Well, this was most certainly fun to read. To begin with it has a little art culture and of course a library and being a retired librarian I love to read about libraries. Truthfully there is very little about books or a library here; it is rather just a setting of the atmosphere. But this is a small, nice and of course, nosy town with good people and bad people; like mysteries should have. And they are right in the middle of planning their Fall Harvest Festival. Every small town has a festival right? But does every small town have a murder, a stolen painting, and the mob sneaking around? I’m not actually sure. Mine always seemed to have some sly characters and this one sure did too.

“Shelved Under Murder” is the 2nd book in a series titled “Blue Ridge Library Mystery”. It has really identifiable characters, most of which you will love… most. Victoria Gilbert did a great job of adding plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Don’t get me wrong, she never once makes this confusing. It is an enjoyable well-written cozy. I think this book can definitely stand alone as far as reading it. The only reason I was disappointed by not reading Book 1 first is that this was good and now I’ll have to go back and read the first one.
I notice all of the books in this series have good reviews. There is also now a third book out. Definitely an author worth checking out.

***This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Kathy Allen
Bookaholic
ourtownbookreviews.com

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We are back in Taylorsford just in time for the Heritage Festival. The library is hosting a yard sale fundraiser and a famous local artist has agreed to give some of her work to the sale. When Amy, her assistant Sunny, Richard, now her boyfriend arrive at the artist’s studio they make a horrible discovery. The artist dead on the floor. When police arrived on the scene, their search finds a hidden room filled with what appear to be forged paintings. With Amy’s background in art history research Chief Deputy Brad Tucker asks her to assist him by checking out the paintings. When the state’s art expert arrives Amy assists him too. Until he finds that her uncle, now deceased, may be connected to both the forgeries and the murder. When someone else is killed Amy knows she has to help find the killer, all the while hoping to clear her uncle of any wrongdoing.

Being a librarian means more that shelving and checking out books. That is why degree, usually a master’s in Library Science is required for head librarians. The ability to navigate and manage information is a huge part of the job. With Amy’s minor in Art History, she is the perfect person to assist the police in find provenance for these found paintings and any other information to help the police solve the case. The author has written a very complex mystery and Amy plays a key role in solving it. Not knowing much about paintings like those in the story it was so much fun following along with Amy and all the revelations that were found throughout the story. I always enjoy learning something new when reading. This time I highlighted quite a few items I plan to research further.

The main characters are continuing to develop nicely. The supporting cast, Zelda, Walt and Aunt Lydia are great too and have many humorous moments. There is one character that is hiding something. We got some major hints in this story and I am sure we will learn more in the next.

The romance between Amy and Richard played a big part in this story. She is still recovering from her break-up and her confidence is a little shaky. Richard is the perfect man for her. He understands her insecurities and he really loves her. They have quite a moment near the end of the story that was so heart-warming and genuine.

Again, Ms. Gilbert has written a mystery with great substance and allowed her characters to shine. She also brings the setting to life with her words. I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last.

Shelved Under Murder is a fantastic addition to this series. I think I loved it more than the first book in the series, A Murder for the Books. Book #3 Past Due for Murder comes out on February 12, 2019. I can hardly wait.

I have to start by saying this book was SO good! I was immediately sucked in and I had a very hard time putting it down when life called. The characters are so real to life and I loved them from the start. I really love the relationship between Amy and Richard, they just make my heart swoon. This mystery was so well written with so many twists and turns that it took me right up the the end to put all the pieces together and only then with help from the author when the murderer stepped forward. If you haven't already bought Shelved Under Murder, what are you waiting for? I guarantee you will enjoy this adventure!

I love the small town setting of this series. When Amy Webber and her assistant head out to pick up some art that has been donated for a library fundraiser sale, the last thing they expect to find is a body. Especially so soon after the LAST murder in town! Amy is invited to help with the investigation because of her art history background – an nice change from a lot of cozy mysteries.

