Lovely first book in a new cozy series.
Jane Hunter is forced to retire from her job as a university librarian, and is pleased to be hired to catalog and inventory the rare books for Cameron Clewe, a recluse, young and avid collector.
First day on the job she finds the body of a young woman, in the mansion’s library, killed with a candle stick (this gave a little chuckle) – but besides the murder to investigate there are other things to unravel.
Looking forward to see where the duo Hunter and Clewe will go next.

Librarian Jane Hunter is starting again at 60 and her new boss, Cam Clewe, is anything but normal. Day one on the job starts off rough when Jane finds the body of Cam’s most recent ex-girlfriend in her new workspace. These two suddenly find themselves in the search for a murderer in order to keep Cam’s name in the clear and for Jane to keep her much needed new job.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. Jane and Cam’s relationship was certainly one of the high points as they are so different yet manage to play off each other so well. The rest of the cast of characters were also delightful and filled out the world well. While I enjoyed following the clues to try and figure out whodunit I felt that the actual resolution came a bit out of left field right near the end of the story. Overall, a great start to a new cozy mystery series.

Wanted to love this one!

I’m afraid it was just too slow-burning for me, and I struggled to be attached to any of the characters. It was hard to tell the era this was in too—one second it’d be talking about cell phones and very modern agendas, but then some of the characters talked very formally/had some aged thinking.

Lovers of cozy mysteries might like it?? But I think this was just too cozy for me!

Very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

An interesting premise, but the narrative got bogged down in description. I did not finish the novel.

Library, books, an old mansion and a murder. These are the cozy mysteries people love to read and this was an interesting book to read.

Jane has been hired to catalogue the vast collection of books by wealthy Cam, who has his own reservations. A murder in his house that probably happened during or after the fundraising makes everyone in the house suspect. This seems like a pretty standard plot for most mysteries, nevertheless, this book was interesting to read.

Decent description of the mansion, good writing, dialogues were all that I enjoyed while reading this

Because I enjoy Victoria Gilbert's Booklovers B & B Cozy Series, I requested her new mystery A Cryptic Clue from Net Galley. I'm not sure if this book is categorized as a Cozy, but it does have cozy elements, including an amateur sleuth, and no swearing.

I think it is more in Agatha Cristie's or Sherlock Holmes's style. Cam Clewe is a thirty-something second-generation multi-millionaire (maybe even a billionaire?). He hires Jane Hunter, a former college librarian, to catalog his extensive collection of books, memorabilia, art, and more on his sprawling estate. Cam is a handsome introvert with anxiety issues and perhaps OCD or ADHD. Jane has a past that involved domestic violence. Of course, not too much time passes before someone stumbles across a body, and Cam asks Jane to help him investigate who's the killer--since he is a prime suspect.

Victoria Gilbert gives us a large, but manageable, cast of suspects and some nice red herrings. This first book solves the main mystery of who killed the person who died at Cam's estate, and in the end, Hunter and Clewe decide to work together to solve cold cases. I enjoyed the mystery and the pairing of 30-something Cam and 60-something Jane--something a little different in the main characters. If you enjoy mysteries, give this book a try, you'll enjoy it!
5 Stars!!

This started off a little slowly for me, but soon picked up it's pace and turned out to be highly enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the house, the attic, the library and the gardens, and I rather liked Lauren, as well as Vincent, and Bailey. I especially liked Cam.

I look forward to the next one.

3.5 stars.

This is a new mystery series by a well known author. I have been intrigued to read other novels by Victoria Gilbert since her Booklover’s B&B series.

Cameron (Cam) Clewe is a young, wealthy man who has hired retired librarian Jane Hunter to inventory and catalog his book and print collection. The weekend before Jane starts, however, a gala is thrown at Cam’s home, Aircroft. On Monday, Jane finds the body of Cam’s ex-girlfriend in the library. This leads Cam to ask for assistance in clearing his name.

I liked Cam Clewe. I liked that he is neurodivergent, and acutely aware of this fact. Though it still makes it hard for him to connect with people, I found him refreshing. I also liked that Jane recognized all of his differences and didn’t necessarily judge him. Obviously, there are moments that show the frustration of dealing with a neurodivergent person, however Jane never allowed her interactions to be dictated by that frustration. I can’t wait to see how they continue to interact in the next book.

I thought the mystery was well spread out. Plenty of suspects with plenty of motives. I will admit to suspecting the killer early. For me, it was a comment that was issued, but as the novel progressed, I kept thinking, “okay, that’s so-and-so’s motive, but what about this person?” I felt that it was an obvious gap that ultimately gave it away. The ending was decent. I felt it just kind of ended, though. It was very anticlimactic.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

A quintessential armchair cozy mystery.

