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A review by charlottemeo
Mayhem in Circulation by Leah Dobrinska, Leah Dobrinska
3.0
netgalley review
mayhem in circulation is a sequel that follows the female protagonist greta plank, a local librarian, during larkspur's fall festival and regional tourism showcase. the reputation and economy of the town depends on how well the line-up of festivities and events go, as it is under scrutiny by a media presence. greta and the beloved town of larkspur are thrown then when the mayor turns up dead just before the festivities kick off. greta teams up with detective mchenry to figure out who could have possibly committed such a crime in their small, tight-knit town. but will they find out the culprit before it's too late, with the fate of the town hanging in the balance?
this was a sweet and simple small-town cozy murder mystery with autumnal vibes. considering i haven't read the first book in this series, i found the characters and plot very easy to follow, as dobrinska does enough at the beginning to make sure you are well acquainted with everything before we jump into the plot. i can imagine that if you had read the first book, the first 15% of it would've been quite tedious though due to all the recapping. the simple and straight-forward writing style coupled with the short chapters meant that this book flew by very quickly. even though the first 15-20% of the book drags, the pace definitely picks up by the middle, and dobrinska doesn't string out the end either, as is usually particular with books like these. one thing I will say about the writing style is that i don't think it fits with the marketing of the book; based off the age of the characters and the cover design, i assumed this book was targeted for women in their late 20s to early 30s. yet, to me, the writing style was reminiscent of what you'd find in a book targeted at older women.
the plot was a bit silly and the characters' dialogue was a bit clunky at points, but i don't think that really inhibits the book, as it's meant to be a fun, light read. at points, the small-town setting felt a bit mundane and this might have been because of the weak characterisation, but again, i don't think this was meant to be a read that you take too seriously.
overall, despite some weaknesses, this was an enjoyable read that surprised me when i saw how quickly i flew through it.
mayhem in circulation is a sequel that follows the female protagonist greta plank, a local librarian, during larkspur's fall festival and regional tourism showcase. the reputation and economy of the town depends on how well the line-up of festivities and events go, as it is under scrutiny by a media presence. greta and the beloved town of larkspur are thrown then when the mayor turns up dead just before the festivities kick off. greta teams up with detective mchenry to figure out who could have possibly committed such a crime in their small, tight-knit town. but will they find out the culprit before it's too late, with the fate of the town hanging in the balance?
this was a sweet and simple small-town cozy murder mystery with autumnal vibes. considering i haven't read the first book in this series, i found the characters and plot very easy to follow, as dobrinska does enough at the beginning to make sure you are well acquainted with everything before we jump into the plot. i can imagine that if you had read the first book, the first 15% of it would've been quite tedious though due to all the recapping. the simple and straight-forward writing style coupled with the short chapters meant that this book flew by very quickly. even though the first 15-20% of the book drags, the pace definitely picks up by the middle, and dobrinska doesn't string out the end either, as is usually particular with books like these. one thing I will say about the writing style is that i don't think it fits with the marketing of the book; based off the age of the characters and the cover design, i assumed this book was targeted for women in their late 20s to early 30s. yet, to me, the writing style was reminiscent of what you'd find in a book targeted at older women.
the plot was a bit silly and the characters' dialogue was a bit clunky at points, but i don't think that really inhibits the book, as it's meant to be a fun, light read. at points, the small-town setting felt a bit mundane and this might have been because of the weak characterisation, but again, i don't think this was meant to be a read that you take too seriously.
overall, despite some weaknesses, this was an enjoyable read that surprised me when i saw how quickly i flew through it.