What do you think?
Rate this book
Counting Night
Some towns keep secrets. She keeps the receipts.
When sharp-witted librarian Miri opens the map coffin in Briarwood’s History Room, she doesn’t expect to trip a century-old alarm. A brass bell with a stubborn clapper, a glowing microfiche reader, and a folder marked AFTER HOURS point to the long-buried Cutter & Norris files—receipts, petitions, and whispers that a powerful family quietly “misplaced” the town’s promise to protect its creek.
Then the messages COUNT DOORS. COUNT LOCKS. Someone wants a show. Miri prefers evidence.
With a slow-burn spark from the town’s unflappable deputy, a newsroom of nosy friends, and a parade of lemon-bar-baking conspirators, Miri follows paper trails and star charts, unbricks a forgotten door, and reads minutes men meant to erase. As timers tick and the bell dares to ring, she’ll have one night to prove that Briarwood’s past is filed under O—Ours, not S—Sold.
Smart, sexy, and cozy without the fluff, this is a mystery where the clues are catalogs, the weapons are records and resolve, and the big twist is a town remembering how to keep its word.
You’ll love this if you
✦ A brainy, alluring sleuth who solves crimes with microfiche, receipts, and nerve
✦ Found-family banter, civic drama, and small-town heat done slow-burn
✦ Puzzles that click—secret doors, star wheels, hidden rings, and a bell that only rings for the truth
✦ A feel-good finish that still leaves you hungry for the next case
Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams, Richard Osman, and anyone who thinks the sexiest scene in a mystery is a librarian saying, “I found the file.”
Book One of The Briarwood Files—a sexy-smart cozy series where every case is paid in paper…and people.
When sharp-witted librarian Miri opens the map coffin in Briarwood’s History Room, she doesn’t expect to trip a century-old alarm. A brass bell with a stubborn clapper, a glowing microfiche reader, and a folder marked AFTER HOURS point to the long-buried Cutter & Norris files—receipts, petitions, and whispers that a powerful family quietly “misplaced” the town’s promise to protect its creek.
Then the messages COUNT DOORS. COUNT LOCKS. Someone wants a show. Miri prefers evidence.
With a slow-burn spark from the town’s unflappable deputy, a newsroom of nosy friends, and a parade of lemon-bar-baking conspirators, Miri follows paper trails and star charts, unbricks a forgotten door, and reads minutes men meant to erase. As timers tick and the bell dares to ring, she’ll have one night to prove that Briarwood’s past is filed under O—Ours, not S—Sold.
Smart, sexy, and cozy without the fluff, this is a mystery where the clues are catalogs, the weapons are records and resolve, and the big twist is a town remembering how to keep its word.
You’ll love this if you
✦ A brainy, alluring sleuth who solves crimes with microfiche, receipts, and nerve
✦ Found-family banter, civic drama, and small-town heat done slow-burn
✦ Puzzles that click—secret doors, star wheels, hidden rings, and a bell that only rings for the truth
✦ A feel-good finish that still leaves you hungry for the next case
Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams, Richard Osman, and anyone who thinks the sexiest scene in a mystery is a librarian saying, “I found the file.”
Book One of The Briarwood Files—a sexy-smart cozy series where every case is paid in paper…and people.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2025
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.