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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Loved this story and very much enjoyed being with Amy, Richard, Aunt Lydia, Sunny and friends and the not so friendly folks. I’ve always thought it would be great to work in a library. I did get to help in my high school library. My, how times have changed. Amy is in a good place to do her research, which is very helpful in her search for justice. I really loved the characters and the storyline. You may be in for a surprise or two, as I was. I can’t wait to see how Fiona reacts to the wedding plans. Guess I’ll have to wait till the next book to see how that plays out. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
Although this wasn’t my favorite in the series I still enjoyed reading the fourth book in the series.
Bound for Murder deals with the murder of a young man from a local commune in the 1960s. Drugs and jealousy are a heavy theme throughout. I am still a little unsure of Kurt’s character. He just hits me the wrong way with always knowing Amy’s every move.
I’m curious to see what scrapes Amy gets into in the next book. If you’ve not read this series before I suggest reading from the beginning to get all the background of the characters.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions in the above review are entirely my own.
An interesting investigation into a missing person case livens and endangers the lives of library director, Amy Webber and her best friend and assistant, Sunny Fields. Author Victoria Gilbert lines the shelves with clues and distractions relating to a local commune in the 1960’s and the flow of drugs and resulting addictions that disrupted the lives of several families.
I found the key suspects an eclectic bunch and hard to tell if they’d cleaned up their lives since the 60’s, or not. My guesses as to the murderer’s identity didn’t pan out; therefore, I was surprised by the killer reveal. This is book 4 in this series and the first I’ve read, and I was easily drawn to Amy and her fiancé, Richard and their families, plus Sunny and her grandparents. I look forward to catching up on the Blue Ridge Library series beginning with book 1.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane. Thank you. My review is honest and unbiased.
Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the 4th A Blue Ridge Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Amy Webber’s friend and fellow library employee, Sunny Fields is running for mayor which is a relief to many of the citizens who dislike the incumbent. Sunny receives a call from her grandparents, Carol & P.J. Fields that the county dredging crew found a skeleton buried by the creek on their organic farm. They ran a commune on the grounds back in the 60s and it looks like one member never left. Amy is not going to let this derail Sunny’s campaign for mayor. She starts digging in the archives and visiting members of the commune who still live in the area. Can Amy find the answers that are needed, or will she be the next individual to become plant fertilizer? Bound for Murder is well-written, and the story moves along at a stable pace. Amy Webber is a librarian with attention to detail and a whiz at research. Her skills at unearthing information in the archies are the most valuable to her investigations. Amy and Richard have been a engaged a couple of months which has people offering unsolicited advice and asking questions about the wedding that Amy is unprepared to answer. Amy is especially tired of her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Fiona’s high brow suggestions. She is happy to escape into the investigation. I liked that the mystery took us back to the 1960s. We get to see how the suspects have changed from their hippie days to now. I found the suspects to be a diverse group who each have something they would prefer to remain hidden. Unfortunately, someone is unhappy with Amy’s digging. She is warned off several times by various methods and one of her suspects is removed from the list permanently. It will depend on your sleuthing level on whether you find this whodunit a puzzler or a cinch to solve. I liked how all the details of the mystery were wrapped up and I enjoyed the ending. Bound for Murder is a charming cozy mystery with a dredging disaster, misplaced persons, a charismatic journalist, a hippie homicide, campaign commotion, and revealing research.
Library director Amy Webber’s best friend and co-worker Sunny Fields is running for mayor. But when a skeleton is found in her grandparents’ farm, it threatens to put a damper on her campaign. With Sunny’s grandparents under suspicion, Amy uses her research skills to help them prove their innocence.
This is a wonderful series and each book gets better and better. The story is well developed with enough suspects, twists, and turns to keep readers guessing until the reveal. As always, I love the way the town’s history is woven into the present. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, so it’s always fun to catch up with all the characters. Victoria Gilbert has created a well-developed cast of characters that you will care about and root for. While this isn’t my favorite book in Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, it is still an enjoyable read and a great addition to the series. I look forward to reading the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Victoria Gilbert for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Webber is a library director in a small town. She loves doing research and has helped the police in the past. Amy’s best friend Sunny is running for mayor of their town of Taylorsford, VA. When human remains are found on Sunny’s grandparent’s farm they enlist Amy’s help. Can she help solve the mystery before Sunny’s grandparents are arrested?
This is my first book in this series although it’s the fourth book in the series. I was able to enjoy the book as a stand-alone mystery. This is a well-written book with a mixture of humor and suspense. The plot is interesting and the characters are realistic. There are several suspects, these characters have a range of different personalities from quirky to annoying. The storyline moves at a quick steady pace with numerous twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
Bound for Murder” by Victoria Gilbert Is the 4th instalment in the “Blue Ridge Library Mystery” series. I really enjoyed it and hope to catch up on the series before the next one releases.
