Mystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington is trying to keep her grandmother from spending her golden years in an orange jumpsuit . . . The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she’s descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the … Edward VIII back in the day. She’s not just a lousy liar, she’s a bad actress, so when she nabs the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies—a part Nana Jo plays every year in their retirement village production—Nana Jo blows a gasket and reads her the riot act in front of everyone.
Of course, when Maria is silenced with a bullet to the head, Nana Jo lands the leading role on the suspects list. Sam’s been writing her newest mystery, set in England between the wars, with her intrepid heroine Lady Daphne drawn into murder and scandal in the household of Winston Churchill. But now she has to prove that Nana Jo’s been framed. With help from her grandmother’s posse of rambunctious retirees, Sam shines a spotlight on Maria’s secrets, hoping to draw the real killer out of the shadows . . .
Praise for The Plot Is Murder
“Readers of Carolyn Hart and Vicki Delany will appreciate the lively seniors, the humor, and the bookstore environment.”
—Library Journal
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I adore the characters in this series and The Novel Art of Murder. Ms. Burns does a beautiful job of allow even the secondary characters to shine. The bookshop workers and their friends are the stars of the book even though none of them are the primary suspect this time. In fact, things at the bookshop are going great but the same can’t be said for the retirement village our favorite seniors live in. History from as far back as World War II and as recent as the last decade come into play when a recent addition to the retirement condos is found dead in her room. The complexity of the background was fascinating but I was a bit disappointed that the murderer seemed too obvious. Since I read the book as an ARC there could be changes, and I can’t wait to read the final product to see if that has happened. Of course, the person I think is most obvious usually isn’t and other readers often have different ideas. The possible motives and intertwined characters still kept me hooked to the main mystery as much as the wonderful characters. As has been the norm, the historical romance that Sam is writing has parallels that help her work through the real mystery as well as the newest book in the series that she is writing. I love that we get two whole mysteries rather than just snippets of Sam’s work.
I received an ARC of The Novel Art of Murder. I review it because I share about books that I enjoy as much as I did this one.
Another great book in this series! I love the story within a story and how the main character’s book always seems to tie in with the murder in the book. I find it very intriguing. In this latest book, Samantha’s grandmother, Nana Jo, is a prime suspect in the murder of a woman at her retirement village who she had recently argued with. Sam, Nana Jo, and Nana Jo’s friends investigate to find out the true killer, especially after Nana Jo’s friend, Irma, is the last to see another murder suspect. All kinds of secrets and intrigue in this book. I can’t wait to read more books in this fun series and see Sam and Frank’s relationship develop into something more!
I love this series. It’s like visiting friends. When Sam hands out the investigating assignments, I wish I were there to get one, too. Great characters. Nice clean cozy.
A Novel Art Of Murder is the third book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.
I enjoyed another visit with Samantha(Sam), her grandmother Nana-Jo, and Nana-Jo’s “posse” from the retirement community.
Nana-Jo is mad enough to spit nails as this story starts. Nana-Jo has played the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies for the last ten years. But this year the lead role has been given to Maria Romanov. Nana-Jo and her posse just don’t understand, as Maria can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket. This causes a very loud argument between Nana-Jo and Maria in front of several witnesses. Then when Maria is found dead from a gunshot, Nana-Jo becomes a prime suspect. Sam and Nana-Jo and their friends begin to investigate to clear Nana-Jo’s name. Then, when Irma finds Magnus von Braun, another resident, is found dead in his apartment from an apparent poisoning, Sam begins to wonder if there might be more than one killer. They now set off to learn if there is anything to tie each other to a single killer or not.
Sam is an aspiring author and has finished a couple manuscripts and has found that turning to write her next book helps her to find the answers to the actual mysteries that are being faced in the real world. This book within a book deals with Winston Churchill who is hosting a house party at his home, Chartwell House.
I feel this book is well-written and plotted and a very interesting cast of characters. It also has enough red herrings and twist and turns to keep me guessing till the exciting ending. I also enjoy having a story within a story.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this interesting series.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We are back in North Harbor, Michigan just in time for Samantha Washington’s Nana Jo to become a murder suspect. It seems her usual part in the Shady Acres Senior Follies has been given to Maria Romanov, a woman of questionable character. Said to be descended from Russian Royalty and a great actress, Nana Jo knows the woman is a phony. As soon as others hear her sing, they know it too. Nana Jo tries to take the woman to task publically so when Maria ends up dead, Nana Jo’s fate as a murder suspect is sealed.
