Trouble on the Books is the first book in the Castle Bookshop Mystery series! We meet the main character Shelby Cox as she’s gearing up for tourist season since she just took over her aunt’s two bookstores, and as she’s preparing, the volunteer coordinator is found murdered and the caretaker is the prime suspect. Shelby thinks he’s innocent, so she starts investigating the murder herself.

I love cozies, but I couldn’t fall in love with this one. I loved the concept. It’s what drew me in, but once I started, I couldn’t really get into it. The pacing was really really slow, and the writing was overly descriptive, which probably slowed down the pace now that I think about it.

And when it came to the mystery, I felt like Shelby didn’t really investigate very much as most sleuths do, and the ending was sort of predictable.

Overall, I think it’s an okay start to a series. Some series don’t always have the best debut, so I might pick up the next book in the series if I have the time.

After Shelby Cox returns to her hometown in upstate New York, she discovers she owns fifty-percent of her aunt’s bookshop, Bayside Books. She jumps at the opportunity, and soon she’s living in a houseboat and ferrying across the river each day to manage their Blye Island location … that also happens to be inside of a castle. However, just as she’s getting into the swing of things, the Castle Volunteer Coordinator is murdered and fingers start pointing toward the caretaker. But Shelby disagrees, and soon she’s off plotting her own investigation.

There aren’t many settings as cozy as a bookshop situated inside of a castle, and author Essie Lang uses this masterfully. Alexandria Bay is a neat lakeside town, and there’s a real sense of community as Shelby bounces around the local businesses and the castle. There’s a nostalgic feeling that can only come from a city devoted to an island tourist destination. Overall, it makes a great backdrop for the investigation, coming across as a town full of secrets.

The investigation itself takes some time to get going, but this is not a bad thing by any stretch. Shelby is a quiet sleuth. She doesn’t put herself into unnecessary danger or really interfere with local law enforcement. Rather, the mystery unfolds as she attempts to make a new way in an old town, and Lang effortlessly doles out clues that Shelby could sensibly discover. There’s an undercurrent of increasing danger as the book progresses, but not because of Shelby’s senseless meddling.

This also allows for Shelby to progress as a main character in a way that’s sometimes missing from other cozy mysteries. Some of her own past is confused, and she struggles finding answers about her mother who passed away when she was a baby. Her Aunt Edie is obviously keeping secrets, and some of the best scenes in the book are these two learning to navigate both as coworkers and family.

There’s a mild bit of romance, a couple of effective reveals, and a whole lot of cozy heart in this first book in a new series.

Shelby has recently moved back to her hometown of Alexandria Bay to manage the 2nd location of her Aunts bookstore while her Aunt recovers from surgery. While Shelby is gearing up for the opening of tourist season she comes across the body of one of the volunteers. When the caretaker Matthew becomes the prime suspect, Shelby believes the police are following the wrong clues. Shelby believes the murder has to do with what the island was known for in the past. Is Shelby right or are the police?

This is an interesting start to a new series. I was intrigued with the series premise of a Castle Bookshop. This is a well written cozy mystery with several twists and turns along the way to the big reveal. The characters are interesting and realistic. I really like the main character Shelby although Shelby is a little awkward socially she is trying to settle into her new life and make friends. In addition to trying to settle in Shelby is trying to find answers to why her dad moved them away from their life in Alexandria Bay when her mother passed away. She wants to know why her mother’s life was kept a secret from her. The setting of the bookshop location being in a castle is unique and fit in very well into the storyline. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.

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.

I really thought this book had a lot of promise. It was a great setting and the supporting characters were likable. However, after the murder, the book dragged on. I felt there were a lot of unnecessary details that could have been left out and I didn’t like Shelby. I felt she came off as rude and nosy, instead of charming and inquisitive. Zack and Edie were wonderful characters and I hope they have a larger presence in future books.

Trouble on the Books is the first in a new cozy mystery series, A Castle Bookshop Mystery.

Shelby takes leave from her job to help her Aunt Edie with opening her new bookstore after Edie’s knee replacement surgery. The bookstore is in a real-life castle on Blye Island in upstate New York. Only one day before opening day, Shelby finds the obnoxious castle curator, Loreena, dead in a grotto on the estate. When the castle’s caretaker, Matthew, is suspected, Edie asks Shelby to investigate. Shelby thinks that smugglers could be using the grotto to smuggle in contraband. During her investigation, she meets the good looking Coast Guard investigator Zack Griffin.

