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Castle Bookshop Mystery #1
Trouble on the Books
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.
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.
329 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
February 13, 2019
As soon as I read the blurb for Trouble on the Books, I knew I had to read this cozy mystery! Who could resist a cozy that involves a bookshop....in a castle....on an island? Not this reader!
Shelby Cox is taking a break from her editing job to help her Aunt Edie recover from knee replacement surgery. Shelby now owns half of Aunt Edie's business, Bayside Books. They are opening a new location on Blye Island, one of the Thousand Islands. Excited about tourist season and the shop in Blye Castle, Shelby is working to get the shop ready for the first day of tourist season. A difference of opinion with the volunteer coordinator regarding the bookshop's inventory puts a damper on her joy....which later turns into full-blown panic when the woman is found murdered in a grotto on the island. Soon, the local and state police (and even the Coast Guard) are involved in the investigation. The local police think the castle caretaker is the culprit....but Shelby suspects it has something to do with the island's history of smuggling. Can she prove Matthew Kessler didn't kill the cranky volunteer coordinator?
I enjoyed this first book in the new Castle Bookshop cozy series. The setting is awesome! The characters are fun and quirky. I like Shelby as a main character. She admits her faults (not really liking people, etc) and works through them. She's intelligent and determined. The side characters are engaging and likable. This book didn't rush the mystery, giving time to slip in some character development to start the series off right. I found the side plot about Shelby's past and her mother just as interesting as the murder mystery. Add in a sprinkle of romance, and it makes for a nice start to a new cozy series!
I enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more of this series!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Shelby Cox is taking a break from her editing job to help her Aunt Edie recover from knee replacement surgery. Shelby now owns half of Aunt Edie's business, Bayside Books. They are opening a new location on Blye Island, one of the Thousand Islands. Excited about tourist season and the shop in Blye Castle, Shelby is working to get the shop ready for the first day of tourist season. A difference of opinion with the volunteer coordinator regarding the bookshop's inventory puts a damper on her joy....which later turns into full-blown panic when the woman is found murdered in a grotto on the island. Soon, the local and state police (and even the Coast Guard) are involved in the investigation. The local police think the castle caretaker is the culprit....but Shelby suspects it has something to do with the island's history of smuggling. Can she prove Matthew Kessler didn't kill the cranky volunteer coordinator?
I enjoyed this first book in the new Castle Bookshop cozy series. The setting is awesome! The characters are fun and quirky. I like Shelby as a main character. She admits her faults (not really liking people, etc) and works through them. She's intelligent and determined. The side characters are engaging and likable. This book didn't rush the mystery, giving time to slip in some character development to start the series off right. I found the side plot about Shelby's past and her mother just as interesting as the murder mystery. Add in a sprinkle of romance, and it makes for a nice start to a new cozy series!
I enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more of this series!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
March 24, 2019
After Shelby Cox returns to her hometown in upstate New York, she discovers she owns fifty-percent of her aunt’s bookshop, Bayside Books. She jumps at the opportunity, and soon she’s living in a houseboat and ferrying across the river each day to manage their Blye Island location … that also happens to be inside of a castle. However, just as she’s getting into the swing of things, the Castle Volunteer Coordinator is murdered and fingers start pointing toward the caretaker. But Shelby disagrees, and soon she’s off plotting her own investigation.
There aren’t many settings as cozy as a bookshop situated inside of a castle, and author Essie Lang uses this masterfully. Alexandria Bay is a neat lakeside town, and there’s a real sense of community as Shelby bounces around the local businesses and the castle. There’s a nostalgic feeling that can only come from a city devoted to an island tourist destination. Overall, it makes a great backdrop for the investigation, coming across as a town full of secrets.
The investigation itself takes some time to get going, but this is not a bad thing by any stretch. Shelby is a quiet sleuth. She doesn’t put herself into unnecessary danger or really interfere with local law enforcement. Rather, the mystery unfolds as she attempts to make a new way in an old town, and Lang effortlessly doles out clues that Shelby could sensibly discover. There’s an undercurrent of increasing danger as the book progresses, but not because of Shelby’s senseless meddling.
