Murder Checks Out is book #8 in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries and is a great cozy mystery with likeable characters, family and a.mystery that kept me guessing. Amy Muir is a librarian and her husband Richard is a dancer, choreographer, and dance.teacher. They have 5 year old twins Nicky and Ella. Richard and Karla are putting on a contemporary performance of The Nutcracker and the kids are in it. This works well to free up Amy to sleuth. There is a Holiday Festival going on as well. The chairperson of the.festival ends up dead. There are only a few suspects and some secrets. Amy's brother-in-law is one of the suspects. Many of the regulars from the other books make an appearance and the one I liked the most was Richard's mother Fiona who has turned over a new leaf. This was an enjoyable Christmas cozy mystery and this series continues to be entertaining. #MurderChecksOut. #BlueRidgeLibraryMysteries #NetGalley. #CrookedLaneBooks

Once I got into this one I couldn't put it down. Very well written. Loved all the characters and the plot. Kept me wanting more. Definitely an amazing read!

Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. The culprit was too obvious and I struggled to connect with the characters. Those who have been reading the series from the beginning may appreciate the story more than I did.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Murder Checks Out is the eighth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. The main character, Amy, is a library director and is married to a dancer named Richard. The story takes place five years ahead in time since the last book in the series (#7). Richard’s mother is staying with them for the week pre-Christmas, so that was enjoyable following along as she warms up to Amy & Richard’s life. There is a lot of Christmas talk, and Richard has a Nutcracker performance at the local theatre. All the characters from the series are around so we get a glimpse of any changes in their lives over the last five years. I usually don’t like when series do that, but the author did a good job, and it was necessary.

The murder mystery is a good one, and Amy carefully researches possible suspects. She doesn’t make many silly stupid moves that get her into danger, which I appreciate. Well written, as always.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful ARC. I’ve posted this review to my blog, Goodreads, & Bookbub accounts. I will post it on my Amazon account as soon as Amazon allows (the publication date, 11-14-23).

Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert is book 8 in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, but don’t worry if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I found it easy to slip into this world not having read any of the previous books.

Amy Muir, a library director, is in the middle of a busy holiday season when her brother-in-law, Ethan, is accused of murdering the chair of the town’s festival committee. There is no shortage of people who may have wanted the victim dead, but he was the one with the most recent public disagreement with her.

This was an enjoyable mystery set during the Christmas season. Not only is there a murder to solve but Amy's family life is busy as well. Her husband, a former professional dancer, is producing a production of The Nutcracker, and both of their five year old twins are performing in it.

I found the book a bit slow because there was so much about Amy's family life, but although it didn't add to the mystery, it didn't take significantly lower my enjoyment of the story.

The one thing I found irritating was how often Amy mentioned how worried she was about Ethan, and how often she was intending to reach out to see how he was (knowing he was suspected of murder, and his husband was out of town) and never actually did. It also seemed to take her forever to do any real investigating considering how concerned she was supposed to be.

Despite the minor irritations, this was a good cozy mystery. Although I figured out the culprit fairly early, their motivation was not quite as clear until closer to the end of the book.

I would recommend it as a nice light, holiday themed cozy mystery.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cozy fans know that Winterfest is going to be the locus of some sort of problem in this latest installment in a fun series that should also be fine as a standalone. Amy's really really busy, what with the library, the twins, her mother in law, her husband's Nutcracker, and Christmas but she knows she's got to help her brother in law Ethan when he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Wendy, the developer he'd tangled with. She's intrepid, the kids are a hoot, and her husband is a gem. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This blends a good Christmas spirit, fun characters, and murder with some sorta trope-y cozy plot lines but that's okay because it's a good read.

Library director Amy Muir and her husband and choreographer Richard are now parents of five-year-old twins who have roles in their father’s re-imagined Nutcracker Suite, premiering in Taylorsford’s first Winterfest. Things turn terrible when the festival committee chair is murdered in the local ice rink and Amy’s brother-in-law, Ethan, is placed at the scene.

