Hush-Hush

The Village Library Mysteries #4

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

It’s hard keeping secrets in small towns.

At first, librarian Ann Beckett is delighted her director hired another full-time staff member. The Whitby Library is a busy place and another librarian should make life much easier there.

Instead, she soon discovers that the new hire, Ellie, seems to be bent on creating issues instead of solving them. When she’s found dead at the library, no one is as shocked as they might have been.

With time running out and a desperate killer on the loose, Ann starts uncovering all the secrets Ellie was trying to keep hush-hush.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

159 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2020

About the author

Author also writes under Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Find out more about her books and sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com . Find her books on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list...

Reviews

[Christina/ The Blog for Teachers, Readers, & Life! · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former librarian, I love this series!😊 This book does not disappoint.

A new librarian is hired, and at first, Anne and Luna are thrilled to lighten the workload. But the new hire, is not what Anne and Luna had hoped for. Also, she comes with many secrets.

Secrets don’t stay quiet in small towns.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. Nice easy reads with a good mystery. This was another one I enjoyed. It definitely kept me guessing. Looking forward to more of this series.

[Jessica Sloane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book, a good series. I like the mystery and that I can follow the clues and have a good idea who did it without it being extremely obvious, and at the same time, never really be sure, but with clues to help you think it through. I also love Fitz, and I am really enjoying the character development. I think one of the biggest highlights for me is that it is clean. There is no cussing, no sex scenes or even innuendos. I really appreciate that, it's hard to find. There also isn't violence. It manages to be a very good, suspenseful, cozy mystery. Complete with cat and library.

I would rate it 5 stars, but there were quite a few errors. I'm not trying to be overly particular about it, but some of them were noticeable enough where I had to reread the sentence a few times for it to make sense before I realized why it wasn't making sense. Like, a wrong or extra word slipped in, and sometimes even a change from 1st to 3rd person. (e.g. She greeted 'them' instead of 'us.'  That was at a point when Luna and Ann were at a coffee shop, so when the barista greeted them, I thought for a moment Luna and another person were in line first, not that the barista had come to greet to Luna and Ann.) Also, two characters introduced themselves to each other for the first time twice, and then sometimes the facts are just a bit sloppy. Like the clincher at the end, where Tara says she had walked to the library, so that no one would see her car, but then, the whole reason she was caught, is because she left the library in her car and someone recognized it. So things like that are a bit annoying. The sloppy clues moreso than the typos and other such errors. This seems to be recurring in all of the books so far, but at least none so bad as the first one. So far.

Still, I don't mean to dump on the editing, but it is frustrating. If all of the books had been like the first one, I wouldn't continue reading, but so far they are a lot better. Noticeable errors that an editor should have caught, but not bad enough that I would stop reading. A frustrating error like the part I put in the spoiler above, but that was at the end so not part of the detecting process, and also, fortunately, a one-time thing in this particular book, at least that I caught.

So, all of that said, I would still highly recommend this series. If you can get past the first book the rest should be no problem if you just have a little patience. Everything I said at the beginning really does make it a good series.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I don't normally listen to so many books from the same series straight after each other because the plots can get confusing. However this is such a great series that once I finished one book I was onto the next. The main reason for this is because of the characters and the setting for most of the murders. Both are a delight. The author has created an environment that is really easy to picture and the more you get to know the characters the more it is a place that would be fun to visit. Well inbetween the murders of course. Although during a murder it would give you a chance to put on your detective hat of course. I must admit I had no clue the killer was this time round. There is slightly more focus on Ann's love life in this book, as an old friend returned to town but it still gives her plenty of time to solve the murder and get plenty of cuddles in with the library cat. Look forward to the next audio book adventure in my favourite library.
Luna and Ann meet a lot of people as librarians and it is unusual for them both not to warm to somebody but there new librarian colleague is such a person. It seems like somebody else didn't like her either, as Ann stumbles over her dead body. Who could push one of the library bookshelves on top of her? With the library closed while the police investigate, Ann puts her time off to good use by meeting an old friend for lunch and of course finding situations to ask her suspects some question. When the library reopens and Ann is back to work it doesn't mean she can stop thinning about the death but can she once again help to find the killer? Or will her personal life which is getting complicated get in the way? Then her main suspect is found dead and it's not just her personal life that is complicated.
I like the narrator. Four books in to the series and I can't imagine another narrator reading the series. She is the voice for Ann and all her library friends.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a favourite cozy mystery series that I very much enjoy. It delivers all the aspects one looks for in the genre, along with good characters, nice pacing and well-thought-out murder investiagations.

