I just love this mystery series! I would highly recommend this book for someone looking for a nice, cozy mystery. the characters are interesting and engaging.

McKinlay's library mysteries are such enjoyable cozy reads! This was one of the best in the series, with a compelling mystery at its center and a political subplot.

I have loved every book in the Library Lovers series, and this one was no exception. And it made me so happy that Ms. Cole got to be a little more center stage in this installment, even if she was the prime suspect for a murder! The pacing was great and I love how Lindsey figured out who the culprit was. This was one of my favorite books in the series, for sure!

Another wonderful addition to the Library Lover's mystery series. This series was my introduction to the cozy mystery genre and will always have a place in my heart. I really enjoyed learning more about Ms. Cole in this book and it is amazing how much her character has grown since the beginning of the series. Another winner from Jenn McKinlay!

This time Ms. Cole takes center stage and its about time. As one of the characters I'd like to know more about, she finally gets her due. More of her past is explored as Lindsey and Sully try to figure out who has framed her for the murder of an old flame.

I'm very wary of books that feature political storylines but I love Ms. Cole and I though McKinlay did a good job in previous books on the impetus for Ms. Cole running for mayor so I took a chance.

I really enjoyed seeing Ms. Cole get more "page time" and appreciated the way the library staff and volunteers came together to defend one of their own. The pacing was solid and the mystery engaging. Fans of the series will like this one a lot.

I loved this book as the latest installment of the Library Lovers series. I have read all of the Cupcake Murder Mysteries, I am actually in the middle of an ARC of the upcoming book right now. I love this series as well, who could not? For me, this does not have the exact same charm as the Cupcake Mysteries, but that may be because I read the other series first. But, being a librarian, this series will have a special place in my heart.

One thing I enjoyed about Killer Research was the fact there was not a lot of romance to speak of. The focus was on the mayoral race, which was filled with all sorts of drama! Now that is my kind of book! I want all the dirty details! Because of this, I also loved getting to know Ms. Cole more, aka, The Lemon. When her trunk has been found to have bodies inside, boy was that a shocker. If you read the description you knew, but it was still a surprise to read.

This book was not quite as long as some of the others in the series, but that did not make it not a good! It was a fun mystery that kept you guessing. I cannot wait to read more!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After a slight let down in the last couple installments, I had a lot of fun reading this one. Seeing Ms. Cole stand up to the mayor, and seeing more of her personality come out was amusing and entertaining.

And what is probably my favorite part of the whole book is when a patron is acting a fool and starts spouting off that their taxes pay the librarian's salaries, etc. (Which every library employee has heard) But then....then another patron says the thing that every librarian over the country has wanted to say back. "Besides, the amout of your taxes that goes into this library annually is about sixty bucks. I'd gladly give you that so that you never come in here again."
YES! Anyway, loved that, really enjoyed the book, and can't wait for #13!

Killer Research
By Jenn McKinlay
Berkley
November 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

It may be the Spring season in Briar Creek, Connecticut, but it’s also the time of a heated election battle between mayoral candidates. Incumbent Mayor Hensen is running for his third term in office, and the fat-cat is wielding every influence his has to keep him in his very comfortable seat. Running against him is Briar Creek Library head of circulation Ms. Eugenia Cole, formerly known as The Lemon but who has softened through romance and the reluctant influence of the Director, Lindsey Norris. No one more than Lindsey is surprised by the change in their relationship, as the Lemon once stood as the representative of everything Old School and a barrier for Lindsey’s more community-targeted library changes. Even the storytime-costumed children’s librarian Beth Barker has been swayed to the side of the formerly prissy staff member, to the point that she’s now Ms. Cole’s campaign manager. The lead-up to the election is going to test all of Beth’s patience and Lindsey’s diplomatic skills, since the Mayor is still technically their boss and he insists on publicly insulting Ms. Cole in the very library where she has worked for forty years.

