This is a lovely light read, when Rain leaves Milwaukee to go to her Families Cabin Lakeside Home , to recover from the loss of her husband , who she discovered had also cheated on her, all she wanted was Peace & quiet to heal & recover . However a an early point on the day of her arrival she finds a dead body on her Families Property. Then this leads her & a best friend from childhood with whom she strikes up again then play Nancy Drew who had been one of their joint literary hero's.
It's a very enjoyable read . # <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/11bc11d0026952991f96874534f30a6fb6dbed74" width="80" height="80" alt="25 Book Reviews" title="25 Book Reviews"/>, <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, #NetGalley, #FB,#Instagram , # GoodReads# Amazon.c.uk

Rain Wilmot returns to her family's cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin after the death of her husband. Shortly after she returns, a body is found on her property and her cabin and her neighbors has been broken into. Rain and her friend, Julia start to investigate especially when her cabin is broken into.

This book, in my opinion, is ok. I had a hard time staying interested in it and read it between another book. Since this is a first book of a new series, I will probably give the next book in the series a try.

Please note: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher through Netgalley.com.

Although the characters were likeable, the plot was intriguing with some good plot twists and I drooled over the beautiful lakeside location, it was a struggle to get through this one. I was put off right from the start when main character Rain was ambushed within seconds of getting to the cottage by her neighbor steamrolling her to open the library. As it went on, there was just too much filler; at times the story would lose momentum as it took a backseat to Rain's constant hashing and rehashing, the weird descriptions of what everyone's hands were doing and all of the internal dialogue. I found myself doing more skimming than reading, which is a shame because at the heart of it all was a great story. I think a bit more editing and polishing is needed to bring all the elements together into more of a cohesive story.

Good book! I liked the plot of the book. The main character was a full and well characterized. Her loss was heartbreaking and gave her a good backstory. The plot was interesting and kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the writing and the author’s nuances. I would like to read more by this author and hope that this series continues!

A quick read on a snowy day. Probably be good as a paperback read. Young woman relocates to her family summer home after her husband is killed in an accident. Her first day back a man is found murdered in her back yard. Many characters, any who could be the murderer, including her parents. Good description of the North Country in Wisconsin,

This was a great first book in a new series. I liked the characters and setting. The mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to the next one.

The story is set in a lakeside town during the summer. I did enjoy reading the descriptions of the cabins, the woods, and the lake. The main character, Rain, comes back to her family's lake home for the summer to recover from her husband's death as well as all the life changes she will be making. Her lake home also houses a small, neighborhood library in the original cabin portion which was built by her grandfather. While at home, a man is murdered on her property by the library cabin. The story centers around Rain and her childhood friend and neighbor, Julia, as they investigate the murder. Julia's brother, Jace, is on the police force and repeatedly asks them to quit investigating, but it wouldn't be a cozy mystery if they did that.

I really struggled to get through a lot of the dialogue in the story and found that I couldn't connect with most of the characters. Although her parents were both key to the story and were both out of the country for the summer, she never actually talks to either of them. I found it really strange that she didn't call her dad more and didn't try to contact her mom other than one email. The whole story felt as though we were just being introduced to the town and characters to set us up for future series titles, which made the mystery feel shallow and rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Danvers, and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

👩 Rain Wilmont goes back to her family's lakeside cottage after losing her husband. She is expecting solitude and tranquillity, and instead, she finds the body of a murdered man beside the library that her mother used to run. Rain immediately starts playing detective with her friend Julia, and her brother Jace, a police officer.

❤️ I loved:⁠
🌊 The setting. What's better than a cottage by the lake.? A cottage with an adjacent library by the lake. It must be a sort of bookish Heaven or something. I loved the community of Lofty Pines as well, and their attachment to the cottages and the lake.
👴 Rain's grandfather. I enjoyed reading about his life and his passion for writing. I also loved the fact that his family treasured so much his manuscripts.
✍️ The style. It's been a quick read for me, it took a 2 hours flight and a night in to finish it. It flows smoothly, and the pace is quite fast, there is no time to get bored, you just want to arrive at the end, discover who the culprit is, and if it's true that Rain's family is involved.

🤔 I wasn't so sure about:⁠
👩 The characters. They were not completely developed and a bit 2 dimensional for my liking. But maybe it's because it's the first book of a series and we'll get to know them better in the next episodes.
🏖️ It's not cosy enough. Maybe it's because it's set in summer, but it didn't make me want to snuggle on the sofa with a cup of tea.

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5⁠ A cosy mystery set in a stunning location with an intriguing whodunit.

Murder at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers is the first book in the Lakeside Library Mystery series. The plot is interesting, but there is so much backstory to the main character that the mystery seems secondary. For me this is not a negative as long as there are more books so I can enjoy the journey with the characters and get to know them better. I truly hope this series continues.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Such a great read. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. I felt like I was a character interacting within the story. New author for me and I cannot wait to read another book.

Rain Wilmot has retreated to her family’s cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin after her husband’s death. She is grappling with grief and the fact that he had cheated on her. Rain’s mother, Willow, ran a small library out of the cabin. Since Willow isn’t planning on going to the cabin this year, Rain is charged with opening the cabin. The opening is stalled by Rain’s discovery of the body of Thornton Hughes on the property. Thornton was rumored to be looking to develop land on the lake – something the locals are opposed to. When Willow’s name comes up in the investigation, Rain takes it upon herself to solve the murder mystery.
I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and follow. I’m looking forward to more books in the series.