I really enjoy reading about Amy’s time at the library (I think I am in the wrong profession!), and there’s a great cast of supporting characters in this series. The interpersonal relationships between the characters adds interest to the story without taking away from the mystery.

Shelved Under Murder is the second book in the Blue Ridge Mystery series.

This is the first book I've read in this series and by this author. And what drew me to read this book was that Amy was a librarian. And I love libraries and wanted to be a librarian too when I was a kid so....

Yes I know this is a cozy mystery book. Amy is a librarian who's been unlucky enough (again) to be facing another dead body and another mystery. All this in the midst of prepping for the town fair and the fund raiser sale for the library. And this time too, things seem to center around her family again - her dead uncle now in particular. Was he or wasn't he?

I like that Amy is a librarian, but I wish the mystery was much deeper. Cozy mysteries are light but I found the mystery here lighter and Amy as more of stumbling into things than really figuring it all out. It's an easy read for sure with mild drama. I don't really know why it was hard to get into this story as I normally like cozy mysteries...

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

This book is truly incredible at creating an elaborate mystery for us to follow. It starts with Amy gearing up for the festival only to get again stumble across a dead body with Richard at her side. With lots of personal stuff mixed in we fall into a mystery that had so many twists I almost couldn't keep up. Then you hit the end which was a total surprise. Characters you can love, a touch of romance, and a mystery all combine into a great cozy with a library theme. I highly recommend it to fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 4/5 stars.

I say this a lot and I have no problems saying it again: I am a huge fan of cozies that feature anything having to do with books or libraries. Having read and reviewed the first book in this series last year, I couldn't wait to find out what shenanigans Amy would find herself in this time around! And needless to say, I wasn't disappointed!

As was the case in the previous book, the library isn't the focus of the mystery or the story, but I certainly enjoyed learning more about the underworld of art forgery. When actual paintings were mentioned, this was one of those books where you wish there were pictures! But with my Kindle, I could simply highlight the text, search for the image, and stare wonderingly at the creativity of the human spirit.

Secrets continue to run deep in this small town, especially for one still reeling from the events in the previous book. But not to worry, this is still very much a standalone novel; however, I would still encourage you to check out the first one just to have a complete understanding of how shady many of these secondary characters can truly be!

The pacing was much better to me this time around as the suspense built gradually to an unpredictable conclusion. The mystery was quite elaborate, while the additional storylines and well developed characters added those subtle red herrings and remarkable twists necessary to keep readers guessing.

Overall, this series continues to get better and I'm highly anticipating the third installment, PAST DUE FOR MURDER, arriving on shelves early next year. This is highly recommended for fans of bookish cozies, but certainly a good selection for any mystery reader!

I love libraries and cozy mysteries, and I’ve called Virginia home for half my life, so when I saw Shelved Under Murder pop up on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed. Gilbert’s characterizations are good, with enough depth in the major recurring characters to make them believable as well as likable. The mystery itself held my attention, and several red herrings kept me guessing, though one of my suspects turned out to be correct. The mystery plot, centered around art forgery, was perhaps an odd choice for a small-town cozy mystery (I tend to associate forgers with cities, for some reason), but Gilbert made it work. My only real complaint is that Amy, the heroine, doesn’t exactly solve the mystery; instead, she is caught up in its unraveling and the obligatory confrontational denouement. On the other hand, Amy is sensible, on the whole (if somewhat prone to speculation); she doesn’t deliberately put herself into dangerous situations, and despite her fear, she keeps her head pretty well in a crisis — of which there are several. The TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine is one of my pet peeves, and they’re remarkably common in cozy mystery series, so I was delighted to discover that Amy does NOT fall in that category.

