Review & Giveaway: Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: March 6th 2012 by Berkley 

ISBN: 042524668X (ISBN13: 9780425246689)

series: Library Lover's Mystery #2

characters: Lindsey Norris

setting: Briar Creek, Connecticut

From the publisher:

From the publisher:

Answering tricky reference questions is excitement enough for library director Lindsey Norris. Until a murder is committed in her cozy hometown of Briar Creek, Connecticut, and the question of who did it must be answered before someone else is checked out--for good.

Carrie Rushton, the president of the Friends of the Library, has been accused of murdering her husband. The evidence is stacking up against Carrie, but neither Lindsey nor the Briar Creek crafternoon club is buying it.

When a nor'easter buries the small coastal town, the police are too busy digging out the locals to investigate the murder. With the help of her crafternoon friends and an abandoned puppy they name Heathcliff, Lindsey has to solve the question of who murdered Mr. Rushton before the killer closes the book on Carrie . . .

My thoughts:  A library setting in a small New England  town by Jenn McKinlay? Count me in! Plus the fact that I read and reviewed the first in the series and really liked it so jumped on the chance to review this one.

What worked for me:

The characters are great; completely fleshed out, likeable and easy to relate to. Lindsey, as the library director and her best friend, Beth, the children's librarian are my favorites as they do day to day business in the library under the disapproving  eye of "The Lemon". Ms. Cole, or as Lindsey and Beth call her, "The Lemon" due to her acerbic personality lends some spice to the library group.Bill Sint, ousted president of Friends and his main supporter Marjorie," Batty Bilson" lent some real color to the cast of characters.

The setting: coastal Connecticut town is well done. I always get the feeling I am right among the townspeople eating chowder at the local watering hole while watching the ocean motion. This time a nor'easter threatens the town and it took me right back to living in New England in winter.

The ending was pretty good even after a few false starts. The great reveal did make sense to me.

Now for my quibble:

It was a good 1/2  of the way into the book before more suspects other than Carrie were introduced and they were pulled out of left field (in my opinion) with very weak motives.

Even with this minor quibble, the book is a fun read. However, I did rate it a 3.5* instead of 4* for this very reason. I like to see more credible suspects either in the pre-murder build-up or right after  murder is committed.

For more info on the author, Jenn McKinlay, please visit her website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Due to the ever so generous Berkley, (an excerpt of Due or Die is available here) I am able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this book. Open to US only with the deadline to enter being March 17th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

 +4 for following on Networked blogs. See left sidebar to sign up :-)

+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Win Due or Die in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!