This also allows for Shelby to progress as a main character in a way that’s sometimes missing from other cozy mysteries. Some of her own past is confused, and she struggles finding answers about her mother who passed away when she was a baby. Her Aunt Edie is obviously keeping secrets, and some of the best scenes in the book are these two learning to navigate both as coworkers and family.
There’s a mild bit of romance, a couple of effective reveals, and a whole lot of cozy heart in this first book in a new series.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
There aren’t many settings as cozy as a bookshop situated inside of a castle, and author Essie Lang uses this masterfully. Alexandria Bay is a neat lakeside town, and there’s a real sense of community as Shelby bounces around the local businesses and the castle. There’s a nostalgic feeling that can only come from a city devoted to an island tourist destination. Overall, it makes a great backdrop for the investigation, coming across as a town full of secrets.
The investigation itself takes some time to get going, but this is not a bad thing by any stretch. Shelby is a quiet sleuth. She doesn’t put herself into unnecessary danger or really interfere with local law enforcement. Rather, the mystery unfolds as she attempts to make a new way in an old town, and Lang effortlessly doles out clues that Shelby could sensibly discover. There’s an undercurrent of increasing danger as the book progresses, but not because of Shelby’s senseless meddling.
This also allows for Shelby to progress as a main character in a way that’s sometimes missing from other cozy mysteries. Some of her own past is confused, and she struggles finding answers about her mother who passed away when she was a baby. Her Aunt Edie is obviously keeping secrets, and some of the best scenes in the book are these two learning to navigate both as coworkers and family.
There’s a mild bit of romance, a couple of effective reveals, and a whole lot of cozy heart in this first book in a new series.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
March 30, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Her aunt has just had knee surgery so Shelby Cox arrives in Alexandria Bay to help manage her aunt’s bookstore and open a satellite store in the castle on Blye Island. She is surprised when her aunt informs her that she, in fact, owns fifty-percent of Bayside Books. She has a lot to learn but she is surrounded by a great staff. The island is a popular tourist attraction so her main focus is getting the castle bookshop open as before the tourists start arriving by the busload.
After a busy grand opening Shelby is excited about her new life as a bookseller. That is until she finds a dead body floating in the Grotto. She knows immediately that it is the prickly volunteer coordinator for the Castle. The police quickly peg Matthew Kessler, the Castle caretaker as their prime suspect. When the Coast Guard gets involved Shelby starts to think the murder may be linked to smuggling, something the island was used for during Prohibition. She can’t stop herself from sticking her nose into the investigation much to the dismay of Coast Guard Special Agent Zack Griffin. She is determined to solve the case and Zack is determined to keep her safe.
The setting of this story grabbed my attention right away. A bookshop in a castle on one island that is part of the Thousand Islands area off New York. A truly perfect setting for a cozy mystery series.
Shelby Cox is an interesting protagonist. She has her work cut out for her. She admits she isn’t a people person and knows that has to change if she is going to be a success in her new profession. She is curious, a trait every amateur must have. She is also intelligent and detail oriented so I know she is going to succeed in both of these endeavors. In addition to trying to solve a murder, Shelby hopes to learn more about her mother. She was quite young when she lost her and has so many questions.
Ms. Lang has surrounded Shelby with a great supporting cast. Aunt Edie was my fave. She is a strong woman too who hates being still and away from her shop. Her recovery is moving quickly and I am excited to get to know her better when she isn’t hindered at all. Romance is two-fold in this story. Caretaker Matthew Kessler is very important to Edie and Agent Zack appears to be very interested in Shelby.
The murder happens early in the story. Shelby’s first investigation is a bit clunky as to be expected, it is her first, but it messed with the story flow in places. When she found her rhythm so did the story. Clues fell into her path and the twists and turns kept her and the reader guessing.
The subplot of Shelby’s mother blended in nicely, but I must confess I was almost more interested in it than murder. I feel this is a credit to the author because I was invested in her main character and cared about her and her feelings very early in this first book. She has left so much room for all the characters to grow.
