"Death in the Margins" continues the Blue Ridge Library series featuring small town librarian Amy Muir. In this selection, Amy's professional dancer husband Richard prepares for a dance production. His plans are marred when one of the principal dancers is found dead in the dressing room area of the theater. Amy becomes involved in helping law enforcement solve the crime, which reveals entanglements among ex-spouses, half-siblings, horses, and the art world.

Readers who enjoy detailed cozy mysteries with lots of threads, subplots, and red herrings will find this latest installment in the series to satisfy their taste for mystery. This book can be read as a standalone, although keeping all the characters straight might prove a challenge. The author also tried hard to be inclusive of different groups and ethnic backgrounds. The ending of the book provides a jumping off point for future novels in the series.

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

Death in the Margins is the 7th Blue Ridge Library mystery. I like the title and I like the book. The reader gets plenty of library time and Amy gets to use her research skills.
Amy Webber Muir has plenty of time on her hands as her husband, Richard plans a summer dance performance with friend Karla. So when she finds Meredith murdered, Amy is happy to help deputy Brad ask some questions, unofficially.
There were some real twists and turns to this mystery. Meredith wasn’t a very nice person. There seem to be plenty of suspects who could have decided they had enough of Meredith’s poor treatment.
There is plenty of danger to go around when dance, art, horses, gardens and the past come together.
The book might be able to stand alone but best enjoyment comes from reading the series in order since there are many relationships that carry over from past books.
I recommend picking up Death in the Margins it’s a great read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

A very pleasurable addition to this series. Amy, library director and newly married, is happy in both her roles though she wishes she could spend a little bit more time with her hubby who is very busy getting ready to premiere a dance based on Blue Ridge Mountain folklore. Then Richard's ex, a lead dancer in the production, not well liked, is found dead. Plenty of suspects and red herrings threaten her husband's professional life and maybe her physical life but she won't let stop her from clearing the name of a person she is sure didn't do it.

I always enjoy visiting with these characters and a nice murder (yes, I know how odd that is to say) just adds to the fun.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Besides being a fan of the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, I am also a fan of Amy Webber, the director of the library. Although I opposed the plot of Amy investigating the murder of a dancer who is also Amy's husband and Richard's former fiancé because I don't like dancing. I enjoyed it overall. It's Victoria Gilbert's writing style that gets me hooked, which is why I love it so much. I found the small town secrets very intriguing. Amy's surprise at the end was worth waiting for and I loved how Richard helped her solve the case before the dance show premiered.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book. This was a honest review.

Death In The Margins is the seventh book in The Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert.

Richard Muir is working on a summer dance program with his long-time dancing Karla, and his wife, Amy, uses computer research skills to find information on folktales and Blue Ridge Mountains music to use in the program. Richard’s ex-fiance, Meredith Fox, is also a member of the troupe, Richard's college dance group, and children from Karla’s dance studio. The rehearsals are going on, and Meredith is needed on stage. Richard asks Amy to check in the basement for Meredith and ask her to come to the stage. When Amy finds Meredith, she is dead, and Conner, a sixteen-year-old male dancer, is standing over her, holding a bloody knife in his hands. Conner is immediately taken into custody.

Meredith was not well-liked, and many thought she was arrogant. She had argued with the mother of a young autistic daughter, and a dance couple tried to get Richard to get rid of her. Amy, Richard, and Karla don’t think Conner can murder. Amy decides to investigate and attempt to find the killer. Her friend Deputy Brad Tucker is not working the case as it is out of his district but has said he will try to help her without interfering with the other department's investigation. Amy will soon learn that there are many other suspects, including her ex-husband and the mother she argued with, among others.

The book is well-written and plotted with enough red herrings that I kept guessing until the end. The characters are well-developed and believable. The book moves at a nice pace. Amy and Kurt seem to be getting together better and might be leaving the past.

I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Amy Muir, a local librarian, becomes embroiled in a murder at the dance theater. Her husband is a dancer and instructor at the college. His ex-girlfriend is found murdered. There are a few suspects but a young male dancer seems to be a shoo-in to the police. Amy is determined to find him innocent and find the true murderer.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Death in the Margins (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #7) by Victoria Gilbert from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.

