This is the second novel in a cozy mystery series, Lakeside Library Mystery, and the first one I’ve read. You don’t need to read the first one to understand what’s going on because of the cozy mystery genre’s episodic nature, however I personally wish I read the first before picking this one up.

Our main character, Rain Wilmont has lived in Lofty Pines for a while now, running the small town’s library after the death of her husband, and it’s now winter in Wisconsin. Which means two things: ice fishing and chili-feeds. And this is just so how she meets our murder victim prior to his death.

The small interaction between the two made me a little sad when his death came about, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy who really wanted to make a winning chili for the contest. And Rain, throughout this whole novel, is quite a lovely person who’s dealing with the loss and betrayal of her deceased husband while not only solving this crime but possibly dipping her toe back in the dating pool.

Her, Julia, and Julia’s husband Nick were entertaining to read about because their friendship is solid, they have all these little jokes, and soft moments. Overall it’s one of the most genuine friendships I’ve read in a few months that hasn’t involved a lot of tensions. And it made it clear how much of Julia and Rain’s interactions as the plot progresses is a “ride-or-die” connection.

The plot itself is relatively good, more surprising than I expected despite my years of watching Murder, She Wrote. I think for me personally, the setting added to the enjoyment because of how accurate the more “nuanced” things about Wisconsin were. Such as some of the language quirks, how much the men are into ice fishing, chili, how winters are. It’s funny how I didn’t even realize it was set in Wisconsin until I started the first chapter, but this all the more makes me want to read not only Murder at the Lakeside Library, but any future books Holly Danvers publishes in this series to experience more of these relationships but also that touch of home for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite cozy mystery series. It has everything I want - small town friends, murder, two romantic choices. Can't wait for the next installment and hoping it doesn't drag out the romances for too long.

The sleuthing duo Rain and Julia’s hands were full when a mysterious murder happened too close to home. Their sleuthing caps were on, and it was a race against time. The picture wasn’t looking bright for Nick, Julia’s husband. I enjoyed reading this intriguing, entertaining, and exciting package.

One again we are at a lake in Wisconsin, but now it is winter. Rain, our protagonist has never spent a winter in the Northwoods and is realizing that things need to be done to the library to keep it open comfortably during the winter of the local populace.

The ice fishing contest is about to begin and a man who recently checked several books out of the library is murdered in his ice fishing hut. The husband of Rain's best friend is the prime suspect.

It is not a spoiler to tell you that it all works out in the end. I had no idea who the perpetrator was until close to the end. A device was used similar to plot Agatha Christie once used, but it was put into the story in a good fashion.

I do like the characters that the author has created. They seem real (if not foolish at some points!) I wish these females would sometimes use their brains and not get themselves into situations where they are in danger. They seem to think that ONLY THEY can solve the mystery. And then it is usually a man who saves them. Why can't someone write a book where the smart and savvy woman solves it without being in harms way. Do authors think that no one would read such a book?

Well, we have to appreciate what we have and I do appreciate Holly Danvers and the Lakeside Library Mysteries.

The second in a series, the mystery delivers just as the first one did. Winter itself becomes a character as Rain discovers what life is like in resort town when she spends the cold months in her family’s summer cottage. Of course, things aren’t quite as quiet as she imagined it would be when a local man, Wallace Benson, is found dead during the Ice Fishing Jamboree. When her friend Nick becomes the prime suspect, Rain and her best friend are determined to investigate and clear his name.

I love the characters in this series. I would love to spend some time with them. And who can say no to a cozy library on a cold winter day.

The mystery is solid but some of the antics of Rain and Julia are just too much. They are bordering on the line of committing a felony themselves or possibly getting a Darwin award. However, it does provide thrills equal to many suspense stories out there.

