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Lt. Dekker Mystery #3
Murder In The Library
A man is found murdered in the locked library in his home. Surveillance cameras show that no one other than the deceased entered the library. The deceased left a clue for the police, only they cannot figure out what the clue means.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2013
286 people are currently reading
1570 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
March 1, 2014
This is a light read, and I loved it. Cy and Lou are detectives. They are semi retired and only work on murder cases, since that is what they are good at. They both live alone and have sometime girlfriends. They eat every meal out, breakfast, lunch and supper. They have their favorite places to eat and are there the same time every day. Yes, the waitresses know them and love them. Some of the reviews said there was too much talk about food, but hey, that is a part of who they are, and I love it (since I eat every meal out as well). They both also have a thing about candy. One loves M&M's and the other Hershey Almond bar. Well, to the murder, their friend, the Colonel, and mentor called them one day to stop by. He informed them that he thought someone was going to kill him. He also said that he would leave clues to help them find his murderer. The Colonel was indeed murdered and when Cy and Lou were called, they got right to work. The clues that the Colonel promised was in a Bible that he had in his hands. I am very knowledgeable of the Bible, but the clues were hard. Also, God sent a daily 'message' to Cy. Were they clues to the murder? Then there was the next door neighbor of Lou, and her dog. And how about Cy and his addiction to Wii? There were many suspects and I had no idea who-done-it. Kept me guessing until the very last page. Sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy this wonderful book.
May 3, 2015
Murder in the Library by Steve Demaree.
Lt. Cy Dekker and Sgt. Lou Murdock are partners on the Hilldale Police Dept. and have been for most of their professional lives. In fact their friendship goes all the way back to elementary school. so to say they are partners at work and at play would be 100% correct. They know each others habits and share in most of them.
Cy and Lou are at the age of retirement and have decided to ease into retirement at a slow pace. In other words, they are taking on a job here and there but not over taxing themselves with full time work as they did in their younger years on the force. Today was to be no different than any other day as Cy picked up Lou in his lightning (VW bug). But it was definably different. Lou was not that interested in their old watering hold the Blue Moon. In fact, Lou soon discloses that he is on his WII twice everyday. Cy doesn't know if he really wants to learn any more about Lou's new lease on life with exercise and food restrictions.
Then they are called by an old friend, the colonel. The colonel dates way back to Lou & cy's childhood. They spent many happy hours in the tree house the colonel built for them. They meet up at the Colonel's home and are led to his private library. There the colonel informs them of a threat made recently to his life. And later the secrets held inside of the colonel's library are revealed to both of them.
This was my 2nd in the Lt. cy and Sgt. Lou series by Steve Demaree. The characters are true to life with depth of personalities. The final analysis as the suspects are taken into consideration is complicated but revealed in an understandable way and with intelligence. A top notch cozy.
Lt. Cy Dekker and Sgt. Lou Murdock are partners on the Hilldale Police Dept. and have been for most of their professional lives. In fact their friendship goes all the way back to elementary school. so to say they are partners at work and at play would be 100% correct. They know each others habits and share in most of them.
Cy and Lou are at the age of retirement and have decided to ease into retirement at a slow pace. In other words, they are taking on a job here and there but not over taxing themselves with full time work as they did in their younger years on the force. Today was to be no different than any other day as Cy picked up Lou in his lightning (VW bug). But it was definably different. Lou was not that interested in their old watering hold the Blue Moon. In fact, Lou soon discloses that he is on his WII twice everyday. Cy doesn't know if he really wants to learn any more about Lou's new lease on life with exercise and food restrictions.
Then they are called by an old friend, the colonel. The colonel dates way back to Lou & cy's childhood. They spent many happy hours in the tree house the colonel built for them. They meet up at the Colonel's home and are led to his private library. There the colonel informs them of a threat made recently to his life. And later the secrets held inside of the colonel's library are revealed to both of them.
This was my 2nd in the Lt. cy and Sgt. Lou series by Steve Demaree. The characters are true to life with depth of personalities. The final analysis as the suspects are taken into consideration is complicated but revealed in an understandable way and with intelligence. A top notch cozy.
