Lila Wilkins finally has the life she’s been dreaming of - a job at a literary agency, a new home, and a new boyfriend. She should be content, but she’s not. She’s worried about her son Trey whom she’s allowed to live in a commune, hoping he’ll want to eventually go to college. But she has a lot on her plate right now; the agency is hosting a book and author festival and Lila is going to be busy for the weekend.

What she doesn’t expect is to come face-to-face with someone who resembles her so closely they could almost be twins. The woman, Melissa Plume, is a New York editor who’s attending in the hopes of finding a new author or two. But when an ominously menacing man is staring at Lila, and just as suddenly places a raven feather on her desk, she’s shaken slightly and wondering what it’s all about.

When she learns later that Melissa has been murdered, she’s sure it’s the strange man, and she’s also sure she knows his identity. But if she does, will she chase after him and only put herself in danger? Lila’s sense of justice comes to the forefront, but unfortunately, the killing is quite over yet...

This is the second book in the series, and it’s barely improved over the first. Lila is a contradiction in herself: in one scene, she’s hiding in a closet from a killer, and in the next she’s convinced her friend Makayla to go find a killer. Who does that? Lila is practically hysterical through the entire book, and I was beginning to wonder if she’s not better suited for reading childrens’ books since she obviously doesn’t have the temperament to read mysteries of any kind. They seem to set her off in imagining things.

Then again, there’s the issue of Trey: in the last book, Lila happily sent him off to live in a commune, even though he’s only seventeen, but when it turns out that there are nefarious dealings going on in that commune, she wants him out of there. Gee, do you think if she had said no in the first place there never would be any problem with her worrying about him?

Why the murders occurred didn't make any sense to me, and it's in a spoiler below:

https://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2018/05/every-trick-in-book-novel-idea-mystery...

The spoiler is on my blog, and it contains the reason why people were killed, so if you want to know, read it, otherwise forgo this.

Which brings us back to the fact of her almost-boyfriend. I say ‘almost’ because the only time they’re spending together is when she’s calling him to save her from something and he kisses or hugs her. I would guess that cops don’t really do that unless it’s a dire situation (like she’s just been rescued from a burning building). Every single time they’re practically making out. But then again, I don’t understand why Dunston doesn’t have a homicide division and regular cops investigate murders...they wouldn’t; they’d import detectives from other close townships. So why, oh, why, is a street cop acting like a homicide cop and running an investigation? As it is, he’s a not-homicide-cop heading an investigation; making out with his girlfriend every time he sees her; allowing her to see confidential information; and allowing her to be part of the investigation. Okay, then...

I would have enjoyed liking Lila more, but she just goes around investigating the murders without any real reason to do so: it wasn't a friend or relative, it never impacted her life in any way; she just seems to be extremely nosy and wants to play detective. She also rarely goes to work and when she does she finds a reason to either get coffee or leave altogether. Does she really want this job or does she want to become a police officer? Unfortunately, this book had too many problems and too many unbelievable scenarios. Perhaps the next will be better. ( )

Great series. Will read more. ( )

Every Trick in the Book by Lucy Arlington is a great follow-up to the first book in this Novel Idea Series. Lila Wilkins still has the same wonderful job that she was promoted to as a literary agent. I was glad to see that her son, Trey and her romantic interest are still around. Lila Wilkins interviews and hires a new character who will do Lila’s initial job. Vicky is an organizer, a little brash but very efficient and she helps everyone in the office.

It is interesting to see how cozy mystery solvers get into the murder investigations. This time I was not disappointed. The first victim looks very much like Lila and has a wonderful family. She also does a great favor for Lila. So Lila feels that she owes it to the family to find the killer. Also there is something strange going on at Red Fox Mountain where Trey is enjoying doing manual labor and growing gardens while he finds himself. She figures out how to check that out.

I am a little concerned about how her love interest, a police officer, shares information with her. This is one of the great dilemmas of cozies. How can the main character proceed without help from the local authorities? I hope that the author finds a way for Lila to find her own clues in the future. Also she went on some very dangerous expeditions that I frown at. I hope that the author can find ways to get the truth without breaking the law.

The pace was great, not slow but very steady and I really love the characters so I highly recommend this cozy with the hopes that the author can find ways for Lila to get the information legally. ( )

Every Trick in the Book is the second entry in the Novel Idea cozy mystery series. I found it every bit as enjoyable as books four and one.

