Fatalities and Folios

Poe Baxter Books Series #1

by A.C.F. Bookens

Who knew that finding a rare book would also involve running for her life?

When Poe Baxter fled her job as an English professor, she was thrilled to be launching into her career as an antiquarian book dealer with a trip to Edinburgh. But she soon finds that her queries into a particular book’s provenance are drawing some less desirable attention to her and her best friend Beattie. Not everyone is interested in sharing this particular story.

Will the women be able to discover the book’s origins without bringing about their own ends?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Ebooks, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2022

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars. DNF at Page 139. * SPOILER ALERT * I like to relate a little with the main female character. But in this book, she drinks a lot of alcohol during the day. Besides, after she was stolen from a rare and antique book from the safe in her room and had received it back because it was left somewhere in the hotel, she didn't suspect anything ... Also, the e-book I read in Scrib has many errors, and some paragraphs have been omitted in several passages; which made me a little confused about the understanding of the story.

SYNOPSIS: "When Poe Baxter fled her job as an English professor, she was thrilled to be launching into her career as an antiquarian book dealer with a trip to Edinburgh. But she soon finds that her queries into a particular book's provenance are drawing some less desirable attention to her and her best friend Beattie."

[dnsyl57 · Rating 2 out of 5]

"When Poe Baxter fled her job as an English professor, she was thrilled to be launching into her career as an antiquarian book dealer with a trip to Edinburgh. But she soon finds that her queries into a particular book’s provenance are drawing some less desirable attention to her and her best friend Beattie. Not everyone is interested in sharing this particular story. Will the women be able to discover the book’s origins without bringing about their own ends?"

My thoughts:
Two women travelling the world in search of rare books and solving murders along the way may sound like a great concept but I'm not convinced that these two are the ones to pull it off. Poe and Beattie are lifelong friends and know each other well. Seriously though, WHO travels with a pet hamster? That just seemed a bit too out there to be believable.

This particular story of the Scottish book on sea monster stories and its curse was interesting. The people the women meet such as the brothers and the inspector drew me in. The dialogue was good. It was hard to know for sure who to trust and who actually may have believed in the curse. Suspicion as to who the killer was and why they did it shifted several times. The ultimate takedown was okay and the later debriefing over pints in a pub answered a lot of questions.

As always, ACF Bookens managed to work in brief mentions of her other two series within this book.

There is no doubt in my mind that ACF Bookens is a talented storyteller.

However, like almost all of her other books, this one has far too many typos/errors. I noted 24 as I read. For instance:
- In the first chapter, Poe says she has been to Scotland two times before but in the next chapter says this is her first trip. Huh?
- At one point the Inspector's last name is replaced with the last name of another character.
- There is an unfinished sentence that ends with the word "the".
- Grammar issues such as present tense rather than past tense.
- phrasing that makes no sense (extra words, duplicate words, incorrect words)

I know that typos can appear during the process of converting the writers text into various book formats, but a thorough editing and proofreading of the converted formats should have caught the vast majority of the issues.

Regardless of how good a story is, 24 typos/errors is just unprofessional, annoying and very distracting to most readers. I'm certainly not an English major. Back in high school (mid 1970's), I was at best a C+ in English.

I've read Ms Bookens other two series and enjoyed the stories (yes, while griping of errors) and at least for now will continue with those series.

I had pre-ordered the next 2 in this series but have since cancelled them. I'm not convinced that the premise of the two women travelling the world with a pet hamster in search of rare books and solving murders is my cuppa. I'm also not willing to continue being bombarded with so many typos/errors.

For the story alone, I would give this book 3.5 stars but all the typos drops this to a 2.5 for me. JMO

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelle e mezza
Ho sentimenti contrastanti su questo libro... Mentre l'idea alla base mi è piaciuta, non altrettanto posso sempre dire della sua realizzazione. Tralasciando alcuni errori che un qualsiasi editing avrebbe visto (tipo sbagliare un pronome o lasciare una frase tronca a metà), l'azione si svolge in due diverse città scozzesi che, se i miei ricordi sono giusti, sono a un paio di ore una dall'altra, ma negli ultimi capitoli vengono fuse in un'unica città, una cosa letteralmente impossibile. In più ho sentimenti contrastanti riguardo alla protagonista, soprattutto non mi è piaciuta la sua tendenza a ubriacarsi a ogni pie' sospinto. Sinceramente non so se proseguirò questa serie...