March 7, 2014
Um....wow. Where do I begin with this?
First of all, allow me to report that I was really excited to come across another whodunit novel. And I thought that the side-story of the detective who is really into whodunit novels was really cute.
And that's where the merits of the book end. This story simply made me uncomfortable. You follow around Cy and Lou, the two main (fat) characters as they go to their mentor's house who informs them that he has received a threat, they go eat, they find out that their mentor was indeed murdered, they go eat, they look for the killer, they go eat, they think in passing of the murder, they go eat and did I mention that they go eat?
Let's pick it apart: the whodunit itself is not that big of a deal. You end up guessing who the killer is less than half way through the book. Cy's partner, Lou, receives every day a message from God (no joke) that in the end has simply no real impact since the two detectives remain completely clueless until they stop stuffing their mouths and actually do some work.
The way they deal with the death of their mentor makes you want to crawl into the fetal position in the shower and attempt to scrub the shame away. This book will have you believe that when their hero called them for help their definition was to simply nod their heads, go eat, forget about the threat and wonder why on earth their mentor ended up dead. Once he is dead instead of them doing any actual police work they spend their days feeding each other chocolate (again, no joke), talking about the merits of Wii, stuffing their mouths and reading novels. Yes folks: these two cops who are assigned to solve the murder of the only father figure in their lives spend their days eating and reading novels instead of....you know....DOING THEIR JOBS! Of course there's always the daily message from the Almighty which gives them the sense that everything will be A-OK.
The book reads as if Mr. Demaree was going in and out of lucidity from chapter to chapter. The musings about the awful neighbor could have been avoided since they added nothing to the story and at times added to the uncomfortable feeling you get while realizing that you are actually reading about a detective who is a complete weirdo.
The highlight of this book were its references to other, better, whodunit novels. The fact that it's book no. 3 in a series blows me away. Perhaps I will write and publish my grocery list later.
First of all, allow me to report that I was really excited to come across another whodunit novel. And I thought that the side-story of the detective who is really into whodunit novels was really cute.
And that's where the merits of the book end. This story simply made me uncomfortable. You follow around Cy and Lou, the two main (fat) characters as they go to their mentor's house who informs them that he has received a threat, they go eat, they find out that their mentor was indeed murdered, they go eat, they look for the killer, they go eat, they think in passing of the murder, they go eat and did I mention that they go eat?
Let's pick it apart: the whodunit itself is not that big of a deal. You end up guessing who the killer is less than half way through the book. Cy's partner, Lou, receives every day a message from God (no joke) that in the end has simply no real impact since the two detectives remain completely clueless until they stop stuffing their mouths and actually do some work.
The way they deal with the death of their mentor makes you want to crawl into the fetal position in the shower and attempt to scrub the shame away. This book will have you believe that when their hero called them for help their definition was to simply nod their heads, go eat, forget about the threat and wonder why on earth their mentor ended up dead. Once he is dead instead of them doing any actual police work they spend their days feeding each other chocolate (again, no joke), talking about the merits of Wii, stuffing their mouths and reading novels. Yes folks: these two cops who are assigned to solve the murder of the only father figure in their lives spend their days eating and reading novels instead of....you know....DOING THEIR JOBS! Of course there's always the daily message from the Almighty which gives them the sense that everything will be A-OK.
The book reads as if Mr. Demaree was going in and out of lucidity from chapter to chapter. The musings about the awful neighbor could have been avoided since they added nothing to the story and at times added to the uncomfortable feeling you get while realizing that you are actually reading about a detective who is a complete weirdo.
The highlight of this book were its references to other, better, whodunit novels. The fact that it's book no. 3 in a series blows me away. Perhaps I will write and publish my grocery list later.
October 12, 2014
Steve Demaree is my new favorite mystery writer. This is the third book I have read and I read them all in a week. The thing is he keeps me laughing while I try to figure out who done it. I had this one all figured out and was wrong. The conclusion revealed the "who" to be someone I'd picked and discarded earlier. The clues from God are fun to try to unravel too. The way the murder was commited was very cleaver and the way of the murderer even more so. Almost every ebook these days has boo-boos and his are no exception but the story line and character study along with cleaver and unique writing style make the errors disapear in the reader's mind like magic. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and has a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor you will after you read one of Steve's books.
