I just love The Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook (pen name for Marilyn Levinson). Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the ARC of book seven, Overdue or Die, available today Oct. 10. If you’re a cozy mystery fan and a library lover, be sure to pick up this series–it's like a warm hug with a little dash of murder and romance.

Librarian Carrie Singleton lives in the small town of Clover Ridge with her fiancé Dylan Avery. She’s busy the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving overseeing the library’s new programming wing and finding the perfect venue for her wedding. Then Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery and Carrie just can’t stay away from finding out who is guilty.

A great mystery and cozy details made this a perfect fall reading escape. I love the ghost element with Evelyn, the library’s ghost who only Carrie can see. There’s a wonderful cast of characters and a handful of seedy suspects that I wasn’t sure who to pin the crime on. It’s a charming read, perfect for this time of year for those of us who like suspense but no gore.

Overdue or Die is book #7 in the Haunted Library Mystery series by Allison Brook.

I really like Carrie, Dylan, and their friends and family including the pets. There is a lot going on in this book with wedding planning, events at the library, Uncle Bosco’s health, art forgery, murder, and more. I loved how all these various storylines were wrapped up. I was completely surprised by the guilty party. I figured it out when Carrie did. I’m so happy Carrie is excited about her wedding and can’t wait for it!

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is book 7 in a very solidly written cozy mystery series. Every book shows character growth and development, while still having an entertaining mystery. This one was no exception, well written and fun! Highly recommend this series!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Overdue or Die (The Haunted Library Mysteries #7) by Allison Brook from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with an interesting plot, a touch of romance and a quirky cast of fun characters including a ghostly confidant and a feisty feline this book is for you …

The seventh entry in the Haunted Library series picks up where book six ends. As usual, Carrie’s life is busier than ever, she is busy on the work front prepping for the grand opening of Clover Ridge Library’s new wing and unveiling their new community art gallery featuring a special collection. It also appears to Carrie that one of her assistants who is an aspiring artist seems a little restless. When she sees her assistant speaking with a gallery owner, she fears her assistant is being drawn to a new job.

On the home front she is struggling to plan the perfect wedding to fiancé Dylan, but she cannot find the perfect venue. Just when she seems at her limit, Carrie’s great uncle Bosco lands in the hospital after suffering a heart attack, Dylan is attacked on a business trip and a rare painting in his possession is stolen almost pushing her over the edge.

Pulling herself together she throws herself into the grand opening only to have it crashed by a poor woman with dementia, insisting her inherited property had been illegally sold.

When both the poor old woman and the gallery owner are murdered Carrie gets drawn into another set of murders. With her reputation for solving crimes everyone is expecting once again that Carrie will come to the rescue and with Dylan’s help that is what she does.

As always, Carrie gets more than she bargained for. When clues point her in different directions, between forged paintings, organized crime, witness protection and scandalous affairs, things once again become overwhelming. The more clues are uncovered the wider the suspect pool becomes including friends and foes alike.

I thoroughly enjoy the series but to be honest this entry is not my favorite. This time around the climax felt a little flat to me but I am not ready to give this series up yet. It is still a quick fun cozy to help wile away the hours.

If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with an interesting plot, a touch of romance and a quirky cast of fun characters including a ghostly confidant and a feisty feline this book is for you.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
(Rounded up from 3.5)

My thoughts…

This mystery is solid. Carrie and Dylan are trying to plan their wedding, but as any good cozy story, there is a complication. In this case, the complication revolves around Dylan’s world more than Carrie’s, which was a refreshing change. The stress of planning a wedding, having a beau who is always on the move, and trying to solve the murder of Martha are the three driving forces of this seventh installment of the series.

The first driving force is Carrie and Dylan planning their wedding, and this driving force is interrupted by the second – Dylan being on the move for his job. In a previous installment, Dylan wanted to be more settled so he could start a life with Carrie, but art forgery is calling, and Dylan answers the call. This is an important piece to the story’s overall puzzle.

Readers are brought into the world of art forgery, Dylan’s bailiwick, and the nuances that brings to art dealers and collectors. Dylan is asked to help sort through what is real and what is forged, and this is more dangerous than he – or Carrie – is prepared to deal with.

The final complication is the murder of Martha. Part of the mystery Carrie must solve is the truth of who Martha was before she came to Clover Ridge and how much of an impact that has on her murder.

I was disappointed to not see as much of Evelyn, our resident library ghost, as part of the story, but since readers are brought into the art world more than the library one, it makes sense. She is there to offer advice to Carrie as needed, but I really missed their interplay. They are so good together on the page.

As a whole, this cozy worked for me.

WHO WILL WANT TO READ THIS: This book will appeal to cozy readers in general, but most especially to those who enjoy library-themed cozies. This series also makes a great audiobook, so if you wish to consume your stories this way, I also recommend that.

