This is the third book in the B&B Mystery series. I have not read the first two books but found that this book was able to stand alone. I found the setting to be inviting, especially the B&B filled with books.
This story finds a book club visiting the B&B to hold a retreat focused on fairy tales and children’s classics. When one of the guests is found dead from poisoning, each member of the book club becomes a suspect.

A Fatal Booking: A Booklover’s B&B Mystery
By Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
June 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

The inheritance of her aunt’s Bed & Breakfast gave Charlotte Reed a much-needed opportunity to start over after the death of her husband. The former teacher is now running Chapters, a literary-themed B&B in Morehead, North Carolina, and her new last-minute guests are expecting a week of Hans Christian Andersen-themed events. It’s been 18 years since Charlotte last saw Lora Kane, another former teacher who has become a jewelry artist and book illustrator. While five of the guests are staying at Chapters and looking forward to a Mad Hatter’s tea party and literary presentations, their book club member Stacy Wilkin is staying off site in a nearby town. It’s just as well, as the busybody seems intent on causing trouble while doing her best to meddle in everyone’s secrets. She’s feuding with the majority of the book club members as well, so it shouldn’t be too much of a shock when Charlotte finds Stacy’s body under an oak tree and holding a teacup.

It doesn’t take long for Beaufort police to determine that it was death by poisoning, although it was Charlotte’s neighbor Ellen Montgomery who first recognized the signs of cyanide. A former handler for government agents who had gone on a few missions herself, Ellen is more than capable of being the Sherlock to Charlotte’s Watson. It is Charlotte though who first notices a break-in and small thefts in the B&B, and that a number of photographs have gone missing. So while her boyfriend Gavin Howard is off on another government intelligence assignment it’s up to Charlotte and her friends to investigate whom among her guests may have had the means and motives for finally ending Stacy’s swindles. It was apparent from the start that most of the book club members had reasons to dislike the jewelry store owner, who may have taken advantage of both her customers and her suppliers.

This third in the series is a lovely slow burn of a novel that explores Charlotte’s regret over giving up her life as a teacher and moving away from the profession she loved. Much of the fun from the previous novels stemmed from the reveal of Ellen’s secret ops past, one that closely involved Charlotte’s Great-Aunt Isabella. Here Charlotte is a little more on her own as she uncovers clues through the Hans Christian Andersen book club discussions and questioning of her secretive guests. An angry boat captain, cheated jewelry designer, Ellen’s former Russian language classmate, and a vengeful mother all top the list of those with reasons for permanently banning Stacy from the book club. Action heats up for a suspenseful, life-endangering confrontation on the water that allows for a villain monologue and a romantic rescue. This fun mystery series continues to appeal to bibliophiles looking for book discussions, fantastic breakfast meals, and an appealing North Carolina coastal setting.

A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert

This book finds a B&B owner, Charlotte Reed and her former spy neighbor, Ellen Montgomery, pitted against a tea-party poisoner.

This was a good mystery where two amateur sleuths are digging up the facts. Great characters, nice town setting. I recommend this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Charlotte is delighted when a book club reserves Chapters B & B after another group cancelled. She has reasons very quickly to question whether it was a good thing or a bad one. At the first gathering one of the members is poisoned in her garden and as is often the case, there is no shortage of people with axes to grind. Stacey, the victim, owns a jewellery store but has a reputation for being nasty and duplicitous. Charlotte is one the the few heroines who does not butt heads with the local constabulary. In fact, she immediately shares any information and they appreciate her input.

She also has two aces in the hole. Her next door neighbour and her boyfriend are both spies. Ellen is retired but Gavin is still gainfully employed. Ellen also has a connection to one of the guests. They were close in college but lost touch. The same man also has a connection with Charlotte’s Great Aunt who was a society hostess of note and also dabbled in the arts of espionage.

There are the ubiquitous twists that have the reader and Charlotte guessing the identity of the killer but by the time she and Ellen stumble across the truth, they are both put in mortal danger. A mixture of luck and skill saves them and the villain is apprehended but not before giving the reader a good run for the money. Four purrs and two paws up.