March 3, 2014
This is possibly one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune of reading. I'll be honest, I didn't actually finish it. I couldn't. I value my brain cells too much.
It starts with a list of the characters. I'm sorry, I don't want a list of who is who and how they connect. A good author should be able to do this without having to provide a list. Write well, and I'll soon learn who is who.
We were of top a bad start.
The main character is a self involved, lazy, arrogant bully. He bullies his best friend who dared to start exercising which goes against everything this lazy pig lives for. His next door neighbor, who wants to be friends but he believes he is too good for, and nearly everyone else he meets, all of whom he believes he is superior to.
A semi-retired homicide detective, he takes full responsibility for his 100% solve rate, despite early on admitting all of his leads and clues come from the messages his best friends receives from God. (No, that is not a typo).
Despite not being advertised as Christian fiction, it is the worst type. One of those books that starts by saying the characters are church goers (no issues there). But as the book develops the God references get more and more preachy, until you realise they know their former mentor is dead due purely to the messages from God received by the partner.
I hate books that preach. I hate characters who have to tell you all the reasons they are fantastic rather than let me fall in love with them as I learn about them. And I hate published authors who write this badly.
Here's my big tip. Save your time, money, and brain cells, and stay far away from Steve Demaree's books.
It starts with a list of the characters. I'm sorry, I don't want a list of who is who and how they connect. A good author should be able to do this without having to provide a list. Write well, and I'll soon learn who is who.
We were of top a bad start.
The main character is a self involved, lazy, arrogant bully. He bullies his best friend who dared to start exercising which goes against everything this lazy pig lives for. His next door neighbor, who wants to be friends but he believes he is too good for, and nearly everyone else he meets, all of whom he believes he is superior to.
A semi-retired homicide detective, he takes full responsibility for his 100% solve rate, despite early on admitting all of his leads and clues come from the messages his best friends receives from God. (No, that is not a typo).
Despite not being advertised as Christian fiction, it is the worst type. One of those books that starts by saying the characters are church goers (no issues there). But as the book develops the God references get more and more preachy, until you realise they know their former mentor is dead due purely to the messages from God received by the partner.
I hate books that preach. I hate characters who have to tell you all the reasons they are fantastic rather than let me fall in love with them as I learn about them. And I hate published authors who write this badly.
Here's my big tip. Save your time, money, and brain cells, and stay far away from Steve Demaree's books.
March 20, 2014
Murder in the Library is a book anyone can read. – at least all but little tikes. There is no language to be concerned about or caustic behavior to fear. It is a good book to read and pass time on peaceful evenings without the fear of losing sleep when you go to bed.
Lou and Cy are friends that have grown up together, worked together, and now enjoy partial retirement together. It is a rare thing to find in real life and in books. Solving the death in this mystery takes more time and work than they expect and leads to an unexpected twist. It keeps you reading – not necessarily the ‘I couldn’t put it down type’ but the ‘I keep going back to find out what happens’ book. The characters are very realistic when it comes to human nature. Not everyone eats a healthy diet, exercises, or has a relationship with God like these two. Let’s face it folks, everyone has a weakness. These two love food, in fact so much it is a major part of the book. It does get to be a bit too much at times, but the characters are enjoyable and relationships with the people around them refreshing in many ways.
It definitely reminds me of some of the older mystery novels or movies when graphic details were not a common thing to read or see. This is the first Steve Demaree book I have read and I plan to read more. It is a nice change of pace.
Lou and Cy are friends that have grown up together, worked together, and now enjoy partial retirement together. It is a rare thing to find in real life and in books. Solving the death in this mystery takes more time and work than they expect and leads to an unexpected twist. It keeps you reading – not necessarily the ‘I couldn’t put it down type’ but the ‘I keep going back to find out what happens’ book. The characters are very realistic when it comes to human nature. Not everyone eats a healthy diet, exercises, or has a relationship with God like these two. Let’s face it folks, everyone has a weakness. These two love food, in fact so much it is a major part of the book. It does get to be a bit too much at times, but the characters are enjoyable and relationships with the people around them refreshing in many ways.