Excellent story! The author does an excellent job with character development and creating the supporting characters in Pine Lake. The plot is credible and you can identify with the characters. I didn’t notice any disconnects in the story, no conflicts in locations or in characters. The title character surprised me a time or two, she was timid and vulnerable and then suddenly she does a brave or reckless act that seems out of character I.e. not comfortable with people but, walks up to a total stranger to pump for information. This was minor and it made the story more enjoyable but, it did surprise me. I would definitely recommend this book and I will be looking for future stories in the North woods by Holly Danvers..

Murder is not supposed to happen in a close knit summer escape town. But crime has come to this lakeside town. Rainn is so caught up in her own grief she jumps here and there trying to make sense of the death on her family property. She drags her childhood friend along as she searches for answers. She questions her parents and grandparents life choices while trying to make sense of her own. I liked the friendships and how they help unravel the mystery. And how cool to have a library right there on the property. I liked the story.

Murder at the Lakeside Library is a nice start to a brand new series and I look forward to reading more. Perhaps some of the scenes were a little wordy and overdone for my tastes but the author did a wonderful job at setting the scene and making the murder a head scratcher!

A lakefront family home "up north" in Wisconsin, a small-town vibe, and a community library operated out of the original log cottage part of the house: what better place could there be to relax, reflect and reconnect with oneself after losing your husband? Rain is in her early 30's and reeling from her husband's untimely and tragic death soon after she discovered that he had been unfaithful. She is an only child and goes to spend the summer at the lake house she loved growing up, but had not spent much time at for several years. She will be alone most of the summer while her parents are off on different travels.

After leaving her old life in Milwaukee and arriving at the lake house, Rain discovers her childhood friend, Julia, next door just like when they were young. Rain and Julia quickly rekindle their old friendship. On Rain's first night back, Julia and another neighbor are at her house to discuss the summer opening of Rain's family's community library. However, those plans are quickly derailed by the discovery of a very dead and obviously murdered man, who's body is lying behind the old outhouse on Rain's property. What ensues is a quest by Rain, with Julia's help, to try and solve the murder. As clues are uncovered, it becomes clear that somehow her parents and/or her family's past may very well be integral parts of the mystery.

Murder at the Lakeside Library is a quick and very fun read. It was mostly, but not quite, satisfying in how the murder and family secrets were revealed. Too many details were left until the explanations at the very end, holes that the reader had no way to fill in with guesses. Also, I didn't find the characters to be very 3-dimensional. Lastly, I was a bit annoyed by small details that reminded me of sexist undertones that still exist in the Midwest. Such as when Julia's brother, who is the local police officer, lecture's Rain, calling her "young lady" as if she were a naughty child and not an intelligent, grown woman near his own age.

I really enjoyed the setting and the notion of a private community library as a beloved meeting place for the lakeside residents. However, the library was not actually opened and used during the days this story takes place which was disappointing. I hope this charming setting becomes a vivid and lively place in the next installments of this series. I think this series has potential for developing the characters more fully and providing another romp of a mystery.

I thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in return for my unbiased review.

2 stars.
I really struggled to get into this one. There was just too much extra stuff that added no value to the book.

Murder at the Lakeside Library is the debut of the A Lakeside Library Mystery series set on the shores of Pine Lake in the small town of Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. Rain Wilmot is recently widowed and looking to gather her life back together escapes to her family's lakefront cabin. On arrival at the cabin she reconnects with her childhood friend and neighbor, Julia.

Rain hasn't been to the cabin in years and wasn't aware that her mother, Willow had been keeping the family library started by her author, grandfather open to the residents of the small community. In just a matter of hours Julia talks Rain into opening the library again and they stumble upon a dead man laying next to the cabin's outhouse. Rumors swirl in the community that Willow may have been having an affair with the dead man and speculation is that perhaps Rain's father is the killer.

There are only a handful of characters in the book and I couldn't relate to any of them. The majority of the book seems filled with descriptions, descriptions, descriptions and I found myself doing quite a bit of skimming. The mystery picks up in the last few chapters and the reveal leaves opportunity for future installments in the series so perhaps I will visit Pine Lake again.

I received an advanced copy of Murder at the Lakeside Library from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This is the first in a new series and it's nice to get in at the beginning. That said, there is a lot of time spent on providing background on the main character and her grief and angst over the death of her husband. I think there may be a bit too much detail, especially at the beginning, and it takes a bit to finally get to the mystery

The mystery is a good one with plenty of red herrings but there is a lot of distracting noise about Rain's marriage, the state of her parents marriage etc. While we didn't get to really know the other characters, I think that will be resolved in future books in the series.

Being from Wisconsin, I enjoyed the setting and the up North vibe.

I'd rate it a 3.5

I received an ARC from the publsiher via Netgalley but the opinions expressed are my own.

Beautifully written! Colourful descriptions of lakeside and the community! Entertaining and uplifting! Thoroughly good read!

I really wanted to like this book. I do love a good cosy mystery and the setting sounded wonderful however...
Unfortunately I didn't connect with characters or the plot. Names like Jace, Rain, Thornton grated. The book was incredibly slow going and I also felt I didn't really learn very much about the characters. They felt a bit flat and shallow.. It waffled rather and could have done with a bit of pruning. The main character Rain, clearly had a back story but we didn't really get to know anything about it so it was difficult to empathise with her.
A shame really- a missed opportunity