Favorite Quotes:

It would have been charming if it weren’t the place where dreams go to die.

Agnes was a prickly woman of retirement age whose hobbies appeared to be telling other people what was wrong with them and sucking on lemons.

There was a poster hanging on the back wall that said JESUS ALREADY KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU DON’T WANT YOUR MOMMA TO FIND OUT.

Miranda was perpetually uptight about most things. Punctuality was just a lone grain of sand on the seashore of her pet peeves.

Let me check the temperature of Hell and get back to you.

I loiter at the diabetic supply store looking for my next sugar momma.

There were two reasons I didn’t hang out with women. They could turn vicious in a pack environment, and I had an aversion to drama.

The world is full of trolls who want to steal your happiness to make up for their own misery.

Apparently, they can’t diagnose that until I’m dead, which sounds like a load of crap telling someone you have a disease that will kill you and we’ll let you know for sure after it does.


My Review:

I vastly enjoyed this witty tale. The writing was well-paced, populated with the most quirkiest of characters, and laced together with world-class snark. I had highlighted so many favorite quotes that it was rather painful to pare down the list to include in my review. This was just my first date with the crafty scribe known as Libby Klein, but we are going to be an ongoing item if she can continue to churn out more cleverly penned tales on par with Vice and Virtue. I am eager to see what she conjures up as the next adventure for this tribe of eccentric snoops.

This is a super start to a new series - the plotting is great and so are the characters. I highly recommend!

A good and solid mystery, the excellent start of a new series. Darker than the previous mystery, solid and gripping
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is an excellent start to a new series. Libby Klein at her best. Edgier then her poppy books, but well worth the read. Her best book yet!

Start to a new cozy series by Libby Klein. I like her series and I’ve enjoyed her books for years now. So I was excited to get my hands on this one and give it a read. I was not disappointed.

Layla has a hard road ahead of her, but gosh, she gives it her all. I can’t wait to see where future entries in the series take her. But I know one thing for sure, each one of the mysteries will be enjoyable to read and will progress the story of Layla and her life. I’m looking forward to this one.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Layla Virtue now calls the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park home. The 30-something blue-haired former cop is trying to hold on to her sobriety as she tries to make a living as a musician. So, she is playing at dive bars, open mic nights, and kids’ birthday parties, hoping to get her big break. She also attends AA meetings and is doing all she can to avoid interacting with her neighbors.

When a clown dies at one of the kids’ parties right in front of her eyes, her life under the radar explodes. Soon, a group of women from the AA meetings are determined to become friends, and a new neighbor has caught her interest. The women are on board to help her delve into the lives of the upper-class wives, some of whom had romantic relationships with the most undesirable Chuckles the Clown, to try to see who took him down as he made his final balloon animal, and why.

Libby Klein’s fabulous sense of humor shines from the very first line and is on display until the very last line. In between, there is a heck of a story.

Layla Virtue had a devastating event in her past, which led her to make some drastic changes. Ms. Klein reveals what that event was slowly, which draws the reader in magnificently, wanting to learn the backstory of our flawed protagonist. We also meet Layla’s dad, a famous rocker from back in the day, who was touring until shortly before he arrived for his visit. Trying to keep his identity a secret led to some truly hilarious moments. Layla has a new canine neighbor who spends more time with her than he does with his hunky owner. We also meet Layla’s other neighbors, members of her AA group, and mothers of the children at the kids’ birthday parties. All were cleverly crafted with depth and their own battles, flaws, and responsibilities.

The author has wrapped her characters in an incredible story with a tough-to-solve mystery. There are so many people who could have wanted Chuck McCracken, aka Chuckles the Clown, dead. Being a former cop, Layla knows the ins and outs of an investigation. Asking the right questions, following the clues, circling back to ask more questions, staying ready for the twists and turns. Having new friends to help her was an added plus. I had a great time following them step by step until the sting when all was revealed.

In addition to the mystery, we delve into Layla’s father’s life and the hole in Layla’s life while he was off touring. It tugged on my heartstrings as they came back together, and how he showed his love for her. It was always the right way, but his heart was in the right place. He does bring a lot of humor to the story, but he also brought tears to my eyes.

This story is filled with multiple themes: friendship, aging, PTSD, dementia, fraud, gambling, and murder. These tough topics are wonderfully entwined in a book filled with heart and humor.

Vice and Virtue has set this series off to a fantastic start. It was impossible to put down. Funny, smart, heartwarming, and entertaining. I loved every minute of it. I am over the moon excited for this series to continue. I enjoyed it so much, I am giving it my A Trip to Paradise rating, and it will hold a place on my Best Reads of 2025 list.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is such a fun series debut. If you love a prickly main character, you won't find better than Layla, who is working hard to reestablish herself after a big, traumatic, career ending event. Her aging rock star dad and the friends she reluctantly acquires at AA make for excellent secondary characters, and since Layla has a background in police work, her investigatory skills are better than your usual cozy heroine. Very entertaining, solid mystery, can't wait for more.

Totally fun new series featuring Layla Virtue, a recovering alcoholic and an ex-cop. She's trying to make a go of rock music after her law enforcement career blew up, literally. She's smart sassy and broke with more defenses than The Iron Curtin. Also as the daughter of a legit rock and roll legend, she grown up without any real friends.And then the death of a clown at her gig is the final straw. Original, smart with a real touch of sass. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic start for a new series! This has Klein’s trademark humor and wonderful charact4ers but this series tackles some more serious issues and is a little darker than her other series (which is still one of my favorites). Layla suffers from PTSD and is trying to make it through the day without falling off the wagon. She is rebuilding her life the right way and is thrust back into the spotlight of her old life when she finds a dead body. The mystery is well-paced and gets equal billing with the world building and foundation of the series. I loved everything about this and can’t wait to read more.

I adore Libby Klein's prior cozy mystery series and was so excited to get to read the first book in her new one. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. Her protagonist in this series is completely unlikeable, poor me poor me instead complaining about being poor and trying to get gigs as a musician. It's hard to feel bad for her since she is the victim of her own situation, which she acknowledges repeatedly, but does nothing about.

Her father, Don, is a likeable character but even he gets tiresome of forgetting things every 30 seconds or so.

There is a glimmer of hope in her hunky neighbor with the funny black lab but even he was not sufficient for me to try and continue to read this book.

In her other series, the regular characters are a delight to feast on, even the mean ones and I look forward to greeting them with each new book. With all the turmoil in the world, I don't want to read about someone that feels sorry for themselves 24/7.

I finally gave up when I realized trying to read this made me angrier than anything else because I had so wanted to like it and with every chapter, I resented it.

Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it. Not sure how Libby Klein did it but she made me smile and shed tears at the same time. So thrilled to see this is the first in a series. I am eager to read the next one. A wonderful, varied group of characters. A clever cozy mystery. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Layla is a broken character who is working on her sobriety, she is also a budding musician. While playing at a kid's birthday party, the guy playing a clown dies. Layla is also an ex-cop and it turns out the clown was murdered. Layla pushes everyone away in her pain and her dad, former rock star comes to visit. What ensues is a story of relationships, redemption and growth. This is a new series that is surprisingly tender, funny and reflective. Layla and her AA buddies work together to figure out who killed the clown. There are lots of twists and turns to the story and it is well written and enjoyable to read. I look forward to the next adventure!

Layla Virtue was a cop until it all ended explosively with people dead, herself with alcohol dependence, and PTSD. Despite all that, she is climbing out of her personal sewer with a lot of snark, good friends, a remorseful celebrity dad, little money but a lot of pride, and a new bestie who just happens to be the black Lab next door. Of course there is a murder and an investigation that has so many twists and turns that are also as fast paced as can be. Very interesting tale that kept me laughing.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing | Kensington via NetGalley.
##ViceandVirtue by @libbykleinbooks #LaylaVirtueMysteriesBk1 @kensingtonbooks #NetGalley
#cosycrime #cozymystery #crimefiction #suspense @goodreads #*****bookreview @bookbub #thestorygraph #insufferablevictim #excop #secrets #lies #amateursleuth #ptsd #laughyoursoxoff #newseries #blacklab #drama #snarky #alcoholrecovery #offthegrid

I’m a huge fan of Libby Klein and her Poppy McAllister mysteries, so I was thrilled to read the first book in her new series. I wasn’t disappointed.

