schooled in murder my baby i wish this book was real!! super interesting plot and fascinating to read. i’ll be recommending this for sure!

What do you get when and author and English professor, a cafeteria manage, campus psychologist and librarian team up to to solve a murder? You get Schooled in Murder the first book in the Campus Sleuths mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert. I've read her previous series the Blue Ridge Library mystery series and the university mentioned in that one is the University in this series. So I feel like their might be the potential for overlap of the two series in the future. I loved that this one a case of team work to solve the mystery and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Schooled in Murder is the start of a new mystery series (Campus Sleuth Mysteries) set in the same town as Victoria Gilbert's wonderful Blue Ridge Library series. Jenn Dalton is a mystery author and director of the local college's writing lab. When an unpleasant colleague in the English department dies mysteriously, one of Jenn's students is a suspect. She works to clear the student's name, becoming involved in the mystery, especially after there is another murder.

I wanted to read this book because the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series is one of my favorites. It was fun starting a new series set in the same town, with occasional glimpses and mentions of characters from the other series.

I really like Jenn as a protagonist. She's smart and brave. I like her friends (and fellow amateur sleuths), her lovable cat Ash, and her romantic interest Zach. The romance between Jenn and Zach was central to this story and it was very enjoyable.

The mystery aspect of this book was well done, fast paced, with quite a few twists and surprises as the story went along. I guessed the murderer but enjoyed reading the mystery denouement.

I recommend Schooled in Murder for other cozy mystery fans, especially for readers who enjoy small town settings and campus mysteries. I look forward to upcoming books in this series!

I was excited to try this new series set on a college campus with an author/educator as the main character but it fell flat for me. Jenn Dalton is not well fleshed out as a character and what little you do get to know about her is not good. While the story moved fairly quickly, it couldn’t hold my interest and I found myself putting this down and not wanting to pick it up again. The secondary characters did nothing to balance it out and none of them were developed well, either. Fans of her other series may enjoy this one but I just couldn’t get into this one.

I've been a big fan of Victoria Gilbert's Blue Ridge Library Mysteries (although I think I might've fallen a couple behind...) and I enjoyed her Booklover's B&B Mysteries trilogy, so I was really excited to see that she has a brand new cozy mystery series coming out! The protagonist in SCHOOLED BY MURDER being a mystery author, looked down on by her more 'literary' colleagues was a intriguing tease, but what really sold me was the slightly rag-tag sounding sleuthing team made up of various university staff, from the cafeteria manager to the librarian.
For fans of the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries there’s a few cameos scattered throughout SCHOOLED BY MURDER, although they might feel a little out of place to readers unfamiliar with that series. Personally, I think there’s enough fresh potential within this Campus Sleuth series for it to stand entirely on its own feet, so I sort of hope they remain separate entities as each continues.
My favourite thing about SCHOOLED BY MURDER was the setting and the campus atmosphere Gilbert has really been able to capture. There’s a lot of side characters running around to keep track of, but I think that was necessary to give a real sense of a busy University. I loved the descriptions of the campus and its relative position in regard to winding country lanes and the nearest towns.
Another highlight was Jenn and Zach’s relationship. The synopsis promises “…fellow sleuthers, Christine Kubiak, a cafeteria manager…and Brianna Rowley, a librarian…” but I felt that Christine and Bri took a backseat. I did like what I saw of them, so I hope they feature more in Jenn’s future schemes, but I didn’t have a problem with centring Jenn and Zach more in this one, while we get to know them. The romance builds quickly for a cozy series, where we might expect a will-they won’t-they to run through multiple books, but I loved the good-natured bickering dynamic these two had, so enjoyed seeing them get together. In the Blue Ridge Library books I adore the fact that the love interest is a dancer rather than some more ‘traditional’ cozy occupation. Gilbert keeps things interesting here too. Zach is a phycologist, so might have some skills useful to an investigation in the future but doesn’t fall into that usual ‘law enforcement’ role.
SCHOOLED BY MURDER is a great start to a new mystery series and I look forward to seeing Clarion University again during Jenn’s future adventures.

Jennifer “Jenn” Dalton, an author and professor at Clarion University, loves her work, even if her genre fiction is dismissed by snobby colleagues. When a heated argument between her student Mia and an arrogant professor ends with his murder and evidence incriminating Mia, Jenn knows she must act—especially after Mia disappears.

