Review and Giveaway: Buried in a Book

Buried in a Book (Novel Idea - Book 1 by Lucy Arlington 

  
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: Paperback, 298pp
ISBN-13: 978-0425246191

ISBN: 0425246191

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)


Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Lucy Arlington on the WEB: website, facebook


Excerpt from Buried in a Book (Amazon Look Inside Feature)


Synopsis:


"My first day as an intern at the Novel Idea Literary Agency began with a caramel latte, a stack of five hundred query letters, and a dead man. I don't know which was worse: the queries or the corpse."


After receiving her first pink slip at the age of forty-five, former newspaper journalist Lila Wilkins is desperate for work, even if it means taking a pay cut. After combing through the classifieds, Lila accepts an internship at A Novel Idea, a thriving literary agency in the utopian town of Inspiration Valley, North Carolina.


Lila can't imagine anything better than being paid to read, but with a crew of quirky coworkers and a sky-high stack of query letters, she doesn't exactly have time to discover the next great bestseller - especially when a penniless aspiring author drops dead in the agency's waiting room.


No one else seems too concerned about the man's demise, but when Lila uncovers a series of threatening letters, she's determined to uncover who killed the man's dreams of literary stardom...


Thoughts:


Buried in a Book is the terrific debut cozy by Lucy Arlington. This is whodunit set against the backdrop of a picturesque North Carolina town, gives the reader a behind the scenes look at the first part of the publishing process. Queries and stories, and murders... oh my! Arlington shows a knack for character and relationship development in this novel and readers will see the potential for a fantastic new series in every word. 

There were so many things that I liked about this book. As a freelance journalist myself, I have sent a gazillion query letters in my time and I really felt for Lila, Arlington's protagonist in this one. On her first day of work at the literary agency she is completely covered up in query letters. I loved the background that Arlington gives on the publishing process and I am really looking forward to the many different directions she could take this aspect of the series in subsequent books. I see a great deal of potential in this whole idea.

The characters were shining stars in this whodunit. Lila is an amazing woman who's been a bit down on her luck. She loses a job she loves due to budget cuts and has to take what she can get in order to finance her son's education. But I don't think amateur sleuthing was part of the bargain. When a man ends up dead in the waiting and the police are less than cooperative, Lila takes it upon herself to see why someone would want a homeless writer dead. It's a great premise and Lucy is a perfect protagonist. 

The secondary characters are also well thought out and written. From Lila's fortune telling mother, Althea to her son Trey, Lila's family is a real trip. I also enjoyed the budding relationship between Lila and Officer Sean. I thought Arlington balanced Lila's sleuthing and her personal life, very well. She kept both aspects of the story lively and full of surprises. I found myself really intrigued by Lila's co-workers and especially by the town itself. Inspiration Valley isn't what you might expect.

The town almost takes on the persona of a character itself. Arlington describes it and it's townspeople with flair and fun. From the shop names to the cobblestones, this is town readers will want to visit again and again. I'm glad this is the first book in a new series, because I want to go back and I think readers will too. This is fantastic cozy debut and book buffs not only a good whodunit, but a great literary background. This one has oodles of potential.

Buried in a Book is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington.


~ You must be a GFC follower or an e-mail subscriber to participate. 
~ US addresses only!
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST March 7th. 


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