Lila Wilkins worked for the Dunston Herald for twenty years,
but after being laid-off, she had to formulate her back-up
plan. She doesn't have time to lose, either, as her son is
in high school, and she wants to be able to send him to the
university of his choice. She soon interviews for and
receives an internship with a literary agency at a nearby
town called Inspiration Valley, which is where her mother lives.
She's thrilled to have a job where she'll be paid to read
every day, especially since she's been promised that she'll
be promoted to a junior agent after three months. When she
starts the job, she meets a host of quirky co-workers, who
make it clear that they don't expect her to be able to make
it to the three-month mark. Lila is determined to make
things work -- even the daunting stack of query letters that
she must work her way through each day, searching for the
next great bestselling book idea. But her new job takes an
odd turn when an aspiring author dies in A Novel Idea's
waiting room.
The police don't seem that concerned about the man's death,
as soon after, a larger crime is committed in the area. And
Lila's co-workers are just relieved that the man won't be
visiting the office every day and deluging them with his
queries any longer. But Lila soon discovers a series of
threatening letters, and she begins to dig around, hoping to
figure out what really happened.
BURIED IN A BOOK is the first book in the Novel Idea Mystery
series, and it was a highly
enjoyable read. Lila's character was extremely relatable as
someone who just got laid off and is trying to figure out
what to do next, especially as a single mom. Her son and
mother are also interesting characters who you want to get
to know more, although they neither distract from the main
action nor overwhelm Lila as the protagonist.
A slightly annoying thing is that Lila initially suspected
everyone for every possible motive. I'm hoping that as Lila
gets more sleuthing experience under her belt, her
"suspicion meter" will be refined. And while I really liked
the chemistry between her and the local police detective, I
do feel that that particular device is a little tired in cozies.
Overall, I will absolutely be watching for the next book in
this series. I love the overall idea (journalist finds new
career in literary agency and begins secondary career as
amateur sleuth on the side), and the writing was sharp and
witty. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys
smart cozies.
After losing her job as a journalist at the age of
forty-five, Lila Wilkins accepts an internship at A Novel
Idea, a thriving literary agency in North Carolina. Being
paid to read seems perfect to Lila, although it's difficult
with the cast of quirky co-workers and piles of query
letters. But when a penniless aspiring author drops dead in
the agency's waiting room-and Lila discovers a series of
threatening letters-she's determined to find out who wrote
him off.
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