A Bookworm of a Suspect

by Verena DeLuca, N.A.K. Baldron, Denise Jaden

From bookstores to libraries, mischief and murder is on the rise.
Follow 30 sleuths as they tackle the ultimate case, to catch a bookworm red-handed.

Will their love of books solve the case before it's too late?
Spend the next month solving a mystery a day from the best cozy mystery authors in the industry.

From bookstores to libraries, mischief and murder is on the rise.
Follow 30 sleuths as they tackle the ultimate case, to catch a bookworm red-handed.

Will their love of books solve the case before it's too late?
Spend the next month solving a mystery a day from the best cozy mystery authors in the industry.

In Order of Appearance:
Murder in the Stacks by Verena DeLuca
Blood Orange Latte by NAK Baldron (Paranormal)
Dead-End Weekend by Denise Jaden
Rats and Rapscallions by Rune Stroud (Paranormal)
Lurker in the Library by K.L. Montgomery
Under the Gun by Lise McClendon
A Cat's Tale by MK Scott
Seed You Later by Lisa Bouchard (Paranormal)
A Novel Thief by Jessica Baker (Paranormal)
A Book to Die For by Jennifer S. Alderson
Blood on the Books by Elle Wren Burke (Paranormal)
The Littlest Book Thief by ACF Bookens
The Library Attic Attack by Iris March
Ghostwriters and Gravediggers by Brittany E. Brinegar
Reading into the Root of the Problem by Elle Hartford (Paranormal)
Scarlet Letters by Alicia Ellis
Catheter Cliffs by Mary Lucal
A Wisp of Murder by Kathryn Mykel
Claws, Paws and Secret Doors by Polly Holmes (Paranormal)
Primary Source by Kelly Brakenhoff
Stacked by Stella Bixby
Book Nook Murder by C. Farren
A Mystery for the Books by Angela K. Ryan
Poodle Versus the Superhero by Anne Shillolo
A Page Before Dying by Julie Anne Lindsey
A Cat Catalog Catastrophe by Krista Lockheart
Cookbook Caper by Nicolette Pierce
Blank Pages and Spilled Ink by Mary B. Barbee
The Menace of By Adriana Licio
The Demon's in the Details by Kate Darroch (Paranormal)

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy

1313 pages, ebook

Published April 11, 2023

About the author

Verena DeLuca is a pen name for the life partner duo Sabetha Danes & NAK Baldron. When we’re not homeschooling our artistic daughter, we spend our afternoons arguing the finer details of books. Failing that, we can be found walking the many nature trails around our home.

Marble Falls is an actual tourist destination an hour west of Austin, Texas, that we’re proud to call home. While Aconite Cafe isn’t an actual coffee shop, it is the name of our publishing company. We love coffee nearly as much as Hailey, though we’ve been known to break the cardinal rule and drink tea.

Azure is based on our cat James, who’s just as snarky.

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of short stories from a great range of authors. A few that particularly stood out to me were 'A Novel Thief' by Jessica Baker, 'A Mystery for the Books' by Angela K. Ryan, 'Catheter Cliffs' by Mary Lucal, and 'A Cat Catalog Catastrophe' by Krista Lockheart. Each one has its own flair and there is a good mix of sub-genres keeping every story fresh. A must-read for cozy mystery fans looking to find new authors!

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read A Novel Thief by Jessica Baker and enjoyed it. This author has a delightful and creative imagination. I hope Jessica Baker writes more stories and books with these fascinating characters within this setting. I happily recommend this story.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good cozy mystery anthology! I've read some of these authors before, but others are new to me. I enjoyed every single story and of course they're all about books in some way. I can highly recommend this delightful collection of stories. I was provided an arc, but these opinions are my own.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Aconite Café Publishers, BookFunnel and Lise McClendon for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This is a book of short cozy mysteries, all related to books and writers. My review is for "Under The Gun” by Lise McClendon.

This short story is told in the first person by Zoe Sexton, a bestselling author who is experiencing writer’s block. She has a deadline that provides even more pressure than her blank computer screen. Any distraction will do, so when she sees author Emerson Bullock’s launch party on her calendar for that evening, and her agent Maisie calls insisting she attend, she has no choice but to don something black and appear.

Zoe had never gotten along with Emerson, so wasn’t surprised when he started antagonizing her and her agent. Drinks are thrown and words are shouted. Typical diva drama from Emerson. But not so typical is the news the next morning that Emerson is now dead and Zoe is a prime suspect.

