I must be the most confused person on the planet. Only I’m not a person, am I? I’m a ghost. A pale shadow of who I used to be when I was alive. I’ve no idea how I ended up wrapped in a blanket in the basement of the dilapidated building next to the library. I suddenly became aware of a loud noise coming from the construction around me and staggered into the library through a break in the wall.

Who am I? How did I get here? I created a gust of wind as I crossed the reading room. People stared at me, mouths open in disbelief. As if they’d seen a ghost—which they had. Suddenly two figures stopped me in my tracks and hustled me into an office. This was Carrie Singleton, the head of programs and events of the Clover Ridge Library, and her friend, Evelyn Havers. Evelyn’s a ghost like me, but that’s where the similarity ends. Evelyn knows a lot more about being a ghost than I do. She and Carrie insist I had to stay out of sight and not scare the library patrons. And so they move me about, from the stuffy attic to whatever room isn’t being used while they figure out who I was and who murdered me.

Yes, murdered me! Carrie’s new pal, a TV investigative reporter, found out my name is Alec Dunmore and I lived in Chicago. What’s more, Carrie’s fiancé, Dylan Avery, is my nephew.

Why did I come to Clover Ridge and how did I end up dead in the building being renovated as the library’s new addition is a mystery. Carrie is determined to find this out as well as who murdered me. Evelyn says finding my murderer is the only way I’ll be able to move on to the place where I’m supposed to go. Meanwhile, I have to remain hidden away where no one will see me. Believe me, this is no fun. No fun at all.

Dewey Decimated, A Haunted Library Mystery #6
Genre: Cozy
Release: September 2022
Purchase Link

Librarian Carrie Singleton is back on the case, alongside library ghost Evelyn, in the sixth installment of Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries.

Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centered around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smoky Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit.

First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?

Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land?

As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?

About the author
A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted 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, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up The Ghost. Her juvenile novel, Rufus And Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. It will soon be reissued, followed by three more books in the series. 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

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