Blue Ridge library director Amy Webber learns it wasn’t all peace and love among the “flower children” when a corpse is unearthed on the grounds of a 1960s commune.Taylorsford Public Library director Amy Webber’s friend “Sunny” Fields is running for mayor. But nothing puts a damper on a campaign like an actual skeleton in a candidate’s closet. Sunny’s grandparents ran a commune back in the 1960s … back in the 1960s on their organic farm. But these former hippies face criminal charges when human remains are found in their fields–and a forensic examination reveals that the death was neither natural nor accidental.
With Sunny’s mayoral hopes fading, Amy sets her wedding plans aside, says “not yet” to the dress, and uses her research skills to clear her best friend’s family. Any of the now-elderly commune members could have been the culprit. As former hippies perish one by one, Amy and her friends Richard, Aunt Lydia, and Hugh Chen pursue every lead. But if Amy can’t find whoever killed these “flower children,” someone may soon be placing flowers on her grave.
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BOUND FOR MURDER by Victoria Gilbert
The Fourth Blue Ridge Library Mystery
Sunny’s grandparents are always mellow and full of light and love, after all, they ran a commune on what’s now their now organic farm in the 1960s. But the county dredging up the creekbed adjoining their farm has them getting upset. The noise and possible destruction of trees is nothing compared to what the workers discover- a human skeleton. Everyone is quick to blame the grands, especially when the remains turn out to be those of a former commune member. Librarian Amy Webber agrees to give former commune members a heads up that a visit from law enforcement officials could be imminent while also assisting the Sheriff with some research. However, when a former commune member is shot and Amy is warned to stay away from the investigation, she decides to simply be more discrete. Will her research uncover the truth before she’s put out of circulation?
The danger of old secrets coming to light is the crux of this fourth Blue Ridge Library Mystery. Blame, regret, and shame can fester. Things thought left far behind can reappear and wreak havoc on the life you’ve made, opening up old wounds and causing new hurts.
I truly enjoy a novel where an old crime is the heart of the mystery. I appreciate when most of the suspects are of a certain age. Old timers can be just as dangerous as the youth, and Kurt is a prime example of that.
Relationships continue to play a major role here. Amy and Richard hit their stride while planning a wedding with”help” from almost everyone-from strangers to family. How they deal with Richard’s mother and two mischievous scene stealers is stellar! Then there are the relationships between friends, couples, and family, all providing even more meat to the story.
An intricately plotted mystery with lots of red herrings and subtle clues, BOUND FOR MURDER shows that past decisions can not only impact you, but those around you. Who knew research could get you into so much trouble?
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is a tale of forgotten deeds and how that affects the present.
Will Amy find the murder before she’s next?
Amy Webber
Amy is our main character, sleuth, and point of view, all wrapped up in researching librarian, fiancee, and friend to many. This time Amy didn’t find a body, but it seems she may have connected with a spirit or just her mind knew what to look for. Amy is quite a busy person, but she finds time for sleuthing.
Things that I like about Amy is that she gives her friends the benefit of the doubt even when she feels that they are holding something back. She tries hard to keep her word, and she loves cats. I didn’t find anything about Amy to dislike.
The Mystery
Our mysteries were a cold case or two, and those have moved into the current day with people being killed to silence them. The mystery was well-plotted, with clues set up to find the culprit. But I got stuck on a red herring and didn’t see the real villain until the unmasking. I love it when that happens, as I am surprised like everyone else.
Four Stars for Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert
Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is an excellent story with a couple of murders that keep you guessing. Therefore I am giving it a rating of four stars. I recommend this mystery to all the cozy readers out there.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert.
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Bound for Murder is book four in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert. I have read all in the series and number four could be read as a stand alone with very little problem.
Amy, our protagonist, and Sunny are best friends and co-workers at the library. When remains are uncovered on Sunny’s grandparents farm the suspicion falls on the grandparents. Now Sunny has her hands full since she is running for mayor. Amy feels that they couldn’t have done it and jumps into investigating on her own. so Sunny can focus on the mayoral race. Then when a second murder happens in town with the victim also having ties to the farm, Amy delves deeper into the investigation and finds plenty of suspects.
