This is a great new addition to this series. I will read anything and everything by Jenn McKinlay, but especially this series. Lindsey and Sully have my whole heart.

When librarian Lindsey Norris and her husband, Sully, go to a library conference in Chicago, Lindsey is excited to spend some time learning more about book restoration. Her home library in Briar Creek, Connecticut, has just acquired a collection that will need extra time and attention. But as the talk with restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright comes to a close, Lindsey reaches under her chair for her bag and finds another bookbag. She looks around to see if it belongs to someone else, but there is no one nearby, and no one in the room seems to be looking for a missing bag.

Inside the bag, Lindsey finds a first edition of Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train. And on the title page is an autograph from the author, signed to director Alfred Hitchcock, who directed the film based on the book. Lindsey knows that not only is that book incredibly rare, it’s worth a lot of money. She hands it over to the man running the conference for safekeeping, until the owner surfaces.

After the conference, Lindsey and Sully go back to Connecticut by train, along with a lot of the other conference attendees who live on the East Coast. But when the conference director is murdered on the train, Lindsey can’t help but wonder if the Highsmith book had anything to do with his murder. \

The train stops at the next station so that the authorities can investigate. The stop happens to be Lindsey and Sully’s, so they get to go home. But all the other conference attendees that were on the train also have to get off. The police put them up at the local inn, especially since there is a snowstorm coming that will make any more travel unsafe.

As Police Chief Emma is starting her investigation, questioning everyone who was at the conference and on the train, Sully goes to ferry supplies to the small island where his parents live before the storm gets too bad. But as the hours go by and Lindsey hasn’t heard from Sully, she knows that something is terribly wrong.

As Lindsey tries to figure out where Sully is, she realizes that there is most likely a killer stuck in town. So she has to fight the weather to try to find who the killer is, so she can make sure to get Sully back in time. But it’s going to take the help of her library crafters and best friends to come up with coup de grace that will bring the killer to light.

Fatal First Edition is Jenn McKinlay’s fourteenth book in her popular Library Lover’s Mystery series. The story of the library conference, the rare Patricia Highsmith first edition, and the murder on the train take this cozy mystery to a fun and interesting level. But it’s the addition of the massive snowstorm that really adds the danger, raising the stakes so high for Lindsey and her friends. And longtime cozy fans may recognize the special guest in this novel, book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright (and her husband) from Kate Carlisle’s popular Bibliophile Mystery series.

I listened to the audio book of Fatal Frist Edition, narrated beautifully by Allyson Ryan. Listening to the first part of the book, the conference and the train ride, was a lovely treat. Once they got to Connecticut and there was a snowstorm in addition to a murderer, I could really feel the tension. I thought it felt pretty intense for a few chapters, more intense than I usually feel during a cozy mystery. But as always, it was beautifully written with strong characters. I loved the focus on Patricia Highsmith, and while the villain was not a big surprise, I was happy to see how everything came together in the end.

A copy of the audio book for Fatal First edition was provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley, with many thanks.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"No more Hitchcock movies before bed."

Wise advice, especially for Lindsey and Sully, in the comfortable Fatal First Edition by premier cozy mystery author Jenn McKinlay.

Lindsey, the Connecticut Briar Creek's library director, and her boat captain husband Sully, are in Chicago for a library conference when they find a tote bag under a chair with a rare first edition inside it of acclaimed author Patricia Highsmith's Strangers On A Train, inscribed to the one and only Alfred Hitchcock, who directed the iconic movie based on this book. After the shock of someone losing this treasure they return it to Henry, the director of the conference.

We know it's not ending there. On the train ride home, Henry is found dead, the book now in Lindsey and Sully's possessions making them the number one suspects. Still that's not the main plot! Once they are home, Sully is kidnapped off his boat in a snowstorm; the kidnappers want the rare book in exchange for Sully, but the police have the book and Lindsey's warned not to go to the police. But she has her town to help her scheme to save her husband and this precious book.

