I was unsure at the beginning of The Blood Compass but pushed on. I was very glad I did as the story picked up it's tension and pace.
The main character is Jane Hunter, a retired research librarian who takes on a new job with a 30-year-old reclusive millionaire called Cam. At a big sponsored event at his mansion, a young heiress is murdered. They team up as amateur detectives to preserve Cam's reputation as he becomes the main suspect.
I mostly enjoyed the mystery and was pleasantly surprised by the ending that probably means there will be more books to come.
Recommended.

Couldn't finish this one--characters and plot did not engage me. Main characters were unappealing. Premise was great--love plots that involve librarians, but I didn't care about the characters or "who did it."

Jane Hunter is a retiring professional librarian and archivist, pushed out of her career path by a younger crowd and tough economic times. Divorced from her abusive husband, and with her grown actress daughter touring the world, Jane takes a job curating a rare collection of mystery novels at a private estate. The job seems like the perfect place to land and figure out her next steps in life… until her new employer becomes embroiled in the center of a startling murder.

From the first few sentences of A Cryptic Clue, I knew two things: Victoria Gilbert has clear skill as a prose stylist, and a commanding love and respect for the work of the classic golden age mystery authors.

The care taken in crafting the scenes, in describing the world, and in building the relationships between the characters, is impressive. While remaining inviting and fast-paced, A Cryptic Clue manages to offer the same tone as the classic mysteries it is clearly built up. This is a modern example of the golden age mystery tradition done right.

Each scene’s arc pulls you through, offering personal mysteries and growth alongside the dual-sided murder mystery at the story’s core. The dynamic between Jane Hunter and her eccentric new boss, Cameron Clewe, is intriguing, and leaves you constantly wondering if theirs is a partnership or a dangerous game of cat and mouse. But the secondary characters are all equally well-defined, offering a deep canvas into which you can easily become immersed.

There are points within this novel where certain elements are thinner than they could be, or where certain twists betray the authorial hand behind the action: but these elements don’t detract from the work as a whole, they feel more like the growing areas any writer must tackle as they continue to master their craft.

As a fan of cozy mysteries, I often find myself dissatisfied with the quality of the writing, where sheer theme is presented in the place of strong prose and meaningful content. In A Cryptic Clue, I feel the balance has been struck perfectly: there’s danger alongside safety, and mystery alongside certainty. There is also more depth of character than you find in many classic mysteries, reminding me more of something like the 1990s Poirot series with David Suchet: there is a whole cast to become invested in, as well as a central character who is flawed but, ultimately, someone you constantly root for.

This is the first book in a planned series, and clearly sets up a strong world within which the main characters can share future adventures. What gets set up in A Cryptic Clue is the platform of character relationships that can clearly persist into future stories, and is destined to grow and evolve alongside the mysteries to come. And I will be there, happily immersed in every single one.

-Odin Halvorson

A Cryptic Clue is the first in a new series of mysteries from Victoria Gilbert. The murder happens right away, but the rest of the novel moves less rapidly. The central protagonist is a retired librarian, Jane, who at age 60 reminded me of Miss Marple, although not in a good way. 60 is not old anymore, although librarian Jane does, in fact. seem rather old, even as she describes herself as in good shape. I do hope in subsequent books, Jane, who functions as narrator/protagonist, will begin to seem less retired and retiring.

The supporting cast of characters were interesting certainly, while varied and each with different quirks that helped to keep them all straight. To return to the murder, the victim was not a surprise. since as soon as she appeared in the book, her forthcoming murder was too obvious. The story is not complex, with plotting that is pretty straightforward. None of the red herrings are especially compelling.

This is a good mystery, but not a great mystery. The best cosy mysteries tend to have some humor to help break the tension. There is no humor in A Cryptic Clue, which is perhaps why it seems to drag. That said, I still think there is much to like in this most recent Gilbert novel. I fully expect her to establish a smoother rhythm in book 2 of this series.

