A mystery writer must solve a real murder case before an innocent girl is condemned in this series debut from acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Lorna Barrett.

Jennifer "Jen" Dalton is an author and educator at Clarion University in Virginia. She loves her job, but some of her petty coworkers look down on her for writing genre fiction. As members of the English department, they wish to encourage students to pursue higher literary aspirations. When a humiliating confrontation between an uppity professor and one of Jen’s students, Mia, escalates, no one thinks much of it. Until his dead body is found along with evidence incriminating Mia.

Jen knows Mia couldn’t have killed him, but Mia’s suspicious disappearance might as well be a proclamation of guilt. With the sleuthing skills Jen has acquired writing murder mysteries, she’s determined to solve the case and clear Mia’s name.

Along with the help of her fellow sleuthers—Christine Kubiak, a cafeteria manager; Zachary Flynn, the charming but annoying campus psychologist; and Brianna Rowley, a librarian—Jen must catch the real killer before there’s another murder on the books.

Jennifer Dalton works at Clarion University as well as being a published mystery writer.  While she enjoys her job some of the academics in the English department look down on her, and some of the students, for their interest in writing genre fiction instead of great literature. Jenn finds it easy to overlook until one of her students, Mia, is suspected of murdering a snobbish professor who has given her a poor grade on her story. With the police not willing to suspect anyone but Mia, Jenn and two of her campus friends start to investigate to clear Mia’s name.

The characters are pleasant, we have a romance - reluctant at first - between Jenn and the campus psychologist, and there are enough suspects to make for a not-straightforward, easy-to-solve mystery. All in all an enjoyable cozy and I will look forward to the next in the series. Recommended. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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