Molly is a bookseller who finds books at places like the estate sale she is currently at. She is lightly flirting with a newcomer to the scene, Emma when Buck, an obnoxious bookseller who is known among the booksellers' group as a thief. When Molly later finds Emma in a cordoned off area standing over Buck who is dead from a blow to the head, she immediately believes Emma's innocence. She sees a piece of paper laying next to the body and instinctively grabs it and puts it in her own pocket. Together, the two start looking into why Buck was killed.I really liked the description of this book. Booksellers? Awesome. Probably a budding relationship? My catnip. Between two females? That seems new. But I have to admit that the author used one of my least favorite plot development devices, amateur detectives that put themselves into danger and that took away a lot of the enjoyment that I expected from this book. Emma and Molly hide evidence from the police, sneak into houses, and keep investigating a murder after they are in danger. I would have enjoyed this book so much more if they had already had some detective experience (i.e. some expertise in sneaking around) or had been more open with the police. And the fact that Molly just inherently trusts Emma because she's attracted to her doesn't make her seem any smarter. I'll probably give the series another try because I really do like the underlying premise and there was some realization of what they were doing at the end but I hope the author makes that carry over to the next book and the two ladies will have a little more common sense.
Three stars
This book comes out August 15th
ARC kindly provided by Black Opal Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