I do want to thank the author and publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. And a thank you to NetGalley for providing this invaluable service, in listing this novel.

Not the favorite book I’ve read this month, but it has a lot of promise.

Library Jane Hunter has been laid off from her longtime job as a university library; she’s got health coverage, but needs something to supplement her income until she’s eligible to collect Social Security, etc. When she hired by eccentric, reclusive, but wealthy Cam Clewe to catalog his extensive library, it seems the perfect job. Jane sells her house, and moves to an apartment close to Cam’s estate.

Unfortunately, on her first day on the job, Jane finds the body of Cam’s former girlfriend. Convinced that he’s the prime suspect (he reads lots of mystery novels), Cam recruits Jane (“as Archie to his Nero Wolf”) to help him find the real killer.

While I enjoyed the book, I felt there were a few too many stereotypes. Jane hints at a dark secret in her past surrounding her divorce, only for it to be a bit cliche. Jane kept mentioning her divorce; at one point, I thought it was recent, not closer to 20 years prior. As their investigation uncovers more and more horrible deeds done by the victim, I was expecting to find out next on her list was to make a coat out of puppies a la Cruella de Vil. Jane’s new landlord happens to be a potential love interest. Likewise for Cam’s secretary. I did like the fact that there’s a different in ages between the two, and the idea that they supplement each other’s investigation. I also liked the relationship between Jane and her actor daughter Bailey.

But overall, I enjoyed this book. During the course of the book, there were several cold cases discovered; Cam hints that future books will involve solving them.

Recommended! I’m looking forward to future installments of this series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about Jane at first but by the end of it I not only loved her I loved her AND Cameron! I loved the character development. Just the relatability is what really grabbed my attention. The suspense throughout the entire book really made me get through this in less than 3 days! The author did an amazing job.

This book is the start of a new series by a favorite author. Retired librarian Jane takes a job with 33-year-old Cam, a rich man with agoraphobia who lacks social skills. Jane is going to catalog and organize Cam's very extensive book collection. When Cam's ex is found murdered in the library of his very large mansion, after an elaborate party, Jane finds herself pulled into Cam's informal investigation. I like the new duo of an older woman and a younger man, a combination that, in this case, eliminates the hint/worry/expectation of romance. Instead, I think the two will learn to help each other. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.

This is a quick and enjoyable read surrounding the death of a young rich man’s girlfriend. The MC, the librarian Jane, is tasked with helping solve her murder. Jane is well written and I’m looking forward to seeing more developments in this series from
Victoria Gilbert. There weren’t any surprises or twists in the book, which I found a bit off-putting as it made the plot dry. Overall, I thought this was a good mystery read!

The mystery solving team of Jane Hunter and Cameron "Cam" Clewe are my new favorite detectives. Jane, a sixtiy-ish former librarian who has a past that still haunts her and Caher in "Cam" Clewe, a thirty something genius billionaire who hires Jane to catalog his extensive art and book collections, find themselves on the trail of a murderer.

I loved this book! The characters (both main and supporting) are wonderfully written and have human faults which make them interesting and appealing. They fit together perfectly and form a team that is determined to solve the mystery surrounding the murder of Cam's girlfriend and keep him out of jail. So many times, I just knew "whodunit" and I was wrong and I loved it! The conversations between Jane and Cam, regarding his past and family were touching and made me like them both even more. For me, having characters that are not perfect makes them seem so real as if they could "jump" off the page. The mystery was fast-paced, believable and fun.

I can't wait for the next book! to find out what Jane and Cam are up to!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first in what will be a series of mysteries from Victoria Gilbert. As such it introduces the reader to the “librarian” and the “recluse w anxiety” who will become sleuths together. Each of these “lead” characters have an unfolding history that is intriguing and a bit curious. And if you want references for other mystery books, the author includes many for the reader to explore as she describes the librarian’s findings. A good story with multiple characters that I hope we will see in the sequels. And somewhat innocent and “light” in comparison to many of today’s mysteries especially considering it’s a murder mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the Advanced Review Copy.

