Ew. My expectations are not terribly high for cozy mysteries and I'm a sucker for books about books....but three very short chapters in and I hate everyone, including the writer. I can't blame this one on "a reading slump." I am just absolutely not the target audience for this book. If I'd read the back cover more carefully I'd have known...it's about a "sassy" librarian and her "squeeze," Caldwell. ( )

The sequel to Killer Librarian, which I read back in March.
Karen Nash, a librarian from Minnesota, has given herself two months of living with Caldwell, a B&B owner in London, to decide if she's going to uproot her life in the States and marry him. Caldwell is a perfect match for Karen as he loves books and book shopping as much as she does, and if she stays, he wants to sell the B&B and own a bookstore together. Out of the blue, Caldwell's former girlfriend shows up to claim half the business she walked away from years ago, and just as quickly, she's dead. There's a houseful of suspects with motives, so whodunnit? ( )

Transplant librarian Karen Nash is deciding whether to take up her love's "proposal" to open a bookstore with him and stay on as his partner. Locations and the sale of his current B&B are being contemplated to finance the venture. What is not in the planning is his ex-girlfriend/partner showing up after 7 years abandonment and pilferage and staking claim in 1/2 the equity. When she is found dead under a bookshelve of rare books, all hands on deck are suspect.

It's a classic whodunnit with Karen at the helm. A quick read that could have been fleshed out more with character building, scenery and just more place viewing, still, a lively read and good between book against those that drain the psyche. ( )

Karen has taken a trip to London to spend time with her boyfriend, Caldwell, and see if she is ready to move permanently from her job as a librarian in Minnesota to a book shop dealer in London. But before she can concentrate on that decision, her boyfriend's ex returns turning the situation problematic but then turns up dead. Caldwell seems to be the prime suspect, so Karen feels the need to investigate herself which tends to prove dangerous.

I liked the story and the characters but am wondering how they will progress in the future. ( )

Sadly, not as good as the first book in this series.

But - the first book was so clever, so creative, and so fresh that it would, in all fairness, be hard to beat. Death Overdue is a worthy follow up, it's just not got all the first one had.

Mostly what I found different in this book was a sudden discomfort between the two main characters, Karen and Caldwell. Their dialog felt stilted, like two characters in a play portrayed by two actors with no chemistry at all. Wooden. It did warm up a bit towards the end, but really, some of the naturalness and easiness of the first book's dialogue was missing in this one.

The plot, however, was again just outstanding. Clever, unique - this author thinks outside the box when plotting her crimes and I just love it! This is a 5 star plot with 3 star characterisations. I just don't think very many people will see the ending coming. It's a lovely cozy twist at the end, with a small bow to Dame Agatha Christie.

It would appear that future books will take place in a London bookshop, which will add another cozy element to a series that has a lot going for it. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author does next - and hoping the dialogue gets back on track. ( )