Summer Merriweather, PhD has returned home to Brigid's Island after the death of her estranged mother. Given the circumstances of her mother's death, Summer becomes convinced it was murder, and so begins the whodunnit.

I wanted to like this - I usually like cozy mysteries, beach reads and books about books, and this one did hold a lot of promise - but it was all over the place. I received an advanced ARC, so I hope the final version is edited better, as I found character names were often mixed up, the writer slipped from third-person to first-person narrative and there were blatant continuity issues throughout.

I struggled to warm to any of the characters. Summer was an unlikeable snob who openly loathes her mother's life's work: a book store, and doesn't seem at all upset about the passing of her mom. The initial supporting family characters fell flat and their purpose was unclear. The broader cast of characters were caricatures: the middle-aged hippie who dabbled in witchcraft; the ageing "trendy" woman; the small-town cop who refuses to act because he has a chip on his shoulder; the obvious suspect who really has a heart of gold; and the actual culprit wasn't even trying to hide in plain sight. The stellar cast member, quite frankly, was the parrot, and even the plotline with him went nowhere.

We keep being reminded of Summer's PhD and her poor performance in academia (aside: having a PhD in a topic does not necessarily qualify the incumbent for a teaching role), her running away to England to hide from the fallout from "the incident" at the University (which is linked to) her arachnophobia. We also keep being reminded that Summer grew up without a father figure, and was a rebellious kid who turned into the woman who jilted the son of the local cop before running away from the island. A handful of these loose ends get resolved in the last chapter or two, but they are rushed, especially the final revelation which was an unnecessary addendum.

Throughout the book, Summer is quite scathing on the whole "cozy" romance genre, but finds solace in the pages of one anyway, as though the author is trying to justify her own writing of a "cozy" book in lieu of more cerebral fiction.

This book had the elements that could have made it a good iso-read, but without a decent editor and a cohesive plot, it falls decidedly flat.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Hildy is coming home to bury her Mother... she finds that there's much more to the story. Aunt Agatha is there for the support needed to get through all that's necessary... including finding the person who killed her Mother. The motive is as old as time and Hildy finds the inner strength to save Aunt Agatha from the same fate as her Mother. I enjoyed this book and will put it on my must read list.

Summer Merriweather has returned to her hometown on St. Brigid’s Island to attend her mother’s funeral. Her Mother Hildy suddenly collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack and Summer is in shock. She is also returning from England where she went to do research as she is a Shakespearean professor who recently had some issue in the classroom and is not sure if she still has a job. Her Mother was loved by everyone on the Island and it is hard to believe anyone would want her dead but there are notes found that say “Sell the bookstore or Die” and she was in perfect health. I did suspect the culprit pretty early on but I did enjoy Summer and how she is beginning to get to understand herself a little better and why she has the hangs up that she does. As she is investigating her Mother’s death she is growing and learning more about her Mother and getting closer to her. I think this is a good start and would definitely buy the next in the series.

I really liked the characters in this book. Strong family ties without any obnoxious relatives. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the setting. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Little Bookshop of Murder begins on a beach as our amateur sleuth walks to a funeral. Blackburn sets the atmosphere of something's not right in the idyllic beach town from the start. There's an unnecessary side story about a phobia that has an unsatisfactory conclusion and too many trips to the hospital but those are minor complaints.

Summer is an interesting take on the amateur sleuth. That she's solving her mother's murder (or was she murdered?) ups the ante considerably. I didn't trust anyone in Brigid's Island - except Summer and the delightful Mr. Darcy.

I was happy to read a novel whose heroine was searching for the truth instead of wasting time deciding between two dreamy men.

I hope to visit the Little Bookshop of Murder again and again.

Little Bookshop of Murder is the first book in a new series by Maggie Blackburn. The story follows Summer Merriweather (no kidding!) as she returns to a small island off the coast of North Carolina after the death of her estranged mother. Upon arriving at Brigid’s Island, Summer finds her mother’s sudden death a little suspicious, so with the help of her aunt Agatha, they start an investigation of their own.

I like to start my reviews by pointing out the positives in a book. This book has all the right elements for a sweet cozy mystery. An excellent (although not novel) premise, a lovely cover, and who can resist books about cute bookstores? So, you are probably wondering why I gave such a dismal rating?

The first issue I had with this book was the fact that I could not relate to nor like Summer. It could be because this is book number one, and the author is rushing to introduce all the main players and somehow forgot to elaborate on her main character. But Summer is just simply put the flattest and most unsympathetic character in this book. Here we have a woman whose mother just died. She spends the entire book reminding us of how hard it is that her mother is dead, however, very little–if any, emotion is elicited from the pages. The reader does not get a feeling that this character is missing her dead mother, nor that she even truly cared about her mother. To make matters worse in the likeability rating, we get information early on in the story that Summer left some poor chap standing in the altar, but very little explanation as to why.

So, after you decide you are just going to ignore the poorly written main character and plow through the rest of the book, what you end up with is a very so-so mystery and a complete feeling of disappointment.