Not so fast, Sam is on the case. Using her current work in progress where Lady Daphne is in the middle of a murder in the home of Winston Churchill to settle her mind and draw parallels, she is sure to find who has framed her Nana. The crew from Shady Acres steps in to help too and soon real suspects are uncovered and clues start to fall into place.
That’s Oreo and Snickers on the cover, Oreo looks nothing like my Oreo but I love the author’s choice of pet names. The expression of the dog in the back cracks me up every time I look at the cover.
Okay, the cover is great, but the story/stories within are excellent. Ms. Burns gives us a present-day cozy mystery and her character Samantha Washington is an author and we get to read her latest work too. I love that we get two stories in each novel. It took some getting used to with the first book, but now with book 3, I hit the rhythm right away. I really enjoy how they work together.
Full of colorful characters the story sets a nice pace. Intrigue with a big dose of humor keeps the pages turning and both stories had wonderful surprise endings. Some parts are truly laugh out loud funny.
I loved this book and can’t wait for more! This is the first book of 2019 to receive my top Paradise rating and a place on my Best Reads of 2019 list. While the story can stand on its own I recommend starting at the beginning of the series for maximum enjoyment.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
As the third installment to this adorable series we are familiar with the characters and if you have not read the other two that is okay too as they each come to life all on their own as the story progresses showing their distinct personalities which are hoot to say the least. We have a fairly recent widow surrounded by a group of seniors that are very busy in their day to day lives at their community which seems to offer all kinds of things to keep them busy. Unfortunately murder just happens to pop up as well with Samantha’s grandma the main suspect so they all get involved depending on where their skills are used best to figure it all out. Add in the charming book store, the cute poodles, and the little town to create a literary cozy that fans can really enjoy. Lots of little twists and turns to keep you guessing wrapped around enough charm to really draw the reader in. Perfect for fans of literary cozies especially since we get a entire second story for free as the Sam writes to relax her mind. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. Jumping between the dangerous situations Nana Jo gets herself and everyone else into, commiserating with Sam dealing with the people in her life as she works at her dream of becoming a published author, and reading the history that bleeds over into present day life. While there are a number of cozy tropes and stereotypes present in this storyline, it is never dull or boring!
With the wild characters keeping Sam`s life interesting, I wish I had a few crazies like this in my own life. Growing old seems much more exciting.
This book can be read stand alone but you won`t want to miss any of the delightful books in this series.
Reviewing this book for netgalley, this is a honest review.
Sam and the sleuthing seniors are back with the most emotional investigation to date. Nana Jo is the prime suspect when a new flamboyant senior moves into the Shady Acres and takes Nana’s place in their annual production. Everyone gets involved in this investigation including Sam’s new love interest. The ending is shocking and almost deadly. I’m so excited for the next book!
Cozy Mystery Within a Mystery
This is another episode in the Mystery Bookshop series. The book is actually a mystery inside a mystery. Our heroine is attempting to solve a real-life crime while she is also writing a murder mystery. As readers, we get to enjoy 2 developing stories and solve 2 mysteries. It is such fun! The plot is tight with plenty of suspects and motives in both stories. All of the characters are well developed. This is the first of this series that I have read and it makes me want more! I will be reading all of this author’s work that I can. I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest review.
The Novel Art of Murder by V.M. Burns is book three in her Mystery Bookshop series and captured my attention from the first page.
I confess that I love this series and am always excited when another book is ready for release. Ms. Burns’ writing is descriptive and her characters are realistic, likable and quirky which adds to the fun as I read. I am also a fan of historical cozy mysteries so I get two for one with this series.
The plot moved quickly with plenty twists, clues and red herrings to keep me guessing and turning the pages. The suspects were a devious lot that kept Sam, Nana Jo and the rest of the Sleuthing Seniors Book Club working hard to ferret out their history. I do love Nana Jo’s friends and truly wish I could meet them and spend some quality time with them. I confess that I caught on to who the killer might be before Sam did this time and was quite elated when I was proved right. I almost never figure it out before the reveal. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
“The Novel Art of Murder” is smart, funny and oh so different! V.M. Burns intertwines a fun cozy murder mystery with a historical cozy murder mystery and the plots play off each other like wine and chocolate! They are so different yet play together so well! A group of senior sleuths headed by Sam and her head-strong Nana and Lady Elizabeth Marsh with some help from Clementine Churchill ( Yep that Churchill) match wits with police and Scotland Yard to help solve some murders. Thank you so much to Ms. Burns for the opportunity to read this wonderfully witty book. Now I can hardly wait to read “Wed, Read & Dead! BTW this series would make a hysterical sitcom!