The book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Overdue or Die by Allison Brook is a mystery based around a library. This library has a cat of its own, Smokey Joe, who is really owned by library special events coordinator, Carrie. There is also a ghost, Evelyn, who visits Carrie in her office and suggest things for her to follow up on: sometimes murder, sometimes not. The story opens with Uncle Bosco in CCU following a heart attack. Carrie is beside herself. She can’t lose him. As it appears he will recover, she returns to work. The new special events wing is opening and she has much to prepare. One of her primary concerns is that one of her part-time assistants, Susan, will leave and move on to greener pastures. It is only a matter of time. The opening ceremony goes off well until an older woman comes racing in, insisting that this house was hers and the library had remodeled it without owning it. By the next morning that had been settled and it was determined that Emily Pierce Fielding was in the throes of dementia and had escaped from her niece’s care. Whew! Before too long, word got out that Martha, a local gallery owner had been murdered. There was lots of scuttlebutt about Martha, including what Carrie had seen just last week: Martha in the arms of a man who wan’t her husband.

Carrie was engaged to be married to Dylan Avery, the most perfect man alive. He was a private investigator, who, since he had expanded his business, was not out of town often. Lately he had been because of a painting his uncle had left him. He had finally gotten ahold of the man who had it, but had been accosted on his way back to the hotel with it and it had been stolen. He was now in the middle of a counterfeit art investigation. It was beginning to look like Martha had been involved, as well. This all made for a very complicated life. Both good and interesting characters, they each had their own lives, as well as the one they shared. Martha’s murder didn’t really inspire Carrie to investigate, but the murder of Emily Fielding did; then things got really complicated. Lots of storylines. Dylan and Carrie managed to solve the whole thing, including his problems with counterfeit art, and make a good beginning on planning their wedding. A very pleasant book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Overdue or Die by Crooked Lane Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #CrookedLaneBooks #AllisonBrook #OverdueOrDie

Carrie has finally decided to marry Dylan and find the wedding location of her dreams. The only problem is now that she’s ready, the world isn’t. Dylan gets called out of town to pick up an old inheritance and runs into trouble. The library wing is being dedicated and an older woman claims she owns this property. And then the murders begin. Will Carrie solve the murders and find the wedding venue of her dreams. Enjoy the read and find out!

The seventh book in this excellent series which is based in the Clover Ridge Library and features a resident ghost called Evelyn. Carrie Singleton is the Librarian and one of very few people who is able to see and chat to the ghost.

After seven books it is great to see Carrie and her fiancé Dylan making real plans for their wedding which may well happen in the next book. This book features art fraud, murder and lots of suspects which keeps Carrie very busy indeed. It is an interesting mystery and an entertaining story.

Looking forward to the next book and hopefully a wedding. I wonder what role Smoky Joe, the library cat, will play.

This is book 7 in the Haunted Library Mystery series. Carrie and Dylan are busy planning their wedding when they go to the home of Victor Zalinska , a local art collector to choose some paintings for the library art show. Dylan spots a forgery in Victor's collection and this leads to murder and intrigue. Evelyn, the library ghost plays a role and helps solve the murder and the art theft ring. An enjoyable read that can be read as a stand alone.

I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series and I was still easily able to read as though I had. Carrie Singleton is about to be married. She is making the wedding plans with her fiancée Dylan. Of course, things can't be perfect and an art dealer is murdered. Alas, this isn't the only murder! Carrie with Evelyn's help, tries to sort through a list of suspects and solve both murders. Smokey Joe is a favorite character for me!

I really loved this book and will be starting at the beginning to learn the backstories of all of the characters.

Overdue or Die is the seventh book in the Haunted Library Mysteries. This is the first book I have read in the series.

Carrie Singleton is a busy woman. She works at the Clover Ridge Library, is planning for her upcoming wedding to Dylan Avery. Her Uncle Bosco has recently had a heart attack and is in the hospital.

Dylan and Carrie invited to the home of Victor Zalinka, an art collector and successful businessman in order to select paintings for an art show at the library. While there Dylan believes he sees a forgery among the paintings in Victor's collection.

Shortly after Martha Mallory is found murdered in her art gallery. Carrie works with Evelyn, the library ghost and the office manager of Dylan’s private investigation company and comes up with a list of suspects.

This was a fun cozy afternoon read.

Carrie Singleton works at her local library. She's newly engaged and is just planning her wedding. When the local art gallery owner is killed. Carrie starts to ask questions and discovers a plethora of suspects. Mob connections and some art forgery.

I enjoyed following the clues with Carrie and Dylan. I think my favorite character is Evelyn the ghostly librarian. I can't wait to see what happens next in the series.

Another cozy mystery series that I have stumbled upon mid-way in the series! Overdue or Die is the seventh book while it is the first one I have read. Judging by what I read, all the characters that are part of the Clover Ridge society and their backstories seem well developed by now and Carrie and Dylan are well on their way to get married soon. Overall, I liked the characters and the setting of the book and the mystery was well plotted although the first murder does not occur until chapter 15! I am curious to know how the story of these Clover Ridge residents began and also the story of Evelyn the ghost who resides in the library. I will be sure to check out the earlier titles in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author Allison Brook for the e-Arc of the book. Expected publication is 10th October, 2023.

