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.

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!