I look forward to the next book in the series. I will be sure to get it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

⭐⭐⭐

<b>Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library</b> was an okay read for me. I didn't love it; I didn't hate it. I adored the setting of the book (a log cabin library in Lofty Pines, Northern Wisconsin.) For some reason, it gave me Little House on The Prairie vibes. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It held up well as a standalone. The characters were all likable as well. That said, I found it really slow moving. The "baddie" was obvious right from the start, and I loathe love triangles in my cozy mysteries and it looks very much like this author is laying the groundwork for one with Jace and Ryan. This one was definitely a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed it enough to give the next book a read just to see where this author is headed with these characters.

**ARC Via NetGalley*

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Winters in northern Wisconsin can be brutal and definitely aren’t for everyone but Rain Wilmot decides it is the perfect place for her. She plans to make it her year-round home and keep her family’s Lofty Pines Library open so that everyone in the area will be able to check out books to snuggle up with on the cold winter days and nights. She is already meeting new people like Wallace Benson. Wallace plans to take part in the annual chili dump that takes place during the Ice Fishing Jamboree. He just needs to find the right recipe and Rain shows him the library has plenty of cookbooks to choose from. She sends him on his way promising to check his entry out on the big day.

The Ice Fishing Jamboree opens with plenty of ice shanties out on the lake and Rain notices Wallace’s prime spot. But soon chaos erupts when a woman breaks through the crowd claiming her husband has been murdered and she points her finger at Rain’s friend and neighbor Nick as the murderer. Rain soon realizes the woman is saying that her new friend Wallace is dead. Why would Nick kill Wallace? Heck, Nick wouldn’t kill anyone. Looking around she sees a whole crowd of suspects. She has to help her friends. Nick’s wife Julia needs support especially when her brother Jace has been pulled off the case. Hopefully, the three of them can cast a line and catch the real killer, and set Nick free. That is if the killer doesn’t catch her first . . .

After living here my whole life it is not hard to imagine the weather the characters experienced in this book. This year we had a pretty mild winter where I live in Wisconsin but I know that wasn’t the case up north. It was fun to slip into Rain’s world while snuggled up in a comfy chair with a blanket knowing I wasn’t going to have to deal with the blustery wind, blowing snow and frigid temperatures she was dealing with while crossing my fingers we are really headed to spring and have no big storms in our future. Aside from the weather outside, Rain’s family cabin and library would be a place I could easily call home. Ms. Danvers’s descriptions really take her readers inside this marvelous place effortlessly. The fire in the fireplace, the books on the shelves, the coffee brewing. A grand place in the woods perfect for a booklover.

In the last book, Murder at the Lakeside Library, I thought Julia was a really pushy woman. This time, because her husband is the prime suspect, she is a bit more subdued by the shock of what is happening around her. I liked seeing this vulnerable side and her letting Rain be the strong one. Don’t get by wrong, Julia still pushed, just not as hard or the over the top way she had before. Marge, who usually heads south for the winter just couldn’t stay away knowing the library was open. I loved that she returned. Both Rain and Julia needed her.

Rain’s sleuthing did make me a little nervous but she really shined in this story. She is still finding her way and reconnecting with people but she seems much more comfortable now. She has more confidence. I love that she is making the cabin her home and I love all the ideas she has for the library including a new wood stove. A stove that has bought a new young man into Rain’s life setting up the dreaded romantic triangle found in most cozy mysteries. Some people hate them but I enjoy them when done right. I really like Jace but Ryan is very nice too. Time will tell where these romantic ties will go and if I will be Team Jace or Team Ryan.

I was sad that Wallace was our victim. He seemed like such a nice man that was clearly working through something. He was so excited about both the chili and ice fishing contests. The mystery surrounding his death evolved slowly over the course of the book with Rain and Julia taking some real risks and making Jace a little crazy. The killer wasn’t thrilled by their actions either and tried to make that known. I solved this one pretty easily but was still very entertained following all the clues with the girls. The ending was super exciting and had me at the edge of my seat. I loved it!

