Member Reviews

Eloise Anderson only knows Cameron Clewe thru her rare books store., but she delivers his latest purchase to ask him a favor. Her mother recently died in prison for killing Eloise's father and Eloise wants Cam and his employee and associate Jane to help clear her mother's name. Not too long after requesting their help, Eloise is arrested for the murder of the lead detective from her mother's case. Too many secrets and lies are found before Cam and Jane can sort thru it all and finally arrive at what is true and what is false.

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Interesting murder mystery with very engaging characters. Well written and it kept my interest. I would read a future book from this author. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this book for review consideration. #AKillerClue, #CrookedLaneBooks, #NetGalley.

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What a great adventure this read was! I was eager to read this after finishing “a cryptic clue”. This book has fantastic character development and the dialogue between the characters was engaging and enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in this mystery series.

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Having enjoyed Victoria Gilbert's first Hunter and Clew book, I knew I needed to look out for the next ARCs in the series. Sometimes you love a mystery for the detectives and can't wait to spend time with them again. I feel this way about retired librarian, Jane Hunter, and her employer Cameron Clewe. They have such a lovely cross-generational friendship. Cam is very wealthy and needs Jane to catalogue his huge rare book and ephemera collection. Still, he struggles with social skills and agoraphobia and relies on Jane for her friendship and steady personality. Gilbert, also a librarian, sprinkles the books with book references (Mary Stewart this time!). .
Oh, and they solve mysteries together! This mystery involves a cold case murder of a rare bookseller and there are lots of suspects. It's not an edge-of-your-seat type of mystery. This is the type of mystery that you settle into with a nice cup of tea. I'm excited for the next book in the series - it's all set up at the end of A Killer Clue.
Gilbert also writes two cozy mystery series: Booklover's B&B and Blue Ridge Library Mysteries which have the whole cozy mystery-type covers and punny titles. I want to try the first Booklover, set in a Josephine Tey celebration. Thank you to #netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

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Story by Victoria Gilbert ⭐⭐⭐

This is my first time hearing of this author or series.

It took me a while to get into this book. I found the pace of the book quite slow so my liking but I really enjoyed Victoria Gilbert's writing and the premise of this story. I think personally for me I would have enjoyed this more in the audio format. So for that reason I've purchased 'A Cryptic Clue' in audio.

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Librarian Jane Hunter works for wealthy Cam Crewe cataloging his book collection. As a side gig they investigate cold cases together. Eloise Anderson approaches them to ask for help clearing her mother’s name. Her mother has recently died in prison, convicted of murdering Eloise’s father. But before they can do much investigating Eloise is accused of murder and they now turn their investigation to proving whether or not she is guilty.
Our amateur sleuths are an odd pair. Jane is a sixty-something year old retired librarian while Cam is a young, wealthy reclusive businessman so the usual cozy mystery trope of the two main characters flirting with romance is not a side focus for these mysteries. Cam appears to be somewhere on the spectrum showing a dislike of leaving his house or dealing with strangers while also having a healthy interest in pretty young women. Jane, as she makes clear to her adult daughter, is not interested in romantic relationships. Another difference from most cozy mysteries is no one has a pet. That said the two main characters work well together with Jane acting as a sort of Archie to Cam’s Nero Wolfe. The mystery moves along at a steady, if slow, pace and while I suspected who the murderer was it was pleasant getting to the denouncement. Two secondary investigations that have continued from the first book - the identity of Cam’s real father and the truth of a long ago suicide - are partially solved while we have ongoing questions about one of them for the next book. Overall this is a pleasant read, with interesting characters I look forward to learning more about. Recommended

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Wow, what a great mystery! The second book, in the Hunter and Clewe series, was just perfect - just like the first book. This mystery finds Jane and Cam trying to solve a cold case murder. Eloise Anderson, a local antique bookstore owner, is accused of killing the detective who sent her mother to prison for killing her husband. Jane and Cam take the case and become targets of a murderer determined to remain free.

Crime solving duos have always been a favorite. The team of Jane and Cam pairs a research librarian and a wealthy young entrepreneur who lives in a fabulous estate, rarely leaving the grounds and Jane a mature research librarian. Their life experiences are vastly different but their desire to help people make them the perfect mystery duo. Jane is a bit of matchmaker for the reserved Cam (he's the age of her daughter) and encourages him to be more outgoing.

A wonderfully written mystery about characters who are relatable, kind and have a knack for crime-solving.

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

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Book Two in the Hunter & Clewe mystery series is set deep in the world of rare books. Jane Hunter a retired librarian works for Cameron Clewe cataloguing his book collection. In A Killer Clue, the two become involved in an investigation when Eloise Anderson, owner of a bookshop Cameron uses to obtain rare books, becomes the prime suspect in a murder. Everyone including Eloise is keeping secrets and Jane has to dig deep to get answers. I really enjoy the secondary characters in the series especially Cam's hard working assistant. There are lots of red-herrings as well as action. The story kept me hooked until the end.

I received an arc from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest review.

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This is another book in the Jane Hunter and Cameron Clewe mystery series, and a future best seller in my opinion. Jane is a Librarian, originally hired by enigmatic millionaire Cameron Clewe, to catalogue the collection of books he owns. But between the two of them, they also do a side trade-in looking into cold cases. And this is how this book starts when a young bookshop owner, Eloise Anderson, comes to them to look into the wrongful (in her mind) conviction of her Mother, in the death of her Father a decade and a half before. Her Mother had died in prison, and Eloise wanted them to look into who killed her Father. But from there on, more deaths, accidents and threats follow Jane and Cameron as they try to uncover the truth.