Using her murder mystery know-how, Jenn teams up with her quirky allies: Christine, a cafeteria manager; Zachary, the charming campus psychologist; and Brianna, a clever librarian. Together, they race to uncover the killer before another victim falls—and clear Mia’s name.

Although it took me a really long time to push myself to finish this book, I was genuinely surprised by how quickly and easily it went once I actually started reading. It’s more of an autumn cozy mystery, but it was perfect for me after the holidays to shake up my routine. I love how the book stays suspenseful the entire time—there’s no excessive fear, and little by little, new and intriguing clues are revealed. Jenn and her team are truly dedicated to uncovering what really happened with the murder of their colleague.

I was also surprised by the hint of romance—Jenn and Zach are constantly in this love-hate dynamic, but it developed so sweetly. I loved how that part didn’t take over the entire plot. It didn’t become the main focus but revolved heavily around their mysteries. I can’t say I particularly connected with the characters; none of them really stood out to me or became a favorite.

The book is written in the first person POV, so we’re aware of everything happening around Jenn. I definitely recommend reading this book—it’s easy to read, easy to follow, keeps you hooked the whole time, and maybe you’ll even solve the mystery before the characters do!

A very quick cozy mystery read with a simple plot line, but an okay amount of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. But on that note, at the end we see a resolution that was a little bit disappointing considering the ante was upped a bit due to a second murder and everything just seemed to fall into place and the resolution and reveals were bland. I didn't really care for the romance that was thrown in there. I feel like this story would have been perfectly fine without it, and if anything, it was a bit off putting and kept me from completely enjoying the story. The characters were also quite unlikeable, and I couldn't really relate to the main character, or even root for her, or anyone else in this book for that matter. They all seemed a bit one-dimensional.

Victoria Gilbert introduces the Campus Sleuth mysteries with Schooled in Murder. Jennifer Dalton, an author. also supports would be writers at Clarion University in Virginia. A professor falls to his death and one of her students is implicated. So Jennifer and some colleague start snooping into other campus characters alibis. She is introduced to a psychology professor who keeps turning up in her life and investigations with whom she starts t develop a relationship. What could go wrong? Another death. Her car spinning out of control. Be schooled in mlurder.

This academic mystery , the first in a new mystery series by one of my favorite mystery authors, is THE best series debut I've read in a long, long time.

This one has it all--great characters (including a terrific love interest), as well as a tremendous plot, and an in-depth look at the inner workings at a university.

I can't wait to see what's in store next for Jenn, the amateur sleuth the mystery fiction author who heads up the university's writing center.

Very highly recommended!!

I have read several other series by the author and have very much enjoyed them. This new series is another one I can see will join the list. Jenn Dalton, an author of cozy mysteries and educator at a writing center at a local college is horrified to discover a body of a professor and one of her tutorees is the prime suspect. Along with several others, including an annoying psychologist who just might be a bit handsome, Jenn sets out to see if she can prove Mia innocent. But if she isn't careful, she may also find herself Schooled in Murder...

I liked Jenn and her friends. Zachary Flynn, the psychologist, could be a bit annoying at times, but the sparks fly between Jenn and him and she more than holds her own against him. Of course, I adored the cat. The mystery was satisfying with plenty of suspects and twists to keep you guessing. I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I feel I am on a cosy mystery binge and I am enjoying it immensely. This is yet another great book by Victoria Gilbert and I always look forward to seeing what comes next. In this one we have a mystery writer who has to solve a real crime. This is a new mystery series and this, the first book in the series, has hooked me. I love the storyline and the characters especially Jennifer ‘Jenn’ Dalton. She has a few great sidekicks as well making this a book with many quirky characters.

