A Shakespearean scholar inherits a beachside bookshop–and a murder mystery–in this delightful new cozy series for fans of Kate Carlisle and Ellery Adams.Summer Merriweather’s career as a Shakespeare professor hangs by a bookbinder’s thread. Academic life at her Virginia university is a viper’s pit, so Summer spends her summer in England, researching a scholarly paper that, with any luck, will … that, with any luck, will finally get her published, impress the Dean, and save her job. But her English idyll ends when her mother, Hildy, shuffles off her mortal coil from an apparent heart attack.
Returning to Brigid’s Island, NC, for the funeral, Summer is impatient to settle the estate, sell her mom’s embarrassingly romance-themed bookstore, Beach Reads, and go home. But as she drops by Beach Reads, Summer finds threatening notes addressed to Hildy: “Sell the bookstore or die.”
Clearly, something is rotten on Brigid’s Island. What method is behind the madness? Was Hildy murdered? The police insist there’s not enough evidence to launch a murder investigation. Instead, Summer and her Aunt Agatha screw their courage to the sticking place and start sleuthing, with the help of Hildy’s beloved book club. But there are more suspects on Brigid’s Island than are dreamt of in the Bard’s darkest philosophizing. And if Summer can’t find the villain, the town will be littered with a Shakespearean tragedy’s worth of corpses–including her own.
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Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn has Summer Merriweather returning home to Brigid’s Island, North Carolina after the death of her mother. Summer does not believe that her healthy mother suddenly dropped dead from a heart attack. Summer receives a threatening note the day of the funeral and learns her mother had been receiving them as well. Something wicked has come into their lives and Summer intends to get answers. Little Bookshop of Murder is the debut of A Beach Reads Mystery series. Summer Merriweather is a professor of Shakespearean Literature at a university in Virginia. She has been in England doing research for her latest book (publish or perish). She returns home just in time for her mother’s funeral. Summer is dubious from the beginning at the cause of her mother’s death. The police, though, cannot act without proof. So, Summer with help from her family sets out to get the truth. There is a large cast of characters that includes Summer, her cousin, her aunt, the chief of police, fire chief, and members of the Mermaid Pie Book Club. I would like to see the characters fleshed out. They felt a little flat except for Mr. Darcy, the chatty African Grey parrot. There are various incidents that help propel the story forward and reinforce the belief that Summer’s mother may have been killed by a duplicitous individual. The suspect list is small and there are distinctive clues. The killer can easily be identified long before Summer solves the case. I hope the author ups her game in the next book. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of Beach Reads, the bookshop owned by Summer’s mother. It sounded like a haven for book lovers except for the smell of patchouli. There were some side stories like Summer’s spider phobia that never really went anywhere. I expected at least one spider episode. There is some foul language in this cozy. I am curious as to what changes Summer plans for Beach Reads which specializes in romances. I also wonder if Summer will find romance with a certain handsome fire chief. Little Bookshop of Murder transports readers to Brigid’s Island where there is a fluent fowl, a dubious death, a beautiful beach bungalow, a curious cousin, a flock of food, and one Shakespearean scholar turned sleuth.
Good book. Took me a bit to really connect with Summer. Definitely an interesting bunch of characters. Really enjoy getting to know the little book store. Would love to visit this cozy town. Excited to read more!
Little Bookshop of Murder Eans 5/5 Squawking Parrots…Engaging and Clever!
Maggie Blackburn has been an engaging book as first in her Beach Reads Mystery series. Introducing Summer Merriweather who sadly has returned home to St. Brigid’s Island, North Carolina, to bury her free-spirited mother, Hildy. But, instead she sets out to prove it murder and find a killer. She is the sole beneficiary and inherits not only her mother’s African grey parrot, Mr. Darcy, but her mother’s bookshop, Beach Reads, as well. The discovery of a threatening note, “Sell the bookstore or die,” puts her on the road for real answers that are not easily revealed and a bit perilous. The Chief of Police is less than cooperative due to a history with Summer and his son, but that and other obstacles do not deter her. Maggie’s writing style is very entertaining with her vivid description of the setting, characters, and the third-person narrative. The mystery wasn’t completely a challenge; I had a good inkling about the suspect and motive, but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment with the conflicts, Summer’s efforts, in’s and out around the island, Mr. Darcy’s antics, a satisfying conclusion, and a recipe for Hildy’s Mermaid Pie! A great beach, backyard, or comfy chair read!
