I love the A Booklover's B&B Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert, but I was put off by the abruptness of the ending in 'A Fatal Booking.' The story had everything - a great mystery that kept me guessing, an intriguing romance and a delightful cast of eccentric characters, right up until the end when it all ended. It even made me wonder if this was the last in the series. I hope not. I would like my questions answered.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I’m on the fence about this one.

The mystery is interesting: a book club member is killed and there are plenty of people who disliked her - as in all the other book club members. But what mainly puzzled me was not so much who killed the book club member, but why stay in a book club where you don’t like the other participants? I’m sure at least half the book club members had better things to do with their spare time.

With plenty of animosity between her guests Charlotte slowly picks her way through clues that are piling up. The members of her own book club have some useful information about events both recent and in the past. Charlotte even enlists her friend Gavin to dig some through the databases he has access to through his work (I doubt he is allowed to peruse those out of personal interest).

But, but, I never really got into the story. There is something about Charlotte and her friends that makes me want to avoid them.

The setting reminds me of the Georgie B&B series, and I’d much rather be reading those.

Interesting whodunit with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep me guessing. A few of the characters were a bit "one-note", but it was still an enjoyable read for me.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Plenty of red herrings made sure that an avid mystery reader like me could not identify the perp until the end. I really loved the way Victoria Gilbert slowly revealed the mystery behind the murder - one bit at a time. Also, halfway through the story, Charlotte wonders if running a B&B is exhaustive and returning to teaching might be a better option. Well, this is discussed further at the end of the story but I certainly hope Charlotte continues sleuthing.

The writing is fantastic and the mystery behind the murder keeps one guessing till the end. Having said that, I felt something amiss - none of the characters stood out from the rest; maybe, a bit of variety in each recurring character's growth in the series might remedy this situation. A dash of romance was surely a welcoming change in the series though. I am eager to see how the romance angle develops in the future books of this series.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Absolutely riveting I love this series!

This is a paced read. Interesting but I felt no need to rush on through to the end.

It's the third in the series of murder mysteries linked to the Chapters Bed and Breakfast. This time it's a poisoned guest! An unpopular one with the other members of the book club! There are as many motives as characters, but the end was not surprising for me.

I was interested in the development of the personal stories of the leading characters and the ending certainly makes room for the author to shake it up a bit. It could signal an interesting change in the next one. It's THREE stars for me.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Crooked Lane Publishing and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

-I’m taking a ballads and folktales course this semester as part of my children’s literature degree and I thought about it so much while reading this book
-the theme is Alice in Wonderland
-EVERYONE has a motive which I think is very good
-this is definitely a good afternoon read with a cozy cup of coffee

Four stars.

Very fun and cute read! This is the first in the series for me, but between spies, thieves, and houseboats, what’s not to love? Wonder what they’ll come up with next!

A book club retreat brings a group of book lovers to Chapters for a week. Poison finds one of the guests, and Charlotte and Ellen jump into the investigation. Each group member harbors a motive for the murder, so finding suspects is not an issue.

Victoria Gilberts writes a complex mystery. Combing red herrings with pieces from the past, the author builds suspense. In addition to following numerous leads, Charlotte also contends with personal distractions – her relationship with Gavin and a desire to teach again. This third visit to Beaufort and Chapters B and B proves to be an engaging and nicely paced read.

The third in the series, and although I’m still enjoying the mysteries, this was a bit of a struggle for me to get through. Charlotte still isn’t especially dynamic, nor one of my favourite cosy MCs, and I found the characters all sounded the same when they spoke, meaning none stood out in any way differently than the others. The murderer, when revealed, is maybe not entirely a surprise.

Regardless, I do like this series and will keep an eye out for no 4.

What an entertaining reading this one was. You will want to curl up with your coffee/tea to read this one. It’s a cozy reading. It’s a character driven plot. It has suspense and humor. It’s hard review it without giving much away. But if you like whodunnit novels, this fits the bill.

Booklover Charlotte is delighted to welcome back a group of guests to Chapters Bed and Breakfast for a book club retreat focused on fairytales and classic children’s literature. But when one of her guests is poisoned at a Mad Hatter tea party Charlotte realizes she’s fallen down an unpleasant rabbit hole. Charlotte and Ellen find the victim a busybody whose jewelry store sold original designs along with some “hot” merchandise had plenty of enemies so the girls are helping investigate with the local police. Enlisting help from local residents they vow to reveal the truth even if the path to any sort of happy ending is strewn with deadly danger. A very enjoyable story full of suspense and suspicion. The characters are realistic and enjoyable.

