This is the 5th and final installment in the Magical Bookshop series. It is just a few weeks before Christmas and Violet Wavery the caretaker of the bookstore is getting ready to marry her fiance Chief David Waverly. She basically just needs to show up as her Grandmother Daisy (who is also Mayor) and her best friend Sadie planned the wedding which will include the entire town. A mysteries women shows up at the shop and wants to sell a purported signed first edition of Henry David Thoreaus's Waldon. As tempted as Violet is to purchase this she is not going to shell out $7000 for a book with no proof of ownership and the woman storms out of the shop. The woman later shows up at her wedding and David and Violet find her drowned body as they travelled to the wedding reception. This postpones their honeymoon but the shop wants Violet to investigate. Then another woman shows up accusing Violet of having the book and buying the book from Roma (the deceased woman) who stole it from Imogene the rightful owner and claims to be a direct descendent of the the author. This was an interesting mystery and a good ending to this series although I would love to see if continue as there are so many interesting characters in town and Grandma Daisy is a hoot. I will miss this series but love this author and looking forward to what she does next.

Violet Waverly and David Rainwater are getting married. Christmas is right around the corner and everything should be wonderful. Into the festivities comes crime in the form of a suspect first edition of Walden written by Henry David Thoreau. If it's the real deal it could easily fetch $14K. Violet has reservations about both the book and the woman making the claims. She really doesn't want to hear that it should be examined by an expert and storms out of the bookshop. On the day of their wedding the woman makes an appearance of sorts - she is very dead and floats past them on the river. David, being the Chief of Police starts to investigate while Violet, with the help of the magical bookshop tree, Emerson the cat, Faulkner the crow, her grandmother Daisy and her best friend Sadie, Violet will do her own special kind of investigating.
The magical tree has the power to help Violet uncover clues that will lead to the killer by giving her direction through carefully presented books. Yes, the tree can pick the right book for any situation and any reader. It is the actual heart of the bookshop, growing inside its four walls. I love books with a touch of magic so this series is one of my favorites. It all ties together perfectly to give the reader an entertaining mystery to try and solve with a lovely setting and a great recurring cast of characters.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Crimes and Covers is the fifth book in the in Magical Bookshop Mystery series by Amanda Flower.

Christmas is coming to Cascade Springs and so is Violet and Chief Rainwater’s wedding. A mysterious woman comes into Charming Books a few days before the wedding wanting to sell a pristine first edition of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Unfortunately, the wedding reception is interrupted by a dead body.

I love this series. A bookshop that magically helps readers find the perfect books and helps the caretaker solve crimes and a cat and crow that help as well. The characters are wonderful and the mystery was challenging. Was it it an accident or murder. I guessed fairly early on who was guilty, but didn’t understand why until the end.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Birch trees surround me in my own yard. Unlike main character Violet Waverly's birch tree, however, mine do not sit inside. Not do they seem to have any magical powers other than dropping leaves that show off our fall colors in all their glory. Perhaps there is some magic in that. That said, Violet's birch tree. growing in the center of her bookshop, is "the soul of the bookstore and the heart of its magic". The books even talk to her....sorta. "It was complicated," she muses early on.

Ironically, I am not normally a fan of books with a magical/paranormal air to them. As I sit to type this review. I wondered why, given this, I so thoroughly enjoyed not just "Crimes and Covers" but the entire Magical Bookstore Mysteries series. I finally decided it is because, one, the characters are so well rounded and despite the magical tones, seem like real people we could know. Two, despite the obvious emphasis on the magic surrounding the bookstore, these same characters have lives and aspirations apart from it. The magic is just there but it is very human emotions and needs that drive the action for the most part. Even the furry characters, crow Faulkner, and Emerson the cat, tread the borderline between normal crow and cat and, hmm, maybe something more. If nothing else, Violet's running battle with Emerson to get out of the house without him provide a touch of humor.

In addition, that bookstore seems to have a personality of its own. I grinned at one point, and I'm not giving away any plot points here, when Violet's husband picks up on of the magical books that Violet seems to be trying to ignore and it snaps itself shut. Who knew books had an attitude? Husband David Rainwater seems to have no magical powers of his own despite his native ancestry, so his acceptance that "this is just how it is" makes the magic seem almost normal, even quipping that he could have gotten a paper cut from the book's actions. I should also note that I am glad that the author didn't drag out the romance between Violet and David endlessly.