The first Inpiration Valley Book and Author Festival mentioned as a planned event in the first book takes place in this one. Lila moves into the charming yellow cottage she wanted in that entry. Her son, Trey, has continued his physical and emotional improvement (thank goodness). Her mother, the psychic known as the Amazing Althea, continues to make predictions it's not wise to ignore. (I was annoyed when she advised her daughter to start having sex with Officer Sean Griffiths without mentioning protection. There's nothing romantic about the photos I used to see in Color Atlas of Sexually Transmitted Diseases when I was a medical librarian. You might want a copy of the latest edition if you have teens.)

Lila has the responsibility of hiring her replacement as the Novel Idea Literary Agency intern. Will retired librarian Vicky Crump fit the job?

It's at the festival that Lila meets a New York senior editor who is her younger double. Melissa Plume came from nearby Dunstan, but moved to the Big Apple when she married a New Yorker. She and Lila hit it off right away. Melissa is even willing to help Lila's biggest-selling author, Calliope Sinclair, who wants to start a new series her usual editor has no interest in. Calliope writes romances. The new series will have a paranormal element. Hey, Charlaine Harris wrote traditional mysteries before she started writing about Sookie Stackhouse. Barbara Hambly was known for her great fantasies before she started her Benjamin January historical mysteries. Can Calliope be like them and write as well for the new genre as she did for the old? Not to name names, but not every author can.

There will be more than one murder. Lila suspects they're connected. Sean wants her to leave the investigating to the police. (Yeah, right.) There have also been changes at the co-op where Trey has been living. He's worried. Are his instincts as good as his mother's? (Lila makes mistakes, both funny and decidedly not.)

Of the descriptions of Catcher in the Rye sandwiches, my favorite is the Moriarty, although the Mother Hubbard doesn't sound bad. (See chapters 7 and 16)

There are tips for aspiring writers, as usual. I like this series. It's a shame I'll have to wait after I've read book three. It's been hard enough restricting myself to one entry per week.

Notes:

The book proposal that gives Lila the creeps can be found in chapter 1.
Lila and her mother's reactions to a broken mirror in that same chapter prompted me to consult my copy of A Treasury of Superstitions by Claudia DeLys. It's probably just as well for Lila that her mother doesn't seem to know another broken mirror belief that involves death. At least Althea's remedy doesn't go as far as the one in the book on superstitions. I'd hate to be stuck with the cleaning up for that.

Chapter 2 has a book proposal so bad that Lila scolds the sender.

Chapter 3 includes a young woman's book pitch that's definitely not good enough and we're told why.

Read about a pitch that made the agents laugh while discussing it in chapter 4.

The festival costume party takes place in chapter 5. Can you guess the most popular costume? How about the ones the folks from Novel Idea wear?

Learn how Lila coped after her divorce as she advises a newly-single parent in chapter 8. That's also where you can find the cautionary tale of a would-be author who blew her big chance.

The titles Makayla gives Lila and herself can be found in chapter 16. ( )

Things have been going well for Lila Watkins. She has been promoted to a full-time literary agent, has read some interesting manuscripts, has moved to the home of her dreams, and has a handsome boyfriend. The only thing she is worried about is her son Trey who put off college to live at the Red Fox Co-op. She soon has more to worry about when a body is found at the Book and Author Festival and the murder victim looks eerily like her. The police are looking for the killer but Lila is afraid they won't catch him before he kills again - and she is really afraid she might be the next victim.

"Every Trick in the Book" is the nicely done second book in Lucy Arlington's "A Novel Idea" cozy mystery series (Arlington is the pen name for authors Ellery Adams and Sylvia May who do an excellent job of making the novel feel as if it was written by one person). I love the literary agency setting (Lila has my dream job!) which not only gives tantalizing glimpses of novels presented to the agency but also gives lots of tips to aspiring authors reading the book. Mixed in with Lila's work is her relationship with her mother who does psychic readings and her son Trey who is still spreading his wings. And then there is her growing relationship with Sean the cop - all of this makes her a very believable character. As for the mystery aspects, there are actually two mysteries in this book - the murders and what is going on at the Red Fox Co-op. The first mystery is full of twists and turns and red herrings that will keep the reader guessing as to who the killer is. The second mystery adds a lot of tension to the book - unexpectedly at times. Lila does almost turn into one of those heroines who is Too Stupid To Live but luckily Arlington reins her in at the last minute.

"Every Trick in the Book" is a delightful cozy mystery and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. ( )