Dollycas's Thoughts
The expansion of the library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut was underway until a dead body was found in the basement. At first, no one knows who the man is but it is soon learned he was Alec Dunsmore, Dylan's uncle whom he hadn't seen in years. But Alec hasn't left this realm, his ghost has taken up residence in the library and he isn't a quiet ghost like Evelyn. His energy when he is upset causes disturbances that are distressing to the patrons of the library. They don't understand why papers are flying or things are falling so Carrie enlists Evelyn's help to keep Alec away from the main areas of the library while she tries to find out why the man was in Clover Ridge and why he had been killed.
Carrie has also filled an opening on the town council and they need to decide if the Seabrook Preserve that runs along the Long Island Sound will remain a protected nature area or if it is time to sell the land to a condo developer or turn it into upscale park. It is a real hot-button issue with the council and the community. Soon after the decision is made one of the council members is killed. Are the murders connected? Is the library expansion or the preserve designation catalysts to the deaths? Is Carrie in danger?
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In this installment of the Haunted Library Mysteries, we have two ghosts instead of one. It was fun to see Evelyn have her hands full. Instead of just popping in to see Carrie and issuing orders or talking about murders, she had to help ghost Alec through a scary time. At first, he didn't know who he was, he had no memory of anything that happened, and later he was frustrated being stuck in the library. He was a handful for good reason. We learned more about Dylan's family and their issues with the ghost's appearance.
Carrie is juggling a lot in Dewey Decimated. She is the point person on the library expansion and in addition to a dead body, other issues arise that must be addressed. Being new to the town council she has a lot of reading to do so she is informed about the topics under consideration. Then there are the murders to investigate and a ghost loose in the library. Oh, I can't forget, she has a wedding date to set and a wedding to plan. Ms. Brook's characters are always entertaining but there were even more so in this story.
The mystery put forth by the author was complicated. The body had been in the basement for several years, making it a cold case, but some suspects emerged with the deceased memories slowly coming back. Carrie is uncomfortable with some assistance that is thrust upon her. Assistance that put her in a dangerous situation when the killer was revealed. I had the person on my radar but I was stunned by the way the showdown occurred.
Dewey Decimated is an exceptional addition to this series. With a spirited plot and dynamic characters, including a wonderful library cat, this story kept me completely captivated. Ms. Brook never disappoints. She has written another Perfect Escape!
The expansion of the library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut was underway until a dead body was found in the basement. At first, no one knows who the man is but it is soon learned he was Alec Dunsmore, Dylan's uncle whom he hadn't seen in years. But Alec hasn't left this realm, his ghost has taken up residence in the library and he isn't a quiet ghost like Evelyn. His energy when he is upset causes disturbances that are distressing to the patrons of the library. They don't understand why papers are flying or things are falling so Carrie enlists Evelyn's help to keep Alec away from the main areas of the library while she tries to find out why the man was in Clover Ridge and why he had been killed.
Carrie has also filled an opening on the town council and they need to decide if the Seabrook Preserve that runs along the Long Island Sound will remain a protected nature area or if it is time to sell the land to a condo developer or turn it into upscale park. It is a real hot-button issue with the council and the community. Soon after the decision is made one of the council members is killed. Are the murders connected? Is the library expansion or the preserve designation catalysts to the deaths? Is Carrie in danger?
____
In this installment of the Haunted Library Mysteries, we have two ghosts instead of one. It was fun to see Evelyn have her hands full. Instead of just popping in to see Carrie and issuing orders or talking about murders, she had to help ghost Alec through a scary time. At first, he didn't know who he was, he had no memory of anything that happened, and later he was frustrated being stuck in the library. He was a handful for good reason. We learned more about Dylan's family and their issues with the ghost's appearance.
Carrie is juggling a lot in Dewey Decimated. She is the point person on the library expansion and in addition to a dead body, other issues arise that must be addressed. Being new to the town council she has a lot of reading to do so she is informed about the topics under consideration. Then there are the murders to investigate and a ghost loose in the library. Oh, I can't forget, she has a wedding date to set and a wedding to plan. Ms. Brook's characters are always entertaining but there were even more so in this story.