I liked the story’s humorous tone, and I liked Zoe. She is jaded but funny. And I bet her books are good, too. The rest of the story consists of Zoe and Maisie discovering the real killer. Twists and turns and surprises. It’s a good mystery with surprising clues and red herrings. I’d like to spend more time with Zoe – hope McClendon has more mysteries for her to solve.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to get an introduction to authors you have never read before. Gives you a sample of how they write. While every story won’t be enjoyed by everyone, the overall idea is 5 Star for sure.

Angela K. Ryan - A Mystery for the Books - Very enjoyable stand-alone story - wonderful characters, very witty, and an excellent cold case mystery. I didn’t feel lost not having read anything else in this series and will definitely read more from this author.

Brittany E. Brinegar - Ghostwriters and Gravediggers - Another excellent stand-alone story. A group of friends, assistant PIs, work together to find out who is digging up graves, who is breaking into stores, who are the culprits dressed like famous authors, and how is it all connected. Looking forward to more about these characters.

C. Farren - Book Nook Murder - Stand-alone story - Very quick short read. Former soap opera actress solves the murder of the head librarian. Some very funny parts. Fun dog sidekick.

Denise Jaden - Dead-End Weekend – I have read Denise’s 2 series that this short combines characters from. A fun, quick story with characters from 2 series working together. The characters mixed well. I was sorry Hunch didn't make the trip as it would have been hilarious to see him work with Sherlock, but Amber worked as well with Sherlock as she does with Hunch. Sherlock is great. Really a plus. Enjoyed the story and I liked the different viewpoints. A good story even if someone hasn't read one of or even neither of the series.

Elle Hartford - Reading into the Root of the Problem - Excellent stand-alone story. Fun, quick story as Red the alchemist tries to figure out who is vandalizing the little library at the cafe. Great characters and mystery.

Elle Wren Burke - Blood on the Books - Excellent stand-alone story. A group of vampire and human friends work together to find out who has been breaking into the library, ransacking the sections, and hurting a security guard. A clever resolve.

Jessica Baker - A Novel Thief - Excellent start of a new paranormal series so no previous knowledge of other series needed. Strange happenings above the bookshop while the main character is writing her novel. Very clever resolve while opening the door to future stories. Looking forward to more in this series.

Julie Anne Lindsey - A Page Before Dying - Excellent stand-alone story. Felt like a spin-off from an existing series but I didn’t feel lost. 8 people are trapped during a flood in a store. One is killed so they have to figure out who the killer is. A bit of supernatural help. Definitely a series I would read.

Lise McClendon - Under the Gun - Excellent stand-alone story. Author murdered. Very clever main character uses lots of online research.

Mary B. Barbee - Blank Pages and Spilled Ink - Excellent stand-alone story - Very smart main character with a very clever resolve to her aunt’s murder. Enjoyed this story.

Mary Lucal - Catheter Cliffs - Excellent stand-alone story with seniors as the fun characters. A bully worker at the senior home dies and a group of seniors looks into it.

Nicolette Pierce - Cookbook Caper - Very enjoyable stand-alone story - wonderful characters, very witty, and an excellent mystery. I didn’t feel lost not having read anything else in this series and will definitely read more from this author.

Polly Holmes - Claws, Paws and Secret Doors - Fun stand-along story. I don’t know if this is part of a series but there was enough information to enjoy the story alone. Great characters and mystery with a person no one likes murdered before a literary event where her autobiography will be released. Secret witch sisters with a magical bookstore.

Stella Bixby - Stacked - Enjoyable stand-alone story - High school students solve a fake murder mystery as their final exam for a course. I hadn’t read the series these characters came from but I wasn’t lost. Enjoyed watching them work.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like cozy mysteries this anthology is for you. This collection of stories follows 30 sleuths as they get involved in mayhem and murder and follow the clues to solve their own investigations. Not only will you be reading a beloved genre and fun stories but you will be helping a great cause as the proceeds go to “The Free Book Bus a registered 501c Nonprofit.

I am reviewing the first story in the book, Murder in the Stacks by Verna DeLuca. We follow our P.I. as she is following her client’s husband to prove infidelity on his behalf. As she gets involved the investigation changes into a possible murder investigation. There are plenty of twists and turns in the short mystery and no shortage of suspects. The characters have depth which keeps you wondering who really committed murder. I really enjoyed reading this story and all the rest in this book.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.

