Reviewed by phyllish on
Tipton, Oregon is once again faced with a mystery. This time, things are bigger and more dangerous than Nancy, the librarian sleuth, is prepared for. It was clear that Tara had a secret which had her skittish and ready to run. Little did she expect the people of this sleepy town would have her wanting so much to stay.
I liked Tara from the start and was very curious about what her past contained. I was quite surprised to learn what she was running from, though looking back, I laugh at some of the possibilities I considered. The clues were there, I just hadn't thought it through.
The events Tara was running from left her with a suspicious attitude towards most people. And she questioned God's care for her because of the bad things that had happened. I found it sweet how Adam was able to encourage her to trust him, and more importantly, to see that just because bad things happen doesn't mean that God doesn't care.
Adam had a sweet, protective nature, and even knew how to defend himself and others. Yet he wasn't the strong, always-has-the answers type. When questioned by Tara at one point about how they were going to get out of the situation, his answers were consistently "I don't know". I like that he had questions and had to trust the Lord instead of his own strength.
I loved how Adam wasn't afraid to call Tara out on her lack of faith. Their relationship was realistic even though they fell for each other quickly. Things weren't all just sweet moments, though, as they got on each other's nerves as well.
The fact that Adam had taken cooking classes so he was a good cook was a plus. Oh, and I'm jealous of his beautiful backyard. Just sayin!
Though the story isn't super long, I had to read it in spurts due to work and other activities. The mystery had me intrigued and I found myself pondering it throughout the day. It wasn't necessarily that I was wanting to drop everything to hurry and get to the end; I was enjoying mulling over possibilities.
The Librarian Sleuth Series is best read together. Things wrapped up pretty well for Nancy and Carter and I didn't feel that there were loose ends, so this might be the last story. Then again, some characters still need happy endings for themselves!
Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy The Sleuth's Conundrum.
Read my full review at Among the Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 4 November, 2019: Reviewed