The first in a new series, Jen, who works at Clarion University in the writing center, stumbles upon a dead body. It is determined it was an unpopular, rude, English teacher. Rumors swirl as to who may have pushed him, with the focus on one student. Jen sets out to prove the girls innocence, along with her co-workers and friends. There is a second murder, and I will say, when it was revealed at the end how/why he was killed, it felt rushed. Maybe one murder would have sufficed? The story was a bit hard to get into, the main character was just sort of there as the main character, which was surprising to me, as I like the Blue Ridge Library series by Ms Gilbert. There are a few mentions of characters from that series, which was nice. In the end, I liked the story enough to be looking forward to trying the next one, to see if it flows better. 2.5 stars, maybe 3.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Gilbert, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a long time fan of Victoria Gilbert, particularly of her Blue Ridge Library Mysteries and the Booklover's B&B Mysteries, so to say I was excited for this one was understatement. Unfortunately, this one wasn't a win for me. I had a very hard time connecting with the main character Jen, whose reason for investigating really wasn't all that compelling. She freely admits in the book that she just likes to meddle. I also had a hard time connecting with any of the side characters on the investigative team, including the love interest who just seemed unlikeable and mean to me.

On the plus side, I did like that she works in the writing center and is a mystery writer which explains some of her curiosity and thinking process and I absolutely loved that characters from Gilbert's other series made cameos. I also thought that the mystery was decently thought out with multiple suspects. Although I did find the ending a bit too difficult to believe since it seemed implausible on such a small campus (you'll see what I mean).

Overall, this was a solid 2.5 stars for me rounded up to 3. I really wanted to love it, but just couldn't connect with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the the publisher Crooked Lane Books for this early advanced copy!

Jenn Dalton is on the English faculty at a small college in Virginia. She is also a successful mystery writer with a series to her credit. The author notes that Jenn is tall and not the usual petite young gal
The story line revolves the deaths of two people. The first dead man is on the English faculty and not well liked. When one of Jenn's students is a strong suspect, Jenn and her cronies set out to reveal the killer. The author does a great job of introducing characters that interact at the college. We meet the provost, the cafeteria cook,, Jenn's teaching mates, and a love interest, Zack. Jenn takes center stage as she solves the crime just as she would if writing one of her mysteries. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

This is the start of a new series from an established author. A very enjoyable cosy crime. The main character, Jenn, is a creative writing director and author. Once a murder has been committed she and a group of friends follow leads to ensure the right person is convicted. With an action packed plot and a love interest along the way this is a fast paced story which will keep you gripped to the end.

3.75 ⭐

A nice mystery with a touch of romance.

Like any good mystery, there are a bunch of characters (Jennifer Dalton as the narrator and the main character of the story). They are well written.
The premise is simple and executed quite well.

Short chapters make for an easy reading.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a cute, cozy mystery that was entertaining and fun. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and found myself reading it when I had downtime. Jenn Dalton, a writer who works at a university, ends up investigating a murder in the hopes of proving the innocence of a student she had helped in the writing centre. There were a few twists and turns in this book, but overall it felt as though the villains in this book had very clear motives and there wasn't a lot of mystery surrounding that. Even though I felt as though I had it figured out what was going to happen, I enjoyed the story very much, I am looking forward to reading more books in the series!

I found it surprisingly hard to put this book down. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries. The writing was engaging and funny, especially as an outsider looking into the hilariously dense main character who practically needs to be smacked in the face to flirt with her. Her hyper-focus on who done it is relatable to anyone who can't stop thinking about any problem. I'll definitely be looking out for this to recommend to my customers.

This was an exciting start to a new series by Ms. Gilbert. I was great having the characters from the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series appear in this book.

