Early Book Review: Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders

Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders is currently scheduled for release on December 29 2020. Librarian Josie Way moved to small-town Oregon to lay low. Instead, thanks to newfound magic abilities—and a killer on the loose. She’s leapt out of the frying pan and into a cauldron of trouble. Josie Way loved working among the Library of Congress’s leather-scented stacks—until she uncovered corruption and made herself a target. As Wilfred, Oregon’s new librarian, Josie can stay undercover until the case goes to court. But life in this little town isn’t as subdued as she expected. The library, housed in a a Victorian mansion, is slated to be bulldozed. Still digesting the news that her safe haven is about to become scrap lumber, Josie discovers a body in the woods. Almost as shocking, Josie learns that she’s descended from a long line of witches—and her powers have suddenly sprung to life. With help from a spoiled alley cat who just may be her familiar, Josie’s thumbing through a catalog of suspects, hoping she can conjure a way to save her library—and her life.

Bait and Witch is a mystery with a good balance of character building and showing the relationship and history of the small town it all happens in. Josie is on the run after doing the right thing and acting as a whistleblower, but when she arrives in town she discovers things are far from as simple in this little town as she had hoped.  A murder and the possible destruction of her new library are in play, along with a tight lipped circle of co-workers and locals. I liked the way the complicated history of the town ad some of its inhabitants is revealed, and the way Josie comes to better understand herself. I like that her friendships were just as important as the mystery, and that while there are hints towards future romantic aspects they did not become the focus of the story at all. The mystery aspect was well done, with plenty of twists and turns. While I was rather expecting one of the twists the journey and the way it was revealed was engaging and kept me turning pages well past my bed time. I enjoyed the ride and look forward to the series continuing and fully plan on following it as it does.

Bait and Witch is a good cozy mystery and I hope the series continues on. 

Early Book Review: No Offense by Meg Cabot

No Offense by Meg Cabot is currently scheduled for release on August 11 2020. A broken engagement only gave Molly Montgomery additional incentive to follow her dream job from the Colorado Rockies to the Florida Keys. Now, as Little Bridge Island Public Library’s head of children’s services, Molly hopes the messiest thing in her life will be her sticky-note covered desk. But fate—in the form of a newborn left in the restroom—has other ideas. So does the sheriff who comes to investigate the “abandonment”.  When John Hartwell folds all six-feet-three of himself into a tiny chair and insists that whoever left the baby is a criminal, Molly begs to differ and asks what he’s doing about the Island’s real crime wave (if thefts of items from homes that have been left unlocked could be called that). Not the best of starts, but the man’s arrogance is almost as distracting as his blue eyes. John would be pretty irritated if one of his deputies had a desk as disorderly as Molly’s. Good thing she doesn’t work for him, considering how attracted he is to her. Molly’s lilting librarian voice makes even the saltiest remarks go down sweeter, which is bad as long as she’s a witness but might be good once the case is solved—provided he hasn’t gotten on her last nerve by then. Recently divorced, John has been having trouble adjusting to single life as well as single parenthood. But something in Molly’s beautiful smile gives John hope that his old life on Little Bridge might suddenly hold new promise—if only they can get over their differences. 

 

No Offense is a romance that has some of my favorite things. John is a single father that will do anything for his kid, including embarrass himself, and manages to be both protective and awkward. Molly is a bit too stereotype of he perfect children's librarian, and I say this as someone that has worked in the field and also has a slightly unhealthy attachment to some of my books. She is sweet and smart, with a need to help and protect her patrons. I did like the reality of working in a small library was touched on- like staff being the ones to check on bathroom disasters because of necessity, budget, and workplace politics. I liked some of the banter between Molly and John, I found the awkwardness to be charming and just what I remember loving from Cabot in the past. I thought the small town setting was played very well, and I liked the secondary characters. I liked the mystery angle, and thought the understanding and compassion shown in some characters was very well done (although over the top at times), while the judgement of others rubbed me wrong. I really enjoyed some aspects of the book, while others left me a feeling a bit 'meh'. It was still  a good read, and I am glad I requested the book from Netgalley and read it, but I think I might skip any future books set in this small town.

