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Summer is winding down and I am preparing to go back to work. Fit in a few more library and Hoopla reads here.

I always enjoy Belinda Bauer books and The Facts of Life and Death is no exception. A small, tragically underserved, almost cut off community is being terrorized by a killer. As police and citizens mobilize to hunt this killer in their midst it is the smallest amongst them who notices things and puts clues together. This was a really good read, very hard to put down from start to finish. The sense of isolation and almost claustrophobia that the community has comes through on the pages. Tension filled writing with excellent pacing that pushes through to the end without any dragging along the way. Highly recommended.

For Whom the Book Tolls is the first in a cozy mystery series. Jenna Quinn is down on her luck and down to her last dime when she is invited by her uncle to stay with him and work in his bookshop until she finds her feet again. The murder of her Uncle has the police naturally looking at her. Nicely drawn characters, an interesting background in the town of Hokes Folly, NC, and a well plotted mystery make this a great opener to a new series. Looking forward to reading another.

Devil’s Food Cake Murder is book 14 in the Hannah Swenson series. Another visit to Lake Eden, this time filled with deception, jewel heists, and murder. As usual we have the local characters and Hannah’s love interests, Mike and Norman. This is a comforting visit with old friends, if your old friends are sleuths that solve murders!. There is a bit of a surprise announcement at the end for long time readers.

Paranoid by Lisa Jackson is a classic case of a crime today being linked to a crime from the past. 20 years ago Rachel’s brother Luke was killed in what seemed like it might have been an accident or not? Now today, people involved are dying and Rachel is getting text messages that seem to be from beyond the grave. Twists and turns and very critical jabs at life in insular small towns, the downside of everyone knowing everyone and know one ever forgetting. Lots of red herrings and distractions from the main plot. I found some of the characters a bit annoying but still a fun domestic thriller read.

Murder at the Lakeside Library is the first in a new series. Rain Wilmont has returned to her family’s summer cabin to spend some time healing from her husband’s death and infidelity. She discovers that during her absence her mother has expanded the cabin’s library and made it a local attraction and everyone is expecting her to open and run it. A murder on the site, her parents troubled marriage, the identity of the victim, and her own family history all complicate what was supposed to be a peaceful retreat for her. She reconnects with an old summer friend and together they investigate uncovering old secrets and new. An okay read.