Trouble on the Books was a good, but not great, cozy mystery read. I loved the idea of a castle on an island but this wasn’t developed much in this book. I loved the gentle romantic interests of some of the characters. However, the mystery was too easy to solve plus the book was a slow slog. No one needs so much description of everyday tasks, like shelving books and pouring wine, when the time could be spent describing the setting or adding more potential suspects. There are also many loose ends left at the conclusion of the book. 3 stars.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. The mystery is solid. But I felt like there were some emotional pieces either missing or they just weren't strong enough for me. One was the murder itself, which for me is a big deal. I want to feel something about the person who is dead and about the amateur sleuth's motivation for putting herself in danger to find the truth. I didn't get a strong *feeling* for either. I was told a lot of things but not *shown* much. I had no drive to find out what happened or to care about the deceased or finding the truth. There's also a side story about Shelby's family that I thought needed a stronger emotional punch. She was asking perfectly reasonable questions and getting stonewalled. She should have been far more angry at that and should have pitched a fit, not mulled it over for awhile. I wanted this plot thread to have more punch. [In my review copy there were also some continuity issues, but hopefully those were addressed in the final edits.]

I'd try another book in the series to see if the heart of it is stronger next time. I want to like this series - it has a fair start with good characters and a fun setting.

Trouble on the Books
Author: Essie Lang
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: March 13, 2019
3 Stars

Shelby Cox returns home to Alexandria Bay to help operate Bayside Books while her aunt Edie is recovering from knee surgery. Shelby’s main responsibility is to manage the store’s second location which is located in a castle on nearby Blye Island. Even when Shelby finds out she is part owner in the stores, she is still very nervous as she doesn’t have any experience in running a bookstore.

Before the store on Blye Island has a chance to open, Shelby finds Loreena Swan, curator of the exhibits and the heritage attraction of Blye Castle, dead in the island’s grotto. A grotto that was used by smugglers during the Prohibition Era. Matthew, the caretaker of the island, becomes the main suspect. Matthew is a close friend of Edie’s, and she entreats Shelby to find out what really happened to Loreena. Shelby realizes that she knows nothing about investigating except what she has read about in mystery books, but she agrees to help by asking some questions. Besides, she is curious about what the grotto has to do with Loreena’s death. How many questions can she ask though before she steps on the wrong person’s toes? And if she does, what will that mean for her?

This book is a good start to the new Castle Bookshop Mystery series. It has such a fun setting. It is always fun to see a bookstore as a jumping off point for a cozy mystery. This story adds a unique twist by having the bookstore situated in a castle (it’s not often we have a castle setting in an American novel) and on an island which is just offshore from the small town of Alexandria Bay. Small towns provide such a good setting to uncover information because everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. Town gossip definitely fuels Shelby’s investigation, and spreads the word that Shelby is looking into the murder.

The investigation is somewhat slow. It feels like it takes Shelby a long time to gather any information and then to come to any conclusions. However, the author uses this time to really develop the background stories of the inhabitants of the town, many of which will probably be recurring characters in future installments. Since Shelby (and the reader) are just getting to know people, it is hard to cross anyone off the list of possible suspects. So that creates a rather large suspect pool, but it helps to keep the reader guessing.

On top of the murder mystery there is a secondary mystery embedded in this book. Shelby’s mother died when she was three. She knows very little about her since she was so young when she died, and her father would never talk about her. Shelby guessed it was just too painful for him to relive the memories. Since she is back in her hometown though, Shelby sets out to find out more about her mom. She tries to talk to her aunt about her, but aunt Edie always seems to dodge the questions and then changes the subject. She tries to track down her mother’s grave, but turns up empty handed. She wonders why she is having such a hard time of finding people in this small town that actually knew her mother. All Shelby wants is to find out more about her mother, but all she finds are closed doors.

Thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TroubleOnTheBooks

Shelby is back in her small hometown, working at the bookstore she owns with her aunt. As she is getting ready for the start of the tourist season, the volunteer coordinator (Loretta) of the historical castle (where the bookstore is located) is murdered. There are multiple suspects, but nobody really knows why it happened. Loretta wasn't necessarily well liked in the town, but is there something bigger going on? Shelby thinks that this may be tied into smuggling, so she decides to launch her own investigation into her death.

