Faced with her aunt being badmouthed with the shadow of murder in its wake, Charlotte was determined to seek and find the truth. Everyone was a suspect, more so Charlotte who was thrown under the bus by one of her young customers. This is a cozy mystery that traveled back in time, seeking a clue. It was very interesting and intriguing it was also mildly captivating.

Honestly, this is the first cozy mystery I've ever tried and I neither disliked or particularly liked it. I think it is just not my genre and I'll probably not seek them out in the future. Therefore, I'm going with a middle of the road 3 star review because I didn't really know what to expect from the genre and since it's my first try with cozy mysteries I don't know if this was on par for other books in the genre.

Booked for Death is an entertaining and well written murder mystery. Well crafted plot and characters. A great addition to the series. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Booked for death is a mystery that takes place in Chapters a hotel that is hosting a mystery week. When one of the characters is murdered, everyone is a suspect. This story has lots of twist and a few secrets that will keep you guessing.

I've enjoyed the author's Blue Ridge Library Mysteries so was excited to see that she started a new cozy mystery series, especially one centering around a literary-themed bed and breakfast. I solved the mystery pretty early in the book, which was disappointing, and the characters felt a bit flat, but that is can happen at the beginning of a series. It can take a few books to feel like you know them, so I do look forward to the next book.

I've read this author before, and enjoyed her. First in the series here so was quite happy to get my advanced reader. I enjoyed this one. I really like the MC's sidekick and hope we continue to get more of this feisty 70 year old. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the setting of the book-themed B & B


Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert
Book #1: Booklovers B&B Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: Though I enjoyed this read, overall, I am reluctant to move above a three-star rating. I see a load of potential in the series, but this first book seems to have fallen into several first-in-a-series pitfalls. A first book in a new series has a load of ground to cover and if it isn’t handled properly, the book becomes bogged down and less enjoyable. Because of the nature of the setting, which I adore, by the way, there are a great number of characters to sort through. In addition to the book-specific characters, there are also the regulars whose stories we are just beginning to learn. Wading through all the names and backstories can become tedious and it sometimes did. Additionally, there is a plot within a plot and one, the backstory plot related to Charlotte and the B&B, has a tendency to overwhelm the book-specific plot. As I said, there is a great deal going on in this book and, for my money, some of it related to Charlotte and her mysterious great-aunt could have been left to later installments of the series. With all that having been said, I am not giving up on this series. I greatly enjoyed the setting, both the B&B and the town, I like Charlotte and her spry next-door neighbor, and the possibility and potential these things hold moving forward. I certainly wouldn’t advise skipping this book, but this is a densely packed genre, and you may find some of the issues I found in this book to be more trouble than they’re worth, especially when you consider the aforementioned densely packed nature of this genre.

Having read all of the author's Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, I was thrilled to see that she was starting another book themed series and excited to get an ARC from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. This series is set 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. The book dealer suspected ,Charlotte's aunt, Isabella, of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises. 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 and learn about her aunt's past.

I have already enjoyed two of this author's Blue Ridge Library series and plan to read the rest, so I was happy to try the first book in this new series.

I liked the setting of a bed and breakfast where guests stay for a week of themed literary entertainment. The main character, Charlotte, is new to the job but has several old hands on board to help her. Since I only recently read a book about Josephine Tey it was fun to discover that the featured week was based on her books.

The book follows the normal cosy mystery pattern except for the introduction of a retired spy as the next door neighbour. I assume she will continue to pair up with Charlotte to solve future cases.

I was interested and entertained through the whole book and read it in one day. I am looking forward to more in his series.