It definitely reminds me of some of the older mystery novels or movies when graphic details were not a common thing to read or see. This is the first Steve Demaree book I have read and I plan to read more. It is a nice change of pace.
July 28, 2019
I rarely give a book a 1, but this book just did not appeal to me. There were several threads that just drove me crazy because they were so silly. First, the 2 main characters, Lou and Cy, who are police homicide detectives, spent most of their free time talking about or eating food. Next, their second obsession was candy - M & Ms and Hershey Almond bars. Third, Lou's continuous go rounds with his neighbor lady and her dog. Finally, the two men were supposed to be Christians; but many of their comments, especially Lou, were not very Christian.
I did like the clever ending and the procedure that Lou used to determine who the murderer was. I also enjoyed Cy's messages from God to help them solve the murder. But overall, there was just too much Keystone cops play for me to really enjoy this cozy mystery. I would not have finished it, but had chosen it for a challenge. I have several other free Kindle books from this series, and I don't plan to read them.
I did like the clever ending and the procedure that Lou used to determine who the murderer was. I also enjoyed Cy's messages from God to help them solve the murder. But overall, there was just too much Keystone cops play for me to really enjoy this cozy mystery. I would not have finished it, but had chosen it for a challenge. I have several other free Kindle books from this series, and I don't plan to read them.
October 25, 2014
I really don't know what possessed me to read this entire book. I may have a masochistic streak in me, but this painful read simply took the cake...er...or should I say the Hershey bar. I certainly read more about the different ways the main character could eat a Hershey bar (or M&Ms, or a hoagie, or a pie, etc) than about the actual murder mystery.
Dekker is a miserable, hateful, fat old man. I can't imagine that the author intends the reader to like a man who duct tapes a dog's muzzle shut, spies on his best friend from childhood working out on his wii with the sole purpose of berating him, and says "women have a way of manipulating men any time they feel the need."
UGH!
Moving on to the mystery...
I'm not touching the whole "daily clues from God" aspect with a 39 1/2 foot pole...*smh*
The puzzle left by the murder victim was incomprehensible. And I'm supposed to believe that he came up with the elaborate puzzle, wrote out all the letter clues and filed them in the bible...instead of, just maybe, calling the detectives to tell them???
...sigh...
Dekker is a miserable, hateful, fat old man. I can't imagine that the author intends the reader to like a man who duct tapes a dog's muzzle shut, spies on his best friend from childhood working out on his wii with the sole purpose of berating him, and says "women have a way of manipulating men any time they feel the need."
UGH!
Moving on to the mystery...
I'm not touching the whole "daily clues from God" aspect with a 39 1/2 foot pole...*smh*
The puzzle left by the murder victim was incomprehensible. And I'm supposed to believe that he came up with the elaborate puzzle, wrote out all the letter clues and filed them in the bible...instead of, just maybe, calling the detectives to tell them???
...sigh...
June 24, 2018
This is the fourth book I have read in the series and it may be my last. I always enjoy a good cozy mystery, however, there is a lot of filler that doesn't really add to the books. Each time a read a chunk of pages, I fall asleep.
I hate the interaction between the main character and his neighbor. As much as he seems to hate her, he continues to entertain her and I think he enjoys belittling her. She has also overstepped too many boundaries as a neighbor that would drive me to pettiness.
I also felt that under normal circumstances, the main character wouldn't have been allowed to investigate this particular case. I think it may have been interesting to see them be prevented from working the case, but doing it on their own.
Lastly, preventing suspects from leaving their homes under threat of imprisonment is absurd. Not leaving town is one thing, but that seems like false imprisonment to me.
I hate the interaction between the main character and his neighbor. As much as he seems to hate her, he continues to entertain her and I think he enjoys belittling her. She has also overstepped too many boundaries as a neighbor that would drive me to pettiness.
I also felt that under normal circumstances, the main character wouldn't have been allowed to investigate this particular case. I think it may have been interesting to see them be prevented from working the case, but doing it on their own.