Also on the plus side is Amy’s friendly (but not romantic) relationship with the town’s chief deputy — refreshing after the number of antagonistic cop-heroine interactions I’ve come across in cozies in the last 10 years or so. Even more refreshing is the relationship between Amy and her boyfriend, Richard. I am so done with up-in-the-air romances in mystery series, where the author seems determined to inject additional tension by stringing out a love story without ever resolving it, or else makes the relationship itself a source of conflict by throwing in various obstacles to it. Thankfully, Gilbert isn’t playing those games, at least in this book: Amy and Richard are in love and on pretty solid ground. There were some incidents that could have led toward jealousy and conflict, but although Amy is a little insecure about her own attractiveness, she has no doubts about Richard’s feelings for her or hers for him. I sincerely hope the author continues developing their relationship along those lines; I’m happy to read mysteries where the heroine is in a settled relationship.

FINAL VERDICT: Shelved Under Murder is an entertaining mystery featuring interesting, likable characters and a pleasant setting. Even better, it avoids most of the more irritating tropes of the genre. I’m happy to have discovered the series, will continue to follow it, and plan to read the first book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

So Taylorsford isn't so quiet after all. Just when everyone thought things were settling down after the last drama another dead body turns up.
As the townsfolk plan a Heritage Festival Amy the Library director and her employees, family and friends are collecting donations to sell at the fair. Seems besides a few books the Library just might need some cameras and security system what with all the crime that seems to be hitting the quiet sleepy town.
In book 2 Amy, her boyfriend Richard and Sonny her friend and co-worker stumble onto the body of the local artist.
As the 3 tell their stories of what they saw to the local law the daughter and husband of the victim are hiding secrets along with some paintings that are in a hidden closet at the crime scene.
When Amy is asked to begin doing research on the paintings and is actually deputized she discovers the paintings are forgeries.
And the door is open to all kinds of intrigue when it's discovered a gang of art thieves has been working in the midst of the quiet town for years.
Everyone ends being surprised especially Amy's aunt Lydia when more paintings are found in their home. It appears Lydia's dead husband was into forgeries too.
There are few suspects including the husband of the victim, the towns young drug dealer and then maybe an 'art collector/who knows what'. The art collector Kurt Kendrick seems to have either some skeletons or shady business going on making him a suspect too.
Some great characters make Shelved Under Murder a really
good read that kept me turning the pages.
When the smoke clears (and there is a smoking gun in the end) the mysteries are solved and everything returns to normal in the
quiet town of Taylorsford.
One thing I thought that was refreshing was that Richard Amy's boyfriend doesn't get all protective and overbearing about Amy's sleuthing. I like that. The romantic part of the story was just smoothly fit in woven into their everyday lives. This is a clean cozy read with no bedroom scenes.
Alot of murder and crime keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages.

A character that stood out to me was Kurt Kendrick the art collector. I suspect there is much more to Mr. Kendrick. Just a sneak peek he didn't do the murder(s) but what else is he up to?
(My interview with Kurt Kendrick follows)

Shelved Under Murder is book in the series. Each book is written as a stand alone. You'll enjoy jumping into the series.

I enjoyed reading Shelved Under Murder and I am looking forward to many more visits to Taylorsford.

I received a complimentary copy

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the second installment in A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. It is October in Taylorsford, Virginia where Amy Webber, library director, is preparing for the annual Heritage Festival where the library hosts a yard sale table as a fundraiser. They have been busy gathering donations and Sunny Fields, Amy’s perky assistant, got a local artist to donate three paintings. Since Sunny drives a tiny car, Amy and her boyfriend, Richard agree to go with her to acquire and transport the works of art. They arrive to find the artist dead in her studio where she was stabbed with her own palette knife. Chief Deputy Brad Tucker arrive on the scene and his staff finds paintings in a hidden room. Amy, courtesy of her art history background, looks at the paintings and she discerns that they are expert forgeries. Hui “Hugh” Chen, an art expert, arrives in town and Aunt Lydia offers their guest room to him. He uncovers canvases belonging to Andrew Talbot, Aunt Lydia’s deceased husband, in the guest room closet that are replicas of renowned paintings. Had Andrew been involved in forging artwork? Amy delves into the murder and the world of art forgeries. She believes Kurt Kendrick is involved, but will Amy be able to prove he is complicit in the crime?