I was asked to review the second book in the Beach Reads Mystery series, so I knew I needed to go back and read book one, Little Bookshop of Murder, first. I decided to pick up the audio version.
Little Bookshop of Murder suffers from the classic “first in a series” pitfall. The setting and characters have to be introduced and developed, and it overwhelms the book. The sheer number of characters in this book felt a little excessive. It took me well into the second half of the book to get them all straight. But the characters and town are interesting, and I was drawn in.
Summer is the main character. She’s back in her hometown after the death of her mother. Summer is positive that her mother’s death wasn’t natural and sets out on solving the mystery. Summer took a little while to warm up to. I think it’s the fact that she looks down on her mom’s bookstore, which focuses on “beach reads”—cozy mysteries and romances. Summer is a professor of Shakespeare, and for most of the book, she’s all snobby about books. While that view does adjust a bit, it’s off-putting and made it hard for me to get into her corner. As with most amateur sleuths, she bumbles around a bit until finally the pieces come together and the mystery is solved one step ahead of the police. And the mystery itself almost felt like just the vehicle for Summer to get to know the townsfolk… it was a bit thin.
Christa Lewis narrated the audiobook. I believe this is the first time I’ve heard her narration, and it was pretty good. She tried to do voices, or at least some variation, between the characters, which helped during the conversations. Her pacing was good, and she put enough emotion into the story to keep me hooked.
Little Bookshop of Murder was a decent start to a series. The characters and plot, as well as the narration, drew me in. But being a little overwhelmed with all the introductions and a pretty thin murder mystery left this book in the middle of the road for me. However, I will return to this series with Once Upon a Seaside Murder with hopes for a meatier story now that most of the town has been introduced.
My review originally posted at Novels Alive.
Can’t recall the last book I read with such an unlikable protagonist. I realize that there’s probably going to be some character development on Summer’s part so she is redeemed, but it doesn’t really encourage one to read until the end. The author doesn’t even really give us a reason for Summer’s antipathy towards fiction books and her snobbery (despite being a Shakespearean scholar!!). We do finally find out (presumably, it drops dropped in and unexplored) the reason for her phobia, but it’s totally unbelievable that she would not recall the event.
I have also worked at a university for 20 years and have some issues with the accuracy of that portion of the story. That is not reflected in my rating.
You can’t possibly not know who the killer is right from the start, there’s really only one possibility.
There were 3 errors I caught in the first 20% and at least one after that. There were also a couple uses of the same 4 letter word which surprised me in a cozy. Didn’t upset me, I may have used the word more than a few times, but cozies are typically clean.
I was able to finish the book and I will start the second book in the series to see if it appeals to me more.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
What a cute book – loved the cover, the story, the characters, the setting and everything in between. It’s definitely worth checking out!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/OyFQpXw0dX4
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-little-bookshop-of-murder-by-maggie-blackburn-a-beach-reads-mystery-book-1/
Summer Merriweather is a Shakespearian scholar/professor who returns to her hometown after the sudden death of her mother Hildy. Summer’s professional life was already in turmoil and now she suspects her very healthy mother did not drop dead of a heart attack. With the help of her aunt, cousin and niece she sets out to prove she was murdered and bring the culprit to justice.
Note: I hadn’t planned on reading this book as I’m not even remotely a Shakespeare fan. The concept of the main character being a Shakespeare aficionado sounded boring despite that she would be dropped into a beach bookstore setting. What changed my mind, was a DEEP discount on the ebook from Kindle and learning that the author (Maggie Blackburn) also wrote under the name Mollie Cox Bryan. I had thoroughly enjoyed the Buttermilk Creek series.
My thoughts:
The story had a lot of potential despite the Shakespeare references. Unfortunately, the culprit was rather obvious (at least to me) almost from the start. Despite adding other suspects and misleading clues, I wasn’t dissuaded or surprised when the culprit was finally revealed. I was also hoping for a better reason but that was not to be. I also found a few typos which really should have been caught in editing. There was also some timeline issues. References to the book club meeting being the following night seemed to happen several days in a row before the actual meeting took place.
The Merriweather women are interesting and the inner circle of the Mermaid Pie Book Club are quite the characters. They are all in each others business of course and Summer is understandably having a bit of a rough time fitting in. Her therapy sessions via phone with her psychiatrist are painful to read as the Dr seems to be quite out of touch with what she is really going through in the present.
All that being said, the book had it’s moments. With better editing and more attention to timeline, typos and hiding the identity of the culprit till later in the book this could have been a much better read. I’d rate this a 2.5 but since 1/2 stars aren’t given here, I’ll rate it a 2
I haven’t decided if I will read the 2nd book in this series when it comes out in October 2021. As I write this, it the pre-order is just over $11USD and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay that much considering how the first one went. Will watch the price and decide later. JMO
This is a new series set in a small beach town with a great bookstore by the beach and an interesting main character. In this first book, Summer finds herself back in her hometown because her mother has died unexpectedly. Her mother owned the bookstore and it was her life’s work and she loved it. Summer is a Shakespeare scholar and university professor who hasn’t spent much time in her hometown in quite a while. She fears that her mother’s death may not be natural and sets out with the help of her family and her mom’s friends to try to solve the mystery of what really happened to her mom. This book has a quirky set of characters and a great small town setting. I liked how the story progressed over the course of the book. This is a good start to a new series.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Little Bookshop of Murder is an interesting read. Summer comes home to attend her mother Hildy’s funeral, laden with guilt. When evidence comes to light indicating Hildy’s death may not have been medical in nature. The mystery behind Hildy’s death and Summer’s insistence in finding out the truth provide for an interesting story. I was glad Summer doesn’t just take Hildy’s death at face value. So much evidence turns up that she could hardly do otherwise. When Summer becomes the next target, she knows she can’t let this go.
Summer has a huge issue with books she considers beach reads and fluff. She’s constantly reminding everyone she’s a scholar of “real” literature. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about book genres and certain genres aren’t for everyone. Summer could have been a bit less condescending about her education but for the most part she was quite friendly. The secondary characters were well-written and compliment Summer and the mystery.
I enjoyed the story, the mystery kept me engaged, and the characters were interesting. The author tossed in red herrings that will keep the reader guessing. The book is fast- paced and I can’t wait to read the next one.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What a great start to a new cozy series. We meet Summer who has to return to her home town after being away for years because her mother passed away. Dealing with grief she starts questioning why a perfectly healthy woman had a sudden heart attack. She thinks it was murder but the police chief who holds an old grudge does not. Her Aunt and cousin do though so they start adj my questions. Then Summer starts being attacked. Thinking it is all linked she rushes to figure out who is before it’s too late. There is great cast of characters all places in an adorable island small town. Add in the sweet African Grey and the story just gets better. I especially enjoyed how Summer goes from a Shakespeare snob to actually liking some fiction after she inherits the cutest book store. A wonderful read for any true cozy fan. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
3.5 stars
Little Bookshop of Murder is more than an entertaining cozy mystery – it’s also a love letter to all the different types of books & readers in life. From Shakespeare & Austen to modern romance novels & cozy mysteries, the bookstore setting appeals to bookworms of every taste & genre. The mystery was pretty easy to solve for me – at least the whodunnit side of things; the “whydunnit” I didn’t get until the end – but it was still fun to tag along with Summer & her gang of amateur sleuth book lovers. Solid characters and a charming locale add further enjoyment to the novel. I did find some continuity issues throughout & a bit of redundant repetition but I’m hoping that was resolved with final edits. Looking forward to more books in the series to keep following the continuing threads introduced in this first installment.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
“Little Bookshop of Murder ” the first instalment in the A Beach Reads Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn. I am a fan of this author so had to read this new series, I found it to be not quite as polished as some of her other books but the potential for this to become an awesome series is there.
The mystery is interesting and I loved the characters which which seemed diverse from a scholar to a free spirit. We had a few mysteries to solve the death of Summers mum to who her father was, and will she stay on the island.
I did guess who the villain was right away, and couldn’t figure out why no one else could. I was yelling at my kindle saying it’s bleep bleep! I loved Mr. Darcy and the bond that he and Summer are forming.
