I love a good cozy mystery. This was a fun read, but I don't know if I'd be interested in reading any sequels. Tess Harrow, a recently divorced mystery/thriller author, finds herself with her teenage daughter at her recently deceased grandfather's cabin in the middle of no where. She happens upon a murder that she shoves her nose into the investigation where it doesn't belong, deciding she knows how to solve a murder because she writes about them.

Tess to me was a very unlikeable character. I do love how the sheriff continuously calls her out on her nonsense and constantly reminds her she has no business digging into an investigation. There are so many mystery/thriller books that the main character is messing up an investigation because they apparently think they know better than the detectives. It made me laugh every time this was pointed out in this book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It had enough twists and turns, and red herrings that I was guessing until the end. Some even that I knew weren't leading up to anything because Tess had some wild theories that had me rolling my eyes just like the sheriff.

Tess Harrow is a successful thriller writer. This means that her first glimpse of her grandfather’s old cabin is met with thoughts about where the dead bodies might be hidden – her mind just works like that, much to the dismay of her teenage daughter, Gertrude.

Over the course of the book, we find out the backstory that’s led the pair here, but in brief, a bad divorce, as well as the need for Tess to finish her new book. She thinks the peace and quiet of the wilderness is just the thing, with no wi-fi (or several other home comforts) to distract her. Again, hugely to the dismay of poor Gertrude!

However, things instantly don’t go to plan, as the pair’s arrival coincides with a loud explosion from behind the inherited property, and Tess being hit in the face with a dead body-part. A little much, even for a crime writer! She can’t help but try to solve the mystery of the corpse, not to mention all the other oddities around the rural town, be that slashed fertilizer bags in the local store, a missing cat, or library books stolen from the bookmobile. Could such trivialities help her solve a real murder?

I do like book-themed cosy mysteries, so it’s always fun to find a new series. I ended up quite liking this one, but not without some reservations. Tess is mostly a great character, and the set-up feels a little Castle-like. It’s convenient – and amusing – that the local sheriff is so like her novels’ lead character, but he wastes no time in telling her how wrong she gets real police work. However, I did find it a bit ‘hmm’ that Tess seems to need to pull all of her inspiration from the real events around her – how was she coping before she could ask the deputy what kind of pie she likes, and would it really have mattered to just, y’know, make it up?

She’s also very prone to jumping to huge conclusions about the real case, far more theatrical than realistic, which dampened my opinion of her. On the other hand, her personal woes and struggle to bond with a teenage daughter are all rather lovely, and there is something fun about the interactions with the bemused locals and her totally OTT theories.

The focus does stay on the crime, but with excellent use of the personal elements as background – great balance here. It’s a little on the grittier side than some ‘cosies’, but not too dark, so again a good balance from my point of view. And utter amazement: the teenager is great, not remotely annoying! 😉

Overall, this isn’t going to be one of my favourite cosy series, but it was a fun read and I’d happily pick up a sequel.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the first book in her new By the Book series, a bookish cozy mystery series. This book is fun and mysterious, and has a Sasquatch and flying Tucans!

Tess Harrow, a best-selling thriller writer, decided to spend some time in her Grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods with her teenage daughter Gertie. She recently inherited the cabin, set by a lake in a remote area in Washington state. With no electricity, wifi, or other distractions, Tess hopes this will be a bonding experience with her daughter after her divorce from Gertie’s father.

But, as soon as they arrive, they hear a large explosion from the lake, and body parts rain on top of them. Now Tess is involved in a murder investigation and decides to help the local sheriff, Victor Boyd, who happens to share an uncanny resemblance to her main character, Detective Gabriel Gonzales. Sheriff Boyd isn’t happy to have help with his investigation, but eventually, he grudgingly accepts her help.

This book was a quick read for me. There is an excellent balance of humor, mystery, and vivid characters that kept me turning pages until I could find out who the murderer was. Tess, as a thriller writer, knows just enough about murder investigations to be a pain in the behind to the sheriff, but without her sleuthing, he never would have figured out who was murdering his citizens. These characters are very well written, I felt like I could be a best friend to Tess, and enjoyed her smartmouthed daughter, Gertie very much.

The mystery had enough red herrings in it to keep me guessing until the very end. The addition of Sasquatch and some wild animals make for some humor as well as some interesting theories for the murderer. I loved the little town and all the quirky characters. I’m looking forward to the next books in this series.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was not sure that I was going to like this book at the beginning but as I kept reading, I was drawn in, the story unfolded, and it turned out to be a funny, entertaining read. Author Tess Harrow and her daughter head to the isolated rustic cabin that Tess inherited from her grandfather for a summertime of time away from electronics and distractions of life but the quiet is interrupted with an explosion in the pond behind the cabin, leaving body parts all over the place. Tess puts on her author hat to find answers along with the local sheriff, Victor Boyd, and his department personnel. She also friends the local bookmobile driver, Nicki. All have read Tess's books and are familiar with her characters. Tess's daughter Gertrude is a cute and smart fourteen-year-old missing her absentee father, who left them. This is a story with quirky, funny characters and a mystery plot that is unusual with a whodunnit that I did not see coming. Everyone is not as they seem in this one with twists, turns, and surprises. This is a new to me author that I plan to see what other books that she has written as well as the next in this series. I recommend for those who enjoy cozy mysteries set in the outdoors with a sense of humor.
I received a complimentary ARC from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

A rustic cabin in the woods of Northern Washington, “they could probably reach out and touch the Canadian border”, with no electricity, phone service, or Wi-Fi, seemed like the perfect place for bestselling author Tess Harrow to bond with her daughter and finish her book following her divorce. Expecting a lot of peace and quiet they are jolted literally when an explosion occurs and then another and another. When Tess and Gertie turn to investigate they see a man running toward them shouting followed by another BOOM! Then came a shower of water, fish guts, and a HUMAN ARM! They hadn’t even gotten unpacked and they already had to call the cops.

Tess writes about murder all the time but solving one in real life could be really exciting especially when she meets the local sheriff who bears a striking resemblance to her lead character Detective Gabriel Gonzales. Of course, the sheriff doesn’t want her help but that is not going to stop her from solving the case before he does. Plus all this drama is going to be perfect for her new book!

Oh, my, this was a hilarious cozy mystery!

Tess was a strong protagonist but could be a bit aggravating at times. She is always thinking about scenes for her next book, basically, she has her mind on murder almost 100% of the time and sometimes drifts off into her own little world, but she pulls it off. Her daughter Gertie, is a typical teenager, dependent on technology, livid that they are out in the boonies with no cell towers. But then she comes around and sometimes is several steps ahead of her mother in figuring things out. She also finds herself lost in a book during this story and I LOVED THAT!

Readers are introduced to several characters including Sheriff Boyd and that man was so patient with Tess. He really surprised me which made him my favorite character. He had to deal with some really crazy things and he didn’t get shook. The supporting cast is rounded out by a bookmobile librarian who becomes fast friends with Tess and Gertie, a couple of deputies including a budding author, the Peabody brothers who own Peabody Timber, and other residents of Winthrop. Tess’s ex also makes an appearance. I felt all the characters were pretty well fleshed out for the first book in the series.

Ms. Berry has written a really unique mystery full of corkscrew twists and gritty turns. Tess’s years of writing thrillers help her envision several different scenarios of what could be happening in the woods by her grandfather’s cabin and she is happy to share all of them with Sheriff Boyd. Some are pretty out there but she soon was on the right track. It was a lot of fun to follow in her footsteps as all the clues started to fall into place but I was totally surprised by the super exciting ending.

As I said, this book is so funny, I had several laugh-out-loud moments. But there were a few scenes that if I were watching it as a movie I may have covered my eyes. That being said those scenes were true to the plot the author was building so it made total sense in this off-the-wall mystery.

Buried in a Good Book will keep readers on their toes while tickling their funny bones. Tess and Gertie’s relationship really evolved into something wonderful by the end of the story and I am anxious to see what the author has in store for them next.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

I enjoy cozy mysteries and the description for this one caught my attention. Tess is an author of a series of mysteries. The main character of her books, Sheriff Gonzales is similar to the Sheriff that she meets when body parts start hitting her and her daughter soon after they arrive at the cabin she inherited from her grandfather. I found the relationship between Sherriff Boyd and Tess very interesting and fun at times. I only gave this book 3 stars because Tess just was too annoying throughout the book and I thought she was just too stuck on herself. I couldn't fully enjoy the book for this reason.. Interesting mystery though.

I fully admit I came into this expecting another run-of-the-mill cozy mystery and I apologize because, boy, was I wrong. It does have all the elements of a traditional cozy mystery, but it also stands out from the pack with expert pacing and characters that kept me guessing all the way to the end. I truly had no inkling of what the big reveal was going to be or who the real bad guy was and I love how Berry finally laid out all the pieces. It was unexpected but very obvious in hindsight. I think this is a big part of why I enjoyed it so much, the constant drops of little nuggets that kept me guessing without ever giving too much away.
The fact that I liked leading lady Tess from the very beginning and that Berry balances out the gruesome with the fun incredibly well meant that there is not an element of this story that wasn't enjoyable.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early read!

Buried in a Good Book
A By the Books Mystery
By Tamara Berry

From the Publisher
Description of Buried in a Good Book

Don't miss the first book in a brand-new gripping and hilarious bookish cozy mystery series by author Tamara Berry! Put your sleuthing hat on-Buried in a Good Book features:
A thriller writer who knows way more than anyone should about death and dismemberment
Her young daughter who's more intrigued by dead bodies than she probably should be
An isolated cabin in the woods that's probably-definitely-hiding something
The tiny mountain town that seems less than troubled by a sudden abundance of murders

Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess's recent divorce, but they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it's raining fish guts and...is that a human arm?

Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she's thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they've spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales-something he's less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter's summer plans at stake, it's up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.

My Thoughts on Buried in a Good Book

I stopped reading the galley to go and order the book. Why? Because the writing *sparks* on the page. The first words drew me in immediately. The mystery is off to a quick start when a severed arm rains down from the sky. That grabbed my attention. Tess also has her hands full with her daughter, Gertie. Gertie is smart and not afraid to say what she thinks. She also has a quick wit and the sparring between the two is hilarious at times. Also? Tess would starve if it wasn’t for Gertie’s gourmet cooking skills.
Then there’s the sheriff, Victor Boyd. He’s the spitting image of Detective Gabriel-Gonzales. Sheriff Boyd knows this because he is a big fan of Tess’s, something he is reluctant to admit. Tess, however, is constantly bringing up her favorite detective and what he would and wouldn’t do in any situation. These characters add plenty of humor to the book.
Tess takes it upon herself to investigate the murder—after all, it practically happened in her backyard. Doing so, however, places her and Gertie in the killer’s path. It was a twist I didn’t see coming (even though all the clues were there). At first, I wasn’t particularly happy with the ending. I had to go back and think it through. Once I connected all the dots, the ending made sense.
So. My recommendation is to read this book. It’s a keeper on my shelves.


Thanks to #Netgalley for providing a copy of the book.

Buried in a Good Book has an interesting plot. Tess and her teenaged daughter Gertie move out to a rustic remote cabin to heal after her divorce. Their arrival is met with calamities and they need to sort out what’s really going on. I thought Tess was overly dramatic and the daughter showed more common sense.
I really liked the cover but the story didn’t really engage me.

Thriller writer Tess Harrow has packed up her fourteen year-old daughter Gertrude and fled to the hills of Washington state in the aftermath of her contentious divorce. Having inherited her grandfather’s remote rural property, Tess figures a summer living without easy access to the Internet is just what she needs to work on her next book – and what Gertie needs to blunt the pain of a dad who seems to have left behind his only child along with his ex-wife.

Tess’ imagination is already spinning up various story ideas as she and Gertie arrive at the cabin, but nothing prepares either the wisecracking author or her long-suffering daughter for a series of explosions that rocks their new, temporary home. Running outside to see what’s happening, they discover someone dynamiting the pond behind their house, just as a body part falls from the sky and smacks Tess in the face.

Tess is further disconcerted by the subsequent arrival of Sheriff Victor Boyd, who’s a dead ringer for the hero of her bestselling series. Sheriff Boyd is well aware of this resemblance, and while he’ll only reluctantly admit to being a fan of her writing, he does have lots to say about her misrepresentation of proper law enforcement protocols in her books. In fact, he’s such a stickler for the rules that Tess is worried that he’ll never get to the bottom of who murdered the person sunk into her pond. Until, that is, she has an epiphany:

QUOTE
Tess held herself perfectly motionless, unwilling to shift by so much as an inch. She wouldn’t give Sheriff Boyd the satisfaction. He was, of course, perfectly right. It was a lot easier to solve crimes when you didn’t have to bother with things like rules and regulations–when you weren’t prevented by a badge and an oath of honor from nosing around where you didn’t belong. It made for <i>terrible</i> fiction, but that wasn’t the point. For once in her life, she wasn’t thinking about her book. Sheriff Boyd, a cop who unquestionably understood privacy laws and stuck to them, wasn’t what this case needed.

<i>She</i>, however, was.
END QUOTE

By hook or by crook, Tess is determined not only to help him figure out who killed the person left in her pond and why, but also to investigate the case of the alleged Bigfoot roaming through the woods and scaring the locals. Alas for Tess, solving mysteries, as she soon discovers, isn’t quite as easy as making them up, especially when she’s on deadline and has a daughter to single parent. Fortunately, said daughter rises to the occasion, albeit grumpily, as when Tess and her new friend Nicki are brainstorming ideas to gain quasi-legal access to a recently vacated home:

QUOTE
“Ohmigod, you guys.” Gertrude sighed and unfolded her legs from the end of the bed. Tess could have sworn that those legs had grown at least two inches since they’d arrived. “If it was a rental, just go to her landlord and ask to look around. Pretend you want to rent it now that it’s empty. No one will think that’s weird.”

