Another great mystery by Amy Lillard. Can't Judge a Book by Its Murder will keep you flipping pages to who done it. I never figured it out. To me that's a great mystery. Characters are well written. Arlo is getting ready to launch a book signing by best selling author, but he ends up murdered before the signing. Now who could of wanted him dead? Get the book and follow the book club ladies trying to find evidence on who had done it.

When a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author ends up in his murder, this towns book club decided to do a little research on it's own. I enjoyed the interesting characters and how they banded together to solve the murder.

Amy Lillard gives us a new cozy in Can't Judge a Book By its Murder. The town author is murdered a the local bookstore owner tries to find the real murderer to get her friend out of trouble. Moderately interesting.

Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder, the first book in Amy Lillard’s Main Street Book Club cozy mystery series, shows some promise, but ultimately was a mixed bag for me. While the mystery itself was intriguing, the story was bogged down with too many characters and not enough action.

In connection with her upcoming high school reunion, bookstore owner Arlo Stanley is gearing up to host a book signing by author, and fellow classmate, Wally Harrison. Unfortunately, before the event can take place, Wally falls from the third floor of her building and is found dead outside her store. Suspects abound, including Chloe, Arlo’s best friend and partner at Books and More, whose son also happens to have been fathered by Wally. When the police truncate their investigation by arresting Chloe, Arlo must solve Wally’s murder to clear her friend.

There are many things to like about this book. Arlo is a strong character, as are Mads and Sam, two of Arlo’s former (and perhaps future) love interests. The idea of a book club that wants to solve murders isn’t a new one, but as book clubs go, this one has sufficiently defined characters to keep it interesting. The murder, and resulting investigation, is the highlight of the story, with red herrings all around and a list of suspects that seems to continually grow.

That said, there are a couple of elements, that if eliminated, would bring this story to a higher level. First, the characters all seem slightly sophomoric. I get that this revolves around a high school reunion, but these are adults, ten years out of school, and they should behave as such. Second, even given that this is a small town, it seems odd that the police would allow Arlo to bring Chloe breakfast in jail every day, and worse – to allow her to leave the jail to attend a party. These elements don’t ring true for me, and definitely detract from the credibility of the story.

Despite its shortcomings, Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder is, ultimately, an enjoyable read. By the end of the book, the mystery is going full force, and it takes a number of unexpected twists and turns, culminating in a very satisfying ending. Given the strength of the mystery, I am willing to overlook the couple of distracting elements and continue with the second book in the series.

Note: I received an ARC of Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The above is my honest review.

The Main Street Book Club mysteries - Sugar Springs, a High School reunion, a high profile book signing and a murder. The ladies of Arlo's Friday Night Book Club are bound to investigate. A fun, cosy mystery and some guaranteed escapism with an entertaining cast.

When I saw that there was a new series coming out by Amy Lillard I knew I had to have a copy. Her previous series featuring Kappy King was one of my favorites. This one didn't disappoint me. This series stars Arlo Stanley and her business partner, Chloe Carter. Together they own Arlo and Chloe's Books & More. Arlo was the books part and Chloe was the coffee bar, cakes, chocolate and gifts. One thing neither of them ever imagined being part of their business was a homicide smack dab on their doorstep. Wally Harrison, a local who left town and made it into the big time as an author was back home and was going to do a signing for Arlo's store - dying on the sidewalk in front of the window display was never in anybody's plans. But, there he is, dead and a crowd is growing. The suspect list is not growing - the police focus on Chloe and that gets Arlo to investigate. If she doesn't, the senior members of the book club will do it themselves and who knows how that might end. Given how good old Wally tom catted around, the list should be getting longer. By the time the police start to remove the body it's not just Chloe present - add Wally's arm candy assistant Inna but his equally beautiful wife, Daisy. Did one of them do the deed or are there others who wanted Wally dead?
The small town of Sugar Spring, Mississippi has lots to gossip about now that Wally has come home and died. With the help of her senior citizen book club members Arlo is going to clear Chloe and catch a killer. The various characters are wonderful and Arlo is given a very satisfying mystery to unravel. Added to the mystery is a bit of romance - Arlo has two men in her life. One is Matthew "Mads" Keller, the cop on the case and the other is Sam, her former boyfriend, now a PI. There is a whole lot going on in Sugar Springs and Arlo has a very full plate.