… as always, the author penned a fast-paced mystery, with an abundance of twists and turns and a cast of unique and quirky characters. A fantastic and fun cozy mystery read which I definitely recommend. …

Library director Amy Muir is back again this time supporting her famous dancer/choreographer, husband Richard with his new youth theatre production. Richard’s first step towards his dream of opening a program for youth. The Folklore Suite is due to open in a neighboring town and features in the lead role Richard’s struggling nasty ex-fiancée, Meredith Fox. Unfortunately, Meredith has managed to insult and alienate the rest of the cast and crew with her constant berating and horrible disposition.
While preparing for opening night Amy volunteers to work behind the scenes to help Richard and his business partner Karla’s production runs smoothly. While going into the deep recesses of the theatre on break Amy does what she does best, she stumbles upon one of the young dancers, knife in hand, standing over Meredith’s dead body pleading he was trying to save her.

While the neighboring town’s Sheriff’s Department, who has authority, believes the young dancer is guilty Amy, Richard Karla and their hometown Sheriff Brad do not agree. Amy does what she always does and takes up the charge to prove his innocence. While investigating Amy puts herself in the crosshairs of the real killer and this time around, she has much more to lose.

A fan of the series Death in the Margins is an excellent entry and as always, the author penned a fast-paced mystery, with an abundance of twists and turns and a cast of unique and quirky characters. A fantastic and fun cozy mystery read which I definitely recommend.

Death in the Margins is the 7th Blue Ridge Library Mystery written by Victoria Gilbert. Amy Webber now Muir, has married her forever love dancer Richard Muir. This is the first book since the nuptials. Amy hasn't changed she's still a trouble magnate! In the very best ways. (lol)
Amy stops by the newly refurbished Art Deco theater bringing a picnic dinner to share with Karla and Richard as they franticly prepare for Folklore Suite, opening night. While looking for Karla's misplaced notebook she stumbles upon Meredith lying dead while Richards' student Conner, stands holding a knife!
Not believing him to be the murderer and at the request of CD Chad Tucker, she begins to ask questions. Along the way, we meet a variety of people connected directly and indirectly to the victim.

As usual, there are no graphic depictions of violence or profanity. There is a romantic element between a husband and wife, as well as romances of secondary characters. This is a quality cozy mystery focusing on the mystery and the way the victim interacted with people. I enjoyed everything about this book. Once I began I couldn't put it down reading into the early morning hours!
5*****


Ms. Gilbert also writes the Booklovers' Bed & Breakfast series. Her new series Hunter & Clewe is coming in 2023.

Death in the Margins by Victoria Gilbert has newlywed Amy Muir embroiled in a new mystery. Meredith, Richard’s malicious ex-fiancé, is murdered at the theater. Amy finds Connor Vogler standing over Meredith’s body holding the murder weapon. Connor is arrested for the crime. Amy does not feel that Connor is guilty. Amy has her work cut out for her since there is a surfeit of suspects. Meredith was a mean-spirited woman. Can Amy find the killer before he decides she is a liability? Death in the Margins is the seventh A Blue Ridge Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Amy Muir is a developed, realistic character. It is nice to see her happy with Richard. We get to catch up with Sunny, Aunt Lydia, Richard, and the other secondary characters. The mystery involves Richard’s new dance production. Meredith was a part of the production, but she was making everyone miserable. I am surprised it took this long for her to be murdered. A young dancer is accused of the crime since he had a public altercation with Meredith (mostly her berating him) the day she was killed, and he was found standing over the body with the murder weapon in his hand (that is a compelling reason to arrest him). Amy dons her sleuthing cap once again. Amy makes up her suspect list and begins asking questions. There are a couple of red herrings, incidents to deter Amy, and clues to help readers solve the crime. There is a suspenseful reveal. The wrap up answers all lingering questions. I like how Richard’s dance production was incorporated into the mystery. I liked that Chief Deputy Brad Tucker asked for Amy’s assistance. She made sure to keep him in the loop. The ending is one fans of the series will enjoy. There is some repetition of details, but I was pleased that it was minimal. This was a satisfying cozy mystery. Death in the Margins is a jazzy cozy with a spiteful performer, a dramatic death, bird feeder bandits, a surplus of suspects, a myriad of masks, a pleasing performance, a helpful horse, and a special surprise.

