Murder at the Library: A North Dakota Library Mystery

North Dakota Library Mysteries #1

by Ellen Jacobson

Libraries are full of books . . . and deadly secrets.

When Thea Olson agreed to volunteer at her local library, she anticipated shelving books, not stumbling across a dead body.

Concerned her brother, the acting chief of police, is in over his head, Thea is determined to find out whodunit. She investigates the murder with the assistance of her grandmother and the handsome new library director.

Just when the trio of amateur sleuths hit a dead-end, a snarky chameleon appears in the library with cryptic clues for Thea. At first, she thinks she’s hallucinating. But once Thea accepts the fact that the obnoxious reptile is real, she realizes he might just help her crack the case.

Can Thea discover who the murderer is before someone else is taken out of circulation?

This is the first in a new library series set in the fictional town of Why, North Dakota. If you like quirky characters, chameleons, way too much coffee, and all things bookish, you’ll love Murder at the Library.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2023

About the author

Ellen Jacobson is a chocolate obsessed cat lover who writes cozy mysteries and romantic comedies. After living on a sailboat for many years, she now travels around in a teeny-tiny camper with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon.

Her Mollie McGhie cozy mystery series, featuring a reluctant sailor turned amateur sleuth, is inspired by her own sailing adventures and misadventures living aboard sailboats in New Zealand and the States.

Her Smitten with Travel romantic comedy series is inspired by her life as an expat in Scotland and New Zealand and love of exploring new countries and learning about new cultures.

You can find out more about Ellen and her books at:
https://ellenjacobsonauthor.com/

Subscribe to her newsletter for updates on new releases, works in progress, sales / promos & live on the road in a teeny-tiny camper at:
https://www.subscribepage.com/m4g9m4

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea Olson volunteers at her local library in Why, North Dakota. When a murder occurs, Thea is determined to figure out whodunnit with the help of the new library director. Little does Thea know that amongst the shelves she’ll meet a mysterious chameleon who’ll assist her with cryptic clues.

The storyline includes humor, likeable small-town characters, cats, and people who enjoy reading. A fast-paced story, also. I look forward to seeing the characters grow in future stories.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by the author. All opinions are my own.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Welcome to Why, North Dakota where they have a buffalo that roams the town, an acting chief of police, a new library director, and a murderer.

Thea Olson comes from a long line of librarians but has good reasons for not getting a Library Science degree. So instead of following in her grandmother’s footsteps, she just volunteers at Why’s library. With her grandmother retiring as the library director Thea is sent to the airport to pick up her replacement, Hudson Carter. Coming from Florida he isn’t dressed for the North Dakota weather and his luggage was lost on the trip. These three hit it off immediately which is a good thing because Hudson and Thea find a dead body in the library the morning after his welcome party. Thea is worried her brother, the acting police chief, isn’t ready to handle a murder investigation so she, her grandmother, and Hudson team up as the ‘Three Investigators’ to help him solve the case. There is another mysterious team member who apparently calls the library home, that is if Thea isn’t losing her mind. Is that really a sarcastic little chameleon trying to give her clues about the murder?

Can the ‘Three Investigators’ help book the killer? or will they be bowled over before they have the chance?

I enjoyed meeting the residents of Why. Thea is a great protagonist with a heartbreaking past. She has leaned on her grandmother, Rose, since. Her grandmother stole my heart. She cares about her family, her library, and her community and she will go to great measures to help and protect all three. She also has a delightful little secret. Hudson and Thea have romantic tension flowing. I love the way they banter back and forth. Thea’s grandfather has a unique hobby and a definite point of view. She is close to her brother, the acting chief of police too. The man can smell what his grandmother is cooking from miles away and during a meal, she comes up with ways to get him to share information about the case. All the core characters the author has created are clever and well-developed for the first book in the series. I became invested easily in their lives.

I loved that humor was laced throughout the entire story. The arrival of Bufford, a name Thea uses for the giant friendly town buffalo had me in stitches. And lines like this “We’re packed in here tighter than the bras in my underwear drawer” is just one example of the passages that had me giggling. The chapter titles are fun too.