On a more optimistic note, this book is number one in a series, and the author has plenty of chances to make it up in the subsequent installments.

Little Bookshop of Murder was an okay first book in a new series. I liked that it had a diverse cast of interesting characters and the plot/storyline was okay, even if it had a few threads that didn't go anywhere, a couple of flaws in general and a couple of repetitions. I liked the bookshop though, as well as Mr. Darcy. It was also a light and easy read, so it's not like it's a terrible read.

I had high hopes that this was going to be similar to the other cosy mysteries THAT I've read. It was good but wasnt as developed as some others

Like a lot of readers I am always attracted to books about books, bookshops and libraries. I like mysteries too so this was an obvious choice for me.

The main character with an unfortunate name, Summer Merriweather, has returned home after her mother's sudden death, which was supposedly caused by a heart attack. Summer is not convinced and is determined it was murder. She sets out with the aid of her mother's many women friends to discover the truth.

It's a good premise but sadly the execution did not really stand up. There were so many little side events like Summer's fear of spiders which never went anywhere. Not one spider appeared. I was disappointed. There were a lot of characters with similar names who flitted in and out and did not all have a purpose. I did however like the parrot very much. He was the best character in the book.

It was not a bad book, just not as good as I had hoped, and probably not good enough to make me look out for #2.

Great characters in a great mystery! I can’t wait for more in this cozy series. Perfect for the beach of for socially distant couches!

A very cozy mystery story. There was no real reason for Hildy's death - was she murdered? The list of suspects seemed to come down to someone who wanted to buy her store - or, if not what could it be? Everyone loved her - didn't they? Funny how it's always the one everyone loves who is murdered.

Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I really struggled to get into this. It ended up in my DNF pile. I couldn't quite connect with or like the main character and her investigative skills were lacking. This book has been sitting for a while now and I have just been avoiding reading it so I finally gave it up.

"No spider will enter any of my facial orifices "😂😂

This book had alot of flaws but the few great things about it were
A beach
A bookstore
A cozy murder
I love books that are set on islands or cruises, in bookstores and that have a bit of a cozy mystery woven into the story.
Most of the times, it was very repetitive. And it was dragged out for no other reason than to just increase the amount of pages.
I knew who the killer was from the get go and the choice of weapon was just downright hilarious especially when she comes charging with it.
The author constantly repeated the narrative, building up to the climax but unfortunately the climax was so bland. There was no struggle, no fight, tensions weren't running high, it just came and went. It was over in a blink of an eye. If she could cut down on the repetition and had actually made the ending more thrilling, that would've been great.

But there were some good points too, it was a light read. Easy and quick. Great for people who want to read something cozy and light at the moment. I loved the diversity in this book. Although the diverse characters weren't exactly the main elements but they were definitely a breath of fresh air. Also our main character wasn't exactly exactly drop dead gorgeous, she was no model, she was curvy and normal and that I really loved.
And oh, how I loved Mr Darcy!! Best part of the book..

Cozy mysteries have been my comfort food during these past few months! Add the beach and a bookstore, and I’m in!

I am sad to say this was not a good fit for me 🤷🏻‍♀️. I had trouble connecting to the protagonist and at 10%, I decided to dnf it.

Little bookshop of murder will keep you reading until the end with all the twists in this story. The characters are quirky and will win your heart. A daughter comes home after the death of her mom only to find nobody will believe it's murder. Lots of twists that will keep you guessing.

Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn is the first of the Beach Reads mystery.

The book was enjoyable for a brainless beach read. It starts at the funeral of the lead character's mother who suddenly died before the story began. It took a little bit of time to figure out who was who and how they were related and it seemed like her Aunt Agatha was also called Hildy and was Mia Agatha's daughter? or granddaughter? It eventually becomes apparent, but it could have been a bit more clear in that first chapter or two.

The lead, Summer Merriweather (a bit cliché for a beach setting, in all honesty), is a tenured Shakespearean Lit professor who is apparently in danger of losing her job because of a viral video showing her freaking out at the sight of a spider during one of her lectures. She comes across as a lit snob who thinks anything other than Shakespeare or Chaucer is simply beneath her. I think the author can make her come across as far more interesting in future books. It's hinted that, though she's inherited a bookstore called Beach Reads, filled with romance and cozy mysteries (as the namesake implies!), she might add a few of the classics. Every time a book is noted in the story, she seems to mutter under her breath about how worthless of a book it is. Gets old after a while.

Other than not really clicking with the main character, the rest of the characters were likable. There were bits of a backstory that didn't truly paint a complete picture. The story was ok, but at the end, when it was revealed who the murderer was, it's as if the author got to the last chapter and thought - "oh crap - I need a motive. Here - I'll use this." and Boom! The book was done. Very strange. This could have been a novella rather than a full-length book.

The series has promise though. It's a book - and it's set in a beachfront bookshop so the characters are all talking about books. Yes - it's possibly weird that I love reading books that talk about other books, but I really do. The other characters are fun - so I'd like to learn more about them.