Layla is a loner, an injured bird learning to trust and love again. The author’s portrayal of Layla’s emotional turmoil was so well-done that you couldn’t help but want to jump into the pages and assist her on her journey. Add in Layla’s father who struggles with his own demons, a sexy neighbor, and a group of entertaining women from her AA group who provide comic relief. The mystery is subtle yet engaging, peppered with moments of sarcasm and humor.

This review is entirely voluntary and reflects my personal opinions.

Libby Klein delivers another delightful and laugh-out-loud mystery in Vice and Virtue. With her signature blend of sharp wit, quirky characters, and heartwarming moments, Klein crafts a cozy mystery that’s impossible to put down.

From the first page, I was hooked by the fast-paced plot and the ever-lovable protagonist. The mystery kept me guessing with just the right amount of twists, and the humor had me grinning throughout. What sets this series apart is how it balances the charm of small-town life with clever sleuthing and genuinely touching moments of friendship and self-discovery.

If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries that are equal parts hilarious and heartwarming — with a heroine you’ll want as your best friend — Vice and Virtue is an absolute must-read. Libby Klein just keeps getting better!

As a huge fan of Libby Klein, I was thrilled to discover the launch of a new series—and it did not disappoint. Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, thirty-something recovering alcoholic and former cop, is doing her best to reinvent herself as a musician. She's intelligent, witty, and incredibly relatable, making her an instantly engaging protagonist.

When Chuckles the Clown drops dead at a children's birthday party, Layla can’t help but put her detective hat back on—especially with her larger-than-life father, a former rock-and-roll superstar, showing up unannounced and complicating things even further.

This fast-paced mystery is full of twists and turns, humor, and heart. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and can’t wait for the next installment!

#ViceandVirtue #NetGalley

A really interesting story with a unique main character. There is a good mystery/who dun it to the plot, and the character presence and growth was really good.

Absolutely stellar! Protagonist Layla Virtue is a recovering alcoholic and former cop, trying to reinvent herself as a musician while living under the radar at Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park. Staying under the radar happens to be difficult when a fellow performer, Chuckles the Clown, drops dead at a kids birthday party, and nearly impossible when your dad is a former rock-n-roll superstar who shows up unannounced.

This was a well-plotted mystery that left me guessing until the final page. I loved the characters so much!!! With humor and heart, Klein brings to life to life each of their stories in such an authentic and engaging way, readers can't help but root for them. The themes of friendship, addiction, PTSD, aging, and abandonment are all present, adding a depth to the story not often found in cozy mysteries. I highly recommend this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First in new series by Libby Klein, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for book 2! It was engaging, really well-written, and set in Potomac, Virginia. As most of my friends know I’m a fan girl of Libby’s books and I can see this series becoming another favourite.

Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop is trying to reinvent herself as a musician—between AA meetings, dodging eccentric neighbors at her trailer park, and reconnecting with her mysterious dad.

I loved the character of Layla with all her faults and insecurities plus her new friends and who can forget Ringo! The mystery had lots of twists and turns with plenty of suspects who wanted the victim dead. I didn’t suspect the killer at all!

I highly recommend this cozy mystery series to all my friends who love a cozy with a strong support system of friends in it.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's been a long time since I didn't want to put my book down cause I wanted just a little more. When I finished this, I immediately wanted to pick up the next book which will probably be a year away.

I liked Layla and the entire cast of characters. Her dad adds humor and a bit of sadness.

The only mild irritation I had, probably because I liked the character so much, was how slowly her back story (and her dad's) is rolled out.

I received my copy in exchange for my honest review from Netgalley.