Booked for Death: 09/23/20

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert is the start of the Booklovers B&B mystery series. After a recent renovation, the Chapters B&B is hosting a Josephine Tey themed event which includes a costume party. During the party, one of the owner's outspoken guests ends up murdered. Former school teacher (a la Jessica Fletcher), Charlotte Reed decides to investigate, to at least clear her dead aunt's name.

Like To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid, Booked for Death is set in a real town, this time Beauford, North Carolina. I admit to being curious with this new trend, and wonder how these two series will keep with the real landscape while expanding their fictional worlds.

Readers knowledgable with Josephine Tey's mysteries will have a leg up on solving the mystery. Gilbert does give enough clues to everyone else to have a chance at solving the murder. I've only read one Tey novel, but now also want to read Brat Farrar (1949).

Charlotte's friendship and chemistry with her housekeeper / cook, brings to mind the friendship of Gemma and Jayne in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series by Vicki Delany. The difference here, though, is age. Charlotte is a Gen-X lead, meaning she's in her 40s. Most of the cozy leads I read are in their late twenties to mid thirties regardless of the age of the author.

I am eager to see where this series goes next.

Four stars

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