Reading: BOOKED FOR DEATH - Victoria Gilbert

Prose (Story): Book one in Victoria Gilbert's new Booklovers B&B Mystery series, set in Beaufort, North Carolina, follows Charlotte Reed - new owner of Chapters, a B&B specializing in bookish themes she inherited from her quirky (even mysterious) great-aunt Isabella - who, during a weekend of festivities celebrating the life/work of mystery writer Josephine Tey, finds herself under suspicion when a rare book dealer (and guest) at Chapters, having hinted at some dark dealings in Isabella's past, is found stabbed to death during a party. 

Don's (Review): Gilbert expertly fills her B&B with plenty of worthy suspects - including Chapters's long-time cook/housekeeper, Charlotte's fill-in chef, and even her bookstore-owning best friend; all characters you expect to return in future installments, so long as they not have committed murder here! This adds a nice layer of insecurity as Charlotte begins nosing into whodunnit it, and herself can't even trust anyone completely, as she is so new to the scene, herself! Another plus that's a bit more rare in cozies is a full-on "B" storyline, featuring Charlotte's great-aunt Isabella, that at times is as intriguing to guess at as the primary murder mystery itself; I really liked how Gilbert seamlessly wove the two plots together right up to the end, almost making Isabella (who, being deceased, is never "on-camera") as much a character as anyone else in the book. The mystery is well-developed, pacing spot-on as Charlotte's investigation brings her closer to the killer, and without giving spoilers I also like Gilbert's fresh/different take on the usual cozy finale, where normally the amateur sleuth and villain would just have a one-on-one, with the sleuth clearly at the disadvantage. Well-done, and looking forward to book two!  4/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.