Mira
Published August 19, 2025
Reviewed by Meredith Frazier
In Murder By the Book, Amie Schaumberg weaves elements of art and literature into a chilling mystery.
Emma Reilly is a literature professor at a small college who stumbles onto a murder that seems to have been staged to appeal directly to the way her brain works, combining Pre-Raphaelite art with literary references to create symbolism she’s trained to decipher. Recognizing the danger of amateur detecting, however, the police—particularly her potential love interest Ian—are less than enthusiastic about letting her get involved. But Emma is unable to turn off her brain and its insistence on unraveling the puzzle, and soon she and a group of friends find themselves deeply embroiled in a serial murderer’s narrative.
Schaumberg builds tension by escalating the danger to Emma, ratcheting that up significantly as the story unfolds. But she also does a really nice job of setting up expectations and then dashing them as both the amateurs and the police try to identify the culprit. Suspicions seem plausible, then alibis and explanations arise, and characters and readers find themselves seemingly back at square one. This not only moves the plot forward nicely but keeps suspense high and the solution a satisfying surprise. A bit of possible romance also heightens emotion throughout and adds some depth to the characterization of Emma and Ian, as does a little backstory in Ian’s case. However, while Ian and Emma’s relationship plays into characterization, the murder mystery remains the main focus of the novel.
Overall, Ian and Emma are the most deeply drawn, but most of the main characters are given enough dimension to make them and the plot believable and interesting. The play between the art and literature is also compelling and may be the strongest element of the novel, since it is an imaginative way to set up the story as well as provide some nice psychological touches as it reveals character—of both Emma and the murderer—but all the elements add up to an engrossing read.