I received a copy of Last Pen Standing from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Last Pen Standing is the first in a new series, the A Stationery Shop Mystery Series, by Vivian Conroy.  This series is set in scenic Montana.  Delta is just moving to Montana as the new co-owner of a stationery store business with her friend Hazel from college.  Hazel has also moved her troubled brother Finn to the small town for a fresh start and soon the three of them find themselves embroiled in a open murder case.  Hazel, desperate to clear her business partner and  Finn, seeks the help of a group of the store’s crafting customers and an ex-cop with his retired K-9. A fun group of characters and a beautiful setting added to a well constructed mystery plot make for a really well done cozy mystery!

No Cats Allowed is installment number 7 in the A Cat in the Stacks series with librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon Diesel.  In this book, there is a new interim library director who seems bent on making everyone in the library miserable, so much so that when he ends up being murdered there is quite a long list of possible suspects.  Charlie uses his research skills and his contacts to investigate.  Meanwhile, in Charlie’s personal life his relationships continues to develop, his son is getting married and he is looking forward to being a grandfather.  This was a great outing in this series, we see a lot of growth in Charlie’s character over the course of this book.  I am looking forward to the next book in this series!