Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle - Book Review

Murder in the Library by Katie Gayle

Series: Julia Bird Mysteries #2 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 07th Sep 2022

Genre: Small Town Cozy Mystery 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Entertaining 

*****

Julia Bird is settling down in Berrywick with Jake, her adorable chocolate-colored lab, and half a dozen chickens. Her routine is set until she discovers another dead body. 

Famous author Vincent Andrews charms the townsfolk during his meet of the next book’s release. The meet and greet is a great success, or so it seems until his body is found in the same library where the event occurred. 

Julia tries not to get involved but can’t help it. She decides to do her bit and help DI Hayley catch the real culprit. As Julia digs further, the truth of Vincent’s real life unravels (with a bunch of lies and contradictions). Can she separate facts from fiction and identify the killer before another dead body turns up? 

The story comes in the limited third-person POV of Julia Bird. 

My Observations: 

The second book in the series can be read as a standalone. It has recurring characters that add to the charm and annoy you by creating new hurdles.  

The book is just the right light (250+ pages) and a quick read. It tends to go this way and that once in a while but gets back on track to keep the momentum going. 

Julia Bird’s character is shaping up very well. She’s investigating more openly now. It’ll be fun to see what happens in the future books. Jake is growing up, too but is as naughty as before (his sloppiness makes him even more adorable). 

I like the relationship strengthening between DI Hayley and Julia. Though I’ll admit I want Hayley to do a little more (even if Julia is the leading sleuth of the series and is not as busy as the detective). 

The case of the writer’s murder was decent, with some twists thrown in and revealed in stages in the last quarter of the book. It wasn’t hard to figure out (which I don’t mind anyway). 

There’s a development in the personal track (the Julia- Sean track), which is quite endearing. I hope there won’t be any clichéd tropes in the coming books. 

To summarize, Murder in the Library is a promising continuation of the series. It’s a light cozy mystery with minimum dangers. Pick it up when you want something quick and easy to read. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Jess from Bookouture, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderintheLibraryJuliaBirdMysteriesBook2