As for the plot, I see others have shared in some detail. As a result, I'll just say it comes down to a stolen book, suspected mental issues, family problems, connections and lack of connection, murder, and the oblique, not easily understood messages that the books send Violet, a respected Thoreau scholar. Finally, I'll note that though this is the fifth book in the series, it easily could stand alone. Author Amanda Flower does an excellent job providing pertinent details as the story goes along, hence first time readers of the series who happen to start here won't feel confused or lost. Bottom line, an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books from providing me with an ARC.

Crimes and Covers, A Magical Bookshop Mystery
By Amanda Flower
Crooked Lane Books, 11 January 2022


“Christmas is coming to the Western New York village of Cascade Springs, and so is the long-awaited wedding of Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly and police chief David Rainwater. Grandma Daisy and Violet's best friend, Sadie, go all out to make the nuptials the event of the season--whether Violet likes it or not. But the reception becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons when a woman's dead body floats by on the frigid Niagara River.”


Violet Waverly is the owner of a very special bookshop. Along with books that magically land in your lap and insist on being read, there is also a crow and a cat, both of which seem to understand everything said to them. Sometimes it’s downright annoying.

And then there is the birch tree in the middle of the shop, a tree that is “the soul of the bookstore,” that has to be watered every other day by fresh spring water. As you can see, owning a magical bookshop takes real commitment. Violet is the most recent caretaker and resident “book whisperer,” having taken over from her grandmother, Daisy.

As Violet’s wedding day approaches (outside, in December, in New York), a strange woman visits her shop trying to sell a signed, first edition of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Due to lack of provenance, and funds, Violet declines. This enrages the woman, who is found dead just a few days later, during Violet’s wedding reception. Postponing their honeymoon, Violet and her new husband begin investigating the murder and the disappearance of the valuable edition of Walden.

This is a cute cozy mystery full of magic and eccentric characters. I particularly enjoyed the antics of the crow, Faulkner. I liked having one famous author and his most famous book, Walden, the focus of the plot. This is fifth in the Magical Bookshop series (why do I keep finding these series when they are already so far along?), but it was easy enough to pick up the story line and get to know the characters. I think this would be a fun series to catch up with and a recommended read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Violet and Rainwater are a week away from their wedding. A woman comes into the book store with a first edition, signed copy of Walden. She wants Violet to purchase the rare book, but Violet needs to research it. After the wedding, the bookseller is found in the springs and the mystery is on. Violet is concerned about what happened to the book. She and Rainwater work together to try to figure it out. Great characters, a good plot and a satisfying ending.

It’s Christmas time in Cascade Springs and Violet and David are getting married. With all the planning Grandma Daisy and Sadie put into the wedding, they’re sure it will be a memorable day for the couple. What they couldn’t predict was that a dead body floating down the river would be one of the most memorable parts of the day.

The body is that of the woman who tried to sale an old and rare book to Violet. Something happened to the woman and the book and Violet intends to find out with the bookshop’s help. Will Violet be able to help David solve this one, or will the killer leave David a widower?

Amanda Flower is one of my favorite authors. While I love all of her series, I find this one to be most intriguing as she spends significant time researching and bringing not only mystery but one that can have clues given from an older book. That takes a lot of work and talent and makes for an excellent read! If you haven’t read anything by this author, now’s your chance. Plus there are tons of other books from her to binge on once you fall in love with her writing too.

Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower is the final book in this lovely Magical Bookshop Mystery series. I am so sorry it's over. The protagonist and lead sleuth is Violet Waverly, who is the current caretaker of the shop and its environs. It is a magical place, literally, where the house was built around a birch tree . . . a magical tree, kept watered with water from a special spring in the woods behind the shop. The watering took place every other day, by the caretaker. In this shop, books seemed to pick their new owner. No one ever left the shop without having found the perfect book. Sometimes when Violet had a problem or dilemma to solve, a book would literally fly off the shelf, into her hands, and open to the correct page. This was infinitely helpful in her role as amateur sleuth. For now, the shop was interested in Walden by Henry David Thoreau, the topic on which Violet had written her dissertation. Also, the topic on everyone's minds as a woman had just tried to see her a signed first edition of Walden and was dead the next day; the real owner of the book was trying to convince anyone who would listen that she was a descendant of the great man. Difficult, as he had never married, nor had children. Neither had his siblings married or had children. But how did the death happen?

