Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn is the 2ndbook in Beach Reads Mystery series, and more enjoyable than the 1st book in the series, Little Bookshop of Murder. It is Christmas time and Summer Merriweather is still hurting by her mother's sudden death. After Summer uncovers her mothers interest in an old crime, she is determined to solve it. I must say I still don't like Summer's character very much, but I enjoyed the mystery. I will be reading the next book in the series, hoping the books will continue to improve.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a fantastic addition to the series!

The mystery behind the cold case and a missing person kept me guessing till the end. Summer is a character you would love to hate, or is it hate to love? Either way, Summer is, no doubt, a favorite character - her stubbornness is what makes her different from all the other stories I have read so far.

I could not guess the identity of the perp nor did the twist (halfway through the story) coming. I absolutely enjoyed every bit of Once Upon a Seaside Murder and I definitely recommend it to cozy lovers. Also, if you are looking for a cozy Christmas Mystery, you have to give this book a read!

When an author, who wrote a book about a local murder, goes missing after a book event at Summer's bookstore, Summer and her friends are inclinded to figure out what is going on. They must solve the cold case in hopes of figuring out what happened to the missing author. Summer has other issues though. She is still grieving her mother's death and her newfound step brother and sister are in town with another new relative and Summer is trying to get to know them. Ben, the police chief, still is not a fan of Summer's and does not welcome her interference. But what is Summer to do?
Opinion
This is quite the read. With short chapters, the book flies by. I was not able to guess who did it but there were definitely some well laid clues throughout the book. This is a great read for a cold autumn/winter day.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

It is cozy mystery time! <3
“Once upon a seaside murder” is the second in a series called “Beach Read Mysteries”.
I am one of those people who have not read the first book, but I had no problems finding my way around this one.
The main character, Summer Merriwether, is quite an interesting woman. Arachnophobic to such a degree that she has to sleep in a mask, so spiders won’t enter her ears, nose and mouth while sleeping, and by day manager of a bookstore, she inherited from her late mother.
While planning a cozy mystery panel event for the bookstore, the attention of the town is drawn towards a 30-year-old unsolved murder-case. But some things are better left alone, and soon it becomes clear that not everyone wants to go digging around the past.

One of the authors invited for a cozy mystery panel at the local has written a book based on a local murder that happened shortly before Summer's birthday. The murder victim worked for the family of Summer's father. The author's life is threatened. Summer now has to save the author's life as well as solve the cold case.

I admit I was meh about the first book in the series and nearly didn't request the second book. I'm glad I did. This one kept me glued to my tablet. I can say I enjoyed the second book better than the first.

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

"Once Upon a Seaside Murder " is the 2nd instalment in the A Beach Reads Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn. As the holidays approach, bookstore owner Summer Merriwether learns a dark secret …

I have grown to like Summer throughout this instalment and immensely enjoyed the story. We have a few mysteries to solve the 35yr old cold case, and author Mimi Sinclair’s kidnapping (whose Mermaid Point Murder mystery is loosely based on the murder) to keep us engrossed in the mystery of whodunnit. Plus Summer is dealing with her newly discovered relationship with her half-brother, Sam, and half-sister, Fatima and how the Bellamy family ties into the murder.

The mystery is interesting and I loved the characters of Agatha, Piper, Mia plus who can forget Mr. Darcy.

It was a quick easy read and I am looking forward to the next instalment as I’m anxious to see what happens with Summer and Cash’s relationship.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This second Beach Reads Mystery is a little hard to categorize. In the first, Summer comes home for her Mom’s funeral, stays to take care of her Mom’s bookstore and discovers her Mom was murdered.
The second book opens six months following the first during December. Summer is still barely functioning. It’s not really a good place to make decisions from and that does influence some of the things that happen in the book.
The Mermaid Pie Book Club and the library have organized a cozy mystery author event on Brigid’s Island. One of the author’s wrote a book that starts from the kernel of a murder that occurred on the island 30 years ago. The author goes missing. It was a little hard for me to follow the timeline of how long the author was missing because of all the events that occur.
Summer’s Mom was interested in the murder and has a file. As the story unfolds secrets are revealed. Not everyone is happy about it.
There are lots of emotional ups and downs in this book. Summer is struggling to deal with the past, present and what her future may be.
I feel tugged in several directions. The way the story wraps up is good. This isn’t a happy cozy mystery. At the end my feelings are mixed about all that was revealed. The villains are caught but I felt like there was no real happiness attained. Maybe that is too like real life for me right now.
This is a good mystery with a number of twists. See what you think.

