Following a serious fall, reference librarian Dorothy Hawkins, returns to work only to be murdered in an automobile crash on her way home one evening. Colleague Carrie Singleton is urged by Evelyn, the library’s resident ghost, to find out who killed Dorothy. Slight problem, Dorothy is disliked by almost everyone who knew her.

Carrie is also involved in an effort to build an activity center for the homeless who hang out at the library during the day due to the extremely cold weather. When Carrie finds out the motive behind the Haven House project she also uncovers a possible link to Dorothy Hawkins and her family.

Allison Brook writes a complex mystery with well developed characters, interesting twists and a comfortable pace.

This series has grown on me to the point I'm finding myself impatient for the next one.

Carrie has come into her own and grown-up quickly. She finds herself with a job she loves, a comforting home, an extended family she adores and a hunky boyfriend. She has allowed herself to get involved with the community by agreeing to be the library liaison for the Haven House, a day home being built for the homeless in the area. At first, she is not too excited but things pick up when she realizes there is a connection between the Haven House and the death of a co-worker.

Buried in the Stacks will keep your interest for many hours of reading. It is a clean read with no foul language and no gruesome, detailed death scenes. You may read as a standalone but I think you will find it much better if you read the series in order.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

This is a fun little escape read with a ghost and library cat to boot! Carrie is in charge of the events and programs in her library.She has just been asked to take over the added duty of "Sunshine Delegate". This means she gets to purchase card for staff that may have a special event or be ill. Wouldn't you know it, she no sooner accepts that the meanest, least like coworker in the library has an accident and Carrie gets to visit her.

Something is off, at first Dorothy (the coworker) seems frightened of her husband and accuses him of pushing her. Then she denies it. Later Dorothy is murder, and Carrie sets out to figure out who. And could the same person be responsible for the resident ghost, Evelyn's, death. Evelyn is/was Dorothy's Aunt. With Evelyn's ability to snoop unseen, she aides Carrie in her sleuthing. Smokey Joe, Carrie's cat is along for the ride and all the treats he can get from library patrons.

Easy writing style and fun characters. Some of the characters were very unlikable. The ending was a surprise.

This is the third book in Haunted Library Murders series featuring Carrie Singleton as the librarian in charge of, among other things, events in the library. Her duties also include solving murders. Helping her solve the murders is the library’s resident ghost, Evelyn.

Brooks has written a cozy murder in the best sense of the genre. She takes her time in setting the scene so that even those who haven’t read the first two books in the series are not left out in the cold, so to speak. In this case, the dead woman is much disliked fellow librarian, Dorothy, who, apparently is above blackmailing someone to get what she wants. No one at the library likes her, including Carrie, who, as the Sunshine Delegate, has had to visit Dorothy in the hospital after she took a nasty fall in the grocery store’s parking lot. When Dorothy dies in a hit-and-run auto accident, there are a plethora of suspects for the investigating officer and Carrie to choose from.

This is a well-written mystery with lots of characters to choose from as suspects, including the dead woman’s mild-mannered husband, and, of course, the people she’s been known to have blackmailed. There are also a couple of subplots, one being the plight of the homeless and public libraries allowing them access to the warmth of the library. Brooks moves the book along at stately pace doling out clues as they are found.

If you like your mysteries cozy and are fond of libraries, this may very well be the book for you.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an eARC.

Buried in the stacks

I have no idea what either the title or the cover of the book have to do with the actual story. The murder victim was cremated and there's no mention anywhere of books flying all over the place.

The narrative of this story is pretty detailed, so if it wasn't mentioned, it didn't happen.

Carrie Singleton has a few problems on her hands. She's made Sunshine representative, meaning she has to show the employer and co-workers care when an employee is taken ill. There are homeless people hanging out at the library because they have no place else to go, and some of them are causing trouble. Then Dorothy Hawkins, a co-worker no one really liked, first makes a nasty fall and when she returns to work she's driven off the road and killed.

Carrie has some experience in solving crimes and the library's ghost in residence was Dorothy's aunt, so Carrie decides to do some snooping. She's warned off from this by her friend the cop, her boyfriend the investigator and another friend the lawyer. And some unknown person tries to intimidate her too.

