A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert is the first installment in A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. Amy Webber is the library director for Taylorsford Public Library in Taylorsford, Virginia. Amy took this position after an incident at Clarion University with her ex-boyfriend, Charles Bartos. Amy is showing Richard Muir, Taylorsford’s newest resident, the archival building and she discovers the building is unlocked. They find the missing Doris Virts (escaped her caregiver again) inside and she has been murdered. Who would have wanted to kill Doris? Richard needs Amy’s help in proving that Eleanora Cooper did not kill her husband (the case is from the 1920s). Eleanora was acquitted of the crime, but the townspeople still did not believe her innocence. Eleanora disappeared after the trial and was never seen again. Richard’s great uncle Paul Dassin had been written a novel based on the trial and he had been in love with Eleanora. Richard inherited his new home from Paul and wants to finally prove Eleanora’s innocence. Is it possible the two crimes are related? Amy and Richard set out to get answers, but someone is not happy with their sleuthing.

A Murder for the Books has one of my favorite premises—a library and a librarian as a sleuth. I appreciated the fact the Amy likes to solve mysteries (so do I). The book takes place over a matter of weeks as Richard and Amy look into the two murder cases. I did feel the book was a little too long and could have used some editing (and rewriting). There was too much speculation, reiteration, gardening, dancing and admiration of Richard’s physique. The writing is nice, but the pace was sluggish. The action picks up towards the end of the story, and then it slows back down again (the author dragged out the capture of the killer). I did like the library, town, and especially Aunt Lydia (great character). The mysteries had some intriguing aspects. However, readers will have no problem solving them long before the reveal (which I find disappointing). I wish the author had thrown a twist in towards the end to surprise readers. I felt the romance was too pronounced and it progressed at a rapid pace. I prefer a romance that plays out slowly over the course of a series (let the characters get to know each other first before they progress to the next level). It seems that Amy is rushing into a new relationship after getting out of a bad one (that caused her to move to another town and get a new job). Richard comes across as a creepy at times and slightly cheesy (especially his lines). The ghost element never came alive for me. It was there (more pronounced at the end), but it felt forced (the author did not pull it off). I believe the author tried to put too many plots into one book (I only summarized the main points). I am giving A Murder for the Books 3 out of 5 stars. I am interested enough, though, to read the next book in A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series which is Shelved Under Murder.

"A Murder for the Books" is a cross between a cozy mystery and Southern fiction, with hints of Sharyn McCrumb. It did have have certain aspects of a cozy - the amateur sleuth, small town setting, and the sleuth's personal connections to the murder - but blended with elements of Southern mountain fiction.

The setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a mix of small Southern town and anywhere USA. What it did have was a certain clannish behavior which some small Southern towns are prone to, the family connections and relationships, and references to mountain life, and it was those that gave it the Southern fiction feel and hints of Sharyn McCrumb (she's written cozy mysteries set in VA and TN as well as Appalachian contemporary fiction.

The story meanders a bit but the the meanderings are purposeful, gently leading us to the next piece or element; it starts off fast but then slows down and winds around. Full of family history and drama, star crossed lovers and would-be lovers, secrets and conspiracies, mysterious deaths and murders, surprises and predictability, greed and hope, ignorance and bigotry, humor and quirkiness, "A Murder for the Books" delivers an entertaining story that began several generations ago and continues to this day.

I do have one quibble. There's a medical condition that's a prominent feature of the story, and one I've seen used in other Southern cozy mysteries, that was mostly well done but did contain one factual error that jumped up and smacked me in the face. That error didn't affect the story line however, though it should, if written accurately, affect one character's future health. I only caught it because my siblings and late father have a related condition. Otherwise, this was an enjoyable story with more depth than the average cozy.

I give “A Murder for the Books”5 out of 5 Cozy Stars! I loved this fun and bookish cozy mystery! I am always drawn to books that are book related in some way and it makes me feel proud to be a bibliophile. This book intrigued me from the very first line, “Anyone who claims there are no stupid questions has never worked in a library.” I could relate to this sentence because I am a member of my local Friends of the Library Association and so I do volunteer work at the library, book sales and etc. I also volunteer at a small local bookstore when my body is able and receive new books as payment! Which is awesome! I have been asked some crazy questions to say the least. I loved the characters in this book and thought they were well written. At one point, I thought the book was a bit slow but the surprising twists and everything else made up for it resulting in my 5 star rating. I also loved how descriptive this book was with the historic town!😁 I definitely recommend this cozy!💖📚

After a catastrophic love affair, librarian Amy Webber moves in with her aunt in a quiet, historic mountain town in Virginia. She busies herself with managing the local public library that requires all her attention with its severe lack of funds and an overabundance of eccentric patrons. The last thing she needs is a new, available neighbor whose charm lures her into trouble and a murder she has to solve.

Dancer-turned-teacher and choreographer Richard Muir inherited the farmhouse next door to Amy from his great-uncle, Paul Dassin. But folklore claims the house’s original owner was poisoned by his wife, who was an outsider who vanished after her sensational 1925 murder trial. Richard determined to clear the name of the woman his great-uncle loved, beseeches Amy to help him investigate the case. Amy is skeptical until their research raises questions about the culpability of the town’s leading families... including her own.

When inexplicable murders plunge the quiet town into chaos, Amy and Richard must crack open the books to reveal a cruel conspiracy and lay a turbulent past to rest.
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Series: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery - Book 1
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Career
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books


A Murder for the Books is a well written highly entertaining book with memorable and remarkable characters. This book is the first installment of Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mysteries. Ms. Gilbert is a talented and creative writer. Her writing is fluid and offers enough detail to keep the reader wanting more.

Characters, Amy and Aunt Lydia, are spunky, intriguing and well rounded, with just enough desecration to be unforgettable and captivating. Between the two they create an atmosphere of love and fun as well as general interest. Lydia is perhaps the most interesting character in this book. It will be interesting to see what part she will play in the next book in the series due out in July 2018.

Other characters such as Richard and Sunny and perfect and could easily have a series of their own. Richard is a loving, warm, vibrant romantic lead, and Sunny is a ray of well… sunshine. Both characters add to the enjoyment of this book and help move the plot along.

The town of Taylorsville, Virginia is small but has a great impact on the story and the reader. It is a place anyone would feel at home in and yet feel like an outsider. It’s one of those places where a new resident will always wonder if they will ever really be accepted by those who have lived there generation after generation. It is a great backdrop for this series.

The story is part mystery, part romance with a sprinkling of small-town life. Throughout the book, the reader is captivated by the secrets of the past and the link between the future and the past. It makes the reader wonder about their own hometown and what may be hidden or simply not talked about. There are always things in the past that influence our present and future, but how often do they lead to murder?

Overall A Murder for the Books is a fun easy-to-read book. The pace is not always fast, at times it forces the reader to slow down and take in every word. The reveal of the killer for many will be a bit too long. In many ways, it is startling and yet not implausible. I recommend this book to those who enjoy small-town secrets with big city corruption, and a budding romance that could easily end in disaster.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley

This is a great book; this is the first book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series written by Victoria Gilbert. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=64297>

A Murder For The Books is the first book in the A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series.

I’ve seen the question “what is the best first line in a book?”. I would have to say mine would be from this book. That first line is: Anyone who claims there are no stupid questions has never worked in a library.

Amy Webber has moved toTaylorsford after a very embarrassing episode with her boyfriend at a faculty event at Clarion University to assist her Aunt Lydia who is recovering from a recent leg injury. Amy was fortunate to fill the position of Library Manager at the local library.

Richard Muir’s mother has given him the house she had inherited from her uncle. Cooper House, as it was referred to, had originally been owned by Don Cooper and his wife, Eleanora. Eleanora had been charged with killing her husband, but was acquitted and shortly after the trial, vanished into thin air. Muir’s great uncle, Paul Dassin had been a journalist and had covered the trial and was reportedly infatuated with Eleanora.

