Crime and Poetry Series: Magical Bookshop #1 on April 5, 2016
Pages: 345
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From Amanda Flower—who writes the national bestselling Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries as Isabella Alan—comes the first in the new Magical Bookshop Mystery series.
Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...
Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...
Review
Dear Violet,
I can’t tell you how much I loved reading about your return to Cascade Springs. Helping your Grandma Daisy with Charming Books sounds like a wonderful holiday to me. What a charming shop it must be; I’ll have to visit sometime! (Maybe the shelves will pick out a book for me?) And I’d really love to meet your grandma; I like her already.
I’m still surprised you didn’t yell at her for tricking you into coming home like that… but you didn’t really have much time to fuss at her before Mr. Raisin was killed, did you? And then having the police suspect poor Grandma Daisy—well, of course you had to get involved. Knowing you, I would have been more surprised if you hadn’t. But it must have been hard on you, what with everything that happened 12 years ago. Still, it’s good that you stuck it out, for Grandma Daisy’s sake—and sweetie, I’m so glad you weren’t killed! But seriously, Violet, you need to be more careful. Don’t go sneaking around in the dark when no one knows where you are. You’ve been in the city long enough to have more street smarts than that.
I’m glad you’re making a few friends in Cascade Springs. I know you never wanted to go back there, and you’re not sure you’re going to stay. But sweetie, you haven’t been happy in Chicago; you’ve just been busy. I don’t know; it sounds like you could be happier in Cascade Springs, despite the past. When all’s said and done, there’s no place like home—and your grandma needs you. So does the bookshop.
Speaking of friends, Emerson sounds just darling! You know how much I love tuxedo cats. Sounds like Emerson is a lot smarter and more outgoing than my Thomas, though we both know that wouldn’t take much. Faulkner, though… it’s uncanny how that crow mimics human speech. You’d almost think he could really talk, wouldn’t you?
And it seems you’ve caught the eye of a few of the guys in town, too. It”s about time you paid attention! Can I give you a piece of advice, woman to woman? Go for Chief Raintree. Not Nathan, not after he hung you out to dry 12 years ago. You might be able to forgive him someday, but I don’t think you’ll ever forget. And definitely not Grant. There’s just something sleazy about that guy. But Chief Raintree? The way you describe him, he’s gorgeous, he’s kind, and I get the sense that he’s a decent, honorable man. Given his background, he might even believe you if you ever get up the courage to tell him the truth about the Waverly women and the magic of Charming Books. (After all, I believe you!) Besides, I can read between the lines. There’s some serious chemistry going on between the two of you, I can tell. So… just stay open to seeing where it goes, OK? And keep me posted – I can’t wait to hear from you again!
Your friend,
Lark
About Amanda Flower
Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an adult services librarian for a public library near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as USA Today bestselling author Isabella Alan.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Cruisin' Thru the Cozies 2016
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library
Oh I love this review!! I got this book in a fit of pre-orders but haven’t read it yet. I absolutely cannot wait! It sounds like such a fun read.
Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library recently posted…Starfish Moon – Review
Lark_Bookwyrm
It really is fun. I can’t wait for the next one! I got it from the library but I think I’ll end up buying a copy to keep. Besides, I love that cover!
Lark
Fun post!! Love the letter idea. (But I have to admit, you had me at the words “Magical Bookshop”). 🙂
Lark recently posted…From the P Shelf…
Lark_Bookwyrm
Glad you enjoyed the review! Magical Bookshop, plus the cat and the winding staircase on the cover, are what pulled me in and made me read it in the first place. I’m glad I did!
Lola
This one os on my to-read list, it sounds like a good book. And I liked the way you wrote this review as a letter to the main character, so original! And you still give a good feel of the book and what you thought of it.
Some main characters in cozies sure have a tendency to do not so smart things that get them into danger, like forgetting to tell anyone where they go, but I guess it also wouldn’t be fun if everything went well.
And I just love that trope of the main character returning to town for some reason and settling back there, I am not sure why, but it’s fun to read about. And Chief Raintree sounds like a god match for her. Great review and I hope I can get my hands on a copy of this one!
Lola recently posted…Review: The Logan Collection by Siobhan Davis
Lark_Bookwyrm
I’m glad you liked the letter idea. I was a little nervous about it, but it was fun to write!
Jan @ Notes from a Readerholic
Great review, Lark! I love the letter idea. I’m going to look for this book. It sounds like fun.
Jan @ Notes from a Readerholic recently posted…A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you, Jan! It is fun; I really enjoyed it.
Stormi
Oh I love how you reviewed this and it sounds like a lot of fun, can’t wait to get to it on audio!
Stormi recently posted…The Week In Review #87
Lark_Bookwyrm
I’m glad you enjoyed the review, and I think you’ll like the book, too!
Kimberly
I love the way you wrote your review in letter form to the main character! What a neat way to review. Violet certainly seems like a character I should get to know I think I’d like her a lot.