The Library Lover’s Mysteries are cozy mystery novels by New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay. Briar Creek Library director Lindsey Norris solves murders in a small town on the Connecticut shore. The series has 16 books so far. Below you will find the complete book list, the reading order, the latest book and where to start.
What Is the Library Lover’s Mystery Series About?
Lindsey Norris used to be an archivist at Yale. After a breakup and a budget cut, she takes the job of director of the Briar Creek Public Library. The sleepy town of Briar Creek is small, and the library is the heart of it.
The setting is the coastal Connecticut town of Briar Creek. Just off the shore lie the Thumb Islands, a cluster of tiny private islands. Water taxis, boat trips and sea air run through every book. That makes the series feel different from the usual village cozy.
The cast is half the fun. Beth is Lindsey’s best friend, a bubbly children’s librarian who dreams of selling her own children’s book. Ms. Cole is the stern senior staff member who guards the rules. Boat captain Mike Sullivan, called Sully, is the love interest. Lindsey’s brother Jack drops in now and then. Every week the crafternoon club meets at the library to knit, eat and talk about a novel. Sooner or later, they also talk about suspects.
Who Is the Author of the Library Lover’s Mysteries?
Jenn McKinlay created this series in 2011. She is also the author of the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries and the Hat Shop Mysteries. Before she became a novelist, she worked in libraries in Connecticut. That is why the reference desk, the board meetings and the overdue fines feel so real. She now lives in Arizona with her family.
Library Lover’s Mysteries Books in Order: The Complete Book List
Here is the full book series in publication order. This is also the correct reading order.
- Books Can Be Deceiving (2011) – A New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Beth’s boyfriend, a famous author, is found murdered, and Beth is the prime suspect.
- Due or Die (2012) – Carrie Rushton, president of the Friends of the Library, is accused of killing her husband. Lindsey must find the truth before the killer closes the book on Carrie.
- Book, Line, and Sinker (2012) – Lindsey is enjoying her second year in Briar Creek as library director. Then a salvage company digs for pirate treasure, and the tourism director is found dead at the site. Lindsey’s neighbor Charlie becomes the chief suspect.
- Read It and Weep (2013) – The community theater stages A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and one of the cast is poisoned.
- On Borrowed Time (2014) – While preparing the library for the holidays, Lindsey learns that her brother Jack has gone missing.
- A Likely Story (2015) – On a book delivery to Star Island, Lindsey and Sully find one of two hermit brothers shot.
- Better Late Than Never (2016) – On overdue book amnesty day, a copy of The Catcher in the Rye comes back twenty years late. It leads to a cold case.
- Death in the Stacks (2017) – The new library board president is killed at the Briar Creek Library’s annual Dinner in the Stacks fundraiser.
- Hitting the Books (2018) – A stack of library materials is found at a hit-and-run. The police want the person who borrowed the books, so Lindsey and her friends have to hit the books.
- Word to the Wise (2019) – A newcomer who harassed Lindsey is found dead. His body lies outside the library and all the clues point to Sully. Lindsey is determined to clear his name.
- One for the Books (2020) – The wedding is near, and a body is found on Bell Island. Lindsey has to book it to solve the case before her big day.
- Killer Research (2021) – Ms. Cole runs for mayor and finds a murder victim in her trunk.
- The Plot and the Pendulum (2022) – The library staff arrive to collect the Dorchester family’s vast book collection. A secret room reveals a skeleton. It turns out Briar Creek has an unsolved missing-person case from 1989.
- Fatal First Edition (2024) – A rare Patricia Highsmith first edition leads to murder on a train.
- A Merry Little Murder Plot (2024) – Writer in residence Helen Monroe is suspected when her mega-fan, Jackie Lewis, is found dead. Lindsey and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent.
- Booking for Trouble (2026) – Lindsey takes her new book-boat to the feuding Split Islands and finds a body.
There is also a short e-novella, An Unlikely Meeting (2015). It is optional, and you will not miss any clues if you skip it.
How Many Books Are in the Library Lover’s Mystery Series?
There are 16 novels in the series, plus one novella. The first came out in 2011 and the latest in February 2026. No book 17 has been announced yet. With fifteen years in print, the series is one of the longest-running sets of library mystery novels.
Jenn McKinlay’s Latest Book: Booking for Trouble
The newest Library Lover’s Mystery is Booking for Trouble, published by Berkley on February 24, 2026. Off the coast of Briar Creek are two small islands, the Split Islands. The two families who own them have been feuding for years. Briar Creek’s beloved library director launches a book-boat to bring them books anyway. Then Lindsey and her husband, Sully, find a body on the rocks, and the old feud flares up again.
The book before it, A Merry Little Murder Plot, is a Christmas mystery. Famous author Helen Monroe arrives as writer in residence and refuses to join the holiday fun. When her self-proclaimed number one fan is killed in the town park, Helen becomes the main suspect.
Where to Start: Books Can Be Deceiving and Due or Die
Start with book one. Book one is the start of a series about a library where the mysteries refuse to stay in the fiction section. Each mystery is solved by the last chapter, but Lindsey’s life moves forward from book to book. Her friendship with Beth, her romance with Sully and the crafternoon club all begin in the first novel. Our Books Can Be Deceiving review tells you what to expect. Book two is the natural next step, and it also brings in Heathcliff, the puppy.
Library Lover's Mystery Books Reviewed on This Site
New Cozy Mystery Books Coming Out in 2026
If you have finished the series, 2026 still has plenty to read:
- Booking for Trouble (February 2026), Library Lover’s book 16.
- The Diva Hosts a Murderer by Krista Davis (May 2026), the latest of the Domestic Diva Mysteries.
- Witches of Questionable Intent (November 10, 2026), McKinlay’s new fantasy novel about a witch who works in a library.
Mystery Series Like the Library Lover’s Mysteries
If you love bookish mysteries, try these next:
- Cupcake Bakery Mysteries – McKinlay’s other big series, about two bakers in Scottsdale. See our Sprinkle with Murder review.
- Bibliophile Mysteries – Kate Carlisle’s book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright. She even makes a cameo in Fatal First Edition.
- Lighthouse Library Mysteries – Eva Gates’s library inside a lighthouse on the Outer Banks.
- Domestic Diva Mysteries – Krista Davis’s culinary series set in Old Town Alexandria.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Library Lover’s Mysteries
Who wrote the Library Lover’s books?
Jenn McKinlay, a New York Times bestselling author who used to work in libraries. It is her longest-running series, level with the bakery books.
Do you need to read the Library Lover’s Mysteries in order?
No, each book works as a standalone mystery, and Lindsey always manages to solve the mystery by the end. Reading in order is still better, because Lindsey and Sully’s story grows from book to book.
Where is the Library Lover’s Mystery series set?
In Briar Creek, a fictional town on the Connecticut shore, and on the small islands just off its coast. A few books travel further, such as the train trip from Chicago in Fatal First Edition.
What is Jenn McKinlay’s latest Library Lover’s Mystery?
Booking for Trouble, book 16, published in February 2026.
Are the Library Lover’s Mysteries clean cozy mysteries?
Yes. The murders happen off the page, there is no graphic violence and no explicit content.