From the critically acclaimed author of SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell.A book lover’s B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder–and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth.Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, … waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader’s paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It’s the perfect literary retreat–until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.
The victim’s daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.
Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt’s name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer’s death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer–or end up writing her own final chapter.
more
Widow and former school teacher Charlotte Reed inherited a B&B called Chapters, from her great aunt. Located in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters is a book-themed B&B, where guests and locals can enjoy book clubs and special events celebrating books and authors. When one of her guests is murdered during an event, Charlotte, her staff, and her other guests all become suspects. She teams up with her next-door neighbor to solve the murder.
Booked for Death is the first book in Victoria Gilbert’s Booklovers B&B Mysteries. I absolutely love her Blue Ridge Library Mystery series so I was really excited to read this book, and I have to say, it did not disappoint. This is an enjoyable and entertaining read, with a charming setting, fun characters, and a mystery that will keep you on your toes. The plot moves along nicely, and the author provides plenty of red herrings in a bid to throw readers off the scent. But in the end, I stuck to my theory and was completely right about the killer’s identity and motive. There’s also a fun second mystery about Charlotte’s aunt that really adds to the story. The protagonist, Charlotte, is believable, easy to like, confident. I look forward to solving more mysteries with her and Ellen.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Charlotte Reed’s life has changed this past year. She recently lost her husband and then inherited Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast when her great-aunt Isabella passed away. Death crosses her path again when one of her guests, a rare book dealer is killed during a week-long event celebrating Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey. Charlotte is taken aback when the daughter of the victim tries to pin the murder on her. Having no idea what the young woman is talking about Charlotte vows to vows to clear her name. Her elderly neighbor and close friend of her great aunt lends her a hand before the book on Charlotte’s new life ends abruptly short.
This series is off to an awesome start. It is so much more than first meets the eye!
First, Charlotte Reed is a very strong protagonist and we have just scratched her surface. Along with neighbor Ellen Montgomery, they make a great team. We also meet Alicia Simpson, housekeeper and cook that came with the place, she and Charlotte are still finding their way working and living together. Damian Carr is a chef that helps out while guests are in residence. The guests for the week include the newly deceased book dealer Lincoln Delamont who bought his wife Jennifer and daughter Tara, businessman Todd Rowley and his younger wife Kelly. Also taking part in the events are elderly sisters Bernadette and Ophelia Sandberg and Pete Nelson and his wife Sandra who run a local cafe. Bookstore owner Julie Rivera rounds out the group. All the characters develop nicely for the first book in a series. The author has left plenty of room for growth for the recurring characters.
For me, this book had a slow build which is a good thing. I was able to get to know the characters and their interactions helped me with my own amateur sleuthing. I liked that some special events continued to take place so that Charlotte had a chance to see her suspects together to gauge their actions and reactions and that in the end even the police got involved and thought this was a good idea. Of course, they really had no choice.
I love the theme of literary B&B and I believe the author has given this one a nice twist that sets this series apart from similar ones in this genre.
Booked for Death was well-written, well-plotted, and excellently executed. As a big fan of Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, I can’t say I am surprised. She is an incredible storyteller. I can’t wait to see what she dreams up for Charlotte and Ellen next!
This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/_J8GQJkon5Q
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-booked-for-death-by-victoria-gilbert-a-booklovers-b-and-b-mystery/
A nice beginning to a new series that makes me want to read more. Forty-two year old Charlotte Reed is an instantly likeable character and the perfect star of a cozy mystery. She’s smart and thoughtful, but also very curious and a bit impulsive. Perfect for trying to solve the crime that falls right in her lap at her Bed-and-Breakfast, Chapters, in Beaufort, North Carolina.
After Charlotte’s husband Brent unexpectedly and tragically died three years ago, she was of course devastated. When her great-aunt Isabella left the B&B to her it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make a new start in a new place. After a year she’s settled in. She enjoys running Chapters and likes her new life. Even if she’s not yet ready to try romance again, she has made some good friends and a place for herself. However, while that place didn’t include the thought of murder and the threat of past events that threaten to smear her great-aunt’s good name, Charlotte discovers she has something of a knack for investigating and off she goes.
Booked for Death is an enjoyable story with a good solid plot and enough characters and clues to keep you interested and guessing until the last page. The writing is excellent, smooth with very nice word pictures to describe people, places and things, with a good sprinkling of cryptic comments and little hints about history and past life, to reveal more about Charlotte and the others bit by bit and to let the story unfold at a nice pace. Even when the characters are acting stupid and you want to shake them the story moves easily along until the satisfying conclusion. Booked for Death is a good read that I recommend.
