Just like its predecessor, Read Herring Hunt is a winner on all levels. As a cozy mystery it swallows me with wonderful writing, pulls me into the growing family of wonderful characters, and holds me with a great mystery plot. As a mystery is keeps me on the edge of my seat because those characters mean so much and because the complex plot keeps me guessing; Read Herring Hunt provides the perfect balance of what I look for in a mystery.
One of the unique and delightful elements of this book is the fact that the main characters writes a 1939 cozy mystery throughout the story which she shares with us. After I read The Plot is Murder, I decided that reading the two novels separately fit my reading style best so I marked each part of the historical novel and went back through to read it. It was another complex cozy mystery focusing on a time period when the world was on edge and people throughout Europe had to be aware of dangers of espionage in their every day lives. Two winners for the price of one!!!
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book via NetGalley and loved it enough that reviewing it was a must. I have to let my friends know that I have a new MUST READ author in V. M. Burns!

Once again cozy author V.M. Burns has combined 2 stories into one! In Read Herring Hunt, mystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington and her band of senior cohorts must help their young friend, Dawson, when he is accused of the murder of his former girlfriend. And in the cozy mystery that Samantha is writing in her spare time, we travel to the English countryside in the 1930's where Wallis Simpson is visiting Lady Daphne and her family, and her maid is found murdered - was it a case of mistaken identity....or did someone mean to kill the wife of the former king?!? Two expertly written mysteries are woven together in this second book in the Mystery Bookshop series, and it was quite the page turner. Very, very enjoyable and highly recommended by this cozy mystery reader! :-)

Six months have passed in this story line since the last book and it was now fall. Dawson had gotten back to college and was a star football player going out with a very overbearing girl that he ended up breaking up with mainly because he could tell she was just a gold digger. When she ended up dead, all fingers pointed to Dawson so Sam and the Senior Sleuths knew that they had their job cut out for them. Dawson's abusive dad was in the picture again, making things even more complicated but the sleuths wouldn't let that deter them from finding out the truth. Hopefully no one else will get killed in the process!

This was another fun read and I think it was even better than the first book. As with the first book, whenever Sam needed a break from real life, she turned to her historical cozy she was writing which was set in 1938 England.

I just love how Nana and her friends get into the case and can come up with information from personal contacts and as in the case of Dorothy, going on dates with various men. Sam had two new male interests in her life but was one of them someone she should watch out for? One of them ends up being ok to date and I'm looking forward to her continuing her friendship with this man.

I did guess who did it this time too but I credit that with good clues that led up to it. I didn't know the full reasoning so I can't say I totally guessed. The take down was once again really exciting because it involved the seniors. At the end, Sam got a couple of wonderful surprises, which is another reason I just love her Nana Jo!

I keep going back and forth on if I liked that there was another story in this story. Sam is a writer along with being a bookstore owner. In the book there is the story she is writing beside the main story. I think in the end I do like the additional story. It was fun to read another mystery while trying to solve the mystery that was going on in the real world of the book. I have not read the first book and you don't have to to read this book. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book in the series.

The sequel to The Plot Is Murder by V.M. Burns is just as much a pleasant, undemanding diversion. I won’t remember much of Read Herring Hunt, but I didn’t regret spending an hour or so with the characters.

There’s not as much in the bookstore this time around. Instead, Sam (the owner and our protagonist) and her overactive grandmother Nana Jo help Sam’s assistant Dawson when he’s accused of murder. He’s the quarterback for the local college football team, and he’s been caught in a “honey trap”, latched onto by a sleazy, gold-digging blonde con artist who sees his prospects as a meal ticket. She quickly turns up dead, a one-dimensional plot goblin that we’re meant to despise. (The gender politics here can be pretty traditional, with Dawson’s teammates being barely literate, although Sam’s sister Jenna is good to see as a very effective defense attorney.)

There’s a hint of romance, as a new restaurant near the bookstore has a friendly owner, plus there’s a British professor at the university who taught the dead girl and is also interested in Sam. Sam’s poodles don’t play much role in this book, but Sam’s hobby, writing British murder mysteries, means we get a second story to go along with the main one. This time, it’s 1938 and the upper-class family from her first book are hosting the Duchess of Windsor (yes, Wallis Simpson) and her international friends for a shooting weekend as war looms.

The villain is fairly easy to guess from the moment we’re given his name, the writing has little style, the title is terrible, and many of the supporting characters are two-dimensional at best, but as I said, it’s not a bad time-waster as a cozy mystery for book lovers.

Read Herring Hunt is the second book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.

I loved this exciting follow up to The Plot Is Murder the first in the series.

Samantha “Sam” Washington is enjoying living her dream of owning a bookstore and things are going well at the bookstore. But Sam is concerned about Dawson Alexander, her assistant at the store and baker of delicious desserts. He has recently broken up with Melody Hardwick, a college classmate of his and appears to be a “hanger on”, wanting to bask in the glory of his football career. Melody did not take the break-up well and assaulted Dawson. The next morning her body is found and Detective Pitt feels he has enough evidence to arrest Dawson for murder.

Dawson is like family to Sam and her grandmother, Nanna Jo, so they set out to find who actually killed Melody. With the help of Dorothy, Irma, and Ruby Mae, friends of Nanna Jo fellow residents at her retirement community they soon learn that she has been arrested for fraud in the past. After talking with fellow classmates they begin to look at her past to see if someone has decided to seek revenge.
Once again Sam shares with the reader her work-in-progress dealing with Wickfield Lodge and Lord William Marsh and his family. Lord James asks Lord William to host a shooting party to be attended by Duchess of Windsor and a few important representatives of European countries. When one of the members of the party is killed Lady Daphne, Lady Penelope and their aunt Lady Elizabeth need to find out if the person killed was the intended victim and who the killer is.

This is a well-plotted story with a cast of believable and interesting characters. I particularly enjoy Nanna Jo and her “posse”. They are all so feisty, especially Irma. I would love to friends with all of them.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this very enjoyable series.

Another fun Mystery Bookshop mystery. I love the stories that Samantha writes, and I would love to see them released as novellas. The mystery was fun but a little bit simple. I love reading about "the girls" and their antics.

The second book in the Mystery bookshop series finds our favorite author and bookstore proprietor tackling the whodunnit murder of the ex girlfriend of local hero and Sam's honorary son Dawson Alexander. Sam and her trusty sleuthing book club are on the case, not willing to let Dawson pay for a crime he didn't commit--abd hopefully stopping a killer before they strike again.
I like all these characters so much. It was a pretty good story, but what kept me so interested was all of the people in Sam's circle. I would put this series in your TBR shelf today!

Read Herring Hunt is a well written mystery. The book has a good plot and a great cast of characters. I enjoyed this author's style of writing and will be reading more of their work. I recommend to mystery fans.

thoroughly enjoyed Read Herring Hunt! I have no idea how V.M. Burns does it but in this book you get two very different and wonderful cozy mysteries. I am in awe of her writing talent and I could not put this book down. There is something so wonderful in the way that main character Sam has taken so many painful things in her life and found a way to start moving on, even under the most imposible of circumstances. I love her relationship with her Grandmother, and the way her employee has become like family to her. You get this deep feeling of love and family in this story, love that stands the test of time, disease, anger and anguish. A great group of supporting characters and two wonderful little dogs. I loved this book and I am excited ready for book three! This one is out April 24th, so you don't have long to wait!

Well done cozy with intergenerational sleuths AND a bonus story within a story! Sam runs a bookstore and writes (you get to read her mystery novel in alternating chapters) but she also steps up to help her tenant Dawson when he is accused of the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The best part of this is the interplay in Sam's family- her sister Jenna and their grandmother Nanajo (who is a hoot). Nanajo enlists the assistance of her friends in the Sleuthing Seniors Book Club to solve the mystery. There are some twists but the mystery isn't too complicated. I like the first book very much and am happy to see the second kept things going and moved Sam forward in her life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was really excited to read Read Herring Hunt.

Samantha has set up shop, the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, to be exact, in the charming town of North Harbor, Michigan.
When Samantha isn't in her shop, she can be found penning an historical mystery, featuring Lady Daphne Marsh. I love this story as much as I love the book.
The author has woven a mystery in such a way that it leaves the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.

This is a series I will keep my eye on.

Grab your copy from Kensington Mystery & Thrillers on April 24th.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
#ReadHerringHunt #NetGalley

Read Herring Hunt is the second installment in Mystery Bookshop series but it can be read as standalone.
This book is a rare treat as it is two books in one. I love it!
One is set in present day when local quarterback is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, a well known gold digger. Sam and NanaJo along with the Sleuthing Senior Book Club and Jenna rush to find the culprit and exonerate Dawson, while the other book, the one that Sam is writing, is set on the brink of WWII. Europe's creme de la creme is having a shooting party at Lady Elizabeth's estate where a french maid of Edward VIII's wife has been murdered. Was she an intended victim or not?
I particularly liked the book within the book. It has made everything so fresh and interesting. It made me realize that I like historic mysteries. I also liked characters in both books, as each set had its typical and atypical representatives, and have immensely enjoyed descriptions of English countryside and way of life.
I can't wait for the next book.

