Member Reviews
Amana Flower has done it again with another cozy mystery winner. Crimes and Covers keeps you guessing until the very end with a great storyline and very well-crafted characters.
She continues to write great stories that are captivating and leave you asking for more.
Violet and David finally tie the knot! Of course nothing goes easy for these two. An unexpected occurrence at the wedding, an ultra valuable book, and a Thoreau-obsessed visitor blend this story into an interesting, continuously building mystery.
If anything, this edition of The Magic Bookshop series is even better than the last!
I really enjoyed this book. I love the main characters especially Emerson. The animals are great. The story is very interesting. I did have a sneaky suspicion about who the killer was but didn’t realize the extent of it. #CrimesandCovers #NetGalley
Crimes and Covers is the fifth book in the Magical Bookshop series by Amanda Flower. I had read the others and I couldn't wait to read this one. In true Violet fashion, she finds herself in the middle of a murder with her magical tree giving her clues to figure out who did it.
The storyline looked intriguing. I love books and bookshops so a magical bookshop in a small village definitely piqued my attention.
But I really struggled with aspects of the book. My impression was some elements were repeated, unnecessarily. Sadly, I found the characters a little stereotypical and some even more extreme; so they didn't resonate with me. II gave up partway through the book which is unusual for me.
It wasn't the first, but rather a later book in the series, perhaps if I'd started from the beginning? I'm sure the many fans of the series and the author will find it an enjoyable episode in their ongoing journey with Violet and her investigations into murder mysteries.
With thanks to #Netgalley, Crooked Lane and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
A visit to one of my favorite bookshops, the magical one. With a beautiful setting in Cascade Springs, loveable characters, fun touches, and multiple plots, this one keeps you interested from beginning to end.
Bookstore owner Violet Waverly's wedding to police chief David Rainwater will be a wedding to remember for the town of Cascade Springs... for all the wrong reasons. During the reception, a woman's body was found in the nearby Niagara River. Violet and David's honeymoon is put on pause so that the chief can investigate her death.
On the palm of the deceased woman's hand is a strange message: "They stole my book". This message refers to the same book that the woman tried to sell to Violet only a few days earlier: a first edition of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Luckily for Violet and David, Violet owns a magical bookstore that communicates with Violet through books. With the help of the store, Violet and David work hard to solve the mystery of the deceased woman and the missing book. Hopefully they'll be able to have the honeymoon they dreamed of!
I have to admit, I found the magical bookstore thing a little weird when I read the book's summary, but it actually works very well! It makes for a very interesting premise. I liked how Flower weaved in facts about Thoreau and Walden into this novel. I enjoyed seeing Violet using her knowledge about the author to help solve the mystery.
Even though the book has multiple subplots, I thought all of them were fairly well developed. The characters, particularly Violet and Chief Rainwater, were rounded and realistic people. They, and the town of Cascade Springs, are full of life. It's the kind of town I'd want to visit if it existed in real life.
I especially appreciated how well the romance subplot of Violet's wedding fit into the mystery. Sometimes when a cozy mystery has a romantic side, the romance can feel separate from the mystery itself, but that wasn't the case in this book. The romance was very well-integrated into the novel.
This was a slower paced book, but at the same time, I felt that the ending of the mystery came out of the blue for me. It's totally possible that in my excitement about Cascade Springs, I missed important clues about the mystery. Perhaps Flower could have emphasized certain important clues or to even introduced some clues earlier in the novel. I think this would help to make the ending clearer.
The book does work as a standalone. However, for maximum reading experience, I recommend reading the series in order so that you can get to know the characters and the magic of Violet's bookstore better.
Do note that there are mentions of mental illness in the book and some mild violence.
I love this series from Amanda Flower. It follows the adventures of Violet and her family and friends. I enjoy reading about the magic of the bookstore. This follows a mystery that has an element of the classic American novel Walden. Highly recommended.
It was an "ok book", which is usually the case for about every cozy mistery I read so far, and I just love the idea of a magical bookshop, plus Rainwather :)
È un libro ok, come sempre nel caso dei cozy mistery che ho letto fino ad ora, e poi mi piace molto l'idea di una libreria magica, piú Rainwather :)
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
I have not read any of Amanda Flower's previous books in this series so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm happy to say that I quite enjoyed this book! .
This is Book #5 in this series. A customer comes into the "magical" bookshop looking to sell a rare book; however the customer ends up dead so Violet and David start to investigate. I fell in love with the characters, the bookshop, and the mystery surrounding this death. The author's writing is spot on and I enjoyed the plot twists in this paranormal cozy mystery.
I’m so looking forward to reading books 1-4 in this series!
I absolutely love this series so I was happy to see another book was coming out.
