I was first drawn to this book when I saw that the main character was a librarian but I came to love all the core characters within the first few pages and continued to love everything about the book. While the novel is a cozy mystery, Shelved Under Murder is more complex than most traditional cozies and yet it has a strong traditional feel. The main characters are not perfect and the unpleasant characters are not all bad. It is great to find depth of development in characters in a cozy mystery. In several areas the book did not go where I expected, but I see that as a plus since the plot was fascinating and well laid out. I believe that Shelved Under Murder will attract readers of all mysteries except thrillers.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. It is the first book I have read by Victoria Gilbert but I will be going back to find the first book in the series and watching for future releases. I am excited to share this outstanding novel with friends and other fellow readers.

I love librarians and mysteries, and I was so excited to discover this series. Until I started it and found more romance than mystery. I'm afraid I gave up when I got to Richard whispering into Amy's ear, "There's only one woman I want for everything else, and she's right here." I'm fine with mysteries with a touch of romance, and I know lots of readers like romances with a touch of mystery. This one felt like too much of a romance book to me--couldn't overlook the over-the-top dialog ("Silly girl") and description. Not for me.

A series that keeps getting better! I think part of what brings me back to this series is how the author paints such a charming setting with words. I just want to live in this book. The mystery was well written and has its own unique twist to it. I love where the characters are going the more I read in this series. An engaging mystery and a great compliment to the series.

I enjoyed returning to Taylorsford, Virginia for the second book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series, but you could still read and enjoy this book if you haven't read Book 1. I love the varied cast of characters, and the mystery is well crafted.

I adored this second book in the series. It was as engaging as the first and I liked learning about fine art along the way.

Shelved for Murder is the second book in Victoria Gilbert's Blue Ridge Library series. Picking up a few months after the end of the first book, we see Amy and her friends getting involved in the mystery of who killed a local artist. The murder seems to also open up old secrets for Amy's family, which are not very welcome. This story was a well written and thought out mystery, with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I also love the relationship between Richard and Amy and how it's progressing. there are a few speed bumps there, and I'm hopefull that they will make it as a couple. All in all, a wonderful addition to the series.

This is the second book by Victoria Gilbert.thankyou for letting me read this wonderful book,again I couldn't put it down .
Secrets come to light ,Aunt Lydia finds out the truth about her beloved husband .A murder connects it all together .
Even though you can read this is a book on its own. I would recommend you read the first book for the connection between friends and enemies . I wasn't sure who the killer was but it made sense in the end as to why.
Relationships between Amy and Richard gets stronger.
I would definitely recommend this author and both books .
Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Haven't read the first one in this series (but will be after reading this one). Enjoyed this Virginia set cozy story, well written with a few twists like Amy finding links to her family in the murder, and fun characters.

I absolutely loved this book! It has the ideal blend of cozy elements. The main character Amy is quite likable. The description of the mountain town borders on downright charming at times. The mystery is expertly developed and the suspense steadily builds throughout the entire book. There are so many twists and turns in this installment of A Blue Ridge Library Mystery that I couldn’t put the book down until I had finished it all in one sitting. The book revolves around the shady and often dangerous dealings of the stolen and counterfeit art world and the secrets that friends and families keep. Victoria Gilbert has crafted an intriguing mystery and depicted characters with real depth. I have added this to my list of favorite cozy mystery series. I am eagerly awaiting book three! The only word of caution I have is if you plan to read the first book, do so before reading Shelved Under Murder, as spoilers will be revealed.

While running the sale table for the Friends of the Library might cause a headache, or possibly a twinge in the back muscles, no one would expect it to end in murder. Yet that is what Amy Webber and her friends discover when they stop by to pick up donations for the sale. Local artist Rachel LeBlanc has been stabbed with her own palette knife and left in her studio, but there are no witnesses. Her husband was out of town on a business trip and her daughter was in the main house, so the police have little to go on...other than a cache of forged artwork.

Amy has a background in art history, which makes her ongoing involvement in the investigation reasonable. And her Aunt Lydia is housing the art expert that the authorities have called in, so there is yet another tie. No matter where she goes, Amy can't seem to escape the gossip and speculation. It also makes her jumpy and unsure of her reactions to people. There seem to be plenty of people to suspect - the socialite and her son who show an intense interest in paintings by Amy's uncle, an art dealer who is rumored to have shady dealings, mysterious men dressed in business suits and obviously not in town for the local festival, and the druggie boyfriend of the dead woman's daughter.

The plot keeps readers guessing along with the protagonist. In Amy's case, she is distracted by her relationship with the handsome dancer next door. She also doubts her own impressions of people, knowing that her aunt's biases and her own reactions to the murder are coloring her perceptions. Readers can only view events through Amy's eyes, wondering if she is a reliable narrator when she questions her own judgment.

The description of small town life with all its complicated relationships and traditions is very believable. The fall festival, the overworked police force, the longstanding rivalry in county fair baking contests, and other details all create a town that is easily recognizable. The characters are distinct and entertaining, and readers will return for further visits in Taylorsford feeling as though they are reuniting with old friends.

Amy Webber is the library director in Taylorsford, Virginia, and while she loves her job, she’s not looking forward to the weekend yard sale/fundraiser for the library during the autumn Heritage Festival. Things go from bad to worse when Amy and her assistant Sunny find a dead body. The victim, an artist, has been stabbed to death with his own pallet life. When police find a stash of forged paintings, this puts Amy, a specialist in art history ,in a unique position to help the police. When Amy uncovers links that connect her own family to the murder, she vows to do everything possible to clear her family name. With another murder to solve, Amy will have to use all the research skills she’s learned as a librarian to find the killer before he strikes again

Review: SHELVED UNDER MURDER by Victoria Gilbert (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery #2)

In this second in the exciting and enticing Virginia-set cozy mystery series, we learn much about Art (our protagonist' s undergraduate degree was in Art History) and we get to meet some new villains. Some familiar villainous characters carry over, demonstrating new sides of themselves. As she does so giftedly, author Victoria Gilbert weaves in historical backgrounds and patterns. In this series, history--whether local, regional, national, or international--can always be counted on to play an impressive backdrop. I just can't put aside this series!