Not sure of romance - it was hinted and then the guy disappeared, so who knows with that, but potential is there.

The setting seems fabulous. Who doesn't love spending some time on or near a large body of water?

I just think the author has potential for a lot of character and story development for which she didn't take advantage in this book, but can in future installments. I rounded up to 4 stars. I'd give it 3.5 and will read the next book for its potential. I hope that the next book has more substance to the story.

But - as the name of the series implies, it's a beach read. Sometimes you need something that is just entertaining without being thought-provoking and this book fits the bill.

This book was provided to me as an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy mystery readers and 'beach read book lovers' who prefer books that take their time getting around to solving the issues will like this new book. I liked that this one was set on an island, in the South, and that there was a big cast of close friends involved in all facets of the plot. As this wasn't one of my typical genre picks, I did need to skip ahead and skim a good bit when all the running around got too much but the level of detail would translate well to a tv show or series - I could easily see this as a Hallmark channel movie.

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

I'll be honest. I did not like this book. The bird was cool and that was pretty much it. I just didn't care for Summer as a character and I found the writing to be really off-putting.

What I Liked:

The setting. Little Bookshop takes place on a tiny island in the Carolinas that faces the ocean. The scenes are written beautifully, with the bookshop having a view of the sea, Summer often walking on the shore and sitting in the dunes, and her mother’s cottage is a convenient stroll the the beach. Having been raised in a very similar situation, I sympathized with the struggle of dealing with tourists while preserving your own land. Blackburn also made it easy to “follow” Summer and her cousins as they went to and fro on the island.
The premise. While I think this book missed the execution (more below), I think that Little Bookshop has good bones. The main character Summer is an overwhelming literature snob (I think anyone who has ever been an English major can relate) who is made to learn that even “basic bitch” books like cozy mysteries can be worth reading. She is the inherited owner of a beach read bookshop, replete with cozy mysteries, romances, and paranormal books.

“She aspired to be one of those magnanimous teachers and people. You know, the one who would say, “As long as your son or daughter is reading”… but no… just no. Her philosophy: Read the good stuff. You have so much time on this planet, don’t fill your head with badly written books.”

This starting point has a lot of promise, because to be frank, her character arc can only go up from there. Summer does show some growth, despite herself. Further, the bookstore element has great bones – it is a cozy trope that works well for the genre. Body in the Library, much?

The bird. Maybe there is an issue with a book whose best character is an aging parrot named Mr. Darcy, but he was a pip. I loved the addition of an unusual pet (most cozies stick with the faithful dog or sassy cat), and I thought that Mr. Darcy actually added a fun twist.

What Didn’t Work:

The Execution. When I first started reading Little Bookshop, I genuinely thought it was written by a new author as a debut because of the clunky execution. To start, Summer Merriweather is the most ridiculously contrived name for someone who grew up on a beach. While I can appreciate the hippy origin, it was too much. Second, the fact that she could lose tenure based on something as silly as a viral arachnophobia video is almost insulting to anyone who has been in academia. The fact that Summer came into her mother’s store and decided she could do the books, make the orders, and the like without any training or knowhow is unrealistic for anyone wanting to run a successful business. The author does not seem to have done lot of research into key plot points, and it shows.

Poorly executed feminism. When I first started Little Bookshop, it became apparent that the author wanted her female characters to be strong independent women (Summer, her aunt Agatha, her cousin Piper, niece Mia, and deceased mother) who didn’t need any man. I appreciated it, since sometimes cozies can fall into the bucket of bosom heaving, incompetent women. However, somehow all of the strong women that Blackburn lined up were all ineffective, and instead of making men supporting characters, she made them all bumbling, stupid, and incompetent. She threw in a potential love interest for Summer then had him disappear into the pages, and has Summer, Agatha, and Piper get themselves into sticky situations headlong. Instead of having her women be strong and independent, she makes them look feckless and unlucky in love. Her mother never told Summer who her father was; Mia’s father literally doesn’t exist according to the book. Summer is downright pretentious and contemptuous of her fellow women instead of strong.
“Summer figured she made Poppy nervous. she had that effect on young women. She was a woman with agency, who wasn’t into the niceties — hair, jewelry, fashion.”

Bad editing. This is with a grain of salt, because of course this is an ARC and will presumably go through another round of edits; however, some of the issues were egregious. The island that the book takes place on is alternatively called St. Brigid, St. Brighid, and St. Brigits; there is often repetitive sentences throughout the book that I think may have occurred because of word count; characters are introduced then disappear (where did my hunky fire chief go?); and plot points became irrelevant (land developers? where?) I am hoping that this is rectified before publication, but it seems a little late in the game.

Bottom Line:

I would hesitate to recommend this to anyone other than a die hard cozy fan who could overlook some of the errors. I would recommend Little Shop as a quick beach read (of course!) and something to read at leisure. Two out of five waves!