[Denise Jaden]

I'm thrilled to be a part of this anthology! My featured story, Dead-end Weekend, is part of the Tabitha Chase Days of the Week Mysteries, but also features my two sleuths from my Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Capers. It was a lot of fun to introduce my sleuths to one another, and especially for my sleuths to meet another extraordinary cat! When Amber meets Sherlock, the spectacled, crystal-wearing short tabby, she quickly proves herself to be somewhat of a cat whisperer, learning to read and understand him with ease. I hope to write more stories with all of these sleuths together, perhaps on Mallory and Amber's home turf next time, as they are a lot of fun together!

[Lisa Bouchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind the scenes of Seed you Later:

A powerful witch’s grimoire went missing in one of my novels and it’s shown back up here. A young witch with no family to teach her how to use her powers gets hold of it and some pretty incredible things happen before the Proctor family steps in and set things back to normal.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bookworm of a Suspect

This is a collection of 30 short stories.
3, of which I did not read and did not affect the overall rating.
2, I did not finish,
I had 5 that I rated one star
9 were three stars,
8 four stars,
and 3 five star ratings.
I gave it an overall 3 stars for the book.
Overall, I would recommend this book.

Book 1: Murder in the Stacks – Verena Deluca

While I have read and enjoyed other books from Ms. Deluca, This is the first book from this series I will have read.

Blair runs the Firedrake Investigations.

She’s been hired to look into a case of an unfaithful spouse who is divorcing his wife.

Pro’s:

Developed characters and a decent story.

Con’s:

While this was a standalone story,

It needs more information for those of us who were not familiar with the characters.

Is Sherry just an employee?

She seems to be more like a partner than just a paperwork pusher.



Book 2: Blood Orange Latte – NAK Baldron

I have not read this author before.

The story appears to be from his Magi Codex series.

This one appears to be another vampire elimination story.

Not one of my favorite genres.

I won’t be reading this one and it won’t affect my overall rating for the anthology.



Book 3: Dead-End Weekend – Denise Jaden

Crossover story with the above book.

Did not finish due to the vampires.



Book 4: Rats and Rapscallions – Rune Stroud

This is the first book I’ve read from this author.

Autumn is a witch that has the ability to communicate with animals.

She’s referred to as a “Beast Witch”

She has been contacted to help move some rats away from some extremely rare books in a library.

While there, she becomes trapped along with several others as someone is there unauthorized and trying to get ahold of one of the books.

This was a cute story and a fun read.



Book 5: Lurker in the Library

This is the first book I’ve read from this author

Sunshine is a librarian in the YA section.

The library receives an old book from Louisiana, when weird thing start happening, several of the staff believe the book is cursed.

When they receive notice that one of the librarians has been found dead, Sunshine has had enough and sets out to find the truth.

This was an overall fun story.



Book 6: Under the Gun – Lise McClendon

Zoe Sexton is a multi-genre author who is in a slump with a deadline drawing near.

She goes to a meet and greet for a rival author who has a mutual dislike for each other.

After an argument, the police are at Zoe’s door the next morning as a suspect in the other authors murder.

Book 7: A Cat’s Tale – MK Scott

Narrated in part from Larry the cat’s POV

Donna and her husband go to pick up a book Donna ordered to find the bookstore empty and a stray cat leads them to a body in the bookstore.



This was a decent story with developed characters, but it had a really strange ending that caused more questions than answers.



Book 8: Seed You Later – Lisa Bouchard



Isabella takes possession of a grimoire and puts it in her safe for the night.

The next morning a man is dead in front of the bookstore next to her shop and her office is ransacked and the book is missing.

While this was a well told story, I did not like who the villain was in this one.



Book 9: A Novel Thief – Jessica Baker

Lenore Ellis is a writer.

When she gets a sudden inspiration,

She continues her story on the typewriter that her grandfather had given her.

The next day, she learns that parts of her story had come true.

This was an unusual story and I’m not really sure how I feel about it.



Book 10: A book to Die For – Jennifer S. Alderson

This is my first story by Ms. Alderson.

So far, for me it is the best of the collection.

It reminds me of Lee Dobbins Kate Diamond series.

I will be checking to see if there are any more in this series.

Carman and the Baroness are on assignment to recover a suspected stolen manuscript that is very valuable.

