Sawyer Davis’ new life in picturesque Sunset Cove is crumbling around her as fast as the old Victorian house she lives in. She’s a chef whose matchmaking mother has left her a puppy, a bevy of single men to choose from, and a bookshop dedicated to whodunnits. Complete with a book club of amateur sleuths who live for death. When one of the members dies just after eating Sawyer’s amazing truffle … mac and cheese, Sawyer is immersed in an even bigger soup pot of trouble.
With her chef’s reputation on the line, and an uncle after her inheritance, Sawyer teams up with the sheriff who once broke her heart—whether he wants her help or not—to solve the mystery. Will past hurts, and long-buried attraction for the sheriff stand in the way of solving the crime before the murderer strikes again?
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I loved my trip to Sunset Cove. A quaint little tourist town with some interesting residents.
There’s a lot going on in the background story that will be interesting to come back to in future installments. So this series will likely best read in order.
A little bit of romance, so far in form of a love triangle, which I can’t wait to see how it will develop….
Sawyers father is a magician and her mother was his assistant which caused her family to put her inheritance into a trust fund which she couldn’t access without her brothers permission. Sawyers uncle holds on tight to it and hopes to push Sawyer to give up on the trust fund and leave it to him.
Sawyers mom has some valuables that she hid in the bookstore and the house. She left a few clues that only Sawyer will be able to solve to find the treasure.
All this combined with the murder in Sawyers bookstore kept the story at a great pace. All in all a very good and clean cozy mystery.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that BookBuzz.net and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Plotting for Murder is a fabulous start to a new cozy series. I loved the setting of Sunset Cove, California a small town with lots of quirky characters, the main protagonist, Sawyer, is a young woman who is making a choice to honour her mothers wishes at the same time feeling overwhelmed by everything to go with the trust and a golden doodle puppy named Cooper. Add a murder, threats, the attention from two hunky men and lastly a treasure hunt and you have all the ingredients for a great cozy.
I loved Sawyers tenacity, loyalty to her family, friends and her natural curiosity and of course she had to try to figure out who the killer to save her reputation.
The story held my attention from the start to finish, read it in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. There were lots of twists and turns a few red herrings thrown in for good measure.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy mystery friends, I really enjoyed it! I can’t wait for the next instalment as I want to know what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a good start to a new cozy mystery series by Tamra Baumann. The characters are well developed and I look forward to seeing what happens in Sawyer’s life and in the town of Sunset Cove. I’ll keep hoping that Sawyer’s uncle, the town’s mayor, will get his comeuppance! I loved the mystery, the relationships … those already developed as well as the newly developing ones, and the great (and sometimes quirky) characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
First posted on Goodreads:
Received a copy through a Goodreads contest but that does not influence this review.
This is a fast paced, enjoyable read. Sawyer Davis, who left town years ago, returned to Sunset Cove when her mother was taken ill and she is now bound by a deathbed promise to give her hometown another shot. Burdened or blessed by the bequest of her mother’s mystery bookshop (along with other clues and gifts, including a labradoodle named Cooper) Sawyer–a woman who doesn’t read mysteries–is drawn into a real-life mystery when a local is murdered at the first event she hosts at the store.
There is plenty of interest beside the main plot–Sawyer’s attempts to thwart her Uncle, the complications of two love interests (Dylan the sheriff who left her long ago but has changed and Gage the lawyer who is trying to help her) and the hidden clues that reveal mysteries (Brittany) in her own life. I especially like the unusual background of her parents; I won’t reveal any of the “tricks” there though. My only criticism is that I think the secondary characters need to be filled in more but since this is the 1st book in the series, I am sure we will learn more about them in further adventures. I am looking forward to the next installment. Readers will find Plotting for Murder worth their time.
I loved this cozy mysyery! The story was suspenseful, kept you guessing until the end, and had a great romantic subplot. The main and secondary characters were well written, funny, sarcastic, and heartwarming. This is the first book I have read by this author and am a fan.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sawyer returns to her hometown at the request of her mother – and the struggle her mom fought against cancer comes to an end shortly thereafter.
Things are very tangled for here there. Her never wed hippie mom left her a bookstore that gives away free coffee and croissants, and a trust fund she has to stay in town to get any part of.
Her grandparents made some judgement errors in their efforts to keep her previously irresponsible mom from spending the rest of the principal. any repairs or purchases over $5000 need to be approved by the uncle who wants the rest of the trust to add to the millions he already reaped from it.
