When I saw there was a new release in Leah Dobrinska’s Larkspur Library series, I knew I had to get my hands on A Killer Hold. I absolutely love this series.

This series follows Greta, a librarian in a small Wisconsin town. Her two best friends are her sidekicks, and she’s in a relationship with one of the town’s cops. Honestly, this series feels like a love letter to Nancy Drew, and I’ve even read somewhere that Nancy is a big inspiration for the series. And I’m here for it.

In A Killer Hold, Greta’s library is co-hosting the state’s annual library conference alongside the neighboring town’s library. During the first day of the conference, a local is killed outside a bar where the librarians are gathering. And while Greta initially tries to stay out of it, she ends up juggling investigating and attending the conference.

I’ll be the first to admit that this book has a lot going on. There is a lot of history about gangsters in Wisconsin and a mystery around a possible treasure left behind. Then there is all the conference stuff, and Greta has to deal with her ex, a fellow librarian in attendance. Add in the murder and a host of suspects. But in the end, Ms. Dobrinska was able to tie it all together, and, for me, it was a satisfying mystery and conclusion.

While the mystery was quite good, the main characters are the best part of this book (and the series). I find Greta very likable. I enjoy her relationship with McHenry and her friendship with Josie and Iris. Greta’s interactions with these three, while sleuthing or not, round out the book and keep me coming back.

I’m enjoying the development of the characters, their relationships, and their growth as sleuths. I found this mystery complex yet well-rounded, and I figured out the solution right before the reveal, which is always nice.

A Killer Hold is my favorite book of this series to this point. I recommend this series to fans of Nancy Drew or anyone who loves a good, cozy mystery.

“A Killer Hold” is the nicely done third book in Leah Dobrinska's Larkspur Library cozy mystery series. While this is the third book, it is the first one I’ve read in the series but I never felt lost regarding the setting and characters. Main character Greta Plank is the Director of the Larkspur Community Library and in this book she is hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference and helping a local treasure-hunting club with a presentation highlighting Northern Wisconsin’s gangster hideouts. The book is a nice blend of real-life history as well as fiction. The mystery is well done with several layers – a murder, an alleged buried treasure, secret codes, sketchy jewelry shop owners, and more. The main murder mystery is very well done with some twists and turns, red herrings, and plenty of suspects. I like to try and figure out who the killer is as I read the book but I was totally shocked when all was revealed – the clues were cleverly planted, I just missed them.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

In the third Larkspur Library Mystery novel, readers return to the Larkspur community library where director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization annual conference, which signifies the impending arrival of her ex-boyfriend, while also helping the local treasure hunters prepare their gangster trail exhibit. When the library board president and treasure-hunting club member are overheard arguing, no one thinks anything of it -- or a marked-up book in the return bin -- until someone winds up dead. Against her new boyfriend Detective Mark McHenry’s wishes, Greta winds up on the case, and there’s always something more to the story. With a ticking clock and a library conference going on, Greta has her hands full in this new and exciting mystery novel with a historical twist. A great continuation of the series, the progression of the characters’ development and the growth of the Larkspur Library community is absolutely fascinating, especially as these developments play roles in the new mystery. Greta continues to be an enjoyable, interesting, and unique protagonist with a circle of funny, relatable, and complementary characters in the mix that add a lot to this funny, cozy, and charming new mystery novel and the world Dobrinska has created in this great cozy mystery series.

Another fun cozy set in a library, engaging enough to make me want to continue the series, but not different enough to stand out from the plethora of other cozies set in libraries.

I absolutely loved this book! I didn't realise when starting that it was the 3rd book in the Larkspur Library Mysteries series, however I don't feel like it mattered. I'd definitely recommend as a standalone if you haven't read the previous books either. It's a really cosy murder mystery, it didn't drag out too long and I genuinely couldn't wait to find out who it was!

Such a fun, quick read! I enjoyed the author and would definitely read more of their work. The story was fun, and interesting!

Thank you Level Best Books and NetGalley for the DRC of A Killer Hold! All opinions in this review are my own.

I feel like each book in the Larkspur Library Mysteries series just keeps getting better! This mystery is well-paced and has enough new developments in the story to keep me interested. I also loved the historical connection to it!

✒️📖ARC REVIEW📖🖋️

A lot was packed into these ~200 pages! The story mainly follows Greta, a librarian in a small town, during an annual library conference her branch was chosen to host that year. The conference is the backdrop that draws several other victims and suspects into the quant town of Larkspur.