While at a private showing to verify the manuscripts authenticity, the owner is killed, and the manuscript is hidden.



Book 11: Blood on the Books – Elle Wren Burke

This one is another vampire story, so I’ll be passing on this one as well.



Book 12: The Littlest Book Thief – ACF Bookens

Another first from a new author for me.

While the story was cute, it was extremely silly and completely unrealistic in every aspect.

I will not be reading anymore from this author.



Book 13: The Library Attic Attack – Iris March

Molly and Claudia are at the library for a plant swap.

At the end of the meet, they take the tables up to the attic only to find one of the board members laying on the floor near death.

This was the first story from this author for me.

It was a decent story, and I will probably read more from her.



Book 14: Ghostwriter and Gravedigger – Brittany E. Bringar

Twin sisters Molly and Samantha Brown are PI trainees on assignment

to catch a graverobber.

It winds up they are looking for a pair of robbers who dress up as historical authors to commit their crimes.

I enjoyed this one.



Book 15: Reading into the Root of the Problem – Elle Hartford

While I have way too many questions about the settings.

It was a nice, but confusing story.



Book 16: Scarlet Letters – Alicia Ellis

I stopped reading this one as soon as the sisters agreed to not call the cops if they could investigate the body that just tripped over, because the owner of the store didn’t want to lose bargaining power of the sale of his building if a body was found there.

Book 17: Catheter Cliffs – Mary Ducal

Jeff is a new resident of Castle Cliffs Senior Home.

After the death of his husband, Jeff left everything he owned to his ex-wife and kids, and moved into the place he labeled Catheter Cliffs.

On his second day there, he makes friends with three other octogenarians.

When one of the orderlies dies, the four friends decide to solve who murdered him as he was known to be abusive to the residences, and also to steal their belongings.

They all believe he finally pushed someone too far.

Mary is another new author for me.

It is a decent story but the pacing was a little slow for my liking.



Book 18: A Wisp of Murder – Katherine Mykle

This was my first story from this author.

I was honestly confused during the entire story.

And the ending wasn’t much help.

I guess it was an okay story.

I didn’t dislike it, but I’m not sure I liked it either.



Book 19: Claws, Paws, and Secret Doors – Polly Holmes

Fastest laugh in the stories yet.

Paige Wakefield moved back to Heathcoat Falls after her fiancé stole everything she had, including what was in her bank account.

Along with her sister, they run the local bookstore.

With an important author meet and greet happening.

The most despised member in the town if killed.

Now they need to find the murderer in order to keep the bookstore open.

I really enjoyed this one, but I don’t get the title for this story. There were no secret, or hidden doors.



Book 20: Primary Source – Kelly Brakenhoff

This story is very slow paced and a bit tedious in places



Book 21: Stacked – Stella Bixby

I just happen to be a fan of the Ryli Sinclair series.

This is a prequel for the Ryli Cooper series.

Luke and Ryli are taking a final exam for a investigative class.

The teacher is murdered and the class has to figure out who killed him in the one hour timeslot given.

My only complaint with this one is that the final grades given only included the one for Ryli and no one else.



Book 22: Book Nook Murder – C. Farren

Barbara Gristle moved back to England after she lost her actress job when her character got to be too old.

When she goes to her childhood library, the head librarian who is still there is murdered.

It was a decent story.



Book 23: A Mystery for the Books – Angela K. Ryan

Another new author for me.

The discovery of a hidden room in a bookstore holds the clues to solve a decades old cold case involving a prominent member of the town.

Book 24: Poodle Versus the Superhero – Anne Shillolo

This one was nice mystery

A comic book store employee reports his boss has died, but when his friends go with him there’s no body.



Book 25: A Page Before Dying – Julie Anne Lindsey

The MC took over her grandmother’s bookstore in Bliss, Georgia

after she passed.

The story itself is okay, but, there’s characters walking around the store and reading books.

Yes, it’s a bookstore. Yes, they are in the middle of a storm after sunset with no power in the building.

Almost to the third chapter. I finally learned the MC’s name.

Book 26: A Cat Catalog Catastrophe – Krista Lockheart

Nancy Ann Davis is the library director for Sperry.

She arrives to work to find long impatient lines to check out and an employee missing.

They have received a valuable manuscript and are having a hard time keeping people from the restricted area that the manuscript is in.

With a tornado heading towards the library, the resident cat discovers the body of the missing employee.

Of course, with all the excitement the manuscript has disappeared.



