by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Too young to be able to retire but forced into early retirement by her university anyway, 60-year-old librarian Jane Hunter found employment for the 30ish eccentric book collector Cameron Clewe. Together they not only continued to inventory his enormous collection of artifacts and ephemera, they also solved the murder of a man killed in Cameron’s 1920s estate home. Their reputation for crime solving is why antiquarian bookshop owner Eloise Anderson has come to them in the hopes of hiring them to prove her late mother innocent of murder. While Abigail Anderson died in prison, Eloise never believed that her mother was capable of murdering her husband, Eloise’s father Ken Anderson. Cam’s stepfather – who until recently was believed to have been Cam’s father – did business with the Anderson’s Last Chapter Bookshop in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, which also happened to have been where Abby was discovered standing over her murdered husband’s body. The locked room mystery fascinates the mystery and detective-book obsessed Cam, which is why he and Jane agree to at least begin to look into the bookseller’s case.

While Cam only occasionally – and very reluctantly – leaves the historic Aircroft estate, Jane ventures out to question rival book sellers as she investigates the 15-year-old crime. The threat level is escalated when Eloise is found standing over the body of Bruce Parker, the detective who initially investigated her mother’s case. Cam may be OCD and rather anti-social, but his attractiveness and wealth has led him to enter into a number of romantic relationships that are as varied as they are brief. His infatuation with and protectiveness of Eloise is hampered only by the arrival of Jane’s actress daughter Bailey, on hiatus from a performance of Les Misérables and who has a weakness for handsome, wealthy, and admittedly damaged men.

There have been many variations of the Sherlock Holmes/Watson team dynamic, but what stands out here is how Cam and Jane are both a bit on the spectrum and uniquely brilliant. Since the series debut, they have also been investigating Cam’s mysterious past and attempting to track down his biological parents. Jane herself continues to be presented as a strong, fully formed character, one who escaped an emotionally abusive marriage and has a refreshingly healthy relationship with a daughter who is the opposite of Jane in every way. Despite a number of men displaying interest in Jane, she now believes that she is asexual and is no longer looking for a romantic partner.

The introduction of a first-edition novel worth millions will delight bibliophiles and those looking for mysteries with a bookish twist, while Sherlock Holmes fans will enjoy this latest twist on the classic detective novel. The prolific author of a number of book-themed mystery series continues her success at delivering entertaining plots filled with engaging, extremely relatable characters.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of A Killer Clue, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “killer clue” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 30, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.