Summary
Amy is the head librarian at the Blue Ridge Library. She lives with her Aunt Lydia, having left her job as an academic librarian when she caught her boyfriend cheating on her.
In general, the small town librarian life gives Amy no more excitement than a patron asking her opinion on what poison to use in the mystery she is writing. But that’s before she meets Richard -and before she finds the dead body.
Richard is her new neighbor. He’s inherited a house with a history that he wants to research. And the library is the best place for that. In the 1920s, the owner of the house died, and his wife was accused of his murder.
But when Richard and Amy head to the archives to pull some old documents, they find a lot more than newspapers. The body of an elderly patron is there. Suddenly there are two mysteries – the 1925 one, and now this one, too.
Review
This mystery was excellent! In the end, there are actually THREE mysteries, each in a different period of time, that converge together. I found that really satisfying, although I did have to take notes for awhile to keep track of all the people and pieces. So many mysteries in one book! I was able to figure out one and a half of them, and I liked that. I deduced some of the story but not all of it, which kept me guessing. What a great reading experience this was!
This is the first book in the new Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. The characters – as well as the great plotting – will bring me back for more. Amy is terrific – smart, determined, and likable. She and Richard have terrific chemistry. I love that he is not in law enforcement, something you find a lot in cozy mysteries (he is a choreographer and a dancer). He also supports Amy in her research and sleuthing.
I’m already looking forward to the next book. There are some intriguing hints in this one about possible future plots – a new job for Amy’s best friend, and a mysterious and secretive character who may be up to no good. I highly recommend this to mystery fans. Put this on your watch list, too. If you are like me, you won’t want to miss any books in the series. Book 2, Shelved Under Murder is currently scheduled to release in July of 2018.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a joy to read!