Read and Gone: A Haunted Library Mystery

Read and Gone by Allison Brook is the second novel in A Haunted Library Mystery series. Carrie Singleton is the head of Programs and Events at Clover Ridge Public Library and has settled into her new life quite nicely. Tired after hosting a combination birthday and housewarming party, Carrie drifts off to sleep. She is awakened in the middle of the night when someone breaks into her cottage. It turns out to be her estranged father, Jim Singleton. Jim has been gone most of Carrie’s life making a living as a thief. He needs Carrie’s help in recovering his half of $7 million dollars in jewels from his last heist. His partner, local jeweler, Benton Parr is holding the goods and not responding to his queries. Carrie, of course, refuses and Jim disappears into the night. Benton Parr gives a lecture at the library that evening and the next morning Carrie receives a call from Lt. John Mathers. Benton Parr was found dead in his shop by an employee and Jim Singleton just happened to be there trying to get into the safe. Turns out that Carrie’s boyfriend, Dylan Avery is the insurance investigator tasked with tracking down the stolen gems (oh dear). Carrie sets out to find the gems and Benton Parr’s killer. Someone, though, is not happy with Carrie’s sleuthing and attempts to take her out of the game (they do not know Carrie very well). Will Carrie be able to wrap up the case before Christmas? Read and Gone may be the second book in A Haunted Library Mystery series, but it can be read alone. The author provides all the information a reader needs on Carrie and what occurred in Death Overdue. Read and Gone can be confusing in the beginning as the author overloads readers by introducing them to numerous characters (it gets easier after the party). I do like that the author has taken the time to establish Carrie as a character. However, Carrie was on a pity party in this book regarding her father and Dylan which made her unappealing. I believe therapy would be beneficial. Read and Gone has a charming small-town, friendly characters, a frisky feline, and an elderly ghost. Carrie’s great aunt and uncle are sweet, caring people. Carrie needs to spend more time with them (establish a family dinner night). Evelyn Havers, the ghost, is my favorite character. I wish she had been included more into the story. I would like to see Evelyn be Carrie’s partner in crime solving. The Clover Ridge Public Library is a place where I would like to hang out. It is wonderful that they have so many activities for their patrons, but I am baffled how a small town can afford such a large staff. The mystery begins with Jim, the jewels and the dead jeweler. The corpses begin to stack up as more people begin digging around for the elusive gems. I would have appreciated a good twist since I accurately identified the killer very early in the story. It is a good thing that Smokey Joe is getting exercise at the library chasing those mice considering the amount of food he has been eating. I was worried the little fellow would ingest tinsel from Carrie’s tree (tinsel and cats are not a good combination). If you are looking for an entertaining cozy mystery with friendly characters and an adorable cat, then look no further than Read and Gone.

Book 2 brings Carrie a little more than she was ready to handle. Her dad comes to visit unexpectedly and he brings all his questionable friends and lifestyle with him. While Carrie comes to grips with her mixed feelings regarding her dad, she also comes to appreciate the changes in her life since she settled in Clover Ridge. Her new boyfriend Dylan shows that he knows her better than she thought and he's not about to let her mixed feelings about things push him away. He does admit he maybe should have handled some things differently though (can't say more or SPOILERS). Carrie is definitely making headway in putting down roots for her first time and in this book, she realizes how important they are to her already. Once again, we get to see all the characters grow in their setting and the new characters are as well-rounded as the old ones. The intrigue kept the pages turning and the bodies falling. Overall, it was an excellent book and I cannot wait for the next in the series. Thank you to Allison Brook, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this wonderful book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.