Thank you to #NetGalley, the author and the publisher.

I usually like amateur sleuth books and Jewish fiction combined. However, I'm just so burned out on houses in books being turned into bed and breakfasts. I tried but could not finish.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Daphne Silver and Level Best Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3⭐ - I enjoyed reading this fast paced, first book in a new series about a librarian returning to her hometown searching for long lost copy of the Book of Kells.

The story kept me guessing and the characters were likeable. This was a good start to the series, I look forward to reading books of this series!

First time reading this author. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the characters. I look forward to more.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

This story wasn't bad. I read it with trepidation, being an archivist and historian, and I did have to stop and look up the history of Irish Catholics in Maryland. I think those details as described in the plot are totally wrong. Maryland was founded as a haven for ENGLISH Catholics and the early Irish were prisoners of war or indentured servants, not founding fathers. But that doesn't completely affect the plot and I didn't dig too deeply so it might be plausible. There were a couple of minor inconsistencies in the plot that don't really have any bearing on the mystery but better editing would be appreciated. The characters' Jewish identity was different and I enjoyed that perspective. Juniper says even though the Book of Kells is not HER sacred text, she can still appreciate it. However, the big reveal was kind of a let down and the finale is a hook to get the reader to come back for more books in the series.

Juniper is a likable enough character. She's not perfect or perky, she's a normal woman with emotions and feelings that complicate her actions. She didn't come help her sister but she didn't really know how much her sister was struggling. Juniper found it too hard to come back to Rose Mallow after her grandmother's death. She loves her family though and will do anything to protect her sister, even pretend to date possible murder suspects! I love that she's a librarian at the Library of Congress but I don't think the author has any idea what a reference librarian is. You can't just wander the stacks and pull books to look at, the reference librarian helps researchers find the information they need. Perhaps her job description does include "other duties as assigned" but wandering through the stacks probably isn't allowed. The details of what she does are way too vague. She seems to be a rare materials specialist but that's an archivist or special collections librarian, not a reference librarian. The LoC has other materials besides books! Juniper's dog Clover is very sweet but not a major part of the story.

Azalea is the opposite of Juniper. Azalea is very logical and independent. She keeps her problems to herself and tries to deal with everything alone. Her husband sounds like a man child and wasn't there for her when she most needed him. Her daughter, Violet, is almost 4 going on much younger later in the book. At 4 she should be old enough to help with simple chores around the inn and know not to run around without supervision. Rory, Azalea's ex, is an idle dreamer who probably got conned in an effort to get rich quick. He seems like the type who would accidentally fall in with someone bad and pay the price. Still, he's Violet's father so I hope he's not dead. I want to know more about this diary he claims to have too!

Azalea's only help is the teenaged Keisha Douglas, who is a tech whiz and studious but sometimes forgets she's supposed to be working. Keisha is loyal and very kind but her teenage brain just doesn't understand things adults are aware of sometimes. I like Keisha and I hope she doesn't do anything dumb again.

Right away Juniper runs afoul of Cordelia Sullivan, Nana Z's arch nemesis. Cordelia thought she should be top dog in town while Nana Z was also after the same board positions and frankly probably would have done a better job. Cordelia is one of those control freak uptight old ladies who is constantly yelling about noise or mess that isn't there and threatening to call the cops. At first she seems like a nosy neighbor but digging deeper after reading more, she may have some cognitive decline. It's unclear if she was always like that or if she's become nasty and mean in old age. Her granddaughter, Whitney, is a mean girl type and doesn't see Juniper as worth her time or effort to be nice. However, Whitney has more depth than your average shallow mean girl. Her grandmother is awful to her and I don't blame her for wanting to find someone else to take care of Cordelia. It explains a lot why Whitney is the way she is.

Tess, a perky barista, is a fun character. It sounds like she has a crush on the much older Rory. Since he acts like a man child, I'm not surprised. Tess is young but not stupid. She's strong and independent and knows her own mind. Sadly, she's only in one scene before she's tragically killed. What was she up to? Was Rory involved? Did he kill her and run? Did he see who killed her and ran for his life? It sounds like Tess was up to no good. Juniper liked Tess a lot and I did too. I was sad to read she was the victim. I was especially sad for her grandmother, Harmony, an aged hippie, who has lost her whole family. Harmony claims the family is cursed and after Tess's death, it sure seems she might be right.