I'd read a GR review when I first started the book and now that I've finished it, I have to say I do agree with that person. I admit I didn't like Summer very much at all in the first book and even for some of this book, so when I read the review that stated that person began to like her better in this book, I was kinda "We'll see." But...by the end of the book, Summer had definitely undergone some good changes that made her a little more tender and a lot more likable as a character. I've always loved the characters of Agatha, Piper and Mia! Those three are probably what's helped shaped Summer's disposition a lot. The love of family is definitely a driving force!

And I know it takes a talented writer to come up with a character that successfully isn't too well-liked even by readers. Then bit by bit, that character emerged into a pretty darn nice human being! I'm excited now to see what the future holds for Summer and possibly even Cash after we've learned he's free again. I can't describe how I felt knowing that Summer, by the end of the book, felt so much different herself with a burden lifted, and I can't go into it for risk of spoiling something. I guess I just wished at that point she was real and that I could hug her and tell her, "Well done, welcome home." Note: Another character who seemed to change for the better was Cash's dad, Ben who was the police chief needing to retire.

The murder in the story was a cold case, and the main focus was a missing person which got weirder and seemingly colder as the days passed. I had an idea of who might be behind it, but I was off base somewhat. I really enjoyed this book so much more than the first one and can honestly say I'm looking forward to the next!

I read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Once Upon a Seaside Murder has lots of twists that will keep you reading to find the answers. The characters are quirky and will keep you entertained. You have a cold case and a kidnapping to solve as well as Christmas coming.

This was an amazing read that captured me from the beginning and kept me reading till the end. I could not put it down no matter what I needed to do. It moves along at a great pace which made for an easy and enjoyable read. It has characters that are interesting and you want to know more about and you want to see them succeed no matter what they need to do. This is a book that needs to be read, there is no doubt about it. It needs to be on your TBR list.

Summer inherited her bookstore from her mother, who, as it turns out, poked around a lot into a murder years ago. She didn't know much about her family until recently and much of this second installment in the series involves that thread. I was not a fan of the first novel because I thought Summer needed to get over herself (she dissed the romance novels her mom sold, among other things.). This one is better. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm still on the fence about this series.

This is the 2nd book of the Beach Reads Mysteries, by author Maggie Blackburn (Mollie Cox Bryan).


I’m sorry to say it but the main character Summer Merriweather simply rubbed me the wrong way! The mystery was solid, it receives 5 stars, I loved the author showing what happened between her father (Omar) and mother (Hildy). How secrets and lies beget more of the same without end until someone stands up for honesty, without being preachy! I just didn’t care for the main character Summer and I’ve spent more time trying to figure out why than I care to admit. I will stick with other mystery series by this incredible author!



Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

A cozy mystery reader event is coming to the bookstore and creating quite a buzz! However, not everyone is as excited about all the buzz as the local readers are since one of the books is based loosely on a 30 year old cold case. It appears someone wants that case to remain cold or could it be even more sinister than that when bad things start happening to Summer and a guest disappears. Looks like Summer and her family are going to have to get involved in solving the cold case to unravel what is happening now. Excellent plotting, outstanding characters and a setting that you want to move to as well makes for a great read! I really can't wait to read what comes next for these characters as they are really wonderful personalities.

Maggie Blackburn’s second adventure, in Beach Reads Mysteries, plunges Summer Merriweather into deep water. First, the new owner of Beach Reads deals with how a 35-year-old cold case affected her mother’s life and the case’s impact on her newly discovered relationship with her half-brother, Sam, and half-sister, Fatima. Then, there is her re-acquaintance with the man she left at the altar, Cash. Finally, Mimi Sinclair, author of Mermaid Point Murder about the cold case involving Summer’s mother, is kidnapped.

Complex, well-conceived, and a fascinating read, this installment unfolds at a relentless pace. The author develops a cast of delightful characters, including Mr. Darcy, the African gray parrot living with Summer.

When I reviewed the first book in this series I think I had decided not to continue with book 2. I changed my mind and read it any way and I am happy to say it was better than the first.

