The small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan is about to have a new mystery bookshop. But before the first customer can browse, the owner becomes a real-life murder suspect . . . Samantha Washington has long dreamed of owning a mystery bookstore. And as she prepares for the grand opening, she’s realizing another dream—penning a cozy mystery set in England between the wars. … in England between the wars. While Samantha hires employees and stocks her shelves, her imagination also gets to work as her heroine, Lady Penelope Marsh, long-overshadowed by her beautiful sister Daphne, refuses to lose the besotted Victor Carlston to her sibling’s charms. When one of Daphne’s suitors is murdered in a maze, Penelope steps in to solve the labyrinthine puzzle and win Victor.
In the meantime, however, the unimaginable happens in real life. A shady realtor turns up dead in Samantha’s backyard, and the police suspect her—after all, she might know a thing or two about murder. Aided by her feisty grandmother and an ensemble of enthusiastic retirees, Samantha is determined to close the case before she opens her store. But will she live to conclude her own story when the killer has a revised ending in mind?
“A promising debut with a satisfying conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Cozy mystery readers and historical novel aficionados will adore this warm-hearted,
cleverly plotted new series.”
—Kings River Life
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The Plot Is Murder is the debut book in by V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series and is a good start to this cozy series. The storyline is smoothly paced, the twists and turns keep the reader engaged, and there were multiple ‘laugh out loud’ moments. Ms. Burns has developed a great cast of characters and interesting mystery. The main character is writing a mystery book that is included within the storyline and while it provides a second mystery for the reader to attempt to solve, I didn’t care for “the book inside a book” concept and quickly found myself skipping through those sections. That being said, both mysteries were intriguing and well plotted. The identity of the killer came as a surprise to me.
After the death of her husband, Samantha ‘Sam’ Washington, sells their home, purchases a building, quits her teaching job, and opens the mystery bookstore she and her late husband had always dreamed of opening in North Harbor, Michigan. When Clayton Parker arrives unannounced and unwanted at the bookstore late one night, Sam refuses to answer the door and heads to her upstairs apartment. Sam finds his bloody body on her back patio the next morning. Clayton was the listing agent for the property Sam purchased and had many enemies due to his unethical business practices. Samantha is also an aspiring author and is writing a cozy mystery set in the 1930’s in England that is included within the current mystery, providing another mystery for the reader to attempt to solve. When the investigating officer, Detective Brad Pitt, finds her unfinished manuscript, he sees similarities to Clayton’s murder and moves Sam up on this suspect list. Sam’s feisty grandmother, Nana Jo, and her somewhat quirky friends from the retirement village where she lives (a/k/a Sleuthing Seniors) the help Sam solve the murder case.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Wonderful Start to a New Series
In this nifty cozy mystery series, the reader gets two cozies for the price of one. The heroine in the main book is also a mystery writer and the reader gets to read both stories. It works out very well as one story is modern day while the other is an English country house mystery set in the 1930s. I initially started this series on book 3, loved it and came back to read the first two books. This is a very satisfying series. There are very active seniors that offset the college students and our heroine who is a mid-thirties recent widow. The plots surrounding the crimes are very well done with excellent resolution. All of the characters ring true, even the English gentry and servants. I love all aspects of the series and am binge-reading all four books this weekend. I won this book in a contest from the author last fall. This is my honest review.
Sam has quite alot in common with another of my favorite mystery solving characters so I liked her instantly. The sleuthing seniors are the greatest and I would want them in my corner no matter what I’m doing I was clueless as to who the killer was which was nice (usually I figure it out before the end) and I am hoping that continues in the other books (got to keep a eye on the girls). I am so glad I checked these books out.
The characters were so much fun and very relatable. I loved the dogs and how it went between the real world and Samantha’s book.
The Plot is Murder by V.M Burns is the first book in A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series. Samantha “Sam” Washington and her husband dreamed of owning a mystery bookstore. Before Leon passed away, he made Sam promise to carry on with their dream. Sam is just days away from opening Market Street Mysteries (not the best name) and has already started her second dream of writing a British historical mystery. After enjoying her last day of teaching, her family and friends throw her a party. The next morning when Sam lets her dogs outside, she finds Clayton Parker, the listing agent for her brownstone, dead on the patio. Detective Brad “Stinky” Pitt is assigned the case and he quickly zeros in on Sam. Nana Jo (not your average senior citizen) moves herself in with Sam (to keep her safe). Nana Jo has little confidence in Detective Pitt’s ability to solve the case. She rallies her friends (the Sluething Seniors) and Sam to investigate the victim’s death. Can they uncover the killer before he (or she) strikes again?
The Plot is Murder is not what I expected. I discovered that over half the book is taken up with the manuscript being written by the main character (Sam). I did not enjoy these sections and felt they detracted from the story. There is a mystery in the manuscript that is simple. I would have preferred the author had centered the story around the mystery bookstore (who wouldn’t love a mystery bookshop in their neighborhood). I did like most of the characters especially Nana Jo. She was feisty, smart, and very active. I admit that she overshadowed Sam in the story (and I hope to be half as active when I am her age). I wish the author had fleshed out Sam as much as she did Nana Jo. I found the detective to be cliched and overdone (the name, attitude, how he got the job). I am giving The Plot is Murder 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery has some good components. However, the guilty party can be identified early in the story (one tiny detail gives it away). I kept hoping for a twist so I would be surprised. The majority of readers will figure out the solution long before it is revealed. The investigation is light with most of the work done by the Sleuthing Seniors. I was never fully drawn into The Plot is Murder. With the book divided into two, I feel the author did the main story a disservice.