leah Dobrinska's Larkspur Library cozy mystery series. While this is the third book, it is the first one I’ve read in the series but I never felt lost regarding the setting and characters. Main character Greta Plank is the Director of the Larkspur Community Library and in this book she is hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference and helping a local treasure-hunting club with a presentation highlighting Northern Wisconsin’s gangster hideouts. The book is a nice blend of real-life history as well as fiction. The mystery is well done with several layers – a murder, an alleged buried treasure, secret codes, sketchy jewelry shop owners, and more. The main murder mystery is very well done with some twists and turns, red herrings, and plenty of suspects. I like to try and figure out who the killer is as I read the book but I was totally shocked when all was revealed – the clues were cleverly planted, I just missed them.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

In the third Larkspur Library Mystery novel, readers return to the Larkspur community library where director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization annual conference, which signifies the impending arrival of her ex-boyfriend, while also helping the local treasure hunters prepare their gangster trail exhibit. When the library board president and treasure-hunting club member are overheard arguing, no one thinks anything of it -- or a marked-up book in the return bin -- until someone winds up dead. Against her new boyfriend Detective Mark McHenry’s wishes, Greta winds up on the case, and there’s always something more to the story. With a ticking clock and a library conference going on, Greta has her hands full in this new and exciting mystery novel with a historical twist. A great continuation of the series, the progression of the characters’ development and the growth of the Larkspur Library community is absolutely fascinating, especially as these developments play roles in the new mystery. Greta continues to be an enjoyable, interesting, and unique protagonist with a circle of funny, relatable, and complementary characters in the mix that add a lot to this funny, cozy, and charming new mystery novel and the world Dobrinska has created in this great cozy mystery series.

Another fun cozy set in a library, engaging enough to make me want to continue the series, but not different enough to stand out from the plethora of other cozies set in libraries.

I absolutely loved this book! I didn't realise when starting that it was the 3rd book in the Larkspur Library Mysteries series, however I don't feel like it mattered. I'd definitely recommend as a standalone if you haven't read the previous books either. It's a really cosy murder mystery, it didn't drag out too long and I genuinely couldn't wait to find out who it was!

Such a fun, quick read! I enjoyed the author and would definitely read more of their work. The story was fun, and interesting!

Thank you Level Best Books and NetGalley for the DRC of A Killer Hold! All opinions in this review are my own.

I feel like each book in the Larkspur Library Mysteries series just keeps getting better! This mystery is well-paced and has enough new developments in the story to keep me interested. I also loved the historical connection to it!

✒️📖ARC REVIEW📖🖋️

A lot was packed into these ~200 pages! The story mainly follows Greta, a librarian in a small town, during an annual library conference her branch was chosen to host that year. The conference is the backdrop that draws several other victims and suspects into the quant town of Larkspur.

Greta has a short history as an amateur sleuth in the town, and gets drawn in to the case of a local murdered outside of a local restaurant. The clues come out little by little over the course of the conference week. In true thriller fashion, everyone seems to have a motive and the case gets more and more twisted as clues are found.

There is a bit of romance in the book. The love interest is a detective of the police station…who of course doesn’t like Greta poking around cases -for her own safety. There is also gangster history tied into the mystery behind the murder.

All in all a quick, enjoyable read.

The text messages could have been laid out a bit better. There were plenty of characters to keep track of, but they were mentioned enough times with their importance connected that it wasn’t too big of an issue. This being the 3rd book in the series was not too much of a continuity issue. Some references to previous cases were made, but nothing that would make the reader confused or enjoy the book any less.

I was provided a free advanced reader copy courtesy of Level Best Books and Leah Dobrinska via NetGalley. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

#arc #advancedreadercopy #NetGalley #akillerhold #LeahDobrinska #LevelBestBooks

A quick fun read with a good story and some fun characters. I missed that it was actually the third book in the series and think i may have enjoyed it a bit more had I read the first two. I was looking for something entertaining to read over the holiday break and this definitely filled my wants.
Mystery with a touch of romance and a good plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this fun read in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed reading this sooo much!! Thak you Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this beautiful book!!
I enjoyed the cozy and heartfelt setting along with the detective being the librarian greta !!
Can't wait to binge read all three of them together!!! Loved it very much

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. Was a bit of a slower paced book and it did take a bit for me to get into.

Greta is back and this time Greta and her friends are hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference. Greta has been working non-stop to make sure this conference goes off without a hitch while avoiding her ex-boyfriend who she hasn't seen since leaving Green Bay. Everything is going well, until a woman is found murdered next to Bobber's Bar. Blythe was part of the local treasure hunting club and is believed to have a secret discovery that she planned to announce at the showcase this weekend. Was her murder related to an infamous gangster from the past?

I love this cozy mystery series. I devoured the first two books in a week and was excited to dive right into A Killer Hold. The historical significance that was imbedded into the murder mystery was intriguing and I was excited to see that it was based off of true events that was stated in the author's notes. My only disappointment with this book was the relationship with the Detective and Greta. Although we get to learn more about the Detective's past, I wish there was a little more romance between the two in this story. I am hoping that their relationship continues to grow in the next book of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for the opportunity to review A Killer Hold.