After a troubled relationship with her mother Summer returns to her home for her mothers funeral. Feeling that something is wrong with her mothers diagnosis of 'heart attack' she sets about trying to find out who would want to murder her mother Hildy. After a a few attempts to silence her she is even more determined to find the truth and with family and friends, having no confidence in the local police, she finally finds out who it was but is not convinced of the reason why. The clues are there and you may get there before Summer but for anyone who is a book lover and has maybe always wanted to own their own book shop this a perfect read.

The setting for a new cozy mystery series is enticing: a college professor, Summer, inherits Beach Reads, a bookstore, in Brigid’s Island, NC, when her mother dies suddenly. However, it’s a little too easy to figure out who murders Hildy, Summer’s mom.

As a character, Summer is not too likable; the supporting characters not memorable, and Hildy sounds fascinating, but she’s dead. The most touching relationship is between Summer and Mr. Darcy, her mother’s parrot, who gets sick and keeps asking for Hildy. The vet’s diagnosis is depression. Before Summer goes to bed that night, she checks on Mr. Darcy and lets him out of his cage. The two end up sleeping together all night and bonding over the next few days.

While the series is off to a slow start, there is cause for optimism as the book ends with an unexpected development.

This was an ok book. I didn’t like the main character and sadly I identified the killer upon introduction. But I liked the supporting characters and I can see there is room for character growth in future books. I’m not waiting breathlessly for the next book, but I won’t avoid it either.

This is the first in the series by Maggie Blackburn. Summer Merriweather, has returned home after her mother's sudden death,. Summer is not convinced that is was a heart attack. She sets out with the aid of her mother's many women friends to discover if her mother was murder!

As for me I really didn't enjoy this book. It was lacking wonderful character descriptions and the plot didn't really grab me like the other cozy books that I have read in the past.

This is the first book in a new series that I was eager to read – what book lover can resist a story set mostly in a book store? Although I'm not a beach person, I love the setting for this series, and the idea of a bookstore selling only "beach reads" makes perfect sense.

That said, I had a hard time sticking with the book, primarily because I didn't like the main character. She is a book snob to the 9th degree ("Two mysteries. Three romances. What are people thinking? Why don't they read good books?"), although I give the character credit for keeping such snarky thoughts to herself. For someone who boasts, repeatedly, that she's a PhD, she teaches Shakespearean literature in college (not high school, heaven forbid!), she doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb in the box, and she jumps from one conclusion to the next throughout the entire book. Even as she eventually starts to admit that there might be some value in reading something other than Shakespeare, she is very judgmental. I don't think I would be able to spend much time with her without getting incredibly frustrated.

In addition, the mystery itself wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be. Maybe because there weren't many suspects to consider, I figured out the killer's identity very early in the book, although the motive didn't become clear until much later.

The author's writing style also left me feeling disheartened. I know this is an ARC, but there were numerous editing and grammatical errors, the most jarring being when the character perspective switched from third person to first person for a sentence or two, then back to third person. I rolled my eyes when the book club book was mentioned, because it was referred to by its full title every single time it came up, and several parts of the text were repeated almost verbatim in different parts of the story. I don't think I will be reading more in this series, or by this author, under this name or her other pen name.

This book took me a little while to get into the characters and story. It was just one of those books, in my opinion, that gave me quite a bit to try and sort out early. The writing was good, nothing major there. Just a connection lacking and confusing me as a reader at times.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Summer. It definitely kept me turning the pages and trying to solve the case!!

Little Bookshop of Murder is the 1st book in Beach Reads Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Summer Merriweather is a Shakespeare professor that is barely hanging onto her job. Summer goes to England for the summer, to hopefully get a paper published, when her mother dies suddenly and she returns to Brigid's Island, NC for the funeral. I must say I was disappointed with the main character, I did not like her at all, but I enjoyed the mystery. I will give this author another chance though.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a well-executed light drama that I could not put down until all was said and done. Believing her healthy mother could not have succumbed to a heart attack and with the police not listening, Summer takes it upon herself to find the truth and in doing that, learned some truths herself. The author know how to tell a story that had me immersed in every aspect from Summer’s arrival at the island home, to a look at her mother’s circle of friends, to hindering a killer’s threat to do harm, and to dogged determination in solving this, no matter the risk. Boasting a quirky cast of lovable characters, engaging dialogue, and a small-town atmosphere (I love that bookstore), this was a wonderful beginning to a series that I look forward to more adventures in reading, especially with that ending.

2 1/2 stars. The main character, Summer, annoyed me some of the time. She was so critical of things. Also, she was a literature snob. Yes, she was a Shakespeare professor but so what. That didn't give her the right to look down on other people's choices of reading material. I'm an academic but I understand guilty pleasures. I have enough of my own when it comes to reading material. It isn't all high brow literature or non-fiction. It is possible to just enjoy a good story. A little leeway must be given because of her grief over her mother's death and the unfortunate situation with her job.