What happens when you combine a library cataloguer, a brooding millionaire and a dead ex girlfriend? A story that spans a handful of suspects and quite a few discoveries.

While the story itself was enjoyable, I found a lot of the middle of the book felt a bit static and repetitive. The characters were three dimensional, but much of the “action” was circling the same suspects over and over again in a sort of sameness which dipped the energy a bit for me.

However, Gilbert spins a classic tale and solid characters. A good summer read.

The start of a new cozy mystery series - I can't resist a new series and I enjoy cozies so I picked it up. This is a fun murder mystery with a great many suspects and the ending surprised me, so I had no clue until the end - just suspicions.

Description:
Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she’s about to discover, a retiree’s life can bring new thrills—and new dangers.

Cameron “Cam” Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something—an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane’s thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane’s delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam’s library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam’s failed romances—and now he’s suspect number one.

Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name—but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he’ll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss—but is he truly innocent?

My thoughts:
Jane and Cam make a good investigative team as they gather information and puzzle out the clues to solve the mystery. Jane provides the wisdom of years of experience and Cam provides a dogged determination and a knack for puzzles. Jane seems to be able to make people talk, but Cam is kind of tactless when it comes to people and lives the life of a wealthy recluse. I enjoyed the investigation. When the victim is so disliked by so many, it provides a lot of avenues to investigate and each one has to be researched to eliminate the red herrings. Good plot. I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 11, 2023.

This is a perfectly serviceable cozy for audiences who like a big estate, prickly characters, and a large cast. Gilbert does a good job setting up several unresolved plot points that could be future books, while neatly wrapping up the central mystery of this series-starter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting book that may be the start of a series by an author I enjoy. A first I did not really sympathize with any of the characters but as the story went on began to at least like them. Jane is an older librarian starting out on her own in a small apartment and Cam is an younger wealthy eccentric. The contrast between the two seems to be the incentive for the partnership.

At sixty, Jane Hunter is in need of a new job. She has been forced to retire and her pension is not quite substantial enough. Her interview for an archivist position with eccentric thirty three year old Cam Clewe at his massive pile is not quite what she expected...but then in a murder mystery series, what is? She is practically salivating at the thought of getting her hands on Cam's mystery/crime collection. But her discovery of a dead body in his house envelops her in a web of secrets and she finds she has an affinity for sleuthing. The twists and turns are as numerous as the house's nooks and crannies.

Jane's quirkiness and wisdom combined with Cam's social awkwardness and superb intelligence makes an unlikely team, one to watch. The potential for future stories is endless...I already look forward to the second in the series. Other characters such as Cam's assistant Lauren, chef and housekeeper add to the heady mix. Though Cam isn't terribly likeable at times, in ways he is endearing. He has much to learn but I feel though he can be oblivious he knows he can grow. Jane has more life experience and is open minded. The excitement of murder will surely add years to her life!

If cozy mysteries with a kick are your thing, do get wrapped up in this spanking new series by fabulous author Victoria Gilbert who is gifted with creating atmosphere and beguiling characters.

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this arresting book.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

Jane is a retired librarian who starts working for a rich, attractive man (Cam Clewe) with a flawed personality at Aircroft. On one of the first days on the job however, she oversees Cam and his girlfriend, Ashley Allen have a heated argument. Fast-forward to the gala Cam is hosting and Ashley is found dead by Jane.

Jane is sent to look for clues to clear Cam's name while doubting Cam's innocence herself. No one in the book seems entirely innocent and Jane must piece together the puzzle before the murderer gets to her.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and interested. I had no clue who the murderer was and I frequently was changing my guess just about every chapter.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of was that the murderer seemed so unattached to the story. When they were revealed to be the murderer I was literally like, "who is this person." Although they were a part of the story, they weren't a very big part and I feel like it could've been a little better if the murderer was right in your face the whole time, but someone unexpected.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries especially the "Truly Devious" series. This book definitely is a perfect book to read for fans of that series.

Author Victoria Gilbert, brings readers the first book in a new mystery series. At a crossroads in her life, Jane Hunter has gotten herself a new job cataloguing a wealthy landowner's personal collection leaning on her many years of experience as a research librarian. She anticipates fascinating discoveries in a collection riddled with pivotal pieces of the Mystery genre's history. What she could not have expected however, was murder.

