Booked for Death is a great start of a new series set in the coastal town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte Reed inherited her aunt's B&B, Chapters, a year ago and is enjoying the new experience. Her husband passed away three years ago and a new start for her was what she needed. Filled with cases of books in each room, as the name suggests, the inn revolves around a literary theme. Events are occasionally held for week long retreats based on work by different authors. Josephine Tey, a mystery author, is the author whose work is focused on during the current week. With out of town guests and locals involved, it is sure to be a great time. But then when a guest is murdered during one of the night events, things take a drastic turn. The victim was not liked and was not nice to his wife and not a good role model for his daughter. No one can leave town so it is a stressful and distrustful time while the police investigate the murder. Charlotte along with Ellen, her next door neighbor and an old friend of her aunt, work together to figure out who could have committed the crime and no one is above suspect, including the B&B staff or in some minds, Charlotte.
The setting is fun and full of lots of history that the author brings out and the characters are well developed and realistic. The suspect pool is big and many have reason to wish the man dead. There is also a side mystery about Charlotte's aunt that adds a little extra interest. I enjoyed the story and look forward to future books in the series.
I received a complimentary copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine only.

Charlotte is one of those characters authors write that you want in real life! You want to see the B&B, the town, the book club, etc. It was so well written and descriptive that you forgot you were in a book at times. It is a joy to have an author give you that feeling! I certainly will be looking for more in this series and looking for others!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert - Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader's paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.
The victim's daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.
Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt's name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer's death.”
I recommend and enjoyed this book. It was a light, fast-paced, cozy mystery. I enjoyed the different characters and can’t wait to read Victoria Gilbert’s next book. Enjoyable entertaining read. Thank you to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s Copy.

Good start to an interesting new series. It's a little bit of a slow start, but I didn't mind as the pace picked up later and the book came to a satisfying conclusion.

Cozy Mystery fans will enjoy this new series set in a B&B with a rare-books library.

Thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

Victoria Gilbert’s new series, Booklover’s B&B Mysteries, starts strong with murder and a touch of espionage. Charlotte Reed inherits Chapters, her great aunt Isabella’s B&B in Beaufort, NC, complete with an extensive collection of rare editions.

The murder of rare book dealer Lincoln Delamont after he threatens Charlotte puts her high on the suspect list. His speculation that Isabella stole many of the books in her collection startles Charlotte. Other suspects emerge, and naturally, Charlotte investigates.

Ms. Gilbert establishes a comfortable setting and a solid foundation for future stories. Her characters are engaging and well-defined. Plenty of red herrings and twists offer appropriate diversion. The story moves at a steady pace. Readers are ready for the next installment.

When you have a book with this title and the name of the B&B is Chapters I am hooked! This was such a fun read and one I rarely put down. And then there’s food. Charlotte inherited the B&B from her great aunt and has retained a long-time employee or maybe I should call her a fixture of the business. They clean and cook, and it seems as if Victoria Gilbert makes us read about every neat thing that is cooked or baked.

There are great characters here. Gilbert seems to be so good at describing them that they become a scene in your mind. And the who-dun-it part. You guess and you think you know and then, you don’t.

This is Book 1 in a new series titled “Booklover’s B&B Mystery”. Gilbert also has a popular series titled “Blue Ridge Library Mystery”. I guess the best way to describe how I felt about this is that I want another book in both series.

This is the second book of Victoria Gilbert that I have read. I really enjoy the way she writes and the characters that she creates.
Booked to Death is the beginning of a new series for Victoria Gilbert. In this mystery we meet Charlotte who has recently moved to Beaufort, North Carolina. She has inherited a Bed-and-Breakfast called Chapters from her aunt. While hosting an event at Chapters revolving around the mysteries written by Josephine Tey, a very disagreeable man is murdered. Charlotte feels compelled to solve the mystery. Among the murder suspects we find the man's wife, daughter, Charlotte's very good friend along with practically everyone else who was attending the event.
The plots of Josephine Tey's books are referenced in connection to the plot. This is done in a non-spoiler way. If you have read the books, this just adds to the pleasure of reading this cozy mystery. Victoria Gilbert also includes good descriptions of the different things to see in Beaufort, North Carolina like the local cemetery and Fort Macon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. I would give this book four and half stars if I could. It is a solid start to a new series.

