This is a review of the printed book, not audiobook. This novel is as close to perfection as to the way it aligns with my favorite elements: older female amateur sleuth, former librarian, currently employed in book related career, intelligent, empathetic and modest. Add an interesting story and strong supporting characters for ideal novel. My only regret is the author continues the cozy book trend of a book title having no specific tie to the story. I miss the old Perry Mason and Nero Wolfe books with their titles so aligned to the story. Thanks to #NetGalley and #ACrypticClue for advanced digital copy.

Our protagonist Jane is a 60-year-old newly retired librarian. Since she was forced into retirement by the university where she worked; she is looking for a new adventure. She takes a job inventorying books for a 33-year-old eccentric book collector, Cameron. Jane doesn't know to think of Cam upon meeting him as he seems to lack social skills. However, once Jane finds more than books in Cam's library she agrees to help him clear his name.

I enjoyed reading this new cozy mystery. The unlikely duo of Jane and Cam is entertaining. I like how well they worked together even though at times Jane had some doubts about Cam. Cam's character is interesting, he was brought up by a rich but distinct father and he seems to suffer from agoraphobia and severe anxiety. I like how Jane is eager to take on a job using her skills in a new setting. She refuses to just sit at home and waste time doing nothing. The mystery is well-written. It moves at a great pace and is full of twists and turns to keep the reader in suspense and guessing who the murderer is. I look forward to reading more about these two's adventures.

I listened to the audiobook of the book. The narrator was great at bringing the characters off the page.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

Iy has been a very long time since I have started a series from the very beginning. A fun read, more of a cozy, a murder but not a descriptive or graphic one. Centered more on some interesting characters. A retired librarian, forced to retire but not ready to quit working nor have the financial means to do so. A younger man, a wealthy one with a tragic childhood, who needs someone to catalogue and sort out his many books and articles. Enter our librarian who soon gets a taste for mystery solving as strong if not stronger than that of her cataloguing job. So, a new crime solving duo is born.

Cozies are lighter books, easier on the stress level, but usually with some unusual characters. This series promises to have all of that.


Narration was terrific.

First in a new series. I had high expectations from this book given the author and the plot. I loved everything about the story but there was just something off for me with the dynamic of the characters. I didn't find them relatable or even very likeable. I did enjoy the mystery and background mysteries and the reveal was good.
I will continue with the series because I do like the setting and storyline.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this one at first but once I got it to it I really did like it. I like the interplay between Hunter & Clew since they are an unlikely duo. This was my 1st book by Victoria Gilbert but definitely will not be my last and I will be adding her backlog of books to my TBR!

#ACrypticClue
#NetGalley

This was a first try of this author for me. The description of the story sounded really interesting. I had an audio version of the story and enjoyed the narration. I did feel that the author needed to hold back on a lot of the descriptive elements of the story. I felt that it was really bogged down with unnecessary detail that did stop the flow for me. It was definitely a cozy mystery and was quite slow moving. It did make for enjoyable listening on my daily commute and didn't require great levels of concentration. I didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed, which was great. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me access to a review copy of this audiobook.

A Cryptic Clue is a cozy mystery written through the eyes of Jane Hunter, a sixty-year-old librarian hired by thirty-three-year-old agoraphobe, Cameron Clewe, to do an inventory of his book collection.. When Jane starts working, she discovers a corpse amidst the books. To prove her boss innocent, Jane works the case.

I enjoy a good cozy mystery, however, this plot did not encourage me to keep reading. I would read this if I didn't have anything to do, say on a long flight. The lack of drive and tension had me selecting other books over this. I did enjoy the setting and the atmosphere of a private book collection. I also appreciated that the main character was an older woman, instead of the traditional female main character in her 20s, latest early 30s,

If you are looking for a comforting read for the beach, car ride, or plane, this is a great read. If you are looking for a driven plot, this book is not for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Hunter was forced to take early retirement from her job as a University librarian. Needing to occupy her time and supplement her pension, she takes on the job of cataloguing the mystery collection of wealthy collector Cameron Clewe. Cam is thirty-three and attractive, but does not have many social skills. He also deals with anxiety and is agoraphobic. It’s not surprising that his romantic relationships rarely work out well. But, Ashely Allen is the first to end up dead in his library. Convinced he will be the main suspect in the murder investigation, Cam convinces Jane to help him do a little sleuthing, in addition to her regular duties.

I liked Jane. She’s 60 and having to start over, but she’s doing it with grace and humor. The story is told from her viewpoint, but she is the sidekick. She’s smart and good at talking to people and understanding body language, but it’s Clewe who can put all the clues together. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job bringing Jane to life. As an audio it worked well, but it may have been a bit slow in print. The author takes a lot of time describing and explaining.

Cam is likeable too, in his own way. He’s awkward and can be dismissive and insulting, but he is trying. I think his friendship with Jane is a good basis for the series, if rather Sherlock and Watson-esque.

I did guess who the killer was but not the why. I felt like the motive was sprung on us at the end. Yes, we had some of the clues, but I don’t think we could have put them together without Clewe’s “inside” information, which he failed to share with Jane until the last minute.

There’s some talk between Jane and Cam about solving more mysteries together, a couple of them dealing with Cam’s past. I hope the series doesn’t get too caught up in family mysteries, rather than present day ones.

Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook ARC. I love a good Librarian book and this one did not disappoint. Jane Hunter is such a wonderful ameture slueth and Mr Clewe is an eccentric chearecter. I can not wait for book 2.

A Cryptic Clue
The book is a cozy mystery about a retired librarian and a socially challenged young man who team up to solve a murder. The audio is well-narrated and the characters are likable. The story starts off strong but slows down a bit in the middle. However, it picks up again and has a satisfying conclusion. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like this book—great idea, fun even. However, Ms. Gilbert needs to understand the difference between adding details because someone told her she should and adding details that contribute to the story in some fashion. Including details of every stray thought that runs through a character's mind and does not contribute to how said character feels about the situation or what might be going on is, instead, boring. The author does not allow the reader to comprehend anything, rather over-explains every minute scene, joke, or random comment in unnecessary, excruciating detail that detracts from the story.

The characters were incredible, and not in a good way. Sharing secrets and personal information about an employer within seconds of meeting each other? This is a 60-year-old woman and an adult woman, not teenagers flipping burgers at a local McDs. This is not normal behavior. Likewise, a 60-year-old woman who hesitates to have a friendship with the landlord out of concern he might want to put the moves on her? Really? Does the author know anything about adults? I could go on, but why bother?

The main character Jane is a condescending, egotistical, judgmental cow! Frankly, she DESERVED to be fired from the very first interview. Her snide comments to herself about her employer are horrible! But perhaps they are only slightly worse than her judging insults to nearly every other character in the story.

Cam Clewe, the male lead, is written as though he is on the Autism Spectrum, a very serious condition handled as though it is the butt of a joke. Gilbert highlights all the easily definable aspects of an individual with Asperger's but instead calls it out as social ineptness, OCD, savant, agoraphobia. Yet the author portrays all these characteristics in their most annoying, off-putting manner and uses all the primary characters to attack him, mostly behind his back, for his condition.

Disappointing from start to finish. I ended up wishing that the killer had been more efficient and killed off the entire cast.

Here's what I liked--when I read the synopsis I hoped this book would feel like watching Mr She Wrote did when I was a kid/teen. At times it did.

What I didn't like was the contrived situations. I may post a full review video review on my channel later, but I'm unsure.

I think my 4 stars, which I consider a B, may be generous, but all in all I enjoyed it even through I found the the plot and characters forgettable. At the point of listening to the audio novel I was liking it. Now, a couple week later it already blends into the background of my mind.

I would give another book from the author a go, but I rarely give a B to a book that fades so fast.

Librarians, actors, old mansions? Perfect combination for a weekend of reading/listening cozy fun. When Jane becomes the archivist for Cameron Clewe, she doesn't expect researching a murder to be part of her job. Little did she know that she would be good at it.

3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4 ⭐️. I enjoyed the female narrator and the story in this audiobook.

This was a fun who-dunnit with an interesting, intelligent, strong, 60 year old female lead - loved that!! Meet Jane Hunter, a retired university librarian, who is forced into retirement (hello, parallel world - a teacher here). It involves a murder at a party and amateur sleuths try to solve it. This includes the wealthy male estate owner, Cameron/Cam, as well as his recently hired, as a library assistant, Jane. She is bright and inquisitive, somewhat out of physical shape, but so mentally astute and a great strong female lead. I also enjoyed the library, books, and art themes.

It feels a bit like a cozy mystery but it is not slow and drawn out. This book is the first in a new series by this author and the female narrator was terrific. Cameron, the wealthy, lead male character, was kind of blah and unlikeable, but you'll find out why later. There were some oddball secondary characters that could've been flushed out more to make their personalities more available and interesting to the reader. I happen to love character driven novels. Some might call this a cozy mystery. Overall, very worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author, Victoria Gilbert, for this advance audiobook copy.

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?

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is the first in the Hunter and Clewe series. that follows sixty year old jane Hunter who is a retired librarian that likes to keep busy so she goes to work Cam. Her easy and interesting job that includes classic mystery books takes a turn when a body is discovered in the library. The audiobook was interesting as the narrator was engaging , audible and exceptional. I enjoyed this book

I received an early audiobook copy from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This beginning to a mystery series was so intriguing. I was fully immersed in the story and was so curious who murdered who. This narrator did a great job. It did kind of throw me off to find out the main character was a female when they had a male narrator. However, everything else was great about the narration.

Read this one if you enjoy:
🧩Clue
❔Whodunnit
🕵️‍♀️Mystery
🤫Secrets

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars,

I found this to a be a light, pretty enjoyable cozy mystery. The main characters, a retired librarian and a reclusive, seemingly neuro-divergent millionaire, were well-developed and carried the story effectively. The mystery felt familiar and supporting characters were a bit cliched, but the story was engaging (with an old-time mystery feel).

I look forward to other books in the series.

first-in-series, new-series, librarian, library, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, country-estate, entitled-attitude, mental-health-awareness, mental-health-issues, reclusive, wealthy****

01/21/23 The new librarian found the body in the library and the candlestick is missing.
It was the Monday after a fundraising gala on the estate and Jane Hunter's first day at her new job on the Clewe estate since her forced retirement from the university library. An unlikely alliance is formed between middle aged Jane, her employer the thirty something Cam Clewe, and Jane's new landlord (a retired journalist) to extricate the clues to the murder and more. Very good start to a promising new series by an excellent author of cozy mysteries!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! 6/26/23 I've been lucky enough to be granted a temporary audio copy from Dreamscape media!
Voice actor Carrington MacDuffie took the material and ran with it to make a good story even better. Now I want to get my own audio copy!

Victoria Gilbert, author of the popular Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, delivers the first in a new series, A CRYPTIC CLUE (A Hunter and Clewe Mystery #1)—A retired librarian finds a new literary position and gets caught up in a murder case, getting more than she bargained for in this cozy new mystery series.

A Glamorous Estate
Family Secrets
Hidden Crimes
A Wealthy Genius
A Puzzling Murder
A Slew of Prospects

Jane Hunter, age 60, is forced into early retirement from her position as a university librarian. She needs another job to supplement her retirement pension. She is delighted when she finds an archivist position to inventory rare books and artifacts.

Cameron "Cam" Clewe is a wealthy young eccentric 33-year-old collector. He rarely leaves the mansion, rich, handsome, agoraphobic and socially awkward. He loves classic mystery and detective authors. Due to his lack of emotional and social skills, he is not good at relationships with women.

There is plenty to keep Jane busy, and she is thrilled to work at the prestigious manor. But Cam has a lot of rules and is very eccentric. Also, not only has he collected many first editions of the Golden Age but has letters and clippings from newspapers and magazines of the books and writers.

Barely into the job, Jane discovers a body in Cam's library the day after the elegant fundraising event held at his home the previous evening. The victim, Ashley Allen, is an heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. She was the victim of Cam's latest failed romance and was last seen arguing with him. Now he is the number one suspect.

Cam is innovative and wants his name cleared, but he needs help and chooses Jane. Cam recruits Jane and Lauren (his assistant) to investigate Ashley's past. She has a lot of enemies. Jane is now an amateur detective/sleuth, along with her other duties. He will pay her so she is on board.

However, is he innocent? There is a list of suspects and motives.

Hunter & Clewe are an unlikely pair; however, they complement one another, each with their own set of skills. A delightful new series with relatable characters, ideal for book lovers, with an array of classic books, literary references, humor, and a cozy murder mystery. My first book by the NC author, and I look forward to the next in the Hunter and Clewe Mystery series.

As a NC native, I enjoyed the Winston-Salem, North Carolina mentions since I lived there for years and my grown sons currently reside there. I enjoyed reading about the author from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

If you enjoy entertaining cozy mysteries with a reclusive millionaire and a witty retired sidekick, A CRYPTIC CLUE is for you!

AUDIOBOOK: I listened to the audio version narrated by Carrington MacDuffie for an engaging performance.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the author intro and a gifted ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books

Cozy mysteries are my favorite and while I’ve heard good things about this author, I don’t think I had read anything by her yet. This had an older main character than most cozies so that made it a little different already. I liked that the mystery started off right away but there were some parts that I felt dragged. All in all, I have moved the author up on my TBR list because I loved her writing style and want more!