Book, Line and Sinker
4 Stars

A salvage company comes to Briar Creek to search for Captain Kidd's treasure on one of the outlying islands. Then the local tourist director responsible for bringing the crew to town is murdered, and Lindsey Norris, the town librarian and amateur sleuth, steps in to clear the names of several residents suspected of the crime.

The mystery in this installment is weaker than in the previous books mainly due to the fact that the revelation of the culprit and motive for the crime lack foundation. Nevertheless, the historical tidbits on Captain Kidd, the character development, and the exciting climax make this a worthwhile read.

Lindsey and the other residents of Briar Creek are very appealing, and the sections focusing on the Crafternoon Book Club are an added bonus that will appeal to any fan of books and reading.

On the romance front, Lindsey and Sully have taken the next step in their relationship, but there are still obstacles to overcome. Hopefully these will be sorted out in the next book and McKinlay does not drag them out indefinitely.

All in all, this is an entertaining cozy mystery series without too much drama or angst.




( )

Lindsey's ex, John, comes to town hoping to entice her back to him. Lindsey is not interested in reconciling with him but wants closure for them both to move on. Trudie, the town's tourism director has invited a treasure hunter into town to search for Capt. Kidd's treasure on one of the town's islands. That does not go over well with all the citizens. While out on the boat with Sully one morning to deliver some items to Charlie, Lindsey's landlady's nephew, who is working with the treasure hunters, they discover Trudie's body. Who did it? Why?

I enjoyed this book. I like that Lindsey and Sully are getting closer, but I could have kicked his behind by the end of the book. I was looking for a big blow-up but did not get my wish. I understand what Lindsey is doing with John. He does not take a hint. When trouble comes and they are thrown together for it, it is Lindsey that saves the day. Sully helps but it is Lindsey who solves the mystery. I did figure some of it out. Ok, I figured out the murderer, but I did fall for the red herring and did not figure out the why until I got the explanation.

I look forward to more of this series. ( )

As delicious as Beth’s lemon almond cookie truffles ( )

These books are worth getting from the library, but they aren't ones you would want to re-read. The author uses the word "said" too many times, and the reader pronounces it with a thunk at the end. It's distracting.

The plots aren't hard to figure out, and the characters behave ....in a very silly fashion. There really isn't any reason for the librarian to be as nosy as she is, either. Also - she needs to get her head on straight about how to communicate and have relationships.

There is something endearing about the characters, though, and one wants to hear about them again. I don't actually know why. ( )

Fun mystery, and a very quick read! This is my first encounter with this author and series, and I will look forward to reading more of her works. I believe my favorite parts were the underscored differences between the librarians of academia, and those dealing with the lowly public. Very amusing. ( )