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library was a delightful addition to this series. The characters continue to evolve and become even more engaging. The Wisconsin setting is a big draw for me too. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Prepare to shiver while reading this book. It is not that it is so scary, although it does have a good mystery. It is the way the cold winter weather is described that will chill you down to your bones.

Now that Rain has decided to keep open the library throughout the winter, many of the full time Lakers come to borrow books. She meets a very nice man looking for cookbooks and is saddened when he is murdered during an ice fishing event. She is even more shattered when her best friend, Nick, who is also the husband of her other best friend, is framed for the murder.

Even after he is arrested Rain, Julia and Jace, Julia’s cop brother, believe he is innocent. Jace is taken off the case because of conflict of interest so that puts more pressure on the two women to find the real killer. They ask lots of questions. Rain has a bit of finesse. Julia is like a sledge hammer. But somewhere amongst their enquires they have stumbled too close to the truth. In fact, after Rain is almost killed, they know they are near. But it’s only when there is another attempted murder similar to the first one that Nick is released.

The stakes are high and the weather is atrocious. So the two ladies go to help someone and end up being held hostage by the killer. Even though I had twigged to the person, it was still exciting as the two friends try to stay alive. And it turns out the murder weapon, that no one has found, turns out to be something quite brilliant. It was a good story, beginning to end but it did make me want to put on my long johns. Five purrs and two paws up.

I went into this book, hoping for a cozy mystery to keep me company on a cold winter night. After all, a book about librarians in a lake community solving murder mysteries... sign me up! However, this one let me down a bit. To be fully transparent, I didn't realize, until I was more than halfway through the book, that this was the second book in a series. Having not read the first book, I missed out on quite a bit of backstory, and felt that some plot lines suffered as a result. And the romance features in the book felt a little too rushed and gratuitous for my liking, almost like they were simply inserted into the story without adding meaningfully to the story. I do not rule out going back and finding book one, it might help sort out my thoughts on this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read in this series. I really liked the book and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

This book makes me want to visit the Lakeside Library, preferably at the start of a snow storm, to sit by the stove in the library with Rain, Julia and Marge planning their next round of sleuthing. Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library is a wonderful addition to the series, and it finds Rain and Julia yet again in the midst of a murder, with Julia's husband Nick being the prime suspect for having committed the murder of a fellow ice fisherman. Of course this makes Julia desperate to clear Nick's name, causing her to do some crazy not too well thought out things. Rain tries to keep Julia in check and out of trouble while doing her own investigating, Jace, Julia's brother and local police officer, is taken off the case however he and Rain share clues, ultimately revealing the real culprit in the end, but not before Rain and Julia find themselves in danger.

The author does an excellent job describing the Lakeside Library and it's location in the north woods of Wisconsin - all of the snow and dangers of being out in it are easily visualized! The characters very quickly come to life, all of who are described in very realistic, human terms.

The mystery was intriguing. Nick certainly did seem to be guilty of murdering the man that laid claim to his prime fishing spot, however a few other suspects appeared over time. It was relatively easy to figure out 'whodunnit' but the how remained a puzzle until the end. Overall, a great book and it kept me engaged until the end. I highly recommend both books in the series, particularly if you like libraries, lots of snow, and a good mystery!

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library
by Holly Danvers

Rain Wilmot runs a library out of her family’s cozy Lofty Pine’s log cabin…and this winter, she’s staying on and keeping it open through the cold Wisconsin winter.

All is going smoothly in their little town until a library patron, Wallace Benson, is found dead in his ice shack during the annual Ice Fishing Jamboree. Rain is horrified since she’d spoken to him only recently at her library.

Things only get worse when her friend Nick is accused of the murder. She’s entreated by Nick’s wife and her best friend Julia to help find the real killer.

I did find this story hard to get into and stay motivated to read. There are a lot of descriptive sections that could have been tightened up and ratcheted up the tension and suspense, drawing in the reader more.