Once Muir had renovated Cooper House and having recently moved in, he wanted to learn more about the house, the trial, and his great uncle. He sets off to visit the library to see what information they might have that he can study. Amy offers to help and they head for a small building behind the library where the archives are kept. As they enter the cabin-like structure Amy notices the lifeless body of an elderly lady lying in a pool of blood. Soon, Amy recognizes her as Doris Virts, a sweet lady with dementia. Back in the library, Sunny, Amy’s assistant, tells Amy that she had heard Doris saying that someone was following her, but because of her dementia, she didn’t pay much attention to her.

Once Amy and Richard are able to start their research work they learn of another mystery that involved deaths at an orphanage that was on the lot next to the Cooper House. The deaths at the orphanage were put to poor management, but it looks like there might have been a cover-up by city officials. Although a couple decades separate these events, it seems that they might all be tied together.

Victoria Gilbert provides the reader with a well-told story with a cast of appealing and believable characters. I’m looking forward to learning more about the main characters in future books. Both Amy and Sunny seem to have romances in the future, and it will be interesting to see if Sunny will follow through with her thoughts of running for mayor of Taylorsford.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this interesting series.

Alright let's get to work on this review. In the beginning Amy (Our lead) seems particular and like any other librarian kind of a know it all. I was lost on the emotional side of the character. Then Richard moved into town. The romance moves fast and hot between Amy and Richard. With the death and investigation of an older case from the 1950's leading into what happens in modern day. Love and romance are key to solving this mystery. The modern mystery was my main focus while reading. I was always going "Who did it? Why did they do it?" I did feel more for Amy as the story went along it's road. The murderer was a surprise, and wrapped up in a long twisty twist. I enjoyed the writing of this mystery. I think that plays into my like of this mystery. Not a "100 percent" but a great First in series. I look towards a healthy sequel from this author. It's on my "I will pick up again in the future".

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
The first in a new series this is an enjoyable cozy mystery that keeps one reading. Well developed, likable characters engaged the reader and made one look forward to reading more about them. The writing could be tighter in some parts of the book. Recommended for a lazy afternoon.

Amy has moved to Taylorsford, Virginia to be the head librarian and help her aunt who recently suffered a bad fall. By moving, it allows her time to heal from a disastrous relationship and not worry about love for a bit, or so she thinks. Her aunt's next door neighbor, Richard, has enlisted the help of Amy, as a neighbor and the town librarian to help him uncover the truth of his family's past. While beginning their search they discover a local resident dead in the library archives. Now Amy has found herself spending even more with Richard to solve the murder. Will sparks fly between Richard and Amy or will the murders stop it before it begins?

Book one in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries feels more than a cozy mystery. The story has a lot of what I like to call "meat". You can sink your teeth into this story and read for chunks of time. You have a several side mysteries within the main mystery which all are very intriguing. The characters are well rounded and full of life.

Amy is a real girl in she is a little overweight and has insecurities about it. She feels like her failed relationship is her fault and fights with that quite frequently. She is slowly gaining self-confidence back with the help of her loving Aunt Lydia.

I am curious to see how this series progresses. I am always up for series that involve libraries, bookstores, books, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for a review based on my own honest opinion.

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

What a great start to a new series. Any is the director of the very small library in a small town in Virginia near some mountains. This introduces a library element to the story before the murder even happens which is right up my alley since I work in one too. It as enjoyable getting to the characters while being taken on the tipsy turvy ride of the murder investigation. There were lots of little things mentioned along the way that helped lead the way to a finale that my guess was far from. Excellent writing with some great new characters all set to make you want to read some more. If you enjoy cozy mysteries you really have to try this one. I really enjoyed it so it gets 4/5 stars.

