Great start to a new series! The characters were likeable, the villains were perfectly unlikeable, and the settings was idyllic (a bookshop AND a university – loved it!). I loved the idea of a Poe-themed party and book reading. The mystery was solid, and I really was so thrown off by who the killer was. The love interest (if that’s what he’s meant to be) was one of the few things I didn’t like about this book; he didn’t seem like a good fit. Otherwise, can’t wait for the next one!

How To Book A Murder is the debut novel in the new “A Starlit Bookshop Mystery” series. Set in a small-town family bookshop, with characters that are completely different from one another, with strong community and family ties, this book was a nice beginning to a series I hope continues. Emma is doing what she can as an event planner and bookseller to keep the family business alive. It may not be as easy as she had thought with the accusation of being a murderer hanging over her head.

Emma has come home after completing her Ph.D. to help keep the family bookshop running. Her sister has done a remarkable job, but things have changed, and the family and the shop need to change as well. This means taking on the job of event planner and general helper. When old school rivalries enter the picture, and a body turns up, Emma has to find a way to save herself, and her aunt Nora who is being accused of the crime, and the bookshop from turning into just a memory.

It’s funny how school issues when we are young can sometimes come back to us when we are older. Those old rivalries still can make us act like sixteen-year-olds at times. Unfortunately, Emma needs to have a more mature outlook on life to get past the trauma of the mean girls from school, save her family’s bookshop, and solve a murder. All delightful additions to the plot. But this is not to say that the story does not have some minor issues; all new series must have room to grow. There are a few too many suspects in this story for my liking. Motives seem to hop out at the reader at every turn, and the killer’s motive isn’t really known or even hinted at until the end of the book; this can be a sticking point for many readers. The investigation into the victim(s) murder(s) seems slow and needlessly complicated. The reveal of the killer feels forced and not a proper resolution.

How To Book A Murder is an enjoyable first book that leaves a lot of room for growth and expansion. The minor issues I had with the story will eventually work themselves out with each subsequent installment. The Starlit bookshop, I hope, stays a feature in this series, and I would love to get more background on Emma’s family and her own life before she returned to her hometown to help run and be the main event planner for the shop. Overall, I feel that readers will enjoy this book, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes the next one and the series.

A fun and twisty, cozy mystery. I enjoyed curling up in my reading chair and devouring this book. I loved the idea of the Poe themed party; could be a great theme for our next Halloween party. Tabitha is a witch as any high school nemesis would be, her group reminded me of Regina and pals in Mean Girls.

I am looking forward to reading this series as more books are written.

This is a good start for a new cozy series: entertaining and compelling.
I liked Emma and Nora, two fleshed out and likeable characters.
The mystery is very complex, full of twists, and the solution was satisfying and quite epic.
Even if I liked it and there's a lot of potential I would prefer some less Tabitha (the high school nemesis).
I want to read the next story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed reading this intriguing thriller. Even since I read The Bookshop Murder, I think im obsessed with thrillers that center on Bookshops.

This book revolves around Emma who is back in her hometown to help help around in her family's bookshop which her sister Lucy and aunt Nora, is taking care of. Sales are reducing drastically and they are eager to find a way to keep the bookshop open. They get lucky when a popular lady who is also a former classmate Tabitha hires Emma to organize a Murder Mystery party for her. Everything goes well at first until her husband, Professor Tip is murdered in the middle of the party.

Questions arise. Who killed him? Somehow Tabitha goes around town telling people that Emma and her aunt are responsible for her husband's death. I love the bookish theme behind this book. Nora is a certified thriller author, and Emma is planning to rewrite her draft as well. So there were a lot of scenes about writing techniques which were very informative. A lot of guesses on this book. I couldn't believe Felicity was the murderer all this time! It was truly shocking! The reasons behind her murder spree were very much explained and i felt myself wowing at it all. I kinda see Jake with Emma as a good team. I was impressed with him apologizing to her at the end and asking her out for coffee. Characters I despised were many. From Tabitha to her minions and their husbands to Ian. They were despicable and truly mean. So sad people like that truly live in the world. Selfish and destructable. Absolute sociopaths. I adored Calliope and her unique character. She's such a handful and one of a kind. Her excerpt while reading at the party was wonderful.. So much enjoyed reading this and totally recommend to Thriller and Mystery lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Cynthia Kuhn for this ARC copy.

How to book a murder by Cynthia Kuhn.
A Starlit Bookshop Mystery Book 1.
To help save her family’s floundering Colorado bookstore, Starlit Bookshop, newly minted Ph.D. Emma Starrs agrees to plan a mystery-themed dinner party for her wealthy, well-connected high school classmate Tabitha Baxter. It’s a delightful evening of cocktails and conjecture until Tabitha’s husband, Tip—hosting the affair in the guise of Edgar Allan Poe’s detective C. Auguste Dupin—winds up murdered.
A lovely Cozy read. I did enjoy this book. Great story and characters. 4*.

When Emma Starrs returned to her Colorado home to help her sister Lucy with Starlit Bookshop, she declined a new job which she’d wanted and been accepted for. But family was important and with Lucy and their aunt, Nora, a mystery writer, in the large family home together, Emma couldn’t be unhappy she’d returned. Emma was thinking of different ways to help the bookshop bring in more income, so when an old school acquaintance – someone she didn’t particularly like – needed a party planner, Emma offered to help. The money would help the store out, and that was her only reason for putting herself in Tabitha Baxter’s orbit.

The dinner party included a murder mystery, in which the guests were dressed as characters playing a part, but when a real murder occurred, suspicion turned to Nora and Emma. How would they find who the killer was – someone in the group of guests, all friends and colleagues of Tabitha and her husband, it had to be – and Emma was determined to discover who it was…

How to Book a Murder is the 1st in the Starlit Bookshop Mystery series by Cynthia Kuhn and while I enjoyed the bookshop, and Emma, Lucy and Nora, I didn’t like Tabitha or her hoity toity friends at all. The story seemed overly long, while the mystery and reveal dragged considerably. I don’t think I’ll bother with any further in this series.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing start to a very promising series! I loved the main character and fell in love with her life and the town itself. I can’t wait to read more in this series.

A good start to a new cozy series. I enjoyed the bookstore theme and the mystery is good and definitely kept me guessing. I like the chemistry between some of the characters-it will be interesting to see how that develops in future stories. Will definitely give future books in this series a try.

Wow I really enjoyed this author's writing! I know she's pretty well-known in the cozy world, but I just hadn't had the pleasure of reading any of her works until I found this on NetGalley. I'm so glad I did, because I got right into the story from the start. I really liked Emma and Laura, the two sisters who ran their family's bookstore. I enjoyed the interaction of Emma with a guy she went to school with who was now a detective along with the leader of a writers' critique group she'd joined. The author did an amazing job of creating a character I absolutely loathed! I think you'll know who I mean once you read the book and probably agree.

Aunt Nora was having some internal issues at the college where she taught, so that was an interesting side story that was wrapped up well but still showed that college professors weren't exempt from workplace drama.

I was completely surprised by the whodunit, and the showdown was pretty epic. I was proud of Emma for thinking to do something she did. I think she and Jake might just have a future friendship and maybe beyond now that they were getting along. I can't wait to see what the girls come up with next for their bookstore that thanks to a successful author event seemed to be doing well now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Colorado’s Starlit Bookshop may be on its last legs so Emma Starrs comes home hoping to save the family store. To help line the store’s coffers Emma agrees to step in to plan a mystery-themed party for one of her high school classmates when the original planner quits. Tabitha Baxter has the kind of friends and acquaintances that may want to host similar events and that would be good for the shop’s bottom line. The hostess’s husband is really into the works of Edwin Allan Poe, so he will be playing Detective C. Auguste Dupin in the game. But he soon finds himself playing the role of the deceased when he is found dead and the murder in the game goes unsolved, This is definitely not good for the host, it could also mean the end of the Starlit Bookshop when Tabitha accuses both Emma and her aunt, a famous author and college professor, of the murder to anyone who will listen. Of course, everyone at the event is on the suspect list including Tabitha Baxter.

While trying to book the real killer, gothic author and colleague of Emma’s aunt, Calliope Nightfall requests a book signing at the Starlit Bookshop to launch her new book that also has a Poe connection. Knowing this may be her chance to pin down a few suspects Emma can’t refuse. But will she push someone too far in her quest to book the murderer? Will the killer have the last word?

In How To Book A Murder we meet Emma Starrs, her sister Lucy and their aunt Nora. All three are trying to save the bookshop but Nora also teaches at the local college. I found all three to be likable and genuine.

Beyond the main characters, readers will find a large supporting cast. What I came to think of Tabitha and her posse – Her 3 BFFs and their husbands. Tabitha calls the shots and they fall in line. We also meet Nora’s college colleagues. They were all at the party when their host was killed so they are suspects. Even the catering team is called into question.

The author has basically written a closed room mystery unless someone snuck onto the patio to do the deed and Emma has to take that into account. She does have a hard time getting anyone to talk. because Tabitha and her friends just keep accusing Emma and Nora even going so far as saying since Nora wrote a cozy mystery with a similar crime she must be guilty. This theory had me giggling. Look out, my cozy author friends!!

I did enjoy the way Ms. Kuhn plotted out this mystery. I had a lot of fun following the clues right along with Emma. My original theory was found false early and I found myself caught up in the whole story and was totally surprised when all was revealed.

I have to tell you that I have come across a few bookstores in my cozy mystery reading history that I would love to visit in real life if that was actually possible. Well, I have added the Starlit Bookshop to that list. The way the place was transformed for Calliope Nightfall’s reading and signing as well as the wonderful shopkeepers really piqued my interest.

There is so much to entertain readers in How To Book A Murder. Unique characters, a marvelous setting and a really stirring mystery all come together for a very intriguing read. I am excited to see where the author takes these characters next after this enjoyable debut.

