Death and the Librarian

A case from almost 60 years ago threatens the present in Gilbert’s (Schooled in Murder, 2025) latest addition to her terrific Blue Ridge Library mystery series. A true-crime author, Maureen Dryden, visits the library run by Amy Muir to give a book talk and pursue a cold case from the area for her next book. She’s famous for writing about an unsolved crime in her previous book, and her identification of the killer resulted in the accused dying by suicide. One of the folks Maureen’s trying to track down is Kurt Kendrick, godfather to Amy’s children. When Maureen dies, Kurt ends up at the top of the suspect list. Amy’s investigation goes badly from the start, and Kurt is a bit too angry and demanding when Amy asks him questions, scaring her. It seems that bringing up the past makes a lot of residents in town reluctant to provide answers. When Amy starts receiving death threats, she realizes she might have gone too far this time. Gilbert does a terrific job of keeping the pace while showcasing a realistic small town with relatable characters. The solution to the mystery might seem obvious, but Gilbert has a few twists in store that will keep the reader guessing until the last page.