This book has some twists and turns that will keep you guessing on several fronts. Because of clues given, I did figure out the identity of the murderer before the actual revelation. This in no way dampened my enjoyment. The secondary mystery involving Charlotte’s great-aunt was intriguing and kept me speculating to the end.
Unlike some reviewers, I like Charlotte. I was a little bothered by her suspicions of two of the characters as potential murderers. Her next-door neighbor, Ellen, is a treat!
If you love cozy mysteries, you’ll love this book.
Charlotte Reed is busy running the bed & breakfast that she inherited from her great-aunt. Chapters hosts a variety of book-related events throughout the year. When a costume party that is hosted there involves a real dead body, Charlotte is determined to solve the crime before her B&B gets a bad name.
I enjoyed reading this first book in this series. I loved that the B&B is book-related and I find it so fun that they host book events. I liked Charlotte as a character. She’s really fun and easy to like as a reader. I loved the twist with her great-aunt and the next-door neighbor! That was such a surprise! The ending took me completely by surprise. I did not see that coming. I can’t wait to read the next in this series!
A good start to a new bed and breakfast series with a moderate pace and engaging characters. The mystery portion is twisty and fun to solve. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Loved this first instalment of a new series. Great characters & I’m looking forward to more inside Chapters!
I don’t want to give away too many details so I’ll say a secret comes out about a current character and another mentioned that may raise an eyebrow. Several issues with money and Charlotte leaving valuable books in a B&B library (albeit on top shelves) also raised my eyebrow. How Charlotte became a widow (Really? Unique, but really? And a suspicious really?!?). The interconnections between characters. Charlotte and several other characters’ basic unhappiness makes them hard to connect to.
If one of the over the top items was used, fine, it was just so many in one book
An enjoyable start to a new series. I liked the twist of the past of Charlotte’s Aunt and the neighbor. Truthfully that is what pulled me into the story.
I am anxious to see if Charlotte warms to the idea of being a B & B owner. A few times I felt a little put off by her backhanded whining and it made her appear a tad ungrateful. Then I would remind myself she has been through a lot of changes and needs time to work them out and find herself again.
Currently, book two is scheduled to be released Summer of 2021 and I will definitely be reading it.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above are entirely my own.
“Booked for Death” the 1st instalment in the “A Booklover’s B&B Mystery” series by Victoria Gilbert. I think this is a great start to a new series. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in almost one sitting. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I did guess the killer before Charlotte but I still found this to be a fun easy read.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters of Ellen, and the Sandberg sisters and I think Charlotte and her BFF Julie will grow on me as the series unfolds.
I can’t wait to read the next book and see how things are at Chapters B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Booked for Death is the debut of A Book Lover’s B&B Mystery series. Charlotte Reed has been running Chapters for the last year since she inherited the bed-and-breakfast from her great-aunt, Isabella Harrington. I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of Chapters with its extensive library (I want the library in this book). The author took the time to set the stage by giving us the background on Charlotte plus describing the bed-and-breakfast, the town and introducing us to secondary characters. I wish the author had given Charlotte more warmth and a little humor. Charlotte felt a little flat to me. Beaufort, North Carolina is a charming historic, harbor town with a variety of businesses. The two secondary characters are Alicia Simpson, the housekeep and cook, and Ellen Montgomery, the next-door neighbor with an interesting past. I connected more with Ellen than Charlotte. The mystery had some interesting components with multiple suspects and misdirection. Charlotte suspects all of her guests as well as a couple of locals who attended the party. There are good clues to help readers solve this whodunit. The secondary mystery of Charlotte’s great-aunt Isabella aroused my curiosity and had me speculating. I did find the pacing a little slow for my liking in the first half. I was glad there was more action later in the story. A little humor and quirkiness would have enhanced this cozy mystery. Booked for Death contains good writing with an interesting premise (who does not love a literary themed bed-and-breakfast). Booked for Death is a delight for literary lovers with a conniving victim, a surplus of suspects, a distraught daughter, costume chaos, a mysterious family member, and beloved books.
Charlotte Reed inherited Chapters Bed and Breakfast from her late aunt, Isabella, and has put on a week of events celebrating a mystery author. But a murder mystery ends up being a real life occurrence when one of her guests is killed. Drawn into the investigation along with her neighbor, Ellen, Charlotte sets out to finger the killer and save the reputation of the B and B.
This book is first in a new series set in the small, historic, waterfront town of New Beaufort, North Carolina and it’s a great start to what will hopefully be a long series. I really enjoyed this book which was well-written with wonderful characters. Full of intrigue, it’ll keep you guessing and draw you into the story. I’m looking forward to the next book.
