Somehow I missed one of the books in Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mystery series, but I’m caught up now with her most recent one, Death on the Books. Although I had a few issues with this latest one, I still enjoy returning to the Taylorsford, Virginia community that Gilbert has built around the local library and college.
Library Director Amy Muir is known for getting involved in local murder cases, but she isn’t at fault when a man staggers into the library, collapses and dies. She doesn’t know the man, but she is aware enough to notice the note he dropped, “Hen and sapphire”. It doesn’t mean anything to her at that point, but she’s not a research librarian for nothing.
The man does connect to Amy’s close circle of friends. He was the personal assistant to an art dealer and collector, a man who was staying at Highview. Highview is owned by Kurt Kendrick, a wealthy art collector and godfather to Amy’s twins. No one at Kurt’s house is surprised to learn the victim was a drug addict. But, someone laced his cocaine with strychnine.
Amy’s research into “Hen and sapphire” finds the story of a lost Faberge egg that belonged to the Romanovs. And, it seems Amy’s uncle, artist Andrew Talbot, knew something about the missing Faberge egg. Talbot died before Amy could know him, but one of his paintings may be a clue to the egg. At least someone thinks Talbot’s paintings reveal secrets, because there’s an attempted break-in at Amy’s Aunt Lydia’s house where a number of the paintings are stored.
There’s violence and murders tied to art work in the latest book in the series. However, relationships seem a little off at the beginning of the story, due to Amy’s history of sleuthing. Her husband and aunt both comment about her involvement in crimes, even though she now has twins who are in school. Family members seem to be tired of her snooping.
Death on the Books is a cozy mystery with dark overtones. It’s part of a long-running series that I enjoy, but I do notice that the shadow of the dead artist, Andrew Talbot, hangs over the entire series. And, I’m a little tired of the suspicion that hangs over collector Kurt Kendrick, a long-time family friend. If there’s another book, we’ll see if Gilbert can move the storyline along without those shadows and suspicions.
Victoria Gilbert’s website is https://victoriagilbertauthor.com/
Death on the Books by Victoria Gilbert. Crooked Lane Books, 2026. 297p.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent a copy of the book, with no expectation of a positive review.