Listening to voice actress Allyson Ryan is like visiting with a good friend that always makes you smile. She knows these characters since this is the 14th book in the series but is easily a standalone. She's comfortable with this writer's descriptive style so that you can relax, have some tea or coffee, maybe a glass of wine, and just enjoy this cozy mystery. This series needs to be picked up as a TV show on Hallmark Mystery Channel.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyed the story and the mystery kept me guessing. I really like the MC and would love to visit the town.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the fourteenth book in the Book Lover’s cozy mystery series written by Jenn McKinlay. This is my favorite series of hers and one of my most favorite cozy mystery series in general.

I have read all of the books in this series, but this is my first book on audio. I was thrilled to receive an audiobook review copy from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley.

While it is the fourteenth book, it is one that you could jump right into. Lindsey Norris and her husband Sully start off in Chicago at the beginning of the book. After the conference that Lindsey attended finishes, they take the train back to the east coast along with many of the conference attendees. During the night someone dies in their train compartment.

Overall, I gave this mystery 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the narrator for the most part. However, the voice that she uses for one of the main male characters was just not good in my opinion. I will definitely be recommending this book and series.

What I liked:
* Some of my favorite characters
* The use of a classic book and author and film director
* A huge blizzard for distraction
* A VERY interesting twist [occam's razor indeed; much like Lyndsey, I too was fooled]

What didn't [unfortunately] work for me:
* Having lived in NW PA for most of my life and having experienced blizzards such as what happens in the book, MUCH of what happens while the blizzard is raging, is completely unbelievable. Add in the ice issue and no one would be riding a bike [amongst other things] thats for sure.
* The way the baddie is trapped had me stalking around hurrumphing - Lyndsey is usually smarter than this and it was off-putting and very annoying.
* While the first part of the reveal was excellent [and unexpected, as I never saw that coming], the second half, even with the twist, fell a little flat for me.

Overall, it was a decent read and it was fun to visit with some of my favorite characters again.

I was granted an audiobook ARC for this book and it was lovely to listen to Allyson Ryan narrate this book; she is one of my absolute favorites and I always look forward to listening to her narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenn McKinlay, Allyson Ryan - Narrator, and Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Library director Lindsey Norris and her husband, Sully, are attending an archivists' conference in Chicago. Lindsey finds a book under her seat that appears to be a first edition of Strangers on a Train signed from Patricia Highsmith to Alfred Hitchcock. Upon closer inspection, there were notes from Uncle Alfie for the screenplay. Honestly?! That is why I grabbed this book. Can you imagine...? Just thinking about that book, fictional or not, gave me goosebumps.

Anyway, the book seemingly disappears when the conference director is murdered on the train after the conference. Yes, a bunch of the east coast conference attendees road the train to and from Chicago. Why? Just go with it.

I actually was reminded of Dame Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. A bunch of people on a train where one passenger is murdered and a LOT of people had a motive. All the passengers are offloaded in Briar Creek and sent to the inn while the police investigated. Simultaneously, a blizzard shuts down the eastern US. And Sully is kidnapped. And Lindsey & Sully's house is burgled. Yep, there was lots going on here.

While the train ride was a bit... unrealistic in a current setting, the story was incredibly engaging. Every time poor Lindsey turned around, something else was happening. Believable or not, it made the book fly by. A quick, interesting albeit unrealistic read.

This series should be played out by now, but McKinlay keeps finding ways to invigorate it. This was no exception. The audiobook was "ear comfort" for me. Great narrator!

Fatal First Edition by Jenn McKinlay and narrated by Allyson Ryan is book number 14 in the "A Library Lovers Mystery" series and it is a great introduction to Jenn McKinlays characters and writing style. The audiobook is read beautifully and well suited to the range of characters

Library Director Lindsey Norris and her husband are at an archivists convention when someone shoves into Lindsey's chair, not once, twice but three times as they stalk away from the guest speaker. When the speech finishes, Lindsey looks under her chair to find a bag, and within it, an insanely rare first edition of Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, inscribed to Alfred Hitchcock.

