I love this series what's not to love about a librarian turned sleuth. However this one was not my favorite of the series. I think it has to do with the fact that there is a five year jump between the previous book and this one. To the point that it almost took me out of the story.

I love reading this series. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the characters. Things always move forward. I look forward to more.

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

Book Review: A Festive Cozy Mystery Delight: Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In Victoria Gilbert's eighth installment of the Blue Ridge Library series, Murder Checks Out, Taylorsford's Winterfest takes a grim turn when murder makes an unwelcome appearance. Amy Muir, the library director and amateur detective, finds herself reluctantly stepping back into her investigative role amidst a flurry of responsibilities. Between co-directing the local library, juggling her holiday-obsessed twins, and assisting her husband with The Nutcracker production, Amy's plate is already overflowing. With her frosty mother-in-law visiting for the holidays, she certainly has enough on her Christmas cookie plate.

However, when the festival committee chairperson is discovered deceased at the town's ice rink, Amy is determined to unveil the true culprit to protect her brother-in-law, Ethan Payne, who was found at the crime scene. Meanwhile, Sheriff Brad Tucker is convinced of Ethan's guilt. As the clock ticks away and the murderer's spree continues, the holiday festivities hang in the balance, along with Amy's own life.

First and foremost, let's talk about that cover! It perfectly captures the warmth and charm of a cozy holiday mystery. Murder Checks Out is a delightful and engaging read that flawlessly blends suspense with the festive spirit. Victoria Gilbert's writing style is both captivating and well-paced, ensuring that readers will be fully immersed in the story from start to finish.

The mystery itself is expertly plotted, keeping readers guessing until the final pages. Gilbert skillfully weaves together clues and red herrings, creating a suspenseful atmosphere that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The author's attention to detail is commendable, as every twist and turn feels organic and meticulously crafted.

One of the highlights of Murder Checks Out is its well-developed cast of characters. Amy Muir is a relatable and likable protagonist who effortlessly carries the story on her shoulders. Her determination to protect her family adds depth to her character and fuels her drive to solve the mystery. The supporting characters are equally engaging, each bringing their own unique personality to the narrative.

In conclusion, Murder Checks Out is a solid holiday cozy that will delight fans of the genre. It combines a well-crafted mystery with endearing characters and a festive backdrop, making it a perfect read for those looking to immerse themselves in a cozy mystery during the holiday season. Victoria Gilbert's writing shines in this installment of the Blue Ridge Library series, leaving readers eager for more adventures with Amy Muir and her captivating world.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Murder Checks Out: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery
By Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
November 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the Christmas season in Taylorsford, Virginia, but not everyone is full of holiday spirit or goodwill to man. While the town is preparing for their annual Winterfest, the festival chair Wendy Blackstone is bringing along her share of bah humbug with her development company’s plans to build a subdivision in the Blue Ridge forests. An outside environmental organization has begun to actively protest outside the Town Hall, but locals have their own objections to the project and the Blackstone company behind it. One of these is Ethan Payne, the brother-in-law of Taylorsford Public Library co-director Amy Webber Muir. Ethan’s property would sit right next to the proposed development, and he has some angry words for the woman in charge of it. Amy already has her hands busy raising five-year-old twins and preparing for the arrival of her mother-in-law, but when Wendy is found murdered and a now-missing Ethan becomes the prime suspect, Amy will have to put aside her holiday plans to prevent this from being the bleakest of Christmases.

Fortunately, Amy has the librarian research skills necessary to help her eliminate alibis and track down suspects in the death of a woman with a number of family estrangements and business enemies. The leader of Environmental Advocates, a former business partner-turned-competitor, and a surly daughter definitely did not have Wendy on their Christmas gifting list, but Ethan’s lack of an alibi and last being seen arguing with the victim have most of the town believing in his guilt. Since Amy’s husband Richard is busy running his production of the Nutcracker, she is the one who must brace for the disapproval of his very judgmental mother. Yet while Fiona Muir never supported her son’s professional dance career or encouraged his dreams, she proves to be a delightful grandmother who loves to indulge her dance-loving grandchild. That’s a puzzle Amy may never figure out, but the one she absolutely must solve is the one of finding who is framing her brother’s husband and who may be seeking revenge for past crimes.

This 8th in the series celebrates the holiday season while using the setting to explore the family dynamics that occur when relatives gather after long estrangements. Amy’s twin children are charming as they tame their intimidating and imperious grandmother, and through them Amy is able to build on own relationship with Fiona. Environmentalism also becomes a timely topic that is examined, as are the lengths that developmental companies will go to in order to make a profit. What the author gets so right are the small details that occur within a public library, from having to work with limited budgets to the quirky patrons who regularly visit it. Amy and Richard’s marriage continues to be an example of a healthy relationship with open communication, especially at the times when he knows that she will investigate in order to help those she loves. That doesn’t mean that she won’t find time to visit the costume department for her twins’ Nutcracker outfits, or attempt to convince her mother-in-law that the housecats Fosse and Loie deserve a place in their home. The enigmatic reformed-criminal godfather to her children continues to help both the town and Amy with his substantial wealth and abundance of information, adding a slight edge to this entertaining cozy mystery. Filled with humor and relatable characters, this latest in the series is sure to please those looking for a well-plotted, extremely satisfying read.

