Praise for Shelved Under Murder : “The arts are well represented by the painters and Richard’s work as a choreographer, adding a new level of interest to this small-town cozy series.”— Booklist “Cozy fans will have fun.” — Publishers Weekly “Amy turns out to be as apt a student of art forgery as she is of everything book-related. Just the thing for readers whose pulses quicken when they read: ‘The way he looks at you sometimes...deserves an R-rating.’” — Kirkus Reviews “A real page turner peppered with a host of interesting behind-the-scenes glimpses of the high stakes world of fine art. Check it out.” — Suspense Magazine 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 and library director for public, museum, and academic libraries. An avid reader who appreciates good writing in all genres, Victoria has been known to read seven books in as many days. When not writing or reading, she likes to watch films, listen to music, garden, or travel. Victoria is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats. This is her second Blue Ridge Library mystery.
Features & Highlights
Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies.
October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried. The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged paintings, and when the sheriff’s chief deputy Brad Tucker realizes Amy is skilled in art history research, she’s recruited to aid the investigation. It doesn’t seem to be an easy task, but when the state’s art expert uncovers a possible connection between Amy’s deceased uncle and the murder case, Amy must champion her Aunt Lydia to clear her late husband’s name. That’s when another killing shakes the quiet town, and danger sweeps in like an autumn wind. Now, with her swoon-inducing neighbor Richard Muir, Amy must scour their resources to once again close the books on murder in
Shelved Under Murder
, the charming second installment in Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mysteries, perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Miranda James.
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
30%
(209)
★★★★
25%
(174)
★★★
15%
(104)
★★
7%
(49)
★
23%
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
2.0
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Romantic cozy
I just finished reading Shelved by Murder by Victoria Gilbert a writer new to me. The book is mostly romantic cozy mystery even though several people end up dead. The heroine of the book is librarian Amy who seems to have a knack for being on the spot when people are getting killed or have just been killed. I am not a fan of either romance or cozy mysteries and therefore don’t feel that I can recommend this book. This might also account for the fact that it took me forever to finish the book. I give it 2 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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3.5 stars, Light mystery dealing with art forgery, doesn't take full advantage of library setting
Taylorsford, Virginia library director Amy Webber and her assistant Sunny Fields are preparing for the town's Heritage Festival. Amy, Sunny, and Amy's boyfriend Richard Muir go to a famous artist's house who lives nearby to pick up paintings she donated for the festival. However, when they look for Rachel to get her paintings, they find that she has been murdered in her studio with her own palette knife. Sunny's boyfriend, the police department's deputy chief, asks Amy for some help with the portion of the case dealing with artwork. However, Amy ends up more deeply involved and in more danger than she ever imagined.
"Shelved Under Murder" is the second book in the Blue Ridge Library series. It's the first I've read, and I didn't have any trouble catching up. The book has several strong points, but other parts drag it down. The end of the book has some exciting scenes, but earlier parts of the book unfold at a slow pace. I like a little romance in a cozy mystery, but the whole subplot with Richard going out of town to perform in a charity dance was unneeded. Amy's feelings that a deceased artists is standing beside her when she's looking at one of his/her paintings didn't fit in with the rest of the book at all.
The biggest disappointment in the book is that although the main character is a library director, books are seldom mentioned. Amy and Sunny do talk about helping patrons in the library but only in general terms. Instead, the plot focuses on art forgery which is interesting, but not what I expected. Amy is able to use the knowledge she gained in college about art and research important facts about art forgery, but as she interacts with several of the suspects, she is slow to pick up on clues that will be obvious to readers. I was able to guess much of what unfolded regarding the murder and the art forgery, but there are some unexpected revelations at the end and Amy surprises me with a decision she makes.
For me, what brings this book up from a 3 to a 3.5 is the number of characters that aren't all good or bad. Characters that seem to be the "good guys" make errors in judgement and mistakes and the villains show they can love and show compassion for others. The added layers make these characters more human and their actions less predictable, which results in a more interesting story.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Crooked Lane. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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This is a sweet, fun cozy mystery, and a great weekend read!!! 3.5 Stars!
Victoria Gilbert offers her second installment in her Blue Ridge Library Mysteries and what an interesting ride! The settings for this book are so adorable, from the winding driveway up to the farm, to the town square hosting the Heritage Festival—Gilbert really has a way with descriptions that make the settings pop right off of the page!
I do want to caution readers up front that this book heavily and frequently spoils the first book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series (A Murder for the Books), so please go back and read these in order if that bothers you. I’m ok reading things out of order, but knowing the whodunit from the first book does make it difficult to recommend reading this first. That said, this book works as a standalone, so if you don’t plan to go back, feel free to jump in here!
The book opens with Amy Webber, Director of the Blue Ridge Library in Taylorsford, Virginia, preparing for the annual Heritage Festival. The Festival attracts tourists from all over to celebrate the history of Taylorsford, and purchase some local arts and crafts. Amy and her colleague Sunny are running errands to pick up items for their sale, only to discover the dead body of a local, renowned artist murdered in her own studio!
The police are on the scene quickly to investigate the murder. As the investigation progresses, the evidence only gets more confusing. Who was the man seen running away from the studio the day of the murder? Why would a local artist who keeps to herself be murdered? And, is there an underground art forgery ring going on with ties to Taylorsford?
Lucky for the police, Amy has a degree in art history, and she’s able to help them look into the potential forgeries and the murder until an expert can arrive. But as Amy investigates, strange characters start cropping up all over town with links to the case. Amy may find that the case hits closer to home than she ever could have imagined. With a number of close calls, Amy finds herself in danger and desperate to help the police solve this crime before another body turns up—maybe even her own!