 

No Offense is a contemporary romance with a nice dose of mystery and a strong small town trope. I did not love it the way I have loved some books from Cabot in the past, but I still enjoyed the read.

Early Book Review: Bound for Murder (Blue Ridge Library Mystery) by Victoria Gilbert

Bound for Murder is the forth Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert. It is currently scheduled for release on January 7 2020. I do recommend reading the series in order, mainly for the personalities and relationships. However, I think a dedicated reader could catch up fairly quickly. 

Taylorsford Public Library director Amy Webber's friend "Sunny" Fields is running for mayor. But nothing puts a damper on a campaign like an actual skeleton in a candidate's closet. Sunny's grandparents ran a commune back in the 1960s on their organic farm. But these former hippies face criminal charges when human remains are found in their fields--and a forensic examination reveals that the death was neither natural nor accidental. With Sunny's mayoral hopes fading, Amy sets her wedding plans aside, says "not yet" to the dress, and uses her research skills to clear her best friend's family. Any of the now-elderly commune members could have been the culprit. As former hippies perish one by one, Amy and her friends Richard, Aunt Lydia, and Hugh Chen pursue every lead. But if Amy can't find whoever killed these "flower children," someone may soon be placing flowers on her grave.

Bound for Murder is a well written mystery with a good balance of character growth and sleuthing. I like that Amy is still growing and evolving- and getting more safety savvy as she researches and questions people. Her taking the precaution of having her keys or phone ready when in less than comfortable situations showed some real growth after the dangers she had faced in past books.  I enjoyed following the clues with her, even the side avenues the information took her down. I enjoyed just how interconnected the community is, and how  the clues took Amy and readers along a twisted path through the past. I liked that I learned some interesting details, not all relevant to the mystery, as Amy was researching, and I felt like it gave me a much better understanding of the big picture than I usually get in cozy mysteries. I will say that the culprit was not who I expected, but was tied into their story, which made everything so much more interesting as the danger and clues piled up towards the end of the book. I am looking forward to seeing this story continue, and will certainly keep reading this series.  

Bound for Murder is a solid continuation of the series, with continued growth for the characters and a mystery that kept me guessing. 

Book Review: Past Due for Murder (Blue Ridge Library Mystery) by Victoria Gilbert

Past Due for Murder is the third book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert. I do suggest reading the series in order for personal character connections, but for the mystery portion new readers should have no problems catching up.

Spring has sprung in quaint Taylorsford, Virginia, and the mayor has revived the town’s long-defunct May Day celebration to boost tourism. As part of the festivities, library director Amy Webber is helping to organize a research project and presentation by a local folklore expert. All seems well at first—but spring takes on a sudden chill when a university student inexplicably vanishes during a bonfire. The local police cast a wide net to find the missing woman, but in a shocking turn of events, Amy’s swoon-worthy neighbor Richard Muir becomes a person of interest in the case. Not only is Richard the woman’s dance instructor, he also doesn’t have an alibi for the night the student vanished—or at least not one he’ll divulge, even to Amy. When the missing student is finally discovered lost in the mountains, with no memory of recent events—and a dead body lying nearby—an already disturbing mystery takes on a sinister new hue. Blessed with her innate curiosity and a librarian’s gift for research.

Past Due for Murder let me down a little. The characters and mystery were good. There were some fun twists and turns, and some painful emotional moments along the way as well. I still like the small town feel of Taylorsford and how the group of family and friends that Amy has around her. I had two problems with the book. First, I had a good idea of who the bad guy way, and some of the related why's very early in the book. I might have missed a couple little twists, but I was almost right on point way too early for my peace of mind. I was also a little annoyed with Amy's insecurities and the way some of the romance part of the book happened. The final chapters of the book fixed it, but by that point I was not really all that interested in the Amy and Richard drama. Frankly, I am much more interested in Sunny, Kurt, Lydia, and the rest of the secondary characters and how they move forward than I am in Amy and her future. 

