Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang

Item: Trouble on the Books
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted March 31, 2019 by karenbaron in #SummerReadsWithTheBaroness, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Trouble on the Books

by Essie Lang

Series: Castle Bookshop Mystery #1
Series Rating:

Published by Crooked Lane Books on March 13, 2019
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 336
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon

Essie Lang’s series debut is perfect for fans of Lorna Barrett, Vicki Delany, and book lovers everywhere.
Rookie bookstore owner Shelby Cox must hit the books to learn the ropes before she loses a killer in the stacks.
Shelby Cox never intended to become a bookseller, so when the former editor returns to her hometown of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York’s breathtaking Thousand Islands region, to take over her aunt’s bookstore, she has no idea what to expect. To her amazement, she discovers that she now owns a fifty-percent share in Bayside Books, and will also run the store’s second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island.
But just as Shelby is gearing up for the start of the tourist season, the Castle volunteer coordinator is found murdered in the nearby Grotto. Castle caretaker Matthew Kessler is suspect number one, but Shelby thinks the killing may be connected to an earlier era, when violence among Prohibition-era smugglers was rampant in the region. As Shelby launches her own investigation, handsome and unnerving Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services tries to quell her smuggling theory and keep her safe. But Shelby is determined to summon all her savvy as a book editor to plot the murder—and find the killer before he strikes again—in Trouble on the Books, Essie Lang’s clever and captivating series debut.

A castle, a ghost, and murder! It doesn’t get much better than that.

Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang is a marvelous start to this new cozy mystery series, Castle Bookshop Mysteries. This book is the first that I have read of Essie Lang or her alter ego, Linda Wiken. I first saw this book a couple of months ago, and I knew then that I had to read it. The cover art is so magnificent and drew me in, but the plot summary is what hooked me.

Shelby Cox

Our sleuth is Shelby, she has returned to Alexandria Bay where she was born, after her father’s death. She was in the book publishing business, but now she is partners with her aunt in a bookshop named Bayside Books. Shelby is running things while her Aunt Edie recovers from surgery. She is mainly the day to day person at the Blye Castle seasonal store. Shelby has rented a houseboat for the summer and seems to be settling in well.

I liked that Shelby was motivated to do an excellent job for her aunt, able to forgive and that she loves chocolate as much as I do. If I ran a store that stocked chocolate truffles, let’s just say that I would have lost quite a bit of my wages.

The only thing that I disliked about Shelby was that she didn’t ask her father the questions that she wanted to ask even if he seemed full of sorrow. He didn’t have to answer, but she should have tried harder to talk to him before he died.

Zack Griffin

Zack is with the Coast Guard Investigative Service. He is investigating the death of Loreena along with the local police chief and the state police. Yep, lots of law enforcement in on this investigation.

Zack is a nice guy, and he can cook. He doesn’t talk about the case with Shelby even when she tries to trick him into revealing something. Zack is smart, witty, athletic and kind. I liked him after a few meetings. At first, he came across as a stiff investigator looking to pin the murder on Shelby.

Mystery

The mystery is the best part; in fact, there are a couple of puzzles going. We have Loreena’s murder which is first and foremost. Which is wonderfully plotted out with clues here and there if you are paying attention and not getting too wrapped up in Shelby’s drama. Which leads us to the next mystery of what happened to Shelby’s mom and why won’t anyone talk to her about it? I will let you read the book to figure that part out.

5 Stars for Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang

My rating for Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang is five stars. I love the personal drama that Shelby adds to the mysteries and the possible love that Shelby may have found with Zack. I can’t wait for the next installment, so start writing Ms. Lang.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

About Essie Lang

For 14 years, Linda Wiken owned the mystery specialty store, Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON. It was with sadness and a sense of anticipation that she closed the store in 2010. Now, she’s embarked on a life of crime between the pages. Her first novel in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries, A Killer Read, was published April 2012 as her alter ego, Erika Chase, and was shortlisted for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel at the Malice Domestic conference. There are now five books in the series.

She embarked on a new writing adventure this year as the real Linda Wiken with another series, the Dinner Club Mysteries, also from Berkley Prime Crime. There are three titles in that series.

She’s now experiencing life in a castle bookstore writing the appropriately named, Castle Bookshop Mysteries for Crooked Lane Books. Oh, yes…and she’s doing it under a new name, Essie Lang.

Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.

Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker.

As a volunteer with the Ottawa Police Service for over 15 years, she developed a strong, sometimes scary interest in police procedures. She wrote weekly crime stats articles for the local community newspapers for them, along with stories for the OPS internal newsletter.

She is an avid chorister and loves being a choir member.

Keesha, her aging Siamese cat, share the house with her in Ottawa, ON where she’s lived for over 30 years (she was soooo young when she first arrived in town!).

Reading this book contributed to these challenges: