Sawyer Davis, a chef who inherited her mother’s mystery bookshop, is hosting her first book signing for the world’s biggest diva. Between juggling the author’s lofty demands, learning how to be a surrogate mother to a fifteen-year-old, and dealing with the Sheriff who once broke her heart, Sawyer’s menu is full. She longs for the good old days when the worst thing that happened was a flopped … soufflé.
But when the author’s husband ends up dead in Sawyer’s best friend, Renee’s, ice cream shop, things really heat up. Sawyer believes her friend is being framed. With the help of her book club members and her adorable goldendoodle, Sawyer sets out to save Renee. Will Sawyer and her friends help serve up justice on a platter, or will they all find themselves in a pickle?
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Sawyer Davis is back in Sunset Cove,
Northern California. She inherited a cozy
mystery bookstore from the mother. She
has put her profession as a chef on hold.
Sawyer has also become the surrogate
mother of a fifteen year old adopted girl
named Brittany. Plus her mother left Sawyer
a house and an adorable goldendoodle
named Cooper. Her mother had named the
dog after the sheriff who had a former history
with Sawyer. There is a trust fund involved
that Sawyer’s uncle is trying to take from her
using deceitful methods.
The book shop is holding a book signing.
The author’s husband, Zach was formerly
the boyfriend of Sawyer’s best friend Renee
years back. But when Zach is found murdered
and Renee is falsely accused, Sawyer with the
help of Brittany, the book club and Cooper
try to unraveled this complex, puzzling murder
mystery.
Great supporting characters to well defined,
relatable main characters.
A fun read with lots of shenanigans, humor
and a touch of romance.
This is book # 2 in the Cozy Mystery Bookshop
series. It can be read as a stand along as the
author provides enough backstory.
I volunteered to read A Novel Way To Die. Thanks
to the author via Booksprout for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout
and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was the first book I’ve read in this series, however, it didn’t affect my enjoyment. Though I will definitely go back and read the first book in the series.
The characters are well developed and you are drawn into the story and murder mystery from the beginning. I enjoyed the relationships … family, friends, and romantic. The mystery will keep you guessing until the end.
This book has lots of positive aspects: mystery, great characters, good people, bad guys, conflict, and resolution.
Thank you to Booksprout and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am now a fan of this series and look forward to enjoying more books!
A Novel Way to Die earns 5/5 Diva Authors…Entertaining!
Sawyer Davis wakes up not knowing if she’s crossed over or lying on a gurney in the emergency room. Oops, best to start at the beginning…Sawyer inherited her mother’s cozy mystery bookstore, and with help from her fifteen-year-old adopted sister and support from long-time BFF Renee, she is preparing to have her first book signing with diva/author Angelica Kane. Of course, the whole situation is like a soap opera since Kane’s husband is Renee’s former fiancé; Renee says, without true conviction, she’s over it, but Kane’s husband still ends up dead, found at Renee’s ice cream shop, and Renee is the number one suspect. More drama arrives in the form of the town’s sheriff who happens to be the man that left Sawyer at the altar. They are, however, working on being friends. Oh, Sawyer’s mother gave her a mini goldendoodle just before she passed away naming it after the sheriff in hopes that one day Sawyer would take him back. Add a quirky book club of amateur sleuths, surrogate motherhood, navigating a broken engagement/friendship, and an uncle, with questionable motives, in control of her trust fund and Sawyer has much to occupy her day,
Whew! Tamra Baumann, a new-to-me author, has penned a delightful story and starting with book two I didn’t feel at a disadvantage since enough background and character connections were provided. Her writing style is entertaining with expressive descriptions of the small California town, the bookstore/café, the ice cream shop, and the look and mannerisms of a variety of characters…who wears Christmas sweaters all year? Her dialogue does well to illustrate personalities, emotions, and tone that adds to the drama. I was kept engaged by a murder mystery which had the elements of a nice cozy mystery with a few suspects, personal interest, twist, turns, and dead ends, but was slightly disappointed that it brushed only the surface of more suspense thriller. The immediate felony was solved nicely and the ongoing personal storylines look to continue. The characters were traditional, yet enjoyable, but also some are more stereotypical than well-rounded and hopefully will develop further over the series. I enjoyed the book, planning to get out book one, and am eager for book three.
This was a fantastic cozy mystery story. The story was full of twists and turns and the ending was completely unexpected. The characters were relatable and well developed. Highly recommend.
