Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Books Can Be Deceiving
    Unavailable
    Books Can Be Deceiving
    Unavailable
    Books Can Be Deceiving
    Audiobook7 hours

    Books Can Be Deceiving

    Written by Jenn McKinlay

    Narrated by Allyson Ryan

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey's friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children's book, but Beth's boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he's found murdered-and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast before they throw the book at the wrong person.


    From the Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 1, 2015
    ISBN9780147522207
    Unavailable
    Books Can Be Deceiving
    Author

    Jenn McKinlay

    Jenn McKinlay is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series, including the Good Buy Girls series and the Decoupage Mystery series, which she wrote under the pseudonyms Josie Belle and Lucy Lawrence. A former librarian, she studied English literature and library science at Southern Connecticut State University before moving to Arizona, where she lives in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars. For more information, visit her at www.jennmckinlay.com.

    More audiobooks from Jenn Mc Kinlay

    Related to Books Can Be Deceiving

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Reviews for Books Can Be Deceiving

    3.5/5

    260 ratings48 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This is a series that I have wanted to read for awhile. After all the comments about how good this series is, and having read and enjoyed many other books by Jenn McKinlay, I decided I needed to give it a try. I did enjoy this story, but not as much as I had anticipated.

      Lindsey Norris has been hires as the director of the Briar Creek Library in Briar Creek CT. Her best friend Beth works with her as the children's librarian. There are several other employees, but I must mentions Ms. Cole, who is called "The Lemon" behind her back. Lindsey is settling in well, making some long overdue changes to the library and getting the Library Board's vote of confidence. All seems well, until Beth and her boyfriend of five years, Rick break up. When Beth finds out that the children's book she has been writing has been plagarized, she is ready to go and give Rick a piece of her mind. When Lindsey, Beth and Captain Sulley show up on the private island, they find Rick in no condition to listen to anything Beth has to say. With the breakup and plagarism, Beth becomes the main suspect, in fact, the only suspect as far as the sheriff is concerned.

      This was a great cast of characters, including several townspeople, the library workers and the ladies who participate in "Crafternoon" that made the story interesting. The small town feel with the gossip mill that I love in cozies, was in full swing. Milton, the 80 something year old yoga expert was such a nice guy! He was the chair of the library board and when things got a bit sticky, I loved how he stood up for his staff. There is a rather nosy reporter who I would have liked to kick out of town, but again, it made the book interesting. There were not a lot of clues, so it is the questioning and nosiness that eventually reveal the culprit. I had a suspicion of who the killer was, and I was correct, but there was quite a twist at the end of the story that I was not expecting. A good cozy story that is a good introduction to this series and to Briar Creek. I am definitely going to read more in this series.

    • 3/5
      Lindsay, director of the library, helps her friend and co-worker Beth who is suspected of murdering her “douche” ex-boyfriend, Rick. A cozy mystery combining books and sleuthing. Fast read.
    • 4/5
      Lindsey Norris is starting to settle in to her new position as the director of the small public library in Briar Creek. It definitely helps that her best friend from grad school, Beth, also works at the same library. But when Beth's suddenly ex-boyfriend is found murdered, Lindsey is determined to prove that Beth had nothing to do with it.This library cozy mystery is everything I could possibly hope for. Charming and quirky characters and a mystery that while not difficult to figure out has enough twists to keep things interesting. As the ultimate bonus, as the author is a librarian, the details of daily life in a public library are accurate. Huzzah! Highly recommended for those who like cozy mysteries, particularly those with a bookish setting.
    • 4/5
      Quick read. Didn't anticipate the ending, though! Going to start the sequel right now!
    • 4/5
      Entertaining librarian mystery.
    • 4/5
      Gets four stars because of the atmosphere and setting. The mystery is kind of weak. The author doesn't present many suspects. Also, it's a little hard to believe the amateur detective, a librarian, couldn't dig up more about the murder victim, either with tools at her library, or tools that friends at other libraries might have access to. I work in an academic library, not a public library, but the depiction of a small-town public library rang pretty true to me.
    • 5/5
      great new series.
    • 4/5
      Very cute. Keeps your interest because you want the librarians to figure it out.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book! You could tell it was the first in the series because something were still being fleshed out. I really enjoyed that I had no idea who the killer was till the very end! That rarely happens to me.
    • 4/5
      I got annoyed at the heroines at times - they were not acting intelligently. And the writer seems to use the word "said" too many times. But I have read one of the books further along in the series and wanted to circle back and get the beginnings...
    • 4/5
      I think I actually like this better in audio form - since my attention was divided between the book and doing work, it was easier to overlook some (although not all) of the book's issues. Also, Allyson Ryan's narration was good. None of her character voices particularly irked me, and her voice for Beth allowed me to better picture Beth as someone other than the children's librarian at my mom's library (who has a similar personality, but who is quite a bit older). I chuckled a bit during the murderer's "why I did it" monologue - this is one of those instances where that sort of scene was very believable. Imagine keeping all of that bottled up for that long.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this first book in a series about Lindsay a small town Library Director and her best friend, Beth the children’s librarian in the Connecticut seaside town of Briar Creek. The sheriff is a sexist idiot so Lindsay has to solve the crime and clear her friend’s name. Lots of interesting characters and the town is so well described I feel like vacationing there next summer. Best thing is that the second book in the series is due in just a little over a month release date is March 6th per good reads.
    • 3/5
      I love the premise of having this book be centered around books and a library. I enjoyed the characters. I must say I don't think that she gave the characters enough physical description so I had to be creative in my brain. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because I don't think the mystery part of it was pulled off very well. It kind of seemed rushed as she was trying to throw in several other pieces. The concept of the mystery in the book was good. I just do not think it was strong enough to be a cozy mystery. I will try another of her books, as I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the references to books.
    • 4/5
      Loved this opening story of a new series by Jenn McKinlay. Discovered the author's writing through reading the title, “At the Drop of a Hat” which I was reading as a stand-alone title not being aware it was already the 3rd novel in A Hat Shop Mystery Series. It's a delight to continue reading Jenn McKinlay's novels and especially to meet the characters she has created in this series.

