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Read and Gone: 07/12/21
Read and Gone by Allison Brook is the second of the Haunted Library mystery series. Seven million dollars in stolen (and now missing) gems brings Carrie's larcenous father home. He claims his partner is the gem expert invited to speak at the library. When that expert ends up murdered, his claim appears to be true. So where are the gems and who committed the murder? A lot of narrative time is spent on Carrie working through her feelings in regards to her father. She's not pleased that he's a thief, even though he's done his time. She has a lot farther to go to accept it like Mia Carina has in the Catering Hall mystery series. Part of Carrie's hang up is her boyfriend's role in the gem mystery. He has been sent home not to see her, but to investigate and interview her father. With the trust issues she already has with her father, she's now having the same trouble with Dylan. Is his love and friendship genuine or just a means to an end? The mystery itself is in two parts: where are the gems and who killed Benton Parr? Furthermore, is the murder of Parr directly related to the missing gems? While the ghost of the former librarian is still around, she plays less of a role this time. Instead, the cat, Smokey Joe, takes the lead role of co-investigator and muse. In regards to the gems, I figured out where they were well before Cassie did. In regards to the murder, I was well behind her in the thought process. Instead I was too drawn in by Cassie and her father's health. Both have health scares that punctuate the narration and drive some of the narrative's direction. The third book is Buried in the Stacks (2019). Five stars Comments (0) |