Murder Checks Out

October 15, 2023
The Blue Ridge Mountain town of Taylorsford is celebrating the holiday season with Winterfest, but all is not jolly on the morning after the event, when a woman's body is found nearby. Real estate developer Wendy Blackstone was hardly a beloved member of the community, and there are many suspects: her business partner, her estranged children, the environmental activists opposed to her newest project. Despite a busy schedule (wrangling five-year-old twins and a choreographer husband, not to mention the impending arrival of her prickly mother-in-law), library director Amy Webber Muir can't help but look into the crime, relying on a combination of research skills and town gossip. She has a vested interest in solving it since her brother-in-law, firefighter Ethan, was seen arguing with Wendy before she died. Then Ethan goes missing, and the sheriff is sure he's guilty. Full of small-town charm and a large cast of recurring characters, the eighth Blue Ridge Library mystery (after Death in the Margins, 2022) captures the hectic nature of the holidays while serving up a compelling crime story.

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October 15, 2023
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, Christmas is nigh, and so is murder. Library director Amy Muir is extremely busy getting ready for Christmas both personally and professionally. Her husband, renowned dancer Richard Muir, is mounting a new production of The Nutcracker and the cast includes their twins, Nicky and Ella. They're also expecting an unusual solo visit from Richard's mother, who's always been critical and prickly. The winter festival is on, and so is picketing against Wendy Blackstone's real estate development plan. When Wendy is found dead at the bottom of a steep slope at the festival, Amy, who's helped solve a surprising number of murders, can't help but get involved. Her brother Scott Webber's husband, Ethan Payne, is high on the suspect list since he'd had a nasty verbal altercation with Wendy. Of course, there are plenty of other suspects, including the members of the environmental group opposing the development; Wendy's sleazy partner; and Wendy's daughter, who wants to run the company. When Ethan vanishes, however, the sheriff assumes he's on the run. Since research is Amy's specialty, she delves into the checkered past of Wendy's company; its developments have left behind any number of disgruntled people who could be out for revenge. Still juggling Christmas activities, Amy gets help from several friends and even her mother-in-law. When she starts getting threatening messages, she knows she's hit a nerve. Christmas cheer mixes with a mystery nearly overrun by hordes of suspects.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2023

Library director Amy Muir has a busy holiday season ahead. Her five-year-old twins are in her husband's production of The Nutcracker; her mother-in-law is coming to stay for a week; and Taylorsford, VA, is celebrating its first Winterfest--but all is not jolly. Blackstone, the company owned by festival chair Wendy Blackstone, is planning a new development in town, and the company has a bad reputation with environmentalists. A group called Environmental Advocates protests at Winterfest, Wendy is snippy to Amy, and she argues with Amy's brother-in-law Ethan, whose property backs up to the planned development. When Wendy is found dead the next morning, the sheriff looks at Ethan, while Amy uses her research skills to dig into Wendy's history and finds two problem communities, trouble with family members, and other questionable issues in Blackstone's past. When Ethan disappears, the sheriff moves him to the top of the suspect list. Now Amy has to juggle holiday preparations with a search for her brother-in-law, and the truth. VERDICT Fans of Jenn McKinlay's "Library Lover's Mysteries" will enjoy Gilbert's follow-up to Death in the Margins. The charming story balances Christmas and family with a mystery with environmental themes.--Lesa Holstine

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