The book blurb was really promising, but it took me a long while to really get into the book. I had to wait until a big revelation about the lead character’s great aunt to finally have my curiosity piqued and really want to reach the end. All in all, I thought the plot was well thought out, with enough red herrings and suspects to confuse the reader and maintain the suspense. I thought the ending was nicely done. In the end, I thought this first book in the news series offered its share of surprises and mystery to deliver on its promise.

This book is a great start to a new series. It began at a slow pace which allowed me to get to know the characters. The plot was good and I loved the intrigue. I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This new series from a favorite author is going to be a big hit with readers who like book-themed cozies. I loved getting to know a whole new cast of wonderful characters, and it was fun to pick out literary references in the text. This was also the second book in a row by this author where I was able to accurately identify the murderer. Sometimes I feel like authors make that intentionally difficult; I like that Gilbert makes the clues available to readers who want to try piecing them together.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert is a great first book in a series and I will look forward to further books in the series. I loved the theme of a Bed and Breakfast with a library of rare edition books. The characters were well written and not so many that reader had trouble keeping track of who was who. If you love cozies, you will enjoy this book.

Booked for Death from Crooked Lane Books is the first book in a new series, "Book Lover's B&B Mystery" by Victoria Gilbert.

Charlotte won't be everyone's cup of tea. She can be hard to take at times. She needs a boost to keep the B&B she inherited afloat as financially; the B&B isn't pulling its weight yet. But murder isn't what she had in mind. This leads her down a path that could result in her losing everything, including her life. The character of Ellen is easy to like; she isn't what she seems and is willing to put herself in danger to save her next-door neighbor. Characters are interesting and will mature in future additions. I would like to see more about Ellen and Charlotte's aunt, Isabella's activities in the past. I feel this would enhance the series a great deal.

The location of a B&B mixed with North Carolina is an excellent place to set a new series. The literary part attracts many of us who enjoy these types of cozies. The actual location is beautiful and steeped in history.

The killing of Lincoln was predictable, as was the finger pointing at the B&B owner. The victim was not well-liked by anyone, including his family; he was underhanded and possibly a criminal. The resolution of the murder with suspects who all had a motive was a bit slow but ultimately worked out in Charlotte's favor. Overall, I felt that Booked for Death was a good start to what hopefully will turn into a beautiful series.

This was a great new mystery full of wonderful characters and a suspenseful plot that kept me turning the pages until the very end. The main character is a very likeable widow and former teacher who inherited a bed and breakfast. She's inquisitive and curious, great attributes for an amateur sleuth. There were just the right amount of suspects and red herrings to keep me guessing. The plot is similar to a locked-room mystery, where all of the suspects are apart of one gathering. I couldn't figure out whodunnit until the very end. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves a cozy mystery. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert is the first book in the new Booklovers B&B Mystery series and it is set in Beaufort, NC. North Carolina is my favorite state to visit – my sister-in-law’s sister lives in Wilmington, and I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time there. I love everything about a B&B for book lovers! What a perfect destination vacation. I’d love to participate in fun bookish events – especially in an area I love spending time in. The setting and the premise of the story drew me in first. I found myself reading until I was too sleepy to keep going! That is the mark of a good book for me – when I read until I can’t keep my eyes open. 🙂

The book starts off with a lot of “set up” – introducing characters, setting, etc and the murder happens a bit later in the story because of that. I’ve found that happens with books that are first in the series since they require a bit more background information than later entries. Once the murder occurred, the story really flew for me as I was racing to find out whodunit – and worried that there would be more victims before the killer was found.