Orson Bradford aka Professor Treasure is the sort of pompous pseudo-academic the public loves and actual academics hate. He's a TV personality more than a professor. It sounds like he's come to Rose Mallow for the same reasons as Juniper. How did he find out about the Book of Kells covers? What does he know? How far is he willing to go to achieve fame? I'd say pretty far judging from the sound of him. Though I think his assistant is the one doing all the work. Ms. Collins is the "type A" sort. She has a schedule and sticks to it. There's no room for schmoozing and flirting. I think she keeps the so-called Professor on a short leash and I wouldn't be surprised if she was willing to murder someone else to keep the Professor's reputation in tact.

Leonard Calverton of the wealthy town founding family has come back to his hometown to reveal the news about the lost treasure. How does HE know and what does he know? Leonard seems nice enough but he's from a super wealthy family that is determined to do everything to go against the wishes of the townspeople. He claims he's the black sheep of his family but he seems smart and philanthropic. His brother, Cecil, sounds more like a black sheep. He's a lazy, drunken, sleazy womanizer who comes up with many hare brained schemes to earn the family more money.

Who was the man arguing with Tess the night she died? Who is the mafia man who Juniper keeps seeing around town?

Deputy Torres is the usual uptight, tough cop featured in cozy mysteries. Detective Lakshmi Gupta is investigating the dual crimes of Tess's death and Rory's disappearance. She seems friendly but she's also tough and gathers information any way she can. I don't blame Juniper for not trusting her.

I liked this story well enough but I didn't love it enough to want to rush off to buy more in the series but enough to be curious about what happens next.

Well plotted and intriguing mystery. It's the first I read by this author and won't surely be the last as the plot kep me guessing and I liked the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Crime and Parchment from Daphne Silver is set in the small coastal town of Rose Mallow, where nothing of great importance ever occurs, certainly not a series of murders for something that may or may not be true.
Arriving at the Wildflower Inn, Juniper is greeted by her niece Violet and sister Azalea, but it does not take long before Juniper has to tell Azealia why she has come back to Rose Mallow after so long away. This does not go down well.
Rory, Azalea’s husband, has asked her to come and verify the information he has obtained on the cover ornate, jewel encrusted cover of the historic and famous Book of Kells, which according to local legend. was bought to Rose Mallow with the first settlers. He has sent Juniper pages from the famous O’Day Diaries which he believes hold the location to the missing treasure.
As Juniper is an expert on Rare Books and Manuscripts, Rory considered she could authenticate what he had found, but when Murder is done, she is drawn into the Murder inquiry, initially as a suspect, and then as a person determined to find out what really happened. Rory has vanished, possibly also murdered.
A film crew, staying at the Wildflower Inn are there to record an interview with Orson Bradford, aka Professor Treasure Hunter, on his latest memoir. He also states he knows where the ‘Cover’ has been hidden and is prepared to make a Press announcement as well.
Emotions flow between the two sisters, both looking for the comfort of family since their beloved Nana Z passed, both trying to find a way through the mess life has become, each one searching for a fresh, new beginning.
Comfortable and enjoyable, murder in the almost, but not quite perfect town of Rose Mallow, flows along with a few twists built in to hold the intrigue, while carefully hiding the real culprit in plain sight.
Based around the history of the Irish settlers to America in the 1600’s and the famous Book of Kells manuscripts, Crime and Parchment is a most enjoyable instalment to the ‘The Rare Book Murder’ series.

I enjoyed this first book in a new series. It was an engaging and enjoyable mystery. Small town setting, rare books, I’m in. I liked getting to know the rest of the main characters family. I look forward to future adventures with Juniper and her family.

This was a super-enjoyable mystery. I like how imperfect the main character is (esp re her sister), and yet she's still likeable. It follows many of the tropes of cozies, but it's a fast, fun read. I like the Book of Kells aspect of the plot and the explanation in the author's note over what's true and what's not.

