Love this story! Great series, so much fun to read! Love the cast of characters! Book kept me guessing till the end! So excited to see what's next for this group.

This might be the best of this series yet! Richard and Amy's families came together for their wedding, and it was fun getting to know Scott, her brother a little bit better. We always knew he had a super secret job, but in this book he even surprised his sister with what he does.

Eventually the clues fell into place for me, and I figured out someone's identity. I don't want to say too much or spoil it, but this series had mentioned the person in an earlier story. The showdown was great, and everyone involved had a small part. Kurt Kendrick is definitely the JR Ewing of this series--you gotta love him, and I think he's an awesome character, but sometimes he really can be a stinker. Amy was never sure if she should trust him or not, but I think he proved himself a good ally in this book, past shady deeds or not.

The wedding was beautiful to read, and it seems as though for now everyone in the book had someone or something to make them have a happy ending. I was really happy to read on the author's blog that there will be at least a couple more books in this series.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

I freaking love cozy mysteries and this one did not disappoint. There was murder, mystery, love, surprises, and a backyard wedding; what more could you want!?!

This is a fun book to pick up on a dreary winter's eve and just lose yourself in the story.

A Deadly Edition (A Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, Book 5) by Victoria Gilbert
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: December 8, 2020

A Deadly Edition is the fifth book in A Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert. I hadn't read the previous books, so I'm not sure if that was why I struggled to get into the story or not. This can be read as a standalone book though.

I found this book to be very interesting, but it did not captivate me like I had hoped it would. The characters were well written and likeable, and the story was very interesting. This book had depth and drama.

Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it to people who enjoy mysteries and crime solving.

I'm so grateful to Victoria Gilbert, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Amy and Richard are finally getting married. Kurt throws them a party. All their family and friends are there as well an acquaintance/business rival of Kurt's named Oscar Selvaggio. When Oscar is found dead, there is no dearth of suspects. This is a twisted plot. Lots of people wanted Oscar dead. Amy fears this will cause havoc with her wedding, so she decides to do a little "research".

This is an entertaining read. There are mysteries within mysteries in this one. It is easy to read and the characters are fun.

A Deadly Edition is the fifth in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series by Victoria Gilbert. Amy Webber, the library director, is getting married to Richard a dance instructor and impresario. The find a murdered art dealer on the property of Kurt, another art dealer and their host for a wedding party. Kurt has a shady background but Amy is fond of him and doesn't believe he is involved. Lots of suspects. Drama around the wedding and the murder. Amy's brother, Scott, who is something with law enforcement disappears from the wedding party. Stir up the plot and find a good cozy.

A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert is the fifth book in the 'Blue Ridge Library Mystery' series. I wanted to read this because the cover was very inviting and I have a fancy for cozies about librarians, bookshops and other book-related things.

Centred around a library director in the Blue Ridge mountains, I thought this was a very good story. Protagonist Amy is smart and savvy as well as being personable, friendly, and loyal. The mystery itself strikes the right chord with plenty of possible motives and there is an excellent balance between the mystery and the occurrences going on in Amy's personal life. I haven't read all of the books in the series and although this can be an individual read I occasionally felt a little lost with some of the references to events mentioned from past instalments. The descriptions of small-town life with all its complicated relationships and traditions were very believable and I enjoyed Victoria Gilbert's engaging, alluring style of writing. The characters were distinct and entertaining and I felt as though I had made some new friends by the end. This was a quick read that kept me guessing with plenty of well placed red herrings. I intend to continue the series but hope to read the books I've missed first.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
Such a fun addition to this series. I somehow missed book 4, and book 3 was not a good fit for me, but this is back to the level of quality I enjoyed in the first two books in the series. I love these characters, and it was so fun to read the wedding prep pieces. The mystery here is terrific as well - plenty of layers and twists. Great balance between the development of the character pieces and the threads of the mystery investigation. This is definitely a series to be read in order because there are frequent references to earlier books, cases, and character pieces.

