A very entertaining read and also very meta, The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society feels like homage (or love letter) to cozy mysteries set in quaint village with a lady in her 60-ish ready to solve a murder or two. Have you ever think why in the cozy mysteries that have so many book in its series, the murder always happen either to your locals or people from outside? What happen with a highly alarming mortality rate in the calm and peaceful small town where everyone know everyone and the amateur sleuth lady can solved the murder by only listening to gossip or found out that a thing is not in order because the murderer slipped while they converse? That basic premise is how C.M. Waggoner use in this book, but hey, how about throw demon in the mix?

Dubbed as Murder, She Wrote but make it supernatural, Sherry Pinkwhistle is a 60-ish year old librarian in the quaint village named Winesap, NY. She has a knack to solve a murder, but why for a village with only 5000 villagers, two murders happen in only 2 weeks? Is there something going on? A supernatural entity is afoot? Is it COINCIDENCE that every time a murder happen, Sherry always solve the murder in a convenience way? Sherry got her answer when her boyfriend got killed and suddenly her possessed cat named Lord Thomas Crowley demand that Sherry must solve a murder. An investigation is a must because apparently there's a demon that want Sherry to star in the cozy mystery "show" located in Winesap and this demon will not take a "no' from Sherry, including trapped her in Winesap, possessed people that she know and urge her to continue her investigation and so on. And what Sherry do? Of course, she do what she known best and that's sleuthing. 

A unique premise although the execution might be wonky and some part can be too boring to read. The start of the book hinted an ongoing series but actually this book is a standalone. We get introduced to Sherry as she is a Miss Marple of Winesap, solve murder because of her sharp observation and deduction ability only with the story going on the reader will soon realize that everything can be TOO convenience. That's why I said that this book is very meta, lol. If you like a cozy mysteries, or mysteries especially written by the Queen of Crime herself, you will realize that some of the elements was presented in this book. Some of tongue in cheeks, like 'body in the library' (refer to one of Miss Marple's book) or when Sherry gather everyone in her suspect list and the start to reveal her deduction, Poirot style. The way of the culprit murder Alan, Sherry's deceased boyfriend also remind me of one of Agatha Christie's book. I won't spoil it but if you had read Christie's books and then read this book, then you find some of the clue that pointed to how the culprit did their killing, you will get my meaning. The way of the demon try to drive Sherry to sleuthing also feel very 'Truman Show' for me.

Sadly, for a book with "society" on it, the demon-hunting actually only done by Sherry herself. Sure she have help from local priest called Father Barry and her recent best friend, Charlotte, whom she help when Charlotte's husband get murdered, also give a tips in banishing the demon that haunting Winesap and forced Sherry to "investigate", but mostly Sherry done it in her own. The demon itself also pretty much afterthought and when Sherry finally face them, it feel anti climatic 

and the identity of the demon is unclear. They said that they are Lucifer but it only to play along with Sherry's accusation or maybe they are Belzeebub because they once talk to Sherry by using flies. Their real name never get revealed which is pretty much disappointing

. Although Lord Thomas Cromwell demon help Sherry while in the body of the cat, his role is pretty much minor although still endearing to read.

The end of the book kinda promised that the demon still have aces on their sleeve to wreak havoc to set another "cozy mystery set in small town". I don't know if Waggoner will write more of Sherry's adventure in sleuthing together with the demon possessed cat, but it will be nice if there's one. If you like a low fantasy with a mystery aspect that feel pretty much having fun with many cozy mystery elements that you familiar if you read plenty books from that genre, The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society might be right up on your alley