      If you enjoyed this novel, you might also like to discover the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series by Eva Gates or A Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series by Laurie Cass. A trio of wonderful authors with exquisite series that should not be missed by readers loving stories about libraries, librarians, and cats. Purrs. :)
    • 4/5
      Great start to a new series. Really enjoyed the characters, the place and the mystery was a good one that kept me guessing until the end. Really excellent book.
    • 3/5
      I was in the mood to read a quickish cozy mystery and this one fit the bill. As always the cover and setting really pulled me in and made me want to read it. A librarian turns out to be the sleuth and all goes along fairly predicitably in order to solve the murder. The town here is populated with familiar standards and a delightful "crafternoon" group that meet and chat over their group book, knit and if they're lucky, have a bowl of some of the best chowder in town. The murder victim was a real piece of work and I admit that I didn't find myself so sad to see him go but the why of his murder was intriguing. Lindsey, the librarian puts the pieces together well enough but there are a few things she doesn't do which made me question her researcher skills. I can only suppose that her doing them would have solved the murder too soon and would have deprived us of her perilous audience with the murder to have the confession. The back of the book has a two recipes referenced in the book (Sully's Hot Chocolate & Mary's Clam Chowder) both of which I want to make as they're described as being all kinds of delish in the story. Also there's a knitting pattern for the hat Leslie was working on for her father during the Crafternoons. All in all, this delivered as a cozy mystery, I'm glad that I picked this one up at the library and I'll read the next in the series.
    • 3/5
      A cute cozy mystery. Not a lot to it, but an enjoyable read for those who are looking for this type of story. I may read another, if only to see if anything blossoms in the romance department.
    • 4/5
      BOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING was an entertaining cozy mystery. Lindsay is new at the Briar Creek Public Library. She came there after losing her job in an academic library and shedding her cheating fiance. Her best friend Beth is the children's librarian. Beth is also an aspiring author who is dating a famous children's author. When Beth shows her portfolio to a visiting editor, she is surprised to be called a plagiarist because her boyfriend Rick is set to publish an extremely similar book. When Beth visits the now ex-boyfriend with Lindsay and a local ship's captain, she finds that he has been brutally murdered. The local police chief is convinced that Beth is the murder.Since Lindsay refuses to believe that Beth murdered her plagiarizing ex, she begins her own investigation and discovers interesting and disturbing things about Rick. I liked Lindsay's new group of friends at the library. The book had some laugh out loud moments when describing Lindsay's attempts to learn the various crafts that were done as a part of the crafting book club. I liked the references to other books and authors. I liked that Lindsay knew the favorite authors of many of her patrons. I liked that Lindsay was beginning to feel at home in Briar Creek. Fans of cozies and libraries will enjoy this entertaining story.
    • 4/5
      Cute little cozy mystery. It was a really quick read, with fun characters. Looking forward to the next book.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this series - set in New England which I always like and the main characters are librarians so there are references to books that was great. It is a good new cozy series.
    • 2/5
      I thought the plot was predictable in a lot of ways, but enjoyable with a nice plot twist. Overall I wasn't impressed enough with the book to continue reading the series, but it wasn't terrible.
    • 3/5
      Read from October 29 to November 02, 2015A nice little break from the heavy tome City on Fire (in both aspects -- with the latter I have to pull out my dictionary and actually think about it -- with this one I could escape into the world of Briar Creek Public Library). It took a bit before we got into the sleuthing part of the book, but the introduction was necessary because there are quite a few characters to meet. Extra bonus: recipes, a knitting pattern, and a book guide for the book the Crafternoon Club reads!
    • 2/5
      Jenn McKinlay's "Books Can Be Deceiving" revolves around Lindsey Norris, director of the public library in the tiny town of Briar Creek. Her best friend and children's librarian Beth has a nasty break-up with her boyfriend just before he's found dead, so it's up to Lindsey (with some help from her "crafternoon" group) to solve the case before Beth is put behind bars.

      Plot: While not anything too unique, the mystery itself is well-paced and interesting. It was pretty much exactly what you would expect from a cozy mystery. There were some intriguing details that turned out not to lead... anywhere, really, which was disappointing. It's not that they were red herrings, which you would expect, it's that they were brought up once and dropped almost immediately (Ruby island, anyone?).

      Writing: I have to say, I was not impressed with the writing style. The dialogue was unnatural, often sounding like a commercial. At one point, Beth and Lindsey go to their favorite diner and have the following exchange:

      "What are you going to have?" Beth asked as soon as they sat down.

      "Lobster roll," Lindsey said. ... "Mary's lobster roll always drips with butter, and she uses those split-top rolls that she toasts on the side. Okay, I think I'm drooling."

      Beth laughed. "Don't forget the coleslaw with those diced green olives in it. It's the best." (page 35)

      Besides the sometimes cringe-worthy dialogue, there are also instances where the text itself is awkward. Cliches appear on nearly every other page, and there was this beauty, which I'm shocked an editor didn't catch:

      "Milton and his wife had refurbished the old house, ripping out the nasty carpet someone had put over the original hardwood floors and having custom-made windows that resembled the originals but were energy-efficient installed." (page 204)

      Most of it is perfectly fine, but sentences like that one were jarring in an otherwise comfortable story.

      Characters: Truthfully, I found Lindsey to be rather dull (oh, her fiance burned her and so she swore off men, only to find Captain "Sully" Sullivan attractive? Yawn). The ones who stole the show for me were the crafternooning group, who were just the right blend of maternal, nosey, and absolutely fun. They were an absolute kick and I loved every moment with them. The rest weren't terrible, but mainly bland - they were given "quirks", such as the sheriff being bumbling and incompetent, or the eighty-year-old man who does yoga, but that doesn't take the place of characterization.

      Recipes: There are recipes included in the back which I'm eager to try!

      Overall, it's pretty typical of the cozy mystery genre, with an emphasis on romance and food and [insert hobby here], but if you're a fan of that, then this book will probably be enjoyable, if not necessarily a favorite.


    • 5/5
      In addition to this new series, McKinlay also writes the Fairy Tale cup cake series and writing as Lucy Lawerence the Decoupage Murder Mysteries.

      This is a great story, with very interesting characters and a beautiful setting on the coast of Connecticut.

      Lindsey Norris Has moved to Briar Creek, CT to become the director of the local library.

      She has started a group called Crafternoons. Lindsey and some of the residents spend an hour knitting and discussing there book of the week. We also meet Beth who handles the children's section, Ms. Cole, known also as "the Lemon" a tow the line librarian and the lovable 80 year old Milton.

      Beth has aspirations of writing childrens books and it is learned that an editor from New York will be in town. It has been arranged that Beth will meet with her and discuss her book. While Lindseey and Beth are having supper at The Blue Anchor Cafe. While there, Beth's boyfriend, Rick, comes in and is told about meeting with the editor. He flies into a rage, telling Beth her book is garbage. Of course there is the big split up and Beth makes the unfortunate statment that she would like to kill him. The next day Beth finds out the her boyfriend has stolen her book idea and the book is due out shortly. Beth, along with Lindsey go out to the island where Rick lives only to find him dead from a stab wound. The local police feel that Beth has to be the killer.

      So Lindsey starts to look into this gruesome matter and finds out that Rick is actually someone else. Lindsey and the Crafternoons set out to clear Beth name.

      This is a real fun read and highly recommend this new series.

