Saturday, December 17, 2011

Buried In A Book-Lucy Arlington

Buried In A Book


Lucy Arlington

Berkley, Feb 7 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425246191



After twenty years as a Features reporter at the Dunstan Herald, forty-five year old Lila Wilkins is pink slipped due to budget cuts. In a near panic state, the single mom worries about paying for her son Trey entering UNC Wilmington as a freshman. Desperate she answers an ad for an intern at A Novel Idea Literary Agency. Following a five minute telephone interview, Ms. Bentley Burlington-Duke hires Lila who thinks her new job will prove perfect as being paid to read sounds like nirvana.



Reality of an office setting is not quite like Lila expected as her peers are an eccentric zany group and the tons of query letters requiring responses appears to be more than Santa receives for Christmas. She classifies her first two queries, but is taken aback by a threatening letter demanding the return of a manuscript. However, all that proves to be minor distractions compared to the visit of homeless wannabe writer Marlette who gives her wild flowers; because a few minutes after he introduces himself to her she meets him again in the coffee area dead. With Trey and her mom having her back, Lila and Sean the sexy cop investigate Marlette’s murder and the threatening letters.



This is a terrific Novel Idea Mystery with its contemporary literary crowd mingling with residents of a small North Carolina town. The charming protagonist keeps the madcap plot focused while the quirky support cast enhances the regional cozy. Readers will enjoy being Buried In A Book in which Lila stars as Lucy Arlington provides an entertaining thriller.



Harriet Klausner

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