An ice-cold case suddenly heats up. Lindsey Norris, the director of the Briar Creek Public Library, has a bit of a reputation as a sleuth. But when the notorious William Dorchester asks to see her, she never imagines it will lead to a murder investigation. Before she meets him, Lindsey's friends at the library give her a short history of his involvement in the 1989 case of the runaway bride. Dorchester himself tells her that because his mother's health is failing, he plans to sell her mansion to finance her assisted care and wants to donate all their books to the library: about 12,000 volumes, some of them very valuable. Since Dorchester's in a hurry to return to his home in Florida, Lindsey quickly pulls together a group of volunteers to pack and remove the books. In the meantime, she learns more about the disappearance of Grace Little, whom Dorchester had once sought to marry until his mother forbade it. Instead, Grace married Tim Little, who people still suspect may have murdered her even years after he remarried and became a sterling citizen of the town. The mansion proves to be neglected, spooky, and equipped with strange air currents and a cat that comes and goes, one Dorchester claims isn't his. Terror strikes when Lindsey discovers hidden behind the bookshelves a secret room containing a skeleton that's identified as that of the missing Grace, who died from lack of oxygen. Who killed her, and why? A bibliocentric mystery with a spooky touch that keeps you guessing. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Lindsey Norris, director of the Briar Creek Public Library in coastal Connecticut, is thrilled when William Dorchester offers the library his mother's book collection--including numerous rare and valuable titles--to do with as she wishes. Dorchester left Briar Creek years ago after his mother forced him to give up the love of his life, Grace Hartwell, who subsequently married Timothy Little. Grace disappeared six weeks after the wedding, leaving Little under a cloud of suspicion. With Dorchester back in town, the rumors begin to swirl again, especially after Lindsey and her friends make a macabre discovery in a secret room off Dorchester's library. Lindsey, her husband, and friends, one of whom is the local police chief, investigate the mystery of the runaway bride, culminating in a reenactment of the Littles' last argument. 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.

McKinlay's follow-up to Killer Research is filled with chilling tricks and moments of humor to alleviate the suspense. When William Dorchester offers the family collection of 12,000 books to the Briar Creek Public Library, several friends tell library director Lindsey Norris the story of the runaway bride. Thirty years earlier, William loved Grace Hartwell, but William's mother wouldn't let them marry. Instead, Grace married Timothy Little, and six weeks later, she disappeared. While gossip in town said Tim killed Grace, he outlived the stories with his second marriage, children, and community involvement. William left town, but he's back to sell the Dorchester mansion and put his mother in assisted living. When Lindsey and her friends box up the books, she finds a hidden door, a hidden room, and a skeleton that might have been there for about 30 years. Once again, gossip tears the town apart as the police investigate the cold case, and Lindsey seeks answers in the Dorchester mansion. VERDICT 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.--Lesa Holstine