The culprit wasn't hard to figure out. The motive was a little harder to get at. On the other hand, I loved the setting and there were some interesting characters. Darcy, the parrot, was adorable. The series has potential, particularly since Summer is becoming less of a snob with regards to book genres.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in return for a fair review.

3.5 Stars! ⭐⭐⭐

I love when a book has a book theme, especially a cozy mystery that does. I really liked Summer although she does have some moments where I felt she acted more like a teen who is angry with her mother. Her mother has died and Summer is ready to settle the estate but things aren't what they seem to be.

At the end of the book I liked Summer much more than at the beginning. I will say I wished the characters had better backgrounds but perhaps that is something that is coming in future books. This series has great potential in my opinion it just needs a little nurturing.

I did enjoy how the murder of Summer's mother wasn't obvious until the evidence is shown. The sad thing was I figured out who the killer was right away. It didn't make it worse but I would have enjoyed a little more suspense.

Like I said this series has great potential and the next book may be one that just blows my socks off. We will have to wait and see.

This is a charming new cozy mystery series . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My honest review opinion is my own.

I loved this book ! Right away I appreciate how the protagonist Summer is portrayed as real both with flaws and attributes that make her likable. I love her career as a Shakespearean professor which adds fun quotes of Shakespeare throughout. Summer has returned home to Brigid's Island, North Carolina after her Mother's death. The island descriptions are so picturesque that this reader wishes I could visit. Her Mother owned a romance/ mystery themed bookstore on the island that was quite popular and she managed a book club . Both the bookstore and the book club are very important to the island and the visitors. Summer quickly finds out her Mother's death was suspicious and that she was under pressure from several parties to sell her bookstore and someone was threatening her. As Summer decides to stay on her formidable Aunt Agatha and cousins help her in the search for her Mother's killer. As the investigation progresses Summer is attacked and she knows she is on the right track of the killer.

I loved the charcters. All the supporting charcters are fun and add to the series. A possible romance with the fire chief I look forward to in the next book. Overall this was a great cozy debut with all the right elements we love in a cozy mystery. The sleuth was excellent with red herrings and clues throughout.
I look forward to the next book in the series.

What starts off as the appearance of a cozy little beach town mystery, quickly develops into an average, typical murder mystery read, whereby the murderer is painfully obvious to the reader, within the first 30 pages or so. I was somewhat disappointed, based on what I had heard before reading this book.

As much as a struggle as I found this to read and finish, I am aware this is the first in a series, and there were some promising parts to her character and story development. The main character, Summer, does come across as a snobbish, Shakespearean scholar, whom questions the types of books sold in her mom's bookstore and there are other attributes of Summer, which are enticing.

I am open to reading the author's next installment and I want to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this advance copy.

Little Bookshop of Murder is a new series by Maggie Blackburn (aka Mollie Cox Bryan). Summer just lost her mother, Hildy, and is back for the funeral and to figure out what to do with her mom's beloved bookstore and house. Summer is a bit negative at the beginning- she hates the bookstore and doesn't want to be back. But as she spends time at the bookstore and with her Aunt Agatha, cousin Piper, niece Mia, and her mom's book group, she realizes she needs to be there to solve who murdered her mom. I guessed but wasn't sure until the end. Summer had a fear of spiders which was way over done. As the book progressed, it got better. It was a decent debut cozy mystery. #NetGalley. #LittleBookshopOfMurder

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book is 8 Sept 2020

Summer Merriweather returns to Brigid Island, NC following the death of her mother. She's in disbelief that her mother, Hildy, had passed away from a heart attack at a young age and as healthy as healthy can get. While going through her mother's items after the funeral, Summer finds something that leads her to the conclusion that her mother was murdered. From there she attempts to get the police involved and when they don't believe her she takes it upon herself to solve the case.

From the description, I was captured by the fact that it was a cozy mystery set around books, bookshops, beaches, and murder. However, this book just fell flat. There were many grammatical errors, inconsistencies, and the characters were a bit on the boring side. The main character, Summer, was just annoying. I get it, you're a Shakespearean professor and romantic little beach reads don't meet your standard, I didn't need to hear it a thousand times and it just made her sound pretentious as all get out. She felt like she was above everyone else and I felt like she was disrespectful to her mothers memory by always putting down Hildy's passion for beach reads and her book-club. As for the murder, it was glaringly obvious who it was. I just found myself skipping dialog and inner dialog because it just seemed monotonous and lacking.

I wanted to like this book, I really did but it wasn't as good as I had hoped. I sincerely doubt that I will be continuing on with book #2. My final rating is 2/5 ⭐

Fun cozy mystery. Usual shenanigans. Cute and well written with likeable characters. Good mystery. I enjoyed this one very much.