Lastly, preventing suspects from leaving their homes under threat of imprisonment is absurd. Not leaving town is one thing, but that seems like false imprisonment to me.
August 31, 2014
An easy read but pretty terrible. The plot wasn't bad but the story was odd. I didn't understand so much info about the candy, the neighbor lady, and the food. It was labeled as Christian fiction but other than attending church the main character Cy was not a very Christian figure...the way he treated his neighbor was awful!
August 25, 2018
This was an incredibly stupid, immature book. Three/fourths of the book were about their infantile behavior and gluttonous eating habits. The stupid obsession with the Hershey almond bar and m&ms nearly drove me over the edge. The mystery part of the book wasn't that bad, just so-so really but all the rest of the juvenile antics were obnoxious.
May 3, 2025
Amusing cozy who done it. Sometimes the repetitive food references, etc. get a little old, but overall a fun read.
May 5, 2018
This cozy mystery was just okay - the writing was uninspiring and there was too much detail about things that didn't matter. Maybe the author wants readers to really get to know Cy and Lou, the two homicide detectives working the case, but it's just filler. I don't need to know Cy likes Almond Hersey bars or that Lou likes M&Ms, and the diner scenes are just boring (especially when they don't have anything to do with the case).
The case, btw, involves Cy and Lou's old friend, Colonel (and professor) Hardesty who receives a threatening note in his library. It's a mystery because no one has been inside his library except from himself - his surveillance camera proves this and he asks Cy and Lou to investigate just in case someone is really trying to harm him.
The case, btw, involves Cy and Lou's old friend, Colonel (and professor) Hardesty who receives a threatening note in his library. It's a mystery because no one has been inside his library except from himself - his surveillance camera proves this and he asks Cy and Lou to investigate just in case someone is really trying to harm him.
December 28, 2015
What a letdown. I'm the first to admit that christian cozy mysteries are not my cuppa tea, but I expected more than this. I started reading it last night and thought "yuck" but I'd give it a try. Sometimes I don't finish books I start, but seldom do I refuse to finish a book out of pure boredom. (The Complete Works of Karl Marx is a case in point). But, boy did this book bore me. I found nothing engaging about a pair of not-married (one is a widower) best- friend paunchy cops who obsess over food, especially Hershey Bars and M&Ms. In fact, these guys never seem to stop eating or talking about food. (It's one thing for a lead to have a quirk, but both of them? Nero Wolfe they're not!) ) I thought I'd pick it up today and try again, but I when I woke up this mornng the first thought in my head (seriously!) was I can't finish this book. So I'm not.
I'm sure there's a niche for this kind of book, but I'm not in it.
I'm sure there's a niche for this kind of book, but I'm not in it.
Read
March 15, 2016Frankly, this books was so dreadfully mind numbing I can't give it any stars. I think I gained five pounds by just reading about the gluttonous quantities of food Cy, the main character, eats in this book. When you write that the first thing a character thinks about when he wakes up is food. When that character eats multiple pieces of pie with each meal including breakfast. When that character belittles his best friend and partner for cutting back eating, starting up an exercise regime and losing weight you have a major character problem. There are so many other things wrong with this book but the clincher for me was when he abuses his neighbor’s dog by duct taping its mouth because he hates both the dog and its owner. There is never any excuse for animal abuse in any shape or form. I can not believe there are multiple books in this series, I will not be reading anymore.
March 31, 2014
Cy and Lou are overweight, over fed homicide detectives. the story is told by Cy and is about their good friend and mentor's homicide. As they gather clues they eat their way through the case - Cy's weakness being Hershey w /almonds and Lou's being m&m's - it's clear that these men are devoted detectives and Christians.
The only minor issue I have with the story is how many times "you've" is used when mostly "you have" would have seemed the more natural choice.
All in all a great story and an enjoyable read.
The only minor issue I have with the story is how many times "you've" is used when mostly "you have" would have seemed the more natural choice.
All in all a great story and an enjoyable read.