It was a quick easy read and I am looking forward to the next instalment as I’m anxious to see all the decisions Summer makes.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Summer Merriweather has returned home for her others funeral. They have been estranged for several months. She is struggling with the opportunities lost, regretted words and her absence from her mothers life. Summer, her Aunt and cousins can not believe that she died from a heart attack. The local law enforcement believes that due to the issues within the relationships they are unable to accept the truth.
Summer takes it upon herself to investigate the death. She must join forces with her Mother’s oldest friends and customers. They ladies in her bookclub will do anything for Summer and her Mothers memory. As they investigate many secrets come to light as they follow Hilda Merriweather’s movements on her last days.
Summer must also deal with her feelings of not only being back home she is now the owner of the bookshop[p she deems unworthy of her time and talents. She is a professor of Shakespearian literature. She believes that any of the modern novels have no value. When she is invited to attend the monthly meeting to discuss a romance novel will she be able to keep her opinions to herself or will she offend the people who have meant the most to her Mother,
The mystery was well constructed. I enjoyed the multiple twists between is it murder is it not. I can see where the author is hoping to take these characters, However I felt a wee bit cheated in that all the hints at situations that need to be resolved in Summer’s life none were. The issues in question are huge life altering changes. It made it seem as if the story were unfinished.
The strong long term relationships with the women was refreshing. I was disappointed with the scenes that had men and women interacting where jealousy and insecurity reared their ugly heads in a stereotypical manner.
It was a quick easy read. I am looking forward to the next installment to see the outcome of the life altering issues Summer is facing.
ittle Bookshop of Murder is a light and easy cozy mystery read that is more than fitting for beach reading.
Summer Merriweather is having a time of it. A Shakespeare Professor researching a paper in England to try to save her career when the unexpected death of her very healthy mother brings her back to her childhood home. Upon return she realizes things are not as they seem. Summer decides that if the local law won’t listen she will have to figure out this one herself.
There are many things I enjoyed about Little Bookshop of Murder. First and foremost the store, Beach Reads! The Idea of this store is a reader stream on the beach. From its name to its beach themed decor, It’s a place that I wouldn’t mind spending an afternoon or two enjoying reading by the sea. Second small towns whether I’m reading cozies or romance are always a favorite. This one has a vast array of quirky characters that make up a very fun and interesting town. Next the family dynamic within the story is priceless. I love the inner jokes and squabbling that goes back-and-forth between them. Summer it’s an interesting main character. She may have left a few ill feelings when she left home yet it’s still her home and has a love for it even if she didn’t realize how deep it goes. The mystery of the story itself was rather easy to figure out but the why was a bit off for me. However I enjoy this little town and these crazy characters enough that it will make me read the next book in the series.
Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn gives a new take on characters within the cozy mystery genre.
Can Summer Merriweather figure out who killed her mom?
Summer Merriweather
Summer Merriweather is our main character and the daughter of the first victim for the series Hilda Merriweather, aka Hildy. She is a thirty-two-year-old only child who has a doctorate in Shakespearan literature and is a college professor. Summer is an interesting character for a sleuth as she analyzes things logically before doing anything, and she has had a plan for her entire life that is being postponed a bit. I like that throughout the book, we see Summer change in her ways of thinking a bit, and I love that about her. Another thing that I love about her is that she speaks her mind a lot. I would love to be able to visit Beach Reads and take a look through their many selections of romance and mystery books on their shelves.
The Mystery
The mystery is a straightforward one. Who and why would anyone kill Hildy Merriweather? Hildy is a prominent member of the town, and everyone loved her. Except for one person. Hildy Merriweather died of a heart attack but showed no symptoms of one. Plus, she was a healthy sixty-year-old woman who was a vegetarian and led an active lifestyle. Whoever it was didn’t like her a lot and wanted her gone. The same goes for her daughter. I guessed who did it, but I did sadly guessed the motive wrong. So beware of not only the red herrings but false motives.
