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Bound for Murder

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Member Reviews

Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the 4th A Blue Ridge Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Amy Webber’s friend and fellow library employee, Sunny Fields is running for mayor which is a relief to many of the citizens who dislike the incumbent. Sunny receives a call from her grandparents, Carol & P.J. Fields that the county dredging crew found a skeleton buried by the creek on their organic farm. They ran a commune on the grounds back in the 60s and it looks like one member never left. Amy is not going to let this derail Sunny’s campaign for mayor. She starts digging in the archives and visiting members of the commune who still live in the area. Can Amy find the answers that are needed, or will she be the next individual to become plant fertilizer? Bound for Murder is well-written, and the story moves along at a stable pace. Amy Webber is a librarian with attention to detail and a whiz at research. Her skills at unearthing information in the archies are the most valuable to her investigations. Amy and Richard have been a engaged a couple of months which has people offering unsolicited advice and asking questions about the wedding that Amy is unprepared to answer. Amy is especially tired of her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Fiona’s high brow suggestions. She is happy to escape into the investigation. I liked that the mystery took us back to the 1960s. We get to see how the suspects have changed from their hippie days to now. I found the suspects to be a diverse group who each have something they would prefer to remain hidden. Unfortunately, someone is unhappy with Amy’s digging. She is warned off several times by various methods and one of her suspects is removed from the list permanently. It will depend on your sleuthing level on whether you find this whodunit a puzzler or a cinch to solve. I liked how all the details of the mystery were wrapped up and I enjoyed the ending. Bound for Murder is a charming cozy mystery with a dredging disaster, misplaced persons, a charismatic journalist, a hippie homicide, campaign commotion, and revealing research.

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I hadn't read the earlier books in this series, but felt the author did a good job of relaying enough information to provide a bit of a background without going into confusing details, so I would recommend this book can be read as a stand-alone.

When a body is discovered on a former commune outside the town of Blue Ridge, Amy is asked by the owners, PJ and Carol, to alert the people who lived at the commune back in the day and let them know there would be an investigation. PJ and Carol's granddaughter Sunny is Amy's best friend and works at the library AND is running for town mayor.

We are introduced to a lot of town characters, as well as suspects - some of whom formerly lived in the commune and settled in Blue Ridge. The author gives us an array of suspects along with some really good red herrings, and I was surprised when the case was solved and the murderer(s) revealed.

What didn't work for me in this story is the main character, Amy. This didn't ruin the story for me, but I was confused a few times by her attitude. She learns many things that might have helped the police with the case, but refuses to give them that information. She unaccountably fears one suspect is going to kill her on the spot (which seemed very unlikely) and acts crazed ... while having absolutely no concern for other suspects. I grew somewhat weary of her decisions to withhold information and leap to huge conclusions so while I liked this specific book, I don't plan to read additional books in the series.

3.5 stars.

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Any Webber's life is pretty good right now, a wonderful fiancee, good job as director of the Blue Ridge Library and good friends and family. But her BFF's grandparents have found a skeleton on their organic farm. A farm that served as a commune back in the days of peace and love. Amy can't help getting involved to help figure out the skeleton's identity and clear the name of The Grands. A fun series. Fast paced, Well written with an engaging cast of characters.

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This book was hard for me to get into . I have read alot of cozy mysteries, and typically not having read the previous books in the series does not impact the ability to enjoy the story. However, I couldn't finish this book because it was too confusing. I will go back and read the first book because it does seem interesting to me.

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Victoria Gilbert continues her Blue Ridge Library mysteries with Bound for Murder. Librarian Amy Webber fends off people who try to micromanage her upcoming wedding to dance choreographer Richard. Then a skeleton is found in the grounds of a former hippy colony. Amy's library staff member Sunny is running for mayor and her aunt and uncle own the property where the skeleton is found. Who murdered the man? Lots of red herrings. Great cozy.

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Book 4 in the series. No rating, DNF.

I haven't read any of the previous books, so maybe that's why I just couldn't get into this book. I picked it up in fits and starts, and I finally gave up and left it unfinished.

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Amy Webber, Blue Ridge Library director and #1 researcher should be researching wedding venues for her upcoming nuptials but instead is asked to dig into the archives in hopes of assisting the police department with the recent discovery of a skeleton found on Sunny's grandparents organic farm, formerly a hippie commune in the 60"s. History tells of some unsavory events and people coming and going from the commune back in the day and Amy wants to do all she can to help the Grans, but she gets the feeling that they aren't being completely honest with her even though they have asked her to give their former commune residents a "heads up" as to the investigation. Turns out the skeleton is a local boy/musician who was supposed to have left for California. This small town story attracts the attention of a free lance reporter who is also looking into missing persons from the 60's involving drug related activities. While it isn't necessary to have read previous books, it does help you understand the nuances with each character a little bit better. Amy's romance with her neighbor now fiancé Richard, her Aunt Lydia, the mysterious Kurt Kendrick, Sunny Davis her able bodied assistant and best friend, as well as some of the other characters. All in all this is an enjoyable series with a librarian who is more than your average book worm.

