PAST DUE FOR MURDER by Victoria Gilbert is the third book in the 'Blue Ridge Library Mystery' series. I wanted to read this because the cover was very inviting and I have a fancy for cozies about librarians, bookshops and other book-related things.

Centred around a library director in the Blue Ridge mountains, I thought this was a very good story. I haven't read the other two books in the series and I felt a little lost with some of the references to events mentioned from the past books. This unfortunately affected my enjoyment of this book a little.

The descriptions of small-town life with all its complicated relationships and traditions were very enjoyable and believable. I also enjoyed the flow and style of writing and character development. The characters were distinct and entertaining and I felt as though I was making some new friends. This was a quick read that kept me guessing and I would like to continue the series but I shall be reading books one and two first.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

It took me a little time to get into this story, but the town of Taylorsford and Amy won me over quickly. I truly liked the atmosphere of the Mountains and how tales of the old fairy folk add wispy bits to both an old story of missing women and the new one. I felt like I was reading very slowly, the descriptions of the area and the relationships were so deep and interesting. It was a good mystery that had many threads running along and Gilbert was able to concoct a good ending.

Amy Webber's life has gotten back on track as director of the Blue Ridge library, a healthy relationship and good friends. At an event on Appalachian folklore storytelling, she thinks she glimpses someone from her not so pleasant past. From there things careen out of control...a missing student , a hit and run and the death of a professor. Making sense of them all will keep Amy busy and put her in harm's way. Very entertaining!

Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the third book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. When a young woman goes missing, library director Amy finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Adding in an eccentric folklorist and a cheating ex-boyfriend only muddies the water. The mystery was good although not impossible to figure out. I found at times that the story seemed to drag, and I struggled to keep going. I wanted Amy to be a bit stronger at times even though she came through in the end.

Tgis book waa an absolute hit for me. It was the first one I have rwad by Victoria Gilbert. The characters were such a joy to get to know and I csnt wait to visit the beginning of the series to get to know them better. The plot had me guessing, on my toes and reading we'll into the night.

Another winner in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series! I’ve really been enjoying it, as you know if you’ve read my previous reviews, and this one is just as good as the first two. Ms. Gilbert does a great job of balancing the mystery (or rather, mysteries, one present and one historical) with the ongoing and developing relationships between the characters and townspeople. I love Amy, the protagonist, a library director with a puzzle-solver’s mind, and her boyfriend, dancer and choreographer Richard, who teaches at a nearby college. Amy’s unmarried Aunt Lydia is a delight, and a host of interesting secondary characters, from Brad the chief deputy to Amy’s assistant Sunny to the wealthy but mysterious art dealer Kurt, make the town of Taylorsville come alive.

We meet some new characters this time around, some enjoyable and some decidedly less so. Amy’s former boyfriend, the cheating Charles, falls in the latter category. I wasn’t any too pleased with Richard’s parents, either. Amy and Richard’s relationship continues to develop, if slowly. After far too many series that play the “will they/won’t they” game, keeping relationships hanging in an unresolved state, I am grateful for series like this one that build a romantic relationship believably over time.

Virginia folklore and traditional music play a part in this book, and I enjoyed the hint of magic, or at least the unexplainable, that the former lent to the story. Don’t misunderstand; it’s not a fantasy-mystery in any sense of the term; it’s very much a traditional cozy, and more realistic and grounded than many. I highly recommend the series, and this book, if you’re a fan of cozy mysteries.

The mystery was a bit on the complex side for a cozy. Many different layers, but in a good way!


Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Victoria Gilbert involves us in another Blue Ridge Library Mystery with Past Due for Murder. Excellent American cozy with a charming library director Amy Webber caught between an old flame and her current love interest. Both are acting out of character. Then a women goes missing and is found delirious beside the corpse of a woman who was involved with the old flame. Lots of red herrings. A pleasant read.

Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is a fun book set in the Blue Ridge Mountains starring a librarian and a library. What could be better? The story begins with a folklorist/college professor, Mona, telling stories to a group of Girl Scouts gathered 'round her a on the beach. The librarian in question is Amy. Shortly two of Mona's graduate assistants appear, looking for the third of their ilk, Trish. Shortly after that, Amy's ex: Charles shows up, wanting to talk. Never good. Before you know is a full-fledged search for Trish, TV and everything. Lots of twists and turns before the story is told. More bodies. More stories.

