Booked for Death
A Book Lover's B&B Mystery
by Victoria Gilbert
About Booked for Death
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (August 11, 2020)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1643853074
ISBN-13: 978-1643853079
Digital ASIN: B07XX7PHTV
From the critically acclaimed author of SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell.
A book lover's B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder--and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth.
Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader's paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.
The victim's daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.
Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt's name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer's death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer--or end up writing her own final chapter.
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| Front porch of B&B |
About Virginia Gilbert
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina. Victoria writes A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series.
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| Josephine Tey |
Author Links
Website/blog: http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaGilbertMysteryAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VGilbertauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/VictoriaGilbert
My Thoughts
Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert has Charlotte Reed running Chapters, a bed-and-breakfast, in Beaufort,
North Carolina which is a paradise for book lovers. Each room has a different theme and Charlotte
hosts special events celebrating authors, books, and genres. This week is a weeklong celebration honoring
Golden Age mystery author, Josephine Tey.
Charlotte is hosting a costume dinner with a fifteenth century menu in
honor the author’s book, The Daughter of Time.
Charlotte returns from an ice run to learn one of her guests is dead in
the carriage house. The victim’s
daughter, Tara points the police in Charlotte’s direction. The victim is Lincoln Delamont, a rare book
dealer, who claimed to have proof that Charlotte’s great-aunt, Isabella, from
whom she inherited Chapters, was a thief and he indicated he wanted
compensation to keep the information under wraps. Charlotte with help from her neighbor, Ellen
sets out to discover the killer’s identity plus learn the truth about her great-aunt.
Booked for Death is the debut of A Book Lover’s B&B Mystery series. Charlotte Reed has
been running Chapters for the last year since she inherited the
bed-and-breakfast from her great-aunt, Isabella Harrington. I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of
Chapters with its extensive library (I want the library in this book). The author took the time to set the stage by
giving us the background on Charlotte plus describing the bed-and-breakfast,
the town and introducing us to secondary characters. Beaufort, North Carolina is a charming
historic, harbor town with a variety of businesses. The two secondary characters are Alicia
Simpson, the housekeep and cook, and Ellen Montgomery, the next-door neighbor
with an interesting past. I connected
more with Ellen than Charlotte. The
mystery had some interesting components with multiple suspects and misdirection. Charlotte suspects all of her guests as well
as a couple of locals who attended the party.
There are good clues to help readers solve this whodunit. The secondary mystery of Charlotte’s great-aunt
Isabella aroused my curiosity and had me speculating. I did find the pacing a
little slow for my liking in the first half.
I was glad there was more action later in the story. A little humor and quirkiness would have
enhanced this cozy mystery. Booked for
Death contains good writing with an interesting premise (who does not love a
literary themed bed-and-breakfast). Booked for Death is a delight for literary lovers with a conniving victim, a surplus
of suspects, a distraught daughter, costume chaos, a mysterious family member, and
beloved books.
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| I could see Chapters (the B&B) on this street |
Booked for Death releases August 11 (the publisher moved the release date from June). You can pre-order Booked for Death from Amazon*, B&N, Kobo, and Indie Bound. As part of the tour, the author is giving away an ARC of Booked for Death. You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Leave a comment for an extra entry. Good Luck! A Deadly Edition is the next A Blue Ridge Mystery by Victoria Gilbert and it will be out on December 8. Thank you for stopping by today. Tomorrow I am showcasing The Bitter and the Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader. May you have a fulfilling day. Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
June 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
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Thanks so much for participating in my blog tour!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book, thanks for sharing.
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