Along with the humor, there is a complicated mystery to solve with more suspects than I could imagine. Twists, turns, and precise misdirections kept me guessing. When Thea started laying out the clues and her theory I was right there with her but nervous about her plan. In the end, the reveal and takedown were pretty anti-climatic but gave me all the answers I needed.

Murder at the Library gives the series a captivating start with engaging characters, an interesting mystery, and tons of humor. I enjoyed the North Dakota setting and Hudson’s introduction to it. I just found out he is a crossover from the author’s Mollie McGhie series. I am excited to visit these characters and the town of Why again soon and will be checking out that other series.

I purchased this book from Amazon. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder at the Library is a perfectly fine cozy mystery. I was particularly taken with the setting, since it takes place in a small town in North Dakota, which is not a very common setting for books. I found the author really did a good job of describing what winter was like in that area.

Thea has her own consulting business of some sort and has returned to her home town after some problem (it was vague) with her job in Minneapolis (?). Her grandmother has just retired from her career as the library director in their small town and Thea volunteers at the library when she can. One of her “duties” is to pick up the new library director from the airport. This provided some comic relief when he arrives dressed in shorts and sandals from Florida. (Did he not know that North Dakota is cold in the winter??) His luggage is lost and that provides more comedy as he has to borrow clothes. Anyway, there’s a murder of a very unlikeable man and the mystery gets a bit convoluted, but I enjoyed the various townspeople I was introduced to along the way. I didn’t particularly like the bit of paranormal with Thea’s “guide” even though I normally enjoy magical realism quite a bit. It seemed unnecessary to the story.

There are a couple of recipes provided at the end of the book.

[Carrie Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Murder at the Library from the very first paragraph! The characters, the dialogue, the humor, the dash of magical realism, the setting, the writing voice. All of it was absolutely delightful and just so well executed.

Thea Olson is the first non-librarian in a long line of female librarians in her family, and while she had very personal reasons to avoid getting a degree in library science she still volunteers her time for Why’s library. Yes, that’s the town’s name and I love it – how quirky and perfect for a series set around a library. Her grandmother (who I adored) has recently retired as the library director and as our story begins Thea is running late to pick up the new director from the airport. With the introduction of Hudson, we now have what will soon become a team of ‘Three Investigators’. Thea and Hudson became fast friends – and there’s of course always the possibility that they will grow into more as the series progresses – and Thea’s grandmother Rose is the perfect character to balance out their differences and strengths. Thea’s brother (the acting chief of police) is also a great character – as a fellow big sister to one brother, I loved their closeness – and their grandfather is a hoot! The snappy dialogue in this book is so fun and keeps the story moving at a good pace while also keeping a smile on my face throughout. The touch of magical realism that the author incorporates made me smile all the more – and chuckle too – because who wouldn’t love a snarky chameleon?!? The town buffalo also had me laughing out loud… a sentence I never thought I would use LOL.

The mystery in Murder at the Library contains its share of twists, turns, and unexpected revelations, along with a plethora of plausible suspects. Even as I started to piece some things together, I couldn’t quite figure it all out without Thea’s help. It’s like the author dangled the answer just in front of me and kept masterfully redirecting me elsewhere so that I stayed just a half step behind. Toward the end, I thought I had solved it but turns out I was still pointing my finger at the wrong suspect. So close! But so wrong! lol

Bottom Line: Murder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson is a marvelous introduction to this author’s books, and after meeting Hudson (who has connections to her Mollie McGhie series) I’m definitely going to play catch up with her backlist. The layered and genuine characters, as well as the witty banter and natural dialogue, quickly get readers invested in this story and the well-plotted mystery keeps them turning the pages. Everything is pitch-perfect and highly entertaining, and I can’t wait for book 2!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower

[Jane Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. I’ll continue with series.

[Christine Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last thing Thea Olson thought she'd find while volunteering at her local library was a dead body. With her community so close-knit, she doesn't want to suspect anyone, but someone committed the crime. When one of the librarians comes under suspicion, she teams up with her grandmother and the library's new director to break the case. Will Thea be able to find the killer or will the murderer slip away?