Overall, this was a strong start to a series sure to appeal to cozy lovers everywhere. I am looking forward to more in the series!

This is a strong start to a new series. The setting of a book lover’s bed and breakfast is a dream vacation for a bookworm like me. The main character, Charlotte, is a likable, realistic, strong female. I look forward to seeing how her character develops over the series. The mystery is full of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing whodunit until the big reveal. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert, the first in the Booklover's B&B mystery series. What could be better than a B&B with a literary theme? The name is Chapters and it's located in Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte Reed who inherited it from her great-aunt Isabella, who is pretty much a mystery to her, owns it. She runs the place with the help of Alicia Simpson, who came with the house, and does much of the cooking. This week they are in the midst of a Josephine Tey celebration for both guests and locals. There are plenty of secrets at Chapters as it is all so new and Aunt Isabella was so old that mostly no one is left who knew here well. Charlotte has one semi-permanent resident, Scott Kepler, who is an author and comes to Chapters for peace and quiet. Charlotte is still unpacking books from Aunt Isabella's library, which includes many valuable entries. All is going well with Josephine Tey until there is a murder, and they are all suspects.

Booked for Death is full of lying, misidentifications, cheating husbands, theft, and some surprises. The plot is one that takes explaining, as it is so complicated. The main characters are good and I look forward to spending more time with them. Gilbert has a hit on her hands. A definite plus are all the references to books you may have read, or may be tempted to read after immersing yourself in this book. My favorite cozies take place in bookshops or libraries and this certainly fills the bill. I recommend it.

I was invited to read an ARC of Booked for Death by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #bookedfordeath

I really like Booked For Death! It has all the things that thrill my heart. Victoria Gilbert delivers a quality cozy mystery with great characters. I was left guessing the culprit till the very end. I will be looking for more books by this author.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert is my first foray into the cozy mysteries genre.

I have seen that this genre of mystery is very popular with a lot of readers and so when I stumbled across this book on NetGalley, which incidentally is the first book in a new series by the author, I decided to give it a go. Definitely wasn't disappointed! I will try to indulge more in this genre in the future; it seems to have all the trappings of a good mystery without too much gore, violence and raised stress levels (though I do love those as well 😅)! What's more, this book introduced me to some more mystery authors and titles 😉.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author Victoria Gilbert for an e-Arc of the book.

Another day in Taylorsford, another murder. This one was from quite a while ago, which I really liked. Sometimes an old mystery is good, and this was a doozy. It took me a bit to figure this one out, and it was very well written. I like how elements of the previous books are woven in, and how complex the characters are. Very good book and series, I absolutely recommend.

Booked for Death – Victoria Gilbert
Booklovers B&B Mystery #1

Booked for Death tells the story of Charlotte Reed – retired teacher who now runs a bookish B&B – Chapters. During a Mystery Author themed event one of her guests turns up dead! Suspicion is rife among the guests and Charlotte herself is included in the list of suspects. In efforts to clear her name and those of her friends, she embarks on a bit of sleuthing herself, ably assisted by her septuagenarian neighbour, Ellen.

However Charlotte has multiple mysteries on her hands – the reason she herself is a suspect is embroiled with the mysterious life of her late aunt, from whom she inherited Chapters. Whilst trying to solve both mysteries Charlotte discovers not everyone is who they seem and many of her guests and friends have their own secrets to hide!

This was a nice, gentle read. The setting in a book lovers themed B&B was very fitting as it allowed a mixture of characters between locals and guests. There were a couple of moments of suspense but overall it was definitely a “cosy” read. I never really feared for Charlotte’s life at any point during her sleuthing.

The clues given throughout were just enough to help the reader reach the correct conclusion along with the main characters at the end and I found this satisfying.

For anyone who enjoys a gentle, cosy mystery with a slightly bookish background then this would be ideal.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.