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Skeleton In The Closet.....
A Blue Ridge Library mystery. When a skeleton is unearthed Amy Webber , library director, needs to delve into the past whilst putting all personal plans on hold to play amateur sleuth. Enjoyable cosy mystery with endearing characters and an entertaining plot.

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Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

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I've loved this series from the beginning! There was a cold case to start things off, then the bodies started falling. Amy was actually helping the police with research into the cold case which involved a 60s commune on the farm where Sunny lived with her grandparents. There was a nice variety of suspects, and Amy managed to make one of them nervous enough to start sending her threats and taking shots at her.

I wasn't sure about the killer, so that was a good twist along with who the cold case killer was. The showdown was exciting, and Sunny got to prove herself a worthy opponent for a killer. I really liked how when it was all wrapped up, there was still more story to read to help wind down from the excitement of catching the killer. The ending was especially sweet!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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This is the 4th Blue Ridge Library Mystery. I have read the entire series and highly recommend the series. Each book can be read as a stand alone however it is more beneficial to the reader's enjoyment to read the entire series. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. My review opinion is my own. This is such a fun mystery series that i look forward to each new release. This installment centers around the 1960's which is a fun and interesting addition to the series.

In this next in series Amy is our favorite library director and is a expert at research. This skill lends to her good investigator skills. I enjoy reading about her position at the Blue Ridge Library and the small town life.
Amy's best friend Sunny is running for Mayor with much support in the town as she is well liked. When a skeleton is found on Sunny's Grandparents property they are under suspicion as is the entire family. Amy realizes she must step up to help or Sunny's campaign will be ruined.

Amy is a smart fun protagnist . I enjoy this series and her skills at finding clues and solving crimes. The sleuth was well crafted to conclusion. This was a enjoyable addition to the series.

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murderThis didn’t work for me. It is full of explication ..sometimes of things we don’t need to bother with! There are digressions about characters’ lives that slow things up ..a librarian takes her things into her hands when a full skeleton shows up in an ancient site ..a colleague, running for mayor in the town, and another friend get involved , uncovering drugs in a commune and over dosing that was kept a secret in the past; a former member bent on revenge gets involved.. all a bit derivative. It is entirely genial, and moves along ok. It’s part of a series. Just not for me.

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Dollycas’s Thoughts

Library Director Amy Webber finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery, this time one that happened sometime in the 1960s.

Amy’s friend Sunny Fields needs her help. A skeleton has been found on her grandparent’s farm. A farm with a colorful past. Her grandparents, Carol & P.J. Fields, ran a commune there back in the days of free love and enlightenment. The skeleton is soon identified as a member of the commune who was thought to have followed his dream and headed West. The investigation also shows the man had been murdered. With Sunny running for mayor she needs to get to the truth as soon as possible. Amy uses her stellar research skills to track down and meet with former members of the commune knowing any one of them could be the killer.

Sheriff Investigator Brad Tucker asked her to help with the case by doing a little research. He isn’t happy when she actually starts pursuing leads on her own. He tries to rein her in when she receives several warnings to back off on her snooping, including vandalism at the library but she doesn’t back down.

Amy is also getting pressure on the homefront to start planning her wedding especially from her future mother-in-law Fiona, who has some grand plans.

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Again, Victoria Gilbert has her characters digging into the past and through that, we meet an eclectic group of former “hippies” all to catch a killer. In the guise of notifying them about the skeleton being found and “warning” them that the police may be contacting them as Sunny’s grandparents had asked, Amy gets up close and personal with the suspects. This approach was a nice twist. I really enjoyed the way Amy fulfilled her promise while still getting information.

All of Ms. Gilbert’s characters are well defined and easily visualized. The core character’s stories continue to evolve realistically. Amy is very dedicated to her job as is Richard when it comes to anything related to dance and movement. Sunny like Amy is very determined and independent. It is to see why they are friends and how well they work together. Fiona is over the top, turning her nose up at almost everything, but Amy and Richard are learning how to deal with her. I like that Sheriff Investigator Brad Tucker knows what a great resource he has in Amy and that he is realizing she just can’t help but to get involved in his cases.

The mystery this time was a tricky one because of the amount of time that has passed since the death, the age of the suspects, another murder, and twist upon twist upon twist. I truly thought I was on the right course to solving this mystery then suddenly there was a twist that turned all my theories inside out but got Amy on the right track. There was some edge of seat moments to raise our blood pressure as we got close to the end of the book. Nicely done Ms. Gilbert, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Bound for Murder has engaging characters paired with some shady ones that keep both readers and our protagonist on our toes. A very well-written mystery with a true romance and just a bit of humor to lighten things up. A strong addition to this series. I do recommend reading them in order but this one can stand on its own.

