Review
PAST DUE FOR MURDER by Victoria Gilbert
The Third Blue Ridge Library Mystery
Folklorist Ramona Raymond has descended upon the Taylorsford public
library with her cadre of university students researching the mysterious
mountain lights. A missing student, an evasive boyfriend, and ties to a
mystery a hundred years before lead library director Amy Webber on a
search of her own. Will she be able to tie these threads together, or
will the legend of the mountain lights claim more deaths?
After reading the first two books in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries I grew to really like the characters. But I found myself not as enamoured with them as this third entry began. Amy is plagued by inadequacy and doubt for a good portion of this book. Her clinginess is annoying, yet suspicion is warranted as Richard is no longer acting the part of the model boyfriend. His attitude and behaviors certainly indicate that something is up and he becomes quite unlikable for a while. I also found myself wanting to smack Amy as I quickly realized something to which she was totally blind. That being said, by the end of the novel their behaviors improved and both Amy and Richard are back in my good graces. This actually says a lot for the author as she's able to get readers to care about her characters. While the relationships of Amy, Richard, and even Sunny proved irksome at times, I really love the blossoming relationship between Lydia and Hugh and hope we get to see more of it. My favorite character has to be Kurt Kendrick who adds quite a bit to not only plot, but character development.
I enjoyed the mysteries found in PAST DUE FOR MURDER, especially the ties to the mystery of the lost girls in the late 1800s. Clues were in laid out, allowing readers to figure out a good portion of the modern day mystery...and possibly yelling at Amy who couldn't see the forest for the trees!
PAST DUE FOR MURDER explores self doubt and trust while asking how much we really know about those we love, or loved. The end of the novel is uplifting and makes me look forward to the next installment.
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After reading the first two books in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries I grew to really like the characters. But I found myself not as enamoured with them as this third entry began. Amy is plagued by inadequacy and doubt for a good portion of this book. Her clinginess is annoying, yet suspicion is warranted as Richard is no longer acting the part of the model boyfriend. His attitude and behaviors certainly indicate that something is up and he becomes quite unlikable for a while. I also found myself wanting to smack Amy as I quickly realized something to which she was totally blind. That being said, by the end of the novel their behaviors improved and both Amy and Richard are back in my good graces. This actually says a lot for the author as she's able to get readers to care about her characters. While the relationships of Amy, Richard, and even Sunny proved irksome at times, I really love the blossoming relationship between Lydia and Hugh and hope we get to see more of it. My favorite character has to be Kurt Kendrick who adds quite a bit to not only plot, but character development.
I enjoyed the mysteries found in PAST DUE FOR MURDER, especially the ties to the mystery of the lost girls in the late 1800s. Clues were in laid out, allowing readers to figure out a good portion of the modern day mystery...and possibly yelling at Amy who couldn't see the forest for the trees!
PAST DUE FOR MURDER explores self doubt and trust while asking how much we really know about those we love, or loved. The end of the novel is uplifting and makes me look forward to the next installment.
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Past Due for Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (February 12, 2019)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Has a curse fallen on the small town of Taylorsford, Virginia? After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies only to find a truth that she may not want to untangle.
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, Amy may be the only one who can learn the truth in Past Due for Murder, Victoria Gilbert’s third charming Blue Ridge Library mystery.
About the Author
Raised in a historic small town in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian.
Victoria’s first cozy mystery series, the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, garnered her a three-book deal with Crooked Lane Books, which has since been expanded to five books. The first two books in the series have been optioned by Sony Pictures Television, and the first three were or will be produced in audiobook by Tantor Media.
Victoria also just inked a 2-book deal with Crooked Lane for a new cozy series, the Booklovers B & B series, set in historic Beaufort, NC.
A member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, Victoria is represented by Frances Black at Literary Counsel.
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriagilbertauthor/
Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo Indie Bound GooglePlay
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DeleteSounds like a cozy I will enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review on "PAST DUE FOR MURDER" by Victoria Gilbert and for being part of the book tour.
ReplyDeleteI'd love the opportunity to read this great sounding book by an author whose book I always enjoy.
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