This is a cozy mystery and book lover's dream - a B&B with a giant library and suites dedicated to books. Sign me up.

In this book, Charlotte, B&B owner of Chapters, is hosting an old teaching friend and her book club in a week of literary themed events. When the group gathers, there is clearly some tension among the members. And during the Mad Hatter's tea party, one dies of mysterious poisoning and she is someone no one liked, Charlotte has her work cut out for her to solve the mystery of whodunit when the victim had a plethora of enemies.

The plot works itself out similar to a Christie novel where it is clear one of the club members is the murderer. And they all have motive. But which one of us did it? I admit I had multiple suspicions and the whodunit didn't surprise me but the author took great pains to keep it a secret to figure it out.

I like visiting this B&B in these stories. I do hope there is a fourth.

Once again, the protagonist, Charlotte, is very unlikeable. Her asides come off as snide instead of observations, and she doesn't have much of a personality. The story dragged too much for my taste. Because of all this, the ending wasn't as thrilling as I would have liked. I've given this series three books, and I am officially done. I do plan on try the author's other series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Victoria Gilbert continues the sleuthing in a Booklover's B&B mystery when a Fatal Booking at the bed and breakfast of Charlotte Reed leads to a murder and stack of suspects among the guests.. Charlotte and her neighbour Ellen, a former spy, find out the guests had pasts involving possible fencing of stolen jewelry and blackmail. Whodunit in this cozy set in a booklover's paradise.

This is the 3rd installment in the B&B Mystery series. Charlotte Reed inherited Chapters B&B (booklover’s themed) from her great Aunt Isabella and a last minute cancellation allows her to accommodate a book club retreat lead by a former teaching colleague Lora. Lora is currently acting as a freelance illustrator for books and one of the events she is having that week with her book club is a Mad Hatter Tea Party. When Charlotte meets with Lora before her group arrives to discuss the events she learns that one guest Stacey would not be staying at the B&B but coming in from a local town as that is where she lived. She also warns there is some tension with Stacey and some of the other guests. When another person Captain Sam Jointer at the restaurant heard Stacey’s name he causes a commotion and says that she cheated him and made some threats. At the party, Charlotte sees Captain Jointer in the house with Stacey having words and she tells him to leave as he is an uninvited guest. He leaves and Stacey brushes it off but goes back outside and is later found dead in the garden. Charlotte’s neighbor Ellen says that is was cyanide poisoning. Ellen in her former life was a spy and would know. The police arrive and Detective Amber Johnson who has worked with Charlotte and Ellen on other cases says she will keep them posted. This sets Charlotte and Ellen to do a little sleuthing and one of the guests Arnie (also Lora’s godfather) was a former friend of Ellen’s back in college. This is a good solid mystery with lots of things to throw you off the scent of the real killer. Also little side twist when Charlotte learns there are some missing pictures of her Aunt Isabella and someone has been going into the attic searching for something. How does this all relate to the current murder. All the guests appear to have a reason to kill Stacey as well as Captain Jointer. I love that Charlotte received backup from all her friends and even Gavin (her now boyfriend) who works in the intelligence community and is in town but keeps it secret so he can help out. Good solid mystery with great cast of characters. Looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I really enjoy this series and love the relationship between Gavin and Charlotte that is starting to develop. This story had a lot of characters and sometimes it was hard to keep everyone straight. It was still an enjoyable story with lots of twists and turns and I'm looking forward to reading book 4.

This was a well-paced, interesting mystery that kept me guessing. I loved the setting of the book-centric B&B as well as the deeper dive into Isabella’s spy past. There were plenty of twists to keep the story going. This is my favorite in the series so far.

