This story is a must-read. A great concept and beautifully written novel. I will tell you everything in sequence.

Characters:
Great characters and my favourite is Sam, that should be obvious. Nana Jo is a really crazy but cute character, I loved all the characters and their interactions are smooth and clean.

Storyline:
Great storyline but I found some things missing and would like to share them. One is that the story lacked an interesting twist, I wasn’t shocked to find that person the killer. I was bored for some time as the story had been stretched. I loved the concept and style.

Why 4.5 stars:
4.5 stars were given to this novel for the great concept, storytelling style and I loved the way the writer played with the words and created a funny and awesome concept. I also loved the story but I had to take 0.5 stars because of the lack of twist and the killer wasn’t shocking. Even a cozy mystery could be turned interesting although I really liked the writing and everything, I missed the total enjoyment a cozy mystery can give to me.

I hope the writer and publishers won’t have any problem with me but I just gave my honest opinion. To finish with, this book is a must-read and is very funny and at some points very intriguing. You should definitely try it

This book will be out soon so you better get your blankies out for a nice and cozy read. This book deserves a nice book club discussion.

Mystery bookshop owner Samantha takes a shopping excursion bus trip to Chicago with family and friends. The trip is organized by Shady Acres, the retirement community where Sam’s grandma Nana Jo lives. It was a great vacation but after hours on the bus slogging through traffic trying to get home to Michigan they have to pull over at a rest stop for a bathroom break. When they re-board they find one of the passengers has been murdered, right in the seat they left him in. Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres are convinced the killer is one of their fellow passengers and they convince Samantha to investigate with their help.

I loved that the story was set in Chicago and Michigan; the Midwest in winter is not everyone’s idea of comfortable, but to me freezing temps and snow are perfect for the December/January time period when this book is set. The characters are funny, quirky and likable, exactly what you want in a cozy mystery. I loved reading about Sam’s two toy poodles and their cute antics. The plot was engaging and there were several potential suspects. Sam is an unpublished historical mystery writer so the historical mystery she is presently writing is woven throughout Bookmarked for Murder. Following along with that second mystery was fun. You get two mysteries in one novel because the historical mystery is also resolved.

Although this book can be read as a standalone I believe it would be best to read the series in order to understand the character relationships and the emotional story arcs. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #BookmarkedForMurder #mystery #cozymystery

The Shady Acres Retirement Village residents are on the road but trouble follows.
A four day shopping and sightseeing trip to the Windy City ends up deadly when an extra passenger or two jump on the bus for a ride back home to Michigan.
When the victim turns out to be someone of importance and it seems the murderer must be someone who was on the bus, Murder Mystery bookstore owner Sam Washington is convinced she must identify the killer. The murder took place outside of their home jurisdiction, so Sam's usual conspirators in crime solving are not directly involved, meaning Sam and her Nana Jo have less access to information discovered by official sources. Will this slow them down or make them craftier than usual in their pursuit for justice?

Once again I am equally interested and invested in the historical mystery Samantha herself is writing.
I look forward to those segments in each of the books in this series.

Characters you feel as close to as your own best friends, with probably more laughs than you expect in a murder scenario, this is a series to add to the top of your must enjoy list.

This is the 5th installment in the Mystery Bookshop Murder series. This installment takes place on bus. Samantha (Sam) Washington (bookshop owner and writer) is on a trip to Chicago with her Nana Jo and her friends (Irma, Rudy Mae and Dorothy) from the Shady Acres Retirement Village. On the return trip, after an unexpected stop one of the passengers is killed. Irma had befriended the gentlemen on the bus and the ladies kick it into high gear to figure out who the murderer is. Like a locked room murder there is a limited number of suspects. I love the relationship between Sam and her grandmother and all the other ladies from Shady Acres. This is a fast paced and quick read which will have you guessing to figure it all out. Another winner in this series.

Cozy Mysteries are a subgenre of crime fiction which is a little lighter on things like sex and violence. They usually involve small town crime solvers who may or may not be amateurs. Each cozy series often has a theme that can be anything from coffee to cooking, to magic or even talking pets. The possibilities are endless.

