"Death and the Librarian (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #9)" by Victoria Gilbert has Amy helping to dig through the archives about a cold case that a visiting author may have been made a victim over investigating. The police are curious if what she was more currently investigating or a past investigation might be the motive. So, who better to ask to investigate the investigation other than the local crime solving librarian.

This is pretty typical of this series. There ends up being a cold case that may or may nog be tied to a modern day case. I do have to say that Amy was almost there to figuring everything out when she makes a very rookie mistake that gets her in a scary reveal situation. However, I wasn't sure on how this one was going to go so it wrapped up with surprises for me.

It's spring, and there is an Arts Festival in town. The Library has a special speaker who is writing a book about unsolved police cases in small towns. She is particularly interested in a local case of a young man who went missing. She says she would love to talk with Karl Klass (who is currently known as Kurt Kendrick). Fortunately for Kurt, most folks don't know his former name. The next morning Aunt Lydia asks Amy, Elly, and Nickiy want to go to an art exhibit at the Inn and then to lunch. When they arrive at the Inn, they find that the speaker of the previous afternoon was found dead in her bed. Amy calls Brad, the local policeman, and he tells her she had been drugged before being smothered.

Before long, Amy realizes she is in danger as she has been trying to help Brad. Amy and Richard send the twins home with Amy's parents to get them out of danger. When Amy's close friend is hurt, she begins to worry. However, that doesn't keep her out of a very dangerous situation. Will she solve the case before she is murdered herself? This is a good addition to the series, and I can't wait for the next book!

I thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC so that I could read this book before publication.

Death and the Librarian is the newest in the Blue Ridge Mystery series. Co-library director, Amy Muir, has a lot on her plate. She has twins, a festival is taking place in her community, her husband is opening a new dance series, and her curiosity never ends. When an author ends up dead at the local inn after speaking at a library event, Amy finds that the past often links to the present. Amy finds herself in danger but her wits help to save her as well as a friend. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Library director Amy Muir has always been suspicious of wealthy art dealer Kurt Kendrick. As a close family friend, the ties that bind them are strong, but his murky past is concerning, especially since he is the godfather to Amy and her husband Richard’s six-year-old twins. When a visitor to their small, historic Virginia town is found dead after publicly accusing Kurt of committing a decades-old murder, Amy is determined to prove that Kurt didn’t kill anyone, in the past or the present. But the evidence Kurt’s accuser sent to Sheriff Brad Tucker before her untimely demise indicates otherwise.

With Amy’s own aunt and other older town residents corroborating some of the details related to the first murder and a witness placing Kurt near the scene of the second crime, it seems Kurt is doomed to swift and severe justice. Amidst the fun and excitement of an arts festival that features the premiere of Richard’s new dance company, Amy faces her own challenging performance—balancing her work and family life while dancing on the edge of danger.

With family and friends harboring suspicions about Kurt and Amy bedeviled by her own wavering trust in his innocence, she must fight to uncover the truth before a hidden killer strikes again.

This was cozy and wonderful read. I love this series and can relate to some of the issues Amy has to deal with (lucky for me not the death part).

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC. I love cozy mysteries! This was just ok. I didnt care about the characters as much as I had hoped. I won't continue the series as my TBR pile is astronomical. But, if you want a quick, light read, this is for you.

Each one of the books of this series gets better and better all of the time. I love the family aspect of these books. You feel so close with all of them, and you really want to keep each one of them safe and sound. Amy and Richard are really the ideal couple, and I like that Richard finally got his dance studio up and running. The kids are great, and I especially love Amy's aunt.

Now if only there weren't mysterious deaths that keep happening in their little town. I loved that this one had a mystery inside of another mystery. It really gave my brain something to chew on. And just when you think you've got everything figured out? Well then, another brick falls into the wall and a new puzzle piece is formed.

Great book, great series, I highly recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Victoria Gilbert for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

I can’t believe I finished this book because I found it so poorly written so imagine my surprise that the author has written a number of books. I know there are cozy mysteries but the writing was beyond bad-sophomoric is how I’d describe it. Not a recommend.

Once again Amy is involved in investigating the death of a woman who was in town inquiring about a cold case. When Amy starts asking questions and looking into the background of those who worked with the victim, she starts to receive threats. Will the threat of her family and friends stop Amy from finding answers?
A light, interesting plot the flows easily from scene to scene. I love these characters and all their banter. Great series, but this book can be read as a standalone.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review .

I really enjoy this series and my favorite character is still Kurt. He is really interesting character and I am tired of the narrative that crops up still that he is gonna harm Amy and her family some how. You made him god parent or something like that. Also, I love her relationship with Richard, it seems so loving and healthy. I thought that the mystery itself was interesting with reveal and ending. I really do feel for one of the murders actually. I just feel like Amy has to be a little TSTL at this point, right? Like we are 9 mysteries in, why would you dismiss the threats or very real fears her family and friends have for her. And Brad (the deputy), with his whole " We didn't know this would put her in danger", really dude??? She was fearful enough to send her kids away but not fearful enough to make sure that she wasn't alone. Honestly at this point I am surprised they haven't sewn air tags in to her clothing so they know where she is.

