Lynn: I 
only discovered Michael Beil’s first book in the Swallowtail Legacy a few months ago. I loved it and I am so happy to report that we now have a second mystery set on beautiful Swallowtail Island to enjoy. Swallowtail Legacy: Betrayed by the Book (Pixiel Ink, 2023) is just as much fun as the first! The series features soccer player/detective/reader Lark and her extended family. Lark, still wearing the cast from the accident at the end of the first book, is thrilled to be picked as a page to her favorite author, Ann Keyhart, for the famous Swallowtail Writer’s Conference. But it is immediately clear that Keyhart is a horrible person who bullies her assistant, and undermines other authors, editors, and agents constantly. AND she hasn’t written a word in several years! Lark bonds with Didi, Keyhart’s assistant who confides that she (Didi) has just completed a book and is to meet an agent at the conference. Then, tragically, Didi is found dead of an allergic reaction and there is NO trace of her laptop or manuscript.
Lark and her band of island friends and family don’t believe Didi’s death was an accident and set out to solve the mystery.
This is another delightful mystery ideal for middle-grade readers. Set in a unique place and with an endearing cast of characters, the identity of the murderer becomes clear early but the real story lies in the proof, the gathering of evidence, and several related threads connecting the books and several of the characters. Twelve-year-old Lark is a feisty, often impulsive protagonist and easy to root for. Her extended family and the large cast of islanders and new friends add interest and warmth and help make this second installment even more fun than the first. Another wild chase scene occurs at the resolution and events set the stage for a third—and VERY welcome—book.
bookendsblog.net 