Victoria Gilbert’s third Booklover’s B&B Mystery, a treat for fans of Mary Daheim and Kate Carlisle, finds owner Charlotte Reed and her former spy neighbor, Ellen Montgomery, pitted against a tea-party poisoner.
Booklover Charlotte is delighted to welcome an eclectic group of guests to Chapters Bed and Breakfast for a book club retreat focused on fairy tales and classic children’s literature. But when one of the guests is poisoned at a Mad Hatter tea party, Charlotte realizes she’s fallen down a rather unpleasant rabbit hole
The victim – an opinionated busybody whose jewelry store sold original designs, along with some possibly “hot” merchandise – had plenty of enemies, spurring Charlotte and Ellen to offer their well-honed investigative skills to assist the local police. But as they delve deeper into each of the guest’s stories, they realize all of them had a motive, and the means, to close the book on the unfortunate victim.
Enlisting the aid of a few local residents, as well as their new ally, agent Gavin Howard, Charlotte and Ellen vow to reveal the truth, even if the path to any sort of happy ending is strewn with deadly danger.
Praise for A Fatal Booking: "Thieves, spies . . . book lovers. . .and burgeoning romance add up to a charming cozy." —Kirkus
“[A] skillful combination of seaside-resort ambiance, literary allusions, and engaging continuing characters makes this a delightful third addition to the series.” —Booklist
“A cozy mystery lover's delight from first page to last” —Midwest Book Review
“Derived from a passion for fairy tales and fantasy . . . Another win for the series.” —Portland Book Review
Praise for the Blue Ridge Library mysteries: "Spunky librarian Amy will delight readers...A captivating cast of secondary characters and a dollop of romance add spice to this promising debut. I can't wait for the next in the series." —Laura DiSilverio, bestselling and award-winning author of the Readaholics Book Club series
“An intricately plotted library whodunit that both cozy readers and librarians will love!” —Amanda Flower, Agatha Award-winning author of the Magic Bookshop mysteries
"A perfect cozy setting with eccentric locals, a handsome neighbor, and a wise, determined librarian who turns detective to solve a decades-old murder. Great fun!" —Julia Buckley, author of the Writer's Apprentice Mysteries
“Gilbert delivers an entertaining mystery with a sizzle of romance, a dash of history and a scintillating hint of the supernatural. Cozy readers will find all the right elements to curl up and have fun.” —Victoria Abbott author of the award-winning Book Collector Mysteries
“Endearing characters.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Series fans will enjoy the ongoing shenangians...Newbies with an appreciation for small town politics (and an interlibrary loan mulligan) will have no trouble starting here." —Booklist
“Lively small-town characters, a well-paced plot, and dollops of fascinating art history help make this a winner.” —Publishers Weekly
“The well plotted and character driven story moves quickly and has something for everyone...Highly recommended.” —Fresh Fiction
"Another win for the series...layered characters [and] a solid mystery." —San Francisco Book Review
“Another deftly crafted mystery buff's delight by a true master of the genre.” —Midwest Book Review
“A mystery that has suspense, surprises, and humor which makes for an addicting and delightful cozy read from beginning to end.” —Manhattan Book Review
"A fun tale of books and crooks!" —Woman's World
“Gilbert weaves a well-paced, engaging story with strong characters… Blue Ridge Mystery fans will love reconnecting with Amy and her Taylorsford compatriots.” —NY Journal of Books
“What more could we want than to have our murder mysteries solved by an endearing librarian?” —Appalachian Mountain Books
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina.
Victoria Gilbert’s third Booklover’s B&B Mystery, a treat for fans of Mary Daheim and Kate Carlisle, finds owner Charlotte Reed and her former spy neighbor, Ellen Montgomery, pitted against a tea-party poisoner.
Booklover Charlotte is delighted to welcome an eclectic group of guests to Chapters Bed and Breakfast for a book club retreat focused on fairy tales and classic children’s literature. But when one of the guests is poisoned at a Mad Hatter tea party, Charlotte realizes she’s fallen down a rather unpleasant rabbit hole
The victim – an opinionated busybody whose jewelry store sold original designs, along with some possibly “hot” merchandise – had plenty of enemies, spurring Charlotte and Ellen to offer their well-honed investigative skills to assist the local police. But as they delve deeper into each of the guest’s stories, they realize all of them had a motive, and the means, to close the book on the unfortunate victim.
Enlisting the aid of a few local residents, as well as their new ally, agent Gavin Howard, Charlotte and Ellen vow to reveal the truth, even if the path to any sort of happy ending is strewn with deadly danger.
Reviews
Praise for A Fatal Booking: "Thieves, spies . . . book lovers. . .and burgeoning romance add up to a charming cozy." —Kirkus
“[A] skillful combination of seaside-resort ambiance, literary allusions, and engaging continuing characters makes this a delightful third addition to the series.” —Booklist
“A cozy mystery lover's delight from first page to last” —Midwest Book Review
“Derived from a passion for fairy tales and fantasy . . . Another win for the series.” —Portland Book Review
Praise for the Blue Ridge Library mysteries: "Spunky librarian Amy will delight readers...A captivating cast of secondary characters and a dollop of romance add spice to this promising debut. I can't wait for the next in the series." —Laura DiSilverio, bestselling and award-winning author of the Readaholics Book Club series
“An intricately plotted library whodunit that both cozy readers and librarians will love!” —Amanda Flower, Agatha Award-winning author of the Magic Bookshop mysteries
"A perfect cozy setting with eccentric locals, a handsome neighbor, and a wise, determined librarian who turns detective to solve a decades-old murder. Great fun!" —Julia Buckley, author of the Writer's Apprentice Mysteries
“Gilbert delivers an entertaining mystery with a sizzle of romance, a dash of history and a scintillating hint of the supernatural. Cozy readers will find all the right elements to curl up and have fun.” —Victoria Abbott author of the award-winning Book Collector Mysteries
“Endearing characters.” —Kirkus Reviews
"Series fans will enjoy the ongoing shenangians...Newbies with an appreciation for small town politics (and an interlibrary loan mulligan) will have no trouble starting here." —Booklist
“Lively small-town characters, a well-paced plot, and dollops of fascinating art history help make this a winner.” —Publishers Weekly
“The well plotted and character driven story moves quickly and has something for everyone...Highly recommended.” —Fresh Fiction
"Another win for the series...layered characters [and] a solid mystery." —San Francisco Book Review
“Another deftly crafted mystery buff's delight by a true master of the genre.” —Midwest Book Review
“A mystery that has suspense, surprises, and humor which makes for an addicting and delightful cozy read from beginning to end.” —Manhattan Book Review
"A fun tale of books and crooks!" —Woman's World
“Gilbert weaves a well-paced, engaging story with strong characters… Blue Ridge Mystery fans will love reconnecting with Amy and her Taylorsford compatriots.” —NY Journal of Books
“What more could we want than to have our murder mysteries solved by an endearing librarian?” —Appalachian Mountain Books
Author
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina.
