The mystery wasn’t that mysterious; only the why. I really don’t like the trope where the one person that should be suspected the most, with hints dropped all along the way, gets overlooked by the person trying to solve the mystery. It makes the heroine seem stupid and foolish, trying to justify why said person shouldn’t be a suspect no matter how many clues point that person’s direction. Suffice it to say, the killer was NOT a mystery, and the only thing I was trying to figure out was the why. The why didn’t make any discernible sense either, in that the killer was obviously not thinking logically about anything.

There was a lot of repetition in the mundane details, and I can’t say how many times Summer rehashed the same problems in her head. I know everyone does that, but it’s frustrating to actually read about.

I liked the side characters more than Summer, like Piper and Agatha and Marilyn. Summer has arachnophobia (which I can relate to), and her job is in a precarious position because of it. But it is summertime when her mother dies, so she heads back to her childhood home on St. Brigid’s island to sort things out. Her mom started and owned a very successful romance bookstore called Beach Reads, and Summer didn’t agree with only romances being stocked. This was something I really didn’t like about Summer; she was a book snob who looked down on people who didn’t like classics. She does eventually end up changing her mind slightly, but for a cozy mystery about someone who doesn’t like cozy mysteries and romances, Summer wasn’t very likable.

I wish we had gotten more character development for Mia and Poppy, and I would have liked more scenes with Levi, the fire chief. Maybe there will be more books? I might still pick them up.

This is book 1 of this new series, and it's off to a rollicking start! The reader can really relate to Hildy- how a social post was the start of a chaotic end of semester early for her, and how she has no idea if she will still have a job, so a sabbatical in England? GREAT! but then to get called back because of your mother's untimely death? You might feel like you had a curs eon you. But for Hildy there are more surprises and secrets in store! The book does a great job introducing what will I;m sure become the central figures in the new series, and as the book evolves, the reader becomes attached and looking for that cozy mystery happy ending. But will Hildy get one? All signs point to no, and you won't find out if this keeps to the traditional route or not, until you read this fun book! Definitely a fun beach read!

Cozy Mystery on a Coastal Island
This story has many neat things going for it. It takes place on a Coastal Island which has street vendors, an arcade, and is not overly developed. It features a group of women of all ages and all stereotypes. From hippie-witches to University professors, they all share a love of books and love of a deceased bookseller. I read an Advanced Readers Copy that still needs a lot of work. It won't be published for 3 months so I am sure that they will work out the bugs. The story has a lot of promise and should be a great read. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

A new series out now from Crooked Lane and Maggie Blackburn/Mollie Bryan, Little Bookshop of Murder in the "A Beach Read Mystery" bookshop series will be available soon.

Summer, as a character is hard to like. Although I understand wanting as a teenager to be utterly different from her mother, right down to the type of books she enjoys, but as an adult, she seems to still be a rebellious teenager. Even with her mother dead, and presumed murdered, she has instances when her snobby attitude towards fiction books, romance, in particular, comes in to play. Now the owner of her mother's bookstore, she seems determined to hate it no matter that her mother worked her entire life to make the bookshop something people love. The arachnophobia is far too outlandish as well. However, by the end of the book, many readers will begin to accept Summer for who she is and what she is becoming.

Other characters, such as Aunt Agatha, Summer's cousin, and what is now her bookshop employee, all have characteristics that are easy to like, and hopefully, as the series grows will become an intricate part of each book. A good background on the characters would have helped this book be better and will be a must in the next addition. Readers need to know who the characters are, what happened in their lives, such as, why are none of them involved in a relationship, what happened to Mia's father, was Piper ever married, or was she a single mom. Too many questions were left unanswered or not addressed at all.

The murder of Summer's mother isn't plain to everyone, but as the story evolves, readers are presented with evidence that shows she was most assuredly killed. She died in her beloved bookstore with witnesses, yet no one seems to have questioned anything until Summer arrives. Unfortunately, the killer is evident from the start, and most readers will figure out the motive quickly. For a debut novel in a series, Little Bookshop of Murder is a bit disappointing, especially from a seasoned writer. I feel this series could be enjoyable if attention is given to the issues in the next installment to help readers like the characters and keep turning the page.

In “The Little Bookshop of Murder,” Summer Merriweather returns to her home community to attend her mother’s funeral, but rapidly becomes involved in an investigation into the true cause of her mother’s death. The cast of characters includes Summer’s family, book club members, a local teacher, a police chief, and some unexpected family members that arrive at the end of the book. The action mainly occurs at the charming bookstore and the house that Summer inherited from her mother.