I really like Ann as our protagonist in this series. First off, she's a librarian so I'm predisposed to like her because she loves books and reading as much as I do. Second she is that rare thing in cozies - an amateur investigator who is smart and capable, and manages to help the police WITHOUT putting herself into stupidly dangerous situations. Ann thinks before she does things and doesn't hesitate to call the police when the situation calls for that. It is a refreshing change of pace from many cozies I've read and I really like that about this series.

The supporting characters here are low-key and don't play a large part in the plots, but they are interesting and likable nonetheless.

I also really love Fitz the library cat, whose personality shines right out of the book and makes the reader smile envisioning him making the library patrons - and Ann - smile and feel loved.

This is just a solid, well-written and entertaining cozy series and if you enjoy the genre and are a fan of libraries and librarians then I recommend it.

[kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of the author’s books! I like all her different series. This has been a fun one to start at the beginning as it’s her most recent new series. I think I’m behind a couple books but that’s OK. I will look forward to the next book in the series.

I like the setting in the public library. I’m a big library user myself. Fun to get a slice of a librarian’s role. I really enjoy the author’s writing style. I consider it easy reading in the sense that I can relax and enjoy the story.

I think if this is the first book you pick up in the series, you probably could enjoy it without a lot of background from the other books. There’s also a little love interest and a second Romeo enters the picture. That was kind of fun to see what happens with that! And, of course, the mystery was a good one! I was shocked at the end! I had no idea!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Village Library Mystery series. I've had the books on my TBR bookshelf for quite awhile. I recently noticed a new book in the series had come out, and figured it was a perfect time to read the rest of the series....so I can buy the new book! :)

So glad I finally started reading my way through this series. I like the main character - Librarian Ann Beckett. She uses her research and people skills as a librarian in her amateur sleuthing, and it works wonders for ferreting out the killer! I enjoy the side characters as well, especially Fitz the Library Cat.

This time, a blackmailer has been targeting residents of Whitby and gets squashed by a falling bookshelf. You would think that residents of Whitby would be too scared to use their local library since it seems to be a murder magnet. Every killing in this series has something to do with the library or the library staff. I would definitely be checking ebooks out online and not venturing to the actual library after the first couple of dead bodies. :)

I've been totally binge reading this series since I'm home on a staycation for a few days. Perfect timing to just read my way through the books! I enjoyed Hush-Hush - read through about half of it.....took a break to walk the dog at a local trail with my son and get GusGus a pupcup....then came back and finished reading! I had to know how things ended! I love it when I find a series that makes it hard for me to put the books down! :)

On to the next book -- Where There's a Will!

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A library, Fitz the cat, friends, a little romance and a cozy mystery

Hush, Hush is the 4th book in The Village Library Mysteries and it is my favorite so far, although I have really enjoyed them all! Ann Beckett is a librarian along with her boss Wilson and coworker Luna. The new librarian Ellie isn't very popular because she isn't very considerate. Ann finds her dead and the sleuthing begins. It turns out Ellie had some secrets. Ann's former high school boyfriend Connor moved back to town and is a Doctor at the local hospital. They run into Grayson, a newspaper reporter, a few times and he doesn't seem pleased. This adds to the story and is nicely resolved (no love triangle). When another local ends up dead, everyone is worried. Ann is friends with Burton, the Police Detective. There are only a few suspects but there is enough going on I wasn't sure until the end. This was very enjoyable and just what I love in a cozy mystery. #Hush-Hush #TheVillageLibraryMysteries. #ElizabethSpannCraig

[Caroline Baisley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disapointing (possible spoiler alert)

The author writes well & I really enjoy that there were no technical errors (typos or content) in this volume. But we've got a problem with the series having a theme: female perps. If the story was about how society oppresses women & this results in murderous rage, a string of women murdering in response to that oppression would make literary sense, but these are simply amoral women. I gave the book 3 stars because I love the main character & the recurring characters - especially Fitz the Cat. By the way, Librarians with a master's degree shouldn't have to shop in a consignment store & pinch pennies over food! Again, a theme of how society undervalues women that could be exploited to make the books more interesting. (There are more women librarians than men).

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are good stories with characters that i like. Although this one did need a little more revision. The timeline was not correct in several places (ex. The scene where she gets the pepper spray from Burton…she says she will give it to Luna the next day but it states several days go by and she has a date that does not go well. The next day she talks with Luna and gives her the pepper spray and says she got it from Burton the day before. Another ex. Burton comes to see her at the library and she tells him to go see Luna in the children’s section. He doesn’t. As they continue to talk, Luna calls and is stranded with a broken down car. Burton to the rescue but it clearly said she was in the children’s section a few paragraphs before.) Each time the timeline was not correct, i went back several chapters to reread and check which took me out of the enjoyment of the story.

