Murder on the Books

Modern Midwife Mysteries #3

by Christine Knapp

Books and bells, midwives, and murder…

Maeve O'Reilly Kensington has fully recovered from her heart-pounding escape from a murderer last summer. Now she and her husband, Will, are happily adapting to life as parents of an eight-month-old while also preparing for the birth of their second daughter. Will's catering business, A Thyme for All Seasons, is booming and Maeve's midwifery practice has blossomed under new hospital leadership.

It's winter in the seaside New England town of Langford, and the holidays are fast approaching. Maeve decides to make a last-minute dash to the Langford Library just before closing time...and discovers the body of the well-loved library director in the snow! Did she have a medical issue? Did she fall? Is murder on the books?

A tangled web is weaved and Maeve and her wealthy, forthright sister Meg are stymied at every turn. At the same time, jewelry thieves may have targeted the Hanville Grove senior center where Maeve and Meg's mother and the "ladies of the lobby" reside. Holidays, murder, and robberies pile up as Maeve's pregnancy marches on. Can the sisters solve the crimes in their limited time frame? Well Maeve have the birth of her dreams? Will the Langford Library ever be the same?


"Christine’s writing style is very entertaining with sensory laden description of the various environment, characters, and even the state of Maeve’s cookies and knitting. Clever & Entertaining Gem!"
~ Kings River Life Magazine

"Readers will fall in love with this series immediately!! I highly encourage and suggest you grab your copy."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

Genres: Mystery

269 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2023

Reviews

[Julesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's winter time and the holidays and after trials and tribulations, Maeve and Will Kensington finally are ready for the birth of their baby very soon! Life is certainly busy for the couple with a baby daughter adopted the previous spring, Will's catering business busy for the holidays, and Maeve working with her patients as a midwife up until the end. Being a book addict Maeve stops by the library right before closing time to add to her existing growing to-be-read pile. We can all relate, right? The library is empty with no sign of head librarian Ingrid. When the church bells ring on the hour quite loudly and clearly, Maeve realizes that the library side door is wide open. She discovers Ingrid on the patio with a soft layer of snow covering her. Having been poisoned by ingesting her favorite almond crescent cookies, who would want to harm a librarian?

Meanwhile, several pieces of valuable jewelry have been missing from the senior residents at Maeve's mother's assisted living accommodations along with money from their individual retirement investment accounts. The Hangrove Village ladies recruit Maeve and her sister Meg, aka the M&M girls, to prove these are not incidents of having senior moments.

With an infant daughter, another one on the way, her midwife job, Maeve definitely has time to investigate the murder and the crimes at Hangrove Village, right?

This is the third book in the Modern Midwives series. I love the characterization and the bond Maeve has with her family. I look forward to reading how her own family with her husband, daughters and dog grow.

I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Modern Midwife Mysteries. Murder on the Books grabbed my attention from the beginning. Maeve is expecting a baby at any time, yet she still finds time to investigate jewelry theft at her mom’s senior center and the death of a much loved librarian. With a baby due anytime, the holidays, the thefts, the murder and more, this is one exciting, fast paced book!

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Very well written. I love that the main character has a unique occupation. I hope there will be many more in this series.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder on the Books is the third cozy mystery in the Modern Midwife Mysteries series. We join Maeve O’Reilly Kensington when she is eight months pregnant and getting read for the holidays. On her way home from work one night she runs by the library to pick up a book and finds much more than she’d bargained for. She finds her friend and the head library dead in the snow. Maeve knows foul play was involved and wants answers. This time she needs to take a back seat because of the baby in her stomach, but even when she’s not looking for it trouble still seems to find her.

I have enjoyed this series since I started it and I think this was my favorite book yet. The mystery was fast paced and kept me guessing, but I think it was Maeve’s life that I liked hearing about the most. Hearing about her coming baby and her adopted daughter made Maeve’s story very interesting and I liked seeing this woven into the mystery. The cast of characters in this mystery were great and they all worked together nicely. The ending of this book was great and I enjoyed how it all played out. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Maeve! If you like cozy mysteries this is a good series with the nice twist of Maeve being a midwife.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful entry in this exciting mystery series. This time a very pregnant Maeve, and her sister Meg, navigate several mysteries including murder, "accidents", and fraud. Somehow despite being 8 months pregnant, Maeve handles all this, her family, the holidays, and work! A terrific husband and family pick up the slack when she is forced to rest or nap. From start to finish all the various people, situations, crimes, holiday and family events, and work are blended seamlessly into an interesting and informative book. Well written, this is a book that compels the reader to continue to the end as rapidly as possible. Excellent addition to this terrific series.

[Robin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is part of a series, it can also be read as a stand-alone. Things are going well in Langford while everyone is preparing for the holiday season. Maeve is expecting her second child, and the midwife practice is thriving under new leadership. Will’s catering business is thriving. Maeve decides to make a quick trip to the library before closing time. Her plans change when she finds the beloved library director dead! Besides this shocking discovery, there seems to be a string of jewelry thefts at the senior home where her mom lives. Read to see if Maeve and her sister can solve these mysteries before the holidays and the baby is born.

[Bonnie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher.
Maeve's pregnancy doesn't stop her from investigating the murder of the local librarian or the theft at her mom's senior center. With the help of her sister and husband and a nap or two along the way, she's determined to solve these mysteries. A fun series with interesting characters, family closeness and great mysteries.

[Bethanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in love with this series! From Maeve, the main character to the “Ladies of the Lobby” and beyond- they’ve have captured my heart! (Well, except for maybe some in-laws…ugh!)
I’m so excited for book four!

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and I plan to go back and read the first two in the series. The characters were likeable and relatable, the MC's occupation was a refreshing departure from the usual baker, bookstore owner, etc., and the plot was quite interesting. The pregnancy/birthing info that prefaced each chapter was informative and educational. Although it related to the character's occupation, it seemed at times to be out of place with the reading. I also found the pacing a bit slow in places, perhaps because the name-dropping descriptions of what people were wearing/doing were extensive. Despite that, the storyline was engaging and the ending had just the right amount of suspense. Would recommend.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh goodness what an emotional roller coaster this one was. So very good.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really good read! lots of twists and turns, complex interesting characters and a must read!

[Mindy Gammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun fast series to read

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book I was able to meet the author, Christine Knapp at my local library this month. She gave enjoyable talk about how she got into writing and getting her work published

[Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review due to be published soon on ITW's online magazine "The Big Thrill". Stay tuned.