After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies entangling her small Virginia town
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.
For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay, Past Due for Murder is the third conspiratorially delightful third entry in Victoria Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mysteries.
Praise for Past Due for Murder: "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
"An interesting read...I look forward to the next book and highly recommend you read not only this one, but the two before it." —MyShelf
“Skillfully written...This library-loving mystery series [is] completely irresistible.” —Kings River Life Magazine
“Well-written, featuring an intriguing and complex central mystery that builds to an exciting finale,Past Due for Murder is great.” —Fab Book Reviews
Praise for A Murder for the Books: "Gilbert's series kickoff offers an intricate mystery, an interesting look at the past, and a clever and determined heroine." —Kirkus Reviews
“This debut mystery and series launch by a former librarian is an intriguing cozy that combines historical tidbits, a taste of the supernatural, a budding romance, and humor. Fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay will welcome a new librarian sleuth to the fold.” —Library Journal
"Captivating...Cozy fans will look forward to seeing more of the appealing Amy." —Publishers Weekly
“Nicely framed by details of library work and research.” —Booklist
"As cozy mysteries go, this is one of the best." —NY Journal of Books
“The perfect cozy mystery. The characters are interesting and can easily be seen as people you might know. The town sounds delightfully quirky with the beautiful setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series." —Killer Nashville
"This book pulled me in from the first, humorous paragraph. Spunky librarian Amy will delight readers with her wit and research skills as she solves both modern day and historical murders. 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, national bestselling and award-winning author of the Readaholics Book Club mysteries
“An intricately plotted library whodunit that both cozy readers and librarians will love!” —Amanda Flower, Agatha Award-winning author of Assaulted Caramel
“Victoria 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
"Small towns hide big secrets, and Taylorsford is no exception—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 keeps readers wondering till the tale’s rewarding conclusion, one that they will not see coming and that will leave them wanting more from the author.” —IndiePicks Magazine
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. This is her third Blue Ridge Library mystery.
After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies entangling her small Virginia town
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.
For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay, Past Due for Murder is the third conspiratorially delightful third entry in Victoria Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mysteries.
Reviews
Praise for Past Due for Murder: "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
"An interesting read...I look forward to the next book and highly recommend you read not only this one, but the two before it." —MyShelf
“Skillfully written...This library-loving mystery series [is] completely irresistible.” —Kings River Life Magazine
“Well-written, featuring an intriguing and complex central mystery that builds to an exciting finale,Past Due for Murder is great.” —Fab Book Reviews
Praise for A Murder for the Books: "Gilbert's series kickoff offers an intricate mystery, an interesting look at the past, and a clever and determined heroine." —Kirkus Reviews
“This debut mystery and series launch by a former librarian is an intriguing cozy that combines historical tidbits, a taste of the supernatural, a budding romance, and humor. Fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay will welcome a new librarian sleuth to the fold.” —Library Journal
"Captivating...Cozy fans will look forward to seeing more of the appealing Amy." —Publishers Weekly
“Nicely framed by details of library work and research.” —Booklist
"As cozy mysteries go, this is one of the best." —NY Journal of Books
“The perfect cozy mystery. The characters are interesting and can easily be seen as people you might know. The town sounds delightfully quirky with the beautiful setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series." —Killer Nashville
"This book pulled me in from the first, humorous paragraph. Spunky librarian Amy will delight readers with her wit and research skills as she solves both modern day and historical murders. 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, national bestselling and award-winning author of the Readaholics Book Club mysteries
“An intricately plotted library whodunit that both cozy readers and librarians will love!” —Amanda Flower, Agatha Award-winning author of Assaulted Caramel
“Victoria 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
"Small towns hide big secrets, and Taylorsford is no exception—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 keeps readers wondering till the tale’s rewarding conclusion, one that they will not see coming and that will leave them wanting more from the author.” —IndiePicks Magazine
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. This is her third Blue Ridge Library mystery.
