I gave Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman a call and asked them to take us on a trip.

They set The WayBack Machine for two years ago today.

January 26, 2015.

On that day I posted the folling review.

PLAYED BY THE BOOK

Book 4 in the Novel Idea Mystery series

by 

Lucy Arlington

The New York Times bestselling Novel Idea Mysteries make their return with Lila Wilkins, literary agent and “murder magnet,” planning a book signing garden party. But things aren’t coming up roses when she has to weed out a dangerous killer…

The owner of the Novel Idea Literary Agency is thrilled when former local boy and popular television show host Damian York returns to Inspiration Valley, North Carolina, to launch his new gardening book. But Lila is less than excited about the hubbub when she sees her mounting to-do list. Between planning York’s gala and sprucing up her yard for another event, she’s spread too thin—especially after she finds a skull buried in her flowerbeds.

As Lila’s macabre discovery leads to other secrets hidden in Inspiration Valley’s past, a member of the local garden club is found slumped over her prize roses—murdered. Now it’s up to Lila to dig through old mysteries and new clues to unearth a murderer before someone else is found pushing up daisies…

My Review

There are books that I love from the very first page. PLAYED BY THE BOOK is one of those books. I was drawn in to the story immediately and savored turning every page. Well, not the last page because that meant this wonderful read was over. Only a few pages in I laughed out loud when during a conversation, Lila's boos said, "You scratch their backs and they'll scratch yours." and Lila, whose point of view the story is from, thinks to herself, "Oh yeah, well, my back isn't itchy." LOL Loved it!

 The main character in the Novel Idea series is Lila. I really enjoyed her character and look forward to spending time with her again, as well as her family and friends when the next installment is released. (Do we really have to wait a year?) 

From the finding of the skull in Lila's flower bed, the murder of a garden club member, to the exciting conclusion, (Quoting Ms. Arlington's own words from a scene from this book), PLAYED BY THE BOOK had "twists and turns so unexpected that they kept me spellbound until the last page." I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Readers may or may not know that the first three books in this series were written under the pen name, Lucy Arlington, by authors Ellery Adams and Sylvia May, both of whom created the series. They have turned the writing duties over to the wonderful author, Susan Furlong.  I mention this to assure fans of this series not to worry. Ms. Furlong has flawlessly transitioned into the role of Lucy Arlington and PLAYED BY THE BOOK is every bit as awesome as the first books in the series. I'll go so far as to say, she her voice has improved upon an already outstanding series. 

And make sure to check out the preview of PEACHES AND SCREAM by Susan Furlong which can be found at the end of the book. PEACHES AND SCREAM is book 1 in the new Georgia Peach Mystery series, due out July 2015!

PLAYED BY THE BOOK

Releases on February 3

Pre-order your copy today!

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I'm so happy Mr. Peabody and Sherman reminded me of this post. 

The Novel Idea Mystery series

is a great read!

In 2016 a new book in the series was released. 

OFF THE BOOKS

Book 5 in the Novel Idea Mysteries

Literary agent and amateur sleuth Lila Wilkins is back to seal the deal in the New York Times bestselling Novel Idea Mystery series.
 
Lila is showcasing some of her biggest authors at a bridal expo. But when the joyous event turns deadly, she’ll have to figure out who penned the perfect crime...
 
The Novel Idea Literary Agency has planned a wedding-themed week for Inspiration Valley, celebrating not only North Carolina’s best vendors but also some of the agency’s most popular bridal books. The fact that Lila can use the event to plan her own impending nuptials is just the icing on the cake.
 
But wedding bells turn to warning bells when Lila finds a dead man facedown in the frosting. Soon it’s discovered that the victim was connected to several Novel Idea authors, all of whom quickly become suspects in the case. It’s up to Lila and her fellow agents to find the real killer before one of their clients winds up scribbling stories from behind bars...

MY REVIEW

The delightful Novel Idea mysteries get better and better with every installment!

Author Lucy Arlington aka Susan Furlong has such a fluid way of writing. Her words let you glide through a book at a pleasant pace.

OFF THE BOOKS takes readers back to Inspiration Valley, NC where our favorite literary agent, Lila Wilkins is busy showcasing her authors at a bridal expo. Nothing could go wrong with that, right? Oh so wrong. Lila comes across a body who was killed in a way not often (if ever) mentioned in a cozy. Well played, Ms. Arlington!

OFF THE BOOKS is a marvelous whodunit of page turning, unpredictable intrigue and fun. Each chapter brought more questions that really kept me guessing. I did not see the ending of this on coming. Wow.

The Novel Idea series is a must read for mystery fans!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for an excerpt of, REST IN PEACH, Book 2 in the Georgia Peach Mysteries by Susan Furlong!

     

      BOOK ONE                     BOOK TWO     

     

BOOK THREE                    BOOK FOUR

BOOK FIVE

Make sure to check out 

this great series!

Lucy Arlington is a pen name. 
Book 1 through 3 were written by Ellery Adams and Sylvia May. Books 4 and 5 were written by Susan Furlong, who is the new Lucy Arlington.

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