Lindsey Norris is dealing with a heat wave and wedding planning when a new member of the Briar Creek comes to the library and becomes unhealthily obsessed with her. Lindsey is disturbed enough at the prospect of a stalker but when he's found dead, Lindsey and her fiance, Sully, are the prime suspects. Once again, Lindsey will break out her librarian skills to investigate the crime and clear their names.

An improvement in the quality of the writing in this entry in the series. McKinlay engages with some more serious issues here (stalking and sexual harrassment) and does it well. Lindsey and Sully's relationship is in a lovely place and I'm always delighted to spend time with the citizens of this small community. The mystery doesn't hold a ton of surprises but it's a fun way to spend a few hours. Plus the descriptions of library work continue to be spot on. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, this series is a fun way to spend some time. ( )

Word to the Wise
4 Stars

Briarcreek librarian, Lindsay Norris, is preparing for her wedding when she becomes the _target of an obsessed patron who stalks her at every turn. After her stalker turns up dead on the library doorstep, Lindsay's fiancé, Mike "Sully" Sullivan, is the prime suspect, and Lindsay will do anything to find the real killer.

One cannot fail to notice the strong #MeToo vibes in this installment of the Libary Lover's Mysteries. The tone of the story is noticeably darker and more serious with Lindsay's stalker invading her space, threatening her job, and making her life thoroughly miserable. The appalling reactions of the mayor and Herb only highlight the uphill battle woman (and men) have when trying to rid themselves of these insidious threats.

The mystery itself is rather obvious as the dearth of new characters means that there is only one possible killer. Thus, it is actually the motive that becomes the focus, and it is interesting albeit rather convoluted.

In sum, this is one of the more intense books in the series and the temporary change in tone was satisfying overall. ( )

Lindsey assists a library patron and gets his attention as a stalker for her efforts. This mystery deals with the fear that unwanted attention brings, especially when people who are in a position to help don’t believe there is a problem. Lindsey’s efforts to dissuade his attention are fruitless. Sully, her fiancé, warns him off, but this only makes Sully the prime suspect when the stalker is found dead outside the library. This is quite an engrossing mystery, well written with equally well developed characters. The thrust of the story is the stalker aspect, which is seamlessly woven into the mystery itself. ( )

Lindsey Norris is busy with her job as the director of a cozy, Connecticut town and with all the details that go into planning her wedding. But when one of her library patrons turns into a creepy stalker, then gets killed leaving Lindsay and her fiancé as prime suspects, she makes time in her schedule to track down the real murderer.
I'm still loving this cozy series. The plots are fun, the characters old friends, and I love that the small-town library and its librarians feel like my own library and coworkers. ( )

This was one of the best books in this series. Which is pretty great when the 1oth book in a series is better then the other, usually it goes in just the opposite direction, with the author losing interest in a series and the writing suffers. ( )