The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society

Waggoner (The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry) takes the cozy mystery in a beguiling new direction in this tale of murder and supernatural manipulation. Sherry Pinkwhistle moved to Winesap, in Upstate New York, several years ago and has carved out a comfortable niche for herself as town librarian and civilian murder investigator. Recently, however, she’s been struck by the occasional thought that Winesap has significantly more than its fair share of murders. When her boyfriend is killed and the townsfolk aggressively push Sherry to investigate despite her reservations, she becomes certain that something is very wrong—and that something appears to be demon related. Waggoner makes nimble and entertaining use of cozy mystery tropes while also constructing Winesap’s larger supernatural conflict with careful attention to detail. Meanwhile, plentiful humor and endearing budding friendships give the story heart. Fantasy fans who also watched Murder, She Wrote and wondered about the abnormally high murder rate in Cabot Cove will especially want to check this one out. Agent: Jennifer Udden, Laura Dail Literary. (Sept.)