This is the fifth book in the series and there some personal changes coming. Violet is getting ready to marry David, who happens to be the police chief. A woman come into the bookshop wanting to sell a rare book and when she ends up dead, Violet and David start to investigate.
I loved everything about this. Faulkner and Emerson continue to steal the show. I only like a few paranormal cozies but this is absolutely one of those good ones! I love the characters, the setting, the writing style and there’s always a good mystery. There’s some plot twists that keep this one interesting and the magical part of the bookshop is well written.
I’m absolutely looking forward to more books in the series!
Love this series and I flew through this one. Two words tell all....magical bookshop. Just the basic premise is enough to pique my curiosity. In Amanda Flowers more than capable hands, the series intrigues and is populated by memorable characters...human, feline,avian and other. In this instance Violet Waverly is marrying Chief David Rainwater in less than a week at Christmas. So it's busy already when an odd woman comes into the store attempting to sell her a first edition of Walden. As Thoreau was the topic of her dissertation she is tempted, but suspicious. Violet is strong and intelligent without the overwhelming nosiness that inflict so many other cozy female amateur sleuths.
law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, romance, family, family-dynamics, bookseller, small-business, small-town, magic*****
Although this is book 5 in series, I was fine with that because of the way that the past was covered in this story. I like all of Amanda's writings regardless of which series as they are a sure antidote to news in the world (or WW2 nonfiction). Of course the characters are well done, as is the sleuthing (complete with twists and red herring). But I absolutely love the magically imbued books with minds of their own. I loved it from beginning to end!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I really love this series by Amanda Flower. There are lots of cozy mysteries based on bookstores but this one is most unusual and Faulkner and Emerson really make it even more unique. Makes you want to visit this bookstore and browse and see what the bookstore chooses for you! Well written mystery with several twists. Great characters and leaves you wanting more.
After reading this book for a few chapters, I decided that it wasn't for me as it mentioned. magic in the bookstore the main character ran. I don't care for magic in books.
Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower in exchange for an honest review. Violet Waverly runs charming books in Cascade Springs, New Jersey. She and police chief, David Rainwater, are getting married soon. Violet is called the "book whisperer" as she knows what book to give each person. A lady comes into the store to sell a signed first edition of Henry Thoreau for $7000 in cash. Violet tells her no, as there is no provenance. She needs it authenticated. This book has a lot of intense and magical moments. It was an interesting story and kind of weird.
I've enjoyed the other books in this series, so it was nice to revisit the charming town and characters. I adore Violet and the bookshop. There are some parts in the story where there's a bit more telling than showing, but this was still an enjoyable cozy mystery overall. I really enjoy the clues through the books and sleuthing things out with the Violet. This is an enjoyable addition to the series.
I have enjoyed this series in the past. It is finally wedding time. I do wish more time had been spent at the wedding with our main characters. Because it had been awhile since the last one, it took me a bit to remember all the details. This is could be helped by the author recapping some of the important details; especially for first time readers. I enjoyed the book, there was a lot going on and the ending was a surprise. I received an ARC from Netgalley. I am not sure why but this one has parts of words missing which made reading it a challenge. It was like doing a crossword puzzle with no clues.
The author, Amanda Flower, gifts us with another great mystery. This is the 5th in her series, The Magic Garden Mysteries. We get to reconnect with many of the characters from her previous books. This is a great book with lots of twists and turns. You do not want to miss this. You will not want to put it down until the mystery is solved with a surprising ending. I would not have imagined the dirty deed being done by the person who finally confesses.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC copy of this book. The opinion expressed is my own.
Crimes and Covers is book No. 5 of the Magic Garden Mysteries. I have read all in this series. It takes place in Cascade Falls, New York. Violet Waverly and her Grandmother and Mayor, Daisy own a book store called Charming Books, a magical book store. Violet is the caretaker of the birch tree that is over 100 years old. that grows in the middle of the shop. There is a crow named Faulkner and a cat named Emerson who reside in the store. The characters are the same as from the first book to the new characters that add to this story. Violet is getting ready to marry Chief David Rainwater of the Cascade Police Department the weekend before Christmas. A woman named Roma Winterbourne comes to the store with a book Walden and wants to sell it for $7,000 Although Violet is very interested in the book she does not buy it. Roma is found drowned on Violet's wedding day. After the wedding Violet discovers that another woman, Imogine Thoreau who believes she is a descendent of Henry David Thoreau is the real owner of the book and wants it back. This is where the story takes an adventure of trying to find the book and all that surrounds it. During the search there is another murder of Heath Howell, another book store owner of Tattered Spine. The surprising ending keeps the reader on their toes with a happy ending.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to finding out the next adventure of Violet and her family.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC.