Retired College Librarian of 60, Ms. Jane Hunter goes to work for “leading man type” Mr. Cam Clewe who is 33. Upon first meeting he makes a snide comment about her age and weight automatically making her self conscious and start to self loath… I hate him already 2 minutes in… Lauren bipoc executive assistant? Jane has a daughter Bailey who’s an actress (30)

Cam talks down to Jane… who could be his mother and has at least a masters degree. His comments about being a scholar… is he more than socially awkward? If not what a pretentious snob.

Alright, about 30% in I started to feel sympathy for Cam’s awkwardness and agoraphobia.

Almost halfway and Lauren is constantly missing…
This feels like a cozier version of a Sue Grafton novel and I’m loving it.

For some reason I wasn’t expecting it to be set in modern day… I don’t know why

Why does it feel like the author is setting Lauren up?! 70% or a ghost…

I love all the old lady drama! I can’t wait for the second one.

Triggers:
* Brief mention of alcoholism and eluding to domestic violence as a result.
* People named Ashley being the sole inheritor from a grandmother. (Probably only a trigger for the other 5 grandchildren in my family.)

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
Hmmm well I just have to say this was just not a good murder mystery. I usually always love these types of books but even though it is only 6 hours or so read, it felt so much longer. Just nothing happened. The characters were flat and boring and I was so tired of hearing how awful men are and it is because of men etc. The main female character even was upset at how the male character tossed the keys to her and even commented how it must make him feel better to treat her like a servant. (What in the world?) There was also a part about her questioning why he had so many female authors in his library and was it because he was trying to promote female authors or was it just all a thing because the male first edition books are all bought up and don't care about female authors. I mean honestly it got really old after a while. I read 80% of this book and nothing happens at all! What a waste of time. We get it! You hate men and are a feminist. Ugh

Mystery lovers unite and enjoy this fabulous book! I could not get the download to work, but I think this will be a big hit.

An interesting mystery filled with wondrous twists and turns.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It really filled my need for a simple yet addicting audiobook to listen to on the train.
The book had interesting and lovable characters that I would love to read more about, but I would say that it's not profoundly amazing but really worth the read.

This was fine. Kind of slow but also idk, characters were kind of weird. I just feel like it was mid. But I’ll come back for the next.

Victoria Gilbert's cryptic clue is a delightful enigma wrapped in a riddle, sprinkled with a dash of mystery and a pinch of wit. It's the kind of puzzle that makes you feel both Sherlockian and slightly puzzled about why you didn't solve it sooner. The clues are as cunning as a cat burglar and as charming as a detective in a classic noir film. I deducted 0.5 stars only because, much like a cryptic crossword itself, it left me scratching my head in both awe and confusion. But hey, who said solving crimes—or cryptic clues—was meant to be a walk in the park? 4.5 out of 5 stars, because who needs a perfect score when you're having this much fun deciphering the clever mind of Victoria Gilbert?

A Cryptic Clue is a cozy mystery featuring former librarian Jane Hunter and eccentric collector Cameron Clewe. Jane has been hired by Cam as an archivist. Jane has the worst first day finding a murdered woman in the library. The woman turns out to be Cam’s ex-girlfriend. Jane works to clear her employer and find the murderer.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with an unlikely partnership this one is for you. I love Jane she’s just nosy enough to unravel the mystery

I enjoyed this audiobook! Recommended for anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. I was in the edge of my seat.

The one word I could use to describe this book is "ordinary." The story focuses on Jane, a librarian forced into early retirement who gets a job as an archivist for a wealthy eccentric young man. She ends up trying to solve the mystery of a dead woman found in the study after a party. A rather ordinary cozy mystery plot. The characters were the usual expected group of unique individuals (the hot-head, the social climber, the spurned lover, and so on. But, they just didn't seem all that interesting in a group, and it was pretty easy to figure out the killer quite early in the book.

I initially received this book as an e-book and read it completely. Then, I received the audiobook. I had to chuckle as I started to listen, because the narration really does reflect the "ordinary" adjective I gave the book. I really didn't hear any personality in the various depictions of the characters, but not sure whether that was just the nature of the characters. So, I'd give this book a lukewarm rating--it really didn't stand out as particularly riveting or make me want to read the next book in this new series.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"A Cryptic Clue" by Victoria Gilbert had a premise that intrigued me from the start, but the execution left me somewhat disappointed. The story revolves around a librarian turned archivist working for an eccentric employer, and when a murder occurs, her boss becomes the prime suspect.