When going to retrieve lawn signs from her car trunk, Ms. Cole is stunned to discover her car vandalized and the signs strung all over the parking lot. Even more alarming is the body stuffed inside, especially when it turns out to have connections to Ms. Cole. While she hadn’t seen the victim in over forty years, the mayor doesn’t hesitate to start a campaign of rumors implicating Ms. Cole and linking her to the murder. So it becomes a different type of race as Lindsey must prove Ms. Cole’s innocence not only to keep her from being arrested, but to do so before her reputation is so sullied that her polling rates tank and she is forced to pull out of the election.

This 12th in the series continues to deliver all of the booklore, library appreciation, and quirky characters that readers have grown to love. Lindsey is still basking in her newlywed status with boat captain Mike “Sully” Sullivan, and their bookclubs meet to celebrate the works of Zora Neale Hurston (Readers Guide included). The dirty politics of a small-town election may hit a little too close to home and be fresh in everyone’s minds, especially when Ms. Cole is targeted with an ageist, misogynistic smear campaign. Humor and the love of libraries continues to rise through though, especially when it is the power of librarian research that gets them closer to the truth. This is such a fun, satisfying, and uplifting mystery that even the cutthroat race for mayorship can’t keep this from being a witty and heart-warming read.

Jenn McKinlay has done it again! She continues to deepen characters we already know from this series and adds a mystery to boot! As "the lemon" ramps up her campaign for Mayor, she is suspected of murder and this is just what the current mayor needs to squash his opponent. Or is it? Join the Crafternooners as they try to help their friend and learn more about each other.

We return to Briar Creek and there is an upcoming election for mayor. Ms. Cole, library assistant, has decided to run again incumbent Mayor Henson. He is not happy! Lindsey Norris, head librarian, is being harassed by Henson, who thinks the library and staff are messing with politics within the walls of the library and that's a big no-no. When Ms. Cole finds a dead body in the trunk of her car, and she used to know the victim, the campaign turns a whole lot more serious. As with a lot of smaller towns, no one is neutral and everyone is choosing up sides.

Will Lindsey be able to figure out what is going on? Can Briar Creek handle any more murders? Or any more corruption? This is a great addition to the Library Lover's Mystery series.

This is the newest book in Jenn McKinlay’s Library Lover’s Mystery series, and this time Lindsey must solve a murder in order to keep Mrs. Cole (the Lemon) out of jail. I love this series because of the library setting and the cast of supporting characters. I did feel like this one solved a little quickly, but it is still a fun addition to the series.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC!

Jenn McKinley gives us Killer Research, another Library Lover's mystery. Pleasant cozy with murder in a car outside the library and a library staffer as suspect.. Same lady is candidate for mayor, up against a longtime incumbent. Dirty deeds and dirty politics in a small town. Great cozy read.

Oh I love this series! I love Lindsey and that she introduces townspeople to the reader by describing what kinds of books they tend to checkout. One of the things that I've really appreciate about the series is the evolution of Ms. Cole. For the first few books she's almost a one note cranky librarian character but as the series has continued we've seen her become more and more human which I've really enjoyed. In this book not only is Ms. Cole much more front and center but we get a peek into her backstory which did explain a lot about her and was really interesting.

I expect the mystery to be solid in this series and this did not let me down. There are a lot of potential motives though no real suspects until more then halfway through the book. As always I love Emma as police chief and Robbie as her boyfriend/ Lindsey's conspirator is top notch and I'm really pleased that the romance between Lindsey and Sully has settled down and there is no more uncertainty there.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and it very rarely disappoints. Not only are the mysteries solid and intriguing but the characters are just like visiting old friends.

Quick read for a cold weekend. Jenn McKinlay's librarian Lindsey gets caught in the middle of murder when one of her employees finds a dead body in the trunk of her car. There are a number of high ranking society members that want the employee let go from their job, but Lindsey has a sneaky suspicion there might be more involved.

Spring is livening up Briar Creek after a long, cold winter, and newlyweds Lindsey and Sully could not be happier. Even though the upcoming mayoral election is getting heated, everything else in town is coming up daffodils...until a body is found.

