Verse and Vengeance
A Magical Bookshop Mystery
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4.4 • 57 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award winner Amanda Flower turns the charm up to ten in her fourth Magical Bookshop mystery.
With the help of Walt Whitman's works, magical bookshop owner Violet Waverly puts her pedal to the metal to sleuth a bicycle-race murder that tests her mettle.
A bicycle race is not Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly's idea of a pleasant pastime. But police chief David Rainwater wheelie wants them to enter the Tour de Cascade as a couple, so she reluctantly consents.
The Tour de Cascade is the brainchild of Violet's Grandma Daisy. The race is a fundraiser to build the Cascade Springs Underground Railroad Museum. But not everyone in this Niagara Region village supports the race. As if the bike race weren't tiring enough, pesky private investigator Joel Redding is snooping around Charming Books. It takes all of Violet's and Grandma Daisy's ingenuity to keep Redding from discovering the shop's magical essence--which communicates with Violet through books.
When Redding perishes in an accident during the race, David discovers that the brake line of the private eye's bike was cut. Worse, Violet tops his list of suspects. As Emerson the tuxedo cat and resident crow Faulkner look on, Charming Books steers Violet to the works of Walt Whitman to solve the crime. But no other names ring a bell as culprits, and as David's investigation picks up speed, Violet will have to get in gear to clear her name.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Agatha-winner Flower's whimsical fourth Magical Bookshop mystery (after Murders and Metaphors), Violet Waverly, the proprietor of Charming Books, a bookstore built around a magical tree in Cascade Springs, N.Y., agrees to take part in a fund-raising bicycle race at the urging of her police chief boyfriend, David Rainwater. When Joel Redding, a curious PI who visited the store, has a fatal accident during the race, a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is found in his bike's backpack. Vi throws herself into what soon becomes a murder investigation, fearful that Redding had learned her big secret that the supernatural essence of Charming Books can convey book recommendations to customers. Vi's important relationships with Rainwater, her grandmother, and a cat named Emerson tend to overshadow the plot, which is attenuated to begin with. Armchair detectives have few clues to guide them to the unexpected d nouement. This one's for those who like some esoteric literary history and don't mind a pinch of magic in their cozies.
Customer Reviews
A spirited tale!
Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower is the fourth A Magical Bookshop Mystery. There is a delightful cast of characters in this magical tale. Violet Waverly has just finished teaching another semester at the local college as well as defending her dissertation which has earned her the right to put doctor before her name. She is looking forward to working in the shop and spending time with her boyfriend, Chief David Rainwater. Daisy Waverly is Violet’s grandmother and the new mayor of Cascade Springs. Things are never dull when Daisy is around. She came up with the idea for the Cascade Springs Underground Railroad Museum and ran short of funding when issues were discovered with the foundation of the Village Hall. There is Emerson the tuxedo cat that manages to follow Violet around the village (a master escape artist) and Faulkner is the crow that resides in the magical birch tree and calls out unique quotes as well as dropping books into Violet’s path. There are a variety of charming residents and shop owners plus a curmudgeon or two. I just love the descriptions of this quant town. There are some adorable shops and it is close to Niagara Falls. The mystery was multifaceted with several suspects and good clues. While I could identify the guilty party, it took longer to figure out the why. This was a unique whodunit. I like how everything tied together. Amanda crafted a unique mystery that tied in Walt Whitman. I especially enjoyed how literature with the help of the essence tied into the whodunit. Verse and Vengeance also has romance with David and Violet at the forefront, but there is also Daisy and a certain fellow who is smitten with her. Plus, Violet’s department chair might finally work up the nerve to ask out a certain librarian. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story that had me chuckling. That Emerson is quite a character. Thanks to Amanda Flower’s descriptions, I could envision that cat in Violet’s bicycle basket. Violet’s father returns which brings up old feelings of resentment and confusion. Can Violet and her father find a way to move forward? Verse and Vengeance can be read as a standalone for those new to the series, but why would you not want to read all the books in this enchanting series. The ending of Verse and Vengeance is very special, and I cannot wait for the next book in this enchanting series. Verse and Vengeance is a spellbinding tale with an enigmatic essence, perplexing poetry, a curious cat, dynamic Daisy, a pesky PI, and a flawed foundation.