Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781643853079
Crooked Lane Publishing
320 Pages
$21.14; $12.99 Amazon
June 9, 2020
⭐⭐⭐
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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Charlotte Reed is a fairly young widow who inherited a B&B in North Carolina from a late aunt. She's using it to further her love of books, by hosting events centering around just that - books and authors. While she has an assorted group of people staying for one of Golden Age mystery of author Josephine Tey's books, it can't be labeled a success -- not when one of the guests turns up dead during a costume party.
It turns out that the guest was not well-liked by anyone, including his wife and daughter, but who hated him enough to kill him? With her reputation at stake - and a possible murderer in her home - what is Charlotte to do except try and find the person who did the deed...unless she's no longer alive to tell the truth to anyone...
This is the first in a new series and as such I was really looking forward to reading it; and I always welcome new books by seasoned authors, but this one just didn't completely cut it for me. The book isn't bad, by any account; in fact, it's a decent start, and I do love the idea of a B&B that caters to book lovers. Anyone who reads would love it.
While I enjoyed the character of Charlotte, she seemed to have a rather bland personality. I get that she was the owner of a B&B, but she wasn't always so. She just seemed to have one of those personalities of people you meet and then forget all about them the minute you leave. There was no spark to her, if you will. She, of course, has the innate curiosity that's expected; and she's also trying to find out more about her great-aunt Isabella, who left the house to her; more so because the murder victim hinted that Isabella may have acquired her extensive and valuable library illegally, and Charlotte is determined to find out if it's the truth. But when she starts looking, the truth is a lot stranger than she expects.
Now, I'm not saying it's not believable, I'm just saying for myself, I found it a bit far-fetched in the long run. While it's entirely possible, the entire plot just didn't seem to strike a chord for me, and because of this, it tampered my enjoyment a tad. However, it's a decent start to a new book and others will probably find it more their cup of tea than I did.
https://www.amazon.com/Booked-Death-Book-Lovers-Mystery/dp/1643853074/ref=
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3210948347
More on Victoria Gilbert's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/victoria-gilbert/
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