This is a fine start for this series. Endearing characters drew me in and their lives and the mysteries thrown into their paths kept those pages turning. I am excited to learn more about these characters and to see what the author has in store for them next.
Her aunt has just had knee surgery so Shelby Cox arrives in Alexandria Bay to help manage her aunt’s bookstore and open a satellite store in the castle on Blye Island. She is surprised when her aunt informs her that she, in fact, owns fifty-percent of Bayside Books. She has a lot to learn but she is surrounded by a great staff. The island is a popular tourist attraction so her main focus is getting the castle bookshop open as before the tourists start arriving by the busload.
After a busy grand opening Shelby is excited about her new life as a bookseller. That is until she finds a dead body floating in the Grotto. She knows immediately that it is the prickly volunteer coordinator for the Castle. The police quickly peg Matthew Kessler, the Castle caretaker as their prime suspect. When the Coast Guard gets involved Shelby starts to think the murder may be linked to smuggling, something the island was used for during Prohibition. She can’t stop herself from sticking her nose into the investigation much to the dismay of Coast Guard Special Agent Zack Griffin. She is determined to solve the case and Zack is determined to keep her safe.
The setting of this story grabbed my attention right away. A bookshop in a castle on one island that is part of the Thousand Islands area off New York. A truly perfect setting for a cozy mystery series.
Shelby Cox is an interesting protagonist. She has her work cut out for her. She admits she isn’t a people person and knows that has to change if she is going to be a success in her new profession. She is curious, a trait every amateur must have. She is also intelligent and detail oriented so I know she is going to succeed in both of these endeavors. In addition to trying to solve a murder, Shelby hopes to learn more about her mother. She was quite young when she lost her and has so many questions.
Ms. Lang has surrounded Shelby with a great supporting cast. Aunt Edie was my fave. She is a strong woman too who hates being still and away from her shop. Her recovery is moving quickly and I am excited to get to know her better when she isn’t hindered at all. Romance is two-fold in this story. Caretaker Matthew Kessler is very important to Edie and Agent Zack appears to be very interested in Shelby.
The murder happens early in the story. Shelby’s first investigation is a bit clunky as to be expected, it is her first, but it messed with the story flow in places. When she found her rhythm so did the story. Clues fell into her path and the twists and turns kept her and the reader guessing.
The subplot of Shelby’s mother blended in nicely, but I must confess I was almost more interested in it than murder. I feel this is a credit to the author because I was invested in her main character and cared about her and her feelings very early in this first book. She has left so much room for all the characters to grow.
This is a fine start for this series. Endearing characters drew me in and their lives and the mysteries thrown into their paths kept those pages turning. I am excited to learn more about these characters and to see what the author has in store for them next.
July 7, 2019
This was a good beginning to a new cozy mystery series and I enjoyed meeting these new characters. I thought Shelby might be just a little too pushy when she started asking questions of the towns people when she didn't even know them. She didn't even try to be subtle with her investigation and I couldn't quite understand why she was so invested in having to solve the murder. However, I loved the setting of a bookstore in a castle and the coastal community of Alex Bay so I will definitely try the next book in the series.
January 11, 2019
I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded promising and I was looking forward to reading something under the new pen name for this author. However, I was disappointed with this book. I found the pacing to be too slow. The murder occurs pretty quickly in the beginning of the book but by 1/3 of the way into the story not much investigating has been done by Shelby. Being the first book in a new series I always expect there to be some set-up and backstory but that didn't even feel like it was occurring. In the end, even though the premise was appealing I just found that I couldn't connect or care about the main character and the story took to long to unfold to the point where I felt I was loosing interest.
April 19, 2019
This first in a new series was every bit as good as I'd hoped for when I first heard about it. A bookstore in a castle sounds like just about the coolest thing ever. I could really picture it and the surrounding areas from the descriptions in the book. I quickly grew to like the main characters of Shelby, Aunt Edie, Trudy and Matthew--and of course, agent Zack. Just as I thought I knew who the killer was, there was a twist at the end.
The showdown was really good, and even though Shelby had done something that I thought was a little foolish, she redeemed herself by doing something smart. I liked that the murder was solved, but there were still a couple of other things to continue into the next book, which I'm really anxious to read now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
The showdown was really good, and even though Shelby had done something that I thought was a little foolish, she redeemed herself by doing something smart. I liked that the murder was solved, but there were still a couple of other things to continue into the next book, which I'm really anxious to read now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
dnf
March 1, 2021DNF @40%
2019; Crooked Lane Books
When I saw that this was for fans of Vicki Delany I instantly requested it excited for another fun cozy mystery. Unfortunately, I could not get into the book. While the murder happened quickly, and it couldn't happen to a more fun character, the other character development was not there. The story spent too much time explaining rather than letting it play out. I decided to abandon it at 40% when I didn't feel any investment in the characters and what was coming next. Others have given this 4 star reviews so it may just be me. I am picky about genres.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2019; Crooked Lane Books
When I saw that this was for fans of Vicki Delany I instantly requested it excited for another fun cozy mystery. Unfortunately, I could not get into the book. While the murder happened quickly, and it couldn't happen to a more fun character, the other character development was not there. The story spent too much time explaining rather than letting it play out. I decided to abandon it at 40% when I didn't feel any investment in the characters and what was coming next. Others have given this 4 star reviews so it may just be me. I am picky about genres.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
July 19, 2020
4 stelle e mezza
Buon primo libro di una nuova serie, con un bel cast di personaggi e un'ambientazione davvero interessante.
Buon primo libro di una nuova serie, con un bel cast di personaggi e un'ambientazione davvero interessante.
March 11, 2019
Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang is the first A Castle Bookshop Mystery. Shelby Cox returned home to Alexandria Bay, New York to help her aunt, Edie Cox, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, with Bayside Books. Shelby has learned that she is part owner in the bookshop and will be running their new location on Blye Island inside Blye Castle. Loreena Swan, Curator of Exhibits, comes into the shop the day before the opening and complains that her guidebook is not in stock. They end up having a loud disagreement with Loreena leaving in a huff. Loreena wastes no time in complaining to Andrew Truelove, president of the Alexandria Bay Heritage Society who leases them the shop space. Later that day, Shelby is taking a walk before heading home on the ferry and finds herself in the grotto that was used in the 1920s by smugglers. Shelby soon discovers she is not alone in the grotto when she looks down to find Loreena floating in the water. When Edie’s friend and castle caretaker, Matthew Kessler becomes the prime suspect, she requests that Shelby do a little digging into the case. Shelby needs little encouragement since she has been curious about the case from the beginning especially after Special Agent Zack Griffin (US Coast Guard Investigative Services) stopped by to talk to her. She wonders if smugglers have taken to using the grotto as a hideout like Joe Cabana in the 20s. Follow Shelby as she assembles the clues to get a clear picture of Loreena’s killer in Trouble on the Books.
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.
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.
January 30, 2019
Shelby Cox looking at the view toward the river. It was a fantastic sight in the first book in a new series and a new author for me. The characters caught will catch your attention and descriptions will place you on the island. Shelby turned an headed for the library located in the Castle. She had come back to Alexandria Bay to run the Blye Island branch of the main store until her Aunt recovered from knee surgery. Shelby was stacking books on the shelf when she informed the volunteer coordinator, Loreena that the books the store carried where none of her concern. The coordinator was later found dead. The twists and turns will have to turn the pages until it is revealed. Is the smuggler active again? Why does Coast Guard interested in the death? Is Mathew Kessler a murderer? Why won't anyone talk her about Mother? Will Shelby find answers. I highly recommend this book.
Disclosure: Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
February 27, 2021
I liked this cozy mystery set in a bookshop, mostly because it was set in a bookshop. The characters were okay, and I liked that the murder was connected to the prohibition era dealings from Blye Island. Shelby is a likeable character, and I liked Special Agent Zach Griffin from the Coast Guard. I may give this series another try later on.
October 21, 2020
Having spent time in Alex Bay and the Thousand Islands when I was younger the location of the book appealed to me. It was a little slow at times but all in all I enjoyed it and will read the next one in the series.
September 19, 2020
Essie Lang is a former mystery bookstore owner and has crafted an entertaining cozy mystery in a setting which is picturesque in my mind as per her descriptions. I moonlighted multiple times over the years and all the positions were fun especially working in a bookstore. To think of Shelby Cox becoming a co-owner of Bayside Books and being the "lead" at the store's second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island sounds quite blissful although I'll only wish for her position on days of smooth waters as she replaces Boston's traffic jams with ferry rides. As Shelby has returned to her hometown of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York's Thousand Islands region she is renting a houseboat and I can easily picture myself on the houseboat with the cat who has adopted her just as easily as I can envision myself enjoying Minnie Hamilton's houseboat docked in Chilson, Michigan in the "Bookmobile Cat Mystery Series" by Laurie Cass. Hmm. East Coast or Midwest? Decisions, decisions, decisions. Delightfully as a reader I can live on either houseboat and enjoy visits with JT or Eddie.
It's a delightful series opener as there are friendships and romances that can continue to evolve. I'm also curious as to whether JT will ever travel on the ferry to accompany Shelby to work as Eddie enjoys his rides on the bookmobile with Minnie.
As a former copy editor when there are missed edits a part of me cringes particularly when the author gives appreciation to authors, relatives, and beta readers for multiple readings prior to publication. Perhaps next year I'll change my mind but over the years I have continued to lower my ratings by one star for errors that distract my enjoyment as a reader. This is a glaring error example:
It's a delightful series opener as there are friendships and romances that can continue to evolve. I'm also curious as to whether JT will ever travel on the ferry to accompany Shelby to work as Eddie enjoys his rides on the bookmobile with Minnie.
As a former copy editor when there are missed edits a part of me cringes particularly when the author gives appreciation to authors, relatives, and beta readers for multiple readings prior to publication. Perhaps next year I'll change my mind but over the years I have continued to lower my ratings by one star for errors that distract my enjoyment as a reader. This is a glaring error example:
Trudy had left a message late the afternoon before that there was a box of new books that needed to go over to the castle. If it wasn't too cumbersome, Shelby would take the box with her. If it needed more muscle, she'd leave it for Cody...She tried lifting it. She could manage.
"How's Edie doing?" she asked Trudy once she'd tried lifting the box and decided to leave it.
March 16, 2019
This book started off rocky for me [I knew who was going to be murdered by the start of the third chapter and I knew who was going to be a suspect. And then the hard-nose, single-sighted, blinders on cop entered the picture and just sealed the deal] and I was set to dislike the book as it was following what seems to be the "new normal" within the cozy genre.
And then, to my surprise, I found myself liking the book; the writing is good and engaging, the characters are fun [though they could be a bit more thought out; I am sure that will happen as future books happen] and Shelby makes a good MC [the mystery surrounding her about her mother is a really good side story and I look forward to that development as well] and I like her relationship with the people she is friends with. I sure hope that there isn't a love triangle in the mix [though it doesn't seem that way, you just never know] though. UGH.
The end was a bit flat - it was like the author ran out of steam at the end and didn't know how to wrap everything up so it all was sudden, short and flat. And I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was and why, which is always disappointing. I hope that in the future books that the reveals end up being a little more fleshed out.
Overall, I ended up liking this more than I expected and for that, I am happy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
And then, to my surprise, I found myself liking the book; the writing is good and engaging, the characters are fun [though they could be a bit more thought out; I am sure that will happen as future books happen] and Shelby makes a good MC [the mystery surrounding her about her mother is a really good side story and I look forward to that development as well] and I like her relationship with the people she is friends with. I sure hope that there isn't a love triangle in the mix [though it doesn't seem that way, you just never know] though. UGH.
The end was a bit flat - it was like the author ran out of steam at the end and didn't know how to wrap everything up so it all was sudden, short and flat. And I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was and why, which is always disappointing. I hope that in the future books that the reveals end up being a little more fleshed out.
