Booked for Death

by Victoria Gilbert

Series: Book Lover's B&B (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
90	14	302,640	(3.61)	4
"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." -- Provided by the publisher.… (more)

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Not usually a fan of epistolary books but this one was full of heart and humor. (

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JonquilA | Feb 14, 2023 |

After having spent a lot of time in the last week looking at tornados that led to loss of lives, I find a book when our lead character lost her husband to one. One of those weird things that happens. In the wake of his death, she inherits her great-aunt's B&B, which has a literary theme. She's been running it for about the year at the beginning of the book. There's a great set-up of a cast of characters, especially the next-door neighbour. The book is well plotted, with the murderer being someone not really suspected but doesn't feel shoehorned. Bodes well for the series.

It seems there are two types of cozy mysteries - the young, very attractive protagonist who has all kinds of men falling at her feet, and the older woman who creates a gang who helps her solve mysteries like Miss Marple (who is, after all, the original cozy protagonist). I do hope that Charlotte might get some romantic intrigue at some point in this series (older women deserve romance too!) but I can see the author, having gone the young attractive route in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, wanting to dispense with that and just go with straight mystery here. We'll see what future books hold in store for her. (

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mktoronto | Jan 25, 2023 |

Charlotte, the owner of Chapters B&B, faces the challenge of a murder during a Josephine Tey inspired weekend. Everyone seems to have a had a reason to kill Lincoln Delamont, so solving the mystery is a challenge. This is a very typical cozy that sometimes had too many subplots and some uneven writing. A cute concept that could use some finessing. (

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4leschats | Jan 5, 2022 |

Oh dear. I do love a cozy once in a while, but this was so formulaic and so boring, with requisite paragraphs on historic Beaufort tossed in for good measure that I would have put it back except I was on an overnight with no other options. Bah. Humbug. (

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PattyLee | Dec 14, 2021 |

Following the death of her own husband, Charlotte Reed inherits a book-themed bed-and-breakfast from her great aunt Isabella. The family knew little about Isabella, but Charlotte will learn much more about her as she investigates a homicide that took place on her property. Most persons present possessed a motive--some stronger than others. Charlotte, with the help of an interesting neighbor, discovers she has a knack for investigating. Unfortunately too many things screamed "implausible" to me. We barely saw the police, although they were present. The book got off to a slow start but the pace began picking up after the half-way mark. Mystery lovers will love the way the plot is peppered with mentions of other authors and books. One of my favorite lines in the book was, "I wasn't Miss Marple, or Inspector Gamache, or even Nancy Drew." (page 53) I loved that Gamache was given equal footing with these classic sleuths. I'm hoping the next in the series works a little better for me. I love the locale and book-themed bed-and-breakfast premise. I have not yet fallen in love with the amateur sleuth. I hope future installments will include more interaction with the real detectives working the case. (

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thornton37814 | Nov 9, 2021 |

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Booked for Death

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Beaufort, North Carolina, USA

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Ross, Faith Black

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▾Book descriptions

"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." -- Provided by the publisher.

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