Past Due for Murder is a good story, but not one that left me eager for more. I might just be done with this series for now.

Book Review: Shelved Under Murder (Blue Ridge Library) by Victoria Gilbert

Shelved Under Murder is the second book in the Blue Ridge Library series by Victoria Gilbert. I do recommend reading this series in order, to understand exactly who everyone is and how they are connected. I have read the previous book, and enjoyed it, however it did still take me a few pages to get back into this setting and remember the characters- mainly because I am also reading another librarian mystery series.

October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried. The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name. That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder.

Shelved Under Murder is an entertaining read, and the balance of emotion, sleuthing, and danger was well done. It started slow for me, but only because I wa trying to recapture the thread of the series, mostly because of the number of cozy mysteries I read, particularly those about librarians and other book related themes. However, once I was back in the groove I was fully invested in Amy's story, her relationships, and the mystery of the murdered artist. I like that the murder lead to more complicated revelations and mysteries that personally effect Amy's world, and that the stories of town residents and their relations to each other continued evolving and growing even as the mystery unfolded. I also liked that we got to know more about the past, and were able to see Amy and Richard become closer and understand each other. The danger and complications involved in the murder was very well done, there are multiple levels to the crime and I really enjoyed the depth and twists involved. I feel like the story as a little deeper and more dense than most cozy style mysteries, but I just worked out well and felt right as I was reading.

Shelved Under Murder is a fun and fast ride with plenty of twists and turns.  While I had suspicions as to the final twists, and was right, I still enjoyed the ride and am still planning on continuing with the series.

Book Review: Read and Gone (Haunted Library Mysteries) by Allison Brook

Read and Gone is the second book in the Haunted Library Mysteries series by Allison Brook. I do recommend reading the series in order, to get the backstory of the characters and set up, but I think newcomers could catch on fairly quickly.

A devoted dad is as precious as diamonds, but Carrie Singleton wouldn't know since her dad Jim's been on the lam most of her life. In an unusual family reunion, she finds Jim breaking into her cottage in the middle of the night. The fun really starts when he begs her to help him recover his half of a seven-million-dollar gem heist he pulled off with the local jeweler, Benton Parr. When she refuses, Jim takes off again. Carrie finds her father again behind bars for the recent murder of Benton Parr. Who made the connection? Unbeknownst to her, Carrie's boyfriend Dylan, an insurance investigator, has been searching for the gems. Determined to find the jewels herself, she starts examining every facet of Parr's life. She turns up a treasure trove of suspects, one of whom bashes her on the head as she's searching the victim's country cabin. Retreating to the quiet confines of the library where she works, Carrie watches as Smokey Joe, the resident cat, paws at a hole in the wall. Is he after the library's ghost Evelyn, or something shinier?

Read and Gone is a solid continuation to this series. I enjoyed that Carrie and the secondary characters continue to grow, and that I am still learning new things about them even though they feel like old friends. The addition of her father and the mystery and murder that follow in his wake was well done. I found the mystery to be multi layered and well handled, and even with the amount of suspects and twists I never felt like there was so much going on that I could not keep track of it all. I will admit that I had my suspicions about who might be involved in the big reveal, and I was mostly right. However, I really enjoyed the journey to get to those answers. While I enjoyed Jim, Carrie's dad, and his role in the action and felt that the emotional rollercoaster Carrie was dealing with were well written, I have to admit that I got frustrated with her on occasion. She seems a little quick to cut people out, and them gets upset when they take her at her word. However, as annoyed as I was I felt both sides were completely realistic and in character for them. It felt like giving advice to a friend who then ignores your coaching and does something completely different, normal but still bothersome. 

Read and Gone is an engaging read with plenty of twists and turns to keep mystery readers happy and enough character development and emotion to keep everyone turning those pages.