A Novel Idea — Elizabeth Spann Craig

Sometimes a novel idea can turn out to be a bad one.  Sally Simmons was rather misunderstood in the small town of Whitby, North Carolina. An awkward woman with a sly countenance, she became a regular at the library, spending a good deal of time scribbling in a notebook and staring vacantly off into space.It turned out, to everyone's surprise, that Sally had been industriously penning a novel. To their greater surprise, it became something of a sensation, even landing itself on the bestseller lists.Since much of the novel had been written within the hallowed walls of the Whitby Library, reference librarian Ann and other staff members decide to hold an event to celebrate Sally's accomplishment and learn more about her book.Sadly, it soon becomes evident that Sally's book was inspired by actual residents of Whitby—and that she concealed their identities poorly.When Sally meets an unfortunate demise, it's up to Ann to figure out the killer so the police can throw the book at him.