A DARK AND STORMY MURDER by Julia Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was a dark and stormy night…

Aspiring author Lena London lands her dream job as assistant to her most favorite writer, Camilla Graham. Lena never dreamed that she’d be pulled into a real murder mystery, but that’s exactly what happens when she spots a dead body not far from Camilla’s Victorian home.

I enjoy books about books, and this one in particular was a delight because it was all about classic Gothic romantic suspense, and the main character getting to live inside one. Lena went full on fangirl around Camilla, which I could totally relate to.

Readers are presented with two mysteries in this book, first, the dead body Lena finds, and also, a mystery involving Camilla’s brooding and handsome neighbor, Sam West. Sam’s wife has been missing for a year. What happened to her? Was Sam somehow involved? Public opinion says yes, though Lena feels otherwise. I thought it was a bit strange that Lena had a fierce insta-loyalty toward Sam, to the point where she embarrasses herself in front of the police. *shrugs*

This was a fun read, a bit different than a typical cozy in that it leaves part of the mystery open-ended. I’m looking forward to continuing with the next book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.