This was a fun read. Lots of stuff going on in this story. Lots of side stories going on which added interest. Loved the ending! Looking forward to the next story in the series!

This was the very first cozy mystery that I have ever read. As a new cozy mystery reader, I felt as if this book really grabbed my attention from the very beginning and never let go! This book takes place in a small town where our main character and her sister run the Starlit bookstore. Emma was written amazing and her sister Lucy were my two favorite characters in this book. I can't wait to get the next installment in the series when it is released to see what happens next!

Author Cynthia Kuhn kicks off her brand new Starlit Bookshop Mystery series with How to Book a Murder.

Emma Starrs, thirty, who has just finished her literature PhD and has turned down a fantastic job returns home to Denver, Colorado to help her sister, Lucy and Aunt Nora run their family bookshop after her parents' untimely deaths and finds the store in a financially precarious position. Organising a mystery-themed dinner party for her well-off high school classmate Tabitha Baxter is a breeze. It’s a delightful evening of cocktail quaffing until Tabitha’s husband, Tip ends up murdered, found on the patio.

In this fun and entertaining tale, the mystery was very well done and I was absorbed in events until the big reveal. I liked the two sisters, Emma and Lucy well enough and I adored Calliope Nightfall who was flamboyant and of a certain age. There were a few good twists and some misdirection to keep the story fizzing and I'm intending to meet up with Emma and hopefully, Jake Hollister, the copper/ detective and school rival again in book two.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A family bookstore, small-town relationships and higher academia hijinks make up this fun, quick-to-read cozy murder mystery. I adored new Ph.D. Emma as our main sleuth, and her relationship with her family. She’s smart, determined, and knows when it’s best to just sit back and listen. Kuhn does a great job building a small town full of interesting people – and a few almost over-the-top ones! The mystery was intriguing, as was the clue gathering. No discovery ever seemed unnatural or out of place, and Emma’s theories as she went along made sense. Her building of her event business, with the bookshop, and especially the ongoing Poe theme for the reading that develops throughout the book, is a fun side adventure for Emma and the reader. There’s the potential for a romantic relationship, but it isn’t something that’s strongly developed, at least in this volume. I really enjoyed every minute of How to Book a Murder, and will definitely be coming back for the sequel.

How to Book a Murder is the first book in the new Starlit Bookshop Mystery series by Cynthia Kuhn. Emma returns to Colorado to help her sister, Lucy, and Aunt Nora save their bookstore. Unfortunately for Emma, returning home re-ignited long ago rivalries with high school adversaries. When she gets involved in hosting a murder-mystery evening at her rival's home, tragedy occurs and all fingers point to Emma and her Aunt Nora.

I enjoyed the premise of the story and how the author unfolded the mystery. She included several side stories that gave How to Book a Murder depth and realism. I was invested in the characters and the plot as I read about two sisters running the family bookstore, trying to figure out additional income streams to keep them afloat.

The book is full of twists, turns, double-crosses, and deceit. I was surprised at the reveal of the murderer, but not at all surprised about the who the person hung around with. There was a lot going on and sorting out what was part of the murder plot and what wasn't, kept me on my toes. I look forward to the next book in the series.

How to Book a Murder
By Cynthia Kuhn
Crooked Lane Books, 7 December 2021

Emily Starrs (I love that name!) and her sister own the Starlit Bookshop in a small Colorado town. Unfortunately, the shop is failing, which leads Emily to take a catering job for her high school nemesis, Tabitha. Tabitha is definitely on the witchy side and is unpleasant to everyone who is not on her social level.

When Tabitha’s husband dies at their swanky event, she publicly accuses Emily and her aunt of the murder! Emily’s Aunt Nora just happens to be a famous mystery author and the murder just happens to match the details of a murder in one of her books.

Tabitha’s character was easy to hate because it was so over the top. I also wondered why Emily and Nora didn’t sue her over the very public accusations. All that aside, I did enjoy this first installment of the Starlit Bookshop Series and I look forward to reading the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this cozy series starter! The excellent setting (love visualizing the riverwalk behind the store), the relationship between Emma and her sister and aunt, the academia glimpses, the over-the-top book launch, and the whole cast of characters and places in this charming town made for a great story. The mystery, and the high stakes, were well done with great clues. Can't wait to read the next one.

This is a fantastic start to a new cozy series! I love the theme of the murder mystery scene turning into a real murder mystery and the chaos that ensues. Kuhn avoided a lot of the irritating cozy tropes, and her characters and writing had substance. I really enjoyed this one, and I look forward to the next book in the series!

Cynthia Kuhn immerses the reader in the Starlit Bookshop in How to Book a Murder. Emma has her PhD in English but no job so she lends a hand with her Aunt Nora in the Starlit Bookshop. At her first event her nemesis from school days hires her to plan the event, but the husband of the nemesis is murdered. Tabitha, the sour widow, blames Emma and her aunt for the murder and tries to destroy her bookstore. Bodies start dropping. Whodunit? Lots of suspects. Read How to Book a Murder.