Oh something else I really like about this series, these murders don't all happen in like a year in a small town. In other series, all of these books might have happened over 2 years, this author uses time jumps other than just publication time frame to help further her story.

Unique I’ve never read anything like it. I enjoyed it was very new probably not somthing I’d pickup again but was good.

The nosy librarian, her professional dancer husband, their twins, the extended family, and sometimes helping out the local sheriff. This is one of those times. A visiting author is in town stirring up an old scandal/missing person case when she is murdered and one of the librarian's family is in the frame. Let the group snoop begin! I love this series!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 08, 2025
#DeathandtheLibrarian by @victoriagilbertauthor #BlueRidgeLibraryMysteriesBk10 @crookedlanebooks #cozymystery #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones *****Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk @kobo #podcaster #coldcase #murderedauthor #scandals #plottwists

Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert is the next in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series and this time Librarian Amy Muir and her family are embroiled in an old murder case. When an author working on a true crime book seems to accuse Kurt, the Godfather of Amy's twins of an old crime, she is impelled to find out the truth of the old crime. With the help of her relatives and community, Amy is off on another quest. This is a good series to add to the cozy list, with fun characters and a good location.

Amy Muir, librarian in the Blue Ridge once again gets involved in murder in Death and the Librarian. The woman who wrote an implied expose on a long dead murder is found dead herself when she comes to town to do a book talk. Scandal, hidden misdeeds in local citizens, drug deals, all spice up the story. Amy is warned off but continues the search. What could go wrong? Read and find out.

Death and the Librarian is the latest mystery in the popular Blue Ridge Library series. I enjoyed this book as I have the others in the series. This series seems like a true cozy series. I can enjoy reading it as an escape and there is nothing too scary or graphic in it and anything romantic is merely implied. The characters are comfortable and charming and all too willing to look the other way while the main character of Amy solves another mystery before the police or in this case helping the police. I have always enjoyed this series, but I feel like I have to make one comment because it just drives me crazy. In every book, the author/Amy points out that although she is a curvy, plus size woman her dancer husband still loves her anyway. I find this so insulting. In early books, it could have been seen as a concern for the character as she met and married her husband. But now they have been married for a number of years and it feels ridiculous that this is pointed out and justified every time. Please let Amy be the strong character that she is and quit making plus size women feel less than they are. That being said I still enjoy this series and would recommend it as a fun and easy to read cozy mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book that I have read in the series. A cozy mystery and easy read. For context, I will suggest starting with the first one in order to understand Amy’s involvement in solving the mystery. As a standalone, it was enjoyable and I will look for future books by the author.

This was a good read from a well established author. For me personally there were too many characters. The children in the book seemed superfluous to the story. The husband interestingly has a non traditional profession so I found that refreshing. The main character solved the mystery more by happenstance and her rescue seemed a bit contrived. However this was a pleasant way to spend a few hours

Amy Muir, director of the Blue Ridge Library, has long been concerned about the shady past surrounding art dealer Kurt Kendrick, a close family friend and godfather to her and her husband Richards's young twins. After a visitor to their town is found dead after accusing Kurt of committing a murder in their town several years before, Amy desperately sets out to prove his innocence but is faced with strong evidence of his guilt made known by his accuser before her sudden death.
As the details regarding the first murder are made public by those present in town at the time the murder occurred, the evidence against Kurt becomes stronger. Amy insists on continuing her investigation despite her busy schedule managing her household, the care of her children, and her husband's busy life with his newly formed dance company. As she continues her fight to prove his innocence, she soon finds that her own life is now in danger and she must find out the truth before the killer strikes again.

Guest author Maureen Dryden is in Taylorford to promote her next best seller concerning a cold case murder or disappearance of Eddie Jeffe.But its the name dropping that angers a few people including the sheriffs wife Alison Tucker . Maureen wants to talk to two people who might have info on the missing man. Delbert Frye and Kurt Klass. Delbert happens to be Alison's great uncle and boy is her blood boiling. And when Maureen ends up dead Alison is in the hot seat right along with Kurt ( who is now Kurt Kendrick) . Amy Muir just can't let this crime go unsolved but when she's warned to stay clear she has a tough choice to make. Proceed with her investigation or stand down and let a killer go free. Can she make the right choices and solve a cold case or will she become a "cold" case herself.

I highly recommend this book. Another murder is committed that is related to the library. Amy is asked to do research to catch the killer.

While I didn't like the previous book in this series, because it didn't feel the same. This one had the charm of the first books in the series. And reminded me why I fell in love with this series.