Book One in the Book Lovers’ B & B cozy mystery series.
Published by Crooked Lane Books.
Available in eBook, audio book, hardcover, and paperback editions.
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, 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.
“Gilbert (“Blue Ridge Library” mysteries) introduces an intelligent, mature amateur sleuth, and a shrewd elderly sidekick in the first in a character-driven cozy series. The leisurely paced mystery offers complex characters with well-developed backgrounds and motives. Readers of Ellery Adams’s “Book Retreat” mysteries will appreciate this new series.” – Library Journal
“[A] charming series launch…Cozy fans and book lovers will be satisfied.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Historic Beaufort, North Carolina, is the beautiful backdrop for an ugly murder… A clever, sympathetic heroine and oodles of local color.”
—Kirkus
“Intellectually challenging…A solid addition to a popular cozy category.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Gilbert…kicks off the Book Lovers B&B Mystery series with of the hallmarks of a cozy: a small town with lots of history; a gently paced plot; sympathetic, book-loving characters; and even a little dog.” — Booklist
“Booked for Death will book you into a delightful mystery that brings to life a charming town with a genuine feeling of community, the strength of friendship, and delightful characters.” – San Francisco Book Review
“The pluses to this cozy series are, not only that it’s based in North Carolina, but it is on the waterfront as well! The storyline itself is another reason to get hooked into reading BOOKED FOR DEATH. You will absolutely love the characters as they are down-to-earth, and the theme of the B&B is about books!! I cannot wait for the next book in this series by Victoria Gilbert.” – Fresh Fiction
“Ms. Gilbert serves up a nicely balanced cozy mystery, with a plausible reason for Charlotte’s involvement. There’s also a side plot involving Great-Aunt Isabella’s mysterious past, and just enough description to make the setting (Beaufort, North Carolina) seem real, without overdoing it.”
~The Bookwyrm’s Hoard
“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.”
~The Avid Reader
“Booked for Death is a delightful tale with both the setting of a golden-age mystery and the plot of one too. The pacing is also spot on for armchair detectives who want to race to discover whodunit before Detective Johnson or even Charlotte herself.”
~Diane Reviews Books
“This series is off to an awesome start. It is so much more than first meets the eye! . . . Booked for Death was well-written, well-plotted, and excellently executed.”
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
“I so wish I could go stay at Chapters B&B. What a wonderful idea for a bed and breakfast, minus the dead book dealer, of course!… The accusation of thievery was an interesting twist, and I enjoyed trying to figure that mystery out as well as wondering who the killer was.”
~The Book’s the Thing
“Gilbert’s abundant use of red herrings, intriguing sub-plot about the inn’s previous owner, and homage to Josephine Tey keep readers thoroughly engaged.”
~Book Club Librarian
‘Prepare for surprise and twists you never expected all wrapped up in the literary theme of the book. Makes for a fantastically fun cozy read that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.”
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Series Trailer: