Dollycas's Thoughts
Silvercrest, Colorado is a book lover's dream on the banks of the Rocky Mountain River and readers arrive just in time for the annual Silvercrest Library Gala. The event has brought celebrities from the hit crime show Chasers including the legendary Whitney Willton to town. Her niece, Lyra Willton, party planner-to-the-stars is in attendance as well. Library Board President Tabitha Baxter was thrilled with the success of the events until Lyra Willton's body was found dead behind the scenes. Tabitha panics because Lyra had organized much of the gala and the board asks her arch-enemy Emma Starrs to take over. She accepts knowing that dealing with Tabitha will be a challenge but she would do anything for the library.
Whitney also begs Whitney to find her niece's killer. Soon another celebrity is attacked and priceless items go missing. Can Emma untwist the clues and catch the killer before the main event starts? or will the killer be in attendance for the big event?
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I am not sure why there was such a big gap from the first book, How to Book a Murder (December 7, 2021) to this one (August 20, 2024) but it took a few chapters to get back in the groove with the core characters. In this story, like the previous Emma steps in to replace a party planner while trying to save the family bookshop. Again her nemesis Tabitha Baxter is in charge and driving Emma crazy. Emma, her sister Lucy, and her aunt Nora, all feel true to life and relatable. Tabitha pushes my buttons as much as she does Emma's.
The murder mystery is set after Christmas with several activities ending with the gala on New Year's Eve. Before that is a screening of an episode of the TV show Chasers at Bluestone complete with cocktails which was very well attended and the scene of the murder. That means plenty of suspects but both Emma and I pared those down quickly. The mystery was not as complex as I expected. There was a lot of focus on the event and its planning. There was a bit of repetition as Emma worked through the clues while at Tabitha's beck and call. Emma had the patience of a saint and behaved much better than I would have. The guilty party was at the top of my list and the confession revealed a very petty person.
Ms. Kuhn does an excellent job at setting each scene. An unfortunate event put the gala in jeopardy and I was thrilled with how Emma handled it and the help she received. The space was so aptly described I felt like I was right there peering over Emma's shoulder.
In the Event of Murder was an enjoyable read with characters I want to get to know better. Silvercrest and Starlit Books sound like my happy place being a book lover's paradise. I could easily spend days, months, or years traveling from shop to shop. I am anxious to return. I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next installment of the Starlit Bookshop Mystery Series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Silvercrest, Colorado is a book lover's dream on the banks of the Rocky Mountain River and readers arrive just in time for the annual Silvercrest Library Gala. The event has brought celebrities from the hit crime show Chasers including the legendary Whitney Willton to town. Her niece, Lyra Willton, party planner-to-the-stars is in attendance as well. Library Board President Tabitha Baxter was thrilled with the success of the events until Lyra Willton's body was found dead behind the scenes. Tabitha panics because Lyra had organized much of the gala and the board asks her arch-enemy Emma Starrs to take over. She accepts knowing that dealing with Tabitha will be a challenge but she would do anything for the library.
Whitney also begs Whitney to find her niece's killer. Soon another celebrity is attacked and priceless items go missing. Can Emma untwist the clues and catch the killer before the main event starts? or will the killer be in attendance for the big event?
____
I am not sure why there was such a big gap from the first book, How to Book a Murder (December 7, 2021) to this one (August 20, 2024) but it took a few chapters to get back in the groove with the core characters. In this story, like the previous Emma steps in to replace a party planner while trying to save the family bookshop. Again her nemesis Tabitha Baxter is in charge and driving Emma crazy. Emma, her sister Lucy, and her aunt Nora, all feel true to life and relatable. Tabitha pushes my buttons as much as she does Emma's.
The murder mystery is set after Christmas with several activities ending with the gala on New Year's Eve. Before that is a screening of an episode of the TV show Chasers at Bluestone complete with cocktails which was very well attended and the scene of the murder. That means plenty of suspects but both Emma and I pared those down quickly. The mystery was not as complex as I expected. There was a lot of focus on the event and its planning. There was a bit of repetition as Emma worked through the clues while at Tabitha's beck and call. Emma had the patience of a saint and behaved much better than I would have. The guilty party was at the top of my list and the confession revealed a very petty person.
Ms. Kuhn does an excellent job at setting each scene. An unfortunate event put the gala in jeopardy and I was thrilled with how Emma handled it and the help she received. The space was so aptly described I felt like I was right there peering over Emma's shoulder.
In the Event of Murder was an enjoyable read with characters I want to get to know better. Silvercrest and Starlit Books sound like my happy place being a book lover's paradise. I could easily spend days, months, or years traveling from shop to shop. I am anxious to return. I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next installment of the Starlit Bookshop Mystery Series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