I thought the resolution of the mystery was quite interesting. The revelation of the murderer's identity and motive held my attention and added depth to the plot. It was a redeeming aspect of the book.

However, the language used was a significant stumbling block for me. I couldn't help but think, "people don't talk like this." The unrealistic dialogue consistently pulled me out of the story, making it challenging to fully immerse myself in the plot. It was unfortunate because the book had a promising premise that could have been executed better.

Another issue I had was with some of the characters. It seemed like certain individuals were added merely to create additional suspicion without contributing significantly to the story's development.

In the end, "A Cryptic Clue" had potential with its intriguing setup and resolution, but the unrealistic language and the presence of underdeveloped characters made it a less satisfying read for me. While it may still appeal to readers who prioritize plot over dialogue, it ultimately wasn't a win in my book.

The narrator, Carrington MacDuffie, fit the main character well. Because it was told from her point of view, that worked.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Victoria Gilbert for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was unfortunately a DNF for me. I typically like a good mystery. Nothing wrong with the story line, I just could not get into it or focus on it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this audio ARC.

I never cease to be impressed with the myriad ways Victoria Gilbert incorporates librarianship into her series. A Cryptic Clue, the first installment in her new Hunter and Clewe mystery series brings together a retired academic librarian (Jane Hunter, age 60) and a socially inept book collector (Cam Clewe, age 33). Cam hires Jane to inventory his collection, but after a body is found in his library and Cam becomes a suspect, the unlikely pair shift gears and become sleuthing partners.

The strength of this book primarily draws from this central relationship, which transcends a generational gap in a believable and satisfying way. The mystery plot itself was straighforward and fairly forgettable (especially since I'm a character-driven reader and often don't pay attention to the plot), but as with Gilbert's other books the characters are so well-written they feel like real people the reader wants to spend time with chapter after chapter and book after book.

The audiobook performance by Carrington MacDuffie is an asset to the story as well. She brings life to the characters; voices and provides an enjoyable listening experience.

Overall, this is another strong start to another promising series by a fantastic author of library-themed cozies.

A mystery solving librarian!

"A Cryptic Clue" follows Jane Hunter who is a retired librarian that has come to work for Cameron Clewe. Cameron is a young estate owner who is a big socialite that isn't a great fan of socializing. Jane has come to organize Camerons extensive collections and gets caught up in solving a murder.

To add fire to the flame, Cameron’s ex-girlfriend is murdered, at his own party. This is when Cameron and Jane team up to figure out who the murderer really is. I have to say Cameron and Jane have great platonic chemistry and their interactions did fill my heart with joy. "A Cryptic Clue" was entertaining to say the least and definitely kept me on my toes. I did not see the end coming!

Thank You to Victoria Gilbert and Dreamscape Media, for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

A cozy mystery is always a nice treat as summer starts winding down. They feature all the joys of a puzzle to solve but no little pieces to fall on the floor for the puppy to eat. As a book lover, I relate to folks in books who are bookish. I was pleased to see Jane, the librarian, and Cam, the collector of classic mysteries, are not only bookish but also smart.

The accurate description of the role of a special collection librarian including the archival and cataloging aspects of her profession warmed my retired librarian heart. Being the first in a series is another win, with shiny new characters and a view to more adventures in the future. The setting, in a mansion with a library and mysteriously walled off attic, happily gave me Nancy Drew vibes.

I have read a couple of books from the author's other series (A Blue Ridge Library and The Booklovers B&B Mystery series) and the first thing I noticed while reading/listening to A Cryptic Clue was a difference in tone between this book and the others. I guess it has something to do with the age gap between the protagonists Jane Hunter and Cameron Clewe but I distinctly felt it. 

