Murder at the Lakeside Library

May 1, 2021
A woman returning to her family's summer home learns that her mother may be harboring secrets she'll have to investigate to clear her mom of murder. Giving up her career and her high-rise condo overlooking the Milwaukee River, Rain Wilmot heads back to her childhood retreat in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, to clear her head after the death of her husband, Max. Processing her complicated feelings while staying in the serene family cabin on Pine Lake seems perfect until Rain finds out that in the absence of her mother, Willow, she's unofficially in charge of the informal town library that Willow usually runs. Rain and Willow aren't on the best of terms right now, and the more Rain hears about Willow from folks in the small town, the more her mother seems like a stranger. This feeling becomes all the more prescient in light of two shocking developments: Rain finds the body of Thornton Hughes, and she learns from town gossip that Thornton and Willow may have had an intimate relationship. As she settles into the cabin, she gradually realizes that her parents may have been leading separate lives for longer than she'd imagined, though she's certain this sort of secret isn't related to Thornton's death. The problem is that Willow's absence, combined with her connection to Thornton, makes her a primary suspect in his death. As distant as she feels from her mother, Rain, certain that Willow isn't a murderer, resolves to do what it takes to clear her mother's name, even if it means plunging into the investigation herself. The lake setting is one of the few distinguishing features in a cozy that's too mild for much else.

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May 24, 2021
Shortly before Memorial Day, Rain Wilmot, the protagonist of this run-of-the-mill series launch from Danvers (the Handcrafted Mysteries as Holly Quinn), arrives at her family’s lakefront cabin in Lofty Pines, Wis., where she runs into Julia, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen in several years. The original portion of the cabin, built by Rain’s great-grandfather, now serves as the community’s summer library, which Rain’s mother, Willow, has always run, but since Willow may not visit until Labor Day, Julia pressures Rain to open it for the season. Later that same day, the library treasurer discovers the body of Thornton Hughes lying behind the cabin’s outhouse. Rain doesn’t know the victim, but Julia’s police officer brother tells Rain that Willow and Thornton, a wealthy developer seeking to buy the town campground, were rumored to be having an affair. To save her mother’s good name, Rain decides to help investigate the murder. Rain is too easily pushed around by Julia, and the sleuthing largely consists of flimsy clues and a few “aha” moments. Cozy fans will hope Rain shows more spine next time. Agent: Sandy Harding, Spencer Hill Assoc.

June 1, 2021
Recently widowed Rain Wilmot quits her job and escapes to her family's lakeside cabin in small-town Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, the place of her idyllic childhood summers, in search of peace and quiet to heal. Once there, she finds she is expected to open and run, in her mother's absence, the small library attached to the cabin. She reluctantly agrees to open the library, and she reconnects with her old friend Julia, who, along with elderly lakeside resident Marge, offers to help her. After Marge finds Thornton Hughes dead on Rain's land, it becomes clear to Rain that her parents are potential suspects, so she decides to investigate to clear them, assisted by a protesting Julia, which annoys Julia's brother Jace, a local cop, who doesn't want their interference. Long-buried family secrets, plot twists, warm relationships between family and friends, Rain's attempt to come to terms with her past, and the vividly described setting all distinguish this satisfying cozy, the first in a new series.

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