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Library Lover’s Mystery is a series of cozy mystery novels that follow the exploits of a local Connecticut Librarian that solves murders.
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Order of Library Lover's Mystery Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Books Can Be Deceiving | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Due or Die | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Book, Line and Sinker | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Read It and Weep | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | On Borrowed Time | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | An Unlikely Meeting (Short Story) | 2015 | ||
| 7 | A Likely Story | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Better Late Than Never | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Death in the Stacks | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Hitting the Books | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Word to the Wise | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | One for the Books | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | Killer Research | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | The Plot and the Pendulum | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | Fatal First Edition | 2024 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | A Merry Little Murder Plot | 2024 | Description / Buy |
Written by Jenn McKinlay, the Library Lover’s Mystery novels revolve around the adventures of Lindsey Norris. Norris is the director of the Public Library in Briar Creek, the small town in which she resides.
Briar Creek is a great place to live. The people are friendly and everyone knows everyone else, so one can always find help whenever they need it. Lindsay Norris is new to her position as Library Director in Briar Creek.
But by the time she is introduced in Books Can Be Deceiving, the first Library Lover’s Mystery novel, Norris has already begun to get a handle on things. The heroine loves books and she elicits joy from not only interacting with other people who are just as passionate about the medium but also helping them find whatever they want when they stop by her library.
Norris works in the company of Beth, her best friend who operates as the Briar Creek Children’s Librarian. The library plays host to a litany of staff members, most of whom are rather friendly but some of whom make things more complicated than they should be, chief amongst which is an aging spinster called Miss Cole.
Lindsay Norris’ sleuthing adventures begin when an editor from New York comes to Briar Creek. Her friend Beth wants to sell this editor her book. However, her longtime boyfriend keeps getting in the way.
When Norris and Beth attempt to confront him and he ends up dead, Beth becomes the prime suspect. To keep her friend out of prison, Norris quickly puts her mind to the task of solving the case.
The incident gives Norris a taste for the sleuthing business and it isn’t long after that she begins to snoop around Briar Creek’s mysteries, crimes, and murders.
For the most part, Lindsay Norris does not set out to find trouble. However, crimes are frequently committed within her vicinity, and when the people she knows are involved, either because they are suspected of perpetrating these crimes or they are the victims, she cannot help but involve herself.
While the Library Lover’s novels are classified as cozy mysteries, the mystery aspect often takes a back seat in favor of exploring the minutiae of Norris’ life. In fact, many readers have complained that the author spends so much time talking about Norris’ knitting habits and the fashion preferences of her friends and neighbors that the mystery doesn’t get nearly as much development.
The Library Lover’s Mystery series has been commended for providing intriguing insight into the workings of the average public library.
Best Library Lover’s Mystery Books
The Library Lover’s Mystery novels are simple, straightforward cozy mysteries, with some of the best books in the series including:
A Likely Story: The residents of Thumb islands do not get out much, so Lindsay Norris is forced to take a boat out of Briar Creek to deliver books to them. But the librarian doesn’t really mind. Two of the elders, Peter and Stewart, have piqued her interest and she considers visiting them from time to time to be an adventure.
When Peter dies, all the suspicion falls upon Stewart who has disappeared. Norris is fairly certain that Stewart is more of a victim than a perpetrator. She makes it her goal to solve Peter’s murder in the hope that it will lead her to Stewart before he also dies.
Death in the Stacks: The Stacks fundraising dinner is fast approaching and Norris and her staff at the library cannot wait to participate. Norris knows that the event raises a lot of money for the library so she is more than ready to do her part to make it a success.
The same cannot be said for Olive Boyle, the president of the Library board who has done nothing but make the staff miserable. When Olive goes too far, Lindsay throws her out of the Library.
She is found dead sometime later and there is no shortage of suspects.
Other Book Series You May Like
Another great read is the “Fixer-Upper” Series by Kate Carlisle. Shannon Hammer is a contractor that operates out of a seaside town in California. Every once in a while, Shannon puts her toolbox aside to solve mysteries and murders.
Many readers have also enjoyed the “Maine Clambake Mystery” Series by Barbara Ross. When Julia Snowden goes home to Busman’s Harbor, it is with the intention of helping the family Clambake business stay afloat. But crimes keep happening all around her and Julia is often the best and most unlikely person to solve them.
What Is The Next Book in The Library Lover's Mystery Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Library Lover's Mystery Series. The newest book is A Merry Little Murder Plot and was released on October, 8th 2024.