IF BOOKS COULD KILL by Karen Rose Smith
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 3rd in Tomes & Tea series
5*****
Daisy Swanson’s daughter Jazzi has moved away to the lakeside town of Belltower Landing, but the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Much like Daisy, she’s running a tea bar and bookshop––and has a knack for getting into hot water… Town librarian Mathilda has a troublesome new employee, and after Jazzi spots the two of them arguing at the ice-sculpture festival, Mathilda asks Jazzi if she’d mind discussing her workplace woes over a cup of tea. During the visit, Jazzi also finds out about Mathilda’s top-secret stash of valuable first editions. Soon afterward, those rare books have vanished—and Mathilda is dead. As the police check out suspects and a lawyer searches for the next of kin, Jazzi learns that the librarian’s life was as mysterious as any crime thriller. She’d left home and changed her name as a teenager, and always seemed a little lonely. Oddly, it’s her new employee who seems the most distraught. It’s the off-season, so the upstate New York town is free of the usual swarm of tourists—but the quiet doesn’t last long. The press is descending as the murder makes national news, and rumors start circulating. With Belltower Landing steeped in suspicion, Jazzi must figure out whether the first editions were the real motive for sending Mathilda to her final resting place…
THOUGHTS: I thought this was a good addition to the series. I love that there is a connection to the previous series (Daisy’s Tea Garden) and Jazzy’s mom, Daisy, actually shows up in this one briefly. Jazzy misses her mom and her home, but she is settling down in Belltower Landing, loves sharing her apartment and bookshop/tea shop with her best friend and making new friends. One friend she makes is the head librarian, Mathilda. While trying to help Mathilda relate better to her newest young hire, Mathilda reveals a secret compartment in her home where she hides valuable first-edition books. A few days later, Jazzy and her friends are on a scavenger hunt when they hear a gunshot. Jazzy runs toward the shot, followed closely by her boyfriend, Oliver. They discover Mathilda dead and call in the cops, who order Jazzy to stay out of the investigation. But Jazzy is too much like her mother and can’t. Unfortunately, delving into who might have done the deed will put Jazzy in serious danger.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well done and the setting puts me right there in the town of Belltower Landing. As for the suspects, I had two in mind and was happy to find that one of *my* suspects was the killer. The ending was satisfying in that they caught the one who was responsible, but the aftermath with Jazzy and Oliver… I wasn’t quite as sure about that. But it fit the story.
Overall, definitely a good read and an excellent addition to the series.
Recommended.
Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Press for providing this ARC.
Sparkling Book Reviews 