Love the story. A librarian who is hired to archive a wealthy man's collection of mystery novels. When the former girlfriend is found dead in the library, the man encourages Jane, the librarian to assist him in solving. Good character development. Good plot. I enjoyed this book. Thanks#netgalley #CrokedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is a "cozy" mystery about a murder in the home of a young rich man, Cam. His new employee, Jane, who has been commissioned to archive the literary works in his home, discovers a dead body in the library, and Cam and Jane become amateur sleuths in order to figure out who killed the girl.

The story is pretty straightforward, and a little slow. I was looking for some excitement and shock along the way, but was disappointed. Ultimately, the book ends on a nice note, but I felt like I was really yawning getting there.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review A Cryptic Clue.

A Cryptic Clue is the first in a new series of A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. It takes place in the town of Bradfordville. Cameron (Cam) Clewe is a wealthy man who has hired Jane Hunter to work on his inventory and catalog his extensive book collection. Jane is a retired librarian who worked at a local college. She has a daughter, Bailey. Jane sold her house and is now renting a small apartment over a garage in town. Cam lives at Aircroft, a house that was built to look like an old English estate. It is set back from the road and a little isolated. Cam's father, Albert bought the house when the Airling's died and Cam inherited the house when his father died. Jane is there to meet Cam and go over what is expected of her. Lauren Walker is Cam's personal secretary. Lauren gives Jane a tour of the house and grounds. Jane meet Dia Denton the housekeeper and Mateo Marin, chef. While showing Jane the garden they overhear Cam having words with his latest girlfriend Ashley Allen.

Sunday there is going to be a fundraiser for a local hospital hosted by Naomi Wilt and Hannah McKenzie. old friends of Cam's father. Jane meets both of them. Cam also has scholars staying at his estate. Jane also meets Kyle Trent, a sociology professor at Wake and Brendon Sloan, a well known glass sculpturer. Cam says that he will see her on Monday.

When home Jane sees her landlord, Vincent Fisher, a retired reporter. He tells Jane about the history of Aircroft. It was built by Samuel, a industry titan and his wife, Bridget. They had a son, Calin who died at the age of 29. He fell off a cliff on the estate. Calvin told his parents that he wanted to marry a girl that they felt was not good enough. She was pregnant and disappeared. No one has ever known who she was. He died shortly after. There was a rumor that someone might have pushed him or was it murder. Vincent told Jane that he is writing a book about the family and would like her help.

Monday Jane arrives at work and goes into the library where she will be working. Notice something is wrong and finds Ashley Allen on the floor dead. There is something missing from the bookcase, later identified ad a silver plated candlestick. She runs out of the room and collapses on the floor. Lauren and then Cam both arrive. The police are called. This is where the story takes off with much happening. I will leave this for the reader to enjoy. Because Cam feels that he might be a suspect he asks Jane and Lauren to be his eyes and ears in finding out who and why Ashley is killed. The story builds up with the discovery of other things missing. a mistake while at college, etc. The story has a surprising ending that was not expected.

When Cam is at Jane's apartment he tells her that he thinks he is good at solving mysteries and would like to help people. He needed someone he could trust and that would be Jane, They could be partners. Jane asked him if he would do cold cases. Said that the Aircroft mystery of who is the woman is and what really happened to Calvin. Jane agreed. I think this is what the next book will be about. I look forward to reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

Jane Hunter is a librarian who finds herself out of work. She is fortunate to be hired by an unusual but wealthy aristocrat named Cam Clewe. He hires her to archive his extensive collection of mystery novels.

But literature begins resembling real life, when Clewe's former girlfriend shows up dead in his library. Although he is clearly a suspect, Clewe encourages Jane to assist him in discovering who is the murderer. They successfully solve the murder and agree to take on more detection. I think I see a series about to happen!

