First in the series and a very good start. Great characters. I will be reading the rest of the series. ( )

First sentence: "Victor Carlston, don't you think it's wicked to sit here enjoying yourself while your dearest relative lies at death's door?" "That's a good start," I said out loud, even though there was no one to hear.

Premise/plot: Samantha Washington, the protagonist, is a widow trying to live out her dreams. Her and her husband wanted to open up a mystery bookshop--that's a dream that is now her own. She's also writing her own mystery novel--a British cozy. There are two texts to follow. The first being Samantha's real life mystery. (A realtor turns up dead near her home/shop.) The second being Samantha's work-in-progress novel.

My thoughts: I didn't love this one. I liked it okay. I really liked (for the most part) Samantha's in-progress novel. I enjoyed this between-the-wars-British-cozy. It was enjoyable. I liked that Samantha's grandma (and her senior friends) help out in solving the real life mystery. The way these older ladies were able to source information was fun--reminded me of a skit or two on It's A Southern Thing's YouTube channel. It added some amusement. But overall, Samantha's real-life--despite the murder(s)--feels very ho-hum. I was always waiting for Samantha to start writing again. I wasn't really feeling much interest to her story. This is the first in a series. Not sure if I'll seek out the others or not. ( )

This is my first book by VM Burns. It is a cozy mystery set in Michigan with a second location in England.

I loved the fact that this is actually two mysteries! The main character, Sam, is writing a mystery. I had no trouble at all following both of them. Perhaps this is because I tend to read more than one book at a time. Maybe my mind is trained to keep them separate. Both mysteries were a lot of fun for me to read. I really hope this continues in some of her future books. The characters were a lot of fun. Nana’s gang of friends were a hoot and some amazing ladies. I also liked Dawson a lot and hope he stays with the series. I would like to see how things turn out for him. The mysteries were some what alike which causes some trouble. They were both interesting. I had an easier time figuring out the main mystery. Maybe we had less information with Sam’s mystery? I’m not sure because Ms Burns did a super job with both.

The book is pretty clean. Irma almost lets loose a couple of times but is stopped. It made me laugh. I recommend it to cozy lovers, especially if they like dogs. Sam has two friends who are amazing. Yes, I do love dogs! ( )

I was so lucky to win a paperback copy of "The Novel Art of Murder" (Mystery Bookshop, #3) from the author from the Kensington December (2020) Mystery and Thriller Launch Party on FB. When I'm aware that the novel is part of the series my preference is to read the series in order which leads to my review of "The Plot is Murder."

After the shattering loss of her husband Leon, Samantha Washington is fulfilling her husband's dream (and mine!) of opening a bookstore that specializes in selling mysteries (my favorite genre too!). Samantha and Leon met in the mystery section of a bookstore. Samantha dreamed of becoming a mystery writer but has been a high school English teacher in the small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan. With the school year ending for summer vacation, Samantha is keeping a promise to Leon to sell their home, leave her job, use the insurance money to buy the brick brownstone they walked by each week sharing their dreams, open a bookstore, and write her mystery. This novel is inspirational in finding new beginnings after such a sorrowful loss.

Anyone that loves Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur (as created by Janet Evanovich) will absolutely adore Samantha's eighty-something year old grandmother and her friends that live at a local retirement community! They are not only helpful at the bookstore but quite a phenomenal investigative team and definitely teach Samantha some tips she's never learned from one of the mysteries she's read.

One of the most fascinating delights of this cozy mystery is that Samantha begins writing her mystery with the setting at "Wickfield Lodge, English country home of Lord William Marsh - 1938." I found it to be a special treat as it becomes a story within a story and transitions beautifully between the two. I am very hopeful that this continues throughout the series. Without a doubt, V.M. Burns is one of my new favorite cozy authors! ( )

Samantha Washington's life has completely changed. Her husband of 13 years died, but he made her promise to fulfill her dream of opening a bookshop. She keeps her promise, selling their house, buying a building and preparing to open her mystery bookshop in North Harbor, MI. Not only is she opening her dream shop, but Samantha is also writing a murder mystery. All her dreams are about to come true. Things are moving along smoothly until she discovers the dead body of real estate agent Clayton Parker in her enclosed patio. Parker tried to sabotage her purchase of the building, forcing her to get an attorney to help her complete closing on the property. Now he's dead. Parker had come to her door the day before asking to speak with her, and she had refused to open the door, walking away instead. Feeling guilty that there might have been a way to prevent the man's death (even if he was a shyster), she vows to find out who killed him.

This first book in the Mystery Bookshop series is actually a mystery within a mystery. As Samantha tries to discover who killed Clayton Parker, she is also writing her own British-style cozy mystery novel about Lady Penelope Marsh and her sister Daphne. As she works to discover who killed Parker, she's also working on her book. I enjoyed the snippets of Samantha's novel and thought the author alternating between the two stories was really creative and fun.

I love the characters in this book! Samantha is a strong woman, realizing her dreams while still grieving for her husband. Her grandmother Jo is a tough old bird, who enlists her friends at the retirement village to help in the investigation. My favorite side character is Irma....the lovely old lady who peppers her conversation with curse words.....well, the group stops her before she finishes saying them, but still....it's the thought that counts. ha ha. :) The colorful characters and humor sprinkled in with the mystery really made this an enjoyable book. The mystery moves along at a nice pace. There are plenty of suspects and sleuthing. Nana Jo's friends are really a huge help -- nothing like a gang of old ladies to dig up gossip and info on anybody!

This is a great start to a new cozy series! A second book, Read Herring Hunt, will be out in April 2018!

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.vmburns.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**



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