Sadly, I have to rate "Little Bookshop or Murder", book 1 in the Beach Reads Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn, just 3 stars. We're introduced to Summer Merriweather, a Shakespeare professor back in her home town after her mother's passing wherein she's reunited with family and the heir to her mother's estate and bookstore. But her mother was much loved and very healthy, so her sudden death raises many questions and points to foul play. Summer is determined to find answers.

This book has everything I could want in a cozy mystery, and a lot of the traits that the mother (Hildy) has resonate with me personally. For example, I'm vegan, love animals, follow the Wheel of the Year in a coven with my older sister, and gravitate to the more ethereal. So many things were clicking for me and made reading this cozy very pleasant and enjoyable. The main problem with this cozy, and why I rated it lower than my average - is that I could clearly see who the murderer was at only 25% through the book.

Normally, I *think* I know who the killer is but have so many red herrings and reasonable doubts to contend with that I don't *really* know the answer. But in this cozy, it was plainly obvious, which made me really sad. I did read the whole book in the hopes that maybe there would be a huge plot twist at the end, but it didn't happen. The murder wasn't buried in the mystery, and there was language used that clearly pointed to them and left little doubt. Again, I'm very sad to rate this lower. A lot of great thoughts are here. The setting is playful, the characters are engaging, and the mystery itself holds such promise. But then I knew the answer so early on.

There is one kind of creepy aspect to this cozy too. The main character is against romance books, but she ends up reading one and really enjoying it. She even has a sexy fantasy dream about the main male character from the romance book. At the end of the cozy she discovers that the male character is based on her actual dad. A little too... Oedipus (?) for me.

One other tiny thing... the main sleuth keeps referring to herself as being too old for certain things, and she refers to college students as "kids". She's only 32. I myself, am only 31 and we are not old - and I still feel like a high schooler most of the time. She has a TON of time to date, find a soulmate, experience life, adventure, etc. I wish she wasn't so mentally aged in the prime of life.

A nice cozy murder mystery, very easy to read, perfect for a holiday! There isn't much to say about it - it was pretty average but entertaining.

It started so well. Summer grew up in a small town with her mum, the owner of a bookshop full of romances, situated right by the beach. We find that Summer’s mum has died unexpectedly and that Summer is back in town for the funeral.

The whodunnit plot begins, but seems a little bit simple and the spider subplot seemed over worked until the very end. The cast of characters are eclectic and should be endearing. Summer seemed vaguely irritated with herself and unsettled being back in her home town.

I am sure that there will be other reviewers who will suggest that I am missing the point, but sadly this one did not ‘make the cut’ for me.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bookshop-Murder-Beach-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0818ZX2NY/ref=sr_1_2?crid=SW1AIBA95MYL&dchild=1&keywords=little+bookshop+of+murder&qid=1596218605&s=digital-text&sprefix=little+bookshop+o%2Caps%2C174&sr=1-2.

This is the first book in the series! HOORAY! A first for me, getting in on the ground floor!
We begin this book as Summer Merriweather walks along the beach reminiscing of her time spent there. She and her mom would walk there, almost EVERY day, but she is back in town for an entirely different reason- her mother’s funeral. Brigid’s Island had a love/hate relationship with the tourists-loved them for their monetary contributions, but not for all the city antics that they brought with them. Summer’s mother owned a bookstore called Beach Reads- are you kidding me??? I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! As a kid, every summer, we would go to Old Orchard Beach in Maine and EVERY SINGLE summer, I would run out of books to read and would have to wait for the rainy day when we went to Freeport, Maine to find an additional book or two. I would beg to go there first. I would use my allowance to buy new and interesting books while in Maine. Deviating from my normal books! I wish OOB had a bookstore on the beach like this one. I would have been dead broke by the time the week was over as I would be sneaking off to the bookstore every chance that I had got. I also would be snuggling in the car with all of these books, as the car was only so big with four people and all their luggage! You can get a ton of reading done on an 8-hour car ride!!! As if going home for a funeral wasn’t bad enough, but to have to go home for a mysterious death of your own mother. HOW AWFUL!! Her mother was only sixty-four years old and so healthy! Summer goes to the bookstore to try and find answers, but what she finds there is not expected. Summer finds an envelope with a note saying to sell the bookstore or die. WHAT?? Who was that meant for? Summer? Her mom? Summer doesn’t even have time to absorb this because the women from the book club quickly enter the bookstore, as they were hoping to continue the club. We are then led on the adventure to find out what happened to her mother and what will happen to the bookstore. I loved this book so much and am excited that this is the FIRST book in the series, meaning that there will be another book in the series- I CANNOT wait!