I knew when I took up the book that it was part of a series, but I wanted to see if the author could make me still enjoy the book without having read the first. And Gilbert did just that. I would always recommend starting at the beginning, but as a stand-alone, this good is great. You get some hints of the past that are easily explained, and the mystery is fun.

Go read it!

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A Killer Clue is a fun whodunit. This is the second book in the "Hunter and Clewe" series.
Jane and Cam make a great team. A socially awkward wealthy introvert and an older librarian- what could go wrong? Murder, mayhem, and a rare book- this story was right up my alley.
This mystery was engaging and I didn't have it figured out until the end.
Enjoying this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for an early copy for review.

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A Killer Clue is the second book in the Hunter and Clewe Mystery series. Having reviewed book 1 in the series, I was anxiously awaiting book 2. I wasn't disappointed.

Jane Hunter is a librarian who has been employed by reclusive, mysterious, and wealthy Cameron Clewe to catalog his massive collection of books. In book 1, we learned most of the back story behind Clewe, his family and his North Carolina mansion. But there were still some blanks to fill in. First, there was the "Mystery Woman". Jane had found a photograph and a drawing. Who was she? And was Calvin, the heir to the estate, murdered or did he die by accident?

Jane is pondering these questions when a more serious situation emerges. While visiting a local rare book store, she comes across the body of a police detective who had investigated the murder of the original owner of the bookstore. Near the body was the daughter of the murdered man. Had she, like her incarcerated mother, been a murderer?

Jane and Cameron set out to solve the mystery. Aided by her landlord and his wife, along with her daughter, Bailey. who is taking a break in her acting career, Jane conducts her investigation despite danger to herself.

I really love this series. The writing is crisp. The plot is well thought out and involving. The characters are engaging. I strongly recommend this book and the series.

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This smart mystery incorporates everything I love in a book - the characters are complex (with details regarding their personalities etc., divvied out when needed), the story moves quickly, and the twists and turns are well-placed. I really enjoyed the unpredictability of A Killer Clue and look forward to the next sleuthing adventure.

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What a cute read! Cameron and Jane made a adorable sleuthing team. The retired librarian along with the collector are teaming up again when a local bookshop owner needs their help. Eloise owns a local bookstore, now she needs the help of Cameron and Jane to prove her father did not commit murder. This is a beautiful read! I enjoyed the banter between Cameron and Jane. I hope to see another novel with them soon. I would absolutely recommend this book to any friends and family!

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It's been a while since I've read a really good mystery and this definitely broke that streak. I loved it! It felt more exciting than some thrillers that I read so I definitely enjoyed that aspect of it

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A Killer Clue is the second installment in the Hunter and Clewe mystery series. Eloise Anderson's mother dies after spending many years in prison for murdering her husband in their bookstore. Eloise is sure her mother is innocent and begs Cam and Jane to help clear her mom's name. Jane pays a visit to the bookstore and finds Eloise next to the dead body of the police detective who investigated her Dad's murder. Eloise swears she is innocent but Jane is sure she is hiding something. This was a good solid mystery with plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. I like the main characters of the eccentric 33 year old Cam and the nurturing 60 year old Jane. They make a good team. The ending hints at the next mystery in this series. I can't wait to read it!

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The second installment in Victoria Gilbert's cozy Hunter and Clewe mystery series, A Killer Clue is an engaging whodunit that pulls readers back into the literary-minded crime-solving world of librarian Jane Hunter and eccentric collector Cameron Clewe. When local bookshop owner Eloise Anderson seeks help clearing her mother's name in a decades-old murder case, Jane and Cam unravel a twisty plot involving secret pasts, coded clues, and potential copycat killers.

Gilbert has a true talent for crafting unpredictable page-turners filled with plenty of drama and red herrings to keep mystery devotees guessing. Though the narrative falters at times, the intriguing cold case premise combined with a killer final reveal makes A Killer Clue a solidly entertaining read for fans of the genre. Gilbert is an emerging voice bringing a fresh contemporary perspective to the classic whodunit formula.

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This second in the Hunter and Clewe Mystery series is equal to the first. Jane is still cataloging for Cam, enjoys a visit from her actress daughter, and gets involved in another murder investigation. At first, she and Cam look at the evidence from a cold case involving the owner of an antique bookstore. His wife has been in prison for years for the murder but their daughter does not think her mother did it. In the middle of this, another murder occurs, which brings up much more drama. The author seems to spend a large amount of time on the dress and appearance of the characters. I know this helps the reader to envision everyone, but when it gets to the point that I get tired of reading it, it may be too much. I did like the mystery and I still like the older woman/younger man scenario. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.

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#AKillerClue #NetGalley is the second book in this series by one of my favorite authors.
Jane is a librarian and Cam is a wealthy introvert, who Jane is helping to catalogue his enormous library.
When the owner of the local bookstore asks Cam and Jane to investigate the death of her mother, they have no idea what they are getting involved in.
Stolen books, deceit, and wronged friendships are just a few things that Jane and Cam encounter in this fantastic book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

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