This was a fun series debut! I liked the characters in the book, and the love interest was cute. Cozy mysteries pretty much follow a formula, but they're still fun to read. This book definitely set up a second book, but it still tied together the end of this one very well.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Trouble on the Books is the wonderful first in a new cozy mystery series! The setting in the beautiful Thousand Islands, New York and a satellite bookshop in a castle, is magnificent. Shelby and her Aunt Edie are delightful, intelligent ladies, and the mystery promises at least a late night or two trying to solve. Character development is excellent, and the plot is masterfully executed.

Shelby Cox is part owner of Bayside Books, in beautiful Alexandria Bay, New York, and the satellite shop in Blye Castle, on Blye Island. Shelby has taken an extended leave of absence from her position as an editor for a small publisher in Massachusetts, as Aunt Edie is recovering from knee replacement surgery. For the first time, Shelby will run the shop at the Castle, and learn as much as she can from Aunt Edie’s close friend and employee, Trudy, at the main store. She is renting a houseboat to live on during the summer, and an amber cat has adopted her.

Loreena Swan oversees several areas at Blye Castle and stopped in the book shop to criticize the day before the summer’s Grand Opening. They exchanged heated words, which Loreena promptly reported to the Heritage Society, who owns the island. Loreena is not well-liked, especially by the volunteers she oversees at the castle.

While waiting for the shuttle that would take her back to the mainland that afternoon, Shelby takes a short walk around the island. When going into the Grotto, well-known for the rumrunning done there during Prohibition, she noted a flash of red plaid going by in the trees. She then hears what sounds like a motorboat, and as the water in the grotto ripples, she sees fabric the color of what Loreena was wearing that day in the water, with a lifeless Loreena still wearing it.

Matthew is caretaker of the castle and grounds, and the island’s only year-round resident. Due to some unresolved challenges from his life before moving to the area, the police chief seems to want to find him guilty of this murder, taking him in several times for questioning. Aunt Edie asked for Shelby’s help to listen and learn what she could about what is going on at the island so her friend won’t be railroaded for something he didn’t do. Suddenly several people look like good suspects but the police chief doesn’t act interested. The Coast Guard Investigative Service has a Special Agent keeping up with the case, Zack Griffin. Due to the Coast Guard involvement, Shelby wonders if there is a smuggling ring on the island – why else would they be interested in a murder? As Shelby begins asking questions, however, things start heating up for her, especially when someone tries to loosen the ropes holding her houseboat to shore…

I felt a kinship of sorts with Shelby, even if she wasn’t overly fond of pets at first. We have some similar likes and fascinations, enough to already look forward to the next in series. Character development is excellent; each person is built as needed, scene by scene. Shelby and Edie’s good instincts about people are a great help, also. I was surprised and impressed as the story progressed how Shelby was able to talk with people and ask questions in a way that seemed to go against her character, but it works. There is added angst due to Shelby trying to learn more about her mother, who died mysteriously when she was three and nobody wants to talk about.

The setting is one that I would love to see. The grotto and castle add to the mystique of the island and the murder without adding paranormal elements. The plot is well-crafted, with twists that added or subtracted suspects at random. When I was almost finished, I still had no idea who the real killer was, and just a guess of what the motive could be. I was surprised to see how the mystery wrapped up, and was overall satisfied with the end. I highly recommend this to those who love books and bookstores, historic architecture, and very likable characters.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang is the first A Castle Bookshop Mystery. Shelby Cox returned home to Alexandria Bay, New York to help her aunt, Edie Cox, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, with Bayside Books. Shelby has learned that she is part owner in the bookshop and will be running their new location on Blye Island inside Blye Castle. Loreena Swan, Curator of Exhibits, comes into the shop the day before the opening and complains that her guidebook is not in stock. They end up having a loud disagreement with Loreena leaving in a huff. Loreena wastes no time in complaining to Andrew Truelove, president of the Alexandria Bay Heritage Society who leases them the shop space. Later that day, Shelby is taking a walk before heading home on the ferry and finds herself in the grotto that was used in the 1920s by smugglers. Shelby soon discovers she is not alone in the grotto when she looks down to find Loreena floating in the water. When Edie’s friend and castle caretaker, Matthew Kessler becomes the prime suspect, she requests that Shelby do a little digging into the case. Shelby needs little encouragement since she has been curious about the case from the beginning especially after Special Agent Zack Griffin (US Coast Guard Investigative Services) stopped by to talk to her. She wonders if smugglers have taken to using the grotto as a hideout like Joe Cabana in the 20s. Follow Shelby as she assembles the clues to get a clear picture of Loreena’s killer in Trouble on the Books.