The Novel Art of Murder is the third in V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series. This is an entertaining read with a great cast of characters and an interesting mystery. The storyline is well plotted and flows at a steady pace, with situations where I found myself laughing out loud, and lots of twists, clues, and red herrings to keep me guessing. The well-developed characters are likable, diverse, fun, although somewhat quirky, and the main character is writing a mystery book that is included within the storyline and provides a second mystery and clues that often help solve the main mystery.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is the owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. After the death of her husband, Sam sold their home, purchased a building, quit her teaching job, and opened a mystery bookstore. Sam, an aspiring author who’s writing a British historical cozy mystery, lives in an apartment above the bookstore along with her two aging poodles, Oreo and Snickers, and is dating Frank Patterson, the proprietor of North Harbor Café. Her grandmother, Nana Jo, owns a home in Shady Acres Retirement Village. Sam’s mother makes a shocking announcement to her family. Michigan Southwest University’s star quarterback, Dawson Alexander, is Sam’s assistant, lives in the apartment above her garage, and bakes delicious treats for the bookstore. Nana Jo is devastated when a new resident, Maria Romanov, beats her out of the lead role in the Shady Acres Senior Follies not only because she’d portrayed Eudora Hooper for the past ten years, but also because Maria had no talent. When Maria is found murdered in her locked apartment, Nana Jo becomes Detective Brad Pitt’s prime suspect because they had a big argument and she was overheard threatening Maria. Sam joins her feisty grandmother and her retirement village friends, Judge Ben Miller, and Frank to clear Nana Jo before the incompetent detective arrests her, and Sam makes a deal with Detective Pitt to share information they discover. When another resident, Magnus von Braun, is found dead in his apartment, Sam wonders if the two incidents are connected. Sam often turns to her writing to help her think and discovers her writing often parallels the real-life mysteries she’s trying to solve.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
In, The Novel Art of Murder, book 3, we welcome back Sam (Samantha) Wainwright along with her Nana Jo and a remarkable cast of characters, mostly Nana Jo’s senior posse, from the previous books. I really admire these characters and have fallen in love with them. I am beginning to feel as if they are a part of my family, and I cannot wait to hear from them again.
In this story, Sam must try to save her Nana Jo from being taken in as a murderer. Each year Nana Jo has a lead in the Senior Community’s play – until this year. When another person is given the lead – one who Nana Jo dislikes immensely, she sure as heck lets her know! When the actress turns up dead, Nana Jo is suspected of the crime. Sam and Nana Jo’s group of energetic seniors, along with the help of family and friends race to find who murdered this woman and the many secrets behind her life.
One of the many reasons I enjoy this series so much is that Sam, also writes British cozy mysteries while running a mystery bookshop. There is a cozy mystery within a cozy mystery. Ms. Burns achieves the perfect balance as she incorporates the two mysteries within the one book. As a talented author, and storyteller, I look forward too many more books from this lovely lady!
This story is very unique in that you get two great mysteries in one. The main story involves a bunch of seniors and mystery book store owner/granddaughter of senior suspect in current time and then a mystery set in 1938 in the household of Winston Churchill. I enjoyed both but having the stories alternating throughout the book made the flow of the stories choppy. I would have preferred two separate stories. Both had interesting premises but I really enjoyed the feisty Nana Jo.
V.M. Burns’ The Novel Art of Murder is the 3rd charming book in her Mystery Bookshop series about widow Samantha Washington, her grandmother, and Nana Jo’s band of senior sleuths. Murder hits a little too close to home for Sam when Nana Jo is a suspect in the untimely death of a resident in her retirement community. Poison, blackmail, Nazis, and priceless stolen artwork all feature in this very cozy mystery, and Ms. Burns has once again included snippets of the delightful English cozy that Sam is writing (a mystery on its own!!!) for an added bonus. I love, love, love this series and highly recommend it! 5 stars!