The magic here is subtle, not overpowering, almost believable. Violet is happy to have taken over the bookshop, the house itself having been in her family for many generations, and the bookshop for several, from her Grandma Daisy, who now had time to take on other projects. She was an enthusiastic reader, a good friend, and a generally light-hearted person. She was to be married in a couple of days, to police chief, David Rainwater, the man she had met during a sleuthing experience, and after battling it out for awhile, they came to terms and fell in love. He still wished she wouldn't get involved, but knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking. He had come to believe in the magic of the shop and her two pets: Faulkner, the indoor crow that made h is home in the birch tree, and Emerson, the escape artist tuxedo cat. With a cast like this, how could this not be a wonderful series? The outlying members of the cast are just a good, some reappearing book to book; some not. The murder mystery, well several murders, was a good one as the clues slowly drew the entire picture. The pacing was terrific; it was a joy to read. I will miss this series. It's a good one.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Crimes and Covers, by Crooked Lane Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #crookedlanebooks #amandaflower #crimesandcovers

A long anticipated wedding, the festive Christmas season, a rare first edition book, and murder all come together in Crimes and Covers, the fifth Magical Bookshop Mystery, to make a wonderful conclusion to this beloved series.

Owner and caretaker of a magical bookstore, Violet’s plate is full with the holiday retail season and her upcoming wedding. Everything is on track, but the day before the wedding an abrasive woman (with a tenuous connection to Grandma Daisy) comes in wanting to sell a pristine first edition of HDT’s Walden to Violet, who is also an adjunct professor and Henry David Thoreau scholar. The woman refuses to give Violet time to authenticate the book and storms off. Things take a sad turn when, on their way to their wedding reception, Violet and Police Chief Rainwater discover the woman’s body in the river and the book missing. Unsure if it is murder or an accident, the newlyweds delay their honeymoon to try to get to the bottom of things all while dealing with the book’s actual owner and her wild claims that she is a descendent of HDT. As time becomes short, and the body count rises, Violet faces rising stakes and danger to solve the mystery.

I enjoy all of Amanda Flower’s books, but the Magical Bookshop mysteries are my favorite. I eagerly read and enjoyed Crimes and Covers, but it all feels so bittersweet knowing that this is the series’ end. I love Violet, handsome Chief Rainwater, zany Grandma Daisy, and the entire supporting cast. They are well developed and personable, well developed and interesting. Perhaps most of all, I will miss impish tuxedo cat Emerson and intelligent crow Faulkner. Victim Roma and passionate Imogene really bother me (I guess I am just sensitive to people acting ugly these days).

The Henry David Thoreau tie-in is interesting and well woven into the mystery. Each book in this series features a literary powerhouse, and I always feel like I come away from reading a bit smarter than before. The mystery is really more about the missing Walden, but there is plenty of uncertainty and death to keep readers engaged. Though there are several suspects and clues to work through, I did pinpoint the “bad guy” early on, but this did not deter from my enjoyment at all. Mystery aside, readers will find this book a satisfying conclusion to this wonderful series.

Crimes and Covers is a delightful cozy mystery. Thank you, Amanda Flower for sharing Violet’s world with us. Highly recommended!

I received an ARC of this title from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.

I was unaware that this was the last book of a series, but overall, it was a cute read. I really enjoyed the magic realism. The characters were a bit predictable, and I was able to figure out who the murderer was but the plot itself was not easy to guess. The only thing I had a hard time with was the number of times the same information was repeated or simply rephrased. I am most likely going to read the other books in the series now. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC of the ebook!

Violet Waverly, owner and caretaker of Charming Books in Cascade Springs, was in the final preparations for her marriage to local police chief David Rainwater just before Christmas. But when a disheveled woman arrived in the bookshop with what she called “a signed, first edition” of the well-known book Walden by well renown author Henry David Thoreau and wanted Violet to purchase it, Violet wanted the book authenticated. She needed proof. But the woman was angry and stormed out of the shop. Violet needed to put that encounter aside to concentrate on far more pressing things.

The day of the wedding when Violet and David were husband and wife, the walk to the reception was marred by a woman’s body being seen in the nearby Niagara River. As the investigation began and David tried to both work the case and be a new husband – the honeymoon was put on hold – it was obvious to everyone that the latest death was all to do with “that” book. Violet decided to search for the book herself so they could honeymoon sooner rather than later. But would she discover what was going on? Was the book a genuine first edition or a copy? Would they ever know the truth?

Crimes and Covers is the 5th in A Magical Bookshop Mystery by Amanda Flower and once again I loved Faulkner the crow and Emerson the tuxedo cat, plus the magical bookshop. That’s so well done! I’ve read #3, #4 and now #5 and enjoyed them all. I did know “whodunnit” quite early in the piece but the journey to the end was fun. An entertaining read, Crime and Covers is one I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Crimes And Covers is the fifth book in the Magical Bookshop by Amanda Flower.


