Booklist Review
When Lila Wilkins is laid off from her career as a newspaper reporter, she is thrilled to land a job at Novel Ideas, a literary agency. She attacks her 100 daily query letters with gusto, even though she has yet to be assigned a desk. A man who seems like a vagrant, Marlette, offers her wildflowers with his query on her first morning, and the other agents all complain about him. Then, after lunch, she finds him dead in the company's lobby. When she realizes his query has disappeared, she becomes suspicious and starts asking questions. There is plenty of odd behavior among the other agents, but when one of them ends up dead, too, and she is threatened, she hurries to put the pieces together. Arlington's story offers an interesting inside look at the writing business from a new perspective, and Lila's son and mother, along with a possible new romantic interest, help round out her character. This series has promise, with plenty of red herrings and surprises. Fans of Lorna Barrett and other book-themed cozies are the natural audience.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Just downsized from her newspaper reporting job of 20 years, Lila Watkins nimbly rebounds and takes an intern position at a prominent literary agency. Her mother, a local psychic, sees death in Lila's tarot cards, a prophecy fulfilled on Lila's first day when a local indigent, Marlette, dies on the agency's couch. Marlette, who has been hounding the staff about his submitted manuscript for eons, turns out to have a storied past. Appalled by the staff's indifference, Lila investigates. First of all, where did his manuscript go? As Lila snoops around, she realizes a heist has taken place. Meanwhile, her teen son, Trey, has ensconced himself with the local hippie commune, which Marlette also frequented. An attractive police detective, a gal pal who owns the coffee place, and the mother with special powers ensure Lila a winning team that can beat the odds. -Verdict Cheer up, there's no middle-age malaise for Lila. This cozy debut, written by a pseudonymous duo, excels at describing bucolic North Carolina. Think Kate Carlisle for her intergenerational ensemble style or Mark de Castrique's series for regional Tar Heel flavor. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