My first book by this author and a first book in a new series. Jen Dalton is a successful mystery author and head of the writing clinic at Clarion University. The book begins with Jen finding a dead body at the library on a floor that is not frequented by many people. The body is of a professor who it seemed o body really liked and was also kind of a bully to Jen. She does not be come the suspect, but one of her students who has a very promising career is. Jen feels like it her duty to help clear her name since she’s done so much research for her mystery books she writes. With the help of a couple friends from her department and someone that works in the cafeteria, they go about gathering clues and interviewing the potential suspects. She is also introduced to a psychologist recommended by the Provost to help with any mental issues from finding the dead body. They do not hit it off at the beginning at all, but their constant bickering turns to something more by the end of the book, which was hard for me to believe honestly. The barbs that were thrown between the two was believable so much I didn’t believe the romance toward the end. The sleuthing gets Jen in to a couple situations but everything is solved by the end. A good solid mystery book that keeps you on your toes, I did not see the culprit until the very end. Good start to a series, if given a choice I would pick up the next book in the series.

This was a fun story to read. I didn’t see the ending coming. I’m looking forward to more in this series! I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next adventures of Jenn, Zach and her friends.

First, let me say I LOVE cozy mysteries. In this one, we're introduced to the MC Jenn Dalton. She's an educator at a university in Virginia as well as a mystery author. Which I loved the idea of. A mystery writer using her skills to solve not one but two murders.

As much as I wanted to give this 4 or 5 stars, I had a difficult time connecting with the MCs. The journey was rough and didn't seem to get better. Jenn seemed a little naive and juvenile at times. I wasn't a huge fan of Zachary. Maybe he will grow me in the second installment. BUT I'm not holding my breath.

Weirdly enough, I really liked some of the minor characters like Jenns teacher friends who looked out for her. I hope they're more predominant in the second book because they truly made this book worth reading for me.

I loved the Whodunit aspect because I wasn't expecting the answers we got to be honest. I liked that it kept me guessing, and I finished it in one sitting.

I really wonder where the author is going to take the next book because there wasn't a cliffhanger, and well, it ended out nicely.

Rating: 2.5

I was drawn to the title and premise of "Schooled in Murder.” As someone who loves mystery books, I picked this up expecting a suspenseful and fun read. While I did enjoy it, and devoured the book in one sitting because of its fast-paced nature (which I usually love in mystery books), it felt flat.

While the fast-paced plot was enjoyable, it came at the cost of build-up and character development. The lack of vivid descriptions and complexity among the characters made connecting with the characters and story difficult. The number of characters we met made reading more engaging because it kept me guessing. However, no one, even the main character, was explored in depth. The inclusion of romance felt like a missed opportunity. I wish the story focused more on the friendship and dynamics of the main character’s group. This could have strengthened and driven the narrative and plot.

Overall, I loved the concept, but it just didn’t hit the right marks for me. However, readers who prioritize a fast-paced, plot-driven mystery might enjoy this more than I did. It is a good cozy mystery book, but just not right for me. Despite the criticisms, I would still read the next book or try the author's earlier books. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in advance

Link to Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6627684218
Also posted on my Instagram story.

#SchooledinMurder #NetGalley Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this book in egalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a new series for the author, this one set on a mythical University campus in Virginia. I had some issues with both events and plot points at the beginning of the novel, and would rate it a 2.5 if we had the much needed 1/2 stars. However, I did stay up all night to confirm my guesses about the murderer, and Gilbert managed to have a few viable red herrings.

The heroine, who runs the campus writing center and also writes mysteries, is interesting if not as insightful as she'd like to think. When she discovers a body in the library -- a professor in a pool of blood -- she and two friends decide to try to solve this real life mystery. She finds it more difficult that it is in fiction, and runs into some surprising people and events.

There are enough plausible suspects to keep you guessing, and a subplot that brings a touch of romance to the proceedings. It kept my attention and I consider it a decent, though certainly not literary, mystery. For cozy fans.

Schooled in Murder is a Campus Slewth Mystery series. Jennifer (Jenn) Dalton is the main character who works at Clarion Universary in Harburg, NY as Director of the Campus Writing Center. She also writes mystery books. She had gone to the library to do some research for her next book. While there she comes across a dead body on the top floor of the library. He had fallen from the mezzanine. Did he jump or was he pushed? The police are called and detective Rebecca Green arrives. Mia Jackson, a student that Jenn mentors, class papers were found close to the body. Brianna (Bri) Rowley is the research librarian and good friend of Jenn tells Jenn that she found Mia huddled in a corner of the reference collection. She was very upset as she had just come from Doug Barth's class, He had humiliated her infront of the whole class and gave her a poor grade on her paper. She was weepy and furious at the same time. No one had seen her and she seemed to have disappeared. Andrea Karmen, a professor in the English Department told Jenn that she had seen Mia having words with the professor before his death. Miranda Barth, his wife, was in the process of getting a divorce. She owned an interior design business and had family money.

