Hitting the Books

July 2, 2018
At the start of McKinlay’s delightful ninth Library Lover’s mystery (after 2017’s Death in the Stacks), Lindsey Norris, the director of the Briar Creek, Conn., library, witnesses a hit-and-run, an attempt to murder tennis coach Theresa Huston, the fiancée of wealthy businessman Larry Milstein. Despite being overwhelmed with the adjustment of moving in with her heartthrob, former navy man Mike Sullivan, Lindsay can’t resist investigating, especially after the hit-and-run driver is found dead in a stolen vehicle loaded with audiobook CDs from her library. The Milsteins provide a number of leads. Larry’s college-age daughter, Liza, seems crazy about Theresa, but perhaps it’s an act to keep herself in Daddy’s good graces. Then there’s Larry’s previous wife, Liza’s mom, who disappeared when Liza was barely more than a toddler. Or maybe it’s that multimillion-dollar life insurance policy Larry insisted on taking out on Theresa before their wedding. Plentiful suspects and motives keep the pages turning in this suspenseful cozy. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Narrator Allyson Ryan deftly inhabits plucky librarian and sometimes sleuth Lindsey Norris with humor and aplomb. The seaside town of Briar Creek, Connecticut, becomes anything but quiet after Norris observes Theresa Houston being hurt by a hit-and-run driver. Ryan is believable as she voices Houston's pain and fear, along with her wealthy fianc�'s fury. Ryan also shines at introducing Police Chief Emma Plewicki, sharing vivid descriptions of the town and its residents, and portraying Norris's engaging boyfriend, Sully. Ryan's best creations are Robby, a nosy but helpful British actor, and mysterious Sarah Milstein, a psychopath who knows no boundaries. Listeners will especially appreciate hearing about true-to-life library patrons and actual library policies when Plewicki demands patron records as part of her investigation. S.G.B. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine