Download PDF Trouble on the Books A Castle Bookshop Mystery Essie Lang 9781683319818 Books

Product details Series Castle Bookshop Mystery Hardcover 336 pages Publisher Crooked Lane Books (March 12, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1683319818

Trouble on the Books A Castle Bookshop Mystery Essie Lang 9781683319818 Books Reviews

• Another great start to a bookish cozy mystery series. I love that CGI plays a role in this series. I don't think a lot of people (unless you watch NCIS) even realize they exist. I wish I could visit Bayside Books and the castle. The settings in cozy mysteries always sound so picturesque and beautiful. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
• This book is rather formulaic and as usual too much time spent going through the characters possible motives rather than just letting the story unfold. Reminiscent of other bookstore mysteries.
• Trouble on the Books has an intriguing premise with a bookshop in an old castle on an island (love it). Shelby Cox is twenty-nine years old and has been working as an editor for Masspike House in Massachusetts. When Aunt Edie needs Shelby’s assistance, she takes a leave of absence and returns to Alexandria Bay. Shelby is living on a houseboat until winter and managing the new satellite location of Bayside Books on Blye Island inside the historic Blye Castle (it would have made more sense to live with Aunt Edie who needs her help getting around). I knew Loreena Swan would end up dead after the altercation with Shelby and the way she treats the volunteers at the castle. The murder occurs early in the book. There is little investigating by Shelby until later in the story when Shelby asks various people questions (people she does not know). I wish the mystery had been more of a focus with more complexity. I found it a snap to solve this crime. Shelby’s attention is split because she is determined to learn more about her mother. Her father would not discuss her mother who died when she was three, and Shelby is hoping to learn more about her from the people that knew her in town plus Edie. Shelby is searching the local cemeteries for her mother’s grave. I was curious why Shelby did not research her mother online (death certificate would pop up). The pacing of the book was lethargic which made it hard for me to stay interested. The author is a detail oriented which slowed down the pace (an example is making tea—getting the kettle, filling it with water, putting in on the stove, turning on the stove, etc.). Add in a daydreaming main character with a significant amount of internal dialogue and repetition of information. Shelby also has trouble remembering people’s names and figuring out a person’s age (makes it hard for a reader). She states she is not a people person, but Shelby is working in a bookshop frequented by tourists (an oxymoron). I felt that Trouble on the Books needed more pizzazz (oomph). The characters failed to come alive for me. We are not given many details on them which I found disappointing. I hope the characters will be fleshed out more in the next installment. I did enjoy the descriptions of the castle, island and bookshop. Trouble on the Books could have benefited from further editing (there are inconsistencies). A Castle Bookshop Mystery series has potential which I hope the author will achieve.
  
  *I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to write a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own!
• Book one in a new series.
  
  My rating 2 of 5 stars, it was just okay.
  
  I really wanted to love this book. A bookstore, in a castle? Sounds perfect, right?
  
  But I found myself losing interest in it, it was so slow. It starts off with a murder pretty much right away, so I thought it would be fast paced. It dragged. And I really had a hard time connecting with Shelby, though I don't know quite why. It's also pretty laughable that people in a small town would tell a newcomer like Shelby anything more than they would tell the actual people in charge of the investigation.
  
  I'd be interested in giving book 2 a chance, but it certainly goes on my library list.
  
  *I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given to me by the publisher, via NetGalley.*
• Shelby Cox who normally works as a publishing editor in the Massachusetts, comes home to Alexandria Bay, upstate New York, to help her Aunt who is recovering from surgery. Shelby is surprised to learn that she is a 50% owner in two local bookstores, one in town and a second location in the tourist destination of Blye Castle on Blye Island. Shelby begins work and quickly runs up against the autocratic Castle volunteer coordinator, Loreena. A few hours after they have a confrontation, Shelby stumbles upon Loreena’s body in the nearby Grotto.
  
  Several police offices are involved in the investigation the cantankerous Island Chief of Police, the quiet county sheriff and, to Shelby’s surprise, the interesting and handsome Coast Guard Special Agent Zack Griffin. The local chief is quick to challenge the Castle caretaker, Matthew, which upsets Aunt Edie. Edie asks Shelby to try to find out what is going on. Shelby begins to develop a theory of current day smuggling which brings Zack to her door on several occasions trying to get her to stop snooping.
  
  Shelby is also trying to learn more about her mother who she believes died when she was a toddler. Shelby’s technique of investigating both issues consists mostly in questioning local residents. This puts someone on edge, but despite an attack on her houseboat, Shelby continues to try to plot out the means, motive and opportunity.
  
  Stories involving books and bookstores tend to capture my attention. I liked the setting elements of the bookstore, the Castle grounds, the Grotto, and the houseboat where Shelby lives. The descriptions are good and the character interaction is reasonably developed. I found the mystery development and suspense a little weak. There is some repetition of Shelby’s thought processes which could have been cut allowing for a shorter, more concise work. As a debut I think the work shows promise and I would try another to see if the mystery plot improves. Fans of book related cozy mysteries might give this a try.
  
  Source NetGalley 2018. My rating 3.75.