Summer Merriwether, the main character, has improved a little although she is still rather pompous about her choices of reading material. As a bookshop owner she is really going to have to become more eclectic in her tastes! Either that or scare off all her customers.

In Once Upon a Seaside Murder Beach Roads Bookshop hosts a writers event during which one of the visiting authors disappears, apparently abducted. As events unfold it becomes apparent that Summer's own family members are involved in some way in a murder which occurred over thirty years ago and which was central to the author's latest book.

A lot of characters pop in and out and I was particularly confused with Summer's new found uncles and cousins and how everyone fitted into the time line. I also need to investigate what on earth Summer is wearing in bed to protect her face from spiders in the night. Whatever it is she may need to lose it soon if her relationship with Cash is going to go anywhere.

So I am going to have to continue with the series just to find out what happens and which genre Summer is going to frown upon next. She has done romance and cosies- my guess is chick lit.

Disclaimer: I was given an eARC of this book by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first half of Once Upon a Seaside Murder, which is the second book in the Beach Reads Mysteries series, though I did like the first book more. I did feel that there were too much going on in this book in too short of a period, with Mimi going missing and trying to solve a 30 year old cold case. With that being said, overall I did enjoy the book and the growing friendships. I would recommend this book but you definitely need to read the first book in the series so that you aren't confused.

This is the second book in the Beach Reads mystery series by Maggie Blackburn and I enjoyed it as much as the first book.

Summer Merriwether's bookstore, Beach Reads, is taking part of the local library's cozy mystery panel discussion. Summer learns that one of the authors on the panel based her book on an actual murder that happened 35 years prior that remains unsolved. She further finds out that her mother kept a scrapbook with articles about the case. She also finds out that her father's is connected to the crime.

I love the family dynamics between Summer, Piper, Mia and Agatha, as well as Summer's mother's friends, Marilyn and Gladys. There is a lot of back story going on in this book and Summer learns a lot about her father's side of the family and more about her mother as a young woman. There is a lot of mourning/healing going on in this book, but overall, I think it was a great story. I think Ms. Blackburn wove the story together well and the ending was a surprise.

One thing that bothered me was Summer feeling responsible for events that happened to the book's author as she was threatened even before she left her home. She made the decision to come to town anyway. Plus, Summer didn't decide who would be on the panel. I also had a tough time with Piper being so hard on Summer about her daughter Mia's issues relating to Hildy's death (from the first book).

I cannot wait to read more in this series as I want to see if Summer can fix her friendship with Cash and to see what the future of Beach Reads holds. I like reading about the events the store holds and how Summer finds ways to make the store more profitable and stay open.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite new mystery series of 2021. I loved the first in series and this follow up was a delight to read from cover to cover. I love the setting, the charcters and the charming book store that is so valued by the community. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.

This is the second in the" Beach Reads mystery series". The atmospheric setting is Brigid's Island, North Carolina at Christmas. The author has perfectly captured the holidays on the island and at the beach side bookstore.

Summer is settleting in and getting to know her long lost family. She has revitalized the bookstore much to the delight of the community. When the local library host a cozy mystery author the mystery begins with a murder from 30 years and and then a missing person case in present day captures Summer's investigative nature.

I loved this book. The charcters are done to perfection, the setting is wonderful and I love the sleuth. The writing is very smart and captures the reader from page one. I look forward to the next in series. A 5 star read.

I love this new series! This book picks up shortly after the first book in the series, and it a good sophomore edition! Summer is still trying to decide whether to stay and keep the bookshop, and get to know her father's family, or to turn tail and return to the dramas involved in her previous academic life. But fate, and a killer, have the own idea of what she should do. A lovely cozy for the last week's of Summer, be sure to check out this fun new series!

This second installment in the Beach Reads mystery series was so fun and interesting. Set in Brigid's Island, NC at Christmastime, it gives off a beachy holiday feeling at the seaside bookstore. The mysteries involve a 30-year-old murder and a present disappearance, so there is double the intrigue and crime-solving this time. We get to know Summer and her family and friends better, as well as some visiting cozy mystery authors. I thought this was better than the first in the series, as the writing flows more smoothly and the mysteries kept me guessing! I look forward to what comes next. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy!