A Deadly Edition
Series: Blue Ridge Library Mystery Book #5
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Page Count: 368
My Rating:
Book Summary
The pursuit to acquire a rare illustrated book turns deadly, and on the eve of her upcoming wedding, library director Amy Webber is drawn into a web of treachery and betrayal that could derail her happy day—and maybe just claim her life.
Planning a wedding can be murder—sometimes literally. At a party celebrating their upcoming nuptials, Taylorsford, Virginia library director Amy Webber and her fiancé Richard Muir discover the body of art dealer Oscar Selvaggio—a bitter rival of their host, Kurt Kendrick.
Both had been in a heated battle to purchase a rare illustrated volume created by William Morris’s Kelmscott Press, so suspicion immediately falls upon Kurt. Amy knows that Kurt has a closet-full of skeletons from his past—but she can’t believe he’s guilty of murder.
Amidst an avalanche of wedding preparations, Amy begins an investigation with the help of her aunt Lydia Talbot and the new mayor of Taylorsford, Sunshine “Sunny” Fields. Much to Lydia’s dismay, her boyfriend, art expert Hugh Chen, becomes convinced of Kurt’s guilt and launches an investigation of his own. As the case hits painfully close to home, the stakes become impossibly high—and the danger all too real.
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Amy Webber (age 35)
Physical Description: White female, curvy, short
Best friend: Sunshine Fields, a white, blonde female and Mayor of Taylorsford
Location: Taylorsford, Virginia
Time of Year: April-May
Business: Librarian (Director of Clarion Library). Has undergrad degree in Art History
Pet: 2 Cats. Fosse is an orange tabby. Loie is a sleek-furred tortoiseshell cat.
Love Interest: Richard Muir (age 37), fiancee, professional dancer and choreographer
Family: Mom, Dad, Younger Brother, Aunt
Cussing? No
Diversity? Yes, there was racial diversity as well as vegetarians and vegans, and even an asexual character in addition to gay male characters one of which is the main sleuth’s younger brother.
My Review
I enjoyed reading “A Deadly Edition” book 5 in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series by Victoria Gilbert. I haven’t had the opportunity yet to read the previous books in this series but because the author did a great job of providing key details from previous books in the series it was no issue jumping right into this one. I immediately got a sense of female camaraderie which was refreshing because the female characters are all self confident and self assured. There aren’t any catty relationships, and the male characters are more amiable and like true partners.
There was so much appreciation and representation of the arts in a non-stereotypical way that it again, was very refreshing. Usually in cozies – even when a character is entering a profession in the arts (usually after being in finance) they view it with doubt and uncertainty. In this book, everyone is comfortable being in the arts world and they really advocate for it. But it’s not just the frilly art world – there is a seriously shady underside of the arts world that takes center stage all throughout the mystery. There are art forgeries, corrupt characters willing to lie, cheat, steal, and murder.
The inclusion of different character types (complete with different sexual preferences and dietary restrictions) made the story all the more plausible – because real life IS that diverse! So if you’re looking for a good murder mystery chock full of the arts and seedy characters against the backdrop of a quickly approaching wedding – then you’re in for a wonderful time!
My only bit of sadness when reading was that once again, a “Meredith” is an unfavorable female character. This is one of those weird trends in pop culture where for some reason, more often than not, characters named Meredith are the worst. This character doesn’t really have a role in this book, but she is mentioned briefly and I get the sense she was a real problem in the previous books in the series. It’s just a personal sadness for me since I’m a Meredith and I like to think I’m pretty cool.
** I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
