Blurb: Libraries are full of books . . . and deadly secrets. When Thea Olson agreed to volunteer at her local library, she anticipated shelving books, not stumbling across a dead body. Concerned her brother, the acting chief of police, is in over his head, Thea is determined to find out whodunit. She investigates the murder with the assistance of her grandmother and the handsome new library director. Just when the trio of amateur sleuths hit a dead-end, a snarky chameleon appears in the library with cryptic clues for Thea. At first, she thinks she’s hallucinating. But once Thea accepts the fact that the obnoxious reptile is real, she realizes he might just help her crack the case. Can Thea discover who the murderer is before someone else is taken out of circulation? This is the first in a new library series set in the fictional town of Why, North Dakota. If you like quirky characters, chameleons, way too much coffee, and all things bookish, you’ll love Murder at the Library.
Review: The last thing Thea Olson thought she'd find while volunteering at her local library was a dead body. With her community so close-knit, she doesn't want to suspect anyone, but someone committed the crime. When one of the librarians comes under suspicion, she teams up with her grandmother and the library's new director to break the case. Will Thea be able to find the killer or will the murderer slip away?
This is the first book in the cozy mystery series, North Dakota Library Mysteries, and I loved it. It takes place in a quirky little town called Why. There's a lot of snow, yummy hotdishes, and a semi-tame buffalo who wanders the streets which everyone calls by a different name. Thea left her job in a big city and returned to home to live with her grandparents. She works from home, but she's kept quite busy with everything else going on. Her brother works for the local police department, and of course, Thea and her grandmother think he needs help with the case. Hudson is the new director from Florida, and it was quite the culture shock for him, which makes it even more fun for the reader. Hudson is from Coconut Cove, and I loved all the shout-outs to the Ellen's previous series which I adored. What surprised me most and made me so utterly giddy was that Thea has her library animal spirit guide. It's a snarky chameleon with a New York accent only she can hear and see. He does help out, but not quite in the way Thea expects. I want a whole series about the librarians and their guides now! I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Now I'm craving a hotdish... Drat! I don't have any tater tots!