Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers

Available Aug. 8, 2023

Rating 4 stars

It's summertime at the lakeside library! Time for sipping flavored waters on the deck, floating on the calm waters in a pontoon, watching the sun set gracefully over the woods while discussing Agatha Christie with a group of like-minded mystery fans... only this time the mystery hits a bit close to home.

When one of the lakeside library readers group members is found dead at her cabin just a few doors down from the library, Rain and Julia feel the need to get to the bottom of the mystery. Could Lily have killed herself after receiving a devastating diagnosis? Or did someone help her along? With Lofty Pines PD having no detectives on staff, only a reenactment and some research by the library ladies can dig up the truth.

The setting of this series is one of my favorites. I love a serene lake setting for any kind of novel, it can be cozy and romantic, it can be relaxing, and it can be spooky and dramatic. The lake was definitely dramatic in this book! I also absolutely adore the library. The characters in this book are also a lot of fun, Rain and Julia are friends from way back and Julia's husband Nick is supportive, helping out when the ladies want to go investigating. Unlike many male love interests in cozy-dom, Nick isn't overprotective and constantly telling them to stay out of things.

There's still a bit of awkwardness in some of the dialogue and an impression of some things being padded a bit, but I think the author is really hitting her stride with the series, each book being better than the one before. I compare this series to Lucy Lawrence's Decoupage series, nice lake setting with the main character making her living doing something really fun.

This series is definitely worth a read, even more so if you (like me) spent any part of your summers growing up (or grown up) on a lake (or dream of spending your summers on a lake or just like the water).

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.