With a cast of zany characters, some outlandish narrow escapes, and cute settings out the wazoo, this is a book many cozy mystery fans will enjoy!
I found the pacing of this book quite odd. It would be slow for 10-15%, then speed up with action, then return to slow, then speed back up again. I do think readers should give that a chance because I got used to it and let the story just unfold. Often the slower parts are used to develop the characters through dialogue and interactions. Though important, they do detract a bit from the mystery (for instance, Amy takes a mini trip somewhere mid-mystery and it completely derailed the case for me). I think these are used to develop the character arcs for the series, but I do think the author could have done a better job tying them into the mystery more.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read filled with wonderful settings and loveable characters!
I want to thank Crooked Lane Books, for the opportunity to read a copy of this book in advance of publication.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Second in Series
I haven’t read, what many describe as a “cozy” mystery, however, Shelved Under Murder was a good introduction to this genre. I enjoyed the fast-paced light reading that had many elements. Although I have not read the first in this series, I now want to order it so that I can get some of the background of these characters. I mostly enjoyed the relationship between Amy Webber and her aunt Lydia. The dynamic is great and I hope the first in the series explains how that relationship developed. Overall, it was a solid read. Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author, Victoria Gilbert for the opportunity to read this DRC in exchange of an honest review. I rate this a 3.5
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Great condition and fast delivery
Condition as described and fast delivery!
★★★★★
5.0
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Great story
Great book to read
★★★★★
4.0
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An amazing installment in a great cozy mystery series
Shelved Under Murder was a wonderful addition to the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series with a fantastic mystery for our characters to solve.
For library director Amy Webber, October is all about the annual Heritage Festival and the library sale she runs as a fundraiser for the library. When Amy, her assistant Sunny, and Amy’s swoon-worthy boyfriend Richard go to pick up some paintings donated to the sale by a local artist they find the artist murdered instead. After some forged paintings are found, Amy is enlisted by the sheriff to help with the investigation due to her art history background. But when the investigation uncovers a connection to Amy’s family, Amy is in a race to find the truth before the killer strikes again.
Shelved Under Murder delivers a solid and interesting mystery with several twists I didn’t see coming. The part of the story centered around the forged paintings was my favorite part of the book and I enjoyed where that story line went. My only complaint about the mystery plot is that I had guessed the identity of the killer from their first scene in the book. I don’t know if it’s due to my reading a lot of mystery books or if their identity just wasn’t well hidden, but to me it was obvious who the killer was immediately upon their introduction.
Amy continues to be an enjoyable and relatable character that I connected with even more in this book than the first. Amy loves her job at the library and although she may not like some of the paperwork involved, she loves getting to interact with the patrons and helping them find what they’re looking for. The scenes where Amy is researching into the forged paintings were very well done and showed just how good Amy is at her job. Amy is quick-thinking and great at puzzling out problems which makes her an excellent main character for a cozy mystery series.
The side characters continue to be a fantastic bunch and I enjoy them quite a bit. Amy’s relationship with Richard is progressing nicely and I’m loving the direction those two are headed. I feel they complement each other very well and I like seeing them together. Amy’s Aunt Lydia along with Lydia’s friends Zelda and Walt continue to provide some great humorous moments. We also learn more about Kurt, the shady art dealer and old acquaintance of Lydia, who is quite an interesting character and I’m curious to see where things go with him in the future.
Despite my one small complaint about the mystery, Shelved Under Murder had everything I love about cozy mysteries and the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series is shaping up to be an amazing series. I can’t wait to see what the characters get up to next and would highly recommend this series.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher which I honestly and voluntarily reviewed.**
★★★★★
5.0
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Victoria Gilbert keeps getting better and better
Shelved Under Murder was even better than A Murder for the Books, and the plot and character development are flawless. This book contains charming style, intricate detail, intriguing dialogue, vivid imagery, southern flair, and captivating suspense. It exudes an elegance that simply cannot be replicated.
★★★★★
4.0
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Library, art and murder
Amy is preparing the library and donations for the fall festival. Amy and Richard follow Sunny to a local artist’s home who has agreed to donate paintings for the library table at the festival. Richard finds the artist dead with her husband no where to be found, her daughter coming down from a drug high and a secret closet full of forgeries. Chief Deputy Tucker asks Amy to help research the paintings and an art expert is called in. He stays with Amy and Aunt Lydia due to the festival filling the nearby hotels. Richard goes to New York to be part of performances he choreographed. Amy investigates and there is more going on than meets the eye. It may even involve dead Uncle Andrew whose art is under appreciated.
There are close calls with injury and death. There is an international forgery ring that may have stakes in their small town. This is a highly enjoyable cozy mystery. The characters are interesting and fun to get to know. Amy is a multi-faceted heroine who is pretty intelligent but doesn’t always see what’s in front of her nose.
★★★★★
5.0
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Interesting glimpse into the art world
I am enjoying this series, but am glad that I have read them in order. It has helped me to get to know the characters and see the development of them as well as the layout of the town. This book gave me a glimpse into the art world and forgeries. It was very interesting to learn about. Also the Heritage Festival was taking place in Taylorsford in this book. A local artist has agreed to donate two paintings to the Library for them to see at the festival and when Amy, Sunny and Richard go to collect them they find the artist has been murdered. This is where the mystery begins. There were many twists in the story and I like how the mystery in each book has some tie to something in the past. This is a unique plot point in each book so far. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book. This did not influence my review in any way.