Title: A Dealdy Edition
Author: Victoria Gilbert

Series: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery book 5

Chapters:30

Pages:359

Genre: cozy mystery

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane books



A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert is the 5th book in the A Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. This was one of my favorites in the series. I loved that I didn’t figure out the who done it before the end. This one kept me guessing until the very end. And the sweet scene at the end really wrapped up the story.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

A wedding, criminal art, murder, and a library in an idyllic setting; can a book get any more perfect?

Amy and Richard are finally getting married but before they can say I do Amy must deal with a killer. Will Amy meet Richard at the end of the aisle or will she meet her maker?

I was hooked from page one as I have been with all the books in this series and did not want to stop until the last page. I really liked how we got to know Amy's brother, Scott, more. Between Amy and Scott, their poor parents are always kept on their toes.

Each book in the series can be read as a standalone. The author does great in giving enough background of the characters to catch you up.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

4.5 stars.

With her wedding only weeks away, Amy Webber is dismayed when she stumbles across the body of art dealer Oscar Selvaggio at a party given for her and her fiancé, dancer and choreographer Richard Muir. There are plenty of suspects, including the party’s host, Kurt Kendrick, another art dealer with a somewhat murky past and a connection to Amy’s deceased uncle; Adele Tourneau, Richard’s mentor and former instructor; Amy’s brother Scott, whose government job may not be quite as deskbound as he pretends; and the dead man’s timid personal assistant. With so many people she cares about involved on some level or another, Amy can’t help investigating… even in the midst of the wedding preparations.

I’ve been a fan of the Blue Ridge Library series since book one, A Murder for the Books. The series hits all the right notes for me, while avoiding all my cozy-mystery pet peeves. Amy is both intelligent and savvy. She doesn’t withhold information she thinks may be relevant, but passes it along to the police in the form of Chief Deputy Brad Tucker, with whom she has a friendly and mutually respectful relationship. Amy doesn’t ignore common sense, or make a habit of putting herself in dangerous situations; as she said in the interview above, she’s more about research and asking questions, not trying to do the police’s job for them—in marked contrast to the plethora of cozy mystery series in which the police are either stupid or pigheaded, and/or in which the heroine is TSTL. (TSTL stands for “too stupid to live”, and is shorthand for the type of heroine who blithely waltzes into potentially deadly situations alone, without telling anyone.)

In addition, Amy is personable, friendly, and loyal… but she almost never lets personal loyalties blind her to the possibility that someone could be guilty. And her relationships with Richard and her best friend Sunny are real and solid and adult—by which I mean that they talk to each other, they work out their problems, and they trust each other.

A Deadly Edition maintains that streak of hitting the right notes, although the mystery is almost too convoluted this time around. My head was spinning, trying to keep track of all the intertwined investigations, possible motives, and echoes from the past, but it all made sense in the end. (And as it turned out, I did spot the villain fairly early on.) Ms. Gilbert maintains a good balance between the mystery (or mysteries) and the details of Amy’s life, from her everyday work at the library to wedding prep, and the book concludes on a very happy note indeed. I read it when I was feeling a little blue about the upcoming holidays, and it was just the treat I needed.

If you haven’t read the series yet, I really recommend starting at the beginning. While you probably could read A Deadly Edition as a standalone, there is a lot of carryover from one book to the next, not only in terms of recurring characters but also revelations from the characters’ pasts, that often have some bearing on what is happening in the present. And if you enjoy a mystery series where the main character’s romantic relationship actually develops over time (instead of existing in a limbo of will-they-won’t-they), you will definitely want to start with A Murder for the Books.

This is a book that I just couldn't get into. I don't blame the book. I think I should have read the first books before starting this one. I liked the plot and characters. It was just missing something.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert is book five in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. It can be read as a stand alone.
Amy and Richard's wedding is here. During the rehearsal dinner at Kurt's estate, an univited guest is found dead in a garden shed, When it is discovered, he was murdered, Amy knows she needs to find answers so the wedding can go on with no questions or suspicions hanging over the guests. This includes Amy's brother who is in town supposedly only for the wedding or is he.
This well written story has plenty of plot twists and suspects in a lovely setting. You also get possible break ups, maybe new romances, family, friends, humor, secrets revealed, and a wedding.. I didn't want to put it down,
I was given an ARC from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

Amy and Richard have been given a wedding party by their friend Kurt Kendrick at his beautiful home. They happen to find a body of a uninvited guest, Oscar Selvaggio in a shed. Everyone at the party is considered a suspect but some more than others. Amy's brother that is in town for the wedding is one of the suspects.
A good read.