When the sheriff can’t find Ethan, he believes his disappearance is proof of his guilt. Meanwhile, Amy begins her investigation. Victoria Gilbert combines a complicated mystery with touching family dynamics in her 8th Blue Ridge Library series, making this a comfortable and satisfying read.

I've been a consistent reader of this series about a library director in a small town who assists in solving murders. This one takes a surprising jump five years ahead!

I enjoyed seeing Amy Webber Muir as a mom. The lasting friendship between Amy and Sunny is sweet, and this book explores more about Amy's mother in law, Fiona. The December setting is perfect for a winter read.

Enjoyable cozy and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Murder Checks Out is the 8th instalment in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series, but works well as a standalone novel.

When a town planner (unliked and making unpopular decisions) is found dead at the foot of the stairs at the Winterfest festival, local librarian Amy starts her own investigation into the culprit. Full of clever clues and twists, this book starts a bot slow, but ended up being a pageturner.

For fans of the cosy murder-mystery genre.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Amy is sharing the Librarian job with Sunny, while she takes care of her 5 years old twins, Ella and Nicky, and again needs to be an amateur detective. Wendy Blackstone, who runs a Real Estate company is the chair of the Winterfest town celebration. There is a group of Environmental Advocates at the Fest trying to get Blackstone Properties from building a planned development. However, at the end of the festival, Wendy Blackstone is found dead, pushed down a set of stairs. The first suspect is Amy's brother's significant other, fireman Ethan Payne, especially when he disappears.

As Amy is trying to find the real culprit, her husband, Richard, is about to put on a production of The Nutcracker for the Christmas Holidays with and Ella and Nicky dancing in it. Richard's mother is coming for a visit. The folks at Blackstone are becoming quite unfriendly. and trying to protect Ethan has put Amy in a dangerous position, and someone is ready to shoot her.

This is an exciting addition to the series. I thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC.

If you ever find yourself in a cosy mystery, whatever you do, don’t be the nasty, unpopular person in your small town – because you are more than likely to be found dead at the bottom of a set of icy stairs! That’s what happens to local land developer, Wendy, and unfortunately the most likely suspect is librarian Amy Muir’s brother in law. It’s time to once more step up with the sleuthing skills, and find the real killer!

The mystery here is well done, and perhaps a little bigger and darker than I’d usually expect from a ‘cosy’. There are also plenty of red herrings and plausible other suspects, to keep you guessing to the end.

On the ‘cosy’ side, I did have a moment of thinking I’d missed a book in the series, as suddenly Amy and Richard have 5-year-old twins. When did that happen?! No, we’ve just jumped ahead a little – which does imply Taylorsford has had a few murder-free years and is probably glad of it 😉

The kiddy content was fine, doing nothing for me personally but not too annoying. Amy also has to deal with her mother in law visiting, and that’s a large sub-plot – but, with quite a heart-warming turn, I reckon.

As well as five years in book time, I was also feeling a little ahead of myself reading a book set around Christmas time – a performance of the Nutcracker, snowfall, winter festivities – it adds extra to the snuggle-up-and-read feel of this book.

Overall: a well-written cosy mystery, striking great balance between the two elements, and with plenty of substance on both.

It's nearing Christmas and Amy Muir is busy. Not only is the co-director of the Public Library but her five-year-old twins are very involved in the local production of The Nutcracker which her husband Richard is directing and dancing in. She is also prepping for a visit by Richard's mother.

When the chair of the festival committee is found dead on the skating rink, Amy needs to become an amateur sleuth again. After all, her brother-in-law Ethan was seen arguing with her shortly before her death. And now Ethan has disappeared...

Wendy Blackstone didn't make any friends in her role as the chair of the festival, but her real enemies come from her position as a property developer. She and her partner Tim have made many enemies at their other development projects and protesters are in town picketing her current project too.

As a librarian, research is what Amy does and research is widening the pool of suspects who might have wanted Wendy dead. Even her mother-in-law Fiona is adding information since she knows others who are familiar with the Blackstones' other projects. Amy is getting threats telling her to back off which she'll be willing to do as soon as she clears her brother-in-law's name.

This was another enjoyable episode in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series.