The wedding of Violet Waverly and Police Chief David Rainwater is just a couple of days away when a mature lady enters Charming Books and hands her a signed, first edition copy of Thoreau’s Walden, wanting Violet to buy it. The woman gets huffy and takes the book back when Violet tries to explain that she would need to have the book appraised first.

Violet and David have exchanged their vows and are heading to their reception when David has the carriage stop, and they head toward the Niagara River. As David is about to reach in his pocket for a surprise gift for Violet, he takes off at a run toward the river, where he sees a body floating in the frigid river. Violet soon identifies the body as the woman who tried to sell her the Thoreau book. The woman has written on her palm; she stole my book. Violet knows that their honeymoon will be delayed so that David can investigate the death, and Violet will want to do her own investigation. Not so much to find the murderer but to find the valuable book.

Violet is soon approached by another woman who claims that the book is hers and wants it back. She also claims that she is a direct descendent of Thoreau. Violet knows that several pieces of research have proved that Thoreau had no relatives, but Violet was unable to convince the woman of this fact.

As always happens at the magical bookshop, books start flying off the shelf and opening at pages that will help Violet solve the mystery if she can only understand the clues.

This series is delightful, and I was happy to see another come out. This story is well-written, plotted, and moves at a good pace. It has a cast of enjoyable and believable characters. There were plenty of twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end of the book as to the identity of the killer.

I’m hoping for books in this wonderful series.

Crimes and Covers is the 5th Magical Bookshop mystery. What makes the bookshop magical you ask? Well, there’s a magical birch tree in the center of the bookshop whose essence brings the right book for each person to their attention. The bookshop may also be magical because there is a crow that talks named Faulkner and an interfering tuxedo cat named Emerson. Emerson is something of an escape artist.
The caretaker of it all is Violet Waverly and women in her family have been caring for the tree for generations. Violet is about to marry Chief David Rainwater, the head of the police force in Cascade Springs.
The mystery involves a book, of course, and a death that may or may not be murder. The book in this case is Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The quotes throughout the book are good reminders of Walden and useful in pointing Violet in a direction for her investigation.
I enjoyed reading Crimes and Covers. The wedding was fun. Sadie and Grandma Daisy are a hoot as always. I do think this book would be better enjoyed if the previous books in the series have been read because otherwise some of the content may fall flat for a new reader.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

This is my first book in this series and I heartily enjoyed it. I think it would help to read the others previous to it just for background but I had no problem understanding the plot or the characters without having read others in the series.

Violet Waverly is the owner of Charming Books, a bookstore with a giant birch tree inside. What most patrons don't know is that the bookstore is magical and just the right read happens to find them due to said magic. This particular magic bookstore also uses books to help Violet solve crimes. This story centers around a first edition of Walden by Thoreau that is signed and then disappears. Violet is offered to buy the book since she is a scholar of the work but the seller is so conspicuous that she just doesn't feel right. When the seller ends up dead, Charming Books flies into action directing her with passages from the story. The subplot of this book is Violet and Chief David Rainwater's wedding.

I really enjoyed the bookstore as it was its own character. The crow Faulkner and Violet's omnipresent cat Emerson are also charming characters. I would love to read more books in this series.

This was the perfect book for ending the series, if it's really the last book, but from the author's acknowledgements, it sounds like it might be. David and Violet's long-awaited wedding got interrupted by a murder. Violet's interest was getting this thing solved so she and David could go on their honeymoon. The missing book was also bugging her a lot, and she was all over that.

There were lots of twists and turns, and at times I was a little confused until everything came out at the end. I hadn't really known which person was guilty, so I just read along and let Violet do the sleuthing, er I mean David and his team too. ;)

I loved the showdown and how the pets and shop helped out. It was pretty exciting and now with the murder aspect taken care of as well as the book, the happy couple was able to go on their trip. The ending was just about the sweetest it could've been!

I am a big fan of Amanda Flowers work, and I have enjoyed every series she has written to date. That said, Crimes and Covers was not necessarily one of my favorites. Some of this could be attributed to the fact that I am not a big Thoreau fa. However, much of my dislike stems from the fact that this could have been a much better book all the way around. Charming Books wasn’t as charming as previously; it doesn’t feel like Christmas in this story, and the wedding seems like an afterthought.

Thoreau's book, Walden, is at the heart of murder. The victim tries to sell Violet a first edition copy of the famous tome, and when Violet wants to have it appraised, the woman leaves Charming Books in a huff taking the book with her. On Violet and David’s wedding day, they come across the women’s body floating in the river. So, of course, Violet wants to start investigating, not to find the killer, but to find the missing book.

