Will a bookstore's magic be enough to help catch a killer
Crime and Poetry - A Magical Bookshop Mystery By Amanda Flower Berkeley Prime Crime Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: April 5, 2016 Review Cascade Springs is the last place Violet wants to be, but a frantic call from her grandmother prompts her to drop everything and come. Much to her surprise, her grandmother is well. Violet plans to leave immediately, but those plans are put on hold when Grandma Daisy's beau is found dead - strangled by a scarf belonging to her grandmother and clutching a book of poetry he bought the day before. Past experience has taught Violet that the Cascade Springs police cannot be trusted, so when her grandmother becomes the prime suspect, Violet starts her own investigation aided by Emerson, an adorable tuxedo cat and the bookshop itself. Books literally fly off the shelves providing important but cryptic clues. As the novel progresses it becomes easy to understand Violet's anger and resentment towards the Cascade Springs community. At the same time, her love and dedication to her grandmother shines clearly. Emerson is a charming fellow with an excellent sense of timing, as well as an adorable willingness to accompany Violet on her investigative forays. Unlike many cozies, Crime and Poetry is light on humor, focusing more on the mystery aspect. The one difficulty I had was that most of the characters apart from Violet, her Grandmother Daisy, the local police chief/love interest and a few friends were difficult to like. Of course it did make for a plethora of suspects. It goes without saying that I adored Emerson. (Who wouldn't love a cat who is happy to ride in a bike basket) The use of literary references as clues is a nice touch. There is a magical aspect, but don't expect a typical paranormal mystery when you read Crime and Poetry. The novel appeals to a more general cozy audience. Personally I am looking forward to seeing where Amanda Flower takes Violet and Emerson in her next magical bookshop mystery. Pick up your copy of Crime and Poetry before it flies off the shelves. 4/5 I received a copy of Crime and Poetry from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. --Crittermom Description Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother's bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn't need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It's where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you... Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson's poems from Grandma Daisy's shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...