This book has a bit of everything including a hint of romance. It is well written (of course) and flows well along with it being a quick and easy read. I love books like this as they are fun but have some depth and good mystery to then. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A new mystery series from the talented Victoria Gilbert. This time it is about the adventures of Jennifer ‘Jenn’ Dalton, a mystery novel author and educator at Clarion University in Virginia.
When an argument between an unfriendly professor and Mia, one of Jenn’s students, leads to the professor being found dead, Mia is the prime suspect and Jenn, along with other friends, will try to find the culprit to exonerate Mia.
An excellent start to a promising new series.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

I read and enjoyed the first book in Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library cozy mysteries, which I understand has a connection to this new series. Not having read more of that series didn’t stop me from enjoying Schooled in Murder, and I don’t really think reading one before the other is necessary. This new series is set around Virginia’s Clarion University, featuring mystery writer Jennifer Dalton who heads up the university’s writing center. She also happens to be a published mystery author, whose knowledge comes in handy when she decides to help clear the name of a student accused of murdering a professor on campus. Jenn teams up with her friend, Brianna, the school librarian, and Christine, a cafeteria manager, as well as the university’s psychologist, Zach Flynn, to solve the crime. Jenn and her co-amateur sleuths come up with a list of suspects, all of whom have various motives for wanting the professor dead. The investigation becomes even more complicated when another body is found, with everyone wondering if it is another murder or just an accident. There’s also the fact that someone doesn’t like that Jenn is sticking her nose where they don’t think it belongs.

Schooled in Murder was an enjoyable cozy mystery with an interesting cast of characters. While not exactly trained in investigations, Jenn’s long standing mystery book series gives her a slight edge in knowing what to look for in their real life murder mystery she and her friends are now investigating. I really liked the inclusion of a cafeteria manager sidekick. She can provide a different perspective, not to mention may be able to get information others aren’t able to given how people seem to overlook those in service positions like hers. Despite there being plenty of suspects, Jenn never lost sight of the possibility that Mia, the student accused of the murder, could still be the killer, even if she didn’t want it to be true. I thought that was smart on Jenn’s part, trying to stay objective while acknowledging her own bias. She wasn’t without her blind spots though. I cannot say too much about the mystery itself without risk of spoiling the whodunit, but I will say there were aspects of the mystery that seemed pretty obvious, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the author did that on purpose. There’s something meta about a mystery author writing a mystery with a protagonist who is also a mystery writer.

There is a thread of romance in the novel, which was well played. What starts out seeming to be annoyance with each other subtlety takes a more teasing note as the novel progresses, so when Jenn finally acknowledges her attraction to Zach, it comes naturally. The mystery was solid and had some tense moments. The university setting was a great backdrop for this story, touching on literary snobbery, misogyny, and a bit of academic politics. I found it to be an entertaining read all around. I look forward to seeing what direction Victoria Gilbert takes the series next. (And maybe I should continue with the Blue Ridge Library cozy mysteries in the meantime!)

Schooled in Murder is the first installment of a new series by Victoria Gilbert. Jenn is a mystery writer and student mentor at Clarion University. When she finds the body of a professor who apparently fell to his death from the mezzanine in the library, her sleuthing instincts awake in full blossom. Aided by two friends and the handsome school psychologist, Dr Zach Flynn, she is determined to clear one of her students’ name who was seen arguing with the victim shortly before his death. Soon she is in grave danger herself.
I enjoyed reading this book, even though it took me a while to like the main character who stubbornly took the murder investigation into her own hands without so much as involving the police. However, it was interesting how she discussed the case with her friends and drew comparisons to her mystery books often. This actually made the novel feel a little like ‘real’ life. Her bantering with the psychologist was entertaining and witty. It was clear from the beginning that there might be a romance brewing. All in all, this is a funny, lighthearted and quick read which kept my interest the whole time. I’m looking forward to the next installments.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Ms Victoria Gilbert for the opportunity to read this advance copy. I truly enjoyed it, and the above is my honest review and own opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Jennifer “Jenn” Dalton loves her job at Clarion University in Virginia where she is the director of the campus writing center. She also pens a “fairly successful mystery series” under a pseudonym. Her colleagues believe her books are less than literary achievements as they are genre fiction. The powers that be in the English Department wish their students to apply themselves and strive for higher literary endeavors. Jennifer mentors her students in whatever they want to write but one pushy professor, Douglas Barth took one student, Mia Jackson to task in a shameful encounter. Later he is found dead and she is missing. Mia was upset about her grade and told the man so loudly but Jenn couldn’t believe she could kill anyone. Yes, there was evidence that could show the two had met but no proof she killed her professor.

Jenn Dalton is used to writing murder mysteries but solving a murder in real life is a lot more complicated. Could she actually catch a killer? She enlists some help from others at the college. Campus psychologist, Zachary Flynn, cafeteria manager Christine Kubiak, and librarian Brianna Rowley agree to band together with her to try to bring down the killer and throw the book at them.