This is the first book in the cozy mystery series, North Dakota Library Mysteries, and I loved it. It takes place in a quirky little town called Why. There's a lot of snow, yummy hotdishes, and a semi-tame buffalo who wanders the streets which everyone calls by a different name. Thea left her job in a big city and returned to home to live with her grandparents. She works from home, but she's kept quite busy with everything else going on. Her brother works for the local police department, and of course, Thea and her grandmother think he needs help with the case. Hudson is the new director from Florida, and it was quite the culture shock for him, which makes it even more fun for the reader. Hudson is from Coconut Cove, and I loved all the shout-outs to the author's previous series which I adored. What surprised me most and made me so utterly giddy was that Thea has her library animal spirit guide. It's a snarky chameleon with a New York accent only she can hear and see. He does help out, but not quite in the way Thea expects. I want a whole series about the librarians and their guides now! I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Now I'm craving a hotdish... Drat! I don't have any tater tots!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there are references to a previous mystery, this book is the first in the series. The mystery part is very good. It involves two murders, one perhaps a case of mistaken identity, and with several people with nasty personalities. We have a just-retired library director, grandmother of our heroine who is a library volunteer. We have the newly arrived library director. We have the brother of our heroine who is the newly appointed acting chief of police. And then we have a host of townspeople, many eccentric and some completely normal.
One of the things I like best about this book is the setting of the small town of Why, North Dakota (which does not seem to be far from Williston which is larger and better known on ND's western border). Most of the people in Why are of Norwegian descent (with names such as Thor, Thea, Leif), and they do bottle up their emotions (very stoic, by reputation, Norwegians are), but they are also upper mid-westerners and they eat the foods typical of the region (think tater tots and hot dish). This cultural background adds to the delight of the story.
The setting is also the public library. The new director does have a cat who looks like he might become the library cat (very friendly and charming is Dr. McCoy). But Thea, our heroine, has what appears to be the voice of her subconscious which only she can see and hear, a snarky chameleon with a New York accent who eats flies, but enjoys a nacho dog when he can get it.
For me, the book gets four stars because I enjoyed and appreciated the mystery. However, if I were the author's editor, I would insist she tighten up the writing. Some of the sentences are flaccid when only an adjustment or two would fix them without any massive rewrite. And she occasionally uses a detail that is unique (he dug his fingernails into his palms) more than once--this is so memorable, I would be inclined to suggest only using it once, although the character who does that is under a lot of stress. It's just that there are alternative ways (which she also uses) to indicate extreme tenseness and stress without this repetition. However, the plotting itself carries the day, and these are mere quibbles.

[Toi Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't planning to read a month of library-themed books, but it happened and it worked in my favor. I was already a fan of this author when I first discovered her new character Thea in a short story collection of cozy mysteries. When I had a chance to read the first book in this new series, I jumped on it. I was so delighted to discover that this story is part of her greater mystery world. Not sure what the name of this universe is, but so far I've enjoyed all the Mollie MacGhie stories, the Travel Romance stories, and now I'm loving the N. Dakota Library Mysteries.

Even though the two scene was extremely small, the moose stole the show. But honestly, I really enjoyed all the characters in this story. Even the ones you were supposed to like were wonderfully bad. It's odd to say that hope and tragedy go well together, but in a mystery story like this, it's true. There was one character I was really sad to see not make it to the end, but it made sense to the story.

If you like to laugh while solving a mystery, this is a good book to pick up. Being someone who appreciates libraries helps too.

I was offered a digital Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and unbiased.

