Past Due for Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery

Victoria Gilbert

Feb 2019 · A Blue Ridge Library Mystery Book 3 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies entangling her small Virginia town

Spring has sprung in quaint Taylorsford, Virginia, and the mayor has revived the town’s long-defunct May Day celebration to boost tourism. As part of the festivities, library director Amy Webber is helping to organize a research project and presentation by a local folklore expert. All seems well at first—but spring takes on a sudden chill when a university student inexplicably vanishes during a bonfire.

The local police cast a wide net to find the missing woman, but in a shocking turn of events, Amy’s swoon-worthy neighbor Richard Muir becomes a person of interest in the case. Not only is Richard the woman’s dance instructor, he also doesn’t have an alibi for the night the student vanished—or at least not one he’ll divulge, even to Amy.

When the missing student is finally discovered lost in the mountains, with no memory of recent events—and a dead body lying nearby—an already disturbing mystery takes on a sinister new hue. Blessed with her innate curiosity and a librarian’s gift for research, Amy may be the only one who can learn the truth.
 
For fans of Miranda James and Jenn McKinlay, Past Due for Murder is the third conspiratorially delightful third entry in Victoria Gilbert’s critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mysteries.

Ratings and reviews

AudioBook Review Stars: Overall 3 Narration 3 Story 2 Notable for the unique characters and small town setting that drive this series, the third book in the series picks up with the next big town celebration, the renewal of a May Day festival. Amy, our librarian with a penchant for solving murder, has done the research into this long-defunct town tradition, and has prepared a presentation for the tourists and locals the event is meant to bring. If you’ve followed along, you’ll know that Amy is a research demon, and her innate curiosity have had her right in the mix of earlier cases. And this will be no exception. The bonfire was to combine research, storytelling and a fun night for university students turned into so much more: on the outskirts of the fire Amy spots someone who she hadn’t seen in ages and had no idea why he was in Taylorsford, and then a student goes missing – turning up with no memory of what happened and next to a body. The mystery and questions are afoot and from here we see how the story will unfold: suspects, questions and all. Driving this series forward, more than the mysteries that pop up are the characters and their relationships – feeling natural, plausible and developing in ways that honor past events and propel us forward for more. More even than in the last story, the action, lies and discoveries come fast and furious here- and perhaps feel occasionally forced in what was a rush to solve the murder and discover the culprit. Not quite as many red-herrings, and moments of unevenness in pacing and forward motion made this the least successful of the series - but still wholly enjoyable. It’s a clever escape to a small town where the personal connections are clearly as intriguing and interesting as the mysteries – the series has plenty to offer as it is clear, from development and time passing, to see changes in connections, a sense of ‘home’ from Amy and plenty of humor and history as Taylorsford is described and its history revealed. Narration for this story is again provided by Colleen Marlo – and her ability to present the story, allowing for moments one needs to process information, without guiding listeners to any one specific conclusion is a solid asset to this series. While the zanier characters are allowed their moments, the descriptions, conversations and Amy’s character are allowed to feel natural and plausible: she’s someone you want to know – and travelling through a mystery with her is much like an adventure- her curiosity is never-ending and her ability to sort through it all, even with the deceptions, is enjoyable. While not my favorite in the series, this was a solid installment that tied neatly to the books before it, and gave me more to look forward to with the next. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Tantor Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert has us journeying to Taylorsford, Virginia. Amy Webber is the director of the Taylorsford Public Library and is hosting an event for the local Girl Scout troop. Professor Mona Raymond, a folklorist, is sharing folktales and local legends from the Blue Ridge Mountains with the girls. Amy has been assisting Mona with her research and learned about the fairy lights, two women who disappeared in 1879, and missing gold. Two of Mona’s students who are assisting at the event ask if Amy has seen their fellow student, Lacey Jacobs. No one has seen or heard from Lacey since the previous day. Lacey’s disappearance leads investigators to Richard Muir, choreographer, dancer and Amy’s boyfriend. Lacey was seen leaving his office in tears the day she disappeared. Amy knows that Richard would not harm Lacey, but she must admit that he has been acting odd recently. Lacey is finally found in the woods with Mona Raymond dead nearby. Lacey is in a coma and cannot assist investigators. Amy puts her natural curiosity and knack for research to use. She finds several people with motive for harming Mona and Lacey. Now she needs to ask questions to narrow down her suspect list and identify the killer. This killer, though, is not about to go quietly. Taylorsford is all atwitter as they prepare for the newly reinstated May Day festivities. Past Due For Murder begins by delving into the folk stories and legends of the area. There are a variety of tales that include the disappearance of two women over a century ago, the strange lights that arise from the forest floor that are attributed to fairies, and missing gold. Professor Raymond has spent the last few months in the library’s archives doing research with Amy’s assistance. Past Due for Murder is the third book in The Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, and I recommend reading the series in order. Past Due for Murder begins with a relaxed pace as we are eased into the multifaceted cozy mystery. In Past Due for Murder, there is the missing Lacey Jacobs, the murdered Mona Raymond, Amy worried about her relationship with Richard, the old tale of the two missing women and gold that vanished around the same time. The book starts off with the disappearance of Lacey and the murder then occurs a third of the way in. Amy uses her skills to investigate Mona’s death. She has several viable suspects and tension builds as Amy’s deductions lead her to the guilty party. The storylines all come together for a satisfying conclusion. I wish, though, that the whodunit had been harder to solve. Amy’s relationship with Richard is prominent throughout Past Due for Murder along with her past association with musician, Charles Bartos. There is a cute kitten, Loie in the story that has a perilous introduction. I especially enjoy the time spent at the Taylorsford library and their amazing archive room. The romantics will especially love the ending in Past Due for Murder. Past Due for Murder has fairies, May Day festivities, a cuddly kitten, a missing coed, romantic entanglements and a slain professor. Join Amy Webber on her latest adventure in Past Due for Murder.

Past Due for Murder is even better than the first two books in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries and I loved both of them. As a librarian, I enjoy the seeing her loving her job and seeing the job realistically presented, but I think I would enjoy those parts just as much if I were not a librarian. I love the romance when they are together, but sometimes I want to shake her when she has doubts about Richard, then I remind myself that it is her romantic past creating the toruble and that we all carry our pasts into our present. The mystery was complex enough for any reader and all of the new characters were interesting. There were several good twists that made it impossible to guess what happened next as long as you don't read the blurb. Good mystery fun all the way. I recieved a copy of this book via NetGAlley and loved it enough that I chose to share reviews. #NetGalley #PastDueForMurder.

About the author

Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina. This is her third Blue Ridge Library mystery.