Shelved Under Murder can be read alone. The author summarizes A Murder for the Books and provides background on the main characters. The mystery is complex as it explores the world of art forgeries. Unfortunately, the killer might as well have a neon arrow flashing over his head. I wish the author had made it harder to pinpoint the guilty party. Amy is an interesting main character. She is an intelligent woman with diverse interests. I love the home she lives in with Aunt Lydia. The descriptions of the beautiful Victorian and the town allowed me to visualize the scenes. I enjoyed the scenes where Amy was researching the artwork. We get to learn about resources available. I also liked the scenes with Amy and Sunny interacting with the patrons and helping them with their research requests. Despite what some people may think, libraries along with their librarians hold an important place in our society (a valuable resource). Sunny adds lightness to the story with her cheerful personality and outlook on life. I did feel that there was too much romance in the book. I would have preferred less lovey dovey moments (dating, kissing, thinking about Richard, and more). Shelved Under Murder is nicely written, but I did feel the pace could have been peppier. The long-winded ending wrapped up the mystery and answered all the lingering questions about the crime. My rating for Shelved Under Murder is 3.5 out of 5 stars. Shelved Under Murder is an inviting cozy mystery with congenial characters, lovely setting and a stimulating whodunit.

SHELVED UNDER MURDER by Victoria Gilbert
The Second Blue Ridge Library Mystery

When Amy Webber agreed to help her library assistant Sunny pick up some donations from a local artist she never expected to find herself embroiled in another murder. Yet while looking for the artist she and her boyfriend stumble upon the painter's body. Did her murder have something to do with her daughter's drug addiction and shady boyfriend? Or was it something to do with the paintings found hidden in the studio? Could Taylorsford actually be home a forgery ring? As Amy prepares the library for the annual Heritage Festival she'll try to uncover the truth without becoming another victim.

As I picked up this second book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series I remembered how much I enjoyed the first. It turns out I enjoyed this one just as much. I love this series! The charming setting, fully developed characters, and intriguing plot make SHELVED UNDER MURDER a quintessential cozy. The only thing missing is a cat! (Perhaps in book three?) The relationship between Amy and Richard gives me the warm fuzzies and I'm delighted to see it grow.

The mystery was a good one, and although I figured out who was involved early on, it by no means detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I got a little annoyed by the attitudes of two of the characters, but that just goes to show how involved I was, wanting to shake them each and tell them they were wrong.

SHELVED UNDER MURDER is a delightful mystery that held my interest and didn't let go.

I live this series, The Blue Ridge library, this is book 2. The Gand is all back as Amy is preparing the libraries fund raising table. Sunny has a local famous artist donating painting and when they go to pick them up they find the artist dead. This opens up an investigation into an international forgery ring centered in their small town. Aunt Lydia and boyfriend Richard help out as a second murder has all on edge. Great story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the very enjoyable second book in this fun new series - The Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. When librarian Amy stumbles across another dead body in the supposedly sleepy little town of Taylorsford, Virginia, she must once again work to discover the identity of the murderer and keep herself and her beloved Aunt Lydia safe from harm, all while dealing with the discovery that her late Uncle Andrew was an art forger. I really enjoyed my return to this town, and the developing relationships between the characters, as well as the neat and clever mystery. I'm looking forward to the (hopefully!) 3rd book in the series and give Shelved Under Murder an A+!

I just finished reading Shelved by Murder by Victoria Gilbert a writer new to me. The book is mostly romantic cozy mystery even though several people end up dead. The heroine of the book is librarian Amy who seems to have a knack for being on the spot when people are getting killed or have just been killed. I am not a fan of either romance or cozy mysteries and therefore don’t feel that I can recommend this book. This might also account for the fact that it took me forever to finish the book. I give it 2 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and was so impressed with the details the author uses about art. I learned a lot about the art world and how paintings are stored and valued. As I wander through art museums I always think about how much work goes into a painting. It was fascinating to read about how a painting can be a fake but look as real as the original.

