Murder in the Library
Julia Bird had imagined the quiet village life in the Cotswold would be soothing after years in the city, but she finds she can’t just sit still. Determined to throw herself into village activities, she joins the library just in time to attend a talk by celebrated local author Vincent Andrews.
Charming, devilishly handsome, and talented, Vincent teases the crowd with a reading from his forthcoming novel. Set in a village bearing strange similarities to Berrywick, with characters the audience starts to recognize, Vincent hints of dark secrets to be revealed, to gasps of outrage from the room. The meeting ends in an uproar, and just hours later, Vincent’s dead body is discovered behind the bookshelves.
As one of the last people to see him alive, Julia feels morally bound to help the police investigate. With her trusty Labrador, Jake, at her side, she decides to do her own sleuthing on the sly and quickly discovers that Vincent’s personal life is messy, his finances are in disarray, and his book sales are declining. But most of all, remembering her Cotswolds neighbors’ faces at the book reading, Julia wonders if one of them could have lost the plot enough to kill.
As Julia interrogates the suspects, she walks straight into another scene of murder and mayhem and realizes Vincent’s manuscript is now missing. Someone out there is deadly serious about keeping their secrets unpublished. Will Julia be able to stop them before anyone else gets hurt?
The Details
Series: Julia Bird Mysteries Book #2
Author: Katie Gayle
Genre/Category: Cozy – Library/Older Sleuth
Publisher: Bookouture
ISBN: 1803141727
Page Count: 250
Rating: 
The Review
Murder in the Library is a different mystery. It is set in a village in the Cotswolds of England and has an exotic feel. The main character, Julia, is older and retired but volunteers her time to the library and other worthy causes. She has little experience with murder and has no rules to follow. When a visiting author is killed after an appearance at the library, Julie starts asking questions. Then a second murder occurs, and she is convinced both deaths are not only related but committed by the same person. But is she right?
Julia is an older woman who moved to the village in the Cotswolds to spend her golden years in peace and quiet, without the constant strain of the city. She never expected her retirement to be filled with so much activity, a budding romance, and murder. She is an interesting character that readers of all ages will enjoy spending time with. Other characters are fun; my favorite is Julia’s Labrador, Jake. He is a very rambunctious dog that is protective of his mistress and ensures everyone knows it when necessary. I hope we learn more about the other returning characters as the series progresses. However, I am not crazy about Julia’s “boyfriend,” Sean. He is just a little too concerned about his relatives to be realistic.
The setting of the village of Berrywick, in the Cotswolds, reminds readers of a time when life was simpler but still beautiful. The Cotswolds are a favored place to live and visit in real life, so readers will want to check it out. Evidence and red herrings are good, and there is enough to make readers question their suspect list. However, the murder(s) aren’t all that hard to figure out, and neither is the motive, and this is why I gave Murder in the Library a three-star rating, even though it would be closer to three and a half. I knew who the killer was almost from the beginning, and the motive was made apparent almost as quickly.
Overall I enjoyed this book. I loved the village and the Cotswolds setting. I adored Jake the dog, and Julia wasn’t irritating at all, but she may need to have a bit more grit in the future. I liked the detective, Hayley, and I hope she remains a fixture in this series. I am happy to recommend this book to readers who enjoy an exotic location, good characters, a beautiful setting, and an amateur sleuth that makes you smile.
The Author
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership between best-selling South African writers Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Between them, Kate and Gail have written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg with husbands, children, dogs, and cats. But, unlike their sleuth, Epiphany Bloom, neither has ever stolen a cat from the vet.
For similar books readers will enjoy, check out V.M. Burns’ series, “A Mystery Bookshop” and Killer Words or Barbara Ross’ “Jane Darrowfield Mysteries,” and book one, Jane Darrowfield Professional Busybody.
Find on Social Media:
Contact The Cozy Review
Leave a Reply