Samantha is opening up her mystery bookstore, and writing a murder mystery at the same time. One or the other would have been preferred, but might just be me. Enjoyed this one overall, and would recommend it. Look forward to more in the series (this is the first one).

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this new cozy featuring Samantha Washington, a bookstore owner who is also secretly a writer. The author has created a cast of fun, relatable characters in Sam, her Nana and her senior citizen friends as they all work together to solve a murder. I enjoyed the story within the story as well and look forward to the next book in the series.

I've actually read this book twice. I got this book in 2017 from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, read it all, but forgot to do the review. Just finished half of the book today. My informal page count leads me to believe that the mystery Sam, the main character, is writing is actually higher than the main story. One section was 23 epages long. While these supplemental additions can be done well and may tie in to the main story line (Kathleen Ernst's books for example), I'm just tired of them so while I have a dim memory of the historical romance within the story as being OK, I skipped it.

I liked the main story. The characters were pleasant and I didn't mind the slightly eccentric seniors or the fact that they almost took over the story from Sam. Given that she's a recent widow, I'll give the author that, but hope in the stories after Sam steps up to the plate more. This was also the first in a series and the author may have wanted to give the secondary characters all a chance to get introduced.

I liked the book and felt that the main mystery was complete despite being quite short.

When the horrible Clayton Parker is murdered on her doorstep, widowed Samantha Washington is cajoled in to investigate his death by her Nana Jo and her friends from the nearby retirement village.

Hi-jinks and shenanigans follow as they gather information and hunt down clues to find out who, of the many people who hated him, wanted Clay dead.

There are 2 stories told in this cozy - the main thread set in the present and portions of the book that Sam is writing which is set in 1930's England, we switch between the two throughout.

I love how fleshed out the main story is, how well the interactions between the characters is written, the humour and you gotta love Nana Jo and her friends Irma, Dorothy and Ruby Mae, they are so sassy and funny.

This is a good start to a series and I'm grateful that I have books 2-5 to continue to follow these characters and see the trouble they get themselves into!

*Huge thanks to V.M. Burns, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

The Plot is Murder is a great start to V.M. Burns’ new Michigan-based cozy mystery series. As a Michigander, I love reading books set in my home state.

The setting involves Samantha, a recent widow, fulfilling her dream of owning her own bookshop. She packs up, sells the house she shared with her late husband, and starts anew in North Harbor, Michigan. As Samantha gets settled and begins penning her own novel, life take a nasty turn. A sketchy realtor is found dead shortly after his desperate attempt to talk to Samantha, and the worst part? He was found in the backyard of the shop. Now, Samantha must continue to move forward with the bookshop, stay on track with her novel, and clear her name.

I enjoyed the book’s mystery within a mystery as Samantha writes a fiction novel we get passages from, while being the protagonist dealing with her own mystery in The Plot is Murder. The dual mystery solving kept me engaged throughout the stories. The character development, those within the main story and those within Samantha’s story, is done well. Samantha’s character is down-to-earth with realistic bouts of sadness as she’s still mourning the loss of her husband. The world constructed by the author allowed me to envision the stories in my mind.

I was not disappointed in book one in the Mystery Bookshop series and look forward to the next one.

I really enjoyed reading this book. In it there is a murder in the present time and Sam, the main character, is trying to write her first novel, a British mystery set in 1938. It was interesting to read about what was going on with the mystery in both time periods. I have never read a book within a book before and found it very enjoyable. I loved the characters, especially Nana Jo and her friends from her retirement community, and the bookshop setting. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens next with Sam and with Daphne.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. This series is a bit different from other cozies I have read. Samantha Washington, the protagonist is also a budding author. When she is stressed, she works on her book to relax. Because of this, there are two different short mysteries going on simultaneously. I did not have a problem following them, but I am sure some readers might. It is an interesting premise though.

Samantha (Sam) loves a good mystery. She and her husband Leon had always wanted to open a bookstore, but she became a teacher in order to have a reliable income. Now that Leon has died, she is able to retire from teaching to finally follow her dreams. She has purchased a building in North Harbor, Michigan and restored/renovated it as a bookstore/cafe/apartment. The purchase did not go as smoothly as possible as her real estate agent tried to derail the sale after contracts had been signed. It was no secret that Sam did not care for him at all. She is almost ready to open when he comes knocking on her door late at night. She does not let him in and goes to bed. The next morning he is found dead, a stabbing victim, in her courtyard. Of course she becomes the prime suspect. Her grandmother, Nana Jo, moves in to help her with her investigation. This is where the humor comes in. Nana Jo lives in a retirement community that caters to active seniors. She and "the girls" become involved in the investigation as well as introducing Sam to the casino, some happy hours and other things that she is surprised they are involved in. The final clue the police latch onto is her manuscript. It appears that the murder in her story is somewhat similar to the real one.

This was a relatively quick read with the book made up of two short stories. I am not sure if this is something I will enjoy as you really do not get to know the characters well. I was confused about the characters in her manuscript as it was not the complete book and there was not much information about those characters. The characters in the book are interesting and I can see them becoming favorites of mine if they are fleshed out and continue in the books. I will give the next one a try before I decide about this series.

