Available Formats
Paperback
Published: 10th January 2023
Paperback, Large Print Edition
Published: 19th April 2023
Hardback
Published: 29th March 2022
Crimes And Covers: A Magical Bookshop Mystery
By (Author) Amanda Flower
Crooked Lane Books
Crooked Lane Books
29th March 2022
United States
General
Fiction
813.6
Hardback
304
Width 146mm, Height 218mm
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.
Praise for Crimes and Covers
"A charming combination of mystery and magic."
Kirkus Reviews
Whimsical . . . perfect reading for a winters 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 Addisons 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 Athertons Aunt Dimity and Carolyn Harts 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 Flowers 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 readers 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:
CharmingCozy 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 muchTreat 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
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.