Small town librarian Ann Beckett has had an interesting day. It starts with rescuing two cats trapped in a flooding culvert and ends with a blind date … who is dead. Checked Out is the first in The Village Library Mysteries series by Elizabeth Spann Craig. Turns out her blind date was not such a nice guy. All that and more comes out as she and the local police solve his murder. We meet up with some charming local residents, as well as get to know the new library cat.

From library cats we move on to police dogs in Dachshund Through the Snow, one of the Andy Carpenter Mystery books by David Rosenfelt. Andy’s wife loves the Christmas season (she’s sure it’s meant to last three months), and she loves fulfilling the wishes from the local Wish Tree. This year one in particular stands out, a little boy wants his father to come home. And so begins the hunt for the truth of a young woman murdered fourteen years earlier. These are light, easy and fun to read, court-room mysteries. Oh, and one of Andy’s clients this time is a dog!

Reading Hermit With Dog