Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Trouble on the Books
Castle Bookshop Mystery #1
BY Essie Lang

Crooked Lane
March 13, 2019/ ISBN
Mystery / Cozy

Reviewed by Laura Hinds 

Shelby Cox has gone home to Alexandria Bay in Upstate New York to take over her aunt’s bookstore. In addition to being 50 percent owner of Bayside Books, she will also be in charge of the store’s second shop inside a castle on Blye Island.

Shelby’s aunt, Edie Cox is on the mend after knee replacement surgery, but although she isn’t in the seasonal castle bookshop with Shelby, she’s just a phone call away for advice or answers. But after Shelby loses her patience with the unpleasant director of outreach, aka volunteer browbeater, Loreena Swan, and when hours later discovers the very dead Loreena, things turn sour. Shelby comes to the conclusion that the murder had something to do with smuggling and violence dating back to Prohibition. The question isn’t who wanted to kill Loreena, but rather, who didn’t?

It’s always a joy to discover a new series by an author I’ve previously followed. This series debut is well-crafted and touches all the key points of a good cozy mystery. The unique touch of a book shop in a castle piqued my interest right away. I look forward to the next installment.

Cozy devotees will want to dive right in to meet the characters and learn about Alexandria Bay, while following the clues and trying to solve the murder as Shelby does the same.

Reviewer’s Notes: The author also writes as Erika Chase and Linda Wiken

Reviewed 2019
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