Not every murder goes by the book....
I love that phrase! Setting a murder mystery in a busy book store while adding in a group of dedicated readers that decide they can solve the murder faster than the police and you'll get a thoroughly entertaining story full of suspects that don't quite fit the crime. Amy Lillard has given us an original cast of characters that keep the story moving quickly while still managing to stir up a little too much trouble. As our book store owner tries to keep track of everyone, friendly or not, she manages to solve the murder and keep her community in one piece ready for the next chapter.

"Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder" the first book in the "Main Street Book Club" mystery series by Amy Lillard.

Not every murder is by the book…

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime.

When the elderly ladies of Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally’s reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident.

Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally’s death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder.
I found the beginning to be a bit slow but I soon got into the story. Being as this is the first in series we need to be introduced to the characters.so this could be why.

The setting of Sugar Springs is wonderful, I always like a small town setting where almost everyone knows one another. Makes for fun and often quirky characters. I liked protagonist Arlo and her best friend Chloe as well as the side characters such as the older, feisty ladies of the book club and lets not forget the Amazon parrot!

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I requested and received an Advance Readers Copy from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This first book in the Main Street Book Club series shows a lot of promise.

As a small town in Mississippi gets ready for its all-school high school reunion, bookstore owner Arlo plans a big event, featuring the town's most famous son, bestselling mystery author, Wally Harrison, but then the famous author is found dead and Arlo and the elderly members of her book club investigate in order to try to clear Arlo's friend of the murder.

Likeable characters and an interesting plot will keep me coming back for more books in this solid cozy series. Recommended to those who like cozies.

This was an excellent read till the love triangle started and this is a cozy mystery trope that makes me run for the mountains.
The book has all the issues of the first in a cozy series: the characters are a bit green, the mystery is interesting but directly involves the MC, the entire cast of characters is under development.
There's a lot of potential in this instalment and I hope it will be developed in the next instalment: the bookstore, the small town atmosphere, the quirky seniors.
I hope that in the next instalment the love triangle situation will be solved, Arlo and Chloe (stille in love after years after he left you pregnant? Seriously ?) will solve some of her self-esteem issues.
I also hope that the author will study some cat behaviour because I think that the poor cat suffering from separation anxiety would be totally unmanageable after all the changes.
I am curious about what will come next, at the moment I think that even if I liked the mystery it was not exactly my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

4.5 stars. I enjoyed this kickoff to a new series! It's a fun mystery in a good setting with interesting characters. I adored the book club ladies! I will definitely stick with this series, if for no other reason than to see what the book club ladies get into next.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is the first book in the Main Street Book Club series by Amy Lillard. It is currently scheduled for release on October 29 2019.

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime. When the elderly ladies of Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally’s reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident. Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally’s death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a murder mystery that had a lot going on. Arlo joined the town community in high school, so knows all the major players but still feels a bit like an outsider. She has some serious history with the town, and is smart enough to understand what she does not know and who to ask for help.Her loyalty to Chloe and navigating of small town relationships was well done. Her book club group has just the right mixture of spunk and compassion to keep things on track, and interesting.I could have done just fine without the set of for possible future romantic interests for Arlo, but that was better handled that I feared when I saw it start develop. I did enjoy the complexity of the actual mystery- and how every time I thought I had it a new twist or idea would pop up and make me question myself a little more. There was an awful lot to unpack in Wally's personal life- and I feel like while we got to the bottom of the important parts there was likely even more in the author's headcanon about what he was up to when out of his wife's sight. I liked the secondary characters, and thought that the small town was well developed- maybe too well developed with the amount of other important information. I have to admit that I had trouble getting into this one, and after putting it down for things like cooking meals I had to remind myself to pick it up rather than being eager to. Part of this could be because of the amount of background information that was needed to start of a small town mystery series, and that did fade a bit as the story progressed, but not as much as I hoped.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a small town murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. It kept me guessing through the entire read.

