Buried in a Book
A Cozy Bookshop Mystery #2
By T.C. LoTempio
ISBN 9781448315284
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
Bookshop owner Charley James is plunged into a mystery involving a rare book worth killing for in this new Cozy Bookshop Mystery by award-winning and national bestselling author T.C. LoTempio.
No treats but lots of tricks and murder!
Retired thriller author and current bookshop owner Charley James is preparing for Halloween in her small hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania—what she isn’t prepared for is discovering the body of a woman at the local inn.
Charley recognizes the stranger as a suspicious customer who popped in just to hide a rather peculiar book at her store—did she already know she was about to lose her life for it?
Pursuing this mysterious case, Charley can’t seem to stay out of trouble, and no one knows this better than Detective Hottie, Ian Grant. But Charley has a mind of her own and, together with cat Poe, sets off on another puzzle-riddled quest, unaware that the killer might be someone she knows . . . (From Goodreads)
Review:
This clever cozy mystery was a thoughtful, breathtaking, challenge! It offers an eclectic cast of characters, a sleuth with a secret identity, and plot twists that were totally unexpected! This talented author is adept at designing and flawlessly executing an excellent cozy mystery. Each character fits into the whole for a suspenseful result. A handsome detective is always a plus, especially when the protagonist is in one of my happy places – a book store.
Charley James returned to her hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania when she retired from writing her best-selling thrillers series. She guarded her identity closely, not wanting anybody to recognize her alter ego. After Zane’s business partner was murdered, Charley accepted Zane’s offer of using the late partner’s half of their leased storefront, choosing to take over the woman’s bookstore, Mainely Mysteries.
Jeffrey, a well-dressed customer entered the bookstore. He was a rare book dealer with a special request for one of his clients. He heard that one was for sale from a private collector in the area. The book detailed the works of Edgar Allan Poe, with a special focus on tales made into movies and performed in by Vincent Price. Jeffrey didn’t know the name of the book or the author.
Charley accepted Jeffrey’s business card in case she found a copy. She was a fan of Poe, having named her beautiful black cat Poe. She and her assistant, Mandy, found the name of the book, “A Compendium of Poe, Complete Works plus Stories Adapted for the Screen”. They did not find any offered for sale.
One of Charley’s friends, Phyllis, heard about Jeffrey and the book from a mutual customer. Phyllis owned Jumpin’ Beans, the local coffee shop, and often heard the hottest gossip. She had seen a copy of the book at an estate auction a few years earlier. Phyllis wanted a particular trunk. Maddie, the winning bidder, found it tucked inside the trunk with other items when perusing her treasure. With the exception of the autographs of Vincent Price and Boris Karloff, the book was like new! Maddie took pride in adding rare or first edition books to her collection. A local retired professor who still lectured at various colleges wanted to buy it from her, but Maddie refused to take less than $25,000.
That afternoon, a tour bus delivered several women to the bookstore. A lone woman Charley hadn’t seen before was looking around. Instead of a purse, she carried a white plastic bag. She claimed to be a window shopper, and used the restroom before disappearing.
After the store closed, feline Poe found something near the Edgar Allan Poe table. He led Charley to a bottom shelf, where something in a plastic bag was stuffed behind shelved books. It was a copy of THE Poe book! With autographs! Page 77 was very carefully removed by snipping threads of the binding. Why was the book, and that missing page, so important?
They locked it in Zane’s home safe. A note inside the bag was written on the local motel’s stationary, so they stopped to ask the woman if the book was hers. The desk clerk recognized her description, rang her room with no response, and they left a note. Charley saw the room number he dialed, and they found the room door ajar. It was the plastic bag lady – dead.
While awaiting the police, Charley did a quick snoop. The woman had two sets of ID, the one in her wallet showing Janice. She also found a stash of real gemstone jewelry that looked valuable, and newspaper clippings of Vincent Price.
Officer “Barbie”, Charley’s school nemesis, arrived and they told her almost everything. She left out the part about the book to explain to Detective Ian Grant (aka Detective “Hottie”). He would stop by and pick it up soon. Charley’s store was broken into and every book was tossed. Charley began to ask questions, met Maddie, and learned that Janice worked for her for a while. She was allowed peruse Maddie’s special book, kept locked in a glass case.
I thought highly of several characters and townspeople, each one defined by their conversations and actions. I even patted myself on the back when I guessed the truth about one of the possible suspects. It was challenging, as several were not who they claimed to be. Charley and Zane were exactly who they said they were, with the exception of Charley’s pen name and prior occupation.
The end was perfect, and the false names and backgrounds were revealed. The significance of this rare book was explained and the bad guys were caught. I was happy that Charley and Zane made a huge contribution to the case, as I really enjoy them and look forward to visiting them again. I highly recommend this cozy mystery!
