Mayhem in Circulation

March 26, 2024

Mayhem in Circulation

Mayhem in Circulation: A Larkspur Library Mystery
by Leah Dobrinska

About Mayhem in Circulation

Mayhem in Circulation: A Larkspur Library Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Wisconsin
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (December 5, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 262 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685124550
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685124557
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CFWCJ92S

Librarian Greta Plank is hard at work planning and preparing for Larkspur’s Fall Festival and regional tourism showcase which, if successful, will be a boon to the local economy. But disaster strikes and chances of a positive review look slimmer than a periodical’s spine when a series of pranks escalates and one of Larkspur’s own is found dead the same day the reporter is set to arrive.

Desperate to defend her town’s character and get to the bottom of the circulating mayhem, Greta begins indexing suspects. Could the crimes be an outside job, undertaken by someone intent on harming the town’s reputation? Or is someone closer to home trying to ruin Larkspur from the inside?

With destruction of property, sabotage, and strange animal mishaps piling up on top of murder, Greta wouldn’t recommend this ‘choose your own (disastrous) adventure’ to anyone. In the end, she must decide who she can trust so she can close the book on these crimes before the shadowy vandal authors another kill.

About Leah Dobrinska

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Fall In Love romcom series, the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of award-winning standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. As a kid, she hoped to grow up to be either Nancy Drew or Elizabeth Bennet. Now, she fulfills that dream by writing mysteries and love stories.

A sucker for a good sentence, a happy ending, and the smell of books—both old and new—Leah lives out her very own happily ever after in a small Wisconsin town with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she’s not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting the local library, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website, leahdobrinska.com.

Q&A With the Author:

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

My inspiration for this book, and the entire Larkspur Library cozy mystery series, came from the setting. When I was growing up, each summer my family would spend a week at a lakeside resort in Northern Wisconsin. All of my best childhood memories are linked to that place. As an adult, I went back to the same part of the state, and I immediately began dreaming up the events of the first book in the series, Death Checked Out. The setting provided the perfect backdrop for a cozy mystery.
In Mayhem In Circulation, I built upon the setting, fleshing out my fictionalized version of it in the quaint, lakeside town of Larkspur. I wanted to have the events unfold around a festival, because how much fun is that? Everyone wants to put their best foot forward and make the event a success, so emotions are running high for the characters. Throw in some vandalism that escalates to murder, and you have the makings of a (hopefully!) compelling cozy mystery.
I like to tell people that this series is my tribute to the Wisconsin Northwoods as well as to libraries and Nancy Drew. My amateur sleuth, Greta Plank, is a librarian, after all!
Another major source of inspiration for me with this story is my kids. I’m a mom of five—three girls and two boys who range in age from ten to five months. They keep me on my toes, and it’s my goal to make sure they know that their words and their stories matter, and that they can and should pursue their dreams.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Getting to return to the setting of Larkspur after setting it up in Death Checked Out was so much fun. It very much felt like coming home. These characters—who I invented and introduced readers to in book one—grew and changed with the events that unfolded in Mayhem In Circulation. Their personalities came out to play and their interactions with each other helped to further develop them. I love this world of Larkspur, and I loved getting to spend time there during the process of bringing this book to life.

Without giving any spoilers, I will say there was one scene in particular I loved writing. It’s an action-packed sequence of events where Greta is working against the clock to save one of her best friends. I was on the edge of my seat writing it, and it’s my hope that readers feel their adrenaline pumping as they read it.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

I’m hard at work editing book three in the Larkspur Library series. It’s titled A Killer Hold and is set to be released this December. In this installment, Greta and her library friends are in charge of coordinating the Wisconsin Library Organization’s annual spring conference. So the greater librarian community will descend upon Larkspur. As a result, Greta’s ex-boyfriend comes to town, which adds an interesting layer to the story! Likewise, the events in book three will also center around the anniversary of the Little Bohemia Lodge Raid, which occurred in Manitowish Waters, WI in April 1934 when the FBI was in pursuit of John Dillinger and his gang. Weaving in some history to book three has been a challenging and fun endeavor. I can’t wait to share this one with readers!

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

I’m also working on a brand-new cozy mystery manuscript. I can’t say much about it yet, and I don’t know what will happen with it, but I’m loving the process of creating a completely different world than Larkspur and a completely different main character than Greta. Instead of small-town charm, think big city fun. Instead of a glass-half-full leading lady, think of a jaded, more sarcastic amateur sleuth.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Readers, thank you so much for giving my stories a chance. I love getting to share the world of Larkspur with you, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has joined Greta on one of her adventures! If you enjoy the Larkspur Library Mysteries, please consider leaving an online review. It helps an author’s book gain traction and reach more people who also might enjoy the story.
If you’d like to stay in touch, I’m active on Instagram: @whatleahwrote and on Facebook: facebook.com/whatleahwrote. I also love chatting with my newsletter subscribers each month. You can sign up at leahdobrinska.com/newsletter.