Number seven in the series does not disappoint, and is my favourite in the series!
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.
This latest offering has the usual cast of characters and what a treat it is to immerse myself in this story.
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 would like to thank Netgalley, Kensington Books and VM Burns for the E ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I loved being back with Sam, Nana Jo and all the great characters in this series. The story takes place in their home town of North Harbor. At first nothing much is happening, Sam is awaiting the publication of her first cosy mystery book and getting to grips with promoting it. One night Nana Jo, Sam and the girls head to their local cassino and witness their favourite detective punching local Mayoral candidate John Cloverton. When John is found dead and Detective Pitt arrested for his murder, Sam, Nana Jo and the girls set out to find out the real culprit.
We also have the side story of Sam’s cosy mystery to read as well.
This was a well-paced read, great characters and plot line. I love these characters and being back with them was a delight.

Sam is back home, working in the bookstore. She owns it, her grandmother works there as do several other helpers. Everything is going fine until they find the dead man.
Kensington and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on Novmber 30th.

He had just had a fight with a cop and the deputy is charged with murder. Sam knows he didn't do it, so she starts asking questions. The cops are happy they have a solution.

It takes another death and many more questions until she figures it out. But when she does and goes to share her reasoning, the killer is there with a gun...

I truly enjoy all of Ms. Burns' work. However, I admit I struggled to follow the subplot of her novel in this one. Too many lords and ladies and people with similar names. However, the basis for the book itself was very good and I enjoyed that part. It was unfortunate because I usually enjoy her cozy within cozies but this one all the characters jumbled together. Nana Jo and the girls are my favorites. I do look forward to another book in this series. I hope there will be many more to come!

Sam, Nana Jo, and the intrepid sleuths of the Shady Acres Retirement Village find themselves in the most unexpected position of helping the yucky Detective Stinky Pitts when he is accused of the murder of John Cloverton. Sure, Pitts socked Cloverton, who was even more awful that Pitts has been to the women, but Nana Jo is convinced he isn't a murderer. You know how that cozy goes- there are multiple suspects and some good red herrings. What makes this series, and this installment, even more fun, is the embedded historical mystery Sam has been writing- and now it's going to be published! Yay! I like this series for the women (who are a hoot at times but never over the top) and the twisty but not too complicated cases. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans.

Sam and Nana Jo must save Detective “Stinky” Pitt from being charged with murder. All the evidence points his way. The person behind the murder is good remaining hidden.
Killer Words is full of change for Sam’s life - the twins are ready to get real jobs, Emma has applied for medical school, Jillian is working on a dance scholarship, Sam’s mom and new husband are talking of moving and Frank wants to change their relationship status.
I don’t think this is a book that stands alone well. So much of the story is bound up in the relationships that have been established over the course of the series that the emotional impact just isn’t there if you aren’t already invested in the storyline.
As always, the historical mystery within the book mystery is amazing. This one brings into play much of real history and I loved it.
There are a number of suspects and some corruption going on in North Harbor, Michigan, but I wasn’t really surprised at who the murderer turned out to be since one important piece of the puzzle was only accessible by some of the suspects.
I loved returning to the Mystery Bookshop and spending time with Sam, Nana Jo and the girls.
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy and to Netgalley for access to the ebook.

4 stars
Killer Words by V.M. Burns
The seventh installment in the Samantha Washington series is very good. Stinky Pitts gets himself arrested and Sam, the senior sleuths and family go searching for the true murderer. The story drags a tad in the middle but picks up nicely and finishes very nicely.
I particularly like the historical mystery within the book. Burns is one of the few authors able to easily pull off the book within a book.
I highly recommend this book even if you have not read the prior books within the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

I've become a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery. Maybe not my ultimate favorite but definitely worth a read

This is the 7th release in this charming series "Mystery Bookshop" by cozy author V.M. Burns . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. I love the charcters, the well crafted sleuth and the charming dogs.
This is a series I highly recommend for your reading enjoyment. This can be read as a stand alone however the charcters and mysteries are so wonderful any reader will enjoy starting at the beginning of the series.

We return to North Harbor Michigan with Sam and her Grandmother Nana Jo . Nana is a fun charcter in this series.
This time Nana is off to the casino with her friends where she witnesses a former student and officer as well as a long time nemesis of Sam get into a brutal fight. After the fight when the victim is found dead he is arrested and although he has given her family endless trouble in the past Sam is determined to solve this murder and prove him innocent. This may prove difficult for our intrepid investigator as their relationship is acrimonious at best.

I enjoyed the sleuth that kept me guessing. I like Nana and all the supporting charcters. This was a fun addition to the series.

This is a wonderful series, and each book draws me in until the very end. Samantha is anxiously awaiting her first book to be published, but is nervous about it too. Her mom and her husband have some news that they are excited to share with the family while they enjoy brunch together. Something unexpected happens while they are at the restaurant and they don't know what to make of it. Samantha, Nana Jo and the senior sleuths get involved in another murder mystery when they believe that the wrong person has been arrested for the crime. Each of them has their own skills and resources that help to bring information back to the group to help figure things out. Nana Jo and her friends are as entertaining as always in this series. These books can be read as stand alone mysteries, but they are so enjoyable I would recommend reading all of them.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sam and Nana Jo are in sleepy North Harbor, Michigan, where Sam is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first book. In search of more immediate excitement, Nana Jo hits the casino with her fellow Shady Acres Retirement Village gal pals—but they get more than they bargained for when they witness Detective Bradley Pitt decking mayoral candidate John Cloverton. As Sam well knows, mystery novels are full of brilliant detectives, genius sleuths, and hero cops. Detective Bradley Pitt—aka “Stinky Pitt”—is another story. In the past, the dull-witted detective has mistakenly accused members of Sam’s family for crimes they didn’t commit. Now, it’s his turn: when Cloverton turns up dead and he’s arrested. With his predilection for polyester, Pitt has been wanted by the fashion police for years, but Nana Jo knows her former elementary school math student would never commit murder. Somebody’s framed the him to take a fall, and Sam and Nana Jo must step in to restore the reputation and good name of Detective Pitt.

This is the second series recently that I have read the newest in the series before reading the others as I usually do, but I did not feel I missed any crucial information by doing so. In this series I have read the first one and this newest one but not the ones in between although I have 4 out of 5 on my Kindle ready to read. I really enjoy the premise of this series with " a story within a story". Of course, now I want to go back and read the others in the series. I love how Nana Jo and Samantha are evolving as well as all the supporting characters. They can be a quirky group which makes it all the more fun to read. I especially loved the ending! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

In V.M. Burns latest Mystery Bookshop book, Killer Words, this time amateur sleuth Samantha "Sam" Washington's old nemesis Detective Bradly Pitt is depending on Sam and her senior citizen cohorts to save him from murder charges. I really like how each member of the group has her/his own contacts and gathers information to help solve the murder. The main characters are so much fun. I really love how this story ends!

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

Sam, Nana Jo and the their senior friends are investigating the murder of a local politician. There are quite a few suspects since he enjoyed stirring the pot.

Similar story in Sam's novel-in-progress.

Again, I'm having a difficult time shifting from story to story..... and century to century.

The current day mystery is interesting and has good characters. Historical fiction is just not my favorite.

This is another book in the Mystery Bookshop Series, this is number 7. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but I definitely will now! This is a cute cozy series that centers on a woman who owns a mystery bookshop & her family and friends. For a small town, there seem to be a lot of murders, and this group helps get solved.

When mayoral candidate John Cloverton has a very public brawl with local Detective Bradley Pitt. Sam and her grandmother are surprised by the animosity. But when Cloverton winds up dead and Det. Pitt is arrested, Sam and Nana Jo put their wits together to save "stinky Pitt." Dull witted he may be, but Nana Jo knows her former pupil would not kill anyone. Another enjoyable mystery in this delightful series.

Samantha ,Nana Jo's and the "girls" from Shady Acres are back from their trip to Enland in this 7th in series of Mystery Bookshop book. Everything is back to normal until Detective Bradley "Stinkt" Pitt is arrested and charged with murder.Even though Stinky Pitt is a rival of theirs, they all show their character of who they really are and together want to do the right thing and find out who the real murderer is. There are surprises that arise during the investigation plus twists and turns I had 2 suspects in my mind who I thought could be the murderer. A heart pounding ending revealed one of my suspects was the killer.
Additionally, is Sam and Frank's relationship ready for the next level,? I loved the bits in the book where Oreo and Snickers are mentioned. I'm a poodle lover too
Readers who may start the series with this book should know that Sam is writing a historical cozy mystery within the story.The readers get a historical and present day mystery rolled up under one book cover.
I'd like to thank NetGalley. the author and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishes November 30th, 2021

Killer Words, the 7th in V.M. Burns wonderful traditional cozy mystery series, continues the warmth and fun of the earlier Mystery Bookshop series. How I would love to spend time with Samantha Washington's circle of friends. While much of the humor comes from the senior members of that group, they are treated as the intelligent experienced adults that they are. An amazing gift offers even more opportunity for the group to help others by continuing to look into possible false accusations, and it comes in just in time because Det. Pitts is accused of murder and the circumstantial and even hard evidence points a finger his way but the group refused to believe that he is capable of murder.
Changes are ahead for more than half the group as romance, jobs, and other opportunities beckon. I love the fact that the characters and the lives are dynamic in both senses of the word.
My thanks go to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read and share my love of the ARC of Killer Words. Further thank you goes to V.M. Burns for consistently bringing novels that I can cuddle into and relax and forget the outside world.
#NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #KillerWords #VMBurns

These characters are always good for laughs., well written with a book within a book subplot continuing engaging and enjoyable. This is a fun series to read

this one took me a little bit to get into but once I did I got lost into what was going on in the story

In the seventh Mystery Bookshop novel from Agatha Award-finalist V.M. Burns, bookstore owner, mystery writer, and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington and her Nana Jo confront their own relationship with law enforcement when a local cop who’s unjustly persecuted their family is accused of killing a person in his custody..
I really enjoy the characters in this series. VM Burns has a way of pulling you into the story. Loved it and can’t wait for the next.
#KillerWords #NetGalley