I liked this story at the start, because it was well written and not too simplistic. But later on, the details and the repetitiveness of some statements got to me. Plus, the story lacked focus on the murder mystery. None of the characters was ever seriously considered a murder suspect.

In the end I was left feeling mwah about the book.

I really enjoyed this book a lot! I hadn't heard of the series before and was surprised to find out it was the third entry! Even though it was an established series I fell right into it. There were times where I felt I was 'in the middle' of something however, the author explained things well and while things that happened before were mentioned I didn't stumble across any spoilers (except for one mild one which I feel is okay)

Our heroine Carrie talks to the library's resident ghost Evelyn. She's one of the few that can interact with Evelyn which means the ghost pops up regularly. When Evelyn's niece, the much disliked Dorothy, is killed it seems it that it might relate to Evelyn's own death a few years before. If that wasn't trouble enough, it being winter and the homeless visiting the library during the day causes some friction. When town members put together a committee to set up a place for the homeless it turns out that several of the committee members might be using the soon to be set up day center for more nefarious means. And that also might tie into Dorothy's death.

As with all cozies there must be a good reason for our amateur sleuth to investigate and there must be intelligent reasons for the sleuth to go off on their own and not involve the police. This entry handled that well! Carrie's relationship with the local police is already established and she does try to stay out of the whole mess but her reasons for getting caught up in the investigation and the murder were handled well. Also, how she handled the murderer was also well done! I'll definitely be checking out the other entries in this series and looking forward to new entries as they pop up!

A special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this title in exchange for an honest review! A solid four stars and a new series to add to my teetering TBR pile!

This was a good cozy read, I had hopes it would be better. This was book 3 in the series, and having not read the other two I was a bit confused as I did not know the characters.

Carrie, her cat Smoky Joe, and library ghost Evelyn were out to solve the murder of their co-worker Dorothy. Allison Brook has written a fun story. The characters were interesting, though not very intelligent. Being a murder mystery it had suspense and twists, and the plot was well written, it dealt with the issues of homelessness.

I like any book which is set in a library, this book had its own charm. The quaint setting and the fast pace of the plot along with ghostly helper made this a fun read.

I was super excited to open this book up when I got notice I was approved (thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.) I was hoping against hope that Carrie was going to grow on me. She didn't. Each book, I've been shocked she wasn't the one killed. Each book I am more and more flabbergasted as to how childish she is in regards to Dylan and his job (she doesn't like that he travels for work) I don't know. I get this is a cozy mystery and I try so hard to keep that context in mind. I just don't like Carrie. Or ghosty Evelyn, the least helpful ghost on the face of the planet. My conundrum is that I really enjoy this series in and of itself....I am really looking forward to the next book and the storyline they left us with at the end of this one though!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2891941643

This is book 3 in the Haunted Library series. Lots of my favorite characters are back and this book does address the very current issue of the homeless. Libraries are popular visiting spots for this population. Carrie, her cat Smoky Joe and the library Ghost Evelyn need to solve the murder of Dorothy, one of Carrie's co-workers. Dorothy told Carrie she thought her husband was trying to kill her and sure enough, she ends up dead. Good mystery. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoy this series and this newest book didn't disappoint. If you enjoy light cozies, ghosts, and libraries this book is for you. I can't wait for book 4 and I highly recommend this book.

I did kind of stay on the fence on this book. Kind of liked the whole idea but I did not find the mistery that interesting. But it make me look for the first book of the serie. In the end I did like the characters but was not amazed by the story. It is a fun book overall.

WHEN READING THIS BOOK IM WASNT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT, ONLY BECAUSE MOST COZIES FOLLOW THE SAME FORMULA, AND I HAVE READ BOOKS FROM THIS SERIES BEFORE AND ENJOYED THEM, I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH IN REAL LIFE. AND THE WAY THAT THEY WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE STORY I BELIEVE WAS DONE IN A VERY TASTEFULL WAY. I DEFITLY WILL CONTINUE READING FROM THIS AUTHOR.