This is book 3 in the Booklover's B&B cozy series. It keeps the same great cast of characters and has and engaging story line. Charlotte is hosting a book club for a weekend at the Chapter's Bed and Breakfast but isn't expecting the club president to be murdered at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Everyone in the club has a motive to want her killed and the staff isn't above suspicion either. I enjoy cozy's set in the Carolina's and this one is a fine read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love the setting of this series, a Victorian Bed and Breakfast with book themed rooms and events called Chapters in Beaufort, NC, a quaint seaside town. Charlotte Reed, the owner, inherited it from her Aunt Isabella who was known to have thrown fabulous parties before turning her home into a B & B. One of the guests currently staying at Chapters had attended a few of Isabella's parties. This sparks Charlotte's curiosity about her aunt and it may tie into the current mystery in the book. I like the two story lines and how Charlotte is involved in some amateur sleuthing while maintaining her hosting duties. This book was entertaining and kept me guessing until the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for an ARC of A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert, Booklover’s B&B Mysteries number 3.

Charlotte is delighted to welcome a new group of guests to Chapters Bed and Breakfast for a book club retreat focused on fairy tales and classic children’s literature. But when one of the guests is poisoned at a Mad Hatter tea party, Charlotte realizes she has another mystery to solve!

A fun entry into the series and the perfect escape on a hot summer day. I so enjoyed the setting and the literary themes that Chapters B&B works with. I also enjoyed the deepening relationship between Charlotte and Gavin ❤️

A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert is a Booklover's B & B Mystery featuring Charlotte Reed as the owner of Chapters, a book oriented bed and breakfast, where people could take a bookish vacation and rely upon the library that her great-aunt Isabella had collected over a lifetime. Isabella had been a member of the United States Intelligence community, a fact not many people knew. Charlotte's next-door neighbor and ersatz co-conspirator in investigations, Ellen, had been her handler for much of her career. Those days were now gone and, except for Ellen's lingering expertise, forgotten. The only reminder was the house and Alicia, the cook and general helper, who had worked for Isabella as well. This week an old colleague, Lora Kane, who had taught with Charlotte in days past, led the guests. While Charlotte loved, and missed, teaching, Lora was glad to be done with it. It had never been her calling. She was an artist, and apparently doing well at it, designing jewelry for one.

The victim was a member of the book club that Lora led. Apparently not a popular member, however, and then she showed up dead. The problem with not being popular was that everyone was now a suspect and so began the job of whittling down the list. As usual, Charlotte and Ellen took the less obvious pathways that the police had not yet gotten to. When several more incidents brought the police to Charlotte's door, things ramped up. The mystery was a good one based on greed. But, weren't all these folks greedy? Then, there was the guy that had been a friend of Ellen's in college, who left abruptly when Ellen declined to take their relationship further. He was the same guy who claimed to have had a huge crush on her aunt, years earlier. There were plenty of clues. Sadly, many led to dead ends. It was a compelling read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Fatal Booking by Crooked Lane Books, through Net galley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #crookedlane #VictoriaGilbert #afatalbooking

I really like the premise of this series and that is of an old Victorian home used as a B and B for retreats. Each room of Chapters B and B has a different literary theme, like the Classics room has a bookcase with classic books in it. What a fun idea! I have enjoyed each of the books in the series. In this new book, owner Charlotte and her crew are hosting her old college friend Lora and her book club friends. Lora is an artist who designs jewelry and illustrates books. When one of the club members is found dead, Charlotte and her sleuthing friend and neighbor, Ellen, seek to find answers and do keep in touch with Detective Amber Johnson. This is another fun addition to the mystery series with action, danger, suspense, and a pool of suspects. There are changes ahead for Charlotte and her friends and I look forward to reading about them.
I received a complimentary copy from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

It seems like the third book of any newer series, at least to me, is the magical number of after having read the first two books, you really feel a strong connection to the characters because their roles and sometimes secrets are already established. I just felt like this was the book where I was going back to visit some old friends. I absolutely love Ellen's character and now with Gavin as a possible dating interest for Charlotte, the three seemed unstoppable as far as murder investigations. I really like Amber Johnson too, the detective who's learned to take things that Charlotte and Ellen tell her very seriously. She's respectful of them, has a decent appreciation of joking and is never purposely mean. Bookstore owner Julie makes a great bestie for Charlotte since she hears all the good gossip when there's a case.

With a houseful of suspects and no clear leads, Charlotte was getting as tired as the police were of nothing turning up. Gavin did help a lot once he was back since he had resources he could tap into from his agent's job. I hadn't actually suspected the one whodunit, and the showdown was a real nail biter especially for Charlotte and Ellen!

