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Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am pleased to share my thoughts today about
A Deadly Clue: A Hunter and Clewe Mystery by Victoria Gilbert
A Deadly Clue: A Hunter and Clewe Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher : Crooked Lane Books
Publication date : January 13, 2026
Print length : 288 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-13 : 979-8892422154
Kindle
ISBN-13 : 979-8892422161
ASIN : B0F4Q9ZGM8
Audiobook
ASIN : B0G1ZKX2NH
Hunter and Clewe are back in the third Hunter and Clewe mystery, from acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert, when a closed case is reopened after another member of a prominent family is murdered.
Cameron Clewe and Jane Hunter, lovers of all things bookish, are slowly cataloging Cam’s private collection of first edition books acquired from the deceased patriarch of the wealthy Stewart family. When Jane finds a note from Kimberly Stewart Ward, one of the daughters of the Stewart patriarch—who supposedly committed suicide—she discovers someone was actually targeting her with the intention of killing her.
Jane and Cam decide to look into the supposedly closed case, but their investigation becomes urgent when another member of the Stewart family is found dead from a drug overdose. The victim’s friends claim he’d been clean and sober for years and refuse to accept the cause of death.
Believing both cases to be connected, Jane and Cam are determined to solve them before any other direct heirs of the family are targeted.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Booklovers Cameron Clewe and Jane Hunter have solved a couple of mysteries since they met. Cam has purchased some first-edition books to add to his vast collection from the Stewart family, but the transaction was not completed before his contact, the patriarch of the family, passed away. He sends Jane to pick up the books, where she meets another interesting member of the wealthy family. When she returns with the books, she finds a note and the opening salvo of another mystery. The note was written by Kimberly Stewart Ward, a daughter who had been thought to have taken her own life, but this note tells a different story.
Soon after, the Stewart family suffers another loss. The man Jane met when she picked up the books has been found dead. The cause of death appears to have been a drug overdose. His friends don’t believe it. He had been sober for years. Jane and Cam are intrigued and think both deaths are connected. Their investigation begins. They just hope they can solve these mysteries before anyone else meets a similar fate.
I really enjoy how Cameron and Jane have become not only employer-employee but friends who care about each other’s well-being. Jane is working hard with him to face his fears and is not afraid to speak her mind when necessary. They also work great together when investigating mysteries. This time, Cam takes a major step out of his comfort zone. His assistant Lauren has true feelings for her boss, but in this installment, she has someone else in the picture, which ruffles Cam’s feathers. Jane’s landlord, Vincent Fisher, and his lady friend, Donna Valenti, are also around to use their contacts and skills to help with the investigation in any way they can. All of Ms. Gilbert’s core characters feel genuine and are truly good people inside and out.
In A Deadly Clue, we are introduced to a character who claims to have information about Cam’s birth father. We also get to learn more about his grandmother and great uncle. I find this subplot as fascinating as the mysteries contained in each book.
Those mysteries were true puzzles filled with twists, turns, and red herrings. A cleverly plotted story that tests her characters and her readers. Jane’s curious nature and determination are palpable. Jane Hunter is a force to be reckoned with, and I love everything about her. She takes a huge risk putting others before herself, but I expected no less from this awesome 62-year-old feisty librarian. I wish I could be more like her.
A Deadly Clue is a cozy mystery with layers and twists abound. The duo of Cam and Jayne works so well; the young man has his hurdles to climb, and the motherly Jane truly cares about him enough to push him when needed and back off when necessary. To see this relationship develop, I do recommend reading the series in order from the start. If you enjoy engaging dynamic characters and mysteries that will keep you on your toes, this book/series is for you.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria Gilbert turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over 30 years in the library field, she’s worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director.
Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover’s B&B Mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Victoria lives in North Carolina.
Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/victoriagilbertauthor
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
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