Lindsey shows the book to the speaker, famous restoration specialist Brooklyn Wainwright who is flabbergasted at its rarity. The book is returned to the exhibition and Lindsey and Sully depart to take the train home. However, if things were not weird at the exhibition, they are about to get really weird on the train with a murder and a motive seemingly right at Lindseys feet

Will Lindsey and Sully be able to clear their names? Who is the murderer and why frame Lindsey?

Great fun and a brilliant introduction to this series. I will definitely need to start from the beginning!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Jenn McKinlay and the narrator Allyson Ryan for this lovely ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Book Antiquarian meets Murder on the Oriental Express!
On a visit to a rare bookish auction, the protagonist discovers an unexpected book that was a last-minute pullout of the auction. And while it all went pretty smoothly, a few dramas aside, on their way back - the man who kept the book with him for safekeeping is dead. And everyone on the train is a suspect 🫢.

The book is a light-hearted murder mystery and glides like butter if you are a true antiquarian at heart. The way the story discusses those rare books is infectious. I wasn't really a fan of the characters, but the mystery was enough to keep me hooked and booked.

I am glad it wasn't bloody and gruesome as I have a low tolerance for such scenes when described in a thriller. But the climax was well crafted with a few twists and undeniable lore for book lovers. Lastly, the book left me with a cozy feeling of a fond family with people so willing to help each other ( I would love to have such people in my life). The book leaves you with a tingling warmth and you should read it if you like the concept of books about books with a breezy mystery.

Thank you @netgalley @dreamscape_media @mckinlayjenn for the ARC.
Genre: #murdermystery #booksaboutbooks
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

#FatalFirstEdition

A phenomenal cozy mystery!
I have not read other titles from the “Library Lover’s Mystery” series and this is book 14. The book does a great job of adding context without being boring, so I don’t feel you need to read the others to enjoy this title (but you will want to read the rest as soon as you finish this one).
The pacing is great and it has enough intrigue and interest to keep the plot going without being too gruesome or frightening.
Highly recommend! Great for fans of The Librarian of Crooked Lane, Murder by the Seashore, and Murder by the Book.

Jenn McKinlay is one of my favorite authors of cozy mysteries. It doesn't hurt that this series is set in a library. I also enjoy McKinlay's Cupcake bakery book series as well.

I have read all of the books in this series, and I enjoyed this book as well as the others. This one was a little bit different in that most of the book was set outside of the Briarwood Library community. Different also was the inclusion of a main character, Brooklyn Wainwright, from another cozy mystery series by another author, Bibliophile Mysteries by Kate Carlisle. (I enjoy that series as well.) It was a fun, but brief addition to the story. McKinlay is a veteran author, and has done another addition to the series.

The narration is done by Allyson Ryan, whom I believe has done the narration on both of McKinlay's series, Library and Cupcake. I appreciate having consistency in the narrators when I listen to an audiobook series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I was so happy when I got approved for this audiobook ARC of Fatal First Edition. Lindsey and her friends continue to be fantastic characters that I root for constantly and I love the crazy adventures they always seem to find themselves in.

I also loved that we got to see more of Lindsey and Sully's relationship and how Sully is always there to support her. I thought it was a nice change that instead of Sully trying to save and protect Lindsey, this time, Sully was the one that needed saving.

It was just a fantastic game of cat and mouse and I loved the narrators take on these beloved characters.

I had a little trouble listening to this one because I found the narrator's performance distracting. She had a great voice and read with feeling, I just had trouble focusing on the story because her performance was very dramatic. This is just a me thing and could very well be because of my ADHD.

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

#netgalley
#FatalFirstEdition

Fatal First Edition is book 14 of this series. I have not read the entire series and have missed a few here and there but it is never a problem picking up the new book. I've listened to a few books in the series and always find it an easy listen.