Amy Webber is hiding. Not from danger, though. Amy’s hiding until she knows she can face her future father-in-law without shouting him down. Amy, her fiancé Richard, and a whole host of people are at Highview, a home owned by a friend of the engaged couple. Kurt Kendrick, owner of Highview, is a wealthy man and has thrown this party to celebrate the engagement of Amy and Richard. Kurt is also an art gallery owner, art collector, and at the time of Amy’s hiding, cornered by Amy’s future father-in-law. The discussion revolves around the decline of the arts in society. Kurt is an expert in the topic; James Muir is not. Amy retreats to the pantry to get her emotions under control. Eventually she is found by her best friend Sunshine “Sunny” Fields and returns to the party.
Before Amy can rejoin Richard, she has a couple of unusual encounters. The first is with Adele Tourneau, Richard’s former dance coach. Amy catches Adele in a small pantry. Adele is pouring some type of liquor into a tumbler but stops when she hears Amy’s approach. After some small talk, Amy leaves Adele, and Adele’s odd behavior, in the pantry.
In the main hall, Amy meets up with Sunny, but before they can join the others, they are waylaid by a stranger. He introduces himself as Oscar Selvaggio, a friend of Kurt Kendrick’s. However, when Kurt hears Selvaggio is present, Kurt isn’t pleased. Selvaggio, it turns out, had turned up unexpectedly and Kurt invited Selvaggio to stay.
The evening doesn’t turn out well for anyone when Oscar Selvaggio’s body is discovered in a shed on Kurt Kendrick’s property, bringing a gruesome end to the party.
After Oscar’s death, suspects abound. The investigation into Oscar’s death casts a wide net, disrupting relationships and upsetting those Amy cares about the most. She’s determined to help with the investigation, but the killer or killers are determined to leave their crime unsolved, even if it means more murder.
Recommendation
It took me a bit to get into this story, but I’m glad I kept on. Eventually the story pulled me in. The story is a tangled one, but all the threads are neatly tied up by the end of the book. Recommended.

This series is just not for me. It is too slow paced. And I don’t care for conversations where all the speaking is interrupted by descriptions of what everyone is doing while talking. It breaks up the speed of the conversation, creating pauses where there probably are none.

The plot of the murder is typical cozy: unlikeable person gets killed by something that was in his drink. A few people have been seen fixing drinks or walking around with drinks not for themselves. There’s the list of suspects. A few other people are thrown in for suspicious behaviour or for not having an alibi.

As readers we can easily discount half these people, because they are friends and family. For the same reason, it’s easy for us to pinpoint the mastermind.

In all, not a very exciting read.

4.5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries by Victoria Gilbert.

Amy and Richard are getting ready to walk down the isle in a few weeks. While at a party for their upcoming nuptuals hosted by a friend, a person ends up dead. This surrounds the discovery of a rare book which interests Amy since she is the director of the Taylorsford Library.

The plot was fun to follow with lots of twists and turns. I had no clue who could have accomplished such a crime since the red herrings were so well placed. The characters were rich and filled with life. I liked seeing Amy’s brother. He was not only a spy but as a gay character, I found him rather engaging. Definitely would have liked to see more transpire between him and Ethan. But this is not a romance, so I know why that thread wasn’t followed.

Definitely a fun read that keeps you guessing.