I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it almost straight through. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises, I did suspect the killer but then thought no…
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. I loved the friendship between Amy and her bff Sunny. The inclusion of the two kittens was nice too.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
This is the first book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery that I have read, and seeing as this is book four in the series it was more than easily read as a stand alone, though to get a better feel for the characters it will be good to start from the beginning
Amy is the director of the Blue Ridge Library and as it would seem a great researcher and sleuth on the side. When a body is discovered at Vista View farm where her friend Sunny’s grandparents live, it appears the past is coming back to haunt them, so Sunny and her grandparents enlist Amy’s help. PJ and Carol used to run Vista View as a commune back in the 60/70’s when it was a time of free love, drugs and hippies, and Amy’s research leads to quite a few potential suspects.
Bound For Murder was a great clean cozy mystery with wonderful characters, it was also filled a few twists and turn to throw you off and keep you reading.
4 stars
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Library Director Amy Webber finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery, this time one that happened sometime in the 1960s.
Amy’s friend Sunny Fields needs her help. A skeleton has been found on her grandparent’s farm. A farm with a colorful past. Her grandparents, Carol & P.J. Fields, ran a commune there back in the days of free love and enlightenment. The skeleton is soon identified as a member of the commune who was thought to have followed his dream and headed West. The investigation also shows the man had been murdered. With Sunny running for mayor she needs to get to the truth as soon as possible. Amy uses her stellar research skills to track down and meet with former members of the commune knowing any one of them could be the killer.
Sheriff Investigator Brad Tucker asked her to help with the case by doing a little research. He isn’t happy when she actually starts pursuing leads on her own. He tries to rein her in when she receives several warnings to back off on her snooping, including vandalism at the library but she doesn’t back down.
Amy is also getting pressure on the homefront to start planning her wedding especially from her future mother-in-law Fiona, who has some grand plans.
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Again, Victoria Gilbert has her characters digging into the past and through that, we meet an eclectic group of former “hippies” all to catch a killer. In the guise of notifying them about the skeleton being found and “warning” them that the police may be contacting them as Sunny’s grandparents had asked, Amy gets up close and personal with the suspects. This approach was a nice twist. I really enjoyed the way Amy fulfilled her promise while still getting information.
All of Ms. Gilbert’s characters are well defined and easily visualized. The core character’s stories continue to evolve realistically. Amy is very dedicated to her job as is Richard when it comes to anything related to dance and movement. Sunny like Amy is very determined and independent. It is to see why they are friends and how well they work together. Fiona is over the top, turning her nose up at almost everything, but Amy and Richard are learning how to deal with her. I like that Sheriff Investigator Brad Tucker knows what a great resource he has in Amy and that he is realizing she just can’t help but to get involved in his cases.
The mystery this time was a tricky one because of the amount of time that has passed since the death, the age of the suspects, another murder, and twist upon twist upon twist. I truly thought I was on the right course to solving this mystery then suddenly there was a twist that turned all my theories inside out but got Amy on the right track. There was some edge of seat moments to raise our blood pressure as we got close to the end of the book. Nicely done Ms. Gilbert, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Bound for Murder has engaging characters paired with some shady ones that keep both readers and our protagonist on our toes. A very well-written mystery with a true romance and just a bit of humor to lighten things up. A strong addition to this series. I do recommend reading them in order but this one can stand on its own.
Since I volunteer for a library, I enjoy reading books with a library setting. This is a good murder tale with just a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. The author drops subtle hints all along the way, but she keeps you guessing until the end. I like it when an author doesn’t just tell you who did it than abruptly ends the book. This author lets you know who did it and why and then finishes the story. The descriptions in the book make you feel like you are in the story. It’s a comfortable read that you will enjoy coming back to when you pick up the book again.
Another great installment for this series! Fantastic characters that you can’t wait to visit with again are well developed and set in a small town, particularly it’s library as the main character is the head librarian. This may be the best book yet in the series and all have been plotted in intriguing, interesting and entertaining manners that keep your interest peaked and turning pages! The author does a great job of weaving the characters life stories through the plot in an organic way that creates a smooth unfolding of the storyline. If you haven’t read the series, you need to definitely do so as you are missing out on an excellent cast of characters and mysteries, but you could read this one as a stand alone if you wanted too. I would personally recommend starting with the first book as the characters develop so much stronger if you read the entire series! I absolutely can’t wait for the next book to see how things unfold in the characters lives!
librarian, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement
The librarian is the sleuth into murders past and present and nearly became a victim herself. Suspense, plot twists, and red herrings, along with some really convincing characters make the book interesting. It is one in a series, but care is taken to make relevant info available so that the reader isn’t left floundering. It is an enjoyable read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Bound for murder is the 4th in the Blue Ridge Library series, by Victoria Gilbert and it was a very good read. Sunny’s grandparents had a commune on their farm back in the 1960’s and when a skeleton is unearthed the mystery is on. the plot took its twists and turns but when the murderer is revealed, I was surprised. The small town setting, great characters and the cold case made this one terrific read.
