This was... something. I liked the beginning. I liked the end. I liked the cat. But the middle dragged so bad. I was invested, and then I was reading just to be done. I don't think it's a book that will stick with me at all. Like, it was silly, but otherwise, entirely unremarkable. Kinda disappointing, but at least I can say I read it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

A super fun romantasy with that gave all the cozy feels I was hoping for, with just enough stakes to keep me invested.

As a librarian, I found The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society to be an absolute delight! It’s a charming, cozy mystery with just the right touch of supernatural elements. The vibes reminded me a lot of Murder, She Wrote, but with a fun twist—demon hunting! The quirky little town of Winesap was such a perfect setting for the story, and I couldn’t help but smile when I discovered it’s near Albany, which is close to where I live.

The characters were engaging, and the mystery kept me hooked throughout. It’s the perfect read for anyone who loves a mix of cozy mystery and supernatural fun. Overall, I had a wonderful time with this book, and I’d highly recommend it to fans of light-hearted mysteries with a dash of the occult.

Thank you NetGalley and Ace for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was intrigued by the prospect of demon hunting, but was hesitant about the cozy mystery aspect. I was also excited about an older protagonist, but unfortunately the overall tone of The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society was just way too twee and cozy for me. For a murder mystery, this felt like a warm hug. Which is fine, but I am extremely touch adverse and I often can’t handle warm hug books (I do tend to avoid small town cozy mysteries, it’s on me that I didn’t realize that this was that).

Outside of the genre mismatch, this did feel a little lukewarm overall. I don’t really think this book will stick with me very long, which is fine, but while this was a fast paced book I also felt like a lot of the interesting action took place off page. In addition, Sherry had a character trait for a large portion of the book that irritates me both in fiction—I really do struggle with nosy normal everyday folk who happen to Solve Murders through the power of… treating it like a game? (if you’re wondering! I do not like true crime.) I think the overall idea was neat and there was potential for me to be into it, but the execution and the choices the author made aren’t for me—I think people who typically enjoy cozies will have a good time, but I’m not that person.

A cozy mystery with a supernatural twist, this will appeal to readers who like some quirkiness in their books. Sherry (crime solving librarian) is an appealing main character and I would read more books with her at the center, but this book did feel like the reader was supposed to already have a familiarity with Sherry and her past mystery solving work, almost like this was not the first book in a series. I enjoyed this enough that I will pick up the next one if it does become a series and it's a worthy and unique addition to the crime-solving librarians in cozy mysteries genre.

A cozy mystery with quite the twist! The cast of characters were so fun to watch interact and work together to figure out the truly sinister mystery behind the cozy setting of the novel. Who knew that demon's could enjoy Murder She Wrote so much? It would be great to see more of these characters solving crimes of the supernatural or regular variety or even just hanging out.

I almost put this down. I read some reviews that made it seem like I should stick with it, so I did, and it did get better. Some weird things that didn't make sense were cleared up though there were still some holes there. I liked the Poirot-like reveal, and the friendship among the characters. The ending leaves it open to a possible sequel. I do agree with the others who said this felt like the 2nd or 3rd in a series which was probably intentional, but added to the weirdness.

Thank you to Ace Books for the advanced reading copy!

I was so intrigued by the premise of this book, just couldn't get into it. I ended up trying it on audio, as I was feeling unattached to the e-arc, and that was no better. The narrator didn't connect me anymore to the story than the words themselves, and I ended up only skimming through this. I felt confused for most and, despite the interesting premise, just wasn't intrigued. sad!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

3.5/5
This was fun! I am always down for a cozy mystery, and The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society did not disappoint! I mean, the title alone is an attention grabber!

Sherry doesn't seem to notice that she's always there to solve the small town's many murder cases. That is until she becomes a suspect.

With demons, a talking cat, and some surprising small town connections, this librarian proves she should not be underestimated!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society is a cozy mystery for fans of Murder, She Wrote and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sherry Pinkwhistle, the village librarian suspects that the spate of deaths in her small town have a supernatural aspect to them. Add a talking cat, due to demonic possesssion and you've got a charming, cozy paranormal mystery.