In the past I have reviewed and offered many giveaways for Berkley Prime Crime titles but not many from other publishers. I know that you as my readers have been very interested in cozy mysteries and I want to provide you with a bigger range of cozy books to explore.

Kensington Publishing offers a huge selection of cozies every month and I’ve decided to do a post at the beginning of each month to spotlight their titles for the upcoming month and another to feature the new books from Berkley as well.

Enjoy!

Kensington has ten new titles for November. Their books come out at the end of the month, so these will be available by 11/26/2019. Preorder is available on select titles and Amazon links will be provided. There will also be a link to the goodreads page for each book and a short summary.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44283547-cobblered-to-death?from_search=true

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Courtney Archer Book 1

Out of the frying pan, into the fire . . .

Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter . . . despite the fact that she’s actually a pediatrician’s daughter. Now she’s signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself—and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn’t part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes . . .

During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool. But the next morning, it’s Mick’s body that’s cooling—right next to Courtney’s pan, now classified as a murder weapon . . .

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Daisy’s Tea Garden Book 4

In Pennsylvania's Amish country, Daisy Swanson has a tea shop to run, a daughter to marry off--and a murder to solve . . .

Daisy's worried one of her employees at Daisy's Tea Garden may be in a spot of trouble. Lately Karina's been loading up on soup and second-day baked goods at the end of her shift--and while the shop's scrumptious treats may be hard to resist, Daisy suspects there's more going on, especially since Karina has been seen hanging out in a rundown part of Willow Creek.

Planning her own daughter's wedding is enough to keep her busy, but Daisy can't help feeling a protective maternal instinct--and an instinct to investigate. It turns out Karina has been helping a down-on-his luck single dad who's been making ends meet--barely--by selling antiques at a place called Pirated Treasures.

But when an employee at the antiques store is bludgeoned to death with a marble rolling pin, Karina's new friend is suspect number one. Though the motives are muddy and steeped in intrigue, Daisy is more than determined to flush the real killer out.

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Lucy Stone Book 26

With family tensions intensifying in Tinker’s Cove, part-time reporter Lucy Stone could really use some time off the grid. But after she RSVPs to an unconventional celebration on remote Holiday Island, Lucy realizes that disconnecting from reality comes at a deadly price . . .

Lucy doesn’t know what to expect as she arrives on a private Maine island owned by eccentric billionaire Scott Newman, only that the exclusive experience should make for a very intriguing feature story. An avid environmentalist, Scott has stripped the isolated property of modern conveniences in favor of an extreme eco-friendly lifestyle. A trip to Holiday Island is like traveling back to the nineteenth Century, and it turns out other residents aren’t exactly enthusiastic about living without cell service and electricity . . .

Before Lucy can get the full scoop on Scott, she is horrified to find one of his daughters dead at the bottom of a seaside cliff. The young woman’s tragic end gets pinned as an accident, but a sinister plot unfolds when there’s a sudden disappearance . . .

Stuck on a clammy island with murder suspects aplenty, the simple life isn’t so idyllic after all. Now, Lucy must tap into the limited resources around her to outwit a cold-blooded killer—before it’s lights out for her next!

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Lady and Lady’s Maid Book4

Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, are preparing for a wedding, but it may not be the happy occasion everyone hopes for . . .

Since the Great War, some family fortunes have suffered, including those of the Renshaws. Despite being the granddaughter of an earl, Julia Renshaw is under pressure to marry for money—and has settled for Gilbert Townsend, a viscount and a wealthy industrialist. He is decades older than Julia, and it’s clear to her sister Phoebe—and to Eva, who has been like a surrogate mother to the girls—that this is not a love match. Nevertheless, the wedding takes place—and in a hurry.

At the reception aboard the groom’s yacht, there appears to be tension between Gil and several guests: his best man, a fellow veteran of the Boer War; his grouchy spinster sister; and his current heir, a nervous young cousin named Ernest. The bride is also less than pleased when she discovers that her honeymoon will be more crowded than expected—with Gil’s pretty secretary, among others, coming along.