Schooled in Murder is a spinoff from Ms. Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. Characters in that series have visited or worked at Clarion University and some are mentioned in this story, but you do not need to have read that series to enjoy this one.

The murder happens in chapter one so we hit the ground running when we meet protagonist Jenn Dalton. As the story continues we meet several supporting characters including Jenn’s friends Bri and Christine, assorted professors, and the head of the department. Psychologist Zach Flynn pushes himself into the group as his attraction to Jenn grows. Mia Jackson is the prime suspect in the professor’s death but other suspects are soon in the mix. The problem with the first book in a series is introducing all the characters so we don’t get much depth. It took me time to warm up to Jenn and I felt the author pushed the relationship between her and Zach too hard too soon but I am open to see where it goes. All the characters have room to grow as the series continues and I look forward to them being more fleshed out.

Usually, with the first book in the series, it is hard to include a complicated mystery while introducing all the characters but Ms. Gilbert gave us one to sink our teeth into. I appreciated how Jenn and her fellow sleuths asked questions and discussed what they found out and their theories about the case. Another murder brought a new batch of theories. Jenn knew she was on the right track because of some alarming incidents. I honed in on the killer before Jenn which didn’t occur until the scary showdown.

Schooled in Murder was an entertaining read that has laid the groundwork for the continuation of this series. I love the college setting and that Jenn is a cozy mystery author. I can only imagine what she and her friends will get tangled up in next. Bring on book two!

When one of her mentees became the main suspect in the
death of a professor, Jen could not resist getting involved in the investigation. She refused to believe, she did it. Her curiosity led her down a twisted trail, which had her facing a gun, a loaded one at that. It was an entertaining, intriguing, and exciting read.

This was a fun, cozy mystery novel in a university setting. After the death of another faculty member in her department at Clarion University and one of her students a prime suspect, it is up to Professor Jenn Dalton to solve the mystery. There were a number of suspects and I was hooked until the end on whodunnit with, with definitely a number of mini red herring trying to throw us off the sent. Definitely a fun mystery novel if you are looking for a whodunnit!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this novel.

With 17 books and five series to her credit, Victoria Gilbert has earned her devoted fan following. This one is the opening volume for her new Campus Murder Mysteries, and it promises to draw in readers new and old to the academic setting of Clarion University in Virginia. Main character Jen Dalton is an author and English Professor. She is, in fact, a writer of murder mysteries with her own fans among her students, as well as some detractors among her own colleagues, who, rather typically, view her genre as not at all the kind of literature that has any place in the hallowed halls.

Jen is adept at defending and or/ignoring the snobs, but some of her students are quick to pick up the figurative sword to defend her. Then a well-known anti-fan in the English department turns up dead. Much of the evidence, material and witnessed, suggests that one of Jen’s students, Mia, possibly went too far in her impassioned defense of her favourite professor. Jen the mystery writer must then converge with Jen the sleuth, as she uses the knowledge she has gathered for her literary work to exonerate the hapless Mia. With the help of a number of her coworkers, including a psychologist, a librarian and the cafeteria manager, what follows is an intriguing, fast-paced and fun cozy mystery for a winter’s afternoon.

Schooled in Murder is the start of a new mystery series, Campus Sleuth Mysteries, with a clever blend of humor and intrigue. Jen is a dedicated author and educator at Clarion University. However, she loves writing genre fiction which sets her apart from her other co-workers in the English department, who look down on her and her work. When a confrontation between an arrogant English professor and one of Jen's student, Mia, leads to a shocking murder Jen must do what she can to help clear Mia's name. Schooled in Murder is a charming and well-crafted mystery that will give you those cozy whodunits mystery vibes. Can't wait to see what the next book in the series brings us.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Schooled in Murder is the first book in a new series, Campus Sleuth Mysteries. Jennifer Dalton, author and educator in a university, is a great main character in Schooled in Murder. Brianna and Zach, who also work at the university, are helping Jennifer to investigate, in order to find the real culprit and clear the accused student's name. The setting and the characters are the driving force in this great cozy mystery. I had previously read and enjoyed the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert, and I was definitely most pleased with this new book. Ms. Gilbert knows how to spark the reader's interest by building a solid mystery, with a smart storyline. I highly recommend Schooled in Murder, it's guaranteed to please cozy mystery readers who like stories involving writing, books and/or school.