Book Review: The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay (Library Lover’s Mysteries #13)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters, atmosphere, fun

Cons: Pacing of the plot

The Bottom Line:

Books in old mansion

Fun and spooky atmosphere

Great book for season

A Cold Case Becomes Very Hot Again

I’ve often talked about how much I enjoy reading books in season, but it seems rare that I get to enjoy doing that with advanced review copies since books usually come out a couple of months before their intended season.  However, things aligned perfectly for The Plot and the Pendulum, the thirteenth Library Lover’s Mystery from Jenn McKinlay.  See, even the number in the series aligned perfectly for a spooky entry.

If you are new to the series, you’ll definitely want to meet Lindsey Norris, the director of the Briar Creek, Connecticut, public library.  She, and her group of family and friends, find themselves involved in quite a few mysteries, and it’s always a pleasure to hang out with them as they solve them.

It’s October in Briar Creek, and old gossip is getting stirred up again.  William Dorchester has returned to town, and his return has reminded people of an unsolved mystery in town.  Back in the late 1980’s, a young bride disappeared just a few weeks after her wedding, and no one ever figured out what happened to her.  William was the victim’s ex-boyfriend, and he left town not too long after she disappeared.

But that’s not what has brought William back to town.  His mother needs to go into assisted living, and William is having to liquidate her mansion.  He wants to donate her book collection to the library, including some valuable rare books.  Naturally, Lindsey jumps at the chance, but it means working in a library where some strange things keep happening.  Can she get the books boxed up?  What might she find along the way?

The book definitely plays into the spookiness we love to associate with October.  Don’t worry, it is still a Library Lover’s Mystery with all the great characters and humor we love.  It just adds a bit of atmosphere for some added fun.

That atmosphere fits naturally into the story, too.  I mean, much of the action takes place at a creepy old mansion, so it isn’t too hard.  The pacing of this book is a bit uneven.  I feel like things could have started faster, but at the same time, we did need the background we were getting to fully understand the plot.  On the other hand, the climax was a little abrupt.  Still, there were some good twists in the middle and interesting characters I enjoyed meeting.

As I said earlier, it’s always a pleasure to spend time with this cast of characters, and this book was no exception.  We have a rather large cast of supporting players, and I love how everyone gets a few pages even if they don’t feature prominently in the plot of this particular mystery.  It’s a hard balance with a large cast of characters, but I always feel like it is maintained well in this series.

And, as always, we get some fun extras, including a craft project, discussion guide for a classic novel, and three tempting autumn recipes.

If you are looking for something a little spooky but mostly fun to read this Halloween, then The Plot and the Pendulum is for you.  Fans new and old will enjoy this visit to Briar Creek.

Check out the rest of the Library Lovers Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.