A deadly edition

In Gilbert's entertaining fifth Blue Ridge Library mystery (after Bound for Murder), Amy Webber, director of the Taylorsford, Va., public library, and her fiancé, choreographer Richard Muir, are looking forward to getting married, but the couple run into a snag. At a pre-wedding party hosted by well-to-do Kurt Kendrick at his elegant historic home, an unexpected guest shows up--art dealer Oscar Selvaggio, who's in a battle with Kurt over which of them is going to obtain a Kelmscott illustrated Chaucer edition. When Amy and Richard later come across Oscar's dead body on Kurt's property, suspicion immediately falls on Kurt. However, the conniving Oscar made a lot of enemies over the years, so any number of others could have had a motive. Amy has her work cut out for her to catch the culprit before her nuptials. Lively small-town characters, a well-paced plot, and dollops of fascinating art history help make this a winner. Cozy fans will be eager to come back for more. Agent: Frances Black, Literary Counsel. (Dec.)

A long-planned wedding is threatened by murder. Blue Ridge Library director Amy Webber is about to marry the love of her life, dancer Richard Muir, when she becomes involved in yet another mysterious death, this time at a party Kurt Kendrick is hosting to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. Although Kurt's been a good friend to Amy, his activities have frequently skirted the law. Among the guests is art dealer Oscar Selvaggio, who's vying with Kurt for a rare William Morris handmade volume of Chaucer's poetry. When Oscar is fatally poisoned, Kurt is a suspect, but there are plenty of others who might have wanted Oscar dead. Amy's brother, Scott, is on hand to provide computer expertise, but she suspects he also does field work for a government agency and that her wedding is only part of the reason he's in town. Throw in a private detective who romances Amy's bestie, an inquisitive stranger who gives a large donation to the library, and members of Amy's own family with secrets to hide, and Amy soon finds herself struggling to find answers. Her research skills are certainly up to the task, but will they keep her alive long enough to say "I do"? Endearing characters are further fleshed out in the library director's fifth mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.