That very night, Julia pounds on her sister’s door, brandishing a bandaged hand and reporting a hot-tempered outburst on her new husband’s part. Julia is feeling doubt and regret about her hasty decision, but returns to the boat. Then the next morning, before the yacht can depart the harbor, Gil’s body is found in the water below—and Phoebe and Eva must discover who pushed him over . . . before the Renshaws’ social standing is irreparably stained by Julia’s arrest for his murder . . .

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Desert Flowers Book 1

Lee Hollis begins a delightful new series in which Poppy Harmon and her friends find that life after retirement can be much busier--and deadlier--than any of them ever anticipated . . .

When Poppy goes from complacent retiree to penniless widow in a matter of weeks, the idea of spending her golden years as the biggest charity case in Palm Springs renders her speechless. With no real skills and nothing left to lose, Poppy uses her obsession with true crime shows to start a career as a private eye . . .

But after opening the Desert Flowers Detective Agency with help from her two best friends, Violet and Iris, Poppy realizes that age brings wisdom, not business--until she convinces her daughter's handsome boyfriend, Matt, to pose as the face of the agency. It's not long before Matt's irresistible act snags a client desperate to retrieve priceless jewelry burglarized from an aging actress at the Palm Leaf Retirement Village. Or before Poppy stumbles upon the bloodied body of the victim's arch rival . . .

In a flash, Poppy's innocent detective gig is upstaged by a dangerous murder investigation riddled with slimy suspects and unspeakable scandal. As she and her team uncover the truth, Poppy must confront the secrets about her late husband's past and swiftly catch a killer lurking around the retirement community--even if it means turning her world upside down all over again.

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Ferrara Family Mystery Book 3

Seasoned Italian-American Alberta Scaglione can whip up a traditional dish for any occasion. But when an impromptu vacation turns deadly, can she sift out the deadly ingredient?

When her granddaughter lands a reporting gig at the grand opening of the luxurious Icicle Lodge, Alberta and friends tag along for a week of much-needed R&R amid the snowcapped hills of northeastern Pennsylvania. But the idyllic winter getaway becomes a nightmare after the gang discovers blood on the ice—and the dead body of celebrity guest Pamela Gregory, a frosty Olympic gold medal figure skater who won herself more enemies than fans . . .

With a killer on the loose, multiple suspects, and a blizzard on the way, Alberta must now race to crack a bone-chilling case . . . before the outspoken Ferrara ladies get served murder: family style!

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Literary Pub Mystery Book 2

In this intoxicating mystery by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, a winter carnival becomes a recipe for disaster when a Shady Creek celebrity gets iced.

The Winter Carnival always brings holiday cheer, Christmas joy—and tourists with cash—to picturesque Shady Creek, Vermont. At the center of the glittering decorations and twinkling lights is booklover and pub owner Sadie Coleman, creating original cocktails, hosting a literary trivia evening, and cheering on her loyal employee Melanie “Mel” Costas as she competes in the ice carving competition.

But holiday cheer can’t compete with former resident and renowned chef Freddy Mancini, who arrives with his nose in the air, showing off his ice-sculpting skills like a modern-day Michelangelo. During the artists’ break in the night-long contest, Mel’s tools disappear . . . and Freddy is found dead with her missing pick in his chest.

Although the police turn their attention to Mel, it seems everyone in town had a grudge against Freddy, including his assistant, his mentor, his former flame, and even his half-brother.

Faster than she can fling a Huckleberry Gin, Sadie finds herself racing to make sure the police don’t arrest the wrong suspect—all while sharing a flirtation with local brewery owner Grayson Blake. Their chemistry leads to a heated rivalry at the hockey rink—and to the hot pursuit of a killer.

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Mystery Bookshop Book 5
Amateur sleuth Samantha Washington’s shopping trip to Chicago takes a deadly detour when a man is murdered on her bus . . .

After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae from Shady Acres Retirement Village along for the ride, it's a lively trip. But one passenger is not so lively—a gentleman Irma befriended is found dead in his seat after an unscheduled stop. The ladies immediately shift gears to find out who punched his ticket, while Sam slips into the driver's seat to make sure Nana Jo and her crew steer clear of fatal conclusions . . .