Highly recommended.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/3When Thea Olson agreed to volunteer at her local library, she anticipated shelving books, not stumbling across a dead body. Concerned her brother, the acting chief of police, is in over his head, Thea is determined to find out whodunit. She investigates the murder with the assistance of her grandmother and the handsome new library director. Just when the trio of amateur sleuths hit a dead-end, a snarky chameleon appears in the library with cryptic clues for Thea. At first, she thinks she’s hallucinating. But once Thea accepts the fact that the obnoxious reptile is real, she realizes he might just help her crack the case. [amazon synopsis]

I was born and raised in ND so had to read this series. Why use a fictional town? There are plenty of small towns to use. Hope it gets better. The fact that Thea "sees and hears" the chameleon is a total turn off. Either she is crazy or the author should be writing sci-fi.
Thea needs to find the killer before they kill again. The actual mystery got the "3". Fast reading.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read almost all (if not all) of Ellen’s bookies/series, and the first thing I loved about this new book is all the references to her other series’ stories (Coconut Cove, Easter Egg Hunt) etc… it makes me feel like there’s a whole bunch of communities, all inter-twined and related!

I’m also a bibliophile at heart, and so was really eager to delve into this new series that Ellen has creatively conjured up with books and libraries at the core. There are lots of interesting characters on the go. I’m not too sure how I feel about a talking chameleon, but I also know that Ellen has a habit of developing her quirky characters (human or not!) into likeable and “gosh, I’m looking forward to more of this” traits !

All that said, I’m already looking forward to the next book ~ Keep ‘em coming !

[Sharon Hughson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t want to visit a magical library?

A word of full disclosure, the library isn’t magical but it does have a magical guide. The volunteer librarian finds a dead body and seems to miss the obvious clues to find the killer, according to the snarky guide.

The town of Why is populated with a fun cast of characters, many with secrets, some of which are unearthed in the course of this mystery. Is the visiting celebrity part of the mystery? Was mistaken identity at the heart of the crime? You’ll have to team up with Thea and discover those answers in the pages of the book.

It has been a few years since I’ve read a cozy mystery, and this one seemed to offer up fewer clues in favor of building a cozier setting. Perhaps that is to be expected from the first in a series. Why is a town I would visit again.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read by the author and although it is a mystery book, I found the first chapter funny when the author was describing the outfit the MMC had to wear to a meeting because his luggage was lost.
Thea volunteers at the library because her grandmother, mother and female family members before her have been librarians. When the person who is trying to stop all of the changes to the library is found murdered in the library, Thea decides to take matters in her own hands and with the help of her grandmother and the new head librarian try to solve the mystery, so that the new librarian won't be the one charged with his murder. I received this book for free and am happy to leave a review

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed getting to know Thea, Grandma and now Hudson in this story. Characters from the prequel were mentioned but not in this book. It was cool that the new character Hudson was from the same town as Molly McGhie, the main character in the author’s first series. I haven’t read it yet even though I want to, so it’ll be interesting to see if Hudson’s in it much.

Thea, Grandma and Hudson aka the three investigators as they called themselves now had another crazy case to investigate. The planned showdown was a good one—I hadn’t actually suspected that person too much. I really liked the addition of the snarky chameleon character, he had some of the best lines!

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Emma, can’t find a parking space at the airport due to a celebrity she’s never heard of arriving. But, eventually she finds the man she has come to collect. The new library director, he’s got his cat (Dr McCoy) with him, but, his luggage has gone astray & he’s not dressed for the N. Dakota winter! There is a special greeting party at the Library for him. There are two very obnoxious men there & one gets himself murdered. This is a very interesting book in many ways. I grew up using our public library all the time. Never knew the filing system though.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute, different cozy mystery.
First, I loved that it was set in North Dakota, a state that often gets overlooked and ignored.
Second, I love the bison who roams the town and I wonder what his name will end up being.
I love taciturn Gramps who was a,ways being robbed off with a beer.
The mystery part came together nicely, although I’m not sure what Thea actually does for her official job.
The one part I couldn’t get behind was the chameleon, um. No thanks.
Thanks to the author, Book Funnel and the publisher for the digital copy.