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

I was excited to start this new series by ACF Bookens. This series follows Poe Baxter who just got a new job as an antiquarian book dealer. With her best friend Beattie she travels to Scotland to buy her first book after Sea Monsters. I enjoyed visiting Scotland in this book and it was fun to recognize the names of some places I've visited myself. The theme of books and travel seems like a fun one, but I am wondering how this will work out as the series progresses in terms of recurring side characters and love interests.

While this is a first book in the series I thought the book did a good job of getting into the meat of the story and the mystery relatively quickly. I do have to say I didn't find the mystery as engaging as some of the other books by this author, it's hard not to compare it with her other series. It did keep me guessing and wondering who the murderer was and what the book had to do with it.

I liked Poe, she seemed like a sensible character who shared her suspicions and theories with her friends and acquaintances instead of pursuing them on her own. I liked how the characters all worked together to figure out the mystery. I liked her friendship with Beatie and seeing how she approached this new job. It was also fun to see an older main character in a cozy series.

There's also a pet hamster that plays a role in the series, but I am not yet sure what to think of him. There aren't many scenes where he plays an important role and traveling with a hamster in a small cage just seemed kinda sad.

I thought it was nice there were some more touristy and fun scenes interspersed with the mystery. It made for a nice mix. I also liked how it made sense they become part of the mystery as it ties in with the book they've been buying. There was a bit of a romance set up, but with the way the book ends I am not sure what's going to happen with that. I liked the romances, but it also felt like it progressed a bit quickly and wish there had been a bit more build up and getting to know each other.

To summarize: This was a solid start to this new series. I liked the theme of book buying and travel and how we get to visit Scotland with Poe in this first book. The mix between the mystery and the more fun and touristy scenes was well done. I liked how the mystery was tied in with the book they're buying, but I wasn't as engaged with the mystery as I would've liked. I liked Poe so far, she seemed sensible and likeable. I liked how Poe and her friends all work together to solve the mystery. I wasn't sure about the pet hamster, he only made a few appearances and it just seemed kinda odd how they travel with him. The romance progresses kinda fast and I am not really sure how that's going to play out with them traveling to another location next. All in all a good start to this new series and I look forward to the next one.

[Ruth Collier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't click with this one, the writing style seemed quite awkward and overt, everything anyone said or did was spelled out and explained and I like to be able to interpret more myself.
There were several inconsistencies throughout, some of these might be explained away as the characters lying at different points, as it is a 'whodunnit' but there was just too much of it for that. The nature of the curse and characters backstories were contradicted, names were mixed up at one point and i thought the ending left a few loose threads.
I haven't read many 'cosy mysteries' so maybe I'm not the target audience, but the various descriptions of Scotland and the food just seemed very twee, i felt anxiety about the hamster being taken everywhere, and the geography didn't quite make sense (it seemed like dragging the characters around all these different places was merely an excuse to mention different places in Scotland, even if it made no sense to the plot. For instance they were meant to be visiting Skye but stayed in a B&B near Loch Ness.).

[Robynne Lozier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lighthearted romp through Scotland with 2 ladies aged in their 40s. Poe and Beattie are chasing after a very old and valuable book of ancient Scottish fairytales and stories about sea monsters. Loch Ness Monster anyone? For the record, Beatte is a transgender female although there was only one mention of this in the first chapter. Beattie is also the expert in antiquarian books, while Poe is the expert in fairy tales and old stories. This book also involves a murder and Poe and Beattie have to find out who the murderer is. That was enough for me to originally give this 4 stars. BUT, then I came across a rather annoying editing error that was jarring. One female making a dramatic "entrance" after pouring beer over someones head and storming OUT of the door. That should have been an exit, not an entrance. I would have given this 4 out of 5 stars, but with that editing gaffe, I'm going to give it 3 stars!!! I do plan to read more books in this series only because I absolutely LOVE antiquarian books!!!!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the audio of this first in series and will be listening to the next book soon.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short story which I enjoyed very much. A C F is an author that really lets me down.

[Georgen Charnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a lot of promise: rare books, librarians, mystery. But the plot didn't make sense to me. So they are going to buy a book, and to investigate the provenance, they visit the former owner, and find him dead. Then, they assume his murder has something to do with the book. Why? He sold it months ago. It's just an assumption; you're supposed to suspend your disbelief. There's also this strange addition of romance for no reason, and why do they keep doing their nails?

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun new cozy mystery in Scotland!