How could I resist a mystery involving a library and my home state of Wisconsin? I could just picture myself enjoying that cozy little library. However, the overuse of "ya" in the characters' dialog seemed a bit unnatural to me. I didn't realize that this was the second in a series, so I now plan to read the first book which I discovered was already in my personal library. Looking forward to the next book to follow the continuing story of Rain and her friends. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy.

I had trouble getting into this story. The first should be read before reading this one because the reader is missing information with out it.

I really like the premise of this series and the first book in this series is fantastic. This installment was good-I liked the mystery and it held my attention. My main issue with this read was Julia. While I felt for her, with her husband being the number one suspect, her attitudes and actions were a bit childish and dumb. There were several times throughout the read I was frustrated with her character. This was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to more in this series.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. What a fun cozy mystery! Love visiting these cozy little towns. Author did a great job loved all the characters.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library

By Holly Danvers

Crooked Lane Books

February 2022



Review by Cynthia Chow



Making a drastic life change before the age of 33 is daunting, but Rain Wilmot wasn’t given a choice after a motorcycle crash left her a devastated widow needing to flee from their Milwaukee condo. She’s slowly embracing her new life back in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, taking over the small log cabin library once run by her mother. Now that the town is becoming a winter tourist destination due its winter sports appeal, Rain intends to operate the library year-round and not seasonally. The Lofty Pines ice-fishing tournament has become one of those growing attractions, with both residents and tourists competing for the prize of a Polaris Utility Task Vehicle. The competition over fish-flourishing ice holes is no joke, but no one expected that it would become deadly. When Wallace Benson is found stabbed to death with a fish-gutting knife though, it doesn’t take long for the man’s wife to angrily accuse the last man seen arguing with Wallace of the murder. That Nick Reynolds also happens to be the husband of Rain’s best friend Julia means neither women can accept the condemning judgement, nor are they willing to sit idly by while Nick remains in Jail. Julia’s brother Jace being a Lofty Pines police officer is actually more of a hindrance than help in their efforts to prove Nick’s innocence, especially when Jace is sidelined off of the case.



Having been successful in previously solving a murder – not to mention proving Rain’s own innocence in the matter – she, Julia, and their friend Marge quickly launch their own unofficial investigation into the death. The natural introvert is going to have to push through her fears and hesitations in order to help her friends, especially when it means interrogating an aggressive widow and doing a little illicit breaking-and-entering. All the while Rain must still continue to operate her cozy little library and oversee renovations on the adorable log cabin. The chimney installer also happens to be a very attractive Ryan Wright only makes Rain more nervous, despite the fact that he may indeed be a candidate for Mr. Right.



This second in the series is a charming return to a chilly town full of warm characters. This entry revels in the opportunity to explore and develop the characters of the Lofty Pines residents, especially as they visit the library for chili recipes, manuals, and romances. Rain is still the standout lead of this blossoming series, one who is being pushed past her boundaries by each investigation. That her late husband was the one extravert in the marriage who led their social lives makes Rain’s reluctance to socialize understandable, especially when she explains her FOGO as Fear Of Going Out alone. A prospective romantic triangle is introduced but has hints of becoming a straight line very soon, and readers will be anxiously awaiting the next appearance of the shy, but increasingly bold, log cabin librarian

I was so disappointed in this, especially because I enjoyed the first one so much. For some reason the characters annoyed me in this done. The murder happens at an ice fishing competition and Rain wants to find out who killed him because her friend's husband has been arrested for his murder. It was an okay mystery but like I said the characters just annoyed me in this one. I will continue with the series because I like the writing, the setting, and Rain but, hopefully, the next one is better.

I thought I would give the second one a try since I loved the setting of the lake town and the idea of a library run by a family from their cabin. Unfortunately, I don't think this series is for me. I found the main character to be easily swayed by her impulsive, immature best friend, and they quickly, without hesitation, run around town during a snow storm performing unethical and somewhat illegal acts. I get that it's a small town and their amateur sleuths but the TSTL moments were too much for me. I will not be continuing with this series.