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3.5

I've enjoyed the first three books of the Blue Ridge Library mystery series and was really looking forward to book four.

Librarian Amy Webber uses her natural research (aka sleuthing) skills to help solve a murder that occurred back in the 60s. She's determined to find the murderer, because the suspects at the top of the list are the grandparents of her best friend Sunny. Her poking around turns up several other suspects and now she just needs to figure out who did the dastardly deed.

I've grown to like Amy and the other characters in the series. Amy is always determined to uncover the truth. She just can't help it. Her inquisitive mind just won't let her walk away and her kind heart just can't say no when a friend asks for help. The ending to this one was pretty exciting and had me racing to the end.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

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NetGalley has provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blue Ridge library director Amy Webber learns it wasn't all peace and love among the "flower children" when a corpse is unearthed on the grounds of a 1960s commune.

Bound for Murder is the fourth book in a Blue Ridge Library Mysteries Series. I have not had the pleasure to read the first three books yet, but it did not stop me from fully enjoying Bound for Murder. This was a fun and fast-paced mystery novel. The story is well developed with enough twists and turns that keep readers guessing. Plus it has a romantic relationship between Amy and Richard. and together they are a truly unique couple. I probably do not do this book a full justice because I didn't read the first three and I heard it was just getting better and better.

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In Bound for Murder, Blue Ridge library director Amy Webber becomes involved in some amateur detective work when a skeleton is found at the farm that belongs to her best friend's grandparents. In the 1960's the farm was a commune, and a promising young musician went missing. As Amy investigates what happened, more murders occur, and she herself is in jeopardy.

This is the fourth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. There are continuing characters from earlier books, including Amy, of course, her fiance Richard, her Aunt Lydia, and her best friend Sunny. I enjoy this series. I love the Blue Ridge background and the library setting.

The author has a gift for setting the scene with descriptions like:

"Saturday was one of those lovely September days where everything appeared to be rimmed in crystal. The sky was blue as a fine piece of Wedgwood, and the leaves, still green, were outlined with gold by the bright sunlight. I paused for a moment at Kurt Kendrick’s forest-green front door and inhaled a deep breath, enjoying the scent of the late-season roses that filled his cottage garden" (Kindle location 2502).

Because this mystery takes place in present day with many references to the 1960's, there is an unusually large cast of characters that is at times a bit hard to keep up with. I found this also made the first few chapters move a bit slowly, but once I got into the story I was thoroughly engrossed.

I figured the murderer early on but enjoyed reading Amy's detection process. I liked the sweep of the mystery from the library to points around town, including the farm (old commune) and the county fair.

This is an enjoyable series and I recommend Bound for Murder and the entire series to other readers who also like cozy mysteries with small town venues and library settings.

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I finished this book and really loved Amy as the sleuth helping her friend Sunny. I love library themed cozies. I would recommend this book. Since this was a 4 th in the series, I now need to read them all.

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This is the #4 in this enjoyable series but it works just fine as a standalone. The setting is Taylorsford, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountain area. Amy is the local library director and has a knack for solving puzzles of the homicidal sort. Her best friend, Sunny, is running for Mayor but things get very sticky when a skeleton is discovered on her grandparent's farm. Back in the day the farm was run as a commune and now that past is causing trouble for Sunny. It may have an impact on her hope to become mayor.
Somebody wants the past to stay buried and Amy dives into researching the town's past to catch a killer. With the help of friends and family - a very well drawn group of characters - Amy not only digs up the town's past but tries to pull things together for her upcoming wedding. That's a whole lot of things to juggle but Amy is, after all, a librarian. She's up to the challenge.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Bound For Murder is the fourth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series.

Amy and Richard’s wedding is not too far off and Amy is anxiously awaiting her wedding day. Many of the residents of Taylorsford have been offering her wedding planning suggestion and Richard’s mother feels that anything in Taylorsford is suitable for the wedding of her son.

Amy’s assistant at the library, Sunny, is running for mayor of the town. Amy is willing to help any way she can, but still, she has to try to avoid any confrontations with the current mayor. But soon Sunny’s run for mayor may be in jeopardy when a body is found buried on Sunny’s grandparent’s farm. The body is unidentifiable, but the grandfather tells Amy that the farm used to be a commune in the 1960s. He also shares that a young man, Jeremy Adams, has disappeared around 1963. The group wasn’t concerned about his disappearance as he often talked of heading to Los Angles to pursue a music career. It is determined that the body is in fact that of Adams and his death wasn’t from natural causes. Amy will need to call on her friends to help solve the death of Adams to help Sunny chance to win the mayoral election.

I always look forward to reading the next book in this enjoyable series. They are always well-written and interesting stories and it’s great to visit with the interesting residents of Taylorsford.

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