Loved Past Due for Murder. There are lots of subplots, red herrings, twists and turn, both emotional and real. The characters speak to the reader. It is real life, not always seen in books. Amy is determined to work it all out, even if the results are hurtful. She makes a great sleuth. The mystery is convoluted but in the end, makes sense, sadly. I recommend this book. I have wanted to read a Victoria Gilbert for some time now. I'm glad I did.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange foe a fair and honest review. #netgalley #pastdueformurder

Past Due for Murder is the 3rd book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. I hadn't read the previous books but it was easy enough to follow along and catch up. I liked the setting, and Amy as a protagonist. The mystery was alright, if not slow moving at times. Overall, I would say this meets the criteria for a simple cozy mystery that you can hunker down and relax with!

Shhh! No Guns in the Library!

Not that there isn't drama and excitement and murder and mayhem, but somehow I think "gentle"--code for library quiet? I love the descriptions of Appalachian legends and the open-ended possibilities of the Folk. This is the third in the series and I've been fortunate to have read them in order so as to enjoy the unfolding relationships in the long-term story arc. But each tale does stand alone and any references to prior events are sufficient for the action in the current novel. I continue to greatly enjoy author Victoria Gilbert's interesting plots, relaxed prose, and fully detailed characters.

Amy Weber’s neighbor, Richard, becomes a suspect in the disappearance of one of his dance students. Richard will not give anyone his alibi even Amy but she knows he can’t be guilty. Since Amy is a gifted researcher and naturally a curious person she is determined to find out what really happened to this girl.

This is the 3rd book in the series but my first. I had no problems following the storyline so this can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. Some aspects of the characters backstories probably would have been better understood if I had read the previous books but this did not affect how much I enjoyed the book. The characters are unique and interesting. The storyline of the folklore and magic makes the story feel real. The mystery is full of red herrings to keep the reader guessing who is really behind the missing girl and the events thereafter.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

Book 3 in the series. It was okay.

Oops. I didn't realize this was the third book when I requested it. I think I would have liked it more had I read the previous two.

I have to admit, that my main reason for rating this book only two stars was the main character, Amy. She seemed really impulsive and well, not real smart.

The mystery within the mystery, based on local folklore and past events, was more interesting to me than the modern day mystery.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this story.

I read the two books previous to this one so that I could have a good feeling for the characters before I review this edition. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the town where these stories take place. I'm very glad that I did this because I found it brought me an appreciation for this story more and I knew the back stories.

This is an enjoyable series, I like the characters and the way that Victoria Gilbert brings them to life. I will definitely continue to read books from this series.

In Victoria Gilbert's Past Due for Murder, the 3rd installment in the Blue Ridge Library Cozy Mystery series, this gripping tale has everything you ever wanted in a cozy mystery. For Amy Webber, she's the director of the Blue Ridge Library, and came across another mystery under her nose. First it started with the disappearance of Lacey Jacobs. While they searched for her, she dealt with her ex-boyfriend Charles Bartos popping out of nowhere and who wanted to make amends. He's grieving the loss of his recent girlfriend Marlis Dupre, though she didn't want anything to do with it or with him. Then she planned to talk to a local resident about the legend of fairy lights with Professor Mona Raymond, who never turned up for the meeting. Later, she discovered a letter about the legend of two disappearing girls, Ada Frye and her friend Violet, and the shocking truth behind the mystery behind it. She also dealt with her new boyfriend Richard's strange behavior and his parents coming in town. When Mona turns up dead, Amy's suspicious turn to her ex and then to a graduate student. As she had thought she had figured it out, the turns have been turned to her as she would have to fend for herself for justice to be served.

Title: Past Due for Murder
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Pg: 297
Series: Blue Ridge Library Mysteries book 3
Genre: Cozy mystery
Rating: 3 Stars
Past Due for Murder is the third book in the Blue Ridge Library mysteries book 3 by Victoria Gilbert. Amy Webber is starting to find her footing as the librarian and director of the Taylorsford Virginia. When another murder lands itself in her lap. And this time somehow her ex is involved.
This book happened to be my favorite of the series. I think mainly because Amy is starting to find her place and feel comfortable in her own skin. This one read quicker than the first two books in the series.
As a library assistant I enjoy reading cozy mysteries set in libraries especially small-town libraries. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. You want be sorry. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Past Due for Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery
By Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane
February 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

During May’s library-sponsored evening bonfire for Girl Scouts, the ghost stories being told by the folklorist Professor Mona Raymond and her students aren’t as scary as the sight library director Amy Webber sees lurking in the shadows. It’s been two years since Amy spoke to ex-boyfriend Charles Bartos, and she’s done her best to avoid just seeing him ever since he and his girlfriend moved to her town of Taylorsford, Virginia. Charles is in mourning for the recent hit-and-run death of the woman who broke up his and Amy’s relationship, but Amy’s still not ready to let down her guard with the famous musician. There are definitely higher priorities for her and the rest of the town anyway, as one of Mona’s students has gone missing and it quickly becomes apparent that her disappearance may not have been voluntary.

Lacey Jacob’s phone is recovered near the property of Charles and his cranky neighbor, but rumors at Clarion University also implicate Lacey’s dance instructor Richard Muir. In this age of #MeToo and new zero tolerance policies at the school it shouldn’t be surprising that Lacey may have been involved with an older man, but Amy can’t believe that she would once again have been so wrong about a man she has been dating. Amy can’t deny that Richard has been acting out of character and not being entirely truthful, and she’s determined to find out whether he has been hiding secrets that will break her heart. Amy is feeling pulled at by all sides, especially with Mona pressuring her for dirt on Charles, whom she accuses of stealing her work and using to build his reputation and career. It’s also not the best time for Richard and Amy to have a meeting of all their respective parents, but with everyone coming to Taylorsford that’s going to be unavoidable.

What is so enjoyable about this series since its start has been watching Amy grow more confident in both her professional and her personal life. Even though it often means fighting with the cheapskate mayor for funding, Amy absolutely loves her job as the library director, assisting researchers and her enthusiastic patrons. Meeting Charles again does have Amy questioning the strength of her relationship with Richard, an extraordinarily talented dancer who sees the beauty and intelligence within her. Amy’s parents are a delight to meet, especially when contrasted with Richard’s business-focused father and status-conscious mother. The setting is further explored with the oral tales about local Mountain Lights – don’t call them fairies – that have been blamed for the disappearance of young girls in 1879. The skillfully written novel ties together storylines with timely plots that reveal tragedies that often continue through present day. An eminently satisfying and warm-hearted conclusion will leave readers anticipating the future of Amy and her friends, and making this library-loving mystery series completely irresistible.

This is the third book of the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series, and the second one that I have read. My favorite thing about this series is the relationship between main character Amy and her boyfriend Richard, and their interactions were the strongest parts of this book. I could have lived without the cliched descriptions of Richard's parents' disappointment in his dancing career and their over-the-top nasty behavior toward Amy, but it was interesting to see how Amy and Richard each handled meeting the other's parents. For me, the mystery was a bit too complicated, with a lot of threads that I found difficult to keep organized in my mind, but I did like all the characters (especially Mary, the local folklorist), and I think the red herrings leading the reader away from figuring out the murderer were very effective. Also amusing were the scenes mentioning The Nightingale, the nickname Amy and her co-workers have given to the patron who inaccurately reshelves books in their library. I think every public library has one of those!

This might be my favorite book in the series, and the ending was just awesome! I hadn't quite guessed the killer, because the author is very good at using red herrings.

When a local college student went missing then was found near the body of her professor, the police weren't sure what to think, since there was no weapon found. Amy had talked to the woman just a few days before that and she'd told Amy she had some dirt on a local man and also the man Amy used to date, Charles Bartos. Amy just had to investigate and was nearly killed towards the end, but she had heard a confession from the killer. I liked how it didn't just end with solving the case. It continued to the planned May Day festival, which was what Prof. Mona had wanted to revive. And old case from the 1800s was somewhat tied in with this one, at least the existence of some gold coins and a killing were solved.

I love how Amy and Richard's relationship has grown, and aside from a small side mystery, they didn't keep anything from each other. It was interesting to see the two sets of parents interact. I definitely didn't like Richard's parents--and I don't think he likes them very much either. The end of the book was just perfect! I can't wait for the next one to come out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

A cozy mystery with lots of twists and turns and a mystery not immediately solved. I had not read the other books in this series, but I was able to catch up very quickly. An entertaining book for when you want something lighter to read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.