Overall, I ended up liking this more than I expected and for that, I am happy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2019
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review
This book started off really well! I enjoyed the setting (read: bookish vibes), the characters, and the pacing. However, I felt like the pacing slowed down after a while. For me, there wasn't enough development of the plot. If there would have been character development it would have been just fine, but that also was lacking in my opinion. Furthermore, there were so many characters, I really had a hard time keeping track of who was who. In the end, the pacing got a bit faster again but then again, the ending felt rushed. All in all, for me the balance in this book was a bit off, yet, I still enjoyed the story.
This book started off really well! I enjoyed the setting (read: bookish vibes), the characters, and the pacing. However, I felt like the pacing slowed down after a while. For me, there wasn't enough development of the plot. If there would have been character development it would have been just fine, but that also was lacking in my opinion. Furthermore, there were so many characters, I really had a hard time keeping track of who was who. In the end, the pacing got a bit faster again but then again, the ending felt rushed. All in all, for me the balance in this book was a bit off, yet, I still enjoyed the story.
April 19, 2020
This was a cute first book in a series. Shelby Cox returns to Alexandria Bay to run her aunt's bookstore. Soon after arriving she learns that she will also run the shop in the castle on Blye Island. The grand opening goes off well until Shelby finds a dead body. I liked the characters well enough but the mystery dragged on and was confusing at times. I think I might try another in the series as I liked the setting and the characters. Hopefully the mystery will be better in the next book.
September 11, 2022
Read to page 201 and I could not read anymore. I kept putting this book down after zipping through 100 pages. Too much repetition. Characters needed a big boost. Plot too thin and appeared to be going nowhere. DNF.
November 2, 2020
A solid first book in a new mystery cozy series. It has a beautiful setting of castle bookshop in the Thousand Islands area of New York and warm characters. There is a slightly more complex emotional component to this series in which the main character, Shelby Cox, is trying to find out about her mother who died when she was a young child.
January 27, 2019
Trouble on the Books is a good start to a new cozy mystery series. The premise of the story has promise, and I loved the setting of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York’s breathtaking Thousand Islands region. With that said I am hoping as the series goes on the author decides to expand on the castle/bookstore element and the quaint seaside town.
I had a difficult time getting into the book at first but by chapter 10, I finally started to want to know a little bit more and was connecting more with the main characters. I think the pacing of the story is slow, which made me become distracted and put the book down.
The characters are a bit flat but I am hoping that in further instalments the characters will be a bit more fleshed out and the murder not so obvious. I do intend to read the next instalment to see where it goes.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book through Netgalley/Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest opinion.
I had a difficult time getting into the book at first but by chapter 10, I finally started to want to know a little bit more and was connecting more with the main characters. I think the pacing of the story is slow, which made me become distracted and put the book down.
The characters are a bit flat but I am hoping that in further instalments the characters will be a bit more fleshed out and the murder not so obvious. I do intend to read the next instalment to see where it goes.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book through Netgalley/Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest opinion.
May 28, 2019
DNF at about 1/3 of the way through. Skimmed the rest. Was super excited about this one before its release. When I actually got to reading it? Meh. For whatever reason, it just didn't click with me. After trying for a week to finish it, time to move on.
August 9, 2023
Audio narrator had no personality. Ruined any interest I had in continuing.
March 20, 2021
This book was just ok for me. It wasn't bad but it also didn't grab me. The setting is wonderful, there were possibilities for secondary characters, but I could not really warm up to the main character Shelby and I could not understand her relationship with her Aunt, the whole reason she's there is to help her Aunt and become invested in the bookstores they own together and yet I really don't sense and bond between them. A lot of things Shelby does makes no sense to me and she basically just muddles through day after day not really getting excited by anything. Her approach to the "mystery" is strange, she doesn't solve it, just drops down into the middle of it. Just not my cup of tea.
February 24, 2019
Shelby Cox takes a leave of absence to help her Aunt Edie open a second location for Bayside Books when she undergoes knee replacement surgery. And it turns out that Shelby is part owner in the bookstores.
Bayside Books is in Alexandria Bay and the second location is a small shop in Blye Castle on Blye Island. Loreena Swan, curator of exhibits and attractions at the castle, manages to irritate Shelby, as she readies the shop for opening, with criticism about the titles she offers.
Unfortunately, this puts Shelby in a tight spot when Loreena is found murdered in the grotto on castle grounds by Shelby.
The first in Essie Lang’s Castle Bookshop Mystery series, the story is a good beginning and introduces an interesting group of characters.
Bayside Books is in Alexandria Bay and the second location is a small shop in Blye Castle on Blye Island. Loreena Swan, curator of exhibits and attractions at the castle, manages to irritate Shelby, as she readies the shop for opening, with criticism about the titles she offers.
Unfortunately, this puts Shelby in a tight spot when Loreena is found murdered in the grotto on castle grounds by Shelby.
The first in Essie Lang’s Castle Bookshop Mystery series, the story is a good beginning and introduces an interesting group of characters.
October 1, 2019
A good kick-off to a new series.
September 26, 2020
This was a phenomenal book. The characters are well developed, and the story flowed. I was glued to the pages, seeing how it would all play out. I am so glad I read this book, and I am looking forward to reading the next ones in this series.
March 2, 2020
This is a good one if you enjoy cozy mysteries! I will admit that it begins slowly, but it is worth it. It looks like a promising cozy mystery series. I hope the author continues to write many more, since it is a new series.
March 4, 2019
Trouble On The Books is the first book in the A Castle Bookshop Mystery series.
Shelby Cox has returned to her hometown of Alexandria Bay taking a break from her job as an editor at a small book publisher. She has returned to help her Aunt Rudy, who is recovering from knee surgery, run her bookstores. Shelby will be running the new bookstore in Blye Castle on Blye Island. As Shelby is putting the final touches on the book displays, she has a disagreement with Loreena Swan, curator of exhibits and heritage at Blye Castle. Shelby was upset that Loreena was trying to tell her how the bookstore should be run. Later in the day, Shelby decided to take a walk on the island before catching the shuttle to the mainland. As she was nearing a cove she thought she saw Matthew Kessler, caretaker at the castle, leaving the vicinity of the cove. Deciding to take a closer look at the cove, just as she enters she finds the dead body of Miss Swan. Her first thought is could Kessler have killed her. For the most part, he was a quiet man, but had been extremely helpful to her and was a good friend of her aunt. Shelby later learns that he was at one time an author of true-crime books and had been thought to have killed his wife, but charges were never brought. Shelby, having heard the owner of the castle was reportedly involved with smuggling during the prohibition era, feels that smuggling might once again be going on and Miss Swan might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. This feeling is somewhat reinforced when Zack Griffin, a Special Agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Services. The chief of Alexandria Bay and her family have had issues in the past and isn’t sure that she will be too forthcoming in her investigation, so Shelby decides to do her own sleuthing, hoping that she might get some help from Griffin.
Shelby has a second mystery to search out and that is why her mother had abandoned her when she was a child, leaving her father and aunt to raise. Her father and aunt are reluctant to explain why her mother left. The only thing he aunt was willing to share is that before her mother left she signed over to Shelby her half of the bookstore to her.
The book is well-written, plotted and very interesting. The author created a book that read at an easy pace. I found the characters very interesting and believable.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more books in this nice series
Shelby Cox has returned to her hometown of Alexandria Bay taking a break from her job as an editor at a small book publisher. She has returned to help her Aunt Rudy, who is recovering from knee surgery, run her bookstores. Shelby will be running the new bookstore in Blye Castle on Blye Island. As Shelby is putting the final touches on the book displays, she has a disagreement with Loreena Swan, curator of exhibits and heritage at Blye Castle. Shelby was upset that Loreena was trying to tell her how the bookstore should be run. Later in the day, Shelby decided to take a walk on the island before catching the shuttle to the mainland. As she was nearing a cove she thought she saw Matthew Kessler, caretaker at the castle, leaving the vicinity of the cove. Deciding to take a closer look at the cove, just as she enters she finds the dead body of Miss Swan. Her first thought is could Kessler have killed her. For the most part, he was a quiet man, but had been extremely helpful to her and was a good friend of her aunt. Shelby later learns that he was at one time an author of true-crime books and had been thought to have killed his wife, but charges were never brought. Shelby, having heard the owner of the castle was reportedly involved with smuggling during the prohibition era, feels that smuggling might once again be going on and Miss Swan might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. This feeling is somewhat reinforced when Zack Griffin, a Special Agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Services. The chief of Alexandria Bay and her family have had issues in the past and isn’t sure that she will be too forthcoming in her investigation, so Shelby decides to do her own sleuthing, hoping that she might get some help from Griffin.