Trouble on the Books has an intriguing premise with a bookshop in an old castle on an island (love it). Shelby Cox is twenty-nine years old and has been working as an editor for Masspike House in Massachusetts. When Aunt Edie needs Shelby’s assistance, she takes a leave of absence and returns to Alexandria Bay. Shelby is living on a houseboat until winter and managing the new satellite location of Bayside Books on Blye Island inside the historic Blye Castle (it would have made more sense to live with Aunt Edie who needs her help getting around). I knew Loreena Swan would end up dead after the altercation with Shelby and the way she treats the volunteers at the castle. The murder occurs early in the book. There is little investigating by Shelby until later in the story when Shelby asks various people questions (people she does not know). I wish the mystery had been more of a focus with more complexity. I found it a snap to solve this crime. Shelby’s attention is split because she is determined to learn more about her mother. Her father would not discuss her mother who died when she was three, and Shelby is hoping to learn more about her from the people that knew her in town plus Edie. Shelby is searching the local cemeteries for her mother’s grave. I was curious why Shelby did not research her mother online (death certificate would pop up). The pacing of the book was lethargic which made it hard for me to stay interested. The author is a detail oriented which slowed down the pace (an example is making tea—getting the kettle, filling it with water, putting in on the stove, turning on the stove, etc.). Add in a daydreaming main character with a significant amount of internal dialogue and repetition of information. Shelby also has trouble remembering people’s names and figuring out a person’s age (makes it hard for a reader). She states she is not a people person, but Shelby is working in a bookshop frequented by tourists (an oxymoron). I felt that Trouble on the Books needed more pizzazz (oomph). The characters failed to come alive for me. We are not given many details on them which I found disappointing. I hope the characters will be fleshed out more in the next installment. I did enjoy the descriptions of the castle, island and bookshop. Trouble on the Books could have benefited from further editing (there are inconsistencies). A Castle Bookshop Mystery series has potential which I hope the author will achieve.

The setting appealed to me immediately: upstate New York, Thousand Islands region, and a castle on an island!

Shelby Cox, finds herself half owner of the two bookstores in town. She lives on a houseboat, adopts a stray cat, and can be stubborn. Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services is the cop romantic interest with a twist. Aunt Edie is a patient and loyal woman who had knee replacement surgery a month prior and is relying on Shelby. Matthew Kesler is the caretaker of the castle and grounds with a murky past and primary suspect. Chief of Police Tekla Stone grounds us in the small town feel with a grudge against Aunt Edie and suspicion of Matthew.

Shelby's living on a houseboat really immersed the story in the seaside location. I was hoping for some Gothic
atmosphere from the castle, but the grounds were used more in this story. Looking back, I have a good image of the grounds, but not so much the actual castle interior. I am hoping to have more castle interior description in the next book.

The motive for the murder isn't obvious and Shelby's theory that it has something to do with prior smugglers using the island is as feasible as other motives that develop. The pacing was steady, until the killer reveal. It seemed Shelby was still in her asking around phase when - bam, it's time to unmask the murderer. The suspense was pushed aside after only a few sentences to explain the motive. I love a tense killer confrontation, so that just seemed too abrupt.

Overall it is a light cozy read and good debut of a new series. I am hoping for more atmospheric touches in the castle in future books and a more gripping killer reveal in the books to come.

Rating: Very Good - A light and fun read. (3 1/2 stars)

This book started off rocky for me [I knew who was going to be murdered by the start of the third chapter and I knew who was going to be a suspect. And then the hard-nose, single-sighted, blinders on cop entered the picture and just sealed the deal] and I was set to dislike the book as it was following what seems to be the "new normal" within the cozy genre.
And then, to my surprise, I found myself liking the book; the writing is good and engaging, the characters are fun [though they could be a bit more thought out; I am sure that will happen as future books happen] and Shelby makes a good MC [the mystery surrounding her about her mother is a really good side story and I look forward to that development as well] and I like her relationship with the people she is friends with. I sure hope that there isn't a love triangle in the mix [though it doesn't seem that way, you just never know] though. UGH.
The end was a bit flat - it was like the author ran out of steam at the end and didn't know how to wrap everything up so it all was sudden, short and flat. And I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was and why, which is always disappointing. I hope that in the future books that the reveals end up being a little more fleshed out.
Overall, I ended up liking this more than I expected and for that, I am happy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very well written cozy mystery, introducing a great setting and interesting characters. The mysterious murder happens quite early on, and I was looking forward to some great sleuthing, but then basically nothing happens for more than half the book. Good story, but boring.

