The Plot and the Pendulum - (Library Lover's Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Halloween is approaching in Briar Creek, and things get spooky when a skeleton is found and connected to a decades-old cold case in the newest Library Lover's Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Killer Research.

Library director Lindsey Norris is happy to learn the Briar Creek Public Library is the beneficiary of the Dorchester family's vast book collection. However, when Lindsey and the library staff arrive at the old Victorian estate to gather the books, things take a sinister turn. One of the bookcases reveals a secret passage, leading to a room where a skeleton is found, clutching an old copy of The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Lindsey does a quick check of missing persons, using the distinctive eighties-era clothing worn by the deceased to determine a time frame, and discovers that Briar Creek has an unsolved missing person case from 1989. A runaway bride went missing just weeks after her wedding. No suspects were ever arrested and the cold case remains unsolved. Lindsey and the crafternoon crew decide that justice is overdue and set about solving the old murder mystery, using some novel ideas to crack the case.

Review Quotes

"A sparkling setting, lovely characters, books, knitting, and chowder! What more could any reader ask?"
--Lorna Barrett, New York Times bestselling author

"With a cold case, a sinister mansion, a book collection, a skeleton, and Edgar Allan Poe, this is a treat for fans of McKinlay's Library Lover's series, Halloween-themed mysteries, and well-written cozies."
--Library Journal (starred review)

"A sympathetic cast, the evocative coastal setting, and the lovingly portrayed library frame--combined with some unexplained (perhaps ghostly) happenings in a crumbling mansion--add up to a satisfying cozy."
--Booklist

"A bibliocentric mystery with a spooky touch that keeps you guessing."
--Kirkus

Praise for the New York Times bestselling Library Lover's Mysteries

"Terrific...intelligent, lively, and fun."
--Miranda James, New York Times bestselling author

"Sure to charm cozy readers everywhere."
--Ellery Adams, New York Times bestselling author

"[A] fast-moving, tricky tale that kept me guessing at every turn...[A] must read!"
--Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author

"What a great read!...McKinlay has been a librarian, and her snappy story line, fun characters, and young library director with backbone make for a winning formula."
--Library Journal

"Plenty of well-defined characters add charm and bite to a thorny mystery."
--Kirkus

"Fans of this series will love the scenes leading up to the wedding ceremony and the myriad ways the incidental characters have knit themselves into a supportive community."
--Booklist

"Plenty of quirky characters enhance the library director's excellent 11th adventure."
--Kirkus

"A gifted storyteller, Jenn McKinlay writes a mystery that combines the challenges of wedding planning with the search for the killer in a very engaging narrative."
--Fresh Fiction

"Full of sass, charm, and page-turning suspense!"
--Woman's World

"Word to the Wise is another superbly crafted mystery novel by a true master of the genre. An inherently fascinating and compelling read from cover to cover, Word to the Wise is very highly recommended."
--Midwest Book Review

"Rarely does a clean-as-a-whistle cozy qualify as riveting, but this one definitely does."
--Publishers Weekly

"A mystery set in a library just feels right.... McKinlay lets the first third of the story breathe, effectively ramping up the tension.... and the conclusion is a wild ride indeed."
--BookPage (Starred Review)

"For these #MeToo times, Lindsey's plight is a cautionary tale of not blaming the victim."
--Booklist

"Jenn McKinlay really knows how to keep readers enthralled until the very last page of her books. I loved this one."
--Suspense Magazine

"Word To The Wise is heart-stopping and a mix of thrills and classic cozy mystery staples."
--Fresh Fiction

"I loved Word to the Wise. It's sweet and tart, irresistibly engaging and cleverly entertaining."
--Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author

"Anyone who thinks the word cozy somehow equals slight and superficial ought to read Jenn McKinlay's Word to the Wise. The ordeal of the heroine battling a stalker is oh so real and harrowing. The characters are fully fleshed out and the coastal setting is appealing. A really enjoyable read."
--Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author

"Jenn McKinlay is a treasure, and Word to the Wise is superb! Her books are always charming, endearing, and instantly engaging--but McKinlay's secret sauce is her deep understanding of human nature, her superb talent for storytelling, and the most desirable of skills: her unmatched ability to entertain, enlighten, and delight."
--Hank Phillippi Ryan, Five-time Agatha winner and author of Trust Me

"In Word to the Wise, Jenn McKinlay mingles an appealing protagonist, small-town politics, and the terror of a stalker with the joys of true love and a library. A master class in the cozy mystery!"
--Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author of A Deadly Feast

"[Death in the Stacks is] exuberantly entertaining...McKinlay invites the reader into an appealing world inhabited by kind, intelligent people and only the occasional nasty villain."
--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband's guitars.