BOOK REVIEW: Killer Librarian, by Mary Lou Kirwin

Killer Librarian
Author: Mary Lou Kirwin
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: November 27, 2012
Source: local library
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Full Disclosure: I didn't finish this book. I rarely abandon a book I'm not enjoying, not because I have a problem doing so, but because so many of the books I read have been provided by publishers through review programs (usually in the form of digital galleys) and I feel bad abandoning them because then I can't write a proper review. So usually I slog on, even if I'm hating the book (which almost always results in a negative review, but at least an honest one). In this case I had gotten the book from the library so I hadn't promised a review to anyone, so I didn't feel bad about stopping after only a few chapters.

So here's why I abandoned Killer Librarian:




The writing was a bit odd to me. The tone of the narration was very young, with phrases like "Rosie was way into speculative fiction," even though the main character was meant to be middle aged. And it was too conversational, written the way someone might talk, but distracting in a novel. Plus the romance-gone-bad premise didn't appeal to me. The set up is that our heroine, Karen Nash, is about to fly to England with her boyfriend and the "love of her midlife" for a much needed vacation and literary tour. It sounds great, except that he cancels at the last minute, breaking up with her over the phone and neglecting to mention that he is taking someone else on the trip. When Karen decides to go anyway, she is of course on the same flight as the miserable ex and his new fling.

Now if someone like Helen Fielding or Sophie Kinsella or even M.C. Beaton were writing this, I'd be sure it would be handled perfectly, but I didn't have enough faith in Mary Lou Kirwin to continue. She describes Karen's emotional state clumsily, writing things like, "After that first tsunami of hate washed over me, I tried to call Dave back." It just didn't appeal to me.

Now before you start telling me that I didn't read enough of this book to judge it properly, let me say that yes, you're absolutely right. I didn't. So take this "review" for what it's worth: a first impression based on about five chapters. But my first impression wasn't great and I think I'd approach this author with caution in the future.