If you like cozy mysteries, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

A Deadly Edition: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery
By Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

At the party celebrating her upcoming wedding to Richard Muir, Librarian Amy Webber thought that meeting her in-laws would be the only unpleasant element of the celebration. Jim Muir indeed proves to be A LOT, not shy about giving his opinion about the state of declining arts to party host Kurt Kendrick. It’s guest Oscar Selvaggio though, who truly throws a wrench in what should be a joyous celebration. Not only does Mr. Selvaggio announce his intent to compete with Kurt over the purchase of a rare edition by Chaucer with woodcut illustrations, his premature exit threatens the happiness of so many at the party. For it is on their own way home to the estate of Richard’s grand-uncle that he and Amy find Oscar Selvaggio dead outside of Kurt’s garden shed.

While a possible murder investigation should be enough to disrupt the otherwise happy preparations, it’s not just the killer who is threatening the relationships of Blue Ridge residents. Having long suspected Kurt of shady art dealings, Hugh Chen begins looking further into how this may have played a factor in the recent death. The fact that Hugh is currently dating Amy’s aunt, a woman very protective over Kurt as someone who helped and protected her late husband’s secrets, means that their relationship is on the rocks. Further family Webber drama arrives with a visit from Amy’s brother Scott, whose secretive U.S. intelligence work has his unexpected presence and subsequent disappearance linked to current local drama. It seems that all of the intrepid scheming of mysterious visitors, secretive agents, and curious assistants who arrived in town can only be matched by Amy’s maid-of-honor Sunny Fields’ efforts at matchmaking.

This fifth in the series is a celebration of Amy, Richard, and the Blue Ridge Library family. Readers who adore the details involved in wedding celebrations will revel in this novel, as it is filled with scenes of dress fittings, cake tastings, and reception planning. Amy’s willingness to delve into Richard’s world of dance not only indicates her love for her talented partner, but also is a sign of how they will blend together their future lives. For those who have met and been immersed in the adventures of these characters through these five books, seeing them achieve such bliss and deserving happiness is a delight. This truly is a novel of love, romance, and couples finding their perfect match, making it the ultimate rewarding and satisfying read.

Wedding bells are getting ready to ring foe Amy and Richard. In just four weeks they will tie the knot and both families are on hand to celebrate the big day. All seems fine with the only questions on Amy's mind are which three flavors of cake will be at her wedding reception and what dress alterations might be needed. With a month to go, not a problem. The problems show up when a killer makes an appearance at a party thrown for Amy and Richard, family and some friends. Their host, Kurt, is a charmer but has many secrets of the unsavory variety. Art theft is a nasty business - is Kurt guilty of such crimes? Many people are interested in a rare edition of Chaucer illustrated and published by the great William Morris and one of them is Kurt. He is in competition with a man who turns up at the party uninvited. He soon leaves but not in the usual way via the front door. The killer makes sure of that. When the police focus on Kurt, Amy finds that she has an investigation to juggle along with the cake choices and the dresses.
It was fun to get to know more about Amy and Richard's families. Amy's mysterious brother, Scott, shows up for the big event but it's out of character for him to have so much time on his hands that he's staying the month. What interest might he have in Kurt, the rare book, the dead man, etc.? As for the mystery, it's complex with lots of twists and turns and some red herrings. It was a great reading escape.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Victoria Gilbert is back with book 5 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. In A Deadly Edition, Richard and Amy are preparing for their nuptials but when a body turns up dead at a pre-wedding party will Amy have time to solve the murder and get married?

Even though this is book 5, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I started the series with book 3, Past Due for Murder and I read book 4, Bound for Murder. Even so, I have found them to be very self-contained, and enough background is sprinkled throughout to help the new reader connect with the characters.

I know a lot of books coming out right now are focused on winter and the holidays, but if you are looking for something to read that isn't connected to the season but is still light-hearted, then A Deadly Edition is perfect for you. It is set in spring and there's really no tension-filled danger. I did start figuring out things, like who the "big bad" was, about two-thirds of the way through but the full picture reveal where all the connections are explained was still enjoyable.

This series reminds me a lot of Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's Mystery series, so if you are a fan of that series and haven't tried Victoria Gilbert's Blue Ridge Library Mysteries then what are you waiting for? Start with A Deadly Edition or go back to the beginning - either way, you are sure to be entertained.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, December 14 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/12/Deadly-Edition-Victoria-Gilbert.html