A Dark and Stormy Murder
A Writer’s Apprentice Mystery #1
Author: Julia Buckley
ISBN13: 9780425282601
Author website: http://www.juliabuckley.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis: 
An aspiring suspense novelist lands in the middle of a real crime, in the first in a captivating new series by the author of the Undercover Dish Mysteries.
Lena London’s literary dreams are coming true—as long as she can avoid any real-life villains…
Camilla Graham’s bestselling suspense novels inspired Lena London to become a writer, so when she lands a job as Camilla’s new assistant, she can’t believe her luck. Not only will she help her idol craft an enchanting new mystery, she’ll get to live rent-free in Camilla’s gorgeous Victorian home in the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana.
But Lena’s fortune soon changes for the worse. First, she lands in the center of small town gossip for befriending the local recluse. Then, she stumbles across one thing that a Camilla Graham novel is never without—a dead body, found on her new boss’s lakefront property.
Now Lena must take a page out of one of Camilla’s books to hunt down clues in a real crime that seems to be connected to the novelist’s mysterious estate—before the killer writes them both out of the story for good…
Review:
First let me say – Oh My what a terrific first book in a new series. A Dark and Stormy Murder is the first installment in author Julia Buckley’s new mystery series “A Writer’s Apprentice Murder”. It fires on all cylinders and harkens to the wonderful mysteries of another time. Main character Lena London has landed the dream job for an aspiring writer. She is going to be the new assistant to her literary hero, bestselling suspense novelist Camilla Graham. If that was not enough of a dream come true, she also will be living, rent free, with her hero in a wonderful old Gothic home in the small and beautiful town of Blue Lake, Indiana.
Lena is so excited to be working with Camilla on her next book and also living in the town where her best friend Allison lives. Allison is the one who helped her get this plum job. As Lena settles in, she takes time to get to know her new town. On her meander to town with Camilla’s lovely German Shepherds Heathcliff and Rochester, she meets the grumpy neighbor Sam West. Lena is such a wonderful character, so kind and yet so forthright. She also takes no guff from the ill-mannered man. Sam has his own story and it is a doozy. Lena is quick to make a few friends in her new town and loves the work she is doing with her idol. All is not as golden as she thinks though when she spies the body of a man she overheard in an argument while in town.
Finding the body of a young townsfolk man leads Lena and Camilla on the hunt for answers. Strange noises at night bother the dogs and the ladies. Mysterious people seem to be on the property at night as well. One even knocks Lena down in the dark. Secrets, clues and a small cast of possible suspects keep the ladies busy. What is it about Camilla’s estate that incites so much interest? The answers were surely a surprise to me. At the same time, they try to find answers about the murder and the strange happenings at the house, they both worry about friend Sam West and his sad predicament.
I loved this book!! I so enjoyed the dual mysteries – one of which carries on to the next book. The characters are wonderful and so enjoyable to get to know. I was able to live a dream through Lena and her new job, home and life and still enjoy an amazing mystery. Her cat Lestrade and the great dogs got along well and I have to say that made very happy as well. The story read like a wonderful mystery novel from a bygone era. It is wonderfully well written, flows and ebbs with perfection. I cannot wait for the next installment. Truly a delightful read that satisfies all you could want in a mystery!!
