Bound For Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the 4th book in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series. The series focuses on Amy Webber, the library director in Taylorsford, Virginia. Amy’s best friend is Sunny Fields, who works with her at the library. In this book, Sunny is running for mayor. Sunny’s grandparents own Vista View, an organic farm that had been a commune back in the 1960’s. Amy, who is known for her research abilities, is asked by Chief Deputy Brad Tucker to research people who had gone missing after a skeleton is found on Vista View during by a county excavation crew. What effect will this finding have on Sunny’s mayorial chances?

Amy has a strong suspicion that the bones belonged to Jeremy Adams, a former musician and drug addict, who had disappeared after leaving the commune. Once that is confirmed, Amy is asked by Sunny’s grandparents to contact former commune members and alert them about the investigation. In her research, she finds that a commune member has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Another commune member is murdered the day after speaking to Amy. Other members, including a famous poet who recently moved to Taylorsford, become very suspects due to their strange behavior during the investigation. All of them, along with Sunny’s grandparents, seem to be keeping a secret.

A wealthy neighbor who was a former drug dealer during the heyday of the commune, along with several other people, try to warn Amy to stay out of the investigation. She receives threatening letters and there is a break-in at the library. An investigative reporter shows up, but he is rather vague about his personal connection with someone who formerly lived at the commune. Amy tries to play matchmaker since she thinks the reporter would be a good match for Sunny, who has recently broken up with Brad Tucker.

Using her fiance’ Richard as her sounding board, Amy is able to stitch together pieces of what happened through her own research, observation skills, and conversations with the former commune members. Unfortunately, just as the final piece comes together at the county fair, she is abducted. Will Amy ever get to plan her wedding with Richard?

This is the first novel I have read by Victoria Gilbert. It is a stand-alone novel, but I found myself wishing I had read the first three in the series to have a better understanding of the relationships between Amy, her family, and friends.

RATING: 5 Stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And Now For my Recipes For Readers Recommendation: Death By Chocolate cake.