Read and Gone: A Haunted Library Mystery
by Allison Brook
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 11, 2018)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683317340
Digital ASIN: B078M7MXGR
Twenty million dollars’ worth of missing gems bring Carrie Singleton’s long-lost and larcenous dad back into her life and it’s up to Carrie to clear his name. A devoted dad is as precious as diamonds, but Carrie Singleton wouldn’t know since her dad Jim’s been on the lam most of her life. In an unusual family reunion, she finds Jim breaking into her cottage in the middle of the night. The fun really starts when he begs her to help him recover his half of a twenty-million-dollar gem heist he pulled off with the local jeweler, Benton Parr. When she refuses, Jim takes off again.
Carrie finds her father again behind bars for the recent murder of Benton Parr. Who made the connection? Unbeknownst to her, Carrie’s boyfriend Dylan, an insurance investigator, has been searching for the gems. Determined to find the jewels herself, she starts examining every facet of Parr’s life. She turns up a treasure trove of suspects, one of whom bashes her on the head as she’s searching the victim’s country cabin. Retreating to the quiet confines of the library where she works, Carrie watches as Smokey Joe, the resident cat, paws at a hole in the wall. Is he after the library’s ghost Evelyn, or something shinier?
About the Author
Allison Brook is the pseudonym for Marilyn Levinson, who writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. She lives on Long Island and enjoys traveling, reading, watching foreign films, doing Sudoku and dining out. She especially loves to visit with her grandchildren on FaceTime.
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.
The ebook version of Death Overdue is currently $1.99 on Amazon. Allison Brook is hosting a giveaway in honor of the tour. She is giving away one print copy of Read and Gone. You can enter below on the Rafflecopter form or click here (Good Luck!). Make sure to leave a comment on my blog for an extra entry. I will be featuring Ours for a Season by Kim Vogel Sawyer tomorrow. I hope you have a brilliant day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
The ebook version of Death Overdue is currently $1.99 on Amazon. Allison Brook is hosting a giveaway in honor of the tour. She is giving away one print copy of Read and Gone. You can enter below on the Rafflecopter form or click here (Good Luck!). Make sure to leave a comment on my blog for an extra entry. I will be featuring Ours for a Season by Kim Vogel Sawyer tomorrow. I hope you have a brilliant day. Take care and Happy Reading!Kris
The Avid Reader
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 11 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
September 11 – Varietats – SPOTLIGHT
September 11 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 12 – Socrates' Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 12 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
September 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 13 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
September 13 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 13 – Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf – REVIEW
September 14 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
September 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
September 14 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
September 15 – Reading Authors – REVIEW
September 15 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 15 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 16 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
September 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
September 17 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
September 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
September 17 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
September 18 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW
September 18 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
September 18 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 19 – Laura's Interests - REVIEW
September 19 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 19 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 20 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW
September 20 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
September 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book - REVIEW
Thank you for your wonderful review on "Read and Gone" by Allison Brook which had me placing this book on my TBR list. Appreciate your being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteGreat story line and adorable cover, from the cute cat to the broken ornament, make for a wonderful combination. I would love love the opportunity to read this book.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thanks for featuring and reviewing READ AND GONE on your blog and the heads up about the reduced price on DEATH OVERDUE. I like the idea of a haunted library and look forward to reading this series ~
ReplyDeleteA library and a holiday - what could be better? Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDelete