This time Amy walkend straight into a cold case and the novel suffered a bit of a slow pace but it was still good. Looking forward to the next one!

Stavolta Amy si trova coinvolta in un cold case e forse per questo la storia scorre piuttosto lentamente, comunque piacevole.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

. The basics were good, about an old corpse found on Amy's friend Sunny's grandparents' farm. It used to be a commune and now members are dying. The problem is that there were too many times Amy should have told the police things and didn't. That always annoys me and drags down the rating. Had to struggle between 2 and 3 stars. Since I like the series, I settled for 3 this time.

Audiobook version.

I think it's important to note that I'm rating this within the context of the "cozy mystery" genre. This is not a riveting read/listen. This is not a book you will just universally recommend or want to talk to a bunch of people about. But it's a solid cozy and exactly what I want when working on a puzzle or coloring or playing Stardew Valley- easy to follow entertainment, with just enough plot to keep me engaged and interested.

I will say Victoria Gilbert almost always starts off almost painfully slow but once the story gets going, I do have a hard time putting the book down (or the phone in this case). This one was interesting because of the number of characters. I didn't particularly care for the choice of murderer... but I'll give her that it made sense.

What I most appreciate about Gilbert's stories is her consistent effort to diversify. Most cozies read like Hallmark movies- meaning very few people of color and forget about LGBT+ representation. (To be fair- I know Hallmark is improving... but they've got a LONG way to go.) While it CAN feel forced at times, I appreciate that Gilbert regularly addresses having characters of color (and having interracial relationships), as well as the historical difficulties that the area would have had, and having one side gay character (yet to make an actual appearance) as well as one bisexual character (though she seemed to have forgotten that or at least her male lead did in referring to him as gay).
I appreciated her having Walt make frank statements about the fact that a young black man going missing decades prior hadn't been taken seriously by the authorities and I also appreciate the way the book deals with concepts of addiction.

And look, this stuff does feel forced sometimes but it is hard to tell how much of that is because we're conditioned to expect it to be swept under the rug or to be erased from the narrative. She draws attention to these aspects, yes, but partially because we're inclined to dismiss the less obvious hints and statements. Frankly, I'd rather have an author make a clumsy effort at representing a more accurate town tapestry and history than just whitewash it all for ease.

Also, I love the little asides about the library and books and such in general. Are they absolutely necessary? No. But it's why I will check out basically any cozy related to a library or a bookshop.

Bound for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the 4th A Blue Ridge Library Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Amy Webber’s friend and fellow library employee, Sunny Fields is running for mayor which is a relief to many of the citizens who dislike the incumbent. Sunny receives a call from her grandparents, Carol & P.J. Fields that the county dredging crew found a skeleton buried by the creek on their organic farm. They ran a commune on the grounds back in the 60s and it looks like one member never left. Amy is not going to let this derail Sunny’s campaign for mayor. She starts digging in the archives and visiting members of the commune who still live in the area. Can Amy find the answers that are needed, or will she be the next individual to become plant fertilizer? Bound for Murder is well-written, and the story moves along at a stable pace. Amy Webber is a librarian with attention to detail and a whiz at research. Her skills at unearthing information in the archies are the most valuable to her investigations. Amy and Richard have been a engaged a couple of months which has people offering unsolicited advice and asking questions about the wedding that Amy is unprepared to answer. Amy is especially tired of her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Fiona’s high brow suggestions. She is happy to escape into the investigation. I liked that the mystery took us back to the 1960s. We get to see how the suspects have changed from their hippie days to now. I found the suspects to be a diverse group who each have something they would prefer to remain hidden. Unfortunately, someone is unhappy with Amy’s digging. She is warned off several times by various methods and one of her suspects is removed from the list permanently. It will depend on your sleuthing level on whether you find this whodunit a puzzler or a cinch to solve. I liked how all the details of the mystery were wrapped up and I enjoyed the ending. Bound for Murder is a charming cozy mystery with a dredging disaster, misplaced persons, a charismatic journalist, a hippie homicide, campaign commotion, and revealing research.

Bound for Murder is the first book that I have read by Victoria Gilbert. This cozy mystery is set in Taylorsford, Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains and was very enjoyable.

The female protagonist, Amy Webber, is a library director in a small town. She loves research and has helped the police in the past. While this is the fourth book in the series it worked well as a standalone novel, although it may add to the enjoyment and understanding of the characters to read them in order.

Amy’s best friend, Sunny Fields, is running for mayor and was raised by her grandparents who run an organic farm, but in the 1960s it was a commune. When human remains are found on their property, both the police and Sunny’s grandparents enlist Amy’s help. Amy has research to do, people to talk with, and a mystery to solve while she plans her wedding to next door neighbor Richard and supports Sunny’s mayoral campaign.

The book is well-written with the right mix of humor and suspense. There are several potential suspects and enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. The pacing is just right, but has more intense moments than a lot of cozy mysteries, which added to my enjoyment. The characters are well developed with a charming mix of personalities ranging from likable, intelligent, and independent to quirky to annoying to deceptive. There were several themes addressed within the book including library management, organic farming, county fairs, murder, grief, revenge, deception, wedding planning, drugs, communes and much more.

I recommend this book to readers that like a good mystery, and I look forward to reading other books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Victoria Gilbert for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Librarian and amateur detective extraordinaire Amy Webber is back for another mystery!

When a human skeleton is found on the property of Amy's best friend's grandparents former commune, current farm, the question arises: whose body is it? And how did it get there? And does it have something to do with the Fields? And, more importantly, who killed this commune-dwelling hippie and why? These are the questions the whole town has, and Amy is ready to put her expert research skills to the test to solve this not-so-groovy mystery. But when she starts getting cryptic warnings--and some very scary close calls--Amy has to wonder: who is so determined to stop her from solving a decades' old murder?

Another fantastic addition to the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, Gilbert continues to prove her brilliance in plot, characters, clues, cliffhangers, and plot twists. Readers of the previous titles will enjoy returning to Taylorsford and the familiar cast of family and friends that surround Amy, though new readers will also be instantly hooked by the fast pace, the cozy elements, and Gilbert's fantastic writing. Either way, readers will be clamoring for more!