A story about academically minded people , a young woman who has more money than sense , a rambling old building & a Murder among other mysteries within it's walls . Clewe who owns said Mansion & Hunter who comes to work for him start sleuthing to solve them all! I've only given the Book three stars because it didn't grip my attention in such a way that I couldn't put the Book down . Nonetheless it was quite an enjoyable read.#NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.I do have friends who I know will enjoy this so I will recommend it to them .

This was a murder mystery with lots of suspects and an old house with as many secrets as the people staying within.

Jane was a nice "old lady detective" character, while Cam came across as aloof and Sherlock-esque.

While the book itself was easy to read I struggled with the narrative voice. The characters were very passive, and even in some scenes or reveals where you'd expect a fiery reaction, they fell flat and weren't believable.

Jane, our protagonist whose eyes we see everything through, also details all her thoughts in conversation so there are no clues for you to put together. For example:
*Clue*
Jane: "This makes them suspicious because X, but I could also rationalise this by Y. I will bear this in mind during my research."

I'm never really a fan of "baddie reveals all in a monologue" and that happened frequently here. Even suspects who were not guilty of the crime came up to Jane and confessed their secrets. And because there were so many characters, there was a lot of repetition.

I didn't like the ending. I didn't feel there were enough clues to allow you to jump to that conclusion yourself, and it came across very left field.

BUT, I read this very quickly as it was so easy to read. I love locked house mysteries, and the ending sets this up very nicely for a sequel

first-in-series, new-series, librarian, library, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, country-estate, entitled-attitude, mental-health-awareness, mental-health-issues, reclusive, wealthy****

The new librarian found the body in the library and the candlestick is missing.
It was the Monday after a fundraising gala on the estate and Jane Hunter's first day at her new job on the Clewe estate since her forced retirement from the university library. An unlikely alliance is formed between middle aged Jane, her employer the thirty something Cam Clewe, and Jane's new landlord (a retired journalist) to extricate the clues to the murder and more. Very good start to a promising new series by an excellent author of cozy mysteries!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A new mystery that I hope will turn out to be a series! Jane Hunter has been forced into early retirement from her long time job as a college librarian. To supplement her modest pension, she takes a freelance job with the town's well-known wealthy young, eccentric recluse, Cameron Clewe, organizing his personal library. On her first day of work at the mansion, a body is discovered in the library. Now, Jane is called upon to use her library research skills to help clear Cameron's name -- but she's not completely sure he is innocent. Great story that I look forward to recommending.

What is this about?
The first in a new series sees Jane Hunter take on a new position for an eccentric collector and find herself solving a murder mystery — one in which her boss seems to be the main suspect.

What else is this about?
An introduction to Hunter and Clewe in essence.

There’s much to like about A Cryptic Clue: a 60-year-old main character that is investigating a murder, and I don’t often see characters of a certain age like this as the main character investigating anything. Jane is finding her feet after retirement, and that takes her to Cameron Clewe, a collector of rare books.

He hires her to catalogue his collection, and along the way Jane and readers discover more about Cam, about his life, his family — and his dating habits when his most recent ex is found dead in his library.

Cam, Jane and his assistant Lauren begin investigating Ashley’s murder, pretty much to clear Cam as the main suspect.

Thing is, I just wish I liked this more. I asked for this on Netgalley because it read like a cozy mystery, and a retired librarian? I’m there! And while, it hits all the right beats, I couldn’t help but compare it to the Tita Rosie series and Flight Risk, which were the most recent cozy mysteries I read. Both were funny and filled with characters I was eager to follow through the mystery and wanted to know more about.

I feel terrible comparing it to those titles, because I understand they are very different — perhaps I have just discovered my tastes in cozies. They’re my palate cleansers, an absolute counter to the darker thrillers I tend to read and A Cryptic Clue didn’t quite do that for me.

What’s your favourite type of cozy?

This mystery shows the beginning of amateur-sleuths in the making mystery Jane Hunter, a mid-sixties former librarian with a secret past who has recently gone to work for Cam and Cameron "Cam" Clewe thirty something genius billionaire who hires Jane to catalogue his extensive art and book collections who deals with multiple mental illnesses. Just as Jane begins her new job they find themselves in the middle of a murder and with Cam as the prime suspect, Jane and Cam decide to investigate themselves.

I loved that the main character was an older woman and this did not hold her back, in fact she used what she knew from past experiences to aid her with being a detective. Also I loved that Cam wasn't the typical Sauvé rich guy, instead he was awkward and not altogether likeable but you still do route for him especially as you find out more about him. Overall it was just a nice quick cosy mystery, although it was slow in parts it is an easy read.

Thank you NetGalley for this book. Jane Hunter is starting a new job archiving a collection. She is excited to get started but on her first day she discovers a body. What a fun read this was. It kept my interest in the characters as well as the mystery. I look forward to the next book.

Please note that my actual review (when it's published), will have a rating of 4.5 stars rather than just four.
This was a lovely book and I found myself laughing loudly while reading it. The humour and banter between Jane and Cam was exceptional, and I love how Cam warmed up right at the very end. I love how it took time for him to trust Jane, and we can really see that throughout the whole book right up until their little heart-to-heart.
I loved the fact that the main character was an older woman, and that there was no hint of romance between her and Cam. I've not read other novels by Victoria Gilbert, but I know how rare it is to find to find older main characters (outside of the obvious classics of course.)
This really was a sweet, comfy-cozy book that I'm excited to buy when it's released and reread when I need a little pick me up. I wish it was released last year though, as I would have loved to have read this with my grandmother before she passed. I know she would have loved this too.

An excellent whodunit with red herrings galore that kept me guessing a writing style that works a treat with strong characters and an original plot. Highly recommend.
An independent review of NetGalley / Crooked Lane Books

A wonderful read, that takes you gently and leads you through intrigue and mystery. Dead bodies, murder, accusations and our heroine Jane is on the case. It falls to her to find the truth behind the death of the wealthy ex of her boss Cam and prove his innocence. A classic and compelling detective story and ticks all boxes and is a fun and enjoyable read. Colourful, well developed characters and an intriguing mystery to solve, an excellent and thrilling adventure.

The cover doesn't give you a lot so I wasn't sure what I was getting when I started this one. I liked the house, the grounds and the set up of meeting Cam and Lauren. The murder mystery is very fast, within the first few chapters. I liked the build up of the mystery, the cast of suspects was huge but well done - I enjoyed learning all their steps and possible reasons for wanting the victim dead.

Although the middle slowed down just a little for me, as she dug through both her day job of cataloging boxes of books and then trying to track down suspects and alibis, the ending was satisfying. And do I spy possible loose threads and hints in the end for a book 2? I hope so, I'd love to read it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This was a fun start to a new cozy mystery series! Cam and Jane are very different but they complemented each other well. Jane is wise, social, and patient, while Cam is reserved but incisive. I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters that make up their friend circles as well but I'm hoping we get to see their characters built out in more detail in future books.

The story was focused on the mystery of the murder. I do wish there had been more research into the other house mysteries, but I seems that will be a common themes throughout the series as they work to solve them. My favorite part was watching Jane snoop through papers for clues, so I hope we see some more of her using those old records to get at the answers.

There were lots of suspects to keep us guessing in this one so I didn't have clear guesses, let alone resolution, until the final 25% or so. This was the perfect read to close out the end of the year and I'm looking forward to their next adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she’s about to discover, a retiree’s life can bring new thrills—and new dangers. Cameron “Cam” Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something—an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane’s thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane’s delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam’s library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam’s failed romances—and now he’s suspect number one. Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name—but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he’ll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss. This is the start of a wonderful new series. I’m really hoping to see more of these characters sooner rather than later. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

When sixty-year-old former university librarian Jane Hunter is hired as a cataloger for an eccentric and wealthy young collector, she ends up stuck in the middle of a murder mystery that could bring her new job to an abrupt end, unless she can use her research skills to help prove her employer’s innocence.

