Gimme Shelter (A Layla Virtue Mystery) by Libby Klein #Review #ARCGiveaway @KensingtonBooks

Gimme Shelter (A Layla Virtue Mystery)
Traditional Mystery/Amateur Sleuths
2nd in Series
Setting – Virginia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2026 – today!
Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496748581
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496748584
Kindle
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496748607
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FKXHKQJN
Audio CD
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8228779433
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0G8DVRMR7

This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Virtue is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a seventies ABBA brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Layla’s dad loves his new community and the feeling seems mutual. So, why is one of them blackmailing him? It’s a mystery almost as baffling as the assignment Layla receives from her former commissioner. Look into the brutal murder of a mild-mannered school teacher. Archie Wilkins was bludgeoned with a candelabra, shot up with drugs, and stuffed into a church confessional. Not the kind of outcome expected for a guy reputed to be the world’s nicest.

Perhaps Archie had secrets. Perhaps everyone does, including Layla’s one-time cop colleagues. She’s been blaming herself for a deadly ambush that destroyed her career and her peace of mind, but as her new friends help Layla regain her memories, a different picture emerges, and it’s one that forces her to question so much that she’s taken as truth . . .

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Layla Virtue is moving up in the world now that her famous rocker dad has bought the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park and has renovated the trailer park’s lake house in a very interesting style. The wannabe rocker is playing some crazy gigs and donning some far-out costumes. Her dad is enjoying the trailer park community, but someone there is not enjoying his presence. Someone is blackmailing him with plans to expose his whereabouts to the press and his fans. Even crazier, the former disgraced cop, Layla, has been asked to consult on the murder of a local, presumably well-liked schoolteacher. He was found in a church confessional, beaten and bloody, and overdosed on drugs.

Layla has been trying to maintain her sobriety with the help of her new friends, but she receives a picture that brings back the memories of the horrible attack that cost her job and almost her life. She has blamed herself for the ambush, but as she starts to remember more, she realizes things may not have gone as she had thought, forcing her to reevaluate everything she has been told.

Layla has her hands full dealing with her dad, the residents of the trailer park, a murder to investigate, and delving into what happened that night when her entire team, except her, was killed, including the man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with.

Layla Virtue is a complicated protagonist who is working on herself while working through the trauma in her life. I love her! She is unique, flawed, and doing her best to juggle everything thrown at her. She has a renewed relationship with her father now that a diagnosis of dementia has ended his rock career. She knows he is slipping away from her, and she plans to make every moment they have together count. Her new friend, Nick, is struggling with some demons of his own, and she wants to help him, but he has to let her. The women she met in AA, Scarlet, Bree, and Charisse, have become true friends, and one in the group is suffering. I love how they all come together when one or more of them is in need. The residents of the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park put the “Q” in quirky. In various ways, they are doing everything they can to torment Layla. Layla and Nick are still sharing their black Lab, Ringo. He is a very intuitive service dog.

All of Ms. Klein’s characters are wonderfully created, but in this story, Nick immediately grabbed my attention. He did 3 tours in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps; it is not surprising that he knows all about PTSD. He was hiding in his trailer for several days until Layla forced him to open the door. He was struggling; one of his platoon mates had killed himself a few days before, bringing the total to 4 lost from his platoon. He was on his way to being number 5. After losing my son to suicide, I usually pass on books where it plays a prevalent role, but after reading most of this author’s work, I decided to trust her. She handled the topic well, and I was so happy that Layla and her dad were there to help Nick. There was one thing that gave me pause. A word that was commonly attached to suicide was “committed”. Over the past two decades, the ‘language’ surrounding suicide has changed. We don’t say someone “committed” cancer. I can tell you my son committed nothing. He “died by suicide”. I know because I have personally experienced the grief and pain following my son’s death, I am more attuned to the phrasing. But it’s stories like this one, fictional stories that can bring attention to something so important. I have linked two articles above to explain why the wording matters.

While Gimme Shelter deals with heavy topics like PTSD, suicide, addictions, murder, and dementia, Libby Klein’s signature humor reigns in all the right places. From the bizarre remodel to the lake house to the “cat” Layla’s dad had found, to the over-the-top costumes, the ridiculous requests from the trailer park residents, and more, hilariousness ensues.

The three mysteries in this book are compelling. Teacher Archie Wilkins had his secrets, and Layla dug deep and asked the hard questions, leading to a surprising arrest, and keen observations pinned down Layla’s dad’s blackmailer. While involved in those investigations, she was handling drama and trauma of her own. One thing set another investigation in motion, and I couldn’t believe Layla wasn’t overwhelmed by it all. Many of her questions were answered, but this plotline will continue into book three.

Libby Klein has packed Gimme Shelter with powerful mysteries, captivating, genuine, and quirky characters, heaps of humor, a touch of romance, and a ton of heart. Something is always happening, so the story flows at a brisk pace. Be ready for an emotional ride. Grab your copy of Gimme Shelter today!

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 Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

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