The story begins very well. It starts with a very beautiful description of Larkspur. The imagery is so beautiful that you can feel being transported to the beach and the quiet Avenue. It's really a picture painted with words.

Now imagine having a murder happen in such a quiet small town where everybody knows everyone and people know the routine of everybody else like you know your neighbours' whole schedule it is that small town.

But this is precisely what the protagonist Greta Plank sees. Now Greta Plank is a librarian, and in the beginning, there is a hint of her having a mysterious past that caused her to shift her location and come to a small town. This mystery will unfold as the novel progresses.

Coming back to the story, it is, as the name suggests, a murder mystery. It has all the essential elements of making it actually a gripping story and you are not given any idea as to who the murderer can be because everything around the whole scene of the murder is very suspicious it can be an accident it can be a murder. Hence, it is a very realistic setting.

So in a way, you are actually working alongside the protagonist and the detective in the story to uncover the clues and track down the cause of the death, and highlight with it is a murder or an accident. It is actually a very gripping story and it can be read in one sitting. But the issue lies in the way the story is written at times there is way too much explaining done and at times things are oversimplified. While it can be chalked down to be written in a narrative way and readers are not led in to start their own investigation, for fans of Christie and Hitchcock, this can be a bummer. That said, I am a fan of Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, and I do like to have a story where clues are sprinkled all over for the reader to latch upon and have an idea that okay this is a murder, and these may be the suspects but this kind of writing where you are clueless till the end is also a great way to you know been touch with the reader in you.

All in all, I think I would give this book a four out of five because it does have all the elements which would make it good actually a very good murder mystery.

Dobrinska’s debut in the Larkspur Library Mysteries series is a nice entry in the literary cozy mystery sphere. Greta, the other librarians and residents of Larkspur are incredibly likeable and Biff the cat is adorable. Dobrinska manages just the right balance of clues, red herrings and suspects that keeps the mystery flowing and will have you guessing to the end. Oh and if you’re looking for a book set in Wisconsin this book with its lakeside setting will fit the bill. I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I hate to say it, but this is a case of "it's not you, it's me." <i>Death Checked Out</i> is the coziest of cozy mysteries, set in an idyllic small town where nothing bad ever happens until, well, something bad happens. This book is so clean you could suggest it to your grandma without her thinking you've become a Godless miscreant. There's no swearing, no spice, and very minimal violence. This may work for some people, but for me it was a tad too cutesy. The writing was okay, but I was never particularly captured by any of the characters and had a hard time feeling invested in the mystery as a result. I can see something like this appealing to a certain readership, of which I am, sadly, not a member.

It was a good read, well written. However I didn't like the mystery aspect because I figured it out halfway through the book.

Thank you to Leah Dobrinska and NetGalley for my e-ARC in exchange for my review.

This books premise sounded so interesting. I loved the cosy mystery aspect of this book from the setting in a small town library to the interesting diverse characters.
There were some issues that I took from the writing style, like the over descriptiveness of everything in the book. I also thought the first few chapters of the book were a bit boring and hard to get into, but once past those the books gets better.

I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this was not for me.
A librarian who is solving a mystery, sounds great. The execution had a lot to be desired.
I did not finish it as the writing style was overly flowery but was telling instead of showing in every scene. It was slow and the build up led to nothing. It felt Victorian but trying to be Agatha Christie with a modern twist. It did not work.
This book could be great for other people, unfortunately not me.

I am struggling to write a review for this one but one thing is clear, I badly wanted to like to this book and it did not live up to any sensible expectations for me.

A single librarian who chose to look at the brighter side of things and sleuthing at the same time is a concept that held so much promise. What I got is a one dimensional and unrealistic characterization of the main lead, a cop out Nancy Drew story, over explanation of every tiny actions and thoughts, lame attempt to enemies to lovers theme and overall nonsensical plot line.

If only there were word building and realistic portrayal of events as well as characters, this could have made it more tolerable.

I usually don't review books this way as I understand not all books would be my go-to, however, the lack of transitions and attempts to just fill in the gaps in order to produce a book is just too much for me. I could've DFN'd this one to save me a some headache but I promised myself, I will only DNF 1 book per year.

Death Checked Out is a cosy mystery set in Larkspur, a small lakeside town. Greta, the director of a local library, got caught up in a murder investigation. She tries to clear her name with her best friend.

Greta is a likeable and optimistic character who always has a positive view of everything. She trusts people easily. I liked it when she tried to solve the murder mystery by herself and with the help of friends. The only thing I didn’t like was that she told almost everyone about her investigation.

Greta’s friendship with Josie was my favourite thing in the book. Josie, without thinking twice, jumped into the investigation. There seems to be chemistry between Greta and Detective McHenry.

The pacing of the book was good. In the beginning, the book was slow but picked up speed after the characters in the book started investigating. The twist was unexpected. It was easy to read. The small-town setting was nice.

Highly recommended to murder mystery readers.

This is book 1 of the Larkspur library mystery series by Leah Dobrinska, it’s a cozy murder mystery based off a lakeside.the main character Greta a librarian who is relatively new to town. Moves to get a fresh start, she got the job, the perfect cabin on the lake, made amazing friends and even gets along with her grumpy neighbours. Things looked great for her and moving to this perfect town seemed like the right move because nothing could possibly go wrong. then she gets thrown into the middle of a murder investigation in her town of larkspur.

I really enjoyed this read, it was steady and all the characters where multi dimensional. Also the plot of the story settling was written well and greta’s emotions are expressed in such a way that I couldn’t help but feel it too.

I really enjoyed dramatics of the ending , how the clues fell into place and threads of the story came together.

I am unsure how I feel about the romance between greta and the detective, may be it will be more explored in the next book.

I was provided with an advance copy thanks to NetGalley, Level Best Books, and the author Leah Dobrinska for a complimentary ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest.

I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I loved this book! I had such a hard time putting it down. I loved the characters and found the plot really fun. It's a perfect read for the fall/winter time of year when you want a cozy, small town mystery to read. Greta was an interesting character and I loved her friendship between her, Iris, and Josie. My biggest disappointment was the hint of romance between Greta and the detective but it never went farther than that and wasn't really brought up again. Maybe it will in the next book!

Death Checked Out by Leah Dobrinska is about a librarian named Greta who moved to a small town to escape her old life. Greta quickly makes great friends and falls in love with the safety and charm the town has to offer. However, terrible events occur that cause her to rethink everything. This books is a fun and quick read for anyone who likes a good mystery. All of the characters are likeable and are well-developed. As a librarian myself, I enjoyed all of the literary references throughout the book. Like most books of this type, it was a little predictable, but I still enjoyed the story.

This is the first cozy mystery book I have read, and I loved it. If Hallmark made murder mysteries, I think it would be a lot like this, making it the perfect genera for mystery lovers who also want some snuggly reads during the holiday season.

Greta, a librarian, moves to a picture perfect small town and starts a new life after a bad breakup. As she is going about living her best, simple, life, she discovers a murder! The dynamic between Greta and the surly detective from Chicago is adorable and I absolutely need there to be a next book so I can find out what happens between them.

The writing was enjoyable, easy to read, and I adored the literary puns and references. If you love uncomplicated complications, and a little bit of mystery to pair with a cup of tea and fuzzy socks, this is the gem you need.

I absolutely adored this book so much. It isn't every day you meet a rare book collector and become besties. When Franklin suddenly dies, they debate whether it's a murder or an accident- but when rare books are in the mix the answer is pretty obvious. A murder story like no other, but weirdly heart warming. A great easy read.

This was super fun murder mystery that reminded me how much I used to love reading this genre. This was set in an adorable small town where everyone knows everyone including each others business - which gave this story a great element. Not only was the story line fun but the characters were very enjoyable to read.

You have Greta Plank the new director of the local library who finds herself in the middle of some VERY unfortunate events [thats putting it lightly]. She is relatively new to town after moving to get a fresh start, she got the job, the perfect cabin on the lake, made amazing friends and even made her way into her grumpy neighbors heart. Things looked great for her and moving to this perfect town seemed like the right move because nothing could possibly go wrong there....Everything was going great for her until she found herself in the middle of a murder. She stumbled upon a body and being the one who discovered it and called the police she was now the new detective's main suspect.

In order to clear her name she set out to do some investigating of her own, with the help of her two best friends. The once safe town was now beginning to look very different and she was faced with plot twist after plot twist that made the murder element of this book extremely entertaining. I loved how Greta overcame allll the obstacles she faced and kept going.

