Death Checked Out

When I agreed to review Mayhem in Circulation, the second book in the Larkspur Library series, I knew I needed to read Death Checked Out first to get the lay of the land.  What I got was a bunch of interesting characters, an idyllic small-town setting and a library!  Ok, and a pretty darn well-crafted mystery.

I found Greta quite likeable and a pretty capable amateur sleuth.  Yes, she bumbled around a little, but as it was her first foray into sleuthing, I wasn't too bothered by it.  As a librarian, she has a pretty organized mind and loved flexing her researching muscles.  I liked her interactions with her co-workers and friends, and I'm interested to see if anything comes of the sparks between her and the new detective in town.

The mystery was pretty solid.  I figured it out before the reveal, but only in general terms, I didn't get the whole why of the situation.  That said, as I often complain in cozy mysteries, I wasn't a fan of the reveal.  Greta was close to solving it and then is being confronted by the murderer.  I just wish she figured it out first.  But in the end, it didn't matter since it still made for a good mystery.

This is my first book by Leah Dobrinska, but it won't be my last.  I enjoyed the characters, setting and mystery.  There was just enough world building, but the murder plot wasn't lost in the shuffle and for that I was thankful.  I'm looking forward to reading Mayhem in Circulation.