The narrator Allyson Ryan does a great job with the various character voices and I realized I hear her character voices in my head when I do read the book myself. This time of year with gardening and other outside activities it is great to be able to listen to an entertaining book.

I think this is the first book in the series that I've read that had Lindsey traveling. While the book starts out of town it's not for long as the conference ends and they all head home - on a TRAIN!

Since the valuable book found under Lindsey's chair is Strangers on a Train it was fun to have part of this book take place on a train.

It is also very much winter and it adds its own danger to the plot as the residents and train riders must shelter in place through the storm. If being snowed in with a potential murderer isn't enough stress for Lindsey, Sully goes missing while trying to resupply the homes on the nearby islands before the storm hits.

As always the characters are wonderful and while there are a few outsiders involved, we get to see most of the townspeople that fans have grown to love.

Whether this is your first Library Lovers mystery or your 14th, you are sure to be entertained.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/05/fatal-first-edition-by-jenn-mckinlay.html

I love this series! As a librarian, I appreciate Jenn's details without alienating readers who aren't familiar with library experiences. Fun storyline, I liked the fact it changed locations but still came home to Briar Creek so we could enjoy all our favorite characters. Well done and thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the book before the release date. Listening to this series is like visiting with friends.

This latest edition of the Library Lover’s Mystery series had so many wonderful parts to it! As a fan of Kate Carlisle’s Bibliophile series, I was thrilled about the crossover with Brooklyn Wainwright cameoing. There are also themes of suspense to parallel the Alfred Hitchcock/ Strangers on a Train connection in the plot. Finally, I loved the closed circle/train aspect of the murder! It was perfectly Agatha Christie, so it felt like this book was an homage to so many great creators.

Another great addition to the Library Lovers cozy series! I am always in awe of how well Jenn McKinlay jumps back into this world, successfully maintaining the personalities and storylines of each character as if they were real people. I always look forward to the next installment, and this was no different.

I received an advance audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

Fatal First Edition is the fourteenth cozy mystery in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. Lindsey Norris, Briar Creek Library director, and Sully, her husband, attend a library conference in Chicago to hear, well known book restorer, Brooklyn Wainwright speak. On the train ride back Lindsey discovers a dead body and is pulled into the case. When they return home to Briar Creek the mystery and mayhem follow them and Lindsey is forced to put on her sleuthing cap to get to the bottom of it.

This is the first book I have read in this series but it definitely won’t be the last. I was drawn in from the very beginning and enjoyed the cameo by Brooklyn Wainwright who stars in a different cozy mystery series by Kate Carlisle. I love that series and really enjoyed how they two connected even if for only a few pages. I instantly fell in love with Lindsey and her friends and can’t wait to start this series from the beginning. I couldn’t stop listening to this book and was engrossed in the twists and turns. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery and definitely will be starting this series from the beginning!

Fatal First Edition is the 14th book in A Library Lover’s Mystery series and they continue to be amazing! I have read and loved every book. This one is unique because Librarian Lindsey Norris and her husband Sully are in Chicago at a book conference. There is a fun but brief appearance by Kate Carlisle’s characters Brooklyn Wainwright and Derek Stone (LOVE that series too) . Lindsey and Sully are taking the train home to Connecticut when someone from the conference ends up dead. There were quite a few arguments involving the victim and therefore several suspects. The next stop for the train is Briar Creek where Lindsey and Sully live so the remainder of the sleuthing is there. Police Chief Emma is on the case as is her boyfriend Robbie. They are both wonderful characters and often add humor as do the Crafternoon group. There are some other exciting things going on but I don’t want to spoil the book. It truly is enjoyable and hard to put down! The audiobook is very well done and is narrated by Allyson Ryan. She does an awesome job with all of the.voices! #FatalFirstEdition #ALibraryLoversMystery #NetGalley. #DreamscapeMedia #Berkley