Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook | Author Interview

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Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery by Allison Brook. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

Librarian Carrie Singleton sleuths a murder at her best friend’s wedding in Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s fifth Haunted Library mystery.

Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery

by Allison Brook

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Death on the Shelf: A Haunted Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (November 9, 2021)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

Clover Ridge librarian Carrie Singleton is thrilled to attend her best friend Angela’s wedding, but Angela’s family can be a bit…much. Angela’s wealthy cousin Donna hosts an extravagant bridal shower at her resplendent home, but the celebrations turn to gossip as the guests notice Donna’s surgeon husband, Aiden, spending a bit too much time with Donna’s cousin Roxy. At the wedding reception, the sweet occasion turns darkly bitter when Aiden topples into the chocolate fountain–dead.

The suspect list is as long as the guest list, and as difficult to sort out as the seating chart. A few of the top contenders on Carrie’s suspect list are the flirtatious Roxy, emotionally unstable since her recent divorce; Angela’s grouchy brother, who feels Aiden betrayed him; and Roxy’s scorned ex-husband. Even Donna may have had reason to want her husband dead. And Aiden’s gossipy office manager has plenty to say about them all.

Then another member of Angela’s family is murdered, making Carrie more determined than ever to find the killer. Can library ghost Evelyn and library cat Smoky Joe help Carrie solve the murders before she becomes the next of Angela’s wedding guests to head to the grave?

Author Interview with Marilyn Levinson/Allison Brook

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!

Thank you for having me as your guest, Christy.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve lived most of my life on Long Island. I was a Spanish teacher. I started out writing short stories, then books for kids and eventually mysteries and the occasional romantic suspense.

How long have you been writing?

For many, many years. I started to write as a child in elementary school. I wrote in high school until I was discouraged by a “creative writing” teacher. I started writing again when my two sons were very young. My first published books were novels for kids. That was many years ago.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

I wanted to be an author or a ballerina. I always loved mysteries so I naturally gravitated to the cozy genre. I also love writing series.

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I enjoy reading mysteries of all kinds. Now I’m listening to Louise Penny’s The Madness of Crowds.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

I write at my desk in my office.

What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?

A pile of papers, notebooks, a few books, my computer and a printer. Yes, it’s messy!

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I use all three, but lately I like audiobooks the most. I love listening to the story. Next would come reading on my Kindle, then physical books.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

I’d love living in a small village in England–in the Cotswolds or the Lake District. (Me too!) I loved visiting England with my husband and miss going there.

What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?

My dear friend Roberta Gellis helped me the most to become the writer that I am today. Roberta was a wonderful writer; she wrote novels in many genres. I took a few classes with her, then we simply became great friends. We spent a lot of time together doing everyday activities like shopping, eat lunch out. I learned so much from her.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?

I have a wonderful group of fellow mystery writers. There are seven of us and we’ve been together for almost 20 years, supporting each other in many ways. I’ve many other mystery writing friends, too, through Sisters in Crime, cozy groups on Facebook, my agent’s agency’s other clients and a group of children’s book authors I’ve been in for over thirty years.

Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?

I’ve just finished writing DEWEY DECIMATED. This is the sixth book in my Haunted Library series. Carrie Singleton, my sleuth, is now on the town council and about to vote on an important decision. A body has been found in the library’s new addition and Carrie is thrust into another murder investigation and coping with a ghost suffering from amnesia.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!

Thank you for having me!

About Allison Brook

Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

Author Links

Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Amazon page: http://amzn.to/K6Md1O
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Twitter: @MarilynLevinson; @AllisonBrookML
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marilev/