Arlo Stanley is the bookstore owner of Books and More. Her friend Chloe helps out at Books and More, by dealing with the "more" part. Arlo has agreed to host author Wally Harrison, a former resident of the small town for a book signing during their upcoming high school reunion. However as Arlo heads to work, she is stunned to see that Wally is dead at her bookstore doorstep. Before long, police arrest Chloe for Wally's murder. She does have a past with Wally as they share a son, but there are others in town that would have just as good of a motive as Chloe to kill Wally, such as Wally's mistriss, his wife, and the brother of the boy Wally killed many years ago. Can they catch the real killer before Chloe goes down in flames?

The beginning of the book is a bit slow, but once the action got going it was hard to put it down. The characters were fun and relatable. Would recommend to others who enjoy a cozy mystery.

3.5 star rating rounded up to 4 stars
Can’t Judge a Book By Its Murder is the first book in Amy Lillard’s Main Street Book Club Mysteries series. The beginning of the book was slow and a bit rough. As with most first in series books, a lot of time is devoted to introducing readers to the characters. The cast of characters are likable, including an Amazon parrot, and the set-up includes a love triangle I hope will not continue to overshadow the mystery in future books.

Arlo Stanley and Chloe Carter are the owners of Books & More in the small town of Sugar Springs, Mississippi. As the town prepares for their Tenth Annual All School Class Reunion, the body of one of the attendees, bestselling author, Wally Harrison, is found on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore. The death is classified as suspicious, and Police Chief Matthew “Mads” Keller focuses his attention on Chloe. Not only does the evidence point at her, but she shares a past, including a son, with Wally. Three senior citizens, Helen Johnson, Fern Conley, and Camille Kinney, who are members of the book club Arlo recently started, decide to read Wally’s book, but quickly change their focus to helping Arlo prove Chloe’s innocence.

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

Arlo has a bookstore on main street Sugar Springs, Alabama with her friend Chloe. Chloe's old boyfriend and father of her son has come back to town to a meet the author with his first published book.
Before the event can occur, Wally is murdered and the clues point to Chloe. Arlo and the three older ladies who form her book club investigate.
Both guys Arlo liked in high school are back in town. One is the sheriff and the other is a private investigator. Confusion reigns in this story. Process of elimination does finally lead to the culprit but it's a near thing that Arlo figures it out without coming to harm.
I really liked Mads, the sheriff, so it was disappointing that he didn't reach the real conclusion first.
Overboard small town-ness and keeping up with political correctness by having the seemingly requisite gay pair who are keeping a low profile kept this from being great for me.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to review this story.

A very strong start to a fun new series!

I'll be honest, I was hooked from bookstore and coffee shop, the icing on the cake was how much I loved all of the characters. From Arlo and Chloe, who remind me of me and my best friend, to the older, fiesty ladies of the book club, to Arlo's maybe love interests, they all are strong characters in their own right and I can't wait to see where they take us next!

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

In Sugar Springs they are going to be having a high school reunion. Arlo is planning to have an old classmate come to her bookstore. Where Wally is going to be having a book signing for his new book. Everything is going as planned until Wally ends up on the ground in front of the bookstore dead. What happened to Wally? How did he die?

I enjoyed this book very much. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I didn't want to put it down that's how good it was. I recommend this book to others.

I believe Author Amy Lillard is magical to weave the words together of Can't Judge A Book by its Murder. The characters are phenomenal and the storyline is delightful to read. I'm fascinated with all the different ways this mystery took me through the novel. I highly recommend reading Can't Judge A Book by its Murder by Author Amy Lillard. This book is one of A Main Street Book Club Mystery and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is one hundred percent my opinion

Small towns and feisty little ole ladies, two of my favorite things. I thought my book club could get a little crazy, but we don’t hold a candle to these ladies. I feel bad for Arlo, trying to help her best friend and having not one but two ex-boyfriends in the picture. I loved the story line and the characters. What a great group of folks. I would love to hang out at The Books and More book store. I hope I get to hang with these folks again on their next adventure. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.