Early Book Review: To Kill a Mocking Girl (Bookbinding Mystery) by Harper Kincaid

To Kill a Mocking Girl is the first book in the Bookbinding Mystery series by Harper Kincaid. It is currently scheduled for release on May 12 2020. I planned to be following this series to see where it goes from here. However, the author's behavior and bios on social media has them now on my do not buy list. Sadly I had read and reviewed the book via netgalley before seeing it and still will post my honest review as it was written prior to the RWA implosion and everything that came to light during the winter holidays.

Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned, charm-for-days bookshop, Prose & Scones. With her trusty German Shepherd RBG-'Ruff Barker' Ginsburg by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex, Scott, or her former high school nemesis, Tricia, is a drag. It certainly doesn't help they have acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn't mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. So why does half the town think she may have done it? Quinn is determined to find Tricia's killer, even if it means partnering with her cousin-turned-nun, Sister Daria, and Detective Aiden Harrington, her older brother's too-movie-star-handsome-for-his-own good, best friend. They believe she's innocent, but of course that doesn't influence the police, who peg her as their prime suspect. But there is no way Quinn is going to stop now. Vienna is her town and-for better or worse-Tricia was one of their own. Someone may have killed the mocking girl, but no one's going to stop the notorious QVC.

To Kill a Mocking Girl is a well paced and engaging read. I like that Kincaid did not go for a massive information dump in the beginning of the book, rather revealed Quinn's family and the quirks of the town in a more organic manner. I liked Quinn's character- she is smart and capable with a touch of vulnerability. I really liked her collection of knowledge and how deeply she cares about the people around her and doing the right thing. I also enjoyed Quinn's extended family and individuals she crossed paths with regularly. Although it did feel like the author was trying to drop in mentions and bits to be recognized as diversity, without actually giving any  real depth to the characters or backstories that were used. It had no bearing on the characters or the story- so it felt more like she was trying to check of boxes or show of how 'progressive' she could be. That nagged at me a bit, and I think the story might have been better served by not making that play or by actually taking further steps with that information actually mattering. The mystery elements were well done, although I will say that the hints dropped in the story led me to guess two of the details before the big reveal, but I did miss the who which is always a nice surprise. I liked that there was a good deal of character development for Quinn and those closest to her. The details about the secondary characters are often what keeps me invested in a story, and in a series. 

To Kill a Mocking Girl is a solid start to a mystery series with a nice balance of danger, humor, obscure facts, and romance.