I was unaware this book was part of a series until.I was well into the book. Saying this only to confirm that it is not necessary to read the other books in order to know the characters or follow the story, however it may enhance your reading experience. This is a fun cozy mystery involving a librarian, the local Sheriff and a ghost. It reminded me of the Hallmark Aurora Teagarden mysteries. It is very conversational, fairly predictable, and is a quick fun read. A nice break from heavy dark literature or other mystery thrillers.
I received this book as an ARC for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Buried in the Stacks is the third book in The Haunted Library Mysteries series. I haven’t read the previous two books in the series, but this works well as a standalone.

Carrie, the director of programs at the library, puts up with a lot. Her boss keeps trying to pawn things off on her, including becoming the Sunshine Delegate and joining a committee to establish a daytime gathering place for the homeless called the Haven House. When her co-worker winds up dead and it seems like there may be a connection to the Haven House, Carrie, with the help of Evelyn, who is the ghost that haunts the library, diligently work to uncover the truth of Haven House and who killed Dorothy.

The characters are interesting and entertaining. The mystery was well-written. I also enjoyed how the author handled the issues that homeless people face. It was a fun read and I’m looking forward to seeing what else is in store for The Haunted Library Mysteries series.

This was a cute and typical cozy mystery. I think had I read the first two books in the series I would have enjoyed it a little more. I liked this book, but there were several times that I felt a little lost because something that happened or a person was from a previous book and the info was not in this one. I love that the author didn't tell you the entire story of the introduction all over again - but i also now understand why they might do this. Overall, this was a cute book and I am interested in reading the other books in this series. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an arc of this title.

This is the 3rd book in the series and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The characters are unique especially Carrie and her friend the library’s ghost Evelyn. Evelyn is an interesting character, even though she is a ghost, she still wants to keep secrets about her family even when they can help solve a crime. Another of my favorite characters is the library cat, he just adds a wonderful element to the storylines. The setting of the library is wonderful especially for a library and book lover like myself. The mystery is face paced, well plotted with several twists and turns along the way.

The characters were wonderfully written, the mystery was believable.

I enjoyed the strong and kind character of Carrie. Her dedication to find out the truth, even if it means losing a friend is admirable. Carrie is smart, kind and the type of heroine who doesn't rush head first into danger. I loved the progression in Carrie's relationship with Dylan and that little cutie, Smokey Joe, was a hero cat!

I really enjoyed this third book in the series. I decided to read the previous books to get a better sense of the main character's development. I really enjoyed seeing Carrie get closer to members of her family, and I thought it was really cute how Tacey likes the library ghost. A pleasant read, and a very enjoyable mystery. Another positive comment: I really liked how the author did not have a prejudiced view of homeless people. There are truly ordinary persons who have encountered hardships in their lives who end up on the streets. I look forward to the next book.

I love Allison Brook's Haunted Library Series. Although this is the third book in the series, I don't think anyone would have a problem picking this up as a standalone. I really enjoy the characters.. In this book, our event planning librarian Carrie becomes involved with a group of local residents concerned about the homeless population in Clover Ridge. As planning begins for a homeless day center in town, Carrie's co-worker and everyone's least favorite person, Dorothy, is murdered. It's up to Carrie and the ghostly librarian Evelyn to get to the bottom of the murder, and what is really going on with the plans for the homeless center. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery with fun characters and a hint of romance.

Thanks to #NetGalley for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review!

When I came across this book I didn’t realize it was the third in a series!

Carrie Singleton is the head of Programs and Events at Clover Ridge’s public library. Where they’ve recently been having problems with the local homeless who have been coming to get warm. Then one of the locals has the idea to create a day center for them, to be called Haven House.
But soon Carrie finds herself becoming an amateur sleuth once again in an attempt to solve the case.

You can bet I’ll be reaching for the first two books soon!

Buried in the Stacks hits shelves September 10th so keep an eye out!

Librarian Carrie Singleton is worried for the homeless people that take refuge in the library during the winter. When a vacant house is purchased by some townspeople to assist the homeless during the daytime, Carrie is hopeful. Then, rumors of nefarious uses of the building at night come to light and one of the employees at the library is murdered. Can Carrie find the truth before someone else is killed?
This cozy mystery was a great read. I loved the main character, and the suspenseful plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspects were diabolically created and I couldn’t figure out the identity of the culprit. The best part was that the issue of mental health and homelessness was touched upon with great respect. Everyone deserves respect and help, if they need it. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.