MMGM- Betrayal by the Book

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Beil, Michael D. Betrayal by the Book (The Swallowtail Legacy #2)

February 14th 2023 by Pixel+ink

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lark and her family, which includes her younger sister Pip, her stepfather, and her three stepbrothers, have decided to stay on Swallowtail Island in Ohio instead of going home to Connecticut. Despite being a potential heiress of some land owned by the Cheever family and willed to her and Pip, Lark decides to help with the annual Swallowtales literary festival that her late mother's friend Nadine is running. She's excited to be a page for one of her favorite YA authors, Ann Keyheart. It's a bit disconcerting to meet her idol in person when she ends up being a booze swilling bully, but Lark enjoys talking to her assistant, Didi, who is an aspiring author. Lark is also investigating a mystery left over from her previous adventures, and has a clue about the location of a hollowed out copy of Little Dorrit and the bird figurine nestled within it. When someone close to Keyheart is murdered, Lark is not far away, to the chagrin of Officer Pawalski. The murder weapon seems to be local chocolates, as the victim was highly allergic. But who had the means and motive? The literary festival continues, and Lark meets a host of possible suspects, from the snooty ballet student, Gabby, who is Lark's age, to literary agents and other authors, none of whom are very fond of Keyheart. Was she the intended victim? When Lark's book and figurine surface and have an odd connection to the victim, the mystery deepens. Will Lark be able to solve it before the suspect flees the island?
Strengths: I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries like Braun's The Cat Who books, although I haven't read as many as I would like lately. It seems like a format that would work so well for middle grade murder mysteries-- here's a bakery run by a tween's parents, and then there's a murder! Bunce's Myrtle Hardcastle mysteries come close, but the historical setting makes them harder to sell. Betrayal by the Book captures everything that I love about cozy mysteries. Swallowtail Island is a fascinating fictional place, with a deep history, interesting residents, and fun local businesses. There's just enough connection with Lark's mother through people who knew her and the mystery of the bird figurines, and Lark's grief is realistic and doesn't overshadow the other aspects of the book. This read like an episode of Murder, She Wrote in all of the best ways, and I appreciate some of Beil's humor aimed at adults, like a passing reference to nautical attire making someone look like "Captain Stubing", a reference Lark did NOT understand! 
Weaknesses: There was a chase seen towards the end that seemed very like the one in the first book that threw me a bit. 

What I really think: Beil's Red Blazer Girls (2009) series still circulates well, and I hope that he embraces the mystery genre and continues to delight us with more murder mysteries! Hand this one to fans of Souder's Coop Knows the Scoop, Stevens' Wells and Wong mysteries, or Haddix's The Secret Letters, even though that one doesn't have a murder. 

It doesn't hurt my feelings at all that the cover reminds me of Louis Bromfield's Malabar Farm office!