Many times, I've gone on record as not being a wholehearted fan of cozy mysteries - mostly because the heroines therein tend to be airheads, stubbornly pushing their way into murder investigations even after they've been told by authorities to butt out. Still, cozies do play a role in my life by offering much-needed relief after reading a string of knock-down, drag-out, shoot-'em-up (and worse) thrillers. And I don't recall the last time I read an actual book instead of on one of my e-readers, I'm a huge supporter of libraries and all the wonderful things that happen in them. So when I saw that this book has a bookish focus - and I'd read and enjoyed an earlier book in a different series by the author - well, reading it was kind of a no-brainer. It's the eighth in this series and my first, so I hoped that late start wouldn't put me at a disadvantage; for the record, it did not.

The star of this show is Amy Muir, co-director of the Taylorsford Pubic Library with her friend Sunny. Job-sharing allows Amy to better care for twins Nicky and Ella, whom she shares with her professional dancer/choreographer husband Richard. As the story begins, Richard and his professional partner are in charge of the upcoming community theater production of "The Nutcracker," in which the 5-year-old twins have roles. The couple also awaits a visit from Richard's mother, who isn't, shall we say, the most lovable person on earth (but she adores the twins and they her).

The chairwoman of the overall holiday festival in town also is not much beloved, since she heads up a company that's running roughshod over property owners with the intent of building upscale development projects. But when she's found dead by the hand of someone else, one of the suspects turns out to be Amy's brother, Ethan, who lives with his husband Scott and oversees the town's volunteer fire department. When Ethan suddenly goes missing, he suddenly becomes law enforcement's primary target.

Amy, understandably, is certain her brother is innocent - and in between shuffling the twins to rehearsals and from babysitters to babysitter, working and prepping for what is expected to be a stressful MIL visit, she sets out to prove it. Accomplishing that, she says, will require her to put to put all her "research skills" to the test - though honestly, based on what I read, said skills seemed to be limited to Google searches that most seventh-graders could do. Overall, though, Amy is a likeable, competent person; and while there's very little dangerous action going on - the bulk of the story is about the daily comings and goings of her and her family interspersed with a few hints as to who the culprit might be - I really enjoyed the reading experience. No blood, no guts here - the most "rugged" parts were the times Amy got annoyed enough to swear (well, just in her head a couple of times till she finally let one actually get past her lips). There's a titch of danger near the finish line, when everything comes together to usher in an "all's right with the world" ending.

All told, it's a perfect book to read, especially over the holiday season (a gift, perhaps, for someone one your list? I'm sure they'd love it too). As for me, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to sample a series I'm now looking forward to reading more of. Nicely done!

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

Such a cute cozy mystery. I'm enjoying the whole series.

This is book eight of the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. I hadn't read the first seven, and although the murder mystery itself was easy to follow, I did feel like I was missing out on so much history between the characters. I might end up going back and reading them because I did enjoy this one.

It was lighthearted, and I liked the interactions between Amy and the people of Taylorsford. I especially loved Amy's twins Nicky and Ella. I also adored how Christmasy this book felt!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve been a big fan of Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library series for as long as it’s been published. The plots are always well-crafted and plausible. Ms. Gilbert has a gift for writing dialogue that seems to effortless.y move the story along and hold the reader’s attention. The series centers around Amy Muir, a small-town librarian in Virginia with a reputation as a amateur sleuth whose knack for research has helped the local sheriff’s department solve several murders. There is a core group of characters who regularly appear in the series, which is a feature of the series that I especially like, and a lot of camaraderie among the characters as they interact.

In the latest book in the series, “Murder Checks Out,” Amy gets involved in a heated situation between a company owned by a family of shady land developers and a group of environmentalists from outside the community who have arrived in town to make clear that they are adamant.y against the company’s local land development plans. Wendy Blackstone, one of the partners in the company, is murdered and Amy’s brother-in-law, Ethan, had been seen by witnesses not long before her death having a heated argument with her. Worse, he’s now AWOL and thus has become Sheriff Brad Tucker’s chief suspect. Amy is certain of Ethan’s innocence and she fires up the library’s computer to do some research on both the Blackstone’s company and the environmentalist group. The plot moves at steady pace, and Amy finds out that there are any number of people who have a potential motive to want Wendy Blackstone dead,

One of the other things I want to mention about this series is the author’s use in this and earlier books in the series of excellent non-mystery subplots, often involving recurring characters. In “Murder Checks Out,” Amy’s mother-in-law, Fiona, a woman who from her appearance in previous entries in the series, appears to be cold, distant, and disapproving, arrives for a week’s stay with her son, Richard, and Amy as well as Amy and Richard’s young twins. This particular subplot had relevance to someone in my own life in a similar situation as Fiona. I think others may also think of a friend or family member when they read it. I don’t want to spoil things, so I’ll just say that readers may be quite surprised.by Fiona when they read the final chapters.