Most of the characters were interesting, but the way the family members were related to each other seemed puzzling. My favorite character was the bird, Mr. Darcy! Some parts of the plot just did not hang together very well. Those readers experienced with reading cozy mysteries will guess the identity of the killer early on, although the motive is not evident until the end of the book. The surprising family relationships revealed at the end of the novel seemed to be tacked on, obviously leading to another book. This story had a lot of potential, but confusing details and a clumsy ending proved to be disappointing. The inclusion of unnecessary swear words also detracted from the story.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I loved the premise of the book, but the actual story felt flat.. The characters are quirky. For instance, Summer has a huge fear of spiders, and one of Hildy's friends as flower tattoos all over. And then there's Mr. Darcy, Hildy's parrot. He slips cuddled up with Summer. The story was entertaining and easy to read. Now for what I didn't like. I know this s a galley version but there were misspellings, wrong names used, and clues given and then the author appears to have forgotten them.. Also, I thought the murderer was pretty obvious, however, there were multiple suspects but the characters didn't figure the murderer out until at the very end.. This was the biggest reason for the 3 star rating.

Summer returns to her home town following the sudden death of her mother from a heart attack. However, she finds threatening notes to her mother and begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. We follow Summer and her family as they investigate the death of Hildy, beloved community member.

This book was quick and easy to read. I really liked the setting and the community fee. However I didn’t find the mystery element mysterious at all and had worked out “whodunnit” early on. A few more twist and red herrings may have made me give a higher rating.

Summer Merriweather, a Shakespearean scholar inherits a beachside bookshop, and a murder mystery when her mother dies suddenly.

Little Bookshop of Murder is the epitome of a cozy mystery! The cast of characters and setting were so beautifully developed it’s clear the author is well versed in writing cozy novels. The book primarily takes place on Brigid’s Island and at the romance-themed bookstore, Beach Reads, owned by Summer’s mom. Summer is surrounded by a quirky cast of characters like her mom’s book group and a grumpy neighbor while they try to determine if her mom was murdered. There were several plot lines interwoven but well written and nicely defined. The author put wrote a lot great tongue in cheek humor in this book that I really loved. This was a fantastic start to the new Beach Reads series and I look forward to reading the next book.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Summer Merriweather is called back to her small island hometown and her mother’s bookshop after her mother’s unexpected death. Summer grew up working at Beach Reads, a bookstore that stocks mainly romances and mysteries. She rebelled by only reading what she called “great” literature, and became a Shakespearean scholar and professor. She’s a bit of a book snob and she knows it. This made her difficult to like sometimes, but she comes around in the end. Summer’s mother was well-loved and had many friends. When Summer begins to believe that her mother was murdered, there is no shortage of suspects. There are a lot of characters introduced in a short amount of time. I had no idea who the killer was until the autopsy came back, which took an incredibly long time. Once the “how” was known, the “who” was clear, to me anyway. If you like books about bookshops, book clubs, and scene-stealing pets (a parrot named Mr. Darcy), then definitely check it out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC to review.

Usually I really enjoy cosy mysteries with a bookish theme and this one had all the right ingredients - a beachside bookshop specialising in romance and mystery novels, the sudden death of the much loved owner, multiple characters and a distant daughter who has returned home. However, it just didn't work for me. There seemed to be little in the way of clues gradually unfolding and no real red herrings or twists to throw us off. The murderer was someone who was an obvious candidate for the short list of suspects but was overlooked for some reason until the end of the book.

The main character, Summer, daughter of the murdered bookshop owner was also not a pleasant character - not that she needs to be for a murder mystery, but I suspect readers are meant to like her. We are constantly told she is a Professor of Shakespeare and only reads the classics, not romances (although I think Shakespeare might have written one or two, as did Tolstoy, Flaubert, Du Maurier and Austen, to name a few 'literary' authors). We were also constantly told she has a phobia of spiders so I thought readers were going to be treated to at least one spider related event, but disappointing none occurred. The supporting characters were more likeable and at one stage it looked as if a romantic interest for Summer was being introduced in the form of the handsome fire chief, but nothing eventuated. Mr Darcy, Summer's mother's heartbroken parrot was the hands-down runaway star of the book.

Summer returns to the beach town where she grew up and where her mother owned a "beach reads" bookstore. Her mother, a seemingly healthy woman died of an apparent heart attack. Summer begins to suspect one of her mom's friends played a role in her mother's death. Summer left the police detective's son at the altar so he does not take her suspicions seriously. When someone tries to burn the house, the fire chief takes her side. Summer, a literary snob and Shakespeare scholar, despises "beach read" material, so she's not sure what she will do with the bookstore. However, her job security in academia is tenuous so she weighs her options. Summer does give the book club selection a try and surprisingly finds herself enjoying it. Eventually Summer and the police get to the bottom of the investigation. I was disappointed the story line with the fire chief seemed to drop. While the novel is probably not the most plausible piece of literature, it was a fun read in COVID-19 times. I'll probably read the next installment to see if the fire chief makes an appearance or if the story line with him is abandoned completely. I received an electronic advance review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I was immediately in love with Hildy and wanted to know (almost as much as her family did) who had murdered her. I think that it was a little obvious who the murderer was, but really enjoyed the story. It made me wish there was a shop like Beach Reads in my hometown that had women who loved reading books as much as these women did! I would recommend that others read this book if they are looking for a light read that offers the beach, a book club and above all mystery.

