I’m happy to say the sixth installment in the Blue Ridge Library mysteries is as strong as I expected.

What I really enjoy about these cozies is that, while Amy’s profession (small town librarian) is pretty classic cozy fare, Gilbert uses the characters to build lots of intriguing new angles into each book. Amy actually does library related research for her cases (and everyday library tasks so we actually get to SEE her at work), something that also disappoints me when it’s missing from library/ bookshop cozies.

Blue Ridge goes above and beyond though, with characters who add more usual dynamics and situations: Richard the choreographer love interest (Gasp! Not law enforcement!) and Kurt, the elderly, wealthy art dealer with a sketchy past, open up all sorts of fascinating arts and performance related storylines.

Like previous books in the series, with RENEWED FOR MURDER, you get a two-for-one mystery. There’s a body found in Amy’s friend’s garden and, while digging into the case to prove her innocence, Amy uncovers secrets from the past, including a fatal car accident and life-threatening peanut allergy. I really like that these books have mysteries from the town’s history brought up during the investigations.

The cast of characters is as great as always. Amy, Richard and mysterious Kurt were my favourites (as usual), but the other characters all get their moments too. I love this series, and I hope it continues to expand.

The Blue Ridge Library Mysteries are a series I highly recommend.

Amy Muir is now happily married to dancer, boy-next-door Richard Muir! All set for her happy ending, Amy is horrified to find a dead body in the garden of her aunt's best friend Zelda.

In past books in the series, Amy has had two mysteries to solve, one from long-ago and one current. In this book the mysteries were combined, what happened at the choral festival 50 years ago and how did it result in the death of a woman in Taylorsford?

I like the characters in this series, Aunt Lydia is charming and Amy is very nice. Richard is supportive and lets Amy pursue her interests despite the fact that he worries about her safety. Kurt's character is a little out there but he adds some spice to the story, even if sometimes it's a bit too convenient.

One thing I really appreciated in this particular book is the fact that the mystery was solved at the end. In past books the mystery was solved maybe 3/4 of the way through the book and the rest of the book was sort of underwhelming as the side mystery got cleared up and people went about their lives. In this book the action continued to the very end and a nice little bomb gets dropped in the last few pages. This was probably my favorite of the entire series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Renewed for Murder is the sixth book in the Blue Ridge Library series.

Amy Webber and her new husband, dancer Richard Muir, settling into married life--and a new project. Richard and his dance partner, Karla, are choreographing a suite based on folk music and folk tales, while Amy scours the library's resources to supply background information on the dance's source material. But the mellifluous music comes to a jarring halt when an unknown woman's body turns up in Zelda Shoemaker's backyard gazebo.

Zelda's best friend, Amy's aunt Lydia Talbot, begs Amy to use her research skills to clear Zelda's name. But the task is confounded by Zelda's very out-of-character refusal to reveal why the victim might have blackmailed her. Complicating matters further, Amy unearths records of a long-ago tragedy that casts doubt on Zelda's innocence. Can Amy help to clear Zeldas name or is she guilty??

I love the characters! Kurt, Sunny, Amy, & Richard! Another success by Victoria Gilbert!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It had my attention from the first few lines. It featured a small Virginia town librarian who investigates the murder of a woman visiting the town for the fiftieth anniversary of a chorale singing contest. It was well written and had a twist that surprised me. I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.

The library crew are back in action trying to use their research skills to solve a murder before one of their own ends up on the hook for the dead body found in her own backyard, but the more they research the guiltier she looks and seems! Once again we see a strong female lead put her intelligence and library director skills to use by helping solve the mystery. The characters are so relatable that you forget that you are simply reading about them rather than actually being friends with them. You connect with their highs and lows as you continue to try to help them figure it all out! A plethora of potential suspects muddy the waters as you try to untangle who did it! Great plotting makes for an entertaining read and I can't wait to head back to the library to find out what happens next when the next book in the series comes out!

I am in love with this series. Amy and Richard are starting their life together, and while it’s a new start for them we still have all the central players from the previous books. Not to mention a great mystery. Well written mystery with just a dash I’ve love. Definitely recommend.

Another adventure for Amy. Interesting tidbits on how the library is run. Needs some grammatical corrections to the story.

Renewed for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is a mystery about Amy Muir as she uses her library skills and social skills to help solve the most recent murder. Amy’s Aunt Lydia has been summoned to her best Veltman friend’s house and was sworn not to tell the police she was going. It seemed to be a strange request coming from Zelda, who volunteers at the library. On arrival at Zelda’s house, Zelda cannot be found at first, but a dead body is discovered in Zelda’s backyard. The victim was in town to perform at the arts festival. But why was she killed? Zelda was found nearby, lying in the shrubs from a fall. Is someone trying to frame Zelda? What could the connection be? Let the suspense begin. Read Renewed for Murder by Victoria Gilbert today.
Bridgett R. Veltman

Easy to delve in for someone who has not read the other books of the series.
The characters must delve into fifty years worth of history to exonerate a woman suspected of murder.

I have received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the previous books in the series before reading this book, as the characters were interesting and likable. There were many twists and turns and I wasn't able to solve the mystery!

