The Bad Break

March 1, 2018
Riley Ellison has quit librarianship to work as a small-town reporter in this second in the series (after The Good Byline, 2017). The job suits her, but tell that to her colleague Spencer, who refers to Riley as the intern and makes her do boring research for the obituaries of the pre-dead, alive-and-kicking locals whose obit details have to be kept current, just in case. What Riley thought was busywork, however, turns out to be the basis for exciting journalism when a local doctor is found dead. The road to unmasking the killer isn't smooth personally or professionally for Riley; while finding her way as a new journalist, she endures an old flame reappearing and tiptoes through a new romance she fears is on the rocks. The small-town nature of this mystery, with the requisite fish-bowl local politics, relationships, and grudges, makes it perfect for cozy lovers who want something more modern. Readers will enjoy Riley's humor and determination even when things turn sad. Recommend this after Victoria Gilbert's A Murder for the Books (2017), which also features a librarian turned sleuth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)