A Deadly Chapter: A Castle Bookshop Mystery by Essie Lang is a good cozy mystery book. The book had a pleasant and charming setting and an engaging mystery.

From page one until the end, A Deadly Chapter takes the reader on an exciting ride with good characters. I will have to read the first two books, and I hope to read more of this author.

This book can be read as a standalone book. I didn't feel I missed anything by not reading the first two.

#ADeadlyChapter #NetGalley

Reading a book is supposed to take the reader away, to another place and time, one that will put a smile on your face, and reunite you with old friends. This is exactly what A Deadly Chapter did for me.
Catching up with Shelby Cox, her Aunt Edie, and the other wonderful characters is always fun and exciting.
Visiting Alexandria Bay, the local shops, and of course, Shelby's book store, Bayside Books is definitely a guilty pleasure for this reader.
Shelby has a happy life, she loves her job, her aunt, and things with her boyfriend Zack seem to be going in the right direction.
When out on her houseboat early one morning, she notices something wedged in the water, and as soon as she notices it's a body, she knows that she's in for one heck of a day.
The police chief knows Shelby has a habit of getting involved in her investigations, so she promptly suggests Shelby keep out of it. Since we all know Shelby can't resist a good mystery, it's no wonder she gets involved.

Fast forward to her bookstore in the lovely Blye Castle, where she's helping to coordinate a mystery event with the local library, as well as finding out that the castle also has a problem with theft. Shelby gets caught in the middle as a thief makes a getaway, injuring herself at the same time.

Even though her injury prevents her from being too nosy, she still finds a way to ask questions, much to the chagrin of the local police and her family.

There is so much going on in this book, that I couldn't possibly fit it all into my review, but all I can say is WOW, so much was unexpected, but exciting at the same time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Essie Lang, author, for letting me read this advanced copy. I am excited to see what happens next for this cast of wonderful characters.

Shelby Cox lives out on a houseboat in the home town of Alexandria Bay in Upstate New York. She runs a bookshop called Bayside Books, close to Blye Castle.


One morning she wakes up to find a dead body beside her houseboat and quickly calls the police.


When Chief Tekla Stone arrives at the scene. Later on, when the Chief shows Shelby the photo of the body, Shelby recognizes him. Apparently, he came by the store earlier; he’d also visited the previous asking about a woman whom he believed moved here seven years ago.


Meanwhile, there’s an upcoming mystery event that Shelby has been involved in; on behalf of her bookstore, she would be co-hosting along with the public library. The one day event would include two panels of authors in the morning, book signings in the afternoon, followed by a murder mystery dinner. The morning events will be at the library, the book signings at the main store, and the dinner at the Black Fox Bistro.🥘 🍽


Then a woman named Hilary Miller asks Shelby knows comes to Shelby to help her find out what happened to her father.


Thank you to NetGalley, Essie Lang, and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book.