Shelby has a second mystery to search out and that is why her mother had abandoned her when she was a child, leaving her father and aunt to raise. Her father and aunt are reluctant to explain why her mother left. The only thing he aunt was willing to share is that before her mother left she signed over to Shelby her half of the bookstore to her.
The book is well-written, plotted and very interesting. The author created a book that read at an easy pace. I found the characters very interesting and believable.
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more books in this nice series
May 16, 2019
Shelby Cox used to be an editor at a big publisher’s house and has recently moved to Alexandria Bay, NY to take over one of the Bayside Books bookstores she owns together with her aunt Edie. The bookstore Shelby manages at Blye Castle is visited by tourists and locals alike. Early on, Shelby has a disagreement with Loreena Swan, member of the heritage society and house dragon at the castle. But when Shelby finds Loreena dead in the lagoon, Shelby decides to get to the bottom of who murdered Loreena. During her sleuthing, Shelby questions the locals and suspects anyone and everyone from the local caretaker and developers to feuding heritage society members, and even possible smugglers. Even the motive of the charming restauranteur’s generous dinner gets questioned. Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services, like many locals, wants Shelby to stop investigating the murder. Still, she pushes on and ultimately endangers her own life.
The characters are lovable and relatable and I liked Shelby’s fierce commitment to solving the murder. I also liked that Shelby is starting to discover more about her mother’s life and her parent’s love story, while undoubtedly starting her own. I loved that Shelby lives on a houseboat for the summer and befriends a stray cat. I didn’t much care for the cat’s name though, which is JT. She is also constantly surrounded by chocolate truffles, which made me crave truffles, as they sounded delicious.
Humorous and light, I enjoyed the slow, but steady pace of the novel and I would read another book of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Essie Lang and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are lovable and relatable and I liked Shelby’s fierce commitment to solving the murder. I also liked that Shelby is starting to discover more about her mother’s life and her parent’s love story, while undoubtedly starting her own. I loved that Shelby lives on a houseboat for the summer and befriends a stray cat. I didn’t much care for the cat’s name though, which is JT. She is also constantly surrounded by chocolate truffles, which made me crave truffles, as they sounded delicious.
Humorous and light, I enjoyed the slow, but steady pace of the novel and I would read another book of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Essie Lang and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2021
2.5 stars
I really wanted to love this one! I have a thing for cozy mysteries with cats and bookstores.
Let's start with what worked: I loved the setting of the bookstore in a castle! I also loved the setting of Shelby's home, which is a houseboat. I love that she befriended a cat and took him in. There is a spark between Shelby and Zack, and the family secret that is revealed.
Now with what didn't work: After the murder, the rest of the story just fell a bit flat for me. Not a whole lot happened, and I was a bit bored.
Now, having said all that, it is because of all the reasons that worked that I will read the next book in this series and give it another chance. I do want to see what happens with the family secret.
I really wanted to love this one! I have a thing for cozy mysteries with cats and bookstores.
Let's start with what worked: I loved the setting of the bookstore in a castle! I also loved the setting of Shelby's home, which is a houseboat. I love that she befriended a cat and took him in. There is a spark between Shelby and Zack, and the family secret that is revealed.
Now with what didn't work: After the murder, the rest of the story just fell a bit flat for me. Not a whole lot happened, and I was a bit bored.
Now, having said all that, it is because of all the reasons that worked that I will read the next book in this series and give it another chance. I do want to see what happens with the family secret.
November 14, 2023
The premise is getting old - young woman pokes around in a murder investigation with no recognition that this is not her job, even remotely. Maybe I'm over the cozy mystery genre. Or maybe this author doesn't even try to justify her sleuth pushing herself into other people's business. I do love the narrator though.
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