She Stopped for Death: A Little Library Mystery

Jenny Weston has left behind an ex-husband in Chicago and moved home to hide away from the world for a while. One night she joins her mother, Dora, and their neighbor Zoe Zola, a “Little Person” and almost famous writer, on the front porch of their home. Several nights previously there has been a late-night visitor to Dora’s little library, and they are desperate to confirm their suspicions about who it is. Dora swears it is the reclusive poet Emily Sutton who lives on the edge of Peewee swamp and hasn’t been seen in years. The women manage to befriend Emily, and after the discovery of Emily’s murdered cousin, Althea, who shopped for her, Zoe reluctantly agrees to do her shopping despite never being permitted inside the house. As news of Emily’s emergence spreads, a poetry reading is planned, and Emily’s behavior becomes even more bizarre. Jenny and Zoe must work fast to sort through Emily’s secrets before more people are murdered.

She Stopped for Death is the much anticipated second installment in Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli’s Little Library Mystery series. The story is a joy to read and keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are well developed and the interjection of literary allusions is delightful. This is one series I will continue to look for.