First in a new series Booklovers B&B mystery series. Charlotte Reed has inherited Chapters the B&B her Aunt Isabella ran in Beaufort North Carolina. She has a busy week planned for her guests and some locals with events planned around a famous mystery author. Charlotte approaches one of her guests Lincoln Delamont in the library as she discovers him on the ladder and pulling rare books. When she requests that he honor the rules of the B&B and not use the library ladder and let her know when he is interested in the book, he challenges her and asks how her great aunt could afford the house and all her rare books. He suggests that her Aunt may have stolen items when she was a maid in the 1950’s. Charlotte asks a few people who she thinks knew her Aunt Isabella, but no one knows how she acquired her fortune. At the planned costume party, Charlotte has to run to the store for ice but when she returns, she learns from Scott who is staying at the carriage house there is a dead body of Lincoln Delamont. All the guests must stay in town including the wife and daughter of the murder victim. Charlotte feels she must do something so she begins to ask some questions and she wants to have someone to use as a sounding board, so she talks to her next door neighbor Ellen Montgomery. Charlotte is also working to figure out if there is anything to the allegations Lincoln made about her Great Aunt. I love the idea of this B&B as it has it roots in books. Charlotte and Ellen worked well together and I think they will make a good team in the future. I think many first in a series books have to lay the foundation for the series. We get to know the locals who attended the party as well as the guests and learn more about Charlotte and Isabella’s background. This was a good solid mystery with strong characters and potential. Enjoyed.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this title at 51%. For me it took to long for the murder to happen. There are a lot of characters - none of them likable and there was just so much information given about them when they were introduced. It seemed as though tidbits of who they were/are should have been revealed over time. Also, at times there was an absurd amount of detail provided. There's a lot of information/detail about how people are dressed - particularly the women.

I also found it really unrealistic. Especially when the detective said no one at the party was a suspect. The fact that Charlotte didn't know her friend's bookstore was closed on Mondays was really the straw that broke the camel's back. How could you not know?

I really wanted to like this because it seemed interesting, but sadly I did not.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of BOOKED FOR DEATH (Book 1 of the Book Lover’s B&B Mysteries by Victoria Gilbert in exchange for an honest review. Forty-two-year-old widow and former school teacher Charlotte Reed inherited her great-aunt’s B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte, now the proprietor of Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast, continues her aunt’s tradition of hosting literary events and book clubs for the guests and the town. During a costume party celebrating author Josephine Tey, a guest is murdered in the carriage house. Since the guest had recently accused Charlotte’s great aunt of accruing the B&B’s treasures through theft and other shady practices, Charlotte becomes a suspect in the murder. Also, one of Charlotte’s friends is suspect because of her secret relationship with the married man. With others having been cheated, cheated on, stifled, insulted, and otherwise offended by the man, it’s going to be difficult to find the person who did the deed. In addition to investigating the victim, Charlotte embarks on a quest to clear her mysterious great aunt of the victim’s accusations.

I liked this book. I thought it was a good start to a new series. I would definitely read the next book. I recommend this book to fans of Victoria Gilbert and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, inns, books, themed events, mysterious relatives, and national intrigue.

#BookedforDeath #NetGalley

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert is the first in a new series of cozy mysteries set in the charming Chapters Bed and Breakfast, Beaufort , North Carolina, run by widow and book lover Charlotte. Having inherited the B&B from her Aunt, Charlotte is trying not just to keep the business afloat, but to honour the traditions of previous years. Having organised an event to celebrate the works of famous mystery author Josephine Tey, she never expected to be confronted by a real life murder mystery on her doorstep. All of her guests and staff seem to be possible suspects, and even Charlotte herself is under suspicion, as the victim , a rare book dealer, was overheard suggesting that he knew a dark secret about her aunt. His reputation as something of a womaniser does not narrow the suspect pool either, especially since his wife and teenage daughter have just found out about his philandering ways. With an impressive pool of suspects, a couple of red herrings and enough twists to keep any reader entertained, this was a fun mystery in the vein of a classic Agatha Christie tale. The characters were all well crafted and believable, and Charlotte, with her tragic backstory was easy to root for. I noticed something at the resolution of the book that leads me to hope that we will see most of the characters return at some point in the series, which I think would be a lot of fun for the reader.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I like Victoria Gilbert and I was expecting this sort of Cozy Mystery, but in the end I think that it was a little bit too long and with way too much drama and sadness all around the book. Maybe the next one is going to be lighter, hopefully.

Mi piace Victoria Gilbert e sapevo cosa mi aspettava quando mi hanno mandato questo Cozy Mystery da leggere, ma alla fine credo che ci fossero troppe pagine, troppi drammi e troppa tristezza per questo genere di romanzo. Spero che il prossimo sia un po' piú leggero....

