On Borrowed Time

By: Jenn McKinlay

Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

The New York Times best-selling Library Lover's mysteries continue with a hot new case....

Loving a good cup of coffee runs in the family for Briar Creek library director Lindsey Norris. But when her brother, Jack, a consultant for a coffee company, goes missing, her favorite beverage becomes a key clue in a dangerous mystery.

Between preparing the library for the holidays and juggling the affections of ex-boyfriend Captain Mike Sullivan and her new crush, actor Robbie Vine, Lindsey has her hands full. But the mysterious disappearance of her world-traveling playboy brother takes precedence over all.

Afraid that involving the police could brew trouble for Jack, Lindsey takes matters into her own hands. But as her quest for her brother embroils her in a strange case involving South American business dealings and an enigmatic and exotic woman, it'll take the help of both her library book club - the crafternooners - and her eager-to-please suitors to keep Jack from ending up in hot water....

Includes reading group recommendations.

©2015 Jenn McKinlay (P)2015 Penguin Audio

A body in the library

As Jenn McKinlay’s On Borrowed Time opens, Lindsey Norris is about to hold her weekly crafternoon group at the library where she is the head when she opens the meeting room only to see her brother asleep on one of the sofas. Begging Lindsey to let him hide out there for a time, Jack seems to go back to sleep, but when Lindsey returns as soon as her craft, lunch, and book discussion group concludes, rather than finding her brother where she left him, Lindsey finds a stranger, and he has been strangled. Worried about her brother’s safety, Lindsey keeps quiet about her brother’s visit and soon runs into him at a local teen dance. Cryptically, Jack talks about the need for secrecy and that he escaped from the room while two men were fighting but had no idea one would kill the other. Then, shortly after, Lindsey sees Jack hurry out of the building with a dramatic-looking woman, who proceeds to push Jack into a speed boat and take off with him.

After a panicked boat chase, Lindsey gets a call from Jack but the lady snatches the phone away and tells her that Jack is in danger from her irate husband out to kill the two of them. So Lindsey must keep quiet at the risk of her brother’s life. But keeping quiet is not easy when people keep asking questions and there is a murder investigation going on too.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was well-conceived and drawn very cleverly. And I still love the setting of the series, a library. And though this book has fewer details of library life than other books in the series, it still manages to allow Lindsey to use her library research skills as well as solve the mystery through her love of books. I also really love the characters in this book. We can see Lindsey and really desire her to find happiness as two men fight over her. Her best friend, the children’s librarian Beth, really wants a man, and we feel for her too. I also really love the support that women in their town give each other, both in their crafternoon gatherings (crafts+lunch+book discussion) and in the rest of their lives. It is the women Lindsay turns to when she most needs help, and they don’t disappoint.

Allyson Ryan provides a strong performance in reading this book. I really like the job she does with this book, making it seem real in a dramatic situation without making the book overly emotional. Ryan’s voice strongly suited the book and its tone.

I have been enjoying this series since book one, and On Borrowed Time is a strong addition to the series. I am eager to learn what happens now and am on my way to the Audible store to buy the next book in the series! I give this book five stars!

Not my favorite

Would you consider the audio edition of On Borrowed Time to be better than the print version?

Not necessarily--the performance was great, as usual, and the writing was good too. However, I just did not care for this storyline. It was more complicated than some of the other books and I felt no connection to most of the players in this mystery.

Spoiler alert:
This mystery did not focus on the characters that I've come to know and love (though they were involved, of course). The "bad guys" were not from Briar Creek and the main victims were not from Briar Creek.

I enjoy this series because of the small town focus. I did not like that Jenn McKinlay tried to branch out. However, that did make it more difficult to guess who the perpetrator was.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I actually did not care for Lindsey in this story. She was concerned about her brother, obviously, but I think that took away from her normal strength.

Another winner

Plot slightly different than before with international intrigue thrown in. We also learn more about Lindsey's family and meet her brother (a mysterious, charismatic, and intriguing character). And maybe, just maybe, Lindsey solves her love life dilemma.

It was Okay

I have to admit I started this series the last 2 books first by mistake and completely fell in love with the characters and the setting. Once I realized this was a series I ordered the first few books to get read it in order to really enjoy the series from the beginning. Love all the books until now. It was like Lyndsay morphed into an alien replica of herself. I did not like her as much as I did in the previous installment and If I did not already know the outcome of the Robbie/Sully triangle I think I would have ended the series right here but since I do I am going to continue on knowing the stories and Lyndsay do improve in later books. I think as soon as the triangle resolves itself the easy bantering, the character relationships and the story telling will improve.

The Men

I DO NOT like Robbie. She needs to stick with Sully. Get rid of the prissy, sissy Robbie.