Amy is a wonderful character and I related to her very easily since I worked at a library for fifteen years. I loved reading about the every day chores and the patrons that frequent the library. The Friends of the Library is such an important part of libraries. It struck me as funny when a few of the ladies didn't seem to get along. We had the same problem at our library. There is always that one person who wants to be in charge and takes their authority to the extreme.

When Amy and two others discover the body of a well known artist will it be the end for the Heritage Festival? One of the fascinating things in the book is the intricate knowledge that Amy picked up as she did research on paintings. I didn't know there was so much information to be found about the history of art. Forgeries are hard to spot in the art world unless you have a keen eye. Will Amy find something in her research that could cause her to be in danger? Amy has her hands full trying to help solve the murder while preparing for the festival. Her aunt is so funny and I would definitely hang out with her. She isn't afraid to share her opinions and is quite vocal about things in the picturesque town.

Amy and her friend Sandy find themselves deep in the investigation as danger lurks nearby. I loved the twists and turns and the author really surprised me when secrets about characters started to emerge. The writing is very good and there is not a moment where action doesn't play a key element in the story. I loved the intrigue and the story line that kept me guessing. It is a very well written mystery that shows how much research the author did about the art world. I loved the ending and was surprised at who was involved in the murder.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escape Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.

3,5 stars

I did not find it as good as the first book in the series, but I still enjoyed this cosy mystery. I like the fact that the MC, Amy's involvement in the investigation as a librarian is totally plausible because of the small-town background and because the sheriff's office is a small one there.

I like the small-town setting and that we get to meet again the lovely, quirky second-characters.

The investigation and the red herrings to mislead Amy were a bit too obvious, but all in all this was a satisfying read.

I haven’t read, what many describe as a “cozy” mystery, however, Shelved Under Murder was a good introduction to this genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced light reading that had many elements. Although I have not read the first in this series, I now want to order it so that I can get some of the background of these characters. I mostly enjoyed the relationship between Amy Webber and her aunt Lydia. The dynamic is great and I hope the first in the series explains how that relationship developed. Overall, it was a solid read. Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author, Victoria Gilbert for the opportunity to read this DRC in exchange of an honest review.

What do a small town, priceless art, a prior diplomats wife and son and two murders all have in common? Taylorsford Virginia of course and Library Director Amy Webber. A well known artist is murdered and when the police start looking through the place she was murdered, they come across a find they never expected. Soon there are more suspects coming out of the woodwork. Amy starts sleuthing to help the police figure out this whodunnit, but not without ending up in danger herself along with her boyfriend Richard, her Aunt Lydia and Kurt Kendrick.

This wonderful cozy read will keep you guessing as the possible suspects and motives continue to grow throughout the story.

This is the first of Victoria Gilbert’s books I have read and I truly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more of her books.

**Thank you to Crooked Lane Books publishing and NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review **

I loved this book. It’s the first one I’ve read by this author but won’t be the last. It’s also the first one I’ve read in the series. But that didn’t keep me from understanding it or enjoying it. There are, however, some things mentioned in this one that are related to the first one. That’s to be expected in a series because of the same main characters. I’m for sure getting the first one. I loved how there were a lot of twists and turns. And I know it’s not for everyone, but my favorite thing was how the authors included some romance with it. To me, that sort of makes it seem more real because it is a part of life in the real world, or it should be lol. Try this series out for yourself and see if you can guess who the murderer is. I think this series would appeal to both cozy mystery readers and also anyone who likes clean romance.

4.5 stars. A fun, intricate mystery focused on art and art forgery. I love the core group of characters in this series. They are complex and nuanced and really bring a lot to the story. The mystery was really well done. Lots of twists and turns happened to get to the whole story. Read the books of this series in order as the solution to the mystery of book 1 is mentioned in this book. This is a delightful series and I'll be sticking with it.