A murder for the books

by Victoria Gilbert · 2017

When a disastrous love affair drives university librarian Amy Webber to the quiet, historic town of Blue Ridge, Virginia, she expects only dusty shelves and eccentric patrons. Instead, she inherits a charming public library teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and a new neighbor—handsome dancer‑turned‑teacher Richard Muir—who brings a centuries‑old mystery to her doorstep. The farmhouse next door is haunted by rumors of a 1925 murder, a poisoned wife, and a vanished lover whose name has been erased from the town’s history. As Amy and Richard dig into old court records and forgotten diaries, their research uncovers dark secrets linking the town’s most prominent families—including Amy’s own—to a string of recent, inexplicable killings. With the community on edge, the duo must crack open the books, untangle a cruel conspiracy, and lay a turbulent past to rest before the killer strikes again. "A Murder for the Books" launches Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mysteries, blending cozy small‑town charm, a hint of the supernatural, and a dash of romance into a gripping whodunit.