Ms. Cole, a librarian and current candidate for town mayor, is shocked when she opens her trunk to discover a murder victim who just so happens to be a guy she dated forty years ago and the founder of the baking empire Nana's Cookies. As the town gossip mill turns, a batch of rumors begins to circulate about Ms. Cole's rebellious youth, which--along with being a murder suspect--threatens to ruin her life and her budding political career. But Ms. Cole is one tough cookie who will not go down without a fight.

Has the campaign for mayor turned deadly? It is up to Lindsey, Sully, and the rest of the crafternoon pals to see how the cookie crumbles and figure out who is trying to frame Ms. Cole for murder and why.

Ms Cole, library assistant, is running for mayor - until a dead man is found in the trunk of her car. Of course, the current mayor is pushing for her to be fired and to withdraw from the race. Is he a suspect trying to get rid of a political rival. It's up to the library director to solve the mystery and save her employee. A great addition to the series.

If you are a fan of this series, I highly recommend Killer Research! It contains all of the components that I love about this series….the library, the town,, most of all, the characters. Without giving anything away, one of my personal favourites,, Mrs. Cole, is front and centre. Please add this to your reading stash! Winter is coming, we all need that pile to grow! However, if you are like me, you won’t be able to wait and read it right away.
You won’t be sorry that you did!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Spring has sprung in Killer Research, the immensely entertaining twelfth entry in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. Newlyweds, a mayoral campaign, a baby on the way, and murder all make a delightful diversion from everyday life.

Even though Briar Creek’s mayoral election is six months away, librarian Ms. Cole is campaigning and excited to show off her new campaign signs to her coworkers and friends. That is until she finds her signs scattered near her car and a dead body in the trunk in their place. At first, the deceased is unidentified, but Ms. Cole is a suspect by circumstance. However, when the victim is identified as her long ago fiancé Henry Lewis, she comes under greater scrutiny, and the current mayor starts a massive smear campaign. Sure that Ms. Cole is innocent, library director Lindsey turns her attentions to the likes of Henry’s business partner, his family, a business foe, and others. Even the mayor is on her suspect list. Ms. Cole handles everything with maturity and grace.

Ms. Cole has been a consistent “sour lemon” throughout this series, but she has thawed a bit in recent books and really evolves here. In Killer Research, she is the focus of the mystery, and readers really get to know her and the life experiences that have made her the woman she is today. I loved this look back at the much younger, more passionate Ms. Cole. As always, the whole cast of characters make appearances and are endearing. I am so glad that protagonist Lindsey and her husband Sully have finally settled into domesticity. Everything just feels right. Lindsey is a smart, methodical sleuth, and readers never find her in situations where her choices and actions make her “too stupid to live”. Beth, the children’s librarian and Ms. Cole’s campaign manager is heavily featured within these pages, and she is just so cute.

The mystery is well thought out, and the pace is steady. There are several viable suspects with believable motives. I did briefly consider the killer but then dismissed them too easily. I think I was so bothered and distracted by the awful mayor’s antics, wanting him to dig himself into a hole. The story is quintessential cozy, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, it might be my favorite of the series thus far.

Killer Research is a great addition to the Library Lover’s series, and I hope there are many more murders for Lindsey and crew to solve. Highly recommend.

The election for mayor is six months away, but the politics is already heating up. Mayor Hensen is upset that Ms. Cole is running against him, and he’s making life difficult for Lindsey Norris and the rest of the library staff. Then, Ms. Cole finds a dead body in her trunk. When her connection to the victim comes to light, the mayor uses everything he can to drive Ms. Cole out of the library and out of the race. Can Lindsey figure out what is happening before Ms. Cole’s reputation is ruined?

I love it when background characters get time to shine, and I’ve enjoyed watching Ms. Cole go from a one note character to a fully developed character over the last few books. That continues here. The rest of the cast is just as fantastic, and I loved seeing them again. The plot is strong with plenty to keep me engaged as I read. The climax was a bit theatrical, but it was also fun, so I’m willing to let it go. Speaking of fun, I laughed multiple times over the course of the book. We’ve got the usual book discussion, craft, and recipe extras at the end. Fans will enjoy this book, and if you are new to the series, be sure to check it out.