Each book just gets BETTER! We got to learn more about Sunny and the grands and what we learned was WOW. There was some serious moments but as always it was entertaining and a happy ever after ending. My only thought is will Sunny ever find Mr. Right?
So intriguing! This book was hard to put down. I love the combination of the past and the present in this series. This book was full of intrigue as a body of a missing man from the 1960s is discovered at Sunny’s grandparents’s farm. Amy does some research as she tries to help Sunny’s grandparents and ends up in the crosswise of a killer. I can’t wait to see what’s next and see Amy and Richard get married!!
Amy Webber is the director for the Taylorsford Public Library in Virginia. Her friend and coworker, Sunny Fields, is running for mayor but her bid may be derailed as a skeleton is found on her grandparents’ farm. Her grandparents ran a commune back in the 60’s and the skeleton turns out to be a former member. When another former member is killed and there are others who are missing or dead, it seems all of them are in danger. Amy puts her researching and sleuthing skills to the test in order to save the remaining members and Sunny’s campaign. Can she and the police get to the bottom of the mystery before anyone else is killed?
I really like this series and this book is no exception. It’s well-written with well-rounded characters, both those you like and those you don’t. Full of action and intrigue, this book captured me from the beginning and kept me hooked until the end. I am really looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
An intriguing mystery involving the discovery of a skeleton on the property of Sunny’s grandparents. Of course Amy gets involved to help her best friend and her grandparents, but is also asked to do some research by Sheriff Brad Tucker into any missing persons from the area that may be mentioned in the library archives. Also the skeleton may be a relative of Walt’s so everyone is involved in this case in one way or another. There are so many suspects including the former members of the commune. I was completely surprised by the ending and can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Bound for Murder is a well-written cozy mystery. I enjoyed the concept of a librarian protagonist and a body located at a former commune but I couldn’t connect to Amy, the amateur sleuth, so I ultimately stopped reading at page 74.
Amy was hiding investigation information from her best friend and the friends family (because the police asked her to), while also hiding investigation information from the police (because the friends family asked her to get involved) and agreeing to help a suspect (one she’d never met before) lie to police. I did not personally understand Amy’s motivation so although I enjoy the concept and plot here this book is not for me.
Whether or not you connect to a character is extremely personal so I imagine many will feel differently. Also, this is the first book I’ve read by this author so it’s likely that had I read the earlier books in the series I would have better understood and more easily connected to Amy. I am now interested in trying the first book in the series.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #BoundForMurder #cozymystery
This is the #4 in this enjoyable series but it works just fine as a standalone. The setting is Taylorsford, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountain area. Amy is the local library director and has a knack for solving puzzles of the homicidal sort. Her best friend, Sunny, is running for Mayor but things get very sticky when a skeleton is discovered on her grandparent’s farm. Back in the day the farm was run as a commune and now that past is causing trouble for Sunny. It may have an impact on her hope to become mayor.
Somebody wants the past to stay buried and Amy dives into researching the town’s past to catch a killer. With the help of friends and family – a very well drawn group of characters – Amy not only digs up the town’s past but tries to pull things together for her upcoming wedding. That’s a whole lot of things to juggle but Amy is, after all, a librarian. She’s up to the challenge.
Bound For Murder is the fourth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series.
Amy and Richard’s wedding is not too far off and Amy is anxiously awaiting her wedding day. Many of the residents of Taylorsford have been offering her wedding planning suggestion and Richard’s mother feels that anything in Taylorsford is suitable for the wedding of her son.
Amy’s assistant at the library, Sunny, is running for mayor of the town. Amy is willing to help any way she can, but still, she has to try to avoid any confrontations with the current mayor. But soon Sunny’s run for mayor may be in jeopardy when a body is found buried on Sunny’s grandparent’s farm. The body is unidentifiable, but the grandfather tells Amy that the farm used to be a commune in the 1960s. He also shares that a young man, Jeremy Adams, has disappeared around 1963. The group wasn’t concerned about his disappearance as he often talked of heading to Los Angles to pursue a music career. It is determined that the body is in fact that of Adams and his death wasn’t from natural causes. Amy will need to call on her friends to help solve the death of Adams to help Sunny chance to win the mayoral election.
I always look forward to reading the next book in this enjoyable series. They are always well-written and interesting stories and it’s great to visit with the interesting residents of Taylorsford.