Better Late Than Never

Jenn McKinlay

Nov 2016 · A Library Lover's Mystery Book 7 · Sold by Penguin

About this eBook

In the latest Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Likely Story, a decades overdue book puts library director Lindsey Norris hot on the trail of a cold case...
 
When the Briar Creek Public Library holds its first overdue book amnesty day—no fines for late returns—the volume of incoming materials is more than Lindsey and her staff can handle. In a bind, Lindsey drafts the crafternoon ladies to help check in and sort the stacks of books.
 
But one tardy tome catches her attention—a copy of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, twenty years past due. When Lindsey looks up the borrower, she’s shocked to discover it was a murdered teacher named Candice Whitley, whose killer was never found.
 
Candice checked out the novel on the day she was murdered. Now Lindsey wonders if it could provide a clue to the decades-old cold case. No one noticed who brought the book back in, but could it be Candice’s killer? Lindsey is determined to catch the culprit one way or another, because justice for Candice Whitley is long overdue...

INCLUDES READING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

Ratings and reviews

Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay is the seventh book in A Library Lover’s Mystery series. It is First Annual Amnesty Day at the Briar Creek Public Library. They library clerks are being overwhelmed with returned books. The day is an overwhelming success. Lindsey Norris instigated a contest with a prize for the clerk who finds the grungiest book and the oldest due book. One clerk shows Lindsey J.D. Salinger’s Cather in the Rye that was due October 23, 1996. Lindsey takes the book to Miss Eugenia Cole. Miss Cole has records on all overdue books (even those that are 20 years old). Miss Cole looks shocked when she finds out who checked out the book. The book was checked out on October 2, 1996 by Candice Whitley. Candice was murdered on this day, and her killer has never been found. Lindsey’s curiosity will not let her rest. She sets out to get answers to this twenty-year-old mystery. Lindsey has started seeing Captain Mike “Sully” Sullivan, but they are keeping it quiet (or so they think). The two of them are going slow, but Sully has competition. Robbie Vine, British actor and new citizen to Briar Creek, has taken a fancy to Lindsey. Robbie believes the two of them will be the perfect couple (and is very vocal about it). How will Sully handle the competition? Join Lindsey and friends in Briar Creek for another fun installment in Better Late Than Never. Better Late Than Never was a charming novel. It is nice revisiting the characters to see how they are faring. Robbie Vine is a nice addition to the series and he is very entertaining. The focus of the novel was on the romance between Sully and Lindsey. In addition, to space devoted to Lindsey thinking and contemplating. I give Better Late Than Never 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). The novel is well-written and easy to read. The story moves along nicely. The mystery, though, was uncomplicated and could be figured out easily. While Better Late Than Never is the seventh book in the series, it can be a stand-alone novel. The information you need to enjoy and understand the story is provided by the author. There were two references in the novel that I particularly enjoyed. One was the mention of Harry Potter. The second was the mention of a cozy mystery series that Lindsey enjoyed reading. It involves two Arizona women who enjoy baking cupcakes. I thought it was a nice plug for Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. I look forward to reading the next installment in A Library Lover’s Mystery series.

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay also writes the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries and the Hat Shop Mysteries.