Book 27: Cookbook Caper – Nicolette Pierce

After Jade finds a cookbook in the alley behind their restaurant with one of their signature dishes listed along with the restaurant's name.

They discover several other restaurants listed that had been broken into and vandalized.



Book 28: Blank Pages and Spilled Ink – Mary B. Barbee

Clara is saddened that her Aunt whom she talked to as often as possible has passed away.

Only she didn’t just die, she was murdered.

Her aunt was always writing in a journal, and since she can’t find the journal. She is convinced that it holds the clue to her killer.

I really enjoyed this one.



Book 29: The Menace of Montmartre – Adriana Licio

There were too many unnecessary distractions for this story to flow naturally.



Book 30: The Demon’s in the Details – Kate Darroch

This one was an interesting story.

But, It was really, really strange!

[Yolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good collection of short stories that are all mysteries related to books in some way. Well, who doesn’t love books about books! I was not familiar with all of the authors but it’s a good way to get a sample of new-to-me authors’ writing. This book also supports “The Free Book Bus” so you are helping bring books to others by your purchase. Jessica Baker’s short story is a light paranormal story, so different from her historical cozy series, and a great start to a new series.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many of these stories in this anthology reunited me with my book friends from series the authors have written and one of them even brought together book friends from two series who meet up and solve a cold murder case together!

If you love cozy mysteries involving dogs, cats and witches and humans who all lend a hand or paw in solving murders and crimes then you’ll enjoy these stories!

The stories are long enough to keep your interest but also allow you to finish each story within a couple of hours or less. You’ll find suspense, excitement and the quest and determination of these characters to solve the mysteries they face.

As the name implies the stories revolve around books so every reader should appreciate that! After all without books our thirst for entertainment and knowledge would dry up almost immediately! Then those of us who are creative would just have to write books to fulfill that basic need once again!

I enjoyed going back down memory lane with some of my old book friends from previous series and getting to know new friends from authors I had not read before.

I highly recommend this anthology to all those who love cozy mysteries and urge those of you who haven’t tried this genre yet to pick up this book and see what you’ve been missing. You may just find that you’ve discovered new authors you’ll want to read about more and enjoy the series’s they have written!

[Sionna Trenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! And A Cat Catalogue Catastrophe played a big part of that. As with all Krista Lockheart tales, animals played a huge role. Not just amusing, but as heroes of the hour. Murder, mayhem, and plenty of suspects make for a purrfectly delightful mystery!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book to Die For by Jennifer S. Alderson

A cozy murder mystery that brought me back to my days of reading Agatha Christie Murder Mystery’s.

Camelia Festoon, also known as the Baroness, works with Carmen in the Rosewood Agency searching for and verifying missing antique objects. So when they get the opportunity to locate and verify a missing prayer book, they go to a mansion in Italy.

Carmen has been retired from the job for three years and is just starting to get back into it on this job with the Baroness. However, this job turns into more than either of them expected and now they have to solve a different kind of mystery, who murdered the host and took the five of the valuable historical prayer books?

I enjoyed this story, and the Baroness and Carmen are wonderful characters. Since I haven’t read a cozy mystery in years, this story brought me back to my youth and it was fun guessing who the murderer was and why they did it. There were a few candidates, but in the end, they murderer was apprehended, and they mystery solved. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it. I give the story a 4-star review. This was my first reading of a Jennifer S. Alderson book, and I liked her writing style and her story telling.

[Valeri Sullivan (vsulvn29) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read several of the shorts in this and their reviews follow! I can't wait to dig into the authors I'm not familiar with.

The Demons in the Details Kate Darroch
"It Helps to know the right thing to say. To know good can come out of evil"
In this entertaining short after Mairi inadvertently released a demon from the pages of a grimoire Dan imprisons her in a book that has yet to be written. While she tried to escape the fictional world Lianne ‘trick’s Ellis Perevel into capturing ‘the gunrunner’ threatening their friend.

A Page Before Dying Julie Anne Lindsey
Liz, Gigi, Mirabelle and Sutton are on the case when there is a murder in Bliss’ bookstore in the middle of a violet autumn storm that has the whole town under water. A fun peek into the mysterious magical bookstore and it’s ghostly inhabitant.

The Menace of Montemarte Adriana Licio
Dora and Etta are off to France on this house swapping adventure. When a bookstore owner mysteriously goes missing can the duo let it go and simply enjoy their stay in Montemarte? Doubtful.

Library Attic Attack Iris March
When a board member is found in dire straights after a plant swap at the library the succulent sleuth is back on the case. Was their new friend involved in the attack or perchance the head librarian?
a few seconds ago

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful collection of mysteries by 30 different authors. Readers are sure to find both favorite authors and new authors between the pages. I found so many authors that I have enjoyed before, as well as discovering several new authors that I want to get to know better.
Since every author is well known, it's really hard to pick a favorite story. But let me mention two of the ones that particularly appealed to me. Stacked and A Cat's Tale are outstanding examples. Both feature characters from their existing well known series.
In Stella Bixby's Stacked, we meet high school Rylie and Luke while taking an exam for a crime scene investigation class. The class finds the murder victim in the library, and it's clear now why Rylie is so good at solving murders in the Rylie Cooper Mysteries series!
A Cat's Tale features Donna and Mark on vacation and a slightly run down bookstore complete with a dead body and a hungry cat. But they're not in Legacy any more, and Mark isn't on the case. Still Donna can't resist the allure of murder or a stray cat.
This wonderful collection of cozy mysteries is a treasure and will provide hours of enjoyment!

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful cozy mixed genre anthology; everything from cozy murder mysteries to cozy fantasy and supernatural mysteries and stories. There wasn't one story I didn't like. I really liked them all. Some of the authors are familiar and I've read their books before and am familiar with their writing and some are new, but are now on my TBR list. I loved the stories with the animals and there were so many laugh out loud moments in the stories. I loved the ones with senior sleuths in them, they are always fun. I also loved the characters in some of the stories with snarky attitudes. And I love when dogs or cats are involved like in Menace of Montmartre by Adriana Licio and the wonderful Bassett, Leo. or M K Scott's A Cat's Tail or Claws, Paw and Secret Doors. These are just a few of the great reads in this anthology, they are all great! There wasn't one story I didn't like. A gem of an anthology that I would recommend to everyone! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for Blood on the Books by Elle Wren Burke. You'll want to grab the book for this story alone.

This is a fantastic read and takes place in Josie's vampire world. It mainly takes place in the town library that has had a few incidents. Josie's crew makes an appearance to help out and it is such a good thing. Considering what happens to her. At the end, we find out that there is a sinister group out there and is a perfect setup for the next Josie book. That's if Elle wants to go in that direction. Oh, in chapter 2, there's something I don't agree with. All I'll say about it is this....me in front of a plate of brownies and they are gone in 60 seconds. LOL. If you'd like to know what I'm talking about, you'll just have to read the book.

It's highly recommended and another grand slam for Elle Wren Burke.

[Becky Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the stories in this book title. Paul was heading from the East coast to the West coast to become a librarian for the town of Bellview. The previous librarian Miss P came up missing. As, Paul was getting the library in order the quilter quild was meeting there and since he was a quilter they all became friends and wanted to solve the mystery of the missing librarian. Wow, the mayor was involved with a lot of the women and Miss P was one of them.
Lucky for Paul his best friend Gigi came out from East coast also and set up a coffee shop and Paul was even lucky enough to fall in love.

This is a cozy little mystery and you can’t help but fall in love with Archie the cat.

I received this ARC from the author and Aconite Cafe for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for Blood on the Books by Elle Wren Burke.

This was such a fantastic story. The story is from the author's Vampire Pet Boutique Mystery series but can definitely be read without having read the series.

I love the character of Josie Wixx who is a vampire with chronic pain and uses her wheelchair in the story. As someone that suffers daily with chronic pain, I really appreciate the authors representing chronic illness in this cozy mystery.

Josie owns Matilda's VamPets , a boutique for fabulous accessories for the pets of Arteria Falls, a secret Vampire town.

There are some things happening at the public library with break ins and vandalism and Josie is asked to investigate. She does have her PI's license after all.

I loved this short story, it was so good, I highly recommend reading the other books in the series.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend!

So far, I’ve read Adriana Licio and Iris March’s stories. I will edit my review as soon as I’ve read more.

The Menace of Montmartre by Adriana Licio: excellent story! Leon the Basset Hound is so funny! Paris as a setting is so cool, and the mystery was well written and well developed, especially considering this is a short story! Very entertaining, with a satisfying ending.