This was a terrific start to a new series by Victoria Gilbert. I love her other series and was excited to read this book as I have visited the waterfront town of Beaufort, NC where this book is set. The literary themed Chapters Bed and Breakfast is a location that I would love to visit with its book themed events. In this book it is hosting a Josephine Tey celebration, focusing on her mysteries. Hotel guests and town residents are included in the events so there are several suspects when a body is found. There is also the mystery of her great aunt Isabella’s past. She had owned Chapters and willed it to Charlotte when she died. Charlotte is determined to solve the crime and the mystery of her aunt’s past. I liked how these two story lines were woven together. There were several characters that I suspected over the course of the story and the story had a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
An interesting and intriguing new series! I loved the setting of Beaufort and the characters of Charlotte and her neighbor, Ellen. Charlotte is having a book retreat at her bed and breakfast and Lincoln Delamont, a guest and rare book dealer, is murdered. There are many suspects, including the victim’s wife and daughter, Charlotte, Charlotte’s friend, Julie, and more. Lincoln had hinted that Charlotte’s great-aunt, Isabella, had stolen to obtain the bed and breakfast and rare books. Charlotte starts looking into Isabella’s past as well as her guests and friends to find the murderer. She enlists help from Ellen, who was friends with her Aunt. I enjoyed how the motive for the murder seemed to tie in with the themes of the author they were discussing. I actually almost felt sorry for the killer, though I don’t think murder was the answer. I look forward to more books in this interesting new series!!
Charming setting – check. Bed and Breakfast with a book theme – check. Strong female characters who team up to be a great investigating team – check. A well plotted, complex mystery to engage the reader – check. This new bibliomystery series be Victoria Gilbert hits every note just right. I had already read her previous series, The Blue Ridge Literary Mystery and enjoyed them very much so I was eager to read this one. I hope it has a long run.
Charlotte spent eighteen years teaching high school english and now, after inheriting her Great Aunt Isabella’s bed and breakfast called Chapters, she is reaching the one year mark with the help of her great aunt’s capable staff. Now she is putting on a week long literary event focusing on Josephine Tey. There are six guests in residence – Todd and Kelly Rowley, Scott Kepler and the Delamont family. On the night of the costumed dinner event, open to members of the local community, Lincoln Delamont, a book dealer, is found dead in the carriage house. Was the killer under Charlotte’s roof as a guest or was it somebody from outside? Or was it one of her employees? With the list of suspects all too close to home, Charlotte gets together with her neighbor, Ellen, to uncover the killer. Along the way another puzzle crops up. It appears there was another, secret side to dear great-aunt Isabella.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this great start to a new series! The characters are engaging and well-defined through conversations and actions. The Atlantic coast setting sounds gorgeous, and the B & B is one I would want to visit. The mystery was a challenge, although I did finally “get” whodunit a couple steps ahead of our protagonists.
Chapters is a B & B that was established over 30 years ago, when Charlotte’s great-aunt Isabella was bored. Isabella was at an age that many people would think about retiring. She wanted a new challenge, converted her home into a B & B, and ran it until her death at age 92. Included is Isabella’s vast, renowned library that includes many rare and collectible tomes. Charlotte, a middle-aged widow, inherited the B & B about a year ago, and is still learning how to run it as Isabella did.
This weekend is the Josephine Tey celebration. Only a few have planned to attend the party or book discussions. There are six guests at Chapters, with only 5 attending. Several local literature lovers will join them. I appreciated the great mix of ages, from a teen to several ladies in their 70’s.
On Saturday, Charlotte found rare book dealer Lincoln standing on the library ladder, which she had asked the prior evening that nobody use. Charlotte placed all rare and fragile books on the uppermost shelves and would get them down on request only. Lincoln had scattered several valuable volumes on the desk. He suggested that Isabella had some secrets in her past that could cost Charlotte the B & B should the secrets get out. He asked how a young woman, a maid in someone’s home, could get enough money together to buy such a home and library. It sounded as if he wanted to purchase some of the books cheap in exchange for his silence!
That evening, Charlotte left the party to get more ice after their machine was damaged. When she returned from the ice run, Scott, the author renting the carriage house apartment while doing local research, was outside. When he returned from a prior engagement, he found Lincoln dead, stabbed, in the carriage house.
There are several suspects, including even Charlotte’s best friend, the housekeeper/ cook who had worked for Isabella for decades, the man’s wife, and his teenage daughter. The local police want all guests staying at the B & B to remain for the next week as they investigate. It can be tiring to wonder if the killer is in one’s home, but even more so to think one’s best friend could be the culprit!
