What mystery fan wouldn’t want to go on a Mystery Lovers Tour around England? Though you may have to rethink that decision when the tour owner is found dead. It really is A Tourist’s Guide to Murder but in a completely unexpected way.

Sam runs a mystery bookshop and is off to England with her great-grandmother Nana Jo and all of her best friends from the retirement home. While leaving town, Sam hears that her first book will be published! She writes British historical cozy mysteries set right before World War II. In fact, there are two mysteries in this novel: the contemporary story and the historical one.

Sam, Nana Jo and her three resourceful retirees are the heart of this cozy mystery. All are both realistic and funny, which is a hard balance to maintain. I also loved the ingenious surprises in both mysteries within the book. Overall, A Tourist’s Guide to Murder is a fun and enjoyable historical, and contemporary, mystery. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Tourist's Guide to Murder by V. M. Burns is the 6h book in the Mystery Bookshop series, and it is becoming one of my favorite series. Samantha Washington owns Market Street Mysteries bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. Sam, Nana Jo and her friends at Shady Acres Retirement Village take a vacation to London, England to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. Sam is excited that her book is going to be published, and she wants to research for her new book. When people start dying, Sam and the ladies are determined to find the real killer, and the sleuthing begins. This book was great. It has so many twists and turns. The author did an excellent job, I was hooked from the start. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I would strongly recommend this book and series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the sixth book in the Mystery Bookshop series, following bookshop owner and wannabe mystery writer, Sam Washington, as she repeatedly stumbles across murders - and reasons to investigate!

This time, and to shake the series up a little, I imagine, she's off to London and a crime writing tour of England. It stretched my belief a little that she takes the whole crime busting squad of her grandmother and other elderly friends, to be honest - somehow, in all the fiction, that was the bit that didn't work for me! Mind you, much as I like the group of 'silver sleuths', I can imagine other readers might have been more upset if they'd been excluded.

As the group meets other tour attendees and stumbles across some friction on the tour company owners side, it isn't too long before a body or two turns up - well, it is a (cosy) mystery!

I like this series, I really do, but this wasn't my favourite of the set. I was looking forward to some of the UK-based travels, based around famous crime authors, but it didn't feel like more than a mention of names and places, overall, and I missed a better sense of 'foreignness' (for the characters, at least). The crime(s) had a nice nod towards a bit of a 'theme' but again, felt too underplayed, like a brief mention and not enough detail to bring it to any kind of life.

Sam's own writing forms a book within the book, and the reason she's off to England to do research in the first place. This is a nice idea, never the strongest of execution throughout the series, but again this time it felt a little less well put together than previous stories - a few too many elements adding to a jumble, rather than increasing the mystery.

Still, overall it was a light and easy read, fun enough and a great palate cleanse, which is generally what I'm after from cosy mysteries.

A Tourist Guide To Murder is the sixth book in the Mystery Bookstore Mystery series by V. M. Burns.

Samantha, Nana Jo, and ladies from Shady Acres Retirement Village are jetting off to England for a mystery tour. After settling into their rooms, the ladies head for the ballroom to get Peabody’s Mystery Tours itinerary, and on their way there, they hear a heated argument between Mr. Peabody and tour guide, Clive Green. As they enter the ballroom, Peabody’s approached by his niece, demanding money so she and her boyfriend can marry, and he is also accosted by another woman who claims that he is the father of her daughter.

When Peabody is found dead in his room, Sam vows not to get involved in the police’s investigation but instead enjoy visiting 221B Baker Street and Agatha Christie’s home. But Nana Jo and her “posse” have other plans and soon convince her that the police need her help. Sam will find help from an unlikely source, that being a young female constable.