The Leo part rings a bit false to me in many ways, including the ending, and the title is truly terrible. But other than that, I liked it! Looking forward to the next one.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I desperately wanted to enjoy this book. A missing medieval artifact! The heroine is a librarian at the Library of Congress, and her family is one of the few longtime Jewish residents in a small town on the Chesapeake! And it’s the first in the Rare Books series–which meant, if I enjoyed it, I could look forward to more.

Alas!

One thing that blurb doesn’t make clear is that the novel is narrated in first person, past tense, by Juniper; for me, the risk of first person narratives is that, if I don’t like the character, it makes it difficult to separate them from the rest of the story.

From the start, Juniper comes across as a very self-centered person; she hasn’t been back in town since her grandmother’s funeral, and has barely been in touch with her sister, who also happens to be her only living relative; apparently, even talking to her sister brings painful memories of losing her grandmother.

Obviously, families lose touch for many reasons and no reason at all, so that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker; there could be something later in the book explaining why the sisters are almost entirely estranged.

What is irksome is that Juniper can’t even be bothered to call her sister to let her know she’s coming down from D.C. and bringing her dog with her let alone that she’s coming because her ex-brother-in-law texted her some grainy photos of what, he promises, is an old manuscript connected with the missing shrine (or cover) of the Book of Kells, which, should it exist, would be literally priceless.

In other words, you can’t show up even for a weekend while you only sister is getting a divorce, but you come running at even a hint you may be the one to authenticate a find that would advance your career. Not a good look. Dropping in on your now-single-mom sister as she’s trying to get her struggling inn off the ground? Really not a good look. Bringing a not-yet-housebroken puppy with you: don’t get me started.

All of which make Juniper both insufferably inconsiderate and mightily self-centered (she does expect to stay at Azalea’s inn, after all), but again, not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Then we have Juniper trot off around town for a few hours–sans puppy, mind you–until it’s time to meet Rory, her erstwhile brother-in-law. At midnight. Alone. At a cemetery. Where he will show her the original centuries-old document in question.

And apparently this is something that a sensible career woman in her mid- to late twenties does.

To no one’s surprise, what she finds instead is the dead body of a young woman who had, just a few hours earlier, waited on her at a small café-type business in town. Of the famous Rory there are no traces, of course.

Juniper calls the cops, breaks her phone, meets her sister’s guests–who happen to be a film crew for a kooky history-type show–runs around town meeting people–sans dog, again–and having weird conversations with people who, I assume, have something to do with the plot later on.

I slogged through to the 38% mark, and gave up when I realized I was forcing myself to read, and instead I was mostly skimming.

My main problem is that I found the writing so very awkward; there is a lot of “as you know, Bob” exposition on the town, the neighbors, the house. There are weird writing tics, wherein popular culture things are appropriated as unique to the Blume family. For example, instead of saying that the sisters pinky-promise something, she describes the actual linking of fingers and adds, "like we used to do”, with the loose implication that it’s something only the two sisters do.

The author’s choices on what to focus on were disconcerting too; when the detective in charge is interviewing Juniper again about the night of the murder, the narrative focuses on the antics of the puppy, with paragraphs describing his wagging tail and licking tongue, and one or two lines of dialogue in between.

In short, the writing felt very unfinished; part long-winded elderly relative telling a story while mangling the timeline and leaving out important details, and part the excessive attention on irrelevant details I’ve seen so much of in cozy mysteries this past year. Add an unlikable main character narrating the story and my fragile reading mojo, and I’m out.

Crime and Parchment is a DNF for me.

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series about a rare books librarian coming home searching for a lost copy of the Book of Kells. I loved the small-town setting and the focus on the book. There was an equal amount of scene setting and investigation, and I had fun getting to know the rest of her family. I hope to learn more about rare books (my dream job) in future adventures with Juniper and her family.

Juniper is a librarian at the Library of Congress. She has returned to her hometown, Rose Mallow, MD, to find out if her soon to be ex brother in law really knows where the long-missing covers of the Book of Kells are located, as he's claimed. She reconnects with her sister Azalea and her niece Violet, but when she's supposed to meet her brother in law, she instead finds a murder victim. When suspicion falls on Azalea, Juniper starts investigating, even though it's clear someone does not want her to. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Well, this was a quick and fun read, it was a great cozy mystery. I love the setting in Maryland and the Chesapeake bay as I am a Marilyn girl and spend much time in the area during my youth.