Having fled an embarrassing end to a terrible romance, Amy Webber is now director of the library in the small, old town where her aunt lives. Still, it’s far too soon to deal with the flirting from a hunky new neighbour as she sets about helping him research some of the town’s past. Murder and poison and disappearances make for juicy history – but not so happy times when the past starts to seep into the present.

I requested this book because I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my ‘cosy mystery’ reads, set in libraries or bookshops. This one, however, was perhaps a little less cosy and actually quite dark on the murder mystery side – nothing too awful – but with a hefty dose of chick-lit romance. Throw in a shiver of the supernatural and it was all rather intriguing.

While I wasn’t exactly enthralled with the romance aspects – just not my genre – I did enjoy the descriptions of the historic town and its dark past events. There are plenty of characters to throw red herrings in the mix, before an okay-if-not-brilliant denouement of the present mystery ties in nicely with the cold case.

Overall, this was a nice enough read. I’m not entirely sure where the series could go next, but the writing style was strong enough to make me consider finding out.

The town fathers of Amy Webber's new home need to wake up and smell the coffee. The town library is an original Carnegie library with serious-- and I mean serious-- roof issues. Since the building not only houses the library but the town's important documents dating back countless decades as well, many valuable items could be lost. I know-- just an average day in almost any library in this country, but since most of Amy's investigating consists of going through these old records, she's going to be out of a sleuthing job if something isn't done.

I like what author Victoria Gilbert did with the character of Richard Muir. Throughout the book, he is described with words like graceful and elegant, words that we usually don't associate with men. By book's end, readers know that this character not only knows how to move on the dance floor, he's also funny, brave, caring, and sexy. Not bad, eh?

Well... if you're a reader like me who doesn't really care for much romance in her mysteries, it can be. And that's what happened. Too much romance, not enough mystery. In fact, the mystery was rather easy to solve. Couple this with characters that I just didn't grow to care for and my reception to A Murder for the Books was luke-warm at best. However, if your pet peeves differ from mine, then your mileage will certainly vary.

This was a very good cozy mystery, and this is a problem for me, because I was really not in need of another series to follow trough, problem is, once you met the character written by Victoria Gilbert, it is difficult not to read other book where they are involved....

Questo cozy mystery é divertente e ben scritto, il che mi crea il solito dilemma considerato che non avevo assolutamente bisogno di un'altra serie da seguire, ma una volta conosciuti i personaggi di Victoria Gilbert é veramente difficile ignorare i prossimi volumi della serie.....

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I’ve just finished reading “A Murder For The Books” by Victoria Gilbert, which NetGalley gave me access to review, so thanks to them! It was an okay read, but it won’t make my favourites of 2017 list.

“A Murder For The Books” is the first in a series of mystery novels, about a young woman, Amy, living with her Aunt. She’s also a librarian in the local library. There’s also a romance story, which I really liked for Amy throughout “A Murder For The Books”. She sees a dead body in one of the back rooms at the library, one day and the real story of who murdered them starts from there...

“A Murder For The Books” is told in first person, which I thought worked well. We could see what Amy was feeling directly about each event. In a Murder mystery novel this is what I wanted, to see the effect events were taking on the main character. But there was also, unfortunately quite a few boring aspects to the story, too. In a book called “A Murder For The Books”, I’d have thought the murder would more to do with the library and reading in general. This wasn’t the case, sadly.

NOTE: There’s a tiny bit of bad language but apart from that, and maybe the descriptions of the dead bodies, which aren’t graphic, they just lets us know that the character is dead, anyone could read this...

I don’t really want to spoil any of the plot of “A Murder For The Books” because the mystery is the main thing surrounding this book. What I will say is that there are a lot of suspects and we go through each one, until the actual murderer is found. This became a little bit tedious but I was sold on the romance plot line so that’s what I was really reading for.

What did I like about “A Murder For The Books”?

I liked our main character, Amy’s personality.

I liked the romance. It didn’t feel forced or rushed. It wasn’t the main theme of the book but I liked that it was included. I wish it had been a little more central to the overall plot. This would have raised my rating a little.

