Arson in the Archives

Meg Bramwell Mysteries #1

by Kristy T Dixon

Starting over is hard. Dodging an arsonist is worse.
After being cut out of her father’s will, Meg Bramwell takes her brother’s offer to turn a run-down building into a library. With the help of Brian Hooper, a quiet librarian with unexpected warmth, Meg begins to build a new future, and fast-growing feelings.
When a string of fires sweeps through town and targets the library, Meg and Brian dig into old records and dangerous secrets someone is desperate to hide.
With flames closing in and sparks flying, Meg must stop an arsonist before her second chance, and a promising new relationship, go up in smoke.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Amazon

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2026

Reviews

[Amanda Reads Cozies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved getting lost in the cozy winter setting and fun story of this small-town mystery. Even though Meg got on my nerves a little bit, Dirk totally saved the day for me. He is a hilarious, heart-of-gold thief who easily stole the show. Such a fun read—I highly recommend picking this one up!

[Susan Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how Kristy Dixon connects this new series to a character from the Ivy Clark series it creates a sense of continuity that makes her fictional world feel larger and more inviting. It’s always fun to revisit familiar threads while meeting new characters, and this book does that well.

The story follows Brian, who comes to town to help Meg after her father’s death leaves her without a job and without a home. Meg’s journey is one of the highlights of the book. Watching her grow from someone who has been walked all over into a woman who finds her voice and recognizes her own strength is both satisfying and inspiring.

The dynamic between the characters keeps the story engaging, and Dirk adds a welcome layer of humor. His presence brings some lighthearted moments, and I’m definitely curious to see what kind of mischief he gets into in future books.

Overall, this is a strong start to what promises to be another enjoyable series. It has heart, growth, and just enough humor to keep things balanced. I’ll definitely be picking up the next installments as they’re released.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting first book in a series. The main character, Meg, is basically unprepared for life as her father kept her under his thumb her whole life. Her brother hired Brian to help with setting up the library and the police chief pushed his nephew Dirk on her as a "volunteer". Together they work to investigate fires in the area, which is dangerous. The trio become friends and start Meg off on the next stage of her life. I liked most of the characters, except for Felix who is Meg's brother and does not have her best interests at heart. Some of the things he does don't make any sense and I am glad to see him get what he has coming to him near the end. I enjoyed meeting the townspeople and getting to know the town.

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my voluntary review of a copy I was given.

It's always fun getting into the first book in a series! Here we meet the main character, Meg Bramwell. She was unprepared for life outside of the father's house. Her brother hired Brian to help her with the library, and the police chief pushed his nephew Dirk on as a “volunteer.”

Together they go to foolish lengths to investigate the fires in the area, forge a friendship, and start Meg off on the next phase of her life.

I really liked the characters and the other townspeople we meet. All were well-written, and the mystery played out well.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

I wanted to check out this series since I love the Ivy Clark series by this author so much abd Brian is always a good character to read about.
This was fun, cute & cozy like the other series but I'm not sure if I like Meg that much. She's a bit too clueless and a bit boring. I'm hoping she'll improve as a character in the next books. I love Dirk, though, I thought he'd be annoying but his crafty ways were entertaining!
The mystery was ok but maybe a bit extra far fetched. I still had fun with this and will definitely read more while I wait for the next Ivy Clark mystery

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arson in the Archives is a very interesting beginning of a new series! I love Meg, Brian and even Dirk but Meg's brother was a really controlling prig. Maybe every amateur detective squad needs a member with Dirk's skills! He was certainly useful when Meg and Brian start investigating all the fires. I am glad Brian helped Meg turn the library into reality. They worked well together. I want to see more of these characters. I was so captivated I just kept putting off my to-do list until I reached the end. I know this just came out but I am eager to read the next book in the series.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really, rather than 3. At the start I really didn't like the heroine, but she gets better through the book (bit of a whiney pathetic dreep to start with). Still can't work out how she can be so clueless whatever her background. But the story was ok - a bit distrait and confused, but kind of ok.

[Ted]

A Opening a Library Leads to a Mystrry

I enjoyed this first book in this series. I love the character of Dirk who is a teenaged menace. I also think this was a coming of age book for Meg. I can!t wait to see what she gets up to next.

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing something...

I tried chapter 1 like 3 times but there's important stuff missing here. Who is she? What does she look like? Where's the story world? Where is the main character action? These things I need in order to follow the story.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read.it straight through!

I love the characters. I loved the !
Mystery. I love the writing style. I especially love the length - long enough but not dragged out!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new spinoff series about Brian the librarian from the Ivy Clark series. I enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable, particularly Dirk.

[Mrs. S. Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light hearted, gripping, who dunnit

Easy to read, light hearted but complex i thoroughly enjoyed the read, but read it too quickly because I was intrigued

[Sam Bevans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short and sweet book. A little slow paced for my liking, but I think it is supposed to be like that. Meg and Brian are perfect for each other, even if they don’t see it yet.

[Joey Stout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, fun mystery!

3/5⭐️

[TheAntiqueFairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute quick read. Loved the mystery of it and the pop up of different fires happening when I didn’t think it would go that route.

[GossamerMyst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming

This is a nice cozy mystery to curl up with on cold winter night with hit chocolate and chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cake😋

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A likeably satisfying, suspenseful story of a woman learning to live, work, and love in her space in collaboration with people who cared!

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first story in a new series. Meg is an unusual character because her father had her under his thumb until his death. Now, she is unprepared for life. Her brother, Felix, inherited the bulk of their father's estate. However, Felix has decided to set Meg up in business as the owner of a library. To that end, he hires Brian to help set up the library.

The other interesting character is Dirk, a juvenile delinquent who is "volunteered" to earn community hours at Meg's store. Dirk is amazing with sleight-of-hand theft. He is very sharp and street-wise. When a series of fires takes place in town, the three, Meg, Brian, and Dirk, investigate because Dirk's uncle, the police chief, is extremely lazy.

This is a quick and interesting read.

Meg Bramwell Mysteries
** 1. Arson in the Archives (2026)
2. Blood on the Books (2026)
3. Check In, Check Out, Checkmate (2026)