    • 4/5
      Lindsey Norris, former archivist and now library director at Briar Creek Public Library in Connecticut, sets out to prove that her children's librarian and friend from library school days, Beth Stanley, is not the murderer the local police chief wants to believe she is. With a charming cast of local characters, a book discussion of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca in the book's opening chapters, a pleasant setting, and a state investigator who appears to have more intelligence than the local chief, this cozy has a lot going for it. It is one of my favorite discoveries of 2013, and I look forward to the next installment.
    • 4/5
      Good set up for A Library Lover's Mystery series. There is a cast of a thousand here but she does excellent world building for her series. We are introduced to the townspeople of Briar Creek, CT and learn the relationships. We get the past of some but it is not detailed. I liked these characters and am planning to read other books in the series (I've already got them.) I like Lindsey. I'll have to see where romance may lie for her. I also like her friends. This time Beth, a college friend and the children's librarian in Briar Creek, is the only suspect in the murder of awarding winning author Rick Eckman. Lindsey knows that Chief Daniels is not planning on looking beyond Beth so she knows she has to help. I did figure out who the murderer was but not the why. I liked how the mystery played out. Good start for the series.
    • 3/5
      So, I bought this book upon recommendation from a booktuber that I subscribe to on youtube. And I am glad I picked it up, even if I don't think the book was as amazing as she said.
      It's easier to put my thoughts into list form, so:
      1. I thought it was kind of slow. Granted, I finished it in two days, but it isn't very long and the pages are small, so it's not a difficult read. But it took about 150 pages to actually get into the mystery! I also felt like there wasn't as much sleuthing as I'd like. Lindsey mainly just makes a lot of phone calls and goes on two trips or so. I just wish there had been more action.
      2. I liked the actual mystery, I thought it was well developed, but it came together so fast at the end and I thought the reveal was a little forced. At the end, when the murderer is with Lindsey and Beth, I felt like there was no way the murderer would be giving up all this information on his/her own. I know that there has to be some reveal so we know exactly what happened, but the murderer was virtually unprompted! He/she just basically told them how they'd done it and why of their own accord, which seemed unrealistic to me.
      3. I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel, though I would like to find out what happens between Lindsey and Sully.....
      4. Sometimes the timeline didn't make sense with respect to the character's pasts. Like Lindsey and Beth had been in grad school together ten years earlier, but Beth was only 32 and had been working at Briar Creek for ten years. Wouldn't she have graduated with a BA at 22 then gone on to grad school and graduated at a minimum age of 24 making her only able to work there for 8 years before the story started? Minor detail, and I may have misunderstood some things, but it just confused me while reading.
      5. I did really like the characters, and the author painted a lovely picture of Briar Creek. All the inhabitants of the town are fleshed out well, and I really could envision the setting!
      6. That being said, I felt like there was too much detail. We are told every single thing Lindsey does down to the color of the memo pad she writes down someone's number. It definitely didn't work well for me in a mystery, because it made everything move slower. There was a lot of mundane details that could have been left out.

      I did enjoy the book, made for a nice, fun, light read!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Loved this opening story of a new series by Jenn McKinlay. Discovered the author's writing through reading the title, “At the Drop of a Hat” which I was reading as a stand-alone title not being aware it was already the 3rd novel in A Hat Shop Mystery Series. It's a delight to continue reading Jenn McKinlay's novels and especially to meet the characters she has created in this series.

      If you enjoyed this novel, you might also like to discover the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series by Eva Gates or A Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series by Laurie Cass. A trio of wonderful authors with exquisite series that should not be missed by readers loving stories about libraries, librarians, and cats. Purrs. :)
    • 4/5
      Lindsey Norris is just getting into her new job as library director at Briar Creek, Connecticut, when her best friend and fellow-librarian Beth Stanley is suspected of the murder of her long-time beau, Rick Eckman. Right before the murder, the couple had broken up, nastily and loudly in the local pub. Lindsey was never a fan of Rick Eckman, believing he was cruel to Beth, crushing her aspirations to be a writer of children’s book. Eckman himself was an award-winning writer/illustrator of children’s books. Soon, Lindsey and Beth discover that Rick had misrepresented himself in countless ways during the couple’s five-year romance. It seems that Beth didn’t really know Rick at all. If Lindsey and Beth can figure out who Rick REALLY was, they may be able to steer police to some likely suspects. Turns out, Rick had a long list of people he had offended in some way and our sleuths are eager to find them.This series by Jenn McKinlay is dubbed a “library lover’s mystery” and I fall into that category. The behind-the-scenes peeks readers get into the workings of a library are just plain fun. Yet, the author balances the scene-setting, with the mystery that is the reason for the book. The “romance” that is sprinkled throughout is not too much – something most cozy authors don’t seem to get right in my opinion.I plan to read all the books in this series, and will add them to my list of favorites. Also on that list are Jenn McKinlay’s cupcake-store and hat-store mysteries. She does a bang-up job of all of them!
    • 3/5
      I'm a sucker for this kind of book – an insiders-type series with a cutsey title about books/libraries. I like stories with an insider's view and, in this book, the insider's view was better than average because the book was written by a librarian. A few of the other local characters are good, too. On the down side, some of the other characters were stereotypes and some of the dialog was a little awkward. But this is the first book I've read by this author and the first book in the series so maybe she will get better with practice.