On her first day working for a semi-reclusive multi-millionaire, Jane Hunter stumbles across the body of his ex-girlfriend in the library she is meant to be cataloguing.

Jane Hunter has an intriguing backstory and I like Cam Clewe, so I will probably continue with this series despite my disappointment that my vague idea going in that the mystery involved cryptic crosswords turned out to be false. ( )

When Jane’s career as a university librarian ended, at age 60, she was too young to retire. She gets a job at a private residence, to inventory and catalog an extensive collection. She also gets a chance to investigate and solve a murder, along with the aid of her reclusive employer, Cam. Since the deceased had been close to Cam at one time, he is high on the list of suspects. The mystery has its share of twists and turns, and the murderer is likely to be a surprise to readers. This first book in a new series shows promise of better books to come. The characters are an interesting mix of young and old, and of mixed personalities, with Jane being the out-going sort and Cam being much more introspective. I look forward to more stories with this unlikely duo. ( )

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert is the first A Hunter and Clewe Mystery. We are introduced to Jane Hunter, a sixty-year-old librarian. I like that she is an older protagonist. She has been hired by Cameron “Cam” Clewe, a thirty-three-year-old eccentric millionaire (who has more than a few quirks), to catalogue his large collection of books and artifacts. Cam’s ex-girlfriend is found dead in the library by Jane the day after a party. Cam, of course, becomes a person of interest. Jane and Cam team up to find the guilty party. I found that the story moved along at a slow pace. It needed an injection of action, intrigue, and suspense. Cam is a unique character. I like how Jane helped him. I have a feeling Cam’s horizons will be broadening in the future. It is a shame that Cam’s father did not appreciate his talents. Jane is a likeable character. She is an experienced librarian and knowledgeable about classic mysteries written by women. The mystery was good. It was obvious who would die and who would end up at the top of the suspect list. Cam and Jane are happy to conduct their own investigation. Witnesses are more than willing to share what they know (very helpful). There are townspeople who are happy to spill the local gossip. The whodunit is straightforward. The red herrings are not convincing. While it seemed to take years to reach the reveal, the ending seemed rushed. The story was sadly lacking in humor. I wanted to enjoy The Cryptic Clue, but I only felt relief when I turned the final page. ( )

The blurb for this book caught my attention and I was eager to read it. Unfortunately, I keep getting distracted by little things as I was reading. For example, why did so many of the characters have alliterative names? Besides Cam Clewe, there were at least three others that popped up in the first chapters that have first and last names that began with the same letter. I wondered if that was relevant to the plot rather than getting sucked into the story. It wasn't a bad story, but the book just didn't hook me.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley. ( )

first-in-series, new-series, librarian, library, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, country-estate, entitled-attitude, mental-health-awareness, mental-health-issues, reclusive, wealthy****

01/21/23 The new librarian found the body in the library and the candlestick is missing.
It was the Monday after a fundraising gala on the estate and Jane Hunter's first day at her new job on the Clewe estate since her forced retirement from the university library. An unlikely alliance is formed between middle aged Jane, her employer the thirty something Cam Clewe, and Jane's new landlord (a retired journalist) to extricate the clues to the murder and more. Very good start to a promising new series by an excellent author of cozy mysteries!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! 6/26/23 I've been lucky enough to be granted a temporary audio copy from Dreamscape media!
Voice actor Carrington MacDuffie took the material and ran with it to make a good story even better. Now I want to get my own audio copy! ( )