Sawyer is having a book signing in her bookstore by local best selling author Angelica Kane. Her husband Zach is murdered at Renee’s ice cream shop during the signing. Renee and Angelica’s former assistant Kate become persons of interest during the investigation. Sheriff Dylan is trying to solve the case and keep Sawyer out of it. Sawyer is almost killed by the murderer before Dylan can get to her house to save her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sawyer is a chef left with a tricky family trust, an unexpected new sister, an uncle who is a nasty, greedy piece of work – and Sawyer has a habit of sticking her nose in mysteries.
Some hobbies are lethal, and Sawyer looks to have one. When she interferes with a plot aimed at framing her bestie Renee, this might just be her final case of meddling
Crazy and cunning characters, lots of good sister stuff, and a little romance
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you love a cozy mystery, Tamara Baumann’s Cozy Mystery Bookshop series will not disappoint. This is the second in the series and Sawyer is settling in with running her mother’s Mystery Bookshop and raising her newly discovered 15 year old sister Brittany. While hosting a book signing for a local mystery author, the author’s husband Zach is murdered in her friend Renee’s ice cream shop. Since Zach is Renee’s ex, she becomes a prime suspect. Sawyer and her book club set out to find out who the real killer is. Love all of the characters and had a fun time trying to guess whodunnit. I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of the book from NetGalley for my honest review.
This is such a good cozy mystery! Despite this being the second in the Cozy Mystery bookshop series, I had no problems reading this as a standalone novel. This story brings us Sawyer Davis, a chef who recently inherited her mother’s bookshop and the book club that comes with it.
Sawyer returns to her hometown after being away many years and rekindles friendships and relationships she left behind. During her first book signing event at the shop, the author’s husband is found murdered, and her best friend Renee is the primary suspect!
Sawyer and her book club work diligently to find the true killer. This book had some red herrings and I didn’t have it all figured out halfway through. I wish there had been more involvement with her book club, but I did enjoy the story and the characters were especially dear to me.
I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery. My thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
As soon as I finished a Novel Way to Die, I wanted the next book immediately… and the next and the next! A little romance, great characters; and an intriguing mystery make A Novel Way to Die so good that it is already one of my sure-to-re-read books. As a fan of her delightful romance novels, which carry a bit of mystery or suspense, I was excited when I first saw that Tamra Baumann was writing a cozy mystery series. Both the first and second books more than met my expectations; I loved them! As a romance author, Ms. Baumann had already demonstrated that she could create characters that touched my heart and and suspense that made me hold by breath and she carries those skills into her cozy series. Her characters are wonderful; they matter and they draw me into the story even before the mystery catches me. The great news is that her mystery plots are complex and excellent! They hold me from beginning to end and leaving me ready for more.
Cozy mystery fans as well as long time fans of Tamra Baumann will enjoy spending time in this fun novel.
A Novel Way To Die, by Tamra Baumann, is available at booksellers 3-5-2020. Novel is book #2 in Ms Baumann’s Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. Novel is also my first experience with Ms Baumann’s writing. I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the book and wondering how I missed Ms Baumann at the bookstore before now. The characters are appealing and the plot was well crafted and executed. I love to read so any story set in a bookshop grabs my attention. That there’s also a cute dog, who goes to “work” in the store everyday, is also another plus. The characters lives are messy, no one is perfect or has the perfect relationship, and the bookstore is floundering. Family and friendships are valued and defended. All believable and relatable. My one big problem, and it was big, is that the main character doesn’t have her last name mentioned until the very last page. I was 1/3 through the book when I gave up and googled it. I’m not sure if Novel works 100% as a stand-alone book, I found myself wondering at the backstories that had gone on before. Yes, that’s hard to do without inserting the 1st book into the current story. Either way, I intend to go backwards and read book 1, Plotting For Murder. Novel was such a fun read that I’m looking forward to the next murder.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#Netgalley #TamraBaumann #ANovelWayToDie #CozyMysteryBookshop #murdermystery
A Novel Way To Die by Tamra Baumann is the second book in her Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. I really enjoyed reading this murder mystery. In this story chef/mystery bookstore owner Sawyer Davis needs to find out who murdered a famous author’s husband. It’s especially important to get to the truth because all the circumstantial evidence points to Sawyer’s best friend Renee being guilty of the murder. There’s plenty of mystery, intrigue and surprises to keep readers turning the pages until the very end
This is book #2 in a skillfully written cozy mystery series. A famous author’s visit to the bookshop leads to murder. The plot is tight and multi-layered and filled with believable characters. I was kept guessing until the very end and am eagerly awaiting the next book! I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.