Gilbert's plot is intriguing, although I wouldn't say that the eventual murderer's identity was a great surprise. The character development was good. Some of the dialogue was a little artificial. But overall, this is a good novel and I look forward to reading more books in the series.

I realise that I am in a minority in not enjoying this book as Victoria Gilbert is a well-established and popular author but I got to the 50% mark all the while hoping that it would start to grab my attention, unfortunately it never succeeded. The dialogue was wooden and the story and characters never came to life. Despite my struggles I failed to make myself care about the outcome.

Forced into retirement from her university job as a research librarian, Jane sells her home, gets a tiny apartment & takes a job working for a reclusive millionaire cataloging his extensive book collection. Jane expectations for her new life involved work that she loved & a laid back existence, but on her first day of work she finds a dead body in the library & everything gets turned upside down. Can Jane help her new boss, Cameron Clewe, solve this murder or is it possible that he is the murderer….

The premise of this story dealt with mystery & books, so it was a no-brainer that I wanted to read it. For the most part I did enjoy it but it definitely wasn’t one of my top favorites that I’ve read this year. I felt like the beginning of the book moved super slowly, the middle started to pick up the pace a bit & then all of a sudden it was over before you even realized it. I also would have liked Jane & Cameron’s relationship to be explored a lot more than it was. You’re basically left wondering if this is going to be a platonic thing, just a professional thing, or if something more is about to become of it despite the 30 year age difference.

Although I do wish there would be been better pacing, I did appreciate Cameron’s character arc & how much Jane appeared to help him come into his own so to speak. Jane didn’t have as much of an arc, in my opinion, but her character did show some development & she was overall quite likable. With all that being said, I’d be willing to give the next Hunter & Clewe book a chance when it comes out. #ACrypticClue

Thank you #NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC for my honest review.

A CRYPTIC CLUE, written by Victoria Gilbert, is a proper cozy, and I recommend adding it to your TBR list. Jane Hunter, a sixty-year-old retired librarian, is hired by Cameron Clewe to work at his estate house to catalog and inventory his collection of rare books. Jane discovers Ashley Allen, Cam’s ex-girlfriend, dead in the estate’s library. Cam doesn’t want to wait to be named a murder suspect. He claims he did not kill Ashley and wants to figure out who did. There’s one problem. Cam doesn’t like to leave the estate, so he enlists the help of Jane to solve the mystery.

The descriptions of setting and characters presented in this cozy mystery are well-written, and the plot is logical and entertaining. I appreciate that the author mentions well-known writers, such as Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Both Jane and Cam enjoy amateur sleuthing, and I hope to read another book featuring these two characters in the future.

My thanks go to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review the DRC (Digital Reader’s Copy) of A CRYPTIC CLUE.

I loved the premise of this book, and I really liked Jane’s character. Can even grew on me after a while! The plot worked for me and I loved the characters’ backgrounds. The main issue I had with this book was the dialogue… it felt so unrealistic and stodgy. If the dialogue flowed more naturally and realistically I would have felt more drawn in to the book and would have enjoyed it much more. Excellent potential, great premise, unique characters, but the cardboard dialogue left me disappointed and having to make myself finish the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.

I must first say that I love that this book is about a retired librarian, books and a murder. How good is that?

Anyway, the book itself. I really enjoyed it and found 60 yo Jane Hunter was a fantastic character and one many of us can relate to. And then there is Cam who hired Jane and ends up with a dead body in his library. Well what will happen next. I won't tell!

But what I will tell you is that this is q quirky but very entertaining read, the mystery is there to be solved but it keeps you guessing. The characters where all different and had some quirky personalities and the stry itself is enjoyable and easy to read.

A great cosy mystery that has it all and is fun to read. I highly recommend and feel any lover of mystery would enjoy this book.

I like Victoria Gilbert but this wasn't my favorite book of hers. The mystery was interesting but I never really connected with the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read.