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Eleanor Wilde Mystery Book 2

It may have been a ghost that led Eleanor Wilde to set up shop in a quaint English village. But now that she’s established herself as the town witch, Ellie’s contentedly casting spells on anyone desperate enough—or gullible enough—to request her mysterious potions…

Selling mystical elixirs and tantalizing tonics is a pretty good way for a fake medium to earn a living. Or at least it’s Ellie’s main source of income—until a villager turns up dead. The cause? Murder by poisoning. And though Ellie’s concoctions don’t include anything worthy of a skull and crossbones, suddenly she’s the prime suspect. Her only recourse is to find the culprit who did do away with Sarah Blackthorne. No one liked the mean old battle-axe. But did anyone hate her enough to kill her?

It’s enough of a mystery to make Ellie hang up her witch’s hat and take millionaire beau Nicholas Hartford up on his offer to keep her afloat. Except Ellie is not the kind of woman to lean on a man—least of all a man she adores but whose place in her life is uncertain. Besides, Ellie’s taken on two young witches-in-training—apprentices if you will—and both of them are convinced a werewolf is the murderer.

Just as Ellie’s wondering if there really is something otherworldly going on, animals suddenly begin to disappear—including her beloved cat, Beast. Now Ellie’s on the warpath to uncover the wicked truth about the people and the place she’s only just begun to call home…

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Number five in the series does not disappoint!
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book. This is not a distraction from the main story, but a compliment.
The regular cast of characters are so endearing and I love to read about them! I really enjoy the relationship between Sam and Nana Jo. As well, I enjoy Nana Jo’s friends, who are written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
The mysteries are well written and kept me guessing!
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Sam is such a great character and I really loved the Shady Acres crew. Bookmarked for Murder was a super fun read!

After a fun shopping trip in Chicago, mystery bookshop owner and writer Sam Washington is returning home with her grandmother and her friends from the retirement village. Unfortunately, the relaxing bus ride turns deadly when a passenger is murdered in his seat. With the help of her grandmother and her friends, Sam is determined to bring the killer to justice. Bookmarked For Murder is a fast-paced, enjoyable cozy mystery with a touch of humor, a great cast of fun, quirky characters, and a clever murder mystery. Sam writes historical cozy mysteries and as an added treat, the author includes snippets of Sam's book for readers to enjoy. I did manage to correctly guess the culprit, but couldn't figure out the reason for their actions. This was a fun, easy read and I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

family-dynamics, friendship, murder-investigation, murder, situational-humor, verbal-humor, 1930s, contemporary, senior-citizens, cozy-mystery

An older, lauded, self involved journalist is murdered while on a charter bus from Chicago to Michigan in current day. The bookseller is heading up the investigation with her Nana Jo and her cronies at the retirement village while using the writing of a mystery novel set in 1938 England to relax and clarify her thoughts. Both mysteries are entirely too engaging! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Samantha 'Sam' Washington takes a shopping trip to Chicago with her Nana and her friends from their retirement village. A murder on the bus on the return trip at a rest stop has Sam and the elderly friends investigating...and finding out more than they expected. The reason and murderer is an interesting twist
Ms. Burns eclectic characters make this a very enjoyable read. Mystery, humor and a touch of romance make it a great way to spend some time.
I requested and received a NetGalley Arc because the blurb interested me. Now I plan to read the first four asap to see what I missed.

This was an enjoyable read. Sam and the retired group of ladies from Nana Jo's home are on a bus trip to Chicago when another passenger gets killed. As this means that it was most likely someone that they know, the group gets involved in trying to solve the murder. Along the way there are other murder attempts as well as another successful murder. Sam needs to find the culprit before someone else dies. This was an entertaining book to read during a rainy afternoon. It is an easy read, it flows well with no bumps to get over. The characters are appealing and you feel as if they could be a part of your town. Give this one a try.

This book is a treasure! This is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series. It can be read independently, however. I haven't read the others but I will be going back to do so now.

Samantha Washington, her Nana Jo, and her grandmother's eccentric friends are an hysterical group to hang out with. Even when they are involved in a murder mystery and some of them are at risk. The mystery is well-crafted; I picked the wrong killer! But the most interesting aspect of this book is that the main character is writing a historic British mystery, so there are excerpts of that book throughout. That mystery is just as satisfying as the one she's dealing with in "real life." The story within a story is a unique concept that's well executed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks so much for the ARC of BOOKMARKED FOR MURDER by VM Burns. I so enjoy the Mystery Bookshop Series and this newest entry did not disappoint.