Part of what drew me to this cozy mystery was the middle-aged protagonist. Sometimes I get tired of reading about brilliant, special, talented young people who can miraculously figure out the answers to all life’s problems despite having experienced very little in their short lives. Jane is accomplished and hard-working, and has years of experience that make her uniquely qualified for the job she is hired to do. And it makes sense that some of those same skills would come in handy for amateur sleuthing. Jane was a likable and very sensible protagonist. I loved her dynamic with Cam (her enigmatic new boss) and look forward to the possibility of further books about their investigations. The author, Victoria Gilbert, did a great job balancing the main mystery that was solved in this book with the broader mysteries surrounding the Aircroft Estate that will presumably be explored down the road.

As a mystery, I did feel that A Cryptic Clue fell a little flat. Firstly, several crucial pieces of information were withheld until the end, which made it almost impossible to truly solve the case before the reveal. (Perhaps there were enough clues to guess at the culprit, but not the motive). Secondly, there were a few red herrings that were never resolved, which I personally found irritating. That said, it was still a fun read.

I am giving this book three and a half stars out of five. I found the characters likable, the setting engaging, and the story interesting, if a bit one-dimensional. Because I have no major complaints, I am rounding up rather than down. If you enjoy the TV shows Murder, She Wrote or Monk then I recommend giving A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert a try.

Victoria Gilbert is a new author to me and I was drawn to this book by the synopsis, which sounded both interesting and on the humorous side. The first couple of chapters were smoothly done, introducing the characters and filling in a little background on them. Unfortunately, once the body popped up in the library, it all got a little boring, almost as though the author were ticking off each element of the story and then moving swiftly on to the next. I'm afraid I lost interest in the densely written story, although I did finish it. I found it lacking in humour and in need of a lighter touch.
I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It follows retired university librarian, Jane Hunter who has taken a job inventorying and cataloguing wealthy collector Cameron Clewe's ever-expanding collection of rare mysteries and ephemera. When Cameron's ex-girlfriend is murdered in his large mansion, he and Jane work together to find the killer. ⁠
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The mystery itself was well done and I loved the nods to rare and classic detective stories. I wrote down a few new-to-me authors to check out. My favourite part of the story was the relationship between Cameron and Jane. It's not often that you see a friendship between a younger man and an older woman. The ending left lots of openings for more Hunter and Clewe mysteries and I'm eager to read them.

Jane Hunter has lost her job as a librarian. At only 60, she isn’t ready or financially able to retire. She is hired by Cameron Clewe, a wealthy thirtysomething collector of rare books. Jane is excited to begin even though her first meeting with Cameron reveals him to be socially inept and seemingly very set in his ways.
Jane arrives for her first day of work, ready for this new challenge. What she doesn’t anticipate is a dead body in her office and someone she has seen before. Ashley Allen, Cameron‘s latest ex girlfriend lies dead on the floor and the two of them were seen arguing last night. Wil Jane’s chance at financial stability be snatched away already? Could Cameron be a killer or is there more to this cozy mystery?

The first book in what appears to be a new series. A lot of background information which is expected in the first book. I thought the pacing was a bit slow at the beginning, but again it takes time to get familiar with the characters in a new series. I’m looking forward to seeing how the second book flows and whether or not I wind up caring about Jane and Cameron. They definitely make an interesting pair and I can see this one having many cozy murder mystery potentials. 3.5 stars.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A brand new cozy mystery series that has the promise it’ll be around for a long time.

Jane and Cam are excellent MC. They’ll draw you into their world without a moment’s hesitation. Don’t make plans for the day you pick this one up. You’ll be so immersed in the story, you’d have to cancel.

Jane Hunter takes a job as a cataloguer in the private library of quirky, eccentric Cameron Clewe. When the body of Cam's ex-girlfriend is found in the library after a party, Cam is naturally a suspect, but Jane needs the job so she works hard to prove he did not kill Ashley Allen, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. There are plenty of suspects to go around including Ashley's own parents and sister. Working alongside Cam, Jane pieces together the clues and points the police in the right direction, while also uncovering some history about Cam's life. Interesting characters and an intriguing plot make this a fun mystery.

As mysteries go, this was a light and quick read. It’s a good one time read. The characters are interesting although a bit flat for my taste.