Lakeside Library Mystery: Book #3
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Rain Wilmot must find a novel solution in order to catch another killer—before her book club members are picked off one by one.
Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.
Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book club’s recent selection of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel, Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?
The deeper Rain goes into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident involving an old classmate years earlier? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscripts and someone killed her for them? And who stands to gain the recently inherited piece of waterfront property that Lily received from a long-lost relative?
With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be checked out for good?
I have enjoyed the first two books in the Lakeside Library Mystery series by author Holly Danvers, so I was excited to jump into Read to Death at the Lakeside Library. And I must say, I ended up with a pretty solid story.
Rain is finding her place in the community of Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, by reviving the book club her mother used to run. But when one of the book club members turns up dead shortly after their inaugural meeting, Rain and her friends decide to investigate.
I found the whole murder within the new book club plot very interesting. And the twist that the first book that the club read, an Agatha Christie novel, seems to parallel the murder was quite intriguing. Ms. Danvers had enough suspects and even motives to keep me on my toes and turning the pages to see how it all worked out in the end. And speaking of the end, while I wasn’t surprised by whodunit, I found the conclusion satisfying.
What I loved about the book was the addition of a new character, Benzo the Dog. I’m a sucker for dogs in stories, as they tend to make it all a little more real to me. I also like that Rain is starting to develop a romance with Jace, a local cop and the brother of her best friend. They’ve been circling around each other in the previous books but make some headway in this installment.
What I didn’t love? Julia, the best friend, tends to get on my nerves a little bit. She’s Rain’s opposite and gets Rain into more trouble than is probably necessary. While I can relate to Rain, Julia confuses me. And as with most cozy mysteries, I wish the mystery was purposely solved rather than oddly stumbled upon the resolution. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the conclusion, but the big reveal seemed rather abrupt and jarring. At least it was tempered by an epilogue where everything was explained in better detail.
Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is a solid addition to this series. It has a well-developed plot and good character growth. As with most series, the book can be read on its own, but it is better if you’ve read prior books. I recommend it for fans of cozy mysteries set in small towns.
Holly Danvers grew up devouring every mystery novel on the shelf of her local library. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and 3 chickens, where she’s already plotting her next novel.