September 7, 2016
This was more of a culinary diary mixed with a mystery. The author did put too much emphasis on everything that the main characters ate, and that's almost all that they thought of! The story dragged on,without all of the thoughts of food and comments about can't wait until the next meal while eating a meal, the whole story would have been half as long. If all the books by this author is that way, then I won't waste my time on them.
October 5, 2015
This may be entertaining reading for a younger reader but way to cute for those looking for a real mystery.
If you are looking for a book that draws you into a murder investigation and makes you want to solve the crime you won't find it here.
The two main "retired" detectives solve the crime of the murder of their old friend and former boss spending more time eating and playing than working.
The best word for this is immature.
If you are looking for a book that draws you into a murder investigation and makes you want to solve the crime you won't find it here.
The two main "retired" detectives solve the crime of the murder of their old friend and former boss spending more time eating and playing than working.
The best word for this is immature.
April 6, 2016
This style of writing was not to my liking. There wasn't anything wrong with the story as such, but I felt that most of the story was less on the mystery and more on the personal day-to-day activities of the cops and their love of food and other people around them. I think I would have liked it better if there was less of the extraneous and more of the actual story.
September 4, 2016
Childish writing
I kept waiting for the writing to develop but it stayed at an immature level. It would have been better if this was offered as a young teen book. The writing seemed to be that of a middle-school English writing assignment.
I would not recommend this book to an adult audience.
I kept waiting for the writing to develop but it stayed at an immature level. It would have been better if this was offered as a young teen book. The writing seemed to be that of a middle-school English writing assignment.
I would not recommend this book to an adult audience.
December 7, 2016
I struggled to finish this book because although the plot was clever and interesting, I just could not handle the lead character's--semi-retired homicide detective Cy Dekker's--constant obsession with food and eating. The number of desserts consumed at each meal was not something I needed or wanted to know, nor were all his abusive, derogatory comments about his neighbor enjoyable.
March 1, 2014
Good but not great
The story was cute but not entirely feasible. The characters were also cute. Their repartee was a little forced at times and unlikely at others. I enjoyed the lack of profanity.
The story was cute but not entirely feasible. The characters were also cute. Their repartee was a little forced at times and unlikely at others. I enjoyed the lack of profanity.
March 4, 2014
This was a fun book to read. It was a light hearted mystery -- just up my alley. It wouldn't be for someone who loves complicated mysteries. But it was enjoyable and very entertaining. I hope to read more of his books.
March 16, 2014
I enjoy cozy mysteries, but this just didn't do it for me. I found it tedious and uneventful, with a weird use of contractions. I finished the book, but never really cared about the outcome of the case.
April 24, 2014
Good reading
The books story flowed well and made reading easy. Having to wait a couple days to get back to the book still brought the images flow easily without having to go back a few pages for review. enjoyable.
The books story flowed well and made reading easy. Having to wait a couple days to get back to the book still brought the images flow easily without having to go back a few pages for review. enjoyable.
July 18, 2016
A friend of Lt. Dekker is informed that he will killed, and he is in a locked library room. But he left a clue for the police to decode. Though there are very few suspects,
I found this book in the series a bit too long-winded.
I found this book in the series a bit too long-winded.
December 13, 2016
Reading this book was like reading a book written by a child . I would not recommend this book or series to anyone. I choose this rating because the book was silly.
I would not recommend this book to anyone it was silly . It was written as though a child wrote it
I would not recommend this book to anyone it was silly . It was written as though a child wrote it
August 17, 2018
This is my least favorite of the books in the series I have read. Some of the jokes were just not good. I also saw the solution from a mile away. Honestly, the only reason I read it is that I had gotten it for free and I wanted a quick read - all the other books in the series were quick reads.
March 1, 2014
Entertaining..
Good plot and delightful characters. I didn't guess the identity of the murderer so enjoyed suspense all the way to the end. Good, clean story.
Good plot and delightful characters. I didn't guess the identity of the murderer so enjoyed suspense all the way to the end. Good, clean story.
March 7, 2014
Enjoyed the book. Quick read. It is a clean book, no gore, but does contain humor. 3rd book in the series. Previously read Book 2-Murder in the Winter. now reading book 4, Murder at Breakfast.
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