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$15.59When purchased online
About this item
Specifications
Dimensions (Overall): 8.3 Inches (H) x 5.6 Inches (W) x 1.2 Inches (D)
Weight: .8 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Mystery & Detective
Series Title: Magical Bookshop Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Theme: Cozy, Cats & Dogs
Format: Hardcover
Author: Amanda Flower
Language: English
Street Date: January 11, 2022
TCIN: 83982089
UPC: 9781643855967
Item Number (DPCI): 247-06-5785
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
Description
Book Synopsis
Violet Waverly sleuths a Thoreau-ly puzzling Christmastime murder in Agatha Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower's fifth Magical Bookshop mystery. Christmas is coming to the Western New York village of Cascade Springs, and so is the long-awaited wedding of Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly and police chief David Rainwater. Grandma Daisy and Violet's best friend, Sadie, go all out to make the nuptials the event of the season--whether Violet likes it or not. But the reception becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons when a woman's dead body floats by on the frigid Niagara River. Violet is shocked to recognize the deceased as a mysterious woman who visited Charming Books two days before the wedding, toting a rare first edition of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Well aware that a mint condition copy could be worth more than $14,000, Violet told the woman she would have to have the book appraised before she could consider buying it. Most displeased, the woman tucked the precious tome under her arm and stormed out of the shop. Now she's dead, and an enigmatic message scrawled in pen upon her palm reads, They stole my book. It's a confounding case, indeed. But fortunately, Violet can draw on the resources of her bookshop's magical consciousness, which communicates clues to Violet via quotes from Walden. With Emerson the tuxedo cat and Faulkner the crow at her side, Violet sets out to recover the priceless book by solving a murder most transcendental.Review Quotes
Praise for Crimes and Covers
A charming combination of mystery and magic.
--Kirkus Reviews
"Whimsical . . . perfect reading for a winter's night when a bit of magic mixes well with a strong dose of murder."
--Publishers Weekly "[A] satisfying mystical cozy [that] will appeal to fans of Esme Addison's Enchanted Bay mysteries."
--Booklist "Amanda Flower continues to stun with her attention to details . . . rich writing, [and] an addicting mystery."
--San Francisco Book Review, 5-star review "Wonderfully original and thoroughly entertaining from first page to last."
--Midwest Book Review Praise for Verse and Vengeance:
A scholarly heroine, endearing characters and settings, and enigmatic clues make for a satisfying mystery.
--Kirkus Reviews Fans of Nancy Atherton's Aunt Dimity and Carolyn Hart's Bailey Ruth Raeburn will enjoy.
--Booklist Whimsical...For those who like...a pinch of magic in their cozies.
--Publishers Weekly Another fun mystery from the talented author of the series Amanda Flower.
--Red Carpet Crash I give the highest praise to Amanda Flower's intelligent writing and her magical flair.
--MyShelf "A fun, fast paced, and impressively original mystery by one of the very best."
--Midwest Book Review "There is so much to fall in love with in this series...Flower knows exactly what to write to have you turning the pages so fast, it will seem like magic."
--Cozy Mystery Book Reviews Verse and Vengeance is a humorous, charming, and addicting mystery that has a magical bookshop that is every reader's dream come true, a sweet romance with a handsome chief, and delightful characters guaranteed to make you smile.
--Seattle Book Review
Praise for Murders and Metaphors:
"Charming...Cozy fans will be well satisfied."
--Publishers Weekly "The master of the charming mystical cozy again provides plenty of quirky characters and red herrings to keep you guessing."
--Kirkus Reviews "I enjoy this series very much...Treat yourself to another enjoyable visit to Cascade Springs, where you can revel in the magic!"
--MyShelf Praise for the Magical Bookshop mysteries:
An enchanting tale of mystery, magical books, and endearing characters. Prepare to be charmed.
--Heather Blake, national bestselling author of The Witch and the Dead on Crime and Poetry "In her page-turning style, Flower builds effective suspense."
--Booklist
About the Author
Amanda Flower, a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story that she wrote to her sixth-grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck at the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she'd found her calling of making people laugh with her words. She also writes mysteries as USA Today bestselling author "Isabella Alan." In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats. This is her fifth Magical Bookshop mystery.If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.2 inches length x 5.6 inches width x 8.3 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.8 pounds
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Return details
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3.5 out of 5 stars with 2 reviews
Christmas Wedding Complicated by Crime
3 out of 5 stars
- 1 year ago
Bookshop owner Violet Waverly is thrilled to be marrying police chief David Rainwater in just a few days. She’s distracted, however, when a woman comes into Charming Books wanting to sell an autographed mint condition first edition of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Violet doesn’t feel comfortable with the transaction, so the woman leaves in a huff. A few days later, the woman’s body is found floating in the river. Violet can’t help but wonder what happened to the book. Is that the reason the mystery woman is dead? I don’t tend to read supernatural tinged cozies, but I’ve made an exception for this. Honestly, what reader can resist a magical bookstore? Between that and Violet’s pets, there is plenty to charm fans once again here. Likewise, the characters are strong, and it is great to spend time with them again. Christmas gets a light touch in this book, but I enjoyed getting to indulge my love of Christmas just a bit longer. It’s the plot where this book really struggles. I was willing to forgive the slow start given everything else happening early in the book. Once it got going, I definitely got caught up in it even though I figured out the big brushstrokes early on. However, the climax left me with a couple of rather big questions that really should have been resolved. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but I do wish this visit had been stronger.
A magical cozy mystery!
4 out of 5 stars
- 1 year ago
Crimes and Covers by Amanda Flower is the 5th A Magical Bookshop Mystery. I always love visiting Cascade Springs, New York with its delightful characters and the magical bookshop. I thought Crimes and Covers was well-written with developed characters. I just love Violet. She is a friendly woman who knows her books. She is the perfect caretaker for the store and its special tree. Violet and David make a good couple. I am glad that he is supportive of her investigations and appreciates her help. David is still learning about the magic that inhabits the bookstore. Faulkner and Emerson are adorable and humorous. Violet will never win with this pair. Grandma Daisy is a delight and I like how she welcomed David to the family Sadie, Violet’s best friend, is amusing with her unique outfits. In each book A Magical Bookshop Mystery series, a different classic is featured. This time it was Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I enjoyed the references and how they tied into the crime. I liked the whodunit, but the solution was obvious. I identified the guilty party before the crime took place. However, that did not hinder my enjoyment of this engaging cozy mystery. The story had a good ending that nicely wrapped up the story. Readers will be very satisfied with it. I can always count on Amanda Flower to provide me with hours of reading pleasure. Crimes and Covers is magical tale with a secretive seller, a wondrous wedding, a curious crime, an absent tome, a direct descendant, and a hindered honeymoon.