Throw in planning her wedding, playing match maker for Sunny with a reporter in town investigating the murders, and celebrating her future mother in laws birthday you get one stressed Amy .
This easy to read cozy has it all, great writing, characters, setting, and a couple playful kittens. There is romance, love of family, plenty of twists and turns, and humor.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review.
This is the fourth book in the Blue Ridge Library series. Although I had no trouble following along, I would have understood more of the character dynamics had I started at book one. I liked getting a peak at a librarian’s job as well as the research Amy does for the police. She’s clever and naturally curious but not pushy or reckless. The characters are all interesting and the descriptions and pacing are well done. I think the mayoral race was a little superficial, only used as a vehicle for gossip and rumors, with no mention of actual issues a small town would have.
I received an advance copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
As the director of the town library, Amy’s research skills come in handy when having to go back into the 60s to unearth a story. One that could jeopardize her friend Sunny, whose running for mayor, as well as putting her grandparents on the top of the suspect list!
This is the fourth book in this series. Each book adds a new dimension to the story, the characters are well-developed and likeable. The plot is well-conceived, and easy to follow, with suspects turning up everywhere! The twists and turns will keep you guessing right until the end.
Once again, Ms. Gilbert does not disappoint with this series. An enjoyable read, a wonderful cozy, with wonderful characters! Starting with the first in the series is recommended, although, this can be read as a standalone Ms. Gilbert brings you up to speed quickly with the background stories, and the murders that happened in the past. I voluntarily received this book from NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books.
This is book 4 in this series by Victoria Gilbert.
Amy Weber is a Library Director in a small town by the Blue Ridge Mountain area. In this book her friend Sunny is running for Mayor when bones are found on her grandparents land that used to be used for a commune. Amy is trying to arrange her wedding while also trying to help her friend clear her grandparents of murder charges and put her back on the right track for mayor.
This is a well written faced paced story loved the characters. Kept me interested and after reading this one decided to go back and read the first books. Looking forward to reading the next.
This was a hard book for me to “get into”. I don’t know if I was just to busy or what. Amy is at it again. An old skeleton is found on Sunny’s grandparents property. Back in the 60’s they operated a commune and rumor has it that the skeleton is that of a former commune member. There are several possible suspects and motives. I was surprised with the ending and motive.
The characters are fun and the story is easy to read. If you want to relax and getaway for an hour or two, this book will do that.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest review.
Bound for Murder is the first book that I have read by Victoria Gilbert. This cozy mystery is set in Taylorsford, Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains and was very enjoyable.
The female protagonist, Amy Webber, is a library director in a small town. She loves research and has helped the police in the past. While this is the fourth book in the series it worked well as a standalone novel, although it may add to the enjoyment and understanding of the characters to read them in order.
Amy’s best friend, Sunny Fields, is running for mayor and was raised by her grandparents who run an organic farm, but in the 1960s it was a commune. When human remains are found on their property, both the police and Sunny’s grandparents enlist Amy’s help. Amy has research to do, people to talk with, and a mystery to solve while she plans her wedding to next door neighbor Richard and supports Sunny’s mayoral campaign.
The book is well-written with the right mix of humor and suspense. There are several potential suspects and enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. The pacing is just right, but has more intense moments than a lot of cozy mysteries, which added to my enjoyment. The characters are well developed with a charming mix of personalities ranging from likable, intelligent, and independent to quirky to annoying to deceptive. There were several themes addressed within the book including library management, organic farming, county fairs, murder, grief, revenge, deception, wedding planning, drugs, communes and much more.
I recommend this book to readers that like a good mystery, and I look forward to reading other books in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Victoria Gilbert for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Bound For Murder by Victoria Gilbert is another captivating book in this series. I love this series and look forward to each new book.
I really admire Amy and Sunny because they are both likable, smart, independent and often too stubborn for their own good. Amy’s fiance, Richard, is adorable but definitely a workaholic when it comes to dance. A cold case murder once again puts Amy in research mode for the police department and Sunny’s grandparents ask for her help, too. Then another murder happens that might or might not be connected to the cold case which alarms the entire town. The story is well developed with limited suspects, twists and turns that kept Amy hunting for clues. The reveal was riveting for me and I was gripping my Kindle tightly while turning the pages.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.