I really enjoyed reading the first book in this new cozy series! Samantha does two things I've always wanted to do... open a bookstore and write a novel. Of course, things don't quite go according to plan when a dead body shows up in the backyard. Whoops. Suddenly Samantha is on the case with a cast of loveable characters.

There are two sets of characters in this book because Samantha's novel is actually an active part of the plot line. So really, The Plot is Murder is two books in one as you get to read Samantha's work alongside the mystery she is trying to solve. Writing for her is a way to wind down and often after a hard day of sleuthing - along with her grandmother and her grandmother's hilarious friends, she relaxes by writing a few more scenes in her victorian mystery novel. I have never seen this in a book before and I loved it! I hope this format continues as the series continues.

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, I hope you'll give this one a read. The characters are rich and the plot - both the plots! - are intriguing.

The Plot Is Murder
V.M. Burns

Wonderful, two stories for the price of one. Samantha Washington a widow and retired teacher loves mysteries. It had been her and her husband's dream to own a Mystery Book Store. He is gone but the dream lives on.
Or is it a nightmare?
Problems start with the old building she bought. A murder takes place outside the store and other disturbing events happen.
Lucky for her a group of senior ladies decide to "help" her solve the murder. While all this is going on she is trying to write her own murder mystery.

I just loved this book. It has a very loveable older woman trying to make a dream come true, a gaggle of senior ladies, and lots of dead ends to keep you guessing. Oh and two adorable little dogs.


I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did.

Fun new cozy featuring Samantha Washington, bookstore owner and secret writer. With her Nana and her senior sidekicks they work to solve a murder. The story within the story was fun too.
Goodreads and Facebook

Samantha “Sam” Washington and her husband Leon had dreamed of owning a mystery bookstore. Before Leon passed away, he made Sam promise to go forth with their dream. Sam is just days away from opening Market Street Mysteries, and has also started her second dream of writing a British historical cozy mystery. After enjoying her last day of teaching at the local high school, her family and friends throw her a party to celebrate the end of one chapter in her life and the beginning of a new one. The following morning when Sam lets her two poodles Oreo and Snickers outside, she finds Clayton Parker, the listing agent of her brownstone, dead on the ground. Detective Brad “Stinky” Pitt is assigned the case and he quickly sets his sights on Sam. Nana Jo Sam's grandmother moves in with Sam to help her solve the murder while also helping to keep her safe. Nana Jo gets her friends who call themselves the Sluething Seniors to help Sam and her investigate the victim’s death.

The characters were interesting and entertaining. The mystery plot had lots of twists and turns, and the mystery within a mystery was very clever. I can't wait for the next book in this great series

I got an ARC of this book from netgalley and Kensington Publishing.

The Plot is Murder by V.M.Burns
Samantha has had a dream about running a bookshop that specialises in mystery books. It was a joint dream with her husband. Events take an unexpected turn but Sam with the help of family and friends she realises her dream. She also has a dream of writing a murder mystery and this helps her when things get tough.
One morning a body is found outside the property and the police are called. They seem to think that Samantha has something to do with the murder. Samantha’s Gran and her friends come to help her solve the murder and clear Samantha’s name.
The engagement between the characters was really good and it made for a really good read. I found the writing style really fun and easy. I did like the two stories running alongside each other, the murder story and the novel that Samantha was writing.
This is a great book and I would recommend this book. I will definitely read more books by this author.

The Plot Is Murder is the first entry in a new series set in a Michigan mystery bookstore. Sam Washington's husband has died, and she has decided to pursue the dream they were working towards together--to open a mystery bookstore. A unique twist to this series is that Sam has always wanted to write a mystery, and she has started to do so to help her through her grief. Sections from her book are included between chapters. I really enjoyed this book. Sam is a likable character, as is her supporting cast, e.g., Dawson, the former student now college football player who becomes her first employee, her Nana Jo, and her sister Jenna, an energetic attorney. Nana Jo's Golden Girl-esque friends supply a lot of humor, but are very one-dimensional and could easily start to irritate if they remain as cliched as they are portrayed in this novel. But Dawson, wannabe chef, makes up for them, and I'd love to see more of him. The mystery was okay, the pace pretty good, and the setting described well enough that even though I've never been to Michigan, I felt it to be familiar. I look forward to seeing how this series develops.

I just finished The Plot Is Murder by V.M. Burns. It was a fun new cozy mystery series. I loved the book within a book. I will eagerly await the next title in the series.

I picked up "The Plot is Murder" because I was craving an easy, cozy mystery read. Usually I can flu through this genre and have fun while doing so but unfortunately, that wasn't always the case with "The Plot is Murder."

Our main character, Samantha, is leaving her teaching position to start her own mystery bookstore. Within the last year she has lost her husband, sold her house, and invested her future in this brand new endeavor. Samantha is also a "closet writer" and hopes someday to publish a book of her own. Right before her new shop is to open, her fired real estate agent, Clayton Parker, ends up on her front steps.