I received this book via NetGalley and I've been pondering on it for about a day now, wondering how I feel after the read. I requested this book based on the premise, having never read any of Victoria Gilbert's other cozy mysteries. I deeply enjoyed the character of Jane Hunter as she was a mature, experienced adult who demonstrated a sharp wit and clear self awareness.

I cannot say I had the same positive affection for Cameron Clewe, our other primary character and wealthy landowner. He just was not likeable for me despite numerable pointed comments about his lack of social skills and an attempted redemption arc regarding the struggle of his family life. It came off as trying to be reminiscent of Sherlock, the misunderstood genius with a mind only for puzzles however he did not quite demonstrate brilliance enough to convince this reader.

Cam's moment of triumph, his display of brilliance when he solves the mystery does bring me to my primary disappointment with this book. The reader is incapable of solving this mystery themselves. They can certainly make guesses, but the information that ties it all together is never shared with the reader. I will allow that because I did not care for Cameron as a character, I am guilty of speed reading through his scenes so may have missed a pivotal comment, but I am fairly confident the necessary key relationship is hidden from readers.

Despite that annoyance, this was a solid mystery and I will be on the watch for a second in the series!

Jane Hunter is starting a new job at 60, cataloging a large book collection for reclusive, 33-year-old, multi-millionaire Cam Clewe. But on her first day, before she can even get started, she finds a dead body in Cam’s library, the dead body of his ex-girlfriend, Ashley. With Cam as the prime suspect, the break-up was not amicable, he turns his puzzle solving mind to uncovering the real murderer with Jane’s help since his mild agoraphobia hinders his ability to get out and about to question the suspects. Soon it becomes apparent that there were many people who wanted Ashley dead and most had the opportunity to kill her.
I initially found it easier to like Cam with all his prickliness, he is obviously somewhere on the spectrum, than it was to like Jane. Her inner voice that seemed so cynical and suspicious to begin with was a bit off putting but a scene in which she connects, really connects, with Cam and his insecurities led me to like her a lot more. The mystery is well plotted and while I suspected who the murderer was it was not apparent until fairly close to the climax in which all was revealed. There are several mysteries within the book and only the murder is solved leaving plenty of questions to explore in future books. I look forward to more in this series. Recommended

This is just what I needed after reading too much horror and thrillers! I love the characters, the author's writing style and the overall vibe of the book. Although, there were some parts where it got a bit draggy but I think it had more to do with the ARC format on Kindle than with the actual writing. Apart from that, I absolutely love this book. The author absolutely captured the charm and suspense of classic mystery novels and successfully added it to make a contemporary cozy mystery. On top of that, Jane is such a likable character and I love her wisdom. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

The premise of this story made me want to give this a read however none of the characters were really all that interesting. The mystery dragged on until I found myself skipping pages to the end. The setting was the only thing that I enjoyed.

I was literally hooked by chapter 5, and that’s early for me.

By chapter 9, I love the socially awkward characters and the stereotypes that are not true to their words and I love that it’s the “mansion on the hill…” type feel of a mystery. It’s really interesting and sort of thrilling too!! I’m dying to figure out the answers to this mystery!!

By chapter 28, I’m my interest is starting to wane because it’s starting to feel pretty unrealistic. The “questioning of witnesses” with people opening up this lives to complete strangers feel very over the top. I dunno anymore about this now. Hmmm….

Also the main character got snippy and made some nonsense conclusions throughout that got annoying. So I found myself wondering aloud whether or not I had chosen wisely, when deciding t9 read this book.

About 65% of the way through, there was a remark about the murder mystery, made by the author, that stated, “It was definitely a puzzle—one whose numerous pieces didn’t yet fit together to create a clear picture.” That’s how I felt at this point- confused, with so many characters introduced that I couldn’t keep them straight, and I hate that feeling. It’s like you had to do homework on the characters, flipping back and forth to remember who was related to whom, and that just made the reading feel like a chore. I sure was hoping that this story gets more interesting….

It did. I actually became more interesting as the story went on. I had the characters still mixed up in my mind. However; I liked the ending and it was a satisfying ending. There was a twist in several ways that made me feel like I am looking forward to the next book in this series. All in all- a nice read.

I did learn something interesting too, while reading this book that I hope is true. Apparently, per author Gilbert, “from the 1840s to the late 1980s, the acid in wood pulp–based paper caused print materials to deteriorate rapidly. It was a fact that saddened all librarians who dealt with printed materials created during that time period, since so many books and other documents often crumbled in their hands.” I was fascinated that it lasted so long- thru the 80’s? It’s just a fact 5gat I want to tuck away for later, if it is true.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Gilbert, and Crooked Lane Books for supplying this advance reachers copy without charge in exchange for an honest review.