Past Due for Murder (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery)
Past Due for Murder (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery) book cover

Past Due for Murder (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery)

Hardcover – February 12, 2019

by
Price
$10.39
Format
Hardcover
Pages
304
Publisher
Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1683318743
Dimensions
5.75 x 1.05 x 8.55 inches
Weight
4.8 ounces

Description

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 “What more could we want than to have our murder mysteries solved by an endearing librarian?”— Appalachian Mountain Books 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.

Features & Highlights

  • For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay, the third conspiratorially delightful third entry in Victoria Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mysteries.
  • 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(295)
★★★★
25%
(123)
★★★
15%
(74)
★★
7%
(34)
★
-7%
(-35)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

This is a great read....

I really enjoyed this book--couldn't put it down--read it in one day. This is the third book in this series, and I am looking forward to the next book.
The characters are very human and believable. I like the fact that the author has told the reader a lot of background information so we know the characters we are reading about.
The mystery involves a missing college coed and the then murder of a college professor. There was also a deadly hit and run several months prior to the beginning of the book that plays into the story as well. These three events all intertwine with each other in a very interesting manner and once we have all the facts, including information from the past and present, all three events are solved.
There is also the relationship between Amy and Richard which goes through some serious growing pains, including meeting parents, learning not to keep secrets and that total honesty is the key to a good relationship.
I highly recommend this book, as well as the two prior books in this series. I like the author's writing style--I feel she keeps the story moving at a good pace and gives us a well rounded story worth reading and rereading.
3 people found this helpful
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If it’s a good read

Love the book
1 people found this helpful
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Cute and Fun

Past Due For Murder is a cute cozy mystery. I like the library being involved in the story. It's entertaining and a fast read. No big surprises. Fans of cozies will enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
1 people found this helpful
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Another Fantastic Adventure

I fell in love with Ms Gilbert's previous two mysteries in this series earlier this year. Her writing is impeccable, with twists and turns you don't expect only to remember a supposedly one-off piece of dialogue before and go "Oh... OH!". Every little line and word has meaning, which is not something one can say often in any type of book.

A wonderful, fantastic addition to any library, and will certainly make any librarian smile with familiarity and grasp all readers with the plot, the characters, and the humor and drama of Taylorsford.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Fantastic condition!

Item as described and delivery faster then expected!
✓ Verified Purchase

Fun and easy read

Past Due for Murder is the third book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. The book can be read as a stand alone but I suggest reading the series.

The library is located in Taylorsford, Virginia and Amy Webber is the library director. A young girl goes missing, a hit and run gets solved and someone gets murdered.

The book will keep you guessing. A fun, easy and fast read.
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3rd book in this cute series.

I continue to love Amy and Richard - and the entire cast of characters. When a college student goes missing, Amy once again gets involved in helping search for answers. Lots keeps happening in her little town. I look forward to future books.
✓ Verified Purchase

Great story

Love the story line. Victoria Gilbert is a very good author.
✓ Verified Purchase

Good addition to the series!

Amy Webber loves her job as the director of the public library in a small town in Virginia. When the mayor decides to resurrect the old May Day celebrations other things are resurrected as well- namely tales of missing girls and abductions by fairies. When a local professor is found murdered and the last person seen arguing with her was Amy's old boyfriend, Amy is drawn into the search to find the killer.

Fun story, well plotted and surprising end!
✓ Verified Purchase

Complications and Resolutions

Amy, a library director, juggles many roles from hosting special events to encourage community involvement to maintaining an archive to preserve local history. In Victoria Gilbert’s Past Due for Murder, Amy finds herself in the middle of a myriad of questions. Some are personal and others extend to the community: Why is her boyfriend Richard acting differently and lying? What happened to the missing student Lacey? Why does graduate student Trish hate Lacey so deeply? Did Charles, Amy’s ex-boyfriend, steal another professor’s ideas and why is he back in town? Is there blackmail going on at Clarion University? Who would be motivated so strongly that they would commit murder? As Amy discovers the answers to some questions, more arise and they form a tangled mess which gets unraveled in the end. This cozy mystery is a page turner you won’t want to miss.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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