A thoroughly delightful cozy mystery. I especially liked the banter between all the characters, especially Zack and Jenn. I am looking forward to more books in this series and can't wait to try some of her other books. I heartily recommend this book. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Schooled in Murder is an extremely fast paced book. There’s twists, there’s some romance, and of course, there’s a killer.

The premise is stated that they’re most investigating a way to save Mia from getting arrested, but that’s only a few chapters in the book. It’s actually when our main character, Jenn, is constantly getting threatened and pushed that is why they’re investigating. Well, and the fact that the sleuth group wants to catch killers just because they can.

The romance was my favorite part of the book. As a romantasy reader mainly, I thrive in romance and this romance was super cute ! I called it when he was first introduced and there was banter between them. Very cute, and their relationship goes pretty steady.

Overall, good book. Was there an element of surprise with the killer ? Yes. Was there a lot of buildup though? Not really in my opinion, but I still enjoyed the book. My favorite character is definitely Jenn.

Once again, it’s overall a good book and I look forward to more mysteries from this amateur sleuth group !

Academic setting…secrets…red herrings…realistic characters…intrigue…the recipe for a quick story…refreshing and mysterious…this talented author has written a page turner. I like this author. I liked this book. Hope to read more. This is my favorite by this author…favorite…a cannot put down book. Thanks Netgalley.

𝑰'𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚.

The first in a new cozy series, SCHOOLED IN MURDER introduces Jen Dalton, mystery author and educator at a Virginia university. I loved the concept but the execution fell a little short for me.

I read a lot of cozy series, and what keeps me going back to new installments is the sense of place the author creates and a connection with the characters. While I could easily envision the university, its library, and its writing lab, I had difficulty connecting with the characters. Many of them had potential (except for Zachary, the campus psychologist; he was the most annoying character EVER) and the dialogue was often stilted, especially with Jen, which had her coming off as a prudish 1950s housewife.

Even with those criticisms, I'll probably read the second installment to see if Zachary grows on me or not. I'm really hoping to see more of the minor characters because they were the highlight of this book.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane for the early copy. At the time this review was written, publication was slated for December 10, 2024.

#SchooledinMurder #NetGalley is a first in a new series by a favorite author, and I enjoyed meeting a cast of new characters.
Jen Dalton is a professor and an author who finds herself wrapped up in a murder investigation.
A confrontation between a professor and one of Jen’s students, Mia, escalates, and no one thinks much of it until his dead body is found along with evidence that could incriminate Mia.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This is a good first book in a series, I like that the author jumped right into the action with the mc discovering a body. The mystery was engaging and the killer was a bit of a surprise. I am not too sure about the love interest, though; there did not seem to be much chemistry. I will read book number two when it is published.

I picked up Schooled in Murder because, as a teacher who also loves cozy mysteries, I thought it would be a fun read. It definitely delivered on the mystery and on providing several suspects. There were some red herrings and twists and turns as well.

The mystery begins with Jennifer Dalton, who is the director of the Writer's Center at a local college. While scoping out books at the library, Jenn discovers a dead body---an English professor known for sneering at popular fiction books and resisting change in the department toward modernizing the canon. Meanwhile, a student named Mia goes missing. The college gossip assumes that she did it since her "C-" paper was found next to the body. But Jenn is nearly positive that Mia had nothing to do with it.

Jenn is a mystery writer with a series that spans several books, so she's keen to solve the mystery. She gathers together her friends and co-conspirators to find out whodunit. Was it his wife, who was on the verge of a divorce? His mistress, who was angry that her book was stolen and published by the professor in a fit of plagiarism? Was it the director of the college, a widow who was intent on reform? Was it Enid, Jenn's co-worker at the writing center, who wanted tenure? At first Jenn just asks a few questions, but soon finds herself threatened and in some dangerous situations as a result of her amateur sleuthing. Her librarian and cafeteria lady friends all manage to add a bit of fact-finding to the pile.

Jenn's 6-foot frame comes in handy as she manages to woman-up in some tough situations. However, it does help that as she goes through a variety of trying circumstances, a good-looking psychologist, Dr. Zachary Flynn. At first she finds him annoying and critical, but one of the best parts of this book is the banter between the two, which grows into a relationship of mutual respect. Dialogue feels natural and unforced.

The only criticism I have is that this book is very much a "tell, don't show" sort of book. It's low on imagery and and cuts straight to the point, providing direct character descriptions throughout and motives that are pretty cut-and-dried without much complexity or character development. By the time the book is done, upon reflection, not even the protagonist is someone that the reader knows very well. Her deeper motivations and backstory are not really addressed, which is interesting considering the boyfriend who is a psychologist. Nobody really plumbs into the depths of anyone. Zachary Flynn has a twin sister who is bipolar, but that is only mentioned and not really touched upon. It's treated as something that transformed her into someone erratic without much detail given. The villains have pretty solid motives for what they did, but, again, no real complexity there. There is some foreshadowing as to who is responsible and enough twists to keep people guessing.

If you're looking for a well-drawn main character like Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, you will be disappointed, but if you're looking for a decent mystery in an academic setting (with maybe a cat in there somewhere), this is the book for you! I personally enjoyed it and read it in a single night.

Title: Schooled In Murder
Author: Victoria Gilbert
✨✨✨.5/5
Amateur Sleuth Mystery-Maybe Thriller?

Synopsis:
A woman named Jenn finds herself in the middle of a murder at her college begins to conduct an amateur sleuth mission. She does this because her mentee is suspected of the crime, so she gets together with a lunch lady and her assistant to find evidence to get her out of the mess. While on this mission, she finds something she wasn't looking for... a love connection. He is a sort of arrogant, uppity character who relies on way too many Shakespeare quotes.

What I liked about this book:
The fast-paced nature of this book had me devouring the book. The author's descriptions of the college were fantastic, rich with detail that made me feel like I was walking the halls myself. It was also refreshing to see a romantic element woven in that didn't take away from the mystery unraveling. These elements together made the book a captivating one day read.

What I didn't like:
There were a few elements that left me wanting a bit more. While I enjoyed Jenn's determination, the constant explanation of her injuries as "trips" felt a little unrealistic. Multiple trips to the hospital with serious injuries became monotonous and unrealistic.


Additionally, the inclusion of an amateur sleuth group to assist Jenn felt like a missed opportunity. While I'm sure she appreciated the support system, I would have liked to see them have a more active role in solving the mystery. The dynamic between Jenn, the lunch lady, and her assistant had potential, but their contributions felt limited.

Overall, I gave it 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars because it kept me reading, the mystery unraveled at a good pace, and I really liked the Shakespeare thrown in.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own =)


I found some grammatical errors as well:
1. 19% in it says "so i understand if you fee an inclination... etc. I believe it should be "feel"
2. 82% in "Do you mind if head inside" There is a missing "I" between if and head
3. 85% in ... "you'd asked forleave ahead"

Thanks for letting me read early!