Christmas is coming to Taylorsford and alongside the town’s first Winterfest celebrations local library director Amy Muir's husband, and renowned choreographer, Richard is presenting his version of The Nutcracker as one of the main evening attractions. At the same time, Amy is busy with her work at the library along with keeping her young twins calm before their first performances in the opening scene of their father's work. She also has her ever-critical mother-in-law, Fiona, staying for a week and the rest of her family descending for the holidays.

When the body of one of the town’s more unpopular residents is discovered at the Winterfest's main showground Amy is horrified to discover her brother’s husband is the sheriff's main suspect. With Scott working away, Amy is determined to prove her brother-in-law's innocence but when the young man disappears, seemingly confirming his guilt she is at a loss at how to proceed. As help from an unexpected quarter is freely given Amy throws herself into the investigation wholeheartedly, but with the killer seemingly close at hand, and the weather closing in, the risks are rising dangerously high. Can Amy discover the killer before they set their sights very firmly on her, determined this Christmas will be celebrated without her?

This is book eight in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series and although I haven't read them all yet it's like visiting friends for the holidays. The story is fast moving with any number of suspects and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending opens up a wealth of possibilities for a ninth book in this series which I will definitely be looking out for.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Crooked Lane Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a fun festive read and very enjoyable.

Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert is another satisfying instalment in A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. Back are all the favourite characters, and this time Amy's brother-in-law is a main suspect in the death of a real estate developer. However, suspects are plentiful and Amy and the reader are faced with plenty of possibilities for who the culprit may be.
The book gets off to a somewhat slow start, and the book skips over quite a few years of the series, making for a somewhat disorienting beginning as well. It picks up about a quarter of the way in and gains momentum consistently to become a page turner.
Set at Christmas, with a beautiful cover, Murder Checks Out checks all the boxes for a cozy holiday read.
I received an ARC of #MurderChecksOut from #NetGalley.

Murder Checks Out, book eight in the series, "checks" all the right boxes in the genre. It's a nice and festive cosy mystery although I didn't find it was the most compelling. Currently going through several mysteries and waiting for a plot that will wow me.

While a murder certainly takes center stage, this one was character driven. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on Amy and Richard's family and friends, not to mention their energetic twins, Nicky and Ella. Although I spent some time trying to sort out how I'd somehow missed that they not only had twins but five-year old twins, I finally zeroed in on Amy's thoughts of having to resume her sleuthing to mean she'd have five lovely, crime free years and the author had simply fast-forwarded to the current situation.

It's a busy one. Richard, a dancer/choreographer to be simplistic, is directing a modern version of The Nutcracker, one that includes his twins' stage debut. His difficult mother has also announced a visit, one that includes staying with Amy and Richard. Amy still has her job at the library, a job that fortunately means she has enviable research skills. To complicate things, environmental protesters have hit the streets to protest a proposed commercial development by a shady company. Than, so much for Christmas cheer, the head of that company is found murdered. Even worse, Amy's brother-in-law, Ethan seems to be the top suspect. Then, just to complicated things, Ethan goes missing. And that is just the beginning.

This was an intriguing, quick read. I liked the diverse characters who seemed to have full lives but came together during a crisis. Amy's usual circle of family and friends, including the mysterious Kurt, had her back, enabling her to stay on an even keel and focus on her own family. Let's face it, twins would keep most of us hopping and Nick and Ella seem to have also inherited their father's gene for being on stage. This opens all sorts of fun things for the future, I'd guess. Amy also finds support in an unexpected place when....oh, no. Nope. Not telling, enough teasers. Let's just add that there are several suspects and the killer's disturbed personality gave me chills. While you know it's inevitable in a cozy mystery that the main character find themself in danger, I'll give props to Amy. She isn't TSTL (too stupid to live) and doesn't seem to rush headlong into danger, not to mention she keeps Brad, her local law connection, in the loop...mostly.

