4.5 out of 5 stars.

Greetings! Today I’m hosting another Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour stop. This tour is for A Murder for the Books, the first in a new series by Victoria Gilbert. I absolutely loved the book. It didn’t quite have the pizzazz that put it up to a 5-star read for me, but it is definitely a solid 4.5!

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Synopsis

Fleeing a disastrous love affair, university librarian Amy Webber moves in with her aunt in a quiet, historic mountain town in Virginia. She quickly busies herself with managing a charming public library that requires all her attention with its severe lack of funds and overabundance of eccentric patrons. The last thing she needs is a new, available neighbor whose charm lures her into trouble.

Dancer-turned-teacher and choreographer Richard Muir inherited the farmhouse next door from his great-uncle, Paul Dassin. But town folklore claims the house’s original owner was poisoned by his wife, who was an outsider. It quickly became water under the bridge, until she vanished after her sensational 1925 murder trial. Determined to clear the name of the woman his great-uncle loved, Richard implores Amy to help him investigate the case. Amy is skeptical until their research raises questions about the culpability of the town’s leading families… including her own.

When inexplicable murders plunge the quiet town into chaos, Amy and Richard must crack open the books to reveal a cruel conspiracy and lay a turbulent past to rest in A Murder for the Books, the first installment of Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mysteries.

Review

As I stated above, I absolutely loved this book!  A book that makes me laugh from the very first sentence is definitely worth my time to read. I’m a librarian so I’m interested in all cozy mysteries with a library setting and this one did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed our two main characters, Amy and Richard. They’re both well-rounded, developed characters. Their chemistry together is amazing. I’m looking forward to learning more about them and seeing their relationship blossom in further books in the series.

The setting descriptions were just right – not too little, but not too much either. I could easily imagine the town, the buildings we were in, the surrounding countryside, all of it. I like the setting. The town sits close enough to various larger towns/cities so there are all types of people who are included in the town. It’s a nice variety.

This plot moved along at a pretty steady pace. There were lots of subplots that were entangled with the main plot, but I was able to keep everything straight in my head so the subplots were a nice addition. I wondered briefly about the villain, but I really didn’t think it was them until it was revealed. It’s amazing the motives that make people kill. This was one motive I just couldn’t wrap my head around. I mean, I understood what the author meant, it just seemed like a not-so-good reason to commit murder!

I highly recommend this book if you like cozy mysteries! It’s a great start to a new series!

Thanks for joining me today for the latest Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. If you wish to visit other stops on the tour, please click on the banner below. It will take you to the main tour page where there is a list of participants.