Booklover Charlotte is delighted to welcome an eclectic 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. The victim – an opinionated busybody whose jewelry store sold original designs, along with some possibly “hot” merchandise – had plenty of enemies, spurring Charlotte and neighbor, Ellen, to offer their well-honed investigative skills to assist the local police. But as they delve deeper into each of the guest’s stories, they realize all of them had a motive, and the means to poison the victim.

This is a good series so far, and I like the author's development of the characters as well as the twists and turns of the plot. I am a big fan of Gilbert's Blue Ridge Library series, so I knew this series would be good as well. I love stories with a book theme as I am a retired librarian. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this book by one of my favorite authors.

A book club filled with people who don't really like each other and a Mad Hatter themed tea party for the club - turns out to be the nightmare Charlotte thought when a member of the club is murdered. Since the tea party is being held at Chapters, Charlotte's B&B, she finds herself in the middle of another investigation.

I enjoy the series and found this mystery as entertaining as the first book. With the help of her senior next door neighbor, former spy Ellen Montgomery, and support from her boyfriend Gavin who is also a spy, Charlotte figures out a tricky case that I enjoyed. I really like the fact that Isabella Harrington, Charlotte's aunt who left her the B&B, has her own story to tell. It's a mystery within a mystery!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own..

This my first Victoria Gilbert book and the third book in this series. This works as a stand alone cozy mystery. I liked the main character Charlotte and her sidekicks. I'm curious to see the romance between Charlotte and Gavin develop.

"A Fatal Booking" continues the series of mysteries that occur at a Bed and Breakfast with a book/reading theme. In this selection. Charlotte works with reading group that is focused on fairy tales, with accompanying themed events. When one of the group members is poisoned, Charlotte teams up with her neighbor Ellen to try to figure out what happened. As most mystery readers can guess, more than one group member is not what they seem and secrets abound.

Readers who enjoy detailed cozy mysteries with a bookish theme will also enjoy this latest in the series. The book can be read as a stand-alone, since all the characters are introduced and the setting is described at the beginning of the book.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I enjoyed this book. I had an idea of who did it, but not the reason why. I like the characters and love the idea of a literary B&B. I think it would be a great place to stay especially for the book events that get planned (not so much for the murders. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After leaving her teaching career Charlotte Reeds now runs an inn called Chapters, the literary-themed B&B she inherited from her great aunt Isabella Harrington..

A woman named Lora Kane reaches out to Charlotte regarding hosting a book club retreat in her lodge. It would be themed the Mad Hatter tea party.

Lora’s an artist who had once been an instructor at the same high school where Charlotte taught English.

While going over details of the event in a restaurant, a man overheard their conversation and walks up to them.

Apparently one of the guests Stacy Wilkins ripped him off a few years ago when Stacy and her boyfriend rented one of his boats and wrecked it. Then they both skipped town without paying for the damages.

The man goes on to make threats about what he’d do if he ran into Stacy during the retreat. This prompts Charlotte to inform Detective Amber Johnson a member of the Beaufort police force.

At the tea party, Charlotte’s staff is also there to assist: Damian who’s a part-time chef, and Ms. Alicia Simpson, their cook and housekeeper.

Soon after, Charlotte finds Stacy dead in the garden with a shattered teacup lying nearby. Turns out she was poisoned by cyanide. Who poisoned her tea and why?

Earlier Stacy was seen arguing with one of the guests named Zach who claimed Stacy cheated Zach’s mom when she sold some family heirlooms to Stacy. Sam joiner later showed up at the party but was shooed away by Charlotte.

Overall a good read. Would recommend.

Thank you to Victoria Gilbert, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC of this book.

Charlotte Reed, who runs the B&B called Chapters that used to belong to her great aunt, is hosting a book group that is focusing on fairy tales for the week they booked. When one of the group is found dead, a lot of unsettling information comes to light about all of the guests. With the help of her neighbor and fellow sleuth, Ellen, they dig into all of this intriguing data. And with the added assistance of agent Gavin Howard, they are determined to find the killer.

This book is a cozy mystery and it keeps the reader’s attention. It is an easy read and has some classic literature references and the amateur sleuth used to be a teacher. I loved reading this book.