Review: Proof of Death by A.C.F. Bookens

Proof of Death (St. Marin’s Cozy Mystery #7)
by A.C.F. Bookens

My Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Age Category: Adult
Type of romance: m/f

Blurb:
The murders in St. Marin’s Library’s mystery section just got very real.

When the local librarian is found dead among the stacks, the rumors about her reputation reach a fever pitch, but Harvey Beckett can’t let a fellow book-lover’s name be sullied. But when she drags her friends and her dogs into the investigation, she finds that it’s more than just rumors she has to contend with.

Will Harvey’s curiosity be the end of her this time?

My Review

I wanted a comforting and familiar feeling cozy read and decided it was the perfect time to continue this series. I picked it up and was immediately hooked. It was so nice to be back reading about Harvey, her friends and family and the bookstore she runs. I just love this series, it’s so cozy and fun and was exactly what I was in the mood for. I hope to get caught up with this series this year or at least make some good progress.

Harvey stumbles upon a dead body in the library in this book. The mystery felt like a pretty straightforward one at first, but there was still plenty going on and then toward the end there was a great twist. I liked seeing it all play out and hear what was going on and caused the librarian’s death. It was quite sad when the truth comes to light.

I really like reading about Harvey, her friends, family and pets. The town and her bookstore are so cozy and I really enjoy reading about it. And this one was set in spring which I loved as I want to read spring while we’re dealing with winter here. Harvey is such a likable and realistic character. I liked all the cozy and fun scenes she spends with her friends and family and how everyone is there for each other. There’s a big fundraiser and book signing in this one as well. It did feel a bit odd how a real author visits the store and stays with Harvey for a signing. I do like the book mentions, but actually having a real author be part of the story felt a bit off to me.

I was pleasantly surprised by the direction the romance took or more accurately which direction it didn’t take as I wasn’t sure what to think about the new potential love interest as I didn’t like that character so far. I am glad she didn’t end up with him and toward the end of this book there might be a hint of a new possible romance. We’ll see. The romance was on the back-burner in this one, which worked well as she just came out of a relationship.

To summarize: I really enjoyed this one. I wanted a cozy and comforting familiar read and this was the perfect pick for my mood. I really enjoyed returning to St. Marin’s and reading about Harvey, her friends and family and her bookstore. There are so many cozy and fun scenes in this one. Harvey is a likable and realistic character and I really enjoy reading about her. The mystery was a solid one, it felt quite straightforward at first, but there was a great twist at the end and I liked seeing it all play out. It was sad at times. I also liked the direction the romance took with Harvey not ending up with a certain character and the romance taking a backseat in this one with a hint of a possible new romance toward the end. All in all I had a great time reading this one and look forward to the next book.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon

You can also read my review on Goodreads and Bookbub.