I received both an ARC and ALC of the title and I mostly listened to the audiobook. The narration by Carrington MacDuffie was good and helped me keep apace with the book. There is a backstory to Cameron and since he offers Jane to become his crime solving partner to solve any future cold cases, we can expect more revelations as the series continue.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media and the author Victoria Gilbert for both the ARC and ALC of the book. I had finished reading the book before the publication date but got delayed in sharing my thoughts.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

A Cryptic Clue is the first book in a new cozy mystery series starring Jane Hunter, a retired librarian and her new employer, Cameron Clewe who is a 33-year-old estate owner with a large collection of books for Jane to catalogue.
When Cameron’s ex-girlfriend is murdered, Jane & Cameron join forces to solve the murder. There are a number of suspects who were present at the time and who have various motives. Jane and Cameron work together to solve the mystery – there are a number of additional plot threads that intertwine through the book, some of which are resolved and others which remain unresolved – they may be meant to resolve later in the series, though I think I’d prefer it to be standalone/fully resolved in this instalment. I felt that the ending was a little anti-climactic.
The mystery itself is a bit contrived and not entirely realistic, but it has a good pace. Typically for the genre, this book is easy to read and has a few quirky characters that have distinct personalities. I liked Jane. She is clever & perceptive, but the story is sort of told from her perspective and some of the “inner thoughts” are a bit clunky. Cam is awkward and there is definitely a focus on his “tapping” – perhaps an indication that he has autistic traits?
I liked that the protagonist was an older woman, who brought her life experience to the case, and I also appreciated that Cam was younger and therefore there will not be a romantic element to the series! The two characters played off each other fairly well & as they get to know/trust each other more as the series progresses, I think they will become good friends and work well together.
I dual read this book, part ebook & part audiobook. The narrator Carrington MacDuffie brought the large cast of characters distinct and distinguishable from one another. I liked how she portrayed Jane, but her interpretation of Cam was not quite how I imagined him. It felt very much like a “Murder she Wrote” episode!

A Cryptic Clue is the first book in an amateur sleuth cozy series by Victoria Gilbert. Released 11th July 2023 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in late 1st quarter 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is a light character driven cozy with several entwined plot threads, some of which remain unresolved at the end of this installment and which tease the next book(s) in the series. The main protagonists are a 60something semi-retired reference librarian and her 30something millionaire employer who has engaged her services to help catalogue his extensive library and ephemera collections. A murder after a charity gala at his mansion draws them into examining the clues as well as several other mysteries from the past.

The mysteries are fairly well constructed and engaging, albeit -very- contrived (and not very realistic). The book's written in 1st person PoV, and does drag a bit from "telling" instead of "showing", but overall, the characters are well rendered and distinct. The dialogue is often a bit clunky and unpolished. The author's representation of Cam Clewe (the millionaire) will likely be problematic for some readers. He's never been diagnosed or been in therapy, but he's socially inept, overly direct, awkward, and has symptoms of OCD (tapping, counting, etc) and agoraphobia, and the author uses these behaviors to move the plot along and as a humorous counterpoint for commentary from the secondary characters. NONE of the characters have *any* concept of confidentiality or personal responsibility.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 8 hours, 31 minutes and is well narrated by Carrington MacDuffie. She has a husky contralto voice, and does a good job of keeping the very large cast of characters distinct and distinguishable from one another.

Three stars. Readable, but flawed. The high point was the audio narration.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I love Victoria Gilbert’s writing and storytelling. She makes me care for the main sleuther and it’s side characters, which is always a must for me when reading Murder mysteries. I enjoyed the whole “two people who love to solve murder mysteries” vibes. The whole murder was a bit dark but down so well that it did not feel heavy. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Jane Hunter has a brand new job. She's a middle-aged librarian who has just gotten a gig with a reclusive estate heir, Cameron Clewe, cataloging and indexing a vast collection of ephemera and books when Cameron's girlfriend is murdered at a gala. There is a host of interesting suspects with varying motives (usually money) and Jane must work to decipher Cameron's clues about his past, the history of the estate's owners, and the true murderer.

This was definitely a quiet sort of mystery. Jane is a calm and reassuring presence for Cameron and in her amateur sleuthing activities. Despite several dangerous run-ins (for which she does not contact the police) she remains logical and reasonable, never quite jumping to conclusions. She seems to be a mother figure for Cameron, an interesting employer-employee relationship. I enjoyed the narrator, though I thought that some of the dialogue felt a bit dated, not exactly how modern words and slang would be spoken by people in their 20s and 30s. I felt that there weren't enough clues to tie the actual murderer to the victim, so I was a bit surprised at the big reveal.