The main part of this cozy mystery is enjoyable. I liked the main characters & particularly felt for Dawson the mis-arrested good guy. I did not like the sections where Sam's book is being written. The author had stated that Sam was a writer & had finished her first book & was working on her second. She didn't need to prove it by including pages of that book in this one. This whole story bit has nothing to do with the main part of the story & is just the character filling time. #ReadHerringHunt #NetGalley

Read Herring Hunt by V. M. Burns was another delightful afternoon spent with Sam, Nana Jo and Nana Jo's wonderful and quirky friends.
The plot was smoothly paced with a few twists and only a few suspects to seriously consider. I do enjoy reading Sam's mystery stories that are included within each book. Having been an Agatha Christie fan for years, I caught on to who the culprit might be before Sam did which surprised me. I usually don't catch all of the clues while reading but this one stood out to me.
The characters are developing well; and I felt like I got to know more about Sam, Nana Jo and her friends. I love it when Nana Jo and her friends are on the page as they bring laughter and insight into the mystery. It was nice to learn more about Sam's sister, Jenna, too. I liked her as she is feisty and determined which made her the perfect lawyer for Dawson. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Autumn is Sam Washington’s favorite time of the year along the Michigan coast. Her bookshop, Market Street Mysteries is flourishing. When her assistant, Dawson, is suspected of murder, he could lose his football career if sent to prison. Determined to clear his name, Sam, Nana Jo, and her grandmother’s amusing friends from the retirement center talk it over and ask their contacts for information about the deceased—Melody. Melody appears to have been a con artist with a less than desirable past.

This is a good mystery with plenty of red herrings making it difficult to pinpoint the true killer. There is a ‘mystery within a mystery’ as the novel includes the 1930’s mystery Sam is writing in her free time—it’s okay; however, I prefer the main mystery.

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley And Kensington.

Read Herring Hunt is the second book in by V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series. This is an entertaining read with a great cast of characters and an interesting mystery. The storyline is smoothly paced and there were multiple situations where I found myself laughing out loud. 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.

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 open the mystery bookstore she and her late husband had always dreamed of and her living quarters are upstairs. Michigan Southwest University’s star quarterback, Dawson Alexander, lives in the studio apartment above Sam’s garage and because he finds baking therapeutic, bakes delicious treats for the bookstore. Dawson’s more than a tenant to Sam; he’s like an adopted son and her grandmother, Nana Jo, and sister, Jenna, treat him like family. Dawson recently broke up with his girlfriend, Melody Hardwick, and she didn’t take it well; in fact, she confronted and physically attacked him. When early morning joggers find Melody’s body, the investigating officer, Detective Brad Pitt, believes Dawson is responsible. Jenna, a criminal defense lawyer, jumps in to represent Dawson. Nana Jo and her somewhat quirky friends from the retirement community help Sam with her endeavor to clear Dawson’s name.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I’m afraid to say I didn’t enjoy this book particularly, even though I’m a huge cozy mystery fun. On the plus side, there was plenty of lively action. Nana Jo is a very likeable character and definitely the life and soul of the party. The heroine, Sam, developed nicely through the story, but many of the other characters were rather flat. I found the story within the story extremely irritating – I just didn’t see the point of it. It seemed to be there as a filler. The mystery element unravelled rather quickly and wasn’t particularly tantalizing. Oh dear!

This is the second book in the series.
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book.
I especially enjoy the senior citizens, who were written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This entertaining mystery is really two stories in one. In the main story, Samantha Washington is the owner of Market Street Mysteries, a bookstore that she had hoped to open with her husband Leon before his death. She runs it with the help of her grandmother, Nana Jo, and her two twin nephews, the sons of her attorney sister Jenna. Also working at the bookstore, and living in an apartment over her garage, is Dawson, the quarterback of the local college football team. When Dawson's former girlfriend Melody is found murdered he becomes the chief suspect and is arrested. Now it is up to Sam, Nana Jo and her band of girlfriends from the retirement village to find the true culprit before Dawson's ineligible to play in the next football game.
Sam is also a budding mystery writer and the book also includes some chapters of her English country mystery featuring the Marsh family, relatives of the king, who are asked to host a shooting party for the Duchess of Windsor and her pro-Nazi friends. Both stores are engrossing and makes this combination hard to beat. I highly recommend this book.