Gimme Shelter

by Libby Klein

“Vice and Virtue?” What kind of name is that for a cozy mystery? What does it even signify? The title gradually revealed its meaning, as I read the first book in the Layla Virtue Mystery series. By the time I closed that book, I was hungry for the next which, fortunately, had already been published in the spring of 2026. Gimme Shelter was every bit as exciting as I hoped it would be.

The protagonist, Layla, wasn’t looking to be part of any investigation. She had left the cop part of her life behind when she and her alcoholism were responsible for the deaths of her team members and the bungling of a sting operation. She does get pulled in, however, by the drug peddlers who escaped her carefully laid plans. She is also asked by her former nemesis on the force Detective Castinetto to use her skills to find the murderer of a well-loved teacher.

Layla uses her investigative skills while also trying to survive the social situations she finds herself in. She is attracted to Nick, her neighbor at the trailer park, who has as much of a traumatized past as Layla does. Layla battles addiction, guilt, and an inability to trust. With the help of her three new friends from AA, she gradually begins to regain her memory of that traumatic day. She never wanted friends, but these three ladies stick by her and don’t allow her to leave their circle of friendship. As she is learning what it means to be a friend, she finds one in an unexpected place—Ringo, a lovable and loving support dog  trained by Nick. Humor plays a role in the book whenever Layla has a gig as a guitarist and singer. She ends up filling in for bands who are in need of a substitute, wearing crazy costumes and performing in unlikely venues. Also humorous are Layla’s interactions with other trailer park residents after she becomes owner of the park, a gift of her father, Don Virtue, a famous rock and roll guitarist. Her interactions with him display the poignant and amusing sides of dementia.

The problems posed in the first book continue in the second with closure on some and not on others. Layla’s relationship with Nick carries on with ups and downs while he proves essential to her investigation with his high level security skills. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Will Layla ever be trusted as a police officer again? If so, would she want that life or will she be too busy caring for her unpredictable, but good-natured father?

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #2 in the Layla Virtue Mystery series but the new reader of the series will be brought up-to-date in this book.

    2. Clean.

    3. The Layla Virtue Mystery Series has a protagonist that deviates from the typical, but will still please cozy mystery readers and Klein fans.

Publication:  April 28, 2026—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

November through New Year’s was prime season for addiction meetings. No matter how airbrushed the advertisement, holiday meals and family gatherings didn’t usually fulfill their promises of bringing one peace and joy. And if they did, the feeling was fleeting and followed by a dangerous post-holiday letdown as soon as the day was over.

I threw the Jeep in reverse and backed out of there so fast, if I was still on the force, I would have given myself a ticket.

“What if I forget who I am in Italy? Who will help me? I only know how to say like four things in Italian and three of them will get me arrested.”