Praise for Bound for Murder:
"Pleasant."
—Kirkus Reviews
“The plot builds to a complex but satisfying conclusion. Cozy fans will hope Amy will return soon.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Series fans will enjoy the ongoing shenangians...Newbies with an appreciation for small town politics (and an interlibrary loan mulligan) will have no trouble starting here."
—Booklist
“Another deftly crafted mystery buff's delight by a true master of the genre.”
—Midwest Book Review
“The murder mystery is both well plotted and clever enough to keep the most seasoned of mystery readers guessing.”
—MyShelf
“A mystery that has suspense, surprises, and humor which makes for an addicting and delightful cozy read from beginning to end.”
—Manhattan Book Review
Praise for Past Due for Murder:
"A fun tale of books and crooks!"
—Woman's World
“Gilbert weaves a well-paced, engaging story with strong characters… Blue Ridge Mystery fans will love reconnecting with Amy and her Taylorsford compatriots.”
—NY Journal of Books
“Readers who enjoy a splash of the local history of the Blue Ridge Mountains as well as current events, will find this an interesting read, and I can envision it as a good selection for a local book club. I look forward to the next book and highly recommend you read not only this one, but the two before it.”
—MyShelf
“Skillfully written...This library-loving mystery series [is] completely irresistible.”
—Kings River Life Magazine
“Well-written, featuring an intriguing and complex central mystery that builds to an exciting finale, Past Due for Murder is great.”
—Fab Book Reviews
01/01/2020
Library director Amy Webber's only full-time assistant at the Taylorsford Public Library, Sunny Fields, is running for mayor. When a body is uncovered on the organic farm run by Sunny's grandparents, the small-town rumors fly, impacting Sunny's campaign. In the 1960s, the Fields had a commune on their property, and the corpse turns out to be a musician who disappeared from there. Amy has helped the police in the past, so, of course she's going to do some research for her best friend's grandparents. Where are the people who lived at the commune? An art collector and former drug dealer tries to warn Amy, fearing the death goes back to a serious drug problem in the past. The murder of a former commune member, threats, and a shooting drag the library director deeper into the case. The story's menacing tone is alleviated by the antics of some kittens, but the past causes troubles for the town's residents. VERDICT As with Cleo Coyle's "Coffeehouse" mysteries, Gilbert's library mysteries (Past Due for Murder) are darker than many cozies. The well-developed characters and complex issues will appeal to fans of Jenn McKinlay and Miranda James.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
2019-10-14
Can a 50-year-old secret ruin an aspiring politician's campaign?
Amy Webber, Sunshine Fields' best friend and boss at the Taylorsford Public Library in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is engaged to Richard Muir, dancer, choreographer, teacher, and her next-door neighbor. Amy wants the wedding to be simple, but Richard's mother is determined that it will be a tasteful extravaganza. Meanwhile, Sunny's campaign for mayor is rudely interrupted when a skeleton is found on her grandparents' farm. P.J. and Carol Fields run Vista View as an organic farm, but for a while in the 1960s, it was a commune housing a motley crew of people with varying drug habits. Amy, whose research skills have helped the police solve several murders (Past Due for Murder, 2019, etc.), finds a 1965 newspaper article mentioning the disappearance of Jeremy Adams, a talented musician who'd lived on the commune but left to pursue his career. Chief Deputy Brad Tucker, Sunny's ex-boyfriend, asks Amy to do a little more research but to keep it quiet since the case could involve Sunny's grandparents, who Amy's sure are hiding information. Once they've given Amy a list of all the former commune members, she starts digging into their histories. One of them recently died in what seems to have been an accident. When the skeleton is identified as Adams', reporters stake out the Fieldses, but after a rough start, Sunny, encouraged by Amy, makes friends with handsome Daniel Dane, an investigative reporter digging deep into the past because his own aunt went missing from the area in 1964. When another commune alumnus is shot dead, Amy redoubles her efforts, searching the past for clues. A little help from her friends, including a former drug dealer who helped keep the commune mellow, sets her on the right track, prompting dire warnings from the killer.
Historical research wins out over romance and mystery in this pleasant cozy.