A Killer Hold by Leah Dobrinska, released on December 3, 2024, features a small town librarian and her handsome police detective boyfriend as she works to solve a murder and find a buried treasure!
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I waited an entire year for this book to release and I was not disappointed! The mystery was fantastic- reminiscent of the Nancy Drew books we all used to love; and the romance was sweet & swoony!
I’m loving this series and I cannot wait for the next installment!
Since I’ve gotten this question a couple of times on Instagram I will tell you that this series of three books (Death Checked Out is book 1; Mayhem in Circulation is book 2; A Killer Hold is book 3) are all stand alone cozy mysteries, the romance spans all three books. I recommend you read the books in order to get the most of the romantic sub plot (and trust me, you want to get the most out of it!!).
Click here to shop “A Killer Hold” on Amazon.
Where to Find A Killer Hold
My favorite place to find books is always Amazon! This book if not in Kindle Unlimited, but it does currently have an eBook and paperback option. And since the first two books in this series both have audiobooks, I’m going to guess an audio version of A Killer Hold will be forth coming.
I also found it for sale at Barnes & Noble’s website and on Kobo.
And don’t forget – you can always request this book at your library!
More About A Killer Hold
Here’s the official blurb for A Killer Hold by Leah Dobrinska from Amazon:
A librarian’s rule for sleuthing: Better to be bookish than brash!
Spring has sprung, and with it, a full line-up of programming at Larkspur Community Library. Director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual conference-and dreading the arrival of her ex-boyfriend-while also helping a local treasure-hunting club coordinate a showcase highlighting Northern Wisconsin’s gangster trail and the nearby hideouts of the notorious criminals of the early twentieth century.
When Greta overhears the library board president and a larger-than-life member of the treasure-hunting club arguing about a secret discovery, her curiosity is piqued-even more so when one of the women leaves a book with a sequence of strange markings on its pages in the library book return bin. Before Greta can ask about the marginalia, the book’s outspoken owner turns up dead.
At the request of the police-though against the better judgment of her new beau, Detective Mark McHenry-Greta sets to work trying to decipher the peculiar notations, and she quickly hypothesizes that there’s more to the story. Was something sketchy going on at the deceased’s jewelry shop? Did her death have anything to do with the gangster trail event she was helping to plan and the personal research she was bragging about? Greta must work against the clock to decode the dead woman’s book code. What she finds is someone willing to go to great lengths to keep a secret buried in the stacks-and the past-even if it means killing again.
And here is the official review I left for the book:
Oh my gosh, this book so fun! A top tier mystery for sure!
I’ve been following this series since the first book came out and I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on the third installment – ‘A Killer Hold’ and I was not disappointed.
Dobrinska weaves the kind of mystery that makes you feel like you’re reading a grown up Nancy Drew, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you intrigued and gasping out loud with each reveal. I particularly enjoyed the buried treasure aspect of the mystery, it added some whimsy to the story that was fresh and unique. The fact that the buried treasure aspect of the story was based on real events made it even more engaging and exciting.
‘A Killer Hold’ had the biggest romantic subplot yet in this series and I was absolutely here for it. Every scene with Greta & McHenry had me squealing and kicking my feet! He’s a fantastic counterpart to her, supportive & protective without being stifling or controlling. I can’t wait to see where their story goes.
This was a five star read for me and blew my expectations completely out of the water! If you love cozies rooted in real life events and a little bit of romance, this is the story for you!
❤️ Librarian Sleuth
❤️ Detective love interest
❤️ mystery rooted in real history
❤️ search for buried treasure
❤️ Nancy Drew vibes
❤️ strong female friendships
❤️ solving a murder
❤️ stand alone mystery
❤️ clean (no foul language & no spice)
❤️ cozy small town setting
‘A Killer Hold’ is a must read this year! Thank you to Net Galley, Level Best Books, and Leah Dobrinska for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.
Will you be adding this wonderful cozy mystery to your TBR?
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