I am a member of Net Galley now and can obtain ARC copies in exchange for honest reviews, I am happy that some of my favourite authors are on there like Amanda Flower.
Today I am reviewing Murders and Metaphors (A Magical Bookshop Mystery) by Amanda Flower.
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
January means ice wine season in the Niagara Falls region, but the festivities leave Charming Books owner Violet Waverly cold, still reeling from a past heartbreak. A past heartbreak who will be present at the annual midnight grape-harvest festival, and no magic in the world or incantation powerful enough could get Violet to attend. But Grandma Daisy, an omniscient force all on her own, informs Violet that she’s already arranged for the mystical Charming Books to host celebrity sommelier Belinda Perkins’s book signing at the party. Little do either Waverly women know, the ice wine festival will turn colder still when Violet finds Belinda in the middle of the frozen vineyard—with a grape harvest knife protruding from her chest.
Belinda grew up in Cascade Springs, but she left town years ago after a huge falling-out with her three sisters. One of those sisters, Violet’s high school friend Lacey Dupont, attends the book signing in the hope of making amends with her sister, but Belinda and Lacey end up disrupting the signing with a very public shouting match and Lacey quickly becomes the prime suspect in the sommelier’s murder.
Violet is sure Lacey is innocent, and to keep her friend out of prison, Violet asks for guidance from her magical bookshop. The shop’s ethereal essence points her to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, but what have the four March sisters to do with the four Perkins sisters? If she can’t figure it out, Violet, herself, may turn as cold as ice. Violet, Grandma Daisy, Emerson the tuxedo cat, and resident crow Faulkner are back on the case in Murders and Metaphors, USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s enchanting third Magical Bookshop mystery.
Amanda Flower is one of my new favorite cozy mystery authors. This is the third book in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series. This series is set in the quaint village of Cascade Springs, New York. The author has done a great job of the character development as each character is unique, well written, and some a bit quirky. I enjoy the relationship between Violet and her Grandma Daisy. They are still feeling their way around their new roles since Violet became the new Caretaker of the tree. The blossoming romance between Violet and Chief Rainwater is progressing but there are going to be a few hiccups along the way.
The mystery was well written and carries through the entire story. There were a couple of twists and turns that I didn't see coming which added to the mystery. I did suspect the identity of the killer early on but then changed my mind and I think readers will be surprised who the culprit is.
This series also has a nice hint of the paranormal that runs throughout each story. I don't think it is overpowering and I enjoy how the bookshop sends Violet hints on what she needs to solve a mystery.
This book had me hooked from the beginning and I finished in a couple nights. I hope there will be more books in this series because I am looking forward to seeing how things turn out for a few of the main characters.
* There were several spelling and grammar errors that really need to be amended before it goes to print in February, but that is what we are doing besides reviewing we are proofreaders too.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
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Amanda Flower, a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she'd found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel and her children's mysteries, Andi Unexpected and Andi Under Pressure, were an Agatha Award Nominees for Best Children's/YA Novel. Andi Unstoppable won the Agatha Award for Best Children's/YA Novel 2015. Amanda is a retired librarian in northeast Ohio. Visit her at www.amandaflower.com
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