I really enjoyed this book! Nora, the loving aunt/sister in-law/ bookstore owner/loyal friend is a clever sleuth and a charming character. She helps her nephew "Sherlock", the Chief of Detectives, solve several murders involving people she cared about. I really enjoyed the small ,friendly town that is much like my own. Nora's devotion to her family and friends reminded me of my Italian American family, especially her Christmas gathering at her home! The many recipies were an extra treat.
Several student murders occur among the local college student body, many of whom frequent Nora's bookstore/ coffee bar "Leaves of Grass." The cause appears to be drug-related. There are several likely suspects, and the guilty party is not easily identifiable.
This book combines the "cozy mystery" and the realistic, suspenceful drama elements.I thought the black and white photos add a "film noir" flavor and really help to better identify with the characters.Nora is someone I would like to know personally! I hope there will be more books featuring Nora and company.

Reading Tony Vellela's charming mystery was like spending time with an old friend. The story takes place in a college town (and who doesn't remember the complex relationships that are the hallmark of our youth?), filled with interesting, well-drawn characters, comfortably inhabiting the town's skin. The mystery is fun and suspenseful, without the gore of many of today's writers. Mr. Vellela has the light touch of a Mary Higgins Clark. For a good, suspenseful read that takes you back to your youth (or if you're still young, that may mirror your own life now), I recommend that you get a copy. It transported me to a sweet vision of small-town America. It's a wonderfully safe place to live for a while - unless you turn up dead, of course!

I truly enjoyed By Book or by Crook by Tony Vellela. He was able to create for me a believable college town setting, whose routine is shattered by multiple murders. Aunt Nora and nephew Sherlock have to see beyond their familial relationship and work together to solve the crimes, something they both find difficult to accomplish. Nora runs a bookstore cafe, and mothers all her college clientele, while Michael (Sherlock) is the Chief of Detectives of a small town police force. Both the victims and the suspects are regulars at the cafe, so Nora's involvement in solving the crimes is essential. I didn't figure out who did it, but Nora did.