From the first chapters, The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner felt confusing. Despite being a standalone novel, the frequent references to prior sleuthing adventures left me feeling like I was missing key parts of the story. It created a disjointed experience that was hard to get beyond.

Initially, the concept of a librarian turned senior sleuth in a supernatural murder mystery intrigued me. However, as the story progressed, I became disengaged and ultimately decided to put the book down. The narrative didn't align with my expectations, and I couldn't connect with the plot or characters.

I'm not sure if it was the writing or if it was simply not the right fit for me. The potential was there, but it didn't quite hit the mark.

This became a DNF for me.

This cozy mystery follows Sherry, a local librarian, seeking to solve yet another murder in this small town. Lots of plot twists as Sherry, with the help of the local "demon hunting society," seek to end the murderous spree! A full cast of fun and quirky characters make for an enjoyable read.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

I had such high hopes for this book, but when it came down to it the writing was just not my cup of tea. I couldn't get hooked. I wanted so badly to love this book, but I couldn't get into the first 100 pages.

Waggoner was a new author to me, and will be someone who’s backlist I want to read. This was cute and cozy and a fun mystery to unravel. A perfect book for a weekend in!

An absurd love letter to Murder She Wrote with demons. Sherry is a humble librarian with a knack for solving crime. But just how many murders does she have to solve in this sleepy town? She refuses to continue when her beau is murdered, but she can't stay away. Especially when her cat starts talking to her and she realizes that she can't leave the town before this is put to rest. The town is rich with strange characters and circumstances. Plus this book wins the prize for the best descriptive sentence--"Time sneezed". I still think of the line when life goes sideways.

This was a wonderful palette cleanser of a book. It is the type of story I expected from The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and I love it! Cosy mysteries aren't a genre I'm super familiar with, but this seems like the type of book I would describe as a cosy mystery, with a bit of extra supernatural flavour. The ending was perhaps a bit so-so, but if there happens to be another book in the series I would certainly read it! In short, if you've always wanted to read the story of what would happen if your grandma turned out to be a monster hunter but you need a palette cleanser from the fantasy novels with hard to pronounce city names, this is a book to try out!

Murder, demons, and a librarian who won’t back down—The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society is a wildly entertaining cozy fantasy mystery that’s equal parts charming and hilarious.

Sherry Pinkwhistle’s knack for solving murders turns supernatural when her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, becomes possessed by an ancient demon. With the help of a ragtag Demon-Hunting Society and a rookie priest, Sherry juggles sleuthing, exorcisms, and the occasional witty retort.

C.M. Waggoner delivers a delightful blend of Murder, She Wrote’s cleverness and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s supernatural sass. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a fantastical twist and fiercely determined heroines.

With all of her great reviews, I had high expectations which were not met. A little silly for me. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This wasn’t for me. At all. I went into this book fully expecting a cutesy, cozy fantasy/romance, so you can imagine my utter disappointment when I realized I was reading a murder mystery instead of a cozy fantasy. That was completely my fault for not reading the synopsis. Normally, I don’t mind a murder mystery, but something about this one just didn’t work for me. I had a hard time with the main character’s voice and the way it was written. The MC’s thoughts jumped around a lot in a very random way. And toward the end, we find out it was intentional, but it still pulled me out of the story.

The plot didn’t work for me either. A lot of it didn’t add up or make sense, and the further I went, the less sense it made. With how messy the main character’s thoughts are, we don’t even get to see how the mystery is solved. The MC just randomly figures it out and then gives a quick explanation of how she got from point A to point B. You don’t get much investigating or problem-solving on page. Everything just gets neatly cleaned up at the end.

Overall, I can see how some readers might enjoy this, especially if they're into strange, paranormal mysteries. But for me, it just wasn’t what I was hoping for, and I couldn’t connect with the story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.