This is the first cosy muster themed book that I have read. To me it is similar to a romance story without the girl meets boy part.
This was a pleasant, easy going story where Summer (the main character) returns to her childhood hone following the sudden unexpected death of her mother Hildy. It then slowly follows her and other family members as they try to uncover the truth about Hildy's death.
Thanks to the publishers & netgalley for allowing me to read this.

Little Bookshop of Murder begins with estranged daughter, Summer, returning to the beach town where she had grown up to attend her mother's funeral. The story covers Summer's insistence that her otherwise healthy mother was murdered and her insistence on interviewing all of her mom's friends in order to find the killer. That part of the story was really slow and she didn't have any convincing motives until the last couple chapters of the book. There were also too many aspects of the case that were difficult to follow or didn't add up. More intriguing was the relationship between Summer and her mom. Summer has to come to terms with her mom's death and that she hadn't made things right between them before up and leaving. A running gag through the book was Summer's mom's love of romance novels and Summer's love of classic literature which her mom refused to carry in her shop. More fun was Summer reading the book her mom had been reading for the book club and realizing she might actually like romance novels after all despite her abiding love for Shakespeare.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and have reviewed it willingly.

Little Bookshop of Murder kicks off a brand new cozy mystery series by an author who has a robust list of other series. Summer is back in her little beach town that she tried to hard to escape from. Her mother's sudden death has many questions which Summer is determined to solve. The pace is good, the characters are quirky, and there are many books to salivate over. I liked the setting, the characters, and the interesting twist at the end.

A Shakespearean college professor inherits her mother's "beach reads" bookstore on an island in North Carolina. Summer is painted as a rigid (somewhat snobby) intellectual, while her mother has hippie-like qualities. When faced with her mother's sudden death, she finds it hard to believe that her mother simply had a heart attack--she thinks she was murdered, but has no idea who did it. Summer also has been afflicted with arachnophobia that has seemingly caused her tenure as a professor to be threatened.

There's a lot going on in this book. It's not helped by the lack of proper editing--there are inconsistencies in characters (e.g., one minute, Summer is with Marilyn but then a few lines later, she's with Glads instead, with no comings/goings mentioned.) At times, the narrative switches from third person to first person, then back again. Grammatical errors and repetition of some dialogue make this a very difficult read, especially when they occur early in the book when the reader is trying to keep track of everyone who's just been introduced. For this reason, I'm rating this book lower than I would had the book been easier to read.

I'm a retired college professor and find it a bit hard to imagine that the arachnophobia incident could really threaten a tenured professor's job. I do understand the pressures of "publish or perish" and the entitled consumerism of today's students. But those conflicts seem to be treated as add-ons rather than the main reason why Summer's job is threatened. So, I can't say she seemed very believable as a college professor.

So, I'm not sure I can recommend this book in its current form. Perhaps if some of the inconsistencies are corrected before publication, it might be an acceptable cozy mystery.

This is the first book in the beach reads series. Summer Merriweather returns to her home town when she learns that her mother has died. Her mother was young and healthy and Summer just can't believe she would die of a heart attack. The police don't believe Summer that her mother was murdered, so she and her aunt and cousin take to investigating themselves.
This was a cute, quick read. There were a lot of things I liked about the book but a lot that bothered me as well. I hated the way the police chief just dismissed Summer and was openly rude to her. It seemed like he wasn't even doing any police work in the book. Summer was an okay character for me. I didn't initially love her as she came across very set in her ideals about what books people should be reading, but she grew on me as the book progressed. There were a couple of side mysteries woven in , such as the identity of Summer's father, that I liked as well and hope they will be explored further in future books. The side characters were some of my favorites. I loved Summer's Aunt Agatha and cousins Piper and Mia. The murder was okay. I figured out the killer very early on as it was made extremely obvious. Overall this was not my favorite book but I enjoyed it enough that I will probably pick up the next book.
I received this book from net galley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn't stand out for me. Having read so many good thrillers, I don't recommend this one. I would have loved a better execution. The killer was so predictable. A lot of portions were not required in this book. I received an ARC so I hope the finished copy is a bit more edited. I don't think I will pick the next book if this is a series.

I love cozies and bookstores so what could be better than this one?! It was a quick, light, fun read. I liked the characters and the writing style.

This book had an interesting blurb, and I found the premise promising; however, the protagonist was annoying and the story just fell flat.