Book one in a new series.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was just okay.

I really wanted to love this book. A bookstore, in a castle? Sounds perfect, right?

But I found myself losing interest in it, it was so slow. It starts off with a murder pretty much right away, so I thought it would be fast paced. It dragged. And I really had a hard time connecting with Shelby, though I don't know quite why. It's also pretty laughable that people in a small town would tell a newcomer like Shelby anything more than they would tell the actual people in charge of the investigation.

I'd be interested in giving book 2 a chance, but it certainly goes on my library list.

The first in the Castle Bookshop series is a solid series debut. I liked the plot and the characters well enough and I'd call it good, but not great. The pace was slow at times and it could've used some tightening up.

Overall, though, it was a good mystery, one that I'd recommend to cozy fans and I might look for the second in the series when it comes out.

A good start for new series. It's enjoyable and entertaining even if it's a bit slow at the beginning.
The mystery is solid, the cast of characters well written and likable, the setting is lovely and unusual.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine

It's genuinely amazing how cozy mystery authors manage to keep coming up with interesting premises when there are so many series already on the market. This new series is sure to appeal to lots of fans of the genre- the primary setting is a bookstore- in a castle- on an island! Being a series starter, we're introduced to a lot of characters and get a lot of backstory on Shelby, the main character, and some good set up for plot through lines for the series. . The ending and reveal of the perpetrators in this book was a little anticlimactic, but overall it was a solid mystery and story.

Shelby Cox was looking at the view toward the river. It was a fantastic sight in the first book in a new series and a new author for me. The characters caught will catch your attention and descriptions will place you on the island. Shelby turned an headed for the library located in the Castle. She had come back to Alexandria Bay to run the Blye Island branch of the main store until her Aunt recovered from knee surgery. Shelby was stacking books on the shelf when she informed the volunteer coordinator, Loreena that the books the store carried where none of her concern. The coordinator was later found dead. The twists and turns will have to turn the pages until it is revealed. Is the smuggler active again? Why does Coast Guard interested in the death? Is Mathew Kessler a murderer? Why won't anyone talk her about Mother? Will Shelby find answers. I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book has all the right ingredients which was why I requested a chance to read it. I am no stranger to cozy mysteries although I do not read as much of it as a lot of people do. Given this combination, I should have enjoyed this book more than I did.

I really liked the last book I reviewed by the publisher and had high hopes for this one. It is about a bookshop set in castle with history and murder involved.. The leading lady was nice and friendly and she was back to her place of birth after living far away with a semi-recluse parent. Apart from taking care of her aunt, the bookshop and trying to find out more about her late mother she takes on the task of solving the murder. This last bit was a little forced. I also did not get the feel for the budding romance of the story.I would have liked the book if the mystery had been her mother and the focus was all on the family and the connections. I really wanted to like the book and the writing was good but for the first book of a series, I was hoping for more in terms of laying of the scene. I might just read the next book whenever it comes out just to see where the story would go from here.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover and the description. It didn’t hurt that upfront on the book description I was led to believe if I like Vicki Delaney’s books, I would like this. I truly did.

The location was a big factor for me. Having spent time in New York and vacationed as a child along the New York shore of the St Lawrence River, it brought back many pleasant memories.

Shelby Cox is our sleuth. She returns to Alexandria Bay, New York to assist her aunt with her bookstore.
She has finished for the day setting up the new location at a castle on the island in the St Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, when she takes a relaxing walk to clear her mind. Turns out not to be such a relaxing walk. She discovers a body in the water floating face down and recognizes the shirt. It is a local with a lot of clout. This begins our investigation.

The author describes the Thousand Island region very much as I remember it. I like the characters, the strong women and men. It was nice that none of them were treated like idiots. They were all relatable in some fashion. We all tend to have likes and dislikes when dealing with individuals and that was nice to see in this book.