Fatalities and Folios is the beginning of a new cozy mystery series and I was looking forward to reading it. It was enjoyable but needs some editing and there is a lot of winking. Odd but whatever. The story was good but started off a little slowly. Poe and her transgender best friend Beattie work for Poe's Uncle's rare book business. Poe's first job is to go with Beattie to Scotland to get a rare book on sea monsters. They find a former owner of the book they are trying to obtain dead. They meet two brothers who help them solve the case. The characters are likable. The mystery is decent. There are only a few suspects and I wasn't sure until the end. This book had a lot of potenial and I plan to read the next book in hopes that it is better. #FatalitiesAndFolios

[Javon50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific first book in a new series! Poe Baxter, former professor will now be working with her uncle Fitz, owner of a rare bookshop in Charlottesville, specializing in folklore and fairy tale texts. Her first assignment will have Poe traveling to Edinburgh to purchase a special book for a client, with friend and co-worker Beattie Andrews and, of course, her other traveling companion Butterball, her hamster. Finding the owner of the book was not difficult but finding a dead body is a shock and getting caught up in a murder mystery is not how Poe imagined her first job assignment would end up. I loved this book and can hardly wait to read about Poe, Beattie, and Butterball’s next adventure.

[Susan Huhn-Bowles · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author has not done her research on rare books. I worked in a Special Collections Rare Book library at a major university and I found so many holes in her references to the world of rare and collectible books.
There is a big difference between paper and vellum. Also, a rare book doesn't just get placed in someone's bag. It needs to be handled with care.
The romance aspect was trivial and not interesting to me. The characters lacked logic and the action jumped from one city to the next.

[TaniaRina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books, high tea, shortbread, and a pair of Outlanders
Not to mention a setting in my favorite city (outside of Israel) – Edinburgh. The author provided a lot of local background in addition to literary tidbits and a list of yummy foods.


For me, conservation and preservation of books & art is about passing down the lore of our ancestors. We can learn about each other and ourselves by delving into the psyches of why specific cultures think the way they do. Some peoples lived their lives based on fear of the elements, yet others embraced them. The differences have fascinated me since I was a young child and I unashamedly continue my passion for folklore and fairytales (especially retellings).

Almost any story/novel/tale that has old books or priceless art stress the importance of provenance. The cozy takes us beyond the mere proof of ownership in that the one in question lists details about the book itself. Readers learn a wee bit about bookbinding, glues, threads, etc.


One of the characters has two rules for books (as much as possible) and I do agree. The same pertains to art and cultural finds, IMHO:
belong to the public
should remain in their home country


Some sage advice from the author:
Know your worth
Increase your wealth in order to share it


Gonna make me some Earl Grey and scones before starting book #5 ‘Spines and Slaughter’. I definitely want to catch up on this series as well as others by this author.

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished Punishable by Death so I was eager to start another series by ACF Bookens. This one was good but it felt a little bit like Scooby Doo and the Gang. When the killer was captured, I truly expected them to say, "I would have gotten away with it if it were not for you meddling kids." Though in this story, the kids were well over the drinking age. As with her other book, the description of the location, the history of sea creatures, and the food made me want to travel to Scotland and consume as much cider, bangers, and scones as I could and you think everyone is the killer until they narrow it down in the end (like Punishable by Death). It was a very entertaining read and I'm sure I'll choose another. One last note. The hamster, I'm not sure why he was included. When he would sporadically appear, I was like, who is this? oh yes, it's the hamster. He was not a key component and he would not have been missed.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given book 4 in this series free and started to read and decided no, I'm going to do this right I will read the first book and go from there, that's what you're supposed to do, right? Anyway, I did and got acquainted with the characters. It's a mystery crime story of two friends, women that are in the Rare Book business and they go searching wherever they think the book is and find it and take it back home with them. It's not as easy as it seems especially when murder becomes involved, over a book. Follow the leads that are given to them and now instead of just two Rare Book dealers now they are investigating a murder? it was a ok story and I will give it another few chances to see if I can get into the series like I have on some of the other A.C.F. Bookens books. I just had a hard time getting into the story it just didn't seem all that interesting to me,but in all fairness just because I feel this way doesn't mean you will!

[Aimée · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poe Baxter ist gerade im Buch-Besorgungsgeschäft ihres Onkels eingestiegen und bekommt gleich einen Hammerjob: Sie soll mit ihrer besten Freundin in Schottland ein wertvolles altes Buch über schottische Wasserwesen und -mythen sicherstellen und an eine Bibliothek weiterverkaufen.