I liked how the author chose to write in first person because we could see how and why Amy made the decisions she did.

What didn’t I like about “A Murder For The Books”?

I didn’t like how the mystery seemed to become the only thing our main character cared about. She had friends and family but the mystery was always at the forefront of her mind.

I didn’t like how the mystery didn’t seem to have anything to do with books, really apart from a diary/herbal of a character who died before he book even starts. I thought the mystery would be based more in the library, but it wasn’t at all.

I didn’t like how the first 70% of “A Murder For The Books” seemed to be really slow moving. This was my take on it. It will be different for every reader, though as we all have different tastes. I even skipped quite a bit and I didn’t loose any of the plot, I don’t believe.

Therefore I’m giving “A Murder For The Books” 2 Stars! It wasn’t a terrible book but it didn’t capture me as I’d maybe have hoped it would. I thought the mystery element would be exciting, when it unfortunately just wasn’t. The romance was really all I was reading for by the end, as well as just wanting to know who the murderer was. If the unnecessary parts had been cut the book would have been a much quicker read, I believe.

An engaging and enjoyable cozy mystery with a romance, too. Pleasant characters, along with the not so pleasant ones to give the book some suspects. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

As far as cozy mysteries go, this is one of the best. The story actually has several mysteries from the past and one from the present. There is quite a bit of detective work involved and the main character, Amy, a librarian, is definitely up to the challenge. Along the way, we meet some of the people who live in her town, and they are an interesting cast of characters.

I like how the author does such a beautiful job of describing everything. The little bits of information that help o get to know someone are there. By the end, the mysteries are all neatly wrapped up. While I didn’t figure out which one of the suspects was a murderer, the author gave plenty of clues to help the reader see which suspects could have been the guilty party with a big group of people who were up to no good .

It was good to get in on the ground floor with the series, and if you like cozy mysteries, I recommend that you do too.

Amy Webber has moved in with her aunt in rural, historic Taylorsford, Virginia where she becomes the library director. She's found a good friend at the library in Sunny and is introduced to the new man in town, choreographer Richard Muir, who inherited the farmhouse next door to her aunt. He's on a quest to uncover some old history involving his great-uncle, Paul Dassin, from whom he inherited the old house. He engages Amy to help with research and she soon realizes some of the history may include her family as well. Together, they shortly discover a murder victim in the archive section of the library. There are plenty of secrets in town possibly tying this to a murder in 1925.

Amy is a female protagonist with somewhat less than a Barbie persona. There are additional characters that come to the fore during misdirection. Richard is a little creepy. Aunt Lydia plays matchmaker.

The plot moves at cozy speed and bogs down in a few places while the romance pushes the tension between the two just a little too fast. The book appears well plotted, dialogue natural, and is credibly written, but it just doesn't resonate with me. There are more red herrings, creating additional sub-plots and complicates what initially seems a simple picture.

You're given several antagonist suspects while skipping lightly over the one who becomes the surprise culprit (and no, you won't guess who). I wasn't able to connect with many of the major characters while the small town closed-in mentality sounded a bit too close for comfort for anyone familiar with the situation.

The story begins to increase pace as it heats up to the climax, and though not entirely predictable, has a satisfying ending. There were some edit misses, but on the whole an entertaining read. If not character, then plot driven and there's enough here to invest in knowing the outcome.

I received this download from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Overall, a good start for a new series leaving no cliff-hangers. Recommended to those who enjoy cozy mysteries, stories involving libraries, and a bit of folklore with the romance pablum.
See my full review at http://rosepointpublishing.com

A wonderful first in a new series.
A top notch whodunit with great characters. I cannot wait to read the next one.
I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I just finished this book and it was a nice start to a new series. I was completely shocked at the revelation of the murderer, I had suspects, but the murderer was not one of them.

I like reading cozies where the main character is a librarian trying to solve the crime, as I am a librarian myself :) It will be interesting to see where this series goes and I'm looking forward to book #2.