The Library Attic Attack by Iris March: a story with a friendly vibe. With murder, that, yes, but a feeling of meeting with friends. The mystery was a bit on the easy side, but hey, it is a short story! Enjoyable. A good little story.

Based on the two I’ve already read I recommend this anthology!

[Nathan Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic anthology of mystery short stories. Some stories add a supernatural, fantasy or other additional element while others are set in the "normal" world and could easily be in a town near you. All of them have been well written and feel like great examples of each authors writing style. I haven't read some of these authors previously and really enjoyed getting a taste of their writing. The ones I have read before were all great matches to their writing style. Best of all while some of them give you indications that more adventures are available or in progress none of the stories are left unfinished. All authors are now on my TBR list.

[Diana James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed mysteries (cozy or otherwise) since I was a kid and discovered the tv show, Murder, She Wrote, followed by Columbo. This book was well-written and contained stories from many different authors. That being said, I don't generally like calling out specific authors for their good stories because then others may feel left out (unless one is particularly bad or exceptionally stellar compared to the others). All the authors did a great job of creating interesting stories that were also cleanly written, making it an enjoyable reading experience. And the best part is that with so many different authors, you would be hard-pressed NOT to find a story you like. Definitely recommend!

[SOS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of stories about book related crimes, and book related sleuths. The stories are clever, interesting, and entertaining.. They are filled with surprises and held my attention.

I especially enjoyed Kathryn Mykl’s contribution, A Wisp of Murder. The tall, smart librarian who moves to Belleview, WA and solves they mystery of his predecessor was fun.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher after requesting a copy from one of the authors. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions of this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

[Terry L · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a winner!

Wow! I’ve been waiting for this for a while, and boy, is it worth it! Where else can you get such great cozy writers all in one book? And for such a great cause?

Several of my absolute favorite authors contributed and I discovered a few more that I will definitely be following. The stories have great characters, diverse and imaginative plots, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. And if you want more when you finish, check out some of the other Cozy Mystery Tribe anthologies- they may not be as large as this one, but they’re all worth a read!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Bookworm of a Suspect is a delightful collection of mysteries by multiple authors. It contained a variety of stories ranging from libraries, to mischief, to murder, to cheating husbands. These were short stories involving sleuths who tackle a case to catch the culprit at hand. The collection was well-written with wonderful characters. The stories are entertaining to read. You will probably recognize the authors who wrote them. I received a free copy of this and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ladyjovi Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Lurker in the Library by K.L. Montgomery.

Lurker in the Library takes place about a month after the first book in the Dangerous Curves series, Betrayal at the Beach. Sunshine is pulled into another mystery when a very old book appears in the library and strange coincidences start happening.

Fans of the Dangerous Curves series will enjoy this short story which highlights Sunshine’s curiosity and her knack for being pulled into any and all mysteries around town. Chief James even makes an appearance which is always such a treat.

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

My story, Under the Gun, is a mystery short about a mystery writer who has severe writer’s block. (hello! it happens to all of us!) She’s a bestseller, lives in a tiny apartment in San Francisco, and just to get out of the house, agrees to go to book launch party for one of her not-friendly fellow authors. Shocking, I know! But not all authors get along and there is some serious backstabbing and trash talk sometimes. But we wouldn’t, um, kill someone we hate, of course! But that’s what the police think in my story, just because the dead guy got a glass of water thrown in his face. 🤣

[Chiemi . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, in no small part due to the "Cat Catalogue Catastrophe" - a mystery fraught with whimsy against the background of a town library and local cat cafe. Delightful characters abound, with sometime sleuth Nancy Ann, bookish Bella and their new friend Heath, as well as various fun felines. The plot zips along with action packed twists, as sweet and zesty as hot cocoa with candy cane shavings on a wintry day.

[Candace Iseminger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review for “A Mystery for the Books” by Angela Ryan.

An unsolved murder combined with the discovery of a secret room and hidden love letters leads Anna and Ruthie to try and clear the name of Ephraim Turner. With the help of their reporter friend, Jeremy, they look for lost evidence and tampered crime scene photos. This is a great read and excellent story in the anthology.

I received a free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read The Menace or Montmartre by Adriana Licio. I got this as an ARC reader to give my honest opinion. I enjoyed this story. I love the characters Dora and Etta and Leon and their adventures. This one does not disappoint. The descriptions of their surrounds help you feel as if you are there and seeing the same as they are. I have read a couple of others in this collection and also have enjoyed their adventures.