I'm reviewing the first book in the Rare Books Cozy Mysteries series, Crime and Parchment but Book 2: The Tell-Tale Homicide was also released on November 19! I would have liked to read and review both but there's only so much reading time in a day. Come back on Thursday for an interview with Daphne Silver.
More About Crime and Parchment
Rare books librarian Juniper Blume knows this much… an ancient Celtic manuscript shouldn’t be in a Maryland cemetery. But that’s exactly what her brother-in-law claims.
Last year, Juniper saw the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells in Ireland. She learned how their bejeweled covers were stolen centuries ago, never to be seen again. So how could they have ended up in Rose Mallow, a small Chesapeake Bay town? Being Jewish, the Book of Kells might not be her sacred text, but as a rare books librarian, the ancient book is still sacred to her, making it important to Juniper to find out the truth in Crime and Parchment.
Rose Mallow is the same place where Juniper used to summer with her sister Azalea and their grandmother Zinnia, known as Nana Z. Ever since Nana Z passed away, Juniper’s avoided returning, but her curiosity is greater than her grief, so she heads down in her vintage convertible with her rescue dog Clover.
Juniper discovers that her sister Azalea has transformed their grandmother’s Queen Anne style mansion into the Wildflower Inn, backing up to the Chesapeake Bay. Although Juniper isn’t much of a cook, Azalea has kept their grandmother’s legacy alive, filling the house with the smells of East European Jewish treats, like sweet kugels and tzimmes cake. Will coming back here feel like returning home or fill Juniper with a deeper sorrow? Can she apologize to her sister for not being there when she was needed most?
More About Daphne Silver
Daphne Silver is the Agatha Award winning author of the Rare Books Cozy Mystery Series. Her first novel, Crime and Parchment (Level Best Books, 2023), won the Agatha for Best First Mystery Novel. Her latest book, The Tell-Tale Homicide, comes out November 2024 from Level Best Books. She’s worked more than twenty years in museums and symphonies and has the great fortune of being married to a librarian. When she’s not writing, she’s drawing and painting. She lives in Maryland with her family. Although she’s not much of a baker, she won’t ever turn down a sweet lokshen kugel.
Catch Up With Daphne Silver:
BookBub - @daphnesilverbooks
Instagram - @daphnesilverbooks
Facebook - @daphnesilverbooks
Thoughts on Crime and Parchment
I enjoyed the quirky characters that populate the town of Rose Mallow in Crime and Parchment. It's a fun start to the series featuring librarian Juniper Blume. Who knew that librarians got into so much trouble? I'd be happy to read another book in this series, not only for Juniper but to learn more about her friends, family and neighbors.
Author Daphne Silver did a good job laying out a scenario, encouraging us to mull over the possible solutions and then mixing it up. Props for the trail of bread crumbs she left that became obvious after I finished the book. Guess I wasn't paying close enough attention!
A Little Extra
Every wish you could have an alter ego? An evil twin? Or a not-so-evil twin? Well, Daphne does. Sort of. She writes historical books about Maryland under the name Lauren R. Silberman. Seems much more historical than Daphne Silver, doesn't it? If you're a fan of Maryland check them out HERE.
Want to Win?
Enter to win a $25 gift card for your choice of Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Bookshop.org to winners in the US. Happily, that's more than enough to order both books in the Rare Books Mystery series in the Kindle format. Enter the giveaway HERE
Ready to Read
Thank you so much for featuring me! I'm grateful.
So glad you enjoyed this one. It sounds like a fun read.