Greta has a short history as an amateur sleuth in the town, and gets drawn in to the case of a local murdered outside of a local restaurant. The clues come out little by little over the course of the conference week. In true thriller fashion, everyone seems to have a motive and the case gets more and more twisted as clues are found.

There is a bit of romance in the book. The love interest is a detective of the police station…who of course doesn’t like Greta poking around cases -for her own safety. There is also gangster history tied into the mystery behind the murder.

All in all a quick, enjoyable read.

The text messages could have been laid out a bit better. There were plenty of characters to keep track of, but they were mentioned enough times with their importance connected that it wasn’t too big of an issue. This being the 3rd book in the series was not too much of a continuity issue. Some references to previous cases were made, but nothing that would make the reader confused or enjoy the book any less.

I was provided a free advanced reader copy courtesy of Level Best Books and Leah Dobrinska via NetGalley. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

#arc #advancedreadercopy #NetGalley #akillerhold #LeahDobrinska #LevelBestBooks

A quick fun read with a good story and some fun characters. I missed that it was actually the third book in the series and think i may have enjoyed it a bit more had I read the first two. I was looking for something entertaining to read over the holiday break and this definitely filled my wants.
Mystery with a touch of romance and a good plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this fun read in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed reading this sooo much!! Thak you Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this beautiful book!!
I enjoyed the cozy and heartfelt setting along with the detective being the librarian greta !!
Can't wait to binge read all three of them together!!! Loved it very much

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. Was a bit of a slower paced book and it did take a bit for me to get into.

Greta is back and this time Greta and her friends are hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference. Greta has been working non-stop to make sure this conference goes off without a hitch while avoiding her ex-boyfriend who she hasn't seen since leaving Green Bay. Everything is going well, until a woman is found murdered next to Bobber's Bar. Blythe was part of the local treasure hunting club and is believed to have a secret discovery that she planned to announce at the showcase this weekend. Was her murder related to an infamous gangster from the past?

I love this cozy mystery series. I devoured the first two books in a week and was excited to dive right into A Killer Hold. The historical significance that was imbedded into the murder mystery was intriguing and I was excited to see that it was based off of true events that was stated in the author's notes. My only disappointment with this book was the relationship with the Detective and Greta. Although we get to learn more about the Detective's past, I wish there was a little more romance between the two in this story. I am hoping that their relationship continues to grow in the next book of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for the opportunity to review A Killer Hold.

A librarian turned detective.... say less. This was such a good story, and I was caught up in all the twists and turns! I really enjoyed it!

I enjoyed the book. A good murder mystery to the end. I would highly recommend it. Greta finds herself involved in a murder mystery.

Greta’s back, and this time she’s hosting the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference! Between dodging her ex-boyfriend and ensuring the event runs smoothly, everything seems under control—until a treasure-hunting club member is found murdered. With ties to an infamous gangster and a mysterious book code to crack, Greta is on the case once again.
The historical twist to the mystery was fascinating, especially knowing it was inspired by true events! The cozy small-town vibes, quirky characters, and librarian sleuth angle added so much charm.
Since I haven’t read the first two books in the series, it took me a little while to get into this one. Some of the character dynamics felt familiar in a way I couldn’t fully appreciate, but I still enjoyed the story once I got into the flow!
A fun, cozy mystery with historical intrigue and a compelling plot. Perfect for fans of small-town charm and bookish sleuths!

**Read If You Like:**
- Nancy Drew nostalgia
- Small-town cozies
- Treasure hunts and historical twists

This is the third book in a cozy mystery series, so far this one is my favorite. The twist and the surprise at the end with the reveal really got me, I would absolutely recommend this book and the others in the series.

I love mysteries set in libraries. Greta and Larkspur library are set to host the Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference. Not only does her ex show up, so does a dead body. Is it connected to the story of treasure left in the 1930s by fleeing gangsters including John Dillinger or something more sinister? Much fun!

I loved this book. The librarian sleuth trope is one of my favorites and this one didn't disappoint. I will definitely go back and read the first books in the series, and hope there are more to come!

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

I read this book as an ARC. A mystery-check. A romance-check. A strong female character-check. An ending that I didn’t see coming-check. This book was so fun to read. I didn’t realize it was the third book in a series when I started reading. It was so easy to fall into with the characters. Definitely give this book a read. Looking forward to reading the first two books.