SHELVED UNDER MURDER by Victoria Gilbert_Review

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: SHELVED UNDER MURDER by Victoria Gilbert (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery #2)

In this second in the exciting and enticing Virginia-set cozy mystery series, we learn much about Art (our protagonist' s undergraduate degree was in Art History) and we get to meet some new villains. Some familiar villainous characters carry over, demonstrating new sides of themselves. As she does so giftedly, author Victoria Gilbert weaves in historical backgrounds and patterns. In this series, history--whether local, regional, national, or international--can always be counted on to play an impressive backdrop. I just can't put aside this series!

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A MURDER FOR THE BOOKS_Review

A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: A MURDER FOR THE BOOKS (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery #1) by Victoria Gilbert

I quickly fell in love with this cozy mystery series, set in a historic, quaint (and nearly economically depressed) community in a valley near Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Librarian Amy Webber has to leave her position at a university library after her emotions overrule good sense, and moves in with her widowed Aunt Lydia in Taylorsburg, and becomes the Library Director. On the surface, Taylorsburg and environs seem just the kind of community idealized by Norman Rockwell, but as Amy, Aunt Lydia, and new neighbor Lydia begin to uncover, there is bad history, bad blood--and insanity. Sometimes the culpability of the fathers IS visited on future generations.

I especially enjoyed this mystery' s delving into history and psychology. Deeper thought applied here than is often the case. Author Victoria Gilbert marvellously peeled off the layers of her characters, giving us glimpses at their cores, and providing villains unexpected but subsequently understandable. She also allows some gentle frissons of the possible paranormal, although protagonist Amy doesn't believe. The novel is riveting and encouraging, a true winner.

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