Charlotte is determined to find whodunit and get things back to normal. She had the help of Ellen, the septuagenarian next door who is the trustee for Isabella’s trust. Charlotte also seeks information about her great-aunt to find out if there is something unsavory in her past.
I would have definitely enjoyed Isabella! I like Charlotte and Ellen best; their personalities suit their growing friendship. The mystery was quite a puzzle. Plot twists increased the suspects, then slowly took at least a couple away. I finally suspected the real whodunit even though I hadn’t learned the motive yet – and when I did, it all clicked. I highly recommend this delightful, thoughtful tale to all who enjoy bookish, well-written cozies that with unique B & B’s, both middle-aged and mature sleuths, and a mystery that keeps one guessing!
From a thankful heart: I received an advance reader copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Booked For Death is the first book in the Booklovers B&B Mystery series.
Charlotte Reed, a widow, and former schoolteacher inherited her great-aunt Isabella a year ago. She has renovated the 1770 home and has opened a B&B. The house features a rather extensive library and she plans on host theme-related events at her B&B. The guests for the first one, featuring Josephine Tey, are about to begin and the guests have arrived.
When Charlotte enters the library to finish readying the room for the day’s program she finds one of her guests, rare-book dealer Lincoln Delamont, on one of the library ladders checking out the books on the shelf. She explains that guests are not permitted on the ladder. He replies that many of the books in the library had been illegally obtained. As people are gathering for the evening’s War of the Roses dinner, Delamont gets into an argument with his wife, daughter, and other guests. After dinner, everyone heads to the patio to talk and have drinks. Charlotte notices that they are running low on ice and leaves to head for the store for more ice.
When she returns she is passing her carriage house when the resident, a visiting author, informs her that Delamont’s dead body is inside.
Charlotte seeks out her elderly neighbor, Ellen Montgomery to help her sort out the events at Chapter’s B&B. Ellen was great-aunt Isabella’s closest friend and she handled Isabella’s accounting and is the administrator of the trust set up for Chapters. There is no shortage of suspects for the killing of Delamont. Just about everyone that was around that evening is, at first, will be considered a suspect, even Charlotte’s housekeeper/cook and a part-time cook.
In a bit of side story, Ellen will share with Charlotte some of Isabella’s life and what she did for a living. Hopefully, we will learn more about her past and Ellen, as they had very interesting lives.
This is a great start to a new series. The story is well-written and plotted. The characters are well-developed and very believable. The story progresses at a nice pace. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this interesting series.
Set in Beaufort, NC, Chapters is a bed and breakfast inherited by Charlotte from her great aunt. Charlotte runs book themed weeks attended by a variety of people. This week is Josephine Tey. When one of the attendees is murdered, Charlotte becomes involved to protect her name and her aunt’s. She enlists the older lady next door who is surprising a better help than she hoped for.
I enjoyed this book. It’s the first in a series so there’s lots of introductions and explanations. I look forward to more in this series.
Booked for Death is the first book in Victoria’s new Book Lover’s B&B cozy mystery series. Charlotte Reed, the proprietor of Chapters B&B inherited the majestic inn from her great aunt, Isabella. During a Golden Age-themed costume party, one of the B&B’s guests is found dead in the carriage house. Before his death, Lincoln Delamont spent a good part of the prior chapters alienating himself, Charlotte, and other guests. He even threatened to expose a scandal involving Charlotte’s Aunt Isabelle.
The author created a masterful murder mystery with plenty of suspects who have ample amounts of means, motive, and opportunity. Charlotte is forced onto the list of suspects when the supposed scandal involving Isabella is brought out into the open. In order to figure out what really happened, Charlotte begins investigating all of her B&B guests, those who attended the party, her support staff, as well as Isabella. She’s suspicious of everyone, especially since she could be housing a murderer in her B&B or encountering the person in her day-to-day activities.
I enjoyed Charlotte’s character and getting to know her throughout the book. Her backstory contributed to her development, as did the progression of the mystery. She isn’t as bubbly as other cozy mystery heroines I read about but that’s okay. Her personality offers a nice change of pace. She’s competent and willing to go the extra mile to protect herself, her great aunt’s legacy, and her friends. Ellen was a great sidekick and sounding board to Charlotte and I had fun working as an amateur sleuth with them.
Booked for Death is a great first book in the new series by Victoria Gilbert and I can’t wait for the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book for review but the thoughts, opinions, and ratings are my own.