While back at her center Jim Harlow, a student assistant who worked for Jenn as well as Erin McHenry who was a part-time teacher also worked for Jenn. She had left early to go to a dentist appointment. Jim told Jenn that the death was the talk of the campus and Mia had killed him. She is the prime suspect. Zachery Flynn, a psychologist who is in private practice but worked for the college came to speak to Jenn. He had been sent by Hilda Lange the college provast. He had came to tell her that the dead body was Professor Douglas Barth. Jenn told him that she was concerned about Mia as she had had a run-in with the professor. She went to find Mia but she was nowhere to be found. She ran into Christine Kuliak, manager of the cafeteria who also told Jenn about someone saying that Mia had been arguing with the professor. She too, was worried about Mia. Jenn went to speak to Mia's roommate, Francesca.

Jenn lived in the town of Taylorsford in a garage apartment. Emily taught in the English Department part-time and was Jenn's landlord. She told Jenn that Douglas did not get along with many of the professors in the English Department, especially Andrea and Hilda. Jenn had to be at a meeting and after the meeting Zach found that his car wouldn't start. Jenn gave him a ride home as they both lived in the same town. When going on the back roads she found that her brakes didn't work and they ended up in a field. Police were called. Her car was taken to the police compound and later found that her brakes had been tampered with. Jenn, Bri and Christine meet at Christine's house to discuss what they can do to prove Mia didn't kill Douglas. They invite Zach to join them but he doesn't want to be involved.

This is where the story takes off but it is too much going on to put all on paper. I will leave it to the reader to enjoy. There are so many people who could have killed Douglas. Another professor is later killed, Professor Gary Alexander who also fell over a banister at Hilda Lange's cocktail party at her home. The story builds up to a surprising ending.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the adventure of Jenn and her friends and her relationship with Zach.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert
The story grabbed my interest from the start. I enjoyed the characters and wanted to know the outcome of their relationships as well as the mystery. The story kept me turning the page and saying, one more chapter.
An enjoyable cozy mystery.

This was a fun story to read. I liked that it is a little attached to another series. Very clever storyline. I liked that she’s an author that works at the college. I didn’t see the ending coming. I’m looking forward to more in this series!

The first book of the new series by Victoria Gilbert is Schooled in Murder and this book is a perfect example of how the plot can engage the reader. The author’s descriptions of the college environment with its particularities helped me to almost feel like I was a part of the story. The addition of romance subplot which was not dominant over the main investigation was a great decision.

In conclusion, this book was just the kind of read I needed at the moment. I do enjoy some cozy mysteries from time to time, and this new series was enjoyable.

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

There are some things I loved about the book but there are some other things that I didn’t enjoy. Firstly I want to mention it was a good cozy mystery overall and I really enjoyed the romance (lt wasn’t much so it wasn’t overwhelming) between our main character and Zach. It kept me engaged. I had guesses about the killer but it wasn’t obvious so that was a good thing. I think what I didn’t like most was there were too many characters and we didn’t really see their personalities so they weren’t memorable for me. Overall it can be read as a fast paced cozy mystery. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great start to a new series. There were plenty of suspects for the murder and red herrings that kept you guessing. The characters were well rounded and the MC was likeable. The romance between her and the psychologist was intersting if a bit fast. I did like how the author incorporated this book into the other series she writes in the Blue Ridge Library. That made a complete world by touching on a place you are already familiar with if you have read that series.

I was slightly disappointed by this book. Although the premise was interesting, and I knew I’d like the academic setting, overall it was somewhat formulaic and improbable. I found Zachary to be annoying and felt that Jenn never fully developed as a character.