Author: Harper Kincaid
Narrator: Renee Dorian
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: The first cozy mystery in a series full of Southern charm—starring bookish sleuth Quinn Caine and her quirky sidekicks: a lock-picking nun and her dog, Ruff Barker Ginsburg.
In small-town Virginia, bookbinder Quinn finds herself in a major bind when she’s blamed for the murder of her ex’s fiancée . . .
Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned, charm-for-days bookshop, Prose and Scones. With her trusty German Shephard, RBG—‘Ruff Barker’ Ginsburg—by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex, Scott, or her former high school nemesis, Tricia, is a drag. It certainly doesn’t help that they have acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn’t mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. So why does half the town think she may have done it?
Quinn is determined to find Tricia’s killer, even if it means partnering with her cousin-turned-nun, Sister Daria, and Detective Aiden Harrington, her older brother’s ‘too-movie-star-handsome-for-his-own good’ best friend. They believe she’s innocent, but of course that doesn't influence the police, who peg her as their prime suspect. Or at least until she’s poisoned.
But there is no way Quinn is going to stop now. Vienna is her town and—for better or worse—Tricia was one of their own. Someone may have killed the mocking girl, but no one’s going to stop the notorious QVC.
My Thoughts: Give me a cozy mystery with a bookish setting, an animal sidekick, and plenty of charm, and I’m already clearing space on my reading list. This first installment of the Bookbinding Mystery series delivers all three. Quinn works as a bookbinder in her parents’ bookshop, repairing damaged books and giving them a fresh start. I only wish we’d spent more time on her craft—apparently, even fictional book repairs can leave me wanting another chapter. Her German Shepherd, Ruff Barker Ginsburg, has a prominent supporting role and a name that deserves a round of a-paws. I loved the nod to the late Supreme Court justice, too. Rounding out the appeal is Vienna, Virginia, where the small-town charm comes through in the close-knit community. Everyone knows you and cares about you—which is lovely, right up until everyone has an opinion about whether you committed murder.
When Quinn finds her ex-boyfriend’s fiancée dead, suspicion lands squarely on her. Finding the body is bad enough; having a romantic connection to the groom-to-be and a high school rivalry with the victim certainly doesn’t improve the optics. For some townspeople, that’s practically a case closed. Quinn and her nun-in-training cousin, Daria, set out to clear her name, but the real killer has plans of their own—and Quinn is on the list.
I really enjoyed watching this mystery unfold, and I’m eager to see what Quinn and Daria get into next. With these two, I suspect a quiet afternoon is asking a bit much.
My Final Verdict: If you love cozy mysteries with bookish settings, small-town charm, and animal sidekicks with personality, I’d happily recommend this one. I enjoyed the mystery and only wished for a little more bookbinding—Quinn and Daria already have me looking forward to their next adventure.
Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
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