I love this series; it’s well written and plotted. The characters are well-developed and very believable. I particularly like the “posse,” they are exciting and funny. Irma is a total hoot, what with her chasing all the men and Sam having to stop her from saying something colorful. I also enjoy Ms. Burns incorporating Sam’s writing of her next novel into the current story, and It’s an interesting way for Sam to work through the present mystery they are working to solve. There were enough twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sam, Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae are off to England for a Mystery Lovers Tour, what could go wrong? Well before they even leave the country, Sam oversleeps and they miss their shuttle and have to drive all the way to the airport in Chicago. When they arrive Sam realizes she forgot the pack something very important but Ruby Mae, who reminds me a lot of my dad because no matter where they go they know someone, finds a member of her extended family at the airport to help. But then Irma’s flirtations get them unwanted special attention. They finally make it onto the plane where Sam has a major breakdown but it pays off in the end. They fly across the pond where soon after landing Dorothy creates a little chaos of her own.

Happy to arrive at the hotel it soon becomes apparent that the drama will continue when the namesake of the Mystery Tours, Major Horace Peabody is found dead. The death is ruled to be from natural causes and the tour continues, but when another member of their tour group dies of suspicious means, the ladies from Michigan believe there is a murderer afoot. Channeling the great characters of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle they are going to do what they do best and uncover a killer.

___________

I love these characters! This time they all seem to get equal time as they tour some fabulous places and meet some interesting people. They had me snickering and laughing out loud several times. I am happy to say London survived their visit even though a couple of the new characters did not. I did miss Oreo and Snickers but I am sure they had plenty of love and care while the ladies traveled hither and yon.

I really enjoy that there are two separate mysteries in each book. The main one set in the present time and the historical one aspiring author Sam is writing that features the occupants of Wickfield Lodge, the English country home of Lord William March. Lady Elizabeth and her niece Lady Penelope are worthy amateur sleuths themselves. Both mysteries are very well-plotted. While Sam’s creative juices flow in her writing it helps settle and order her thoughts regarding the current mystery she is trying to solve. Both mysteries have substantial twists and turns that really kept me on my toes. At first, it was a little hard to read the mystery within the mystery but now I crave it and can’t wait to have the parallel mystery start. It is a clever way to write a book and I find it very entertaining.

The setting this time brought me so much joy. I will never be able to travel the streets of London or the English countryside to walk in the footsteps of the classic mystery authors I have come to love. It was a pleasure to tag along with Sam and the Shady Acres ladies on their journey. Solving a mystery or two and the trip to Scotland Yard were just added delights.

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder was just that. I escaped right into this book and was captivated from beginning to end. Each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone but for maximum enjoyment and to get to really know these wonderful characters you should read them all.

This is the sixth in the series and finds our sleuths in England on a Mystery tour. Sam and the Shady Acres ladies are trying to figure out who killed Mr Peabody and a fellow tourist.

This was well-written even though I knew pretty early who did it. It was interesting to find out how. There were plenty of twists to divert suspicion.

I can’t wait for the next installment.
I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

This book kept me reading till 3 am as I couldn't put it down so it's a sure five star for me.
It's always great read mysteries featuring Samantha, her Nana and the group of senior.
I missed the usual setting a bit but I loved the tightly knitted story and the solid mystery.
The characters are as likable as usual and the mystery is full of twists and turn.
I also liked the mystery Samantha is writing and I would be happy if one of them got an entire book.
I was a bit perplexed by a couple of moments at the beginning (how can you enter UK without a passport ? and how can you attack a perfect stranger and not being arrested) but I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
I look forward to the next installment and strongly recommend this one.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sam and the gang are off to Jolly Olde England to spend a week in London soaking up the atmosphere of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was a great revisit for me, to mentally go back to 221B Baker Street. I didn't want the book to end, I was enjoying it so much. Samantha, Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy, Ruby Mae and the rest of the ladies from the retirement village are looking forward to a week of mystery but hadn't envisioned a couple of murders to be included in the tour. As they are no strangers to murder and investigating same, they dive in to track down the killer.
If one mystery is good, having two going at once is even better. Sam is also a cozy mystery writer and her work in progress runs in tandem with their real life investigating. Double the fun. Full of red herrings and lots of twists and turns, this is a very well written and entertaining mystery - as is the entire series.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know which I enjoy more the mystery Samantha solves or the mystery Samantha is writing. In this book, Samantha and her friends travel to England for a mystery tour. The owner of the tour company is found dead and one of the tourists is accused of the murder. Throw in a lead detective that is looking for a quick close to the case and not the real murderer and you have a interesting mystery.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Tourist's Guide to Murder was another amazing installment in the Mystery Bookshop series that sees our characters head to England.