I kind of have a love and hate with this book. I didn't mind Samantha as a MC and the mystery itself was interesting enough. I really enjoyed a lot of Burns' characters, especially Jo, Sam's grandmother and her retirement community cronies, who assist Sam in solving the mystery. In my opinion, those spunky women made the book. I also liked Sam's bond with her two miniature poodles - Oreo and Snickers.

What I found majorly annoying was the whole book within a book premise. Sam is writing a historical fiction book and when she is tired and couldn't sleep, needed to get her mind off things, etc, the entire plot would stop and she would write her novel. I would probably read a historical mystery from Burns and I have proven I would read a cozy by her, but I did not like the whole combination thing. I know cozies rely heavily on certain elements, but this one left me worn out.

Overall, I think I will give the next in the series a go. However, it will be the make or break book for me in this series. I just don't know if my love for many of the characters will outweigh my annoyance of the book within a book.

It's time for another Two Bloggers, One Book review where both  Barb @ Booker T's Farm and I read the same book and give our reviews. Sometimes we love them and sometimes we don't. Please go and stop by her blog to see what she thought of this one!

The Plot is Murder is a very different cozy in the fact that there is a book within the book. I am not a huge fan of this no matter what genre as it can get very confusing. Also, it could not be a good thing for the author if I like the book the MC is writing more than the actual book. ;)

Samantha "Sam" has recently lost her husband and  still a bit in the mourning stages, but she did do the one thing he asked her to do and that was to by the brownstone they had been admiring. They were both lovers of books and wanted to open a mystery bookstore and so that is what she did. At the beginning of the story she just about has it ready to open.

The man who sold her the house Clayton Parker comes around to her house wanting to talk but she won't let him in because he is a scoundrel and so of course he ends up dead out behind her home which is also the brownstone. Sleuthing commences. :)

Story within Story - Sam is writing a British cozy mystery which seemed like more of a romance at first than mystery. It's about two sisters Daphne and Penelope and Victor who thinks he is in love with Daphne and so Penelope decides to help him by having him pretend to like her instead and then a murder happens. The man who was calling on Daphne, Charles Parker is stabbed out in the garden and Victor sees Daphne out there with blood on her dress. Sleuthing happens. :)

What I did like:

The MC is opening a mystery bookstore! What is not to like about that!
Nana Jo and her gang. Oh my they are just so funny. It's sames Grandmother and her friends from the retirement villa. They are pretty smart and not just old people who sit around doing nothing. I do think I am partial to Irma cause she is really spunky and is always trying to say a cuss word and being yelled at by everyone before she does.
Dawson, he is a young man in need of some help and kind of adopted into the family. They set him up with a room and he bakes them goodies to sell in the bookstore.
The MC Sam is a good character but I think the old folks sort of shine a bit brighter for me.
There are two cute adorable poodles named Snickers and Oreo!

What I didn't really like:

The book within a book was just really confusing at times.
From the little bits I told you about up there can you see a resemblance in some names! I don't think the author should have used names that were too close to the same. I kept getting confused on if it was Clayton Parker or Charles Parker I was suppose to be concentrating on!
Your reading along and then all of a sudden it's the other book. Now after awhile I did figure out that when she can't sleep, she writes, but when she is done writing, I think the author needed a better way of ending it. Like put a *** so I know the next page is going to be back to the MC's story and not her book. Am I confusing you yet cause I was confused. :)
You only get bits and pieces of the book within the book so that confused me sometimes cause I was like wait, what, where are we again?? Also, I really liked the British parts more than the other parts sometimes, and wanted more of that story. :)
Okay so overall I liked it and it has a good mystery (both did), but I had to many hang ups to warrant giving it a higher rating than I did. Will I continue the series, maybe, I guess I will decide that when I see the next one. At least I will know going in that it might get crazy and confusing. :)

If it sounds interesting give it a try but at least you have been warned the contents could be a tad confusing but very fun at times. :)

I enjoyed this first book very much.getting to know Sam ,nana jo and her group of friends and family, the humor was great and a lot of fun , I also enjoyed getting to read The book that Sam is writing about a mystery set in England in the 1930s .
A very good start in a new series and will look forward to getting the 2nd book .

This book was just ok in my opinion. I didn't like the 2nd story running throughout the book - it was too confusing for me to jump back and forth between the book's story and the story that the main character was writing. I did enjoy hearing the antics of the female senior citizens in the book. Though, I probably won't read the second book in the series.

This was an interesting start for a new series. There is a mystery within the mystery. Samantha Washington has been recently widowed, retired from teaching, sold her home and is opening a mystery book shop - a dream she and her late husband shared. The real estate agent who sold Sam the building for her bookshop repeatedly has been bothering her but one morning she finds him dead in her backyard.

As the police investigate, she works on her book - a mystery. There is a marked resemblance with her mystery to the murder of her real estate agent so the police believe that she may be a suspect.

The characters which include Samantha's grandmother and her cronies add a sense of humor to the search for the truth.