Leah's writing was extremally easy to read and had a great flow to it that hooked you and made you want to keep reading to find out more clues / solve the mystery alongside Greta and detective McHenry. It had the perfect amount of suspense and just when you thought you solved it something happened that changed your theories. The overall story was wrapped up perfectly and I really enjoyed the dramatics of finding out who did it and why! Definitely recommend if you like cozy mysteries.

Thank you to Independent Book Publishers Association and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.0/5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and author Leah Dobrinska for gifting my an e-copy of this arc.


Librarian Greta Plank escaped to the idyllic small town of Larkspur after a messy breakup - this was meant to be her shot at a perfect start over, until she gets accused of murder.

To say I adored this cute, cosy murder mystery is a pretty big understatement. This is the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with a hot chocolate and a blanket.

I found Greta such a likeable main character and was really rooting for her throughout the book. I had a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery alongside Greta and honestly had no clue who the real culprit was right up until the end.

Although I love slow burn romances I was expecting a little bit more from Greta and the detective in charge of the case but I have high hopes that this is going to develop further in the Larkspur sequel - a book I will definitely be keeping an eye out for and picking up a copy once published in the future!

I received a free copy of this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. Death Checked Out is a great, modern cozy mystery. I really enjoyed all the characters and the older millennial throwbacks. The pacing was a pretty good, and I can tell the author is anticipating a series. I really enjoyed the back and forth between Greta and the detective. Will definitely read on when book two is out.

This was quite the read. You can’t get better than a lazy town, a library….and a murder. I loved Josie and Iris the best. They seemed to have the most depth to their characters. I wish there had been a bit more details about Greta and the detective. It seemed like we barely scratched the surface. However, the book was still fun and interesting. I had an inkling about whodunnit, but I wasn’t totally right. It’s always nice to be surprised!

Posted to Goodreads on November 13, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley and Leah Dobrinska for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Larkspur, Wisconsin is the coziest town! I started this book just as the weather in my town was turning chilly and it was the perfect time to pick up this book. This lakeside town in Fall is the quintessential small town, full of cozy vibes and endearing characters. I definitely wanted to live in this town and check out books from the librarian main character, Greta Plank.

The trio of librarian friends were compelling sleuths, reminiscent of Nancy, Bess, and George from the Nancy Drew mysteries. Each of their personalities shone through and I look forward to learning more about them in future books.

The potential love interest with the detective was your typical grumpy/sunshine and enemies-to-lovers trope. The first book ends with only hints of a growing friendship but I could see it developing to more in a future book.

I was quite sad that we won't be seeing more of the book's victim. He was a very nice neighbour who I could have seen being an excellent addition to future books. Kudos to the author for providing us enough details about the victim to make us care about them!

My one complaint was that the main character is not described well enough for me to know either her age or any of her physical characteristics. It is possibly that I missed some of those details, but I felt that I couldn't get a handle on her age other than that she was somewhere between 20-40.

Highly recommend this book for lovers of lakeside getaways, Nancy Drew, libraries, and small towns.

This was my first time reading a cozy mystery novel and I have to say that I'm interested to delve to this genre more. I've loved the little community of a small town and especially the main ladies of this story - Greta and Josie. Greta's optimism and curiosity are the main reasons why this book appealed to me and kept me going despite the fact that I had my suspicions about the killer right from the start (I don't think it was that predictable, it just so happens that I've read quite a few of mystery books and can more easily distinguish the clues). I think this is a perfect read for the weekend, when you want rest from your routine and meet the Larkspur citizens. Sure, at first it's a little bit slow and it takes some time to get into it, but as the events unravel, you suddenly get caught up in the investigation and the lives of the small town. As a self-proclaimed bookworm, I also really enjoyed the fact, that the main discussions took place in the library and that the main trio worked in the library of all places. I think Greta with her sunshine personality and Josie with a bit more subdued point of view made a great amateur detective team and balanced each other out. I think I'm now interested enough that I might pick up the next book in the series when it comes out!

Death Checked Out

3.5 ⭐️

Cozy Mystery in the Midwest? Sign me up!

Greta is a librarian in a small town in Wisconsin who becomes a suspect in murder investigation. She and her friends and family work to solve the case and clear her name.

I liked the fast pace as well as the cozy small town. The writing was a little too overt at times, which made me knock it down a half a point. Overall a good cozy mystery when you need something light!

Thanks to @netgalley for this eARC!