Samantha Washington, Nana Jo, and the ladies from Shady Acres Retirement Village are headed to London for a weeklong mystery tour. For Sam, it's a dream come true to walk the streets of some of her favorite mystery writers. But after the head of the tour is found dead under mysterious circumstances and another member of the tour dies shortly after, Sam knows something is up. With the help of her friends, Sam sets out to uncover the murderer before the tour takes an even darker turn.

The mystery in this book was very well done and I loved the addition of the mystery tour as it added a very unique element to the story. The different setting was also a nice change of pace. From the start, it's clear that a number of characters have it out for the man who heads the tour company. The author does a great job making you believe any of them could have been the killer. The second murder only made things more interesting and I enjoyed watching Sam try to connect the two crimes. Overall I was happy with the way the case wrapped up. The characters in this series are fantastic and this book was no exception. The Sleuthing Seniors in particular are amazing and I love how each woman brings her own skills to the table allowing the group to cover more ground.

Sam's writing career has taken the next step in this installment as Sam has received an offer to publish her books from a mystery book publishing company. I've enjoyed watching Sam's journey with her writing throughout the series. While on her trip Sam uses any spare moment she can find to write the next novel in her British cozy mystery series. One thing I really enjoy about these books is how Sam uses her writing to work out any theories she has about the real-life case she's trying to solve as the parallels between the cases are always interesting.

Overall A Tourist's Guide to Murder was just as fantastic as the rest of the series and I'm looking forward to future installments.

I always enjoy books from the Mystery Bookshop series. A Tourist’s Guide to Murder is the sixth in the series. The author takes the crew on the road (air) all the way to England! So I had even more to love than the wonderful characters because I love England.
Samantha is a great main character. Supporting characters are her Nana Jo, Ruby Mae, Irma and Dorothy, who are friends of Nana Jo.
As in previous books, we get two mysteries for the price of one. Samantha writes a mystery set in England in the late 1930s. The mystery in the last often has parallels to the mystery in the present, in Sam’s life.
The group goes to England for a mystery tour, a tour focused on mysteries and authors in England. It is a fun premise for the story. Deaths occur and Sam and the girls investigate.
I enjoyed the book. This time there are a few small things that detract from a five star rating.
1. Sam doesn’t have her passport when they get to the airport. It was not a necessary piece of the storyline and given how she had been trying to keep everyone’s organized just detracted for me. Maybe it was meant to show that Sam is human.
2. Nana Jo kept threatening to spank Sam. I don’t remember this from previous books and I just felt like it detracted. For heavens sake, Sam is a grown woman and Nana Jo ought to have another way to work out difficulties than threatening spanking.
3. The ending felt a bit abrupt. The murders were solve and then it was over. Maybe it would have felt more finished if they’d made it home and Sam got to meet up with Frank. It just needed something more in my opinion.
The book is definitely 4 star material. I think you could probably read this as a stand-alone, but as always the relationships come through best if the series is read in order.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

I always enjoy VM Burns' books. She has a way of making you feel like you're included as part of the group in the story.

Sam Washington is going to London to do research on her next cozy mystery. Her grandmother, Nana Jo and her group of friends are tagging along to do some sightseeing and in Irma's case, flirt with as many locals a possible. Of course, no excursion with this group is without a whodunit and even though they are on foreign soil, Sam and the gang feel compelled to solve the murder.

I have never been to London but I appreciated the descriptions of the setting so I could feel like I was there along with the group. I thought this plot (no spoilers) was particularly clever. I very much look forward to the next book in the series.

A delightful trip to England. An interesting mystery tour with locations for Agatha Christie, Dick Frances, Sherlock Holmes and more. There is the story within the story once again that adds another dimension to the enjoyment.

I absolutely loved this book! I love books where the main characters travel and I also love books that put the characters together in a limited space and some Agatha-Christie-style mystery takes place. This book combined both. The main character is in her element, she finds out her book will be published and she’s going to visit the home of her favorite mysteries and mystery authors. The ladies have all joined her and they’re met by a few other nice ladies who, of course, are recruited to help solve the mystery.

There are a lot of characters in the book but they’re all very unique so they’re easy to keep straight. I did have a little trouble keeping the Ladies separate in the story-within-the-story but that wasn’t critical to the story and I still enjoyed it, especially how it parallels the main story.

Because of the number of characters in this series I do think it’s important to read them in order. The entire series is worth the read for sure!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is the sixth book in the Mystery Bookshop series but the first one that I have read. I was utterly charmed by the characters in this book. I was captivated from the first chapter; I couldn't wait to experience what promised to be a zany and murderous trip to England. The many nods to English mystery writers along their trip was enjoyable. The mystery was good and the mystery that Samantha writes was also very entertaining. I enjoy when the penny drops for me at the same time the main character has an "ah ha" moment and that happened frequently throughout this book. This works as a stand alone but I can't wait to read about the further adventures of this incredible group of women.

When Samantha goes on a trip to England with her grandmother and grandmother's friends, mayhem and humor ensue. The author has once again provided the intriguing technique of a 'book within a book' and it is delightful. There is the perfect touch of mystery, romance and sometimes laugh out loud humor. The homage to Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie held just the right touch and I felt as if I was along for the ride.
I look forward to many, many more from V.M Burns.

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

Burns provides a well-written quick read that encompasses two story lines: one in the present with the protagonist and one which is the fictional book the protagonist is writing. The two parallel letting the reader take bits from each to figure out the duo whodunits. Cleverly done, the balancing act never feels strained or pushed and the characters in both are drawn well. Definitely recommend!

I love this series so much. Sometimes I have to skim through the story within the story so I can find out what happens and then go back to the story Sam is writing. I am always sorry when I finish one in this series because I miss Sam and Nana Jo and the other ladies.

If you haven't read this series, you'll be fine with this as a standalone- and know that you actually get two (!) mysteries in one book because Sam, our intrepid heroine, is also a cozy writer. Sam has the opportunity to take the Peabody Mystery tour of London and isn't initially too thrilled when her Nana Jo and Nana Jo's cohorts at the Shady Acres retirement facility decide to tag along. This group of mature women is a hoot and also a big help, especially when Major Peabody dies (they are not convinced it was natural) and then when someone else (no spoilers) is killed. Can this group of Americans solve a murder in the UK? You bet they can. This is a fun fast read with good characters who stand out even if they aren't the focus of the story. There are some good red herrings and I appreciated that it didn't draw too heavily on the Conan Doyle/Christie canon. It also made me laugh (something I really appreciated). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read - I'm looking forward to the next one.

Sam and the gang go on holiday to a British B&B that incorporates a mystery centered tour. that inadvertenly contriubutes a murder mystery as well. One would need to be on their game to have a CLUE on how to begin to solve this conumdrum. Sam, aspiring writer and mystery bookstore owner must up her game. The Yanks will need to rely on their various skills as they go from room to room, suspect to suspect, and all while still enjoying their tour, good thing they each have their own skills that pair perfectly with their personality. Oh and Sam still manages to find time to work on her historical novel, which one of the reasons they are in England to begin with.