Main character Sam Washington, her grandmother (Nana Jo) and a few other senior citizen friends are wrapping up a shopping trip to Chicago when the trip becomes anything but relaxing. The crew has loaded themselves back on the chartered bus to North Harbor, Michigan when a fellow passenger (a man who Irma, of Nana Jo’s friends, met on the trip) is found dead in bus seat after a rest stop. Sam and her senior citizen crew jump into to action to find out who is guilty.

Lots of fun – there’s a little romance, a solid who-done-it plot and senior citizen antics. The only part I didn’t enjoy as much as the scenes from the novel Sam is writing. It felt like it distracted from the rest of the mystery – I almost wanted to read that novel on its own. Still a solid entry to the series!

This is such a fun series and I've easily grown to love Sam, Nana Jo and all of the the ladies.
This book will take the reader on a wild ride as everyone tries to find out who killed Irma's friend.
The book is packed with humor and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

4 stars
This series just keeps getting better! There isn't much I like better than a cozy mystery with an extra mystery thrown in! I figured out the second mystery but wasn't sure about the first one. I love a book that keeps me guessing.
I cannot wait fir the next book in thus series. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review'

V.M. Burns has produced another winner in her A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series with 'Bookmarked for Murder.' Sam takes a bus trip with her grandmother and other elderly friends to Chicago for some after Christmas fun which ends in murder. The victim is a prize-winning author whose background is tied to real events and is certain to appeal to conspiracy theory lovers. Always intriguing is the British cozy book-within-a-book that Sam is writing that perhaps is getting closer to publication. The light touch of romance is perfect and all of the characters are engaging. I look forward to more, especially a positive resolution for Isabelle.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. This is the fifth mystery in this series and easily read as a stand-alone. Sam Washington joins her grandmother, Nana Jo, and a group of other mature women on a bus trip to Chicago from their town of North Harbor, Michigan. Returning from the multi-day trip, three people join the return leg, including Max who accompanies Irma back. At a rest stop break, Max is discovered dead on the bus. As Sam, Nana Jo and the others work to determine which bus passenger committed the crime, things get murky as someone tries to kill Irma and another person is killed. Sam, a mystery bookstore owner and unpublished mystery author, finds that she does her best mystery solving by mystery writing. As a result, a sub-plot of her latest 1938 English mystery is developed and solved in this book so you get two mysteries for the price of one. The cosy is well written and the author does a good job of offering lots of red herrings and potential killers. The characters are clearly delineated and their personalities are distinctly written. It’s an interesting story and worth the read.

Bookmarked for Murder by V. M. Burns is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series and was another winner in my book.

Samantha Washington is a character that I admire. She is strong, intelligent, curious and gifted with a strong intuition for solving mysteries. I absolutely love Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy and Ruby Mae. They are quirky and unique and when they are on the page you know there will shenanigans. The plot is well crafted and clever with plenty of twists to keep a reader turning the pages. I actually guessed correctly (this time)who the killer was before the reveal but I didn't know the reason why. The historical mystery that Sam is writing was very enjoyable, too. That one baffled me until the reveal. I strongly recommend this series to any cozy mystery fans.

It took just few pages to understand that this was a page turner going to be rated five stars.
I think it's the best instalment in this series and, even if I was reading multiple books at a time, it was the one I kept on thinking.
It's as entertaining and engrossing as the other novels in this series, I was happy to meet again the cast of characters and I really appreciated the role of Nana Jo friends.
The quirky cast of characters is as lovely as usual and I appreciated the character development that made me know them better.
The mystery is solid, full of suspects and twists, and even if I guessed the culprit I had to wait till the last pages to learn the reason.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A rather unusual murder mystery, some enjoyable aspects yet a parallel story muddled rather than clarified the main plot for me. The characters are most enjoyable, some of the domestic detail also detracted from the for me.

With thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author for my free copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.