[Jacquie Stricklind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it had mystery and humor. Thea Olson is a volunteer at the library one day she saw a dead body in the storeroom. She decides to help her brother, Leif, who is the acting chief of police find out who the murderer is. The man murdered, Thornton was not real liked, so there were at least five suspects. Thea gets help from her grandmother and the new head librarian, Hudson, who was also a suspect. Also a chameleon with an East coast accent and who is very sarcastic is a big help for Thea. This is a really good who done it book with humor. Enjoy!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books set in North Dakota are hard to find and I needed one for a reading challenge I'm doing, so I picked up MURDER AT THE LIBRARY, the first in a cozy mystery series. Like most cozies, it features a quaint setting, likable central characters, quirky townsfolks, and a light-hearted vibe. I especially enjoyed the bookish setting as well as the sibling relationship between the MC and the town cop (in a lot of cozies I've read, the police officer/detective is the heroine's love interest). Also like its fellows, the tale gets silly, far-fetched, and melodramatic at times. I enjoyed it overall because it's a fast, easy, entertaining read, but there were things about it that drove me crazy as well.

One of those irritants is that the plot is especially convoluted. Also predictable. The murderer is easy to identify because there aren't any didn't-see-it-coming plot twists in the story. However, there are a ton of red herrings since the murder victim is NOT a nice man. The confusing plot got a bit too farcical at times for me.

Also, the story takes a wild, fantastical swing that I didn't anticipate at all and really didn't like. I didn't get the point of Edgar. He definitely wasn't a convincing part of the story for me. I would have enjoyed the tale more without him. (Sorry, Edgar!)

All things considered, this was only an average read for me. Will I read on in the series? Probably, yes, since I will need another North Dakota book next year. If not for that, I'm not sure I would continue with it. Maybe, maybe not.

[David Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance review copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. Thea picks up the new Librarian at the airport and can't believe the way he's dressed and the airlines has lost his luggage. This book just keeps getting better and better. I truly enjoyed this book and can not wait for the next North Dakota Library mystery.

[Dianne Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb mystery!

A cleverly written and entertaining mystery. I loved the characters and the plot. Trying to solve the mystery along with Thea, her grandmother and Hudson, kept me fully engaged in the murder investigation. Some great clues and interesting suspects! I enjoyed Murder at the Library.

I read this book as part of an advance reader team and am providing my honest opinion.

[MA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book 1 in a new series. Thea has returned to Why Not and has started to find her footing. Working with her grandmother at the library with the new library director, Hudson. Of course, a body is found & everyone works to figure out the culprit. I love the quirkiness of the decedent's gift that Thea has received. The book is great fun!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, at the library

Few murders happen in such places, you say. That's what Thea tells herself. When the new library director comes to town, all kinds of secrets come out when the two try to solve the mystery. Ellen Jacobson is a new author for me and her style is light and refreshingly inspiring.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun cute book! Wish my library had it so kids and adults could have to opportunity to read it.

This is the first book I’ve read on a device so that’s what I took me so long. Screens aren’t near as easy as reading books for me.

*I read this book as part of the 50 states challenge—North Dakota*

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, fun read with charming characters, an appealing setting, an intriguing mystery and lots of humour. Highly recommended!

A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful cozy mystery. I enjoyed the "uff da" from the grandmother and the other snippets of Scandinavian heritage / ND culture. I also enjoyed the little surprise for Thea. I will look for the rest of the books in the series.

[Sherry Kilmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining cozy mystery. Kept me engaged with interesting story and a dose of small town humor. Also has some interesting North Dakota cultural insight and recipes. Looking forward to the next one in this series.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious compared to the prequel. Why's library welcomes Hudson, the new director. He arrives at the same time as megastar Seatrina and greeted by the local buffalo. Full of surprises and entertaining until the last page!

[Penny]

This is a first read of this author for me. And I will read more of her books.

This book was a very nice cozy mystery. If has very good character development and room to grow with it. The plot is a usual one but with the little twist and a turn, it turn out to be quite interesting.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't need the added addition of the "spirit guide". It was more of a distraction to the story IMO.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute, interesting story. The story was driven by the quirky characters, even the buffalo that roams the town. Looking forward to the next book. Recommend reading.

[Elizabeth Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing (a cameleon?) with a solid, not frivolous, mystery.