There are suspects, mainly rare book dealers, and collectors, but none of those Violet comes across seem to have the mentality to commit murder. One suspect claims that Thoreau's book was stolen from her by the victim, but then she also claims to be a direct descendent of Thoreau, which Violet knows is impossible. Charming Books does what it is famous for; it magically shows Violet passages from Thoreau’s material. Then, onto help her solve the crime. The murder isn’t solved by Violet. She suddenly gets information that lets her know who the killer is or thinks it is. In truth, she solves the crime when the murderer thinks she has figured it out.

It is Charming Books that I have the most issue with this book and series. I would rather see this series turned into a flat-out paranormal, less about magical waters that anyone can use and a tree in the middle of the bookshop. I love the flying books, and I felt this book, in particular, needed more of the magical aspects and less about Violet’s wedding. Emerson and Faulkner are the best characters in this series, and maybe they should get their own. Thoreau's book wasn’t interesting to me, it could well have been any famous author’s work, and it would have had the same outcome. Crimes and Covers is an easy and quick read, and entertaining if you take it as a stand-alone. However, as part of the series, I was disappointed. I wanted this book to feel special because it was Christmas at Charming Books and Violet’s wedding. I will continue to read the series and hope for better reading in the next installment.

3,5 rounded up
I read somewhere this is the last book in this series and I'm a bit sad because it's one my favorite.
That said this isn't my favorite book in the series as I found it a bit disjointed: a first part full of promises, a central part dragging and full of repetition, the last part rushed.
I was happy to catch up with the characters and I was happy to meet again Violet, Emerson and the cast of characters.
I liked the mystery but I found the solution a bit rushed and I was able to guess the culprit soon.
I enjoyed it, had fun but I was expecting more as this always was an excellent series.
I don't think it can work as a standalone even if there's plenty of backstory but it will be appreciated by people who read the other books.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The mystery behind the missing book and the dead body (the death was ruled accidental by the coroner) kept me guessing till the end. We also have a few side stories from the recurring characters - some good while some, not-so-good.

Amanda Flower is a master storyteller. I have read a few of her books and I really love her storytelling and character portrayals. The other stars of this series (apart from Violet and the magical bookshop, that is) are Faulkner and Emerson. These two cutie pies make the story unique and enjoyable.

Crimes and Covers is an engrossing, enjoyable and completely entertaining cozy mystery by Amanda Flower.

Crimes and Covers is a roller coaster ride of a mystery! Charming, funny and twisty.

It’s Christmas time in the beautiful Western New York village of Cascade Springs! Charming Books is set for a magical holiday season while Violet Waverly is about to tie the knot to the handsome Chief of Police David Rainwater. It should be the most blissful time. Yet when a strange woman visits the bookstore demanding Violet purchase a very rare, signed book it begins a string of strange and mysterious events that wrap readers up in this cozy.

First, I want to say that I love that each book within the series has a classic literary title involved within the story. What a way to pay homage to the classics and maybe revisit an old favorite or discover something new. Violet is a lovely character. She’s smart, determined and has learned to go with the flow of her magical Bookshop. I believe she has found her perfect partner within Chief Rainwater. I love that he doesn’t try to change her and allows her to be her true self. They are a smart match and complement each other well. I love the way the work together to figure out facts. One of them may be a few minutes ahead of the other but they are definitely on the same wavelength. I absolutely adored Emerson and Faulkner. The shop animals steal the page whenever they’re on it. They add an element to the story along with the magical nature of the story that made it that much more believable.

The mystery of Crimes and Covers is quite intricately woven throughout the entire story. There are several suspects and I have to admit I didn’t see this one coming. It is like mystery upon mystery, and they just get crazier as we go. I will say it as a well written story, and I was thoroughly entertained.

Christmas is coming to the Western New York village of Cascade Springs, and so is the long-awaited wedding of Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly and police chief David Rainwater. The wedding is beautiful but the reception becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons when a woman's dead body floats by on the frigid Niagara River. Violet recognizes the woman as the same person who had been trying to sell Violet a rare first edition of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. The woman’s death is ruled an accident but the book is missing. Violet is determined to find that missing book and in doing so uncovers one mystery after the next.


Thanks so much to @netgalley for the ARC of this 5th entry into the Magical Bookshop Mystery series by Amanda Flower. This is such a fun cozy series, combining all the things I love in a mystery–books, bookstores and magic. I’ve read all of them and they are top of my recommendation list. Characters, setting and the plot are all strong and perfect for cold winter nights full of reading. Publication day is this Tuesday!