Bottom line, this one should be an enjoyable read for cozy mystery fans. A smart sleuth in a character driven story that's also full of fun holiday activities such as the prep for The Nutcracker as well as finding and decorating the perfect tree and wrapping presents. Somehow Amy doesn't seem to miss a second of it despite the life-or-death distractions. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for giving me this dose of early Christmas cheer. The ending was perfect.

Summary
Christmas time is approaching in Taylorsford, Virginia and between her job at the library, her twins, the impending visit of her mother-in-law, and Christmas preparations, Amy’s schedule is packed. However, she makes time to go to the local Winterfest in the bitter cold to drop off some hot drinks to her Aunt Lydia in the garden booth. While there, she notes a group of protestors, including her best friend Sunny and her brother-in-law, Ethan. They are opposed to a new property development being built close to Ethan’s home. Blackstone Property has a history, or so it is rumored, of unethical and environmentally destructive business practices. When Wendy Blackstone, the owner of the property development company, is murdered, Amy knows that suspicion could fall on people that she loves. She knows Sunny couldn’t have done it, and doesn’t believe Ethan could either, but as she starts to dig, she realizes more and more clues are pointing to Ethan. Her goal is to find the real killer before Christmas.

My Thoughts

This was a really well constructed mystery. There were great clues, plenty of motives, and some clever red herrings. At one point, I thought I had it figured out, and then an interesting twist made me re-evaluate. I appreciated that there was a nicely sized group of potential suspects.

Amy is a wonderful leading character and amateur sleuth. Being a librarian, she knows how to research and put clues together. She doesn’t take silly risks and knows how to stay calm and be proactive in an emergency. I also love that she is fiercely loyal to friends and family, and she seems willing to give people second chances.

I loved this little town and its residents and can’t believe I hadn’t read any of this series before! I certainly will read more in the future. For others who haven’t read previous books in the series, this one is fine as a standalone.


What Else I Liked
I love the diversity of the characters of Taylorsfield.

This book is set at Christmas time and has a fabulous holiday atmosphere. The story opens with Amy and Sunny decorating the library’s Christmas tree and the holiday fun continues from there. Between the Nutcracker, present wrapping parties, and the gifting of baked goods, it was packed full of things to get the reader in the mood for the Christmas season.

From the library which was built in 1919 to Aunt Lydia’s grand old Victorian and the theater where the Nutcracker was performed, I felt like I could see every detail of the town.

I love that Amy and Richard were reading the Hobbit to the twins.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC! This cozy, Christmas mystery was just what I needed to get into the Fall/Winter mood. Amy Muir, co-library director has enough on her plate these days, preparing for the holidays including her husband's production of the Nutcracker that her twin 5-year olds are also involved in. With a surprise visit from her Mother-in-law, the last thing she needs to be worried about is a murder in town. Unfortunately her research skills are needed for this murder when her brother-in-law becomes one of the main suspects.

I really enjoyed this light paced read. I loved the small-town vibe that highlighted the closeness of Amy's friends and family. The little editions of a Christmas tree farm, the Nutcracker, and a snowy Christmas Eve really got me in the holiday spirit...maybe I can even convince my husband to put our tree up!!

This is the 8th book in this wonderful engaging cozy series. The author is a favorite cozy author of mine and I have enjoyed the entire series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. This is fun Christmas theme cozy.

In this next in series Amy our library director has her plate full with many Christmas time responsibilities. She is a parent to a 5 year old, her husband is putting on a Christmas play for the town and she is director of the library with all the responsiblities of the library in her hands. Her Mother In Law who does not warm up to her is visiting and she is helping the town prepare for the Christmas festival. I love the many hats Amy wears as the protagnist.

When the festival director is found dead Amy puts on her investigation hat and soon clues abound with the townspeople . Her Brother in law is suspected as he was at the scene by Amy knows he is innocent. As she delves further into the victim and who wanted to murder him she finds secrets buried and clues that soon lead her to the primary suspect.

This was a fun introduction to the Christmas cozy season. I love the atmospheric town ready for Christmas, the charcters all add to the fun and the sleuth kept me guessing to conclusion. A enjoyable cozy read I highly recommend. I look forward to the next in series.

I liked this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't like the writing style but overall the story was good.