Several other greedy folks want their pound of flesh from each other and seem not to care about collateral damage.
add in the match making efforts her mom attempted, even after death, to the man who left her at the altar being both her now brother in law AND the town sheriff….
small town murder, mayhem – and family / romance mayhem.
sweet and funny, as well as spooky! a great KU read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout.
I read it on Kindle Unlimited, and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Five stars for Plotting for Murder, the first in Tamra Baumann’s Cozy Mystery Bookshop series.
This murder mystery is funny, endearing, quirky, and mesmerizing. I read it late into the night.
Sawyer Davis returns to Sunset Cove after she inherits her late mother’s mystery bookstore, Cloaks, Daggers, and Croissants. Her dreams of owning her own restaurant are put on hold to fulfill her mother’s wishes. While hosting her first book club meeting an old friend drops dead after eating her food. Sawyer and Dylan (the sheriff who left her at the altar) try to figure out which member of the book club killed her friend.
Her mother’s will has an odd collection of demands for Sawyer: the names of a couple of men who could become more than friends , a puppy to keep her company, a rundown house, and a letter to help her discover hidden clues to help her find her inheritance. There’s also a mean uncle who is trying to take the inheritance away from her.
There are lots of twists and turns in this book and it will keep you guessing and laughing throughout.
I highly recommend Plotting for Murder to everyone.
Jackie B.
cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, greed
A good cozy mystery with plenty of plot twists, red herrings, complex characters who really are, and a nice small town setting. The publisher’s blurb might get you on the hook, but the story will keep you on the line!
I requested and received a free ebook copy Via Netgalley. Thanks!
This book drew me in from the first few pages and kept my attention throughout. There is a lot to unpack in this mystery, but I feel the author did an excellent job keeping the pace and not allowing lulls in the plot.
The characters in this book are all very natural and believable in their actions, dialog, and relationships. The main character, Sawyer, is such a likable person that I would want to be friends with her. She is also resolute, tough, sincere, and funny. I think she has all the characteristics of a perfect female heroine. Her interactions with the rest of the cast are organic and make the story read like you’re watching a TV show. I love that her character starts out great, and just continues to get better with her ability to forgive and her big-heartedness; she is a true role model. But just because Sawyer is independent, it doesn’t mean that she can’t have a potential love triangle between what the heart wants and what her brain feels might be more logical. That is an aspect of the book that I hope will be developed further in future books, but for now, it’s an interesting tidbit.
The storyline itself is very engaging. There is murder, there is mystery, there are riddles and clues, and there is a family feud. I think the most entertaining aspect of this book is the detective work from her mother. Although there is a mystery surrounding the murder, I found what Sawyer was looking for more captivating than the actual murderer.
That being said, the overall book has a lot to offer. If you are looking for something that is heavy on intrigue, realistic, and has love and humor, Plotting for Murder is a good choice.
Sawyer is a chef. She also has an inheritance that her uncle wants. She lives in a run-down Victorian house in Sunset Cove. Her mother is always trying to set her up with someone, a puppy and a bookshop. When Sawyer makes one of her dishes, and a customer dies after eating it, she feels like she must defend her honor and reputation. She sticks her nose in on the investigation no matter what the sheriff says. This is a clean cozy mystery and the first of a series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Sawyer Davis has moved back home to Sunset Cove to take over her late mother’s bookshop. She is even running the mystery book club. As she used to be a chef, she makes the food for one of their recent meetings. When one of the members drops dead, it’s up to her to solve the crime and clear her name. Unfortunately she has to help out her ex-boyfriend who is not ready to have her help
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
California Cozy Small Town Bookstore Murder
This is the first book in a new series. This writer is very talented. The story takes place in a small California coastal town. Our heroine is the new owner of a bookstore that caters to mysteries. Her dad is a traveling magician, her uncle controls her trust fund and wants to claim it all as his. Her ex is the sheriff and her sister’s brother-in-law. It is complicated and quite fun! I am going to enjoy reading the rest of this series. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
A cute cozy Mystery. Sawyer has moved home to Sunset Cove after her mother’s death to run her Mystery bookstore. Her mother had a trust fund controlled by her brother, and Sawyer and her sister can only get their mother’s share if they live in Sunset Cove. Her sister is a surgeon and doesn’t need the money. Sawyer, however, is a broke chef. Sawyer has two mysteries to solve; what her mother has hidden for her and her sister and who killed Chad at her book club. Great little story, with a lot of fun characters.
Tamra Baumann has entered the cozy mystery genre with the same delightful style that she has brought to her well established career as the author of several outstanding romantic series.