Murder Checks Out: 04/03/24

Murder Checks Out by Victoria Gilbert and Coleen Marlo (2023) is the eighth book in the Blue Ridge Library mystery series. Although I do try to read series books in order, sometimes I goof up as I did here. The last book I read and reviewed was A Deadly Edition (2020), the fifth book.

Quite a few things have happened since that book, mostly in the form of fraternal twins who are five years old. Amy and Richard as a married couple and parents have matured emotionally and are frankly a lot more lovable now.

It's Christmastime and the twins are taking after their father. He's choreographing the upcoming Nutcracker which has a modernist bent to it to modernize the piece and give the dancers access to more comfortable attire. The twins have minor roles in the party scene but are super excited and into the ballet now.

Richard's aloof mother is also coming to stay with them and everyone is on edge. Will she make amends or just go back to trying to drive a wedge between the two? Thankfully she gets a nice redemption arc.

There is also a mystery. A developer from a less than ethical company is murdered at the winter festival. Amy's brother in law is the main suspect because he's suddenly missing. Of course there's more going on and it takes Amy's mad librarian skills to sort things out.

In this case the mystery wasn't all that mysterious. What kept me reading was the B plot — the Nutcracker show, the mother-in-law, the twins, etc. This volume had the same quiet family drama vibes of Iced Under by Barbara Ross (2016).

I now have plans to go back and read volume six, Renewed for Murder (2021)

Four stars

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