A cute cozy mystery! I’m new to the genre but loving it. This one seemed to fit the standard, but was an easy and enjoyable read! Would recommend!

What a fun book this is and one I read in a couple of days.

Easy to read, a bit of fun and quick paced. I loved the characters and found them to have personality and life. The story had mystery, intrigue, it was entertaining and kept me reading (I couldn't put it down). It is a book that keeps you guessing as you never quite know the answers even though you think you do.

Well written, well formed characters and well done for hooking me then reeling me in. I love books that do that.

I have not read any of the previous books but will be checking them out soon.

Just when you think librarian Amy Webber Muir would be too busy settling into married life with her new husband to get involved in another murder investigation, she’s back hot on the trail of a new one. This time the suspect is none other than Zoe Shoemaker, a library volunteer and close friend of Amy’s Aunt Lydia ever since Zoe and Lydia’s high school days.

The dead body of a former high school classmate is found in Zoe’s backyard and it’s clear that she was shot with a gun registered to Zoe’s late husband. Zoe admits the gun belonged to her husband but denies knowing where it had been stored. Making matters worse for Zoe, the local sheriff finds a blackmail letter in the dead woman’s pocket at which time Zelda becomes his prime suspect. At the behest of her Aunt Lydia, Amy begins to investigate since she too believes Zoe to be innocent. The only trouble is that Zoe is uncharacteristically silent and refusing to discuss the matter with anyone, including Amy and Amy’s Aunt Lydia.

Secrets dating back to Lydia and Zoe’s high school days 50 years ago begin to surface and suspects who were classmates of Lydia and Zoe emerge even though the motive for the murder remains elusive until the end. Both the plot and characters are well-developed but each time you think you’ve figured out the ending, the author throws in a new twist to keep you guessing. Victoria Gilbert’s five previous books in this series were great but she outdoes herself in Renewed for Murder.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This is Book 6 of the Blue Ridge Library mystery series. I felt a little lost in the beginning, which has nothing to do with the book itself, because the book was amazing and it had a great story and mystery, but seeing as this is book 6 and the first one I read in this series, I got a little lost with the characters. They say it is a stand alone, but I feel I would reread this book after I read the first five as I think it would help a lot with the characters and their development. But that is purely for me as this is my first one from this series.

Onwards to the story. The mystery itself was a good one. I was puzzled about the whodunnit until the last moment. It's a fast paced story, makes you want to continue reading and keeps throwing you off scent with the twists and turns the story gives. The story had a lot of details as some of the story was about drama that happened around 50 years ago. It gave more depth to the story!

So, I would recommend the book, but again I think you should read it in order, even though it's said it can be read as stand alone. I didn't feel like that and I would reread this book after reading the other books. Other than that, get it when you can!

Very good plot twist at the end. Did not expect the murderer to be who it was. Get climax and suspense at the end as well. Would recommend to a friend.

In this 6th Blue Ridge Library Mystery Amy and Richard are settling into married life. Richard is choreographing a suite based on folk music and folk tales and Amy researches background info on the dance's source material.
Things get interesting when a the reunion of a choir competition is planned. Originally it involved the choirs of 2 local high schools. Unfortunately, the high school social drama comes back along with the competing choirs.
When a woman's body turns up in Zelda Shoemaker's backyard gazebo, Amy gets to work finding the real killer so Zelda won't be convicted of the crime.

This was a very well written book. The plot was very enticing and I couldn't put the book down. This was one of my favorite authors and I will definitely try another book by this author.

'Renewed for Murder' by Victoria Gilbert is the sixth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. It is a stand alone book that can be read alone but reading all the books in order helps the reader enjoy the character development. I especially like this book because the characters are likable humans with faults and strengths. The romance in this book is just enough, not too sugary. The many twists and turns in the mystery part of this book kept me wanting to continue to read and find out " who done it". 'Renewed for Murder' is an A+ cozy mystery. NetGalley gave me this book in a Kindle edition. Unfortunately the edition that I was given had many typos which made the edition difficult to read.

Bring together rivals of different high school choirs brings an intriguing group of suspects. The storyline allowed for many well-placed red herrings to keep readers, like me, entertained and engrossed in the mystery. The main protagonist, Amy, is a likable, intelligent, and complex character. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans,

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of RENEWED FOR MURDER (Book 6 of the Blue Ridge Library mysteries) by Victoria Gilbert in exchange for an honest review. Librarian Amy Webber’s settling into wedded life with her new husband, dancer Richard Muir. There’s an event in town featuring a high school state champion choral reunion. When one of the singers is murdered in the backyard of Zelda Shoemaker, who is a friend of Amy’s Aunt Lydia, local law enforcement focuses on Zelda as their primary suspect. In order to exonerate Zelda, Amy will have to research and uncover dark secrets from the past. However, no one involved wants to talk, so Amy will have to research everything to find the small threads that will unravel the entire mystery.

I enjoyed this book. I recommend this book to fans of the series and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, small towns, libraries, dancing, faculty socials, secrets, and high school drama.

#RenewedforMurder #NetGalley