Reading books in the series always takes me home and makes me feel like I’m visiting friends again. But it’s the mystery that keeps me coming back. With just enough red herrings and suspect to keep you guessing to close to the end, each and every book in the series, a salad, and can read as a standalone.

Step into the world of Juniper Blume, where rare books whisper untold secrets, and mystery lurks around every ancient page. In Daphne Silver's "Crime and Parchment: A Rare Books Cozy Mystery," the mixture of ancient Celtic manuscripts, a quaint Maryland town, and a dash of intrigue will tantalize any bibliophile's curiosity.

Juniper Blume is a rare books librarian with a nose for uncovering the extraordinary. When an unexpected visit from her brother-in-law unveils the improbable existence of an ancient Book of Kells in a Maryland cemetery, Juniper’s world spins into a whirlwind. Determined to untangle the mystery, she returns to Rose Mallow, a town laden with memories and shadows from her past, where her sister Azalea has transformed their grandmother’s home into the inviting Wildflower Inn.

Silver's story is rich with the aroma of homemade Jewish delicacies and the comforting embrace of familial bonds. Juniper’s return to her childhood haven is loaded with bittersweet memories and the burning desire to set things right with her sister. Amidst tantalizing tzimmes cake and sweet kugels, Juniper navigates the maze of emotions, stitching together the frayed threads of her past.

Silver pulls readers in to join Juniper on her quest for truth and closure. This book is a blend of mystery, nostalgia, and the resilience of family ties. For those who revel in cozy mysteries, "Crime and Parchment" is a gold mine waiting to be explored.

"Mystery and familial intrigue, spun with the delicate threads of ancient manuscripts and nostalgic memories."

"Enchantingly cozy, blending the aroma of homemade Jewish delicacies with the allure of a small Chesapeake Bay town."

"A journey into a world of rare books, secrets, and the irresistible pull of unraveling the past."

"Captivating and heartwarming, steeped in the warmth of familial ties and the allure of a long-buried mystery."

"A blend of intrigue and comfort, where the quest for truth collides with the embrace of cherished memories."

This was a Rare Books Cozy Mystery. It was a pleasant read and light enough to read in one sitting. I liked most of the characters, some of them were quite fun and quirky, and I thought the author brought them to life very well. I would probably read about these characters again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Absolutely a cosy little crime mystery ! With this being under 200 pages, it's a quick book to read when you want something exciting but not time consuming. It's fast paced without losing the essence of the story or the plot getting lost in order to wrap up quickly.

It jumps straight into the main character Juniper who decides to head home for the first time in a long time to visit her sister Azalea after staying away since their Nana Z passed away. We soon find out that she's arrived under a different pretence which adds to the difficulty of the sisters relationship.

The mystery itself feels exciting and I definitely kept reading wanting to find out more and share this investigation with Juniper and how it will be solved in the end. It felt a little 'I saw it coming' once it came to it, but I was also okay with that. I think due to the small amount of characters involved (it's only a short book so this is understandable to be able to follow) you kind of figure it out alongside the main character.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Some of the writing was a little to the point in places and I felt some of the plot could have been added to, or we could find out more about certain things, but overall for a cozy, easy mystery it was a good read!

I enjoyed this cozy quite a bit, even though I am primarily a thriller reader. Actually, there
was a good bit of suspense and thriller in the book, and combined with the story being
about the “Missing Covers,” of the famous Book of Kells, which is said to have been created
on the small island of Iona, located between Scotland and Ireland. It has been in Dublin, Ireland
for a thousand years. Now, a story of legend says the lost covers for the book are actually
located somewhere Chesapeake Bay, and there there are rumors and hunts to find the
treasure - to be wealthy, of course.
The family owned Wildflower Inn is near financial ruin, and brings Juniper back from her big job
as the antiquities curator at the Library of Congress, to help her sister, Azalea run the Inn.
From here we find what is buried beneath the surface and what it will take to bring the families
back together, and which members may not return.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. As a bibliophile and home curator I appreciated the details.
Having spent time in Maryland I enjoyed the vivid descriptions.
My thanks to Level Best Books, via NetGalley for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

The first book in a new cosy mystery series, Crime and Parchment includes a lot of elements that I enjoy in the genre. Small town. Old maps and secrets. Hidden treasure, this time being a possible long lost cover of the Book of Kells. Great elements to play with, and the author uses them well.

Many of usual character types are found in this book, and the small town relationships between the characters feel real. I enjoyed many of the characters in this book, and there are a few that I'd have liked to see developed more, such as the volunteer in the Historical Society. I think he would have a lot to offer in a series like this. Something about the relationship between protagonist, Juniper, and her sister, Azalea, didn't feel right to me. It was too up and down, more with the Azalea character flitting from one emotion to the next, even in the same paragraph. It felt strange in the book, as if the author was trying to create too many strong reactions at once, and the character doesn't have time to settle into the last emotion.

Given this is a rare book cosy mystery, I would have preferred Juniper to be working with rare books more. It would make the theme stronger, and being immersed in that activity would have added another layer of interest in this book. Even though the characters are good, and I liked the small town setting, I was expecting more of the rare book theme to come through.

I can see room for growth if this were to become a series, and with the ending promising changes for Juniper, I think a second book could open up more interesting doors and intrigue. A solid start to a new series.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for provided a free copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.

"Crime and Parchment (A Rare Books Cozy Mystery #1)" by Daphne Silver is a great first book to a new series. It is a bit different than other cozy mysteries that I've read in that it's got a mix of the main character and the main character m's sister having the traditional cozy main character characteristics.

Juniper is our main character. She's a 30's something Librarian at the Library of Congress. She recently was passed over for a promotion for a colleague on a power trip. Then she's called back to her grandmother's old home that her sister has taken over since the grandmother's passing.

Azalea is Juniper's older sister. She's trying to start up a B&B in their grandmother's old home in cute little town on the Chesapeake Bay in Maine. At the same time raising 3 year old and getting a divorce

While all that's going on, Juniper shows up unannounced at Azalea's B&B. A tv crew is there to film a the unveiling of an artifact expected to be found in the area. Juniper is there for the same thing. Of course, that means someone ends up dead and Azalea's husband is missing at the same time. Juniper jumps into clear her sister of suspicion and just out of curiosity.

I really liked the follow up about the real artifact and history that inspired the book that the author added at the end. It was nice to learn about what parts were real and d what was added for the story. It gave it a bit more depth.

It was a cute, quick read. liked how the protagonist and her family were all named after flowers. It was a nice detail. The way the setting, Rose Mallow, was described made me want to visit! The ending was tied up well, but there's room to expand this world. I'd like to see what other artifacts Juniper might find. And it feels like there's more to Grandma Z than we learned in this book. I'd love to read a prequel all about Grandma Z. I also really appreciate the Jewish representation. Growing up in a Jewish household, I'm very familiar with baba and tzimmies so whenever food was described, my mouth started watering.
Now that I finished the book, I think I might bake something from my nan's recipes.

Crime and Parchment is a good new and somewhat unique cozy mystery by Daphne Silver. Juniper Blume is a rare book librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Her older sister Azalea and little niece live in Southern Maryland. I loved that it is set in MD! However, the sisters live only 1 hour apart and get along but Juniper didn't visit. That made me not like her although she was trying to make amends by the end. Azalea's almost ex-husband Rory calls Juniper about a rare book and THEN she shows up.....unannounced. She is supposed to meet him at midnight at a cemetery but he isn't there and Juniper finds a young lady dead who appears to be involved with Rory and he is missing. From what Juniper knows, Rory finds a really old diary that might have a clue about where the famous Book of Kells jewelled covers are. The cozy mystery focuses more on these book.covers and what Rory is involved in than the dead woman, although it is obviously tied in. Juniper was becoming a decent person by the end and Azalea was strong and understanding. The book moves along at a pretty good pace and the mystery kept me guessing! Overall, this was an enjoyable cozy mystery and I would read the next book. . #CrimeAndParchment #ARareBooksCozyMystery #NetGalley #LevelBestBooks