It’s nearing winter in Connecticut where Carrie and Dylan are planning a wedding. Life keeps getting in the way. Dylan gets hurt while working on his Uncle Alec’s estate. Carrie is worried about losing her assistant Susan to Susan’s art. One of the art gallery owners is murdered. Uncle Boscoe had a heart attack, which has Aunt Harriet and Carrie worried.
Evelyn, the library ghost, pops up nearly every day but she has little to contribute other than to remind us that the library is haunted.
Book #7 in the Haunted Library series revolves around art, art forgeries and family. It’s a fun read that lets Carrie shine.
I enjoy keeping up with the characters in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for making this book available for review.

Overdue or Die is the seventh cozy mystery in The Haunted Library Mystery Series. Carrie Singleton is in the middle of planning her wedding and celebrations Thanksgiving when another murderer strikes and she finds herself wrapped up in the case.

I have read this series from the beginning and have always enjoyed it, this book was no different. I enjoyed the characters as much as always and am excited to see how Carrie and Dylan’s wedding planning plays out. The new characters in this series and the seedy art forging ring bring a new angle to this series, which I enjoyed as well. There really isn’t much I didn’t like about this book. The only thing I wish there had been a little bit more of is the library and our resident library ghost. It felt like this story got a little bit away from that, but maybe I was too tied up in the mystery that I didn’t notice the part the library played in this cozy. Anyway, this was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Carrie and the gang!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC version of this book!

Carrie Singleton was at a perfect stage of her life; she and her fiance Dylan Avery were organising their wedding; her position at the Clover Ridge Library continued to make her happy; Smokey Joe, her cat and constant companion, kept her on her toes, and the new addition to the library was about to be used for the first time. But Carrie's one concern was the art gallery, and the possibility that Susan, one of her part time employees, would leave the library for the gallery. And when Carrie and Dylan visited the home of Victor Zalinka, Dylan was shocked to see a forgery among Victor's collection of art.

When a woman was murdered, then another elderly lady also murdered, the local police were baffled. As Carrie compiled a list of suspects, they realised the list was long, and there were many tangled webs through the small town, which pointed to something much bigger than any of them had imagined. Would Carrie discover the culprit before someone else died?

Overdue or Die is the 7th in The Haunted Library Mysteries by Allison Brook and it was fun and entertaining. The library's resident ghost, Evelyn, played a pivotal part, as she often does, with Smokey Joe always on the sidelines. Carrie is an excellent character, and she and Dylan make a great team. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have read almost all of the books in The Haunted Library series by Allison Brook and I have loved all of them! I have grown to love the characters in the series. From Carrie and her fiancé, Dylan to her aunt and uncle, Harriet and Bosco to the resident library ghost, Evelyn. This one has multiple murder mysteries and lots of side things going on that will pull you into the book and keep you invested until the last page. Lots of twists and turns along with the fun of experiencing the wedding planning aspect for Carrie and Dylan. I am looking forward to the next book to see how their relationship continues to develop and what crazy murder mystery Carrie will find herself in the middle of investigating. Definitely pick up the first book in this series and fall in love with the people at the Clover Ridge Library in Connecticut. You will be in for many hours of entertaining reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Carrie and Dylan are meant to be preparing for their wedding but first there's murder! Fans of this series, which features Evelyn the hoot of a ghost in the library and Smokey Joe the cat, know that the killing of an art dealer is going to lead to. more villainous activity. And, cozy readers know that the first victim had many people who had issues with him. Never fear, our intrepid heroine and her pals will solve the crimes. Best of all. though, for those who have been following along, are updates on the large and boisterous family. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read that should be fine as a standalone.

This is pretty much everything I want a cozy mystery to be. A main character who has had some growth, a world of likable characters, an animal sidekick with some serious opinions, and books. Throw in a ghost and I'm pretty happy. I especially enjoyed the art forgery aspect of this and liked that Carrie and Dylan's worlds kind of collide there as they are both pulled into the same mystery.

I enjoyed seeing a bit more of Carrie's growth. Not only is she becoming more comfortable and confident in her job she is also getting better at being vulnerable with the people she loves most. I've also really enjoyed the development of her relationship with her father.

The mystery kept me intrigued. I was fascinated by the art forgery links and I'm always fascinated by the discovery of fraud. The balance between Carrie's regular life and mystery solving was well done and the pacing made this a fast read. I've enjoyed this series from the beginning and this latest book was an entertaining read.

Another adventure with Carrie Singleton and her ghostly friend, Evelyn. Carrie is already dealing with being overwhelmed by wedding plans when unsolved murders show up again. I don't want to give too much away, but this time her fiancee, Dylan, gets more involved. Dylan and Carrie try to make sense of seemingly unconnected events in order to help resolve matters for their friends.
This series is an easy-to-read, cozy mystery series that book lovers will find enjoyable. Focuses on small-town life and local issues.