This is book 7 in the series, but the first I have read in it. This is a decent cozy, but I just didnt warm to it like normal. The mystery was good, the dance drama was legitimate, and Amy and Richard's turn into a married couple was suited. But Tucker's using of Amy for SO much was just a bit too off norm for me, as she got some basic info that the sheriff deputy should have already had. Decent read if you enjoy dancing and the locale.

When I see a new book written by Victoria Gilbert I have to read it without delay. Death in the Margins did not disappoint me. If you are just discovering the Blue Ridge Library series, no worries, it works fine as a stand alone. There is enough backstory given to keep it all straight.
Amy and Richard are newlyweds but these days Amy isn't seeing much of him as he works to get his dance production ready for its opening night. Based on folklore of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Richard and his dance partner, Karla have brought together a diverse group of dancers. Some are students of all ages and one is a professional. She's the one causing the troubles. At one time she was engaged to Richard and he has asked her to be part of the production. Too bad she brings her horrid personality with her. She is a diva all the way and has nothing nice to say about anybody. She's cruel and nasty but was that enough to drive somebody to stick a knife into her? Amy is the one who finds her body along with the young dance student standing over her with the bloody knife in his hand. He is arrested but Chief Deputy Brad Tucker isn't convinced he's guilty so he turns to his friend, Amy, to use her talent for investigation to unmask the killer. The list of suspects isn't short and along the way Amy gets involved in the local art world - and horses, too.
Besides being a very well crafted puzzle full of twists, turns and a few red herrings, we get to spend time with Amy, Richard and their family and friends. I wouldn't mind joining them.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was difficult for me to connect initially. There were so many details that sometimes weren’t needed imo.

It also felt like the MC told every single person that she was working with the police and each thing she had discovered. Even the potential suspects. Amy and her family are so well-known so it’s crazy she’d just share everything. It is only after a hiccup that she would consider “I should have not mentioned that”. Overall excited for her and Richard.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this

Big things are afoot in this installment of the Blue Ridge Library series! Richard and Karla are about to put on a big show featuring student dancers, but someone doesn't want the show to go on as they kill off a dancer! However, as Amy digs into the past of all the potential suspects it seems that there are layers of dirt on everyone involved. The plot of this book is excellently crafted to offer multiple realistic suspects and keep you involved in the untangling of the truth. I was up late turning pages as I consumed the book to find out who the guilty party was and what other secrets the parties involved were hiding! I love the characters are they are so well written that they feel like people you could meet on the street! I absolutely can't wait to see what happens in the next book! If you haven't started the series, you really should. I do recommend reading the books in order as they build on each other and help really flesh the characters out into three-dimensional people rather than just a sketch of a person on paper! Now, I just have to be patient for the next book to come out.

This was definitely a mystery with lots of twists and turns along with some good action. Richard even got in on the showdown with Amy, and not from the standpoint he's usually at which is with the reinforcements coming to assist said showdown. He was in the thick of it right along with her. And he'll have even more of a reason to worry about her sleuthing in the near future. ;)

I was never really sure whodunit and kept changing my mind. I didn't trust any of those suspects, lol. After a couple incidents that Amy took as a personal threat, she could tell she was getting close. That was one exciting showdown that was fairly lengthy but I couldn't read fast enough! A gorgeous horse got to be the hero (I LOVE when that happens!) and got some sweet revenge along with it. You'll find out what all that means when you read this latest installment in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. I'm super happy that the author was contracted to do books 8 and 9! Yay, more time with Amy, Richard, Aunt Lydia and all these people I call my book friends in Taylorsford, Virginia. Don't miss this book coming out on December 6, 2022!

