Trouble On The Books by Essie Lang is the first book in the NEW “Castle Bookshop” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, coming March 13, 2019.
Rookie bookstore owner Shelby Cox must hit the books to learn the ropes before she loses a killer in the stacks.
Shelby Cox never intended to become a bookseller, so when the former editor returns to her hometown of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York’s breathtaking Thousand Islands region, to take over her aunt’s bookstore, she has no idea what to expect. To her amazement, she discovers that she now owns a fifty-percent share in Bayside Books, and will also run the store’s second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island.
But just as Shelby is gearing up for the start of the tourist season, the Castle volunteer coordinator is found murdered in the nearby Grotto. Castle caretaker Matthew Kessler is suspect number one, but Shelby thinks the killing may be connected to an earlier era, when violence among Prohibition-era smugglers was rampant in the region. As Shelby launches her own investigation, handsome and unnerving Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services tries to quell her smuggling theory and keep her safe. But Shelby is determined to summon all her savvy as a book editor to plot the murder—and find the killer before he strikes again—in Trouble on the Books, Essie Lang’s clever and captivating series debut.
This is one of those books that starts with a slow pace keeping you entangled with what is going on, just waiting for the right time to pull you in and never letting you go until the last page is read. After having a minor confrontation with a co-worker, Shelby later finds her dead and when the caretaker becomes the prime suspect, Shelby’s aunt implores her to help find the real killer.
This was an enjoyable book with likable characters and a good plot. The backdrop of the castle added to the allure of the story and the more I read the more the suspect pool increased and it was the dissemination of clues and the journey that made this an enticing tale to savor. Who wanted Loreena dead? Why is the coast guard involved? And what about her mother? All this and more kept me glued to the pages as I had to know what was going to happen next. The mystery was nicely done and when I thought I had a handle on the person responsible, the author changed directions with strategically placed twists and turns that added to my reading pleasure. A good read and look forward to the adventures with Shelby and her friends.
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FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.