I've reading this series for ages and the characters are sort of friends with whom I catch up when I read a new novel.
This one was entertaining and it's also sweet to read about Amy and her young family.
A solid mystery, a festive atmosphere. Very enjoyable.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Amy has her hands full this Christmas season. Her plate keeps getting fuller. Her mother in law is coming to stay before Christmas. She doesn't think she can handle one more thing and then a dead body is found at the festival. Sheriff Brad Tucker thinks Amy's brother-in-law Ethan is the killer. So Amy has to prove the sheriff wrong.
I enjoyed following the clues with Amy and being surprised by the ending. Overall a good Christmas cozy mystery.

Amy Muir is busy this holiday season. Her twins are in a performance of <i>The Nutcracker</i>, which is being choreographed by Amy's husband Richard. Not only are their rehearsals, but her mother-in-law is coming to town for a visit. The mother-in-law who doesn't like her. During all this madness, the town has a festival where a prominent business person is killed. This woman buys and develops properties, but not without controversary. This woman wants to develop property that abuts her brother's property. Ethan, her brother-in-law was seen arguing with the woman and has disappeared. He is the number one suspect.

This book is easy-to-read and the characters are fun. The stories are always engaging and kept me turning the pages.

Cute Christmas library cozy. I love her book B&B mysteries too. A charming book to cuddle up with a blanket, some cocoa and blissful reading

I really enjoyed this story . Amy is one of the library directors but she is also the amateur sleuth and a very one.
She gets involved in trying to solve the murder of Wendy Blackstone ,as her brother in law, Ethan is prime suspect. Amy has a lot on her plate and Fiora.her mother-in-law comes to visit. She has a wealth of information on Wendy. Amy, begins her sleuthing. This is one of those cozy mysteries that you might think you know who done it but you really don't until you get to the end.

Murder Checks Out is the eighth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series.

Amy Muir is the Taylorsford's library director and is always busy in the days leading up to Christmas. Her husband, Richard has been practicing The Nutcracker for the town's planned festival. This year Nicky and Ella, their five-year-old twins are making their debut.

The body of a woman is discovered and Amy's brother-in-law, Ethan, is a person of interest. In order to save her brother-in-law as well as Christmas Amy gets in the middle of the investigation.

This was a fun and entertaining cozy Christmas murder mystery. Christmas is always a busy time getting ready for the big day, throw in a murder and things are bound to get crazier.

I just loved this cozy mystery! I read it in one sitting! I would definitely recommend this book. I really connected with the characters and I had to know what would happen!

Murder Checks Out is book #8 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert.

Amy is so busy even before there is a murder to investigate. I like Amy and her family. Her twins performing in the Nutcracker brought back a lot of happy memories of going to see it with my mom. This is an entertaining Christmas-themed story. It was an interesting mystery and I liked how it all wrapped up.

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

Taylorsford is hosting their first Winterfest. It’s cold and snowy and people are out having a great time. Amy Muir and her family including 5-year-old twins are preparing for Christmas and a production of the Nutcracker including the twins as well as Amy’s dancing husband. When an unpopular developer is found dead, Amy’s brother-in-law is the chief suspect. Oh, and Amy’s troublesome mother-in-law has moved in for a week or two. Something is definitely wrong there. This is an enjoyable Christmas tale. Read and enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Murder Checks Out is the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. This series is consistently good, and Murder Checks Out does not disappoint. Amy and Richard are great characters, and it was really different with their children being present in the book. The mystery was interesting, with a strong storyline. The fact that it takes place during the Holidays adds to the fun factor of the book. Murder Checks Out is an enjoyable cozy mystery, perfect for a relaxing read.

A god mystery with great characters.
Amy is busy with the library, her twins,and her husband ,Nutcracker show and a visit from her mother in law..
Can she help her brother in law who is accused of murder..
Enjoy this series.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Oh wow this was another exciting adventure for Amy and her family/friends. I thought it was such a cool idea to time-jump five years ahead to when Amy’s kids were in kindergarten basically skipping the years where you wouldn’t have much of a story anyway when the twins were babies and smaller. Now they were little kids and sometimes more like five going on fifteen as they followed in Richard’s dancing footsteps by being part of the modern dance Nutcracker he and Karla were presenting.

Every Grinch there ever was has had a change of heart, and it was no different for Amy’s mother-in-law, Fiona. She actually turned out to be a really nice person and since I don’t wanna spill the reason why she’s so nice now, you’ll just have to read that part for yourself! She truly loved the little kids though which was pretty awesome in itself. I’d never have thought of Fiona from the earlier books wanting anything to do with grandkids until they were over the messy stage.

That was some showdown! And since Amy and Fiona had sleuthed together, they were in on this showdown together too. And they handled it like troopers until reinforcements came. Christmas at the Muir house was noisy, fun and amazing! I saw on the author’s website that the next book is scheduled for 2025 and was happy this series isn’t ending yet. I’d sure miss that wolfish rascal Kurt! 😉

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