Read and Gone
A dedicated father is a precious thing, but Carrie Singleton wouldn’t know since her dad Jim’s been in and out of her life. In an unusual family reunion, she finds Jim breaking into her cottage in the middle of the night. The fun starts when he begs her to help him recover his half of a twenty-million-dollar gem heist he pulled off with a local jeweler, Benton Parr. Who ends up dead.
Carrie finds her father 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 knocks her over the head as she searches the victim’s 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, mice, or something shinier?
Series: A Haunted Library Mystery – Book #2
Author: Allison Brook (Marilyn Levinson)
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Holiday/Library
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Rating:
Read and Gone is a study in a dysfunctional family dynamic that, for some reason, works. Oddly enough, even though Carrie’s father has been absent or in jail for most of her life, she still finds that she loves and cares for him. Odder still, it seems that Jim loves her as well. So why did he keep getting himself in trouble and disappearing from her life?
The characters in this book/series are just beginning to develop, but they hold a great deal of promise. It is easy to like Carrie, and Jim, as well as some other reoccurring characters. Unfortunately, the ghost of the library does not play a significant part in this book, but hopefully, this will develop as well as the series goes on. Many of the characters have charming personalities and hopefully will be fleshed out more to make them memorable and identifiable for the reader.
The setting is lovely, and there is no need for detailed background information as this book can stand alone. However, a bit of background wouldn’t hurt in future editions to enhance the enjoyment of the reader and to help the stories move along. A library is often used in this type of book. There are several very good cozies that are set in a library with a ghost. It is hoped that this series will be able to incorporate these elements without becoming too much like others of its kind.
The resolution and the identity of the killer were not complex to figure out. There were plenty of clues and twists and turns to help the reader figure out who the killer was. For some readers, it may even be a bit too easy.
There are many things in Read and Gone that a reader will find enjoyable. For that reason, I am happy to recommend it to anyone who has a taste for books, murder, and a family that has issues but, in the end, still love each other.
About the Author:
A former Spanish teacher, Allison Brook writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for young readers. She loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her grandchildren, Olivia and Jack, on FaceTime. She lives on Long Island with Sammy, her feisty red cat. She also writes under the name Marilyn Levinson.
Contact Allison/Marilyn: https://www.marilynlevinson.com/
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