Really wanted to like this book but the theme felt incomplete when compared to other cozy mysteries. The theme felt mostly like it was centered around a library but was missing the additional contextual elements that really bring a cozy mystery to life - like specific recipes or events, etc.

I liked Carrie Singleton, Angela, Dylan Avery, Evelyn the ghost, Aunt Harriet, Uncle Bosco and Smoky Joe. I liked the writing style. I didn't like Dorothy Hawkins. I didn't know who the killer was.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Death Overdue is a cozy mystery in a library. I recommend this series but suggest they are read in the order of publication.

I'm going through the books I requested pre-2018 when I stopped blogging to clean up my NetGalley TBR and this was on the list. I don't think it's a book for me anymore and will not be reviewing at this time, but if I do read it, I will update this review. Thank you for the opportunity.

I didn’t really like this mystery. And I think it was mainly because I had a hard time warming up to the characters. The mystery was good but I’m not a fan the characters. So I’m pretty sure I’m not going to continue the series.

Read this a couple years ago and enjoyed it, I like the theme of a haunted library as bookish themes and paranormal to me go together real well. :)

**I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Carrie feels trapped as a resident in her small town; as someone with a shady family past, Carrie feels the needs to constantly move. Yet, she lands a dream job at the local public library, and at her first huge program, the presenter dies. Was it an accident? Was it murder?

Overall, the novel was a fun, light cozy mystery. I will say that Carrie has basically landed a dream job for any librarian, one that has lots of resources and funding for multiple programs on the same day, let alone two assistants to help her with her programs! And, how cute is it that it's a haunted library??? Carrie's character grew on me by the end of the novel, and I'd be interested in continuing the series, just to see how she grows as a character.

There were several things about this book that I enjoyed but there were also several things I didn't enjoy as much. Right from the start it took me a while to connect with the story, there was something about the writing style that took me a while to get into. Also, the main character took some getting used to. That may just be because I couldn't relate to her as much as some other characters but in the beginning I did find her slightly unlikeable. I did enjoy the library setting and the town she was from. My favorite part of the story is the mystery, which is pretty important in a cozy mystery so that kind of saved this book for me. There was an unsolved murder from the past and a murder in the present, the way the story weaved these two mysteries together was done really well. There was a library ghost and I really enjoyed her but she wasn't that integral to the story so I wish we saw more of her. Overall it was a pleasant read that I found myself enjoying by the end.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

I enjoyed reading this first book in the Haunted Library Series. I picked this up because it was a Halloween Biblio Cozy. Carrie has just been offered a position at the local library as head of programs and events. At her first event a local retired policeman claims to have solved a cold case and will be giving a talk. When he is murdered she sets out to solve the crime. She receives help from a local deceased librarian who is still haunting the library. I liked the library setting and the characters. The mystery was good and there were lots of suspects to keep it interesting. I was able to solve the mystery before the end. This was a good foundation for a fun series. I am looking for word to reading the next one. Enjoy

Death Overdue by Allison Brook is the 1st book in The Haunted Library Mysteries series, and a great start. Carrie Singleton is the head of programs and events at Clover Ridge, CT library, which is haunted. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I love the unique people and situations in this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Carrie is looking forward to a presentation about an unsolved case from her small town, but finds herself sleuthing after the presenter is murdered onstage before revealing the culprit. A fun mystery ensues, with plenty of library antics.

The first book in the Haunted Library series and the title and cover intrigued me. A book that has both libraries and ghosts is usually a guaranteed win for me but something was just not quite right with the story.
The pace of the beginning was quick and brought your right up to speed with our main character, Carrie, and how she came to be in Cloveridge (a plus for me) but the ghost elements seemed a little rushed and not all that important.
Also, Carrie's preferred method of dressing in the beginning just seemed forced and when she completely changed her style for the job (rightly so) the author spent a lot of time on her outfit's details. Normally I wouldn't care but the outfits just sounded horrible and outdated. The author has her wearing BLUE EYESHADOW to go out on a date with. What year is this??
Something else that was a little off for me was the goings on at the library. I've been working in libraries for many years and this library just seemed to have a lot of money and a lot of staff. It is fiction after all but it just doesn't ring true.
I still would give this a positive review (3 stars) however because the characters are interesting and I would like to see what comes next for Carrie. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a mystery with light paranormal elements.

This is a fun cozy mystery, with a light story, but good characters. My only real issue with it is that the dialogue is really not characteristic of a 20 something or 30 something. For example, no one under the age of 50 is going to refer to their phone as a "smartphone." It just doesn't happen, it's only worth noting if your phone ISN'T a "smartphone." It's just "my phone." There were a few other instances like that with the dialogue, but I won't get into them because overall, this was a fun story. The ghost in the story has WAY more to do than the ghost in the Aunt Dimity books I've read (seriously, that ghost does nothing and adds nothing). I will always read a mystery set in a library. Every time. The library aspects get an A+ for accuracy!

I was very excited to read this book, as Halloween is my favorite holiday and the cover immediately caught my eye. This is the first in a new cozy series. I also love the fact that there is a bit of a paranormal element in that there's a ghost that interacts with Carrie, the main character. I also love that she's a librarian, as that's a profession that you don't see a whole lot in cozies.

I did enjoy the book and the writing was very well done. There were a lot of characters introduced and I felt like they were all clearly defined. There were also multiple subplots and mysteries going on, which I liked as well. However, the reason I am giving a four star out of five is that for everything that was going on, I felt like the ending really dragged.

In my opinion, even accounting for the fact that this is a first in a new series, it seemed like there was just a little too much fluff. Not quite so many family dinners were necessary if she didn't discover any clues while attending them. I felt like the ending took forever to get to and then once I finally got there, it was done in like two pages. So for the next book, I'd suggest adding more clues and less unrelated details. Other than that, it was a great book!

The first book in this series and I was impressed. I'll be stalking future books.

Carrie Singleton is the main character in this series and I have to say, I love her. She doesn't like to fit into the typical mold of a librarian and she's a bit of a restless spirit. She's been in Clover Ridge, Connecticut working and visiting with family and she's about ready to leave when she's suddenly offered a position that she's definitely qualified for. Taking it means she's going to have to deal with a co-worker that feels she should have been the one to receive it and that makes for an understandably uncomfortable work environment. Still, she perseveres and things seem to be going well despite some slight sabotage until her first big program gets interrupted by the murder of the speaker. Oops.

As Carrie dives in to discover what exactly happened on her watch, we learn a few more fun tidbits. There's a ghost in the library and she's not the only one who can see it. There's a rather adorable little girl who can see her friend too. Surprise, the adorable little girl is the daughter of the cousin she's been avoiding.

Everything is so well done that you don't really feel as though you've been hit with anything too far fetched and that's what I think was one of the best things about this book. You've got your family dynamic that plays into the every day life, the humbling moments, the trying moments, and the suspenseful moments.

I recommend this to cozy fans without hesitation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Allison Brook for the opportunity to read such a fun book and share my opinions with others.

I’m being a tad generous with the Stars. Characters were either flat or annoying. I love the premise...who wouldn’t love a haunted library. Unfortunately, the ghost seemed like a bit part...and how the heck does a ghost keep changing clothes?! The hypocrisy/arrogance of the main character, as well as the inconsistencies of a small town having a lavish library and numerous fabulous restaurants, made this hard to fully embrace.

Any book with a library or bookstore is worth a try. What could be better than a setting with books we love. One with a resident ghost whose assignment is to help Carrie Singleton solve the murder that takes place during an autographing event.
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Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery is the first book in a series by Allison Brook and Marilyn Levinson. Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies. The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite push back from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.

Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery is a mystery that caught and held my attention, even though I was reading it only during lunch breaks and the like. I admit that I picked it up because it was about a librarian, and since I have been working in libraries for almost 20 years now, that caught my attention. I did not notice that it was set in a small Connecticut town until I had begun, but as a Connecticut native (currently living in a town that in no way resembles Clover Ridge) it endeared itself to me even more. I liked Carrie, who resembles many of the new adult generation that I know personally, and her conflicting emotions about being independent and staying connected are right on point. The politics, family connections, and drama that take place are totally possible- and I have seen similar issues in libraries, churches, and other organizations that require people to work together, and gives some more power than others- particularly in small towns or groups where everyone knows each other. I also like that while Carrie building connections; in friendship, work, and the romantic possibilities, are important to the story her personal growth and the mystery at hand remain the main focus of the story rather than overshadowing them. That is sometimes a hard balance to strike, but it was nicely done here. I also like that the mystery was wrapped up nicely, but the promise of further growth with Carrie, and further mysteries to solve leaves readers wanting more without leaving them hanging with unanswered questions.

Death Overdue: A Haunted Library Mystery is a book that took me much longer to read than it should have. The characters and pacing were pretty perfect, but since I was reading it on my phone on lunch breaks rather than on my Kindle in my normal reading time it seemed to take forever- but I loved every minute. I look forward to see what the future might hold in store for Carrie and her ghostly companion.