Five Stars
Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn is a great book. I loved every minute of reading it. Summer is a great character, and I can’t wait to see what else this Shakespearean professor does in this small island town. Especially if it is another murder investigation or even to see what she has done to Beach Reads. Ms. Blackburn is a great author. It’s five stars and a recommendation worthy of this Karen the Baroness.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escape Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
Little Bookshop Of Murder, by Maggie Blackburn, is available at booksellers on 9-8-2020. It’s book one in new Beach Reads Mystery series. I wish I had a more positive review to give but…I almost didn’t finish and skipped around missing a bunch of chapters. If the characters had stopped having conversations, internal & external, about the same thing over and over the book would be a novella. The main female character was very hard to like. Her Aunt Agatha was more loveable and the African Grey parrot was a lovey dove.
#Netgalley #MaggieBlackburn #LittleBookshopOfMurder #BeachReadsMystery #CrookedLaneBooks
LITTLE BOOKSHOP OF MURDER by Maggie Blackburn
The First Beach Reads Mystery
Called back from a research trip in England, Summer Merriweather has returned to her childhood home of St. Brigid’s Island. Reeling after the sudden death of her mother, Summer can’t understand why a healthy 64 year old woman should suddenly drop dead. While Beach Reads was her mother’s life, Summer has nothing but disdain for the bookstore that sells romance novels and cozy mysteries. Hoping to settle her mother’s estate, Summer wants to leave and get her career back on track. But when she finds threatening letters to her mom, telling her to sell her store, Summer believes her mother’s unexpected death was actually murder.
Summer Merriweather has a lot of issues, least of which is the belief that her mother was murdered. A Shakespearean scholar who considers light and fun reads below her, she’s having difficulty with the life of an academian. Summer tends to run away; she ran to England after a humiliating video went viral, just as she left her fiance at the altar years prior, and just as she wants to leave St. Brigid’s Island. Her emotions spiral from sorrow to anger, which isn’t completely unexpected in a grieving person, but all of these traits combined make her difficult to truly like as a person. While many of the supporting cast have interesting attributes, there is no depth of character. The exception is Mr. Darcy who is written with love and understanding. Readers can feel his emotions as he comes to grips with his loss.
I love the setting of the first Beach Reads mystery. Description of the boardwalk had me sniffing the sea and craving a hot dog and lemonade. Beach Reads is a gem of a bookstore that makes me long to get lost in its aisles. I also enjoyed the mystery. A subtle crime, if murder can ever be subtle, with lots of suspects provided interest and lots of speculation.
With a great premise LITTLE BOOKSHOP OF MURDER opens a store of possibilities. Interesting characters have room to grow and develop and I’m curious to see how they and their world evolve.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
I really wanted to like this book. It seemed to have everything I like in my escape reading – book theme, cozy, setting, book shop, animal…..sad to say it fell flat for me. It didn’t click and the major reason was? I didn’t want to spend any more time with Summer, the main character. As soon as she started to dis fiction – romance and mystery – calling them fluff in a very negative tone, well that did it for me. Talk about arrogant! As far as she was concerned anything not written by Shakespeare wasn’t worth her time. Bet her dearly departed mother would have had a few choice words for her. Summer was her opposite. My favorite character was the parrot.
Usually I can give a first in series book some slack as it sets up the characters and setting for future books. In this case I didn’t care about what the future had in store for Summer. Disappointing.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Little Bookshop of Murder is a new series by Maggie Blackburn (aka Mollie Cox Bryan). Summer just lost her mother, Hildy, and is back for the funeral and to figure out what to do with her mom’s beloved bookstore and house. Summer is a bit negative at the beginning- she hates the bookstore and doesn’t want to be back. But as she spends time at the bookstore and with her Aunt Agatha, cousin Piper, niece Mia, and her mom’s book group, she realizes she needs to be there to solve who murdered her mom. I guessed the culprit but wasn’t sure until the end. Summer had a fear of spiders which was way over done. As the book progressed, it got better. It was a decent debut cozy mystery. I received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review. #NetGalley. #LittleBookshopOfMurder
Really looked forward to reading this book but sadly I feel that I wasted my time. The characters were off, the mystery was off and there were quite a few things just thrown in with no followup. Nothing seemed to gel for me. I love cozies, love the beach setting, love the bookstore setting but didn’t love this book. I’m also a NC girl who was looking forward to a new series set on my coast! So many good things but this really needs work. So sorry!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.