[Mikaela Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of the series and by this author that I have read, so I can't really compare it to anything. For a mystery book there is very little actual investigation done by the main character, in fact she tries very hard to remind people that the police are there and will handle the crime. I went into this expecting Nancy Drew vibes and it's definitely not that. HOWEVER, if you take the book as it is (a Librarian who works, tries to have a personal life and spend time with her cat, who occasionally gets questioned about a crime) then it is excellent. Would I say this book is good? Yes, don't ask me about the writing and all that nonsense. This book is a good time, I enjoyed every second I was reading it. It's also short and sweet so it's a great read to squeeze in when you have been binging and need a break. I am going to go find the rest of the series now! ✨💃

[Julie Trapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, librarian Ann Beckett is delighted her director hired another full-time staff member. The Whitby Library is a busy place and another librarian should make life much easier there. Instead, she soon discovers that the new hire, Ellie, seems to be bent on creating issues instead of solving them. When she’s found dead at the library, no one is as shocked as they might have been. With time running out and a desperate killer on the loose, Ann starts uncovering all the secrets Ellie was trying to keep hush-hush. [amazon synopsis]

Fun series. Ann and Luna do their best to help solve this one. I can do without the cat, however.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this series but I'm going to have to take a break soon. The pattern is becoming too repetitive. In this one, Ann's boss hires an extra librarian which pleases Ann and Luna, but they soon discover that she is not the worker they wanted. She is lazy and has other agendas. In fact, she is a blackmailer so when she is murdered, the pair has to try to figure out who has a grudge strong enough to warrant murder; there are a few suspects. But the rest of the characters are growing and expanding. Luna's mother is getting out more. Linus is opening up. I still enjoy that part but one has to exercise a certain suspension of disbelief to accept that this little town can have so many murders.

[Linda-bythepond · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was OK. I have no intention of reading more by this author though. Repetitive - the cat is constantly being placed in a sunbeam on the floor, for example. Poor editing - two of the male interests meet for the first time and shake hands, only to AGAIN meet for the first time (what?) and shake hands not 50 pages later! How could the author or proofreaders or editors miss this? Lame storyline as well. I didn't care "who did it" by the end, just glad I was done the book.

[Maryann G. Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written

By this point you have fallen in love with WHITBY and its cast of characters. For being a small town there's lots of people getting murdered! Maybe a change types of mysteries would be in order. A clever story about jewelry getting stolen or digging up an old murder and solving it?? Still, I want my cat to be like Fitz...an ongoing process that I haven't figured out. Neither has my cat. Sigh.

[Mary Tufts · Rating 5 out of 5]

another wonderful Light, mystery

I love the fact that this mystery series genuinely moves. It has a plot, it has you guessing, it has great characters, and it has amusing scenarios. The descriptions of the beautiful landscape really draws you in. For a weekend getaway, it is extremely good series.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another heart warming book in this series. An old friend came back to live in the area, of course we have a murder or two. And I think Ann has a guardian angel named Linus with his dog Ivy because he seems to pop up when Ann needs to be rescued. It never fails. Can we say love is in the air or something like it as a few folks seem to change and get together as a couple! Love it!!

[Pamela Zelmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written

I was very pleased to see the really good grammar in this book. So many have poor grammar. I also like that the heroine does not go around breaking into peoples' homes. She simply asks questions and, in this case, was a little surprised at the answer.

[patricia sonoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The village library mysteries is a great series!

I've not been disappointed with any of Elizabeth Spanning Craig's books in this series. The storyline is excellent and keeps you guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading #5!!!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hush Hush

I liked the book very much. The story was very well written and I loved the characters. I disliked that Tara got arrested, because she was trying to get her life back on track. I highly recommend the book

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ann and the library have another murder to solve. The small town and familiar characters are consistent in the series and some character development has Ann buying non-work clothes and not spending every waking moment inside the library. This is a nice cozy mystery series.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy to. Enjoy

Hush Hush is the fourth in the village mysteries book. I've truly enjoyed the main characters and plot development. A great break in between more serious reading. Can't wait to start number five.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another small town mystery, a fast read as it was a short novel. Enjoyed it mostly though thought the ending came too fast like she was tired of the story. Oh, well will see how the next one is. Free ebook from the library.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Characters are well developed and interesting. Plot and storyline are excellent. I really enjoy the writer's style. There isn't a lot of colorful language, just great conversational pieces. Some good twists and turns. Highly recommend.

[Marit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Murders and romance, a library and a library cat all add up to an engaging story.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Hush-Hush

I absolutely loved it! Another excellent book! I love the characters! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Kim Sneden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in this series.

[Joyce Dillenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the easy conversational tone of Elizabeth Spann Craig's writing. It's always a good read, and the reveal of the villain at the end is always a bit of a surprise. Nicely done and satisfying.