The mystery put forth by the author was complicated. The body had been in the basement for several years, making it a cold case, but some suspects emerged with the deceased memories slowly coming back. Carrie is uncomfortable with some assistance that is thrust upon her. Assistance that put her in a dangerous situation when the killer was revealed. I had the person on my radar but I was stunned by the way the showdown occurred.
Dewey Decimated is an exceptional addition to this series. With a spirited plot and dynamic characters, including a wonderful library cat, this story kept me completely captivated. Ms. Brook never disappoints. She has written another Perfect Escape!
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Dewey Decimated is the sixth installment in The Haunted Library Mysteries series set in Clover Ridge, Connecticut and featuring librarian Carrie Singleton. Carrie and fiance Dylan Avery are in the early stages of planning their wedding, the new extension to the library is underway and the town council is embroiled in a heated debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve. Then, the contractors discover a body wrapped in a blanket and stuffed under a basement shelf in the abandoned building next door to the library.
Renovations come to a halt while the police try and determine the identity of the body, and a new ghost suddenly appears in the library. The ghost seems to have a case of amnesia but it doesn't take long to discover that this is the man who was murdered and left in the basement next door, AND that he's Dylan's Uncle Alec Dunmore who hasn't been seen in years.
While Carrie works with resident ghost Evelyn and Police Lieutenant John Mathers to track down a killer, another member of the community is murdered and it quickly becomes evident that the murder of Uncle Alec is connected to the recent murder. It's up to Carrie to figure out how and most importantly why.
A pleasant afternoon read with the return of cast regulars including Smokey Joe, Carrie's cat. Two mysteries are deftly crafted into one plot, with a surprising conclusion.
Renovations come to a halt while the police try and determine the identity of the body, and a new ghost suddenly appears in the library. The ghost seems to have a case of amnesia but it doesn't take long to discover that this is the man who was murdered and left in the basement next door, AND that he's Dylan's Uncle Alec Dunmore who hasn't been seen in years.
While Carrie works with resident ghost Evelyn and Police Lieutenant John Mathers to track down a killer, another member of the community is murdered and it quickly becomes evident that the murder of Uncle Alec is connected to the recent murder. It's up to Carrie to figure out how and most importantly why.
A pleasant afternoon read with the return of cast regulars including Smokey Joe, Carrie's cat. Two mysteries are deftly crafted into one plot, with a surprising conclusion.
Dewey Decimated is the sixth A Haunted Library Mystery. It can easily be read as a standalone if you are new to the series or if you have missed a book or two along the way. I found Dewey Decimated easy to read. The pacing, though, was on the slow side. It picks up in the latter half of the book. We follow Carrie as she goes about her day-to-day routine (big yawn). She goes to work with Smokey Joe, does her work, goes to lunch at the diner with best friend, dinner with her aunt and uncle, etc. It does get monotonous. Evelyn is back and she has a friend who needs help. I just love Evelyn. I am glad that we got to see more of her in this book. Her spirited friend causes some upheaval in the library as well as in the life of someone close to Carrie. The mystery involves a skeleton found wrapped in a blanket in the new library expansion as well as a current murder. The mysteries were straightforward. There are a couple of suspects in both cases along with some misdirection. I wish the solutions to both crimes had not been so obvious. Case details are repeated frequently throughout the story (I got it the first time; I do not need it repeated twelve times). Carrie does not begin investigating right away. She eventually begins sleuthing (what happened to the Carrie we met back in Death Overdue). A pushy reporter keeps nagging Carrie to team up with her to solve the case. I did not like how the reporter (Julie Theron) put down Lt. John Mathers. Both cases have a good wrap up at the end. Carrie is on the town council, and they are debating what to do with Seabrook Preserve. The preserve loses its sanctuary status in three months. There are three different proposals for the property. The debating is hot and heavy plus there is behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. The situation is discussed quite a bit throughout the story (which means a lot of repetition). The ending is sweet and hopeful. Dewey Decimated is a nice story (humdrum), but I felt it lacked some pizzazz. There needed to be more action and less about Carrie's daily activities. Dewey Decimated is a chilly tale with a fall festival, a discovered skeleton, a cuddly cat, a spirit surprise, a preserve dispute, a shocking murder, and a nervy reporter.