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

Amy and Richard are settling into married life. Richard has a big dance show coming up with students from Karla's studio, as well as high school and college students and a few professional dancers, including his ex. When she is found dead with one of the students standing over her with a knife, Amy begins to look for clues as to who could have done this. There are lots of suspects, but the young man is the easy target. Amy works asking questions to help identify other possibilities. Too many questions lead to problems for Amy and Richard. This series gets better with each book. It's like visiting old friends. Great writing, good plot and a perfect ending!

A small town murder mystery featuring a town librarian has all the right feels for this reader.

Victoria Gilbert’s newest Blue Ridge Mystery title features library director, Amy Weber, as she investigates the death of one of the cast in her husband’s play. Not only is the murder victim a dancer, but Meredith Fox is also the former fiance of Amy’s husband. The town is full of suspects and secrets

Death in the Margins, the seventh in this series, can also be read as a stand alone. A fun, light and cozy novel that’s also good on audio.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this title before it’s release in exchange for an honest review

Dancer Meredith Fox, a vindictive, cruel and ruthless person, was found dead by librarian Amy Webber Muir. She'd been stabbed in the theatre, backstage, and standing over her body was a young sixteen year old dancer with the knife in his hands. Did he stab her, or was he trying to save her as he said? Amy's husband, Richard Muir and his dance partner, Karla, along with the dance group, were rehearsing in preparation for the premier of a new show in a few days time. But their preparations would be hindered by Meredith's death as one of the key dancers, also the young man who'd been arrested.

At the request of Chief Deputy Brad Tucker, Amy was investigating the many suspects, asking questions and generally making a nuisance of herself. No one had liked Meredith, so there were plenty who weren't sorry she was dead. But would any of those people resort to killing her? Amy thought not. But as she searched for answers, she came closer to the truth. Would there be someone out there who would kill again to keep their secrets?

Death in the Margins is the 7th in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries by Victoria Gilbert and I enjoyed it. Fun, light, entertaining, with Amy being her usual amateur sleuth - which everyone was aware of by now - the combination of the library, Richard's dance production and catching up with Aunt Lydia, Sunny and others was great. Recommended.

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

The seventh book in the series although I have not read all of them. I did find this was the best one I have read so far.

Amy and Richard are now married and their relationship seems solid. However in Death in the Margins Richard is spending all his time rehearsing for a dance performance and Amy, despite her job as Director of the local library, seems to have time on her hands. The murder of one of the dancers lets her do her favourite thing - sleuthing and assisting Chief Deputy Brad Tucker in finding the killer.

There are loads of possible suspects, lots of red herrings and Amy manages to survive despite several attacks on her person. There is a really nice ending for those who have been reading the series for a while.

The seventh Blue Ridge Library mystery is set around a stage production that Richard and his partner Kendra are preparing. It's a fundraiser and includes a lot of Richard's students and Kendra's students too. Richard has also hired his ex-fiancé - Meredith Fox - to be one of the principal dancers along with a couple of his other friends from the professional world.

Meredith is not a very nice person. She has managed to upset a number of the student dancers and the accompanist too. So, when she is found dead in one of the rehearsal halls there are a lot of potential suspects. The one person Amy doesn't suspect is the young student who is found standing over her with a bloody knife in his hands. Unfortunately, the sheriff's department doesn't agree with her.

As Amy helps her friend Deputy Brad Tucker, she uncovers a number of possible suspects including her ex-husband and his family. There is also a mother who is very angry at Meredith for upsetting her autistic daughter. And neither of the other two principal dancers or the accompanist are at all upset that she's dead and they might have reasons to want to help her along.

This was an entertaining episode in an engaging cozy series.

Amy's husband Richard and his partner are about to premiere a new dance performance when his ex- Meredith- is found murdered and one of his students is standing over her. Meredith has been a pain for years and her involvement in the planned event has been fraught with her tantrums so there are a number of possible villains. No one- not Amy, not Richard and not Deputy Brad Tucker really thinks Connor did it. But who did? Amy, using her good sense, research skills, and investigating ability sets off for answers. It's a classic cozy with good characters that keep me reading the series (and this will be fine as a standalone). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.