The ending party as they'd done in previous books was fun and wrapped up the case along with a few cool announcements. I can't wait to read the next book!

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

Another charming installment of the Chapters B & B mysteries. Gilbert deepens the backstories of main characters Charlotte, Ellen, and Gavin, while setting the stage for interesting future personal and career developments. The mystery in this one isn't super twisty and I guessed the villains early on, but I loved the way Gilbert weaves in interesting tidbits from children's literature in this one. The playing out of the denouement and resolution was rather implausible, but the story moved along well and kept my interest. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert is the third in this cosy mystery series set in Beaufort, North Carolina. I love a cosy mystery and I wanted to read this particular novel as I have a fancy for cosies about book-lovers, libraries and other book-related things.

Centred around Chapters, a book-themed Bed & Breakfast, I thought this was a fabulous story. Chapters, a perfect book-lovers retreat is run by forty-four-year-old widow and former schoolteacher, Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella Harrington. Charlotte is hosting a visit by a book club group of children's literature enthusiasts, organised by her artist friend, Lora Kane. One of the guests is poisoned at a Mad Hatter tea party, a costumed event.

The descriptions of small-town life with all its complications and relationships were very enjoyable. I also enjoyed the flow and style of writing and character development. The characters are distinct and entertaining and I continued to really warm to Charlotte in particular - she oozes confidence and style and I adore her matter-of-fact approach. Ellen Montgomery, an ex-spy, friend and neighbour of Charlotte, also deserves a special mention, assisting with the sleuthing as well as helping Charlotte with other matters. She is straightforward and convincing and slotted into the storyline perfectly as a secondary character. Victoria Gilbert provides exactly the right amount of description of the Beaufort, North Carolina setting and I wish that I could take a trip to Chapters myself. A Fatal Booking is a brilliantly executed cosy that kept me guessing and I would love to see what Victoria Gilbert has in store for Charlotte in book #4.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Fatal Booking is the third book in the Booklover's B&B Mystery series. I've liked each book in the series and tried to solve the mystery along with Charlotte. I've not had the success in solving the mystery she has though! Lots of twists, suspense and some romance thrown in makes this a great and quick read. I'm liking the romance between Charlotte and Gavin, I hope it continues in the next book.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A Fatal Booking
By Victoria Gilbert

If you want to relax with a cozy mystery, then check out Victoria Gilbert’s A Fatal Booking. It’s even better if you’re relaxing on a beach or wishing that you were.It’s the third book in the Booklover’s B&B Mysteries series, but you don’t have to read the first two books to appreciate the third. I hadn’t read the first two books and enjoyed it as a standalone book. I am adding the first two books to my TBR.

Charlotte Reed runs Chapters, a bed and breakfast in Beaufort, NC that she inherited from her great-aunt Isabella Harrington. Charlotte taught high school until Charlotte’s husband died, and one of her fellow teachers, Lora Kane, has booked the entire B&B with her book club for a week to discuss children’s literature. Charlotte’s book club will be joining them for some book discussions, including a Hans Christian Anderson anthology including Lora’s illustrations.

All of the book club members are staying in the B&B except for Stacy, who lives 30 minutes away in New Bern. Charlotte and her housekeeper Alicia meet the guests and learn their guests dislike Stacy. When they meet her, they understand why. Soon after, Stacy’s body is found, and it appears she was poisoned with strychnine. Charlotte and her group of Irregulars try to find the murderer before other murders happen.

As a North Carolinian, I enjoyed seeing Beaufort highlighted as the setting. I cracked up that Gilbert included “bless your heart”. Many Southerners use that phrase as a replacement for the f-word.

Gilbert doesn’t give the run-of-the-mill strychnine case, choosing a poison that shows up less often in mystery stories. She also does an excellent job of providing legitimate reasons that so many suspects would have easy access to the poison. The plot resolution ties up the loose ends successfully, including a satisfying twist as the story approaches its climax.

A Fatal Booking is an entertaining cozy mystery. I am looking forward to reading more cozies by Victoria Gilbert.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy of the book.