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Welcome to the small, historic town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Recently widowed Charlotte Reed inherited Chapters, a local Bed and Breakfast, from her great-aunt Isabella and decided to move to town and run the inn. She has carefully planned a weekend around mystery writer Josephine Tey and has scheduled activities that include a British themed breakfast, a costume party, and a book discussion.

The inn has an assortment of guests attending the events. One, Lincoln Delamont is a bookdealer who decides to rummage through the inn’s library uninvited – including rare books on the upper shelves that guests are not supposed to access on their own. There is an author who often stays in the carriage house on the property. Some of the attendees are staying at the end, while others live in town or have made other lodging arrangements.

Events take an unforeseen turn at the party when Mr. Delamont is found stabbed to death in the carriage house. Everyone becomes a suspect, so Charlotte starts her own investigation in order to prove her own innocence and try to eliminate at least some of her guests as possible killers.

I overall enjoyed this book. The description of the town made me want to visit. The mystery is well crafted and potential motives for all the guests are carefully woven together. Each character was brought to life and had a reason for being a part of the story. Nothing jumped out at me to suggest the murderer, so I was surprised by the ending.

Thanks go to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this story. A positive review was not required, but I am pleased to say that it did not take long for me to really get caught up in the story.

This is the first volume in a new cozy mystery series, "A Book Lover's B and B Mystery." In Beaufort, NC, Charlotte Reed runs Chapters Bed and Breakfast, where book lovers come to stay and enjoy programs and discussions. During a week-long program, a guest is murdered, and everyone, including Charlotte, is a suspect. While undertaking some amateur sleuthing, Charlotte befriends her older neighbor, who reveals some surprising information about the aunt who left Chapters to Charlotte. Together, they discover the true killer, a mystery that I could not solve. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, and would like to spend more time at Chapters. I am looking forward to the next volume in the series. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

This book was entertaining, but it was off-putting how old the main character acted. When she had internal dialogue, she sounded like she was 80!

This was the first book I have read by this author, Victoria GIlbert. The storyline was interesting but there were a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the book. The main character, Charlotte, inherited a bed & breakfast from her aunt, Isabella. During one her events that she hosted at the B & B, one of the guests ends up being murdered. The rest of the story centers around trying to find who killed the guest. Was it his wife, daughter, Charlotte, or one of the other hosts of guests who were staying at the B & B for the event? Each person had a potential motive so the story basically goes through the guests and how they knew the murder victim, Lincoln. Honestly I thought the storyline was pretty good but I just had a hard time staying "glued" to it. It took me several attempts at finishing the book once I started it I would recommend it as very light-hearted reading.

I was given a copy of this book through the publisher and Net Galley. This is my honest opinion and review of the book, Booked for Death.

This cozy is a great first entry in the series. What I enjoyed was a twist on the genre of themed cozies was the occupation of the protagonists sidekick. I had a hard time figuring out who the killer was and felt that Booked For Death overall was a 4 out of five star book. I felt at times the plot did drag on a little, but other than that Booked For Death was good. I liked the fact that the bed and breakfast theme had its own theme as well. It could make for some great future books. I will read the second book for sure.

Chapters is a book-themed B&B set in beautiful Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte inherited the B&B from her late great aunt when she passed away. Charlotte was a school teacher, and is still mourning the loss of her late husband, who passed away heroically.

Charlotte decides to host a literary retreat featuring the author, Josephine Tey and finds herself with an eclectic mix of characters including a rare book dealer, his wife and daughter, a wealthy professional athlete, a set of eccentric twins who live in town, a resident author and her friend and book shop owner, Julie. Her neighbor, Ellen and friend of her late great aunt also joins the group from time to time. When the rare book dealer accuses her great aunt of being a book thief and then winds up stabbed during a garden party, Charlotte recruits Ellen to help her find the killer and prove that her aunt was not a thief.

Charlotte and Ellen meet regularly to go over the latest clues. I was pleasantly surprised by the killer and the way they went about solving the murder. Without spoiling anything, the reveling of the murderer was well thought out and intriguing. I found my mind wandering during some of the other parts of the book, but this section kept me riveted until the end!

I received an advanced copy of this title from Netgalley in response for an honest review.