Every Trick in the Book by Lucy Arlington is the second book in the “Novel Idea” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, February 2013

The national bestselling Novel Idea Mysteries return with Lila Wilkins, who has just been promoted to full-time literary agent. But great new writers aren’t the only people she’s trying to catch.

Lila Wilkins has it all: the home of her dreams in the charming town of Inspiration Valley, North Carolina; a perfect police officer boyfriend; and a new job she absolutely loves. At the Book and Author Festival, which is sponsored by the Novel Idea Literary Agency, Lila expects to discover some talented new authors, but what she finds instead is the body of an editor to whom she bears an eerie resemblance.

Trouble is, the editor’s death isn’t the only literary murder taking place. Soon a blossoming author is also killed, and Lila has a gut feeling that the two murders are linked. Now she must hunt down the dark figure who killed these women—and to her surprise, she just might find the clues hidden in a manuscript.

There’s no sophomore slump in this second book by Lucy Arlington who delivers a wonderfully crafted tome that kicked the suspense up a notch as the pages progressed towards a finale worthy of this terrific novel. The mystery teased us not with who, but why and it was a fun ride getting there. Lila is a lovable character surrounded by a great supporting cast starting with her family, friends and co-workers. I love my visits to Inspiration Valley where every business establishment has unique and quirky names. This is a great read and I can’t wait to read the next book in this fabulous series. BTW, eat before you read as the author describes delicious and appetizing dishes throughout the book.