Doch natürlich läuft nichts so, wie es sollte - der Käufer ist tot, das Buch verschwindet und die beiden Brüder, die bei der Jagd helfen, verwirrend schnuckelig.



Ich mochte den ersten Band von Bookens' St. Marins Reihe über eine krimilösende Buchhändlerin, daher dachte ich, wenn man noch Schottland dazuwirft, kann nichts schiefgehen. Leider hat entweder das Lektorat gepennt oder die Autorin kennt sich nicht sehr gut in Schottland aus – so wollen sie von Inverness zur Isle of Skye, checken dann aber in Fort Augustus ein und niemand sagt was dazu. Schräg. Außerdem gibt es in Schottland noch andere Lokalitäten als Pubs. Und wer nimmt bitte seinen Hamster mit auf eine Weltumrundung??

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series from a cozy mystery author who I've read 2 series of her books in the past, St Marins bookshop and Stitches in Crime.

This series is about a rare book buyer, Poe Baxter sourcing books from around the world for clients. She travelled this time with her best friend from schooldays and colleague Beattie and her hamster Butterball.

When a rare book which purports to have a curse upon it comes up for sale, Poe's first job is to buy the book for a client who wishes to donate it to the Scottish library. When the seller is found dead, Poe and Baxter are drawn into the mystery of who did it and why. The book is set in Scotland, a country close to my heart.

I'll admit, I didn't take to the book as I have the other 2 series, I didn't dislike it but I didn't fall in love immediately with it, hence the 4 stars instead of 5. That said, I'll buy the next book in the series to see where the story goes.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fatalities and Folios is book #1 in the Poe Baxter Books series by ACF Bookens.

Poe Baxter and her best friend, Beattie, head to Scotland to buy a rare book. While doing research, they stumble upon a body and are drawn into a murder investigation.

I am a fan of the St Marin and Stitches in Crime series. I loved when Poe mentioned Paisley Sutton and her newsletters and stories about her son. But I had trouble connecting with this book. Poe is a 47-year-old former college professor, but most of the time I felt like I was reading about a much younger, naïve character. I felt like there was too many instances where I had to suspend disbelief for me to really enjoy the story. This was an OK read for me and I will read the next one.

I received an advanced reader copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite like this author’s other series, and was really curious to start with this one as well.
There are a lot of typos and editing details, I think some other reviewers had it worse than me but still the book needs to be re-checked. But luckily it didn’t affect my reading too badly.
This story is set in Edinburgh, and I liked how the characters went to pubs and drank a lot, it’s quite the accurate reflection of how locals spend their time here.

However, if someone reading this book really thinks that men in Scottish pubs start spontaneously telling each other stories about monsters and magical creatures, they would be so disappointed when they actually visit.

The rest of the story was ok, cute but not super good. I had my expectations relatively low so I wasn’t exactly disappointed, and overall it was a nice read.

[Juliana Veale · Rating 1 out of 5]

What I did on my summer holiday

This is exactly how this book reads. A middle aged divorcee's summer vacation where she gets to romance a hot crush and perform brilliantly at her dream job, not to mention being allowed to investigate a murder as a foreigner with the help of the police. Plodding, banal and frankly boring. Mercifully short, so the torture was brief. The book spends more time talking about food and going out on dates - goodness forbid she wears the same colours as the university in her hometown. Add a politically correct label as her best friend and a hamster for supposed cuteness. So a modern cozy mystery with a stupid name for a protagonist, a very light sprinkling of mystery (so it can be put into the mystery genre) and you have another shining example a cozy mystery that makes me want to stop reading the genre altogether

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Poe Baxter cozy mystery series by A.C.F. Bookens. Poe Baxter is a former English professor who embarks on a new career as an antiquarian book dealer. Poe and her best friend Beattie travel to Edinburgh, Scotland to search for the origins of a rare book. The book handmade by Angus Duncan in 1340 Inverness contains the stories of seanchas (sea monsters) and Scottish fairytales. However, their inquiries attract unwanted attention, and Poe finds herself caught in a dangerous mystery. As secrets unravel, she must navigate unexpected threats while uncovering the book’s true history. This novel seamlessly weaves cozy mystery, adventure, and literary intrigue, delivering an irresistible read for those who love bookish whodunits. I really enjoyed this fascinating cozy mystery novel.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was supposed to be a simple buying trip for Poe Baxter; a single purchase designed to get her feet wet in her new profession as a book dealer. Instead, Poe finds herself wrapped up in a mystery that takes her on a chase for clues all over the country of Scotland.

This one just isn't for me. There were errors throughout my copy, a plot hole or two and inconsistencies in the storytelling. Poe seemed too giddy for her 47 years and unfit/untrained for her new profession. The buying trip was referred to as a vacation though it appeared to be a work venture - one in which pets should not be involved.

Though I liked the story as a whole, there was just too much background noise. I wasn't enamoured with the main character so this series will be a miss for me.

[Susan Mock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Premise that Didn’t Work

Somehow I missed how she was named Poe. Her best friend Beatie was odd. I have thought about the previous sentence since I wrote it and decided to expand. Beatie is transexual and went from a male to female when younger. That is fine, except she/he is involved with the brother of Poe's boyfriend. He is for all intensive purposes straight, as is the brother. I would think that Aaron(brother) might notice that he is kissing another man. This was not expanded on and seems to be a add on to take advantage of the current climate not to have a real character.

The idea of buying a rare book that had a curse could have been okay but the plot just fell apart. No, I will not be reading any more of this series.

[T.M. Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatalities and Folios

I came across this book after reading another book by this author under a pseudonym. Unlike the previous book, which I practically read in one sitting, this took me a little longer. That’s not saying that it’s a poorer story, it’s just a different genre. As a cozy mystery I guess one has to feel suitably cozy to relax and read, and when one gets a little too cozy, put it down and sleep. As an Englishman it’s always a little strange seeing a book written by an American set in the British Isles. The author has done a pretty good job with intoning regional accents and differences in words but the American English spelling still crept in from time to time. Overall, a good cozy mystery.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

intrigue meets new beginnings, travel adventures and possible romance.

Procuring rare books on behalf of clients for the firm run by her uncle is a new project for a former instructor and lover of literature.

Larceny, greed, and murderous entitlement lead two best friends on a dangerous path.

Are the handsome Scots they meet along the way among the perks or the dangers of their business?

Fun incidental info on points of historical and travel interest.

I am looking forward to seeing the next beautiful books and travel sites where we find these middle aged travelers.

[Anne Kavcic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poe Baxter has given up her university teaching job to become a book buyer for her uncle, who specializes in antique books. With her love of literature and history she is bound to learn the trade, and indeed is sent off quite quickly under the tutelage of her best friend Beattie, who also works for Uncle Fitz. Travelling to Scotland to buy a one-of-a-kind book of sea serpent legends, they soon run into a dead body and get involved with the police. Quite a few people are interested in this book, it seems, and the two are anxious to find it first - and a grand adventure it turns out to be! I received a review copy and freely leave this honest review.

[Pat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book I really did, heck it’s by one of my favorite authors so I thought it would be good. But I was wrong, so very wrong. I got to 5% and could go no further. I just couldn’t wrap my head around finding old books for people as an actual job. I have attempted to read a similar series a few years back but that “job” is just a stumbling block for me. Is it a real job in the real world? Who knows, but if it is what a great job - free travel, browsing bookstores or auction houses for old books - would be a dream come true. But that’s what that job is in my mind, just a dream.

[Grams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging story

I have read several books by this author and have looked them all but Poe and Beattie are my favorites! They are the best of friends and what is supposed to be a simple book sale turns into an adventure including a murder. I liked the character development and the story line. There were some twists and turns which kept me guessing, although I had a good idea who the murderer was before the end of the book. I read cozy mysteries because they're clean of profanity and sex so that you can enjoy the story not the minutia. I enjoyed reading this book and am moving on to the next one.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable. A good solid cozy mystery and start to a new series.

I have read other books by this author and enjoy her writing style. She writes likable, relatable characters in interesting locations doing investigations and enjoying what are - usually - small towns with all the requisite " characters" who make things exciting.

One thing I particularly liked about this book was that the main character is a book buyer who travels around the world buying rare books. It's fun that she takes her hamster, Butterball, along with her on her adventures.

The murder investigation was swell- structured and a goos story. I would read future books in this series. It was fun.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little mystery with a book theme. I enjoyed the book theme and the ridiculousness of the travelling hamster. I did find Poe to be really contradictory as a character though, in a way that just felt inconsistent (she loves to travel and plan out everything she's going to do but would rather stay home. She's an introvert who practically hooks up with the first cute bookish guy she meets. She wants to pub crawl but also only wants to stay in her B&B and binge watch in her pajamas) One thing would be said at one point in the story and then the opposite would come up in a way that contradicted the first.
A short, okay read, but not enough to make me want to read the next novella.