Tess and Nicki’s eyes met in a moment of shared excitement–and chagrin. The latter was mostly on Tess’s side. Not because her daughter had just outsmarted her, but because drawing an impressionable teenager into her criminal enterprise wasn’t going to win her any parent of the year awards.
END QUOTE

As the body count rises, Tess’ sense of adventure is dampened by genuine fear for her daughter’s well-being. The sudden arrival of her ex-husband could prove either a blessing or a curse. Sure, it makes more sense for him to take Gertie back to the relative safety of Seattle. But would a separation damage their mother-daughter bond irreparably? Of course, no separation is more permanent than the death promised by a killer stalking the woods, ready to take out any meddlers, famous authors included.

I loved every minute spent reading this hilarious, fast-paced yet overall tender and sensitive mystery novel. I’m a big fan of Tamara Berry’s from her outstanding Eleanor Wilde mystery series, and fell in love just as deeply with the characters here as I did in those books. The banter is fresh, funny and realistic. The plot twists are smart and believable. I laughed out loud a lot, even as I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next. Ms Berry has written another superlative humorous mystery novel that never eschews emotion or logic for a punchline. You must treat yourself to her wonderful writing if you haven’t yet had the privilege of reading her work.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At the beginning of this book, I was not sure just how much I would like this book because it started a little slow. However, I found myself being completely sucked into this book! The character development/growth was some of the best that I have read in a while. There were several times during this book that I had to stop reading and look around my room to make sure that I was not being watched because I was genuinely creeped out. I am already looking forward to reading the next book and purchasing a physical copy of this book.

After her divorce Tess and her daughter Gertrude head to her grandfather’s rustic cabin. Shortly after they arrive an explosion happens and besides raining fish, it’s also raining human body parts. Tess invites herself to help the local police, after all she writes mysteries for a living. First in a new series.
Goodreads

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the debut of By the Book Mysteries. Buried in a Good Book is a lighthearted cozy mystery. I am torn on my thoughts about this book. In the beginning, I was amused by Tess and Gertie as well as the mystery. I love Gertie (my favorite character). She is a precocious teen. Gertie is helpful and comes up with good ideas. She is often several steps ahead of her mother. Gertie is, though, going through that teen angst phase thanks to her absentee father (and arguments with her mother). There is a large cast of characters (Sheriff Boyd, Peabody brothers, Ivy, Nikki, Quinn, and Carl to name a few) which can make it hard to keep them all straight. Tess is a strong character. She can be hard to like at times, but I do find her amusing (for the most part). Her thought processes are what I love (she always has murder on the brain). Her mind can wander at times when a writing idea takes hold (usually at inappropriate times). Sheriff Victor Boyd is a good counterbalance for Tess. He is normally a calm, levelheaded man who conducts his investigations by the book. Tess likes to take liberties with the rules which ruffles Sheriff Boyd’s feathers. If the poor man did not have high blood pressure before meeting Tess, he will have it now. Gertie also loves being part of a murder investigation (which upsets and impresses Tess). The mystery is convoluted. I felt the author tried to put too much into one book. However, it is a fun crime to solve. There are a variety of suspects, a red herring or two, plus plenty of humor. I like how it all wrapped up at the end with an entertaining reveal. I did find it challenging to keep track of the differences between the real crime and Tess’s books. There are numerous references to Tess’s crime thriller series. In addition, we have the bookmobile librarian who has read all of Tess’s books (knows them very well) and a deputy who has written a science fiction novel that she would like Tess to read. I did find it amusing how she got Tess to read her lengthy manuscript. Let us not forget the errant ex-husband who shows up and causes drama. If you like light, comical cozy mysteries, then you will enjoy Buried in a Good Book. I wonder what Tess and Gertie will get up to next time in On Spine of Death. Buried in a Good Book is an entertaining whodunit with flying fish, a derelict dwelling, bothersome brothers, a blue bookmobile, a vexing ex-husband, a staid sheriff, and a witty writer who loves whodunits.

Buried in a Good Book starts off with several BOOMs. The course of events is terrible but funny, so I started to have high hopes. By mid-way through the story was so convoluted that I struggled with impatience toward the main character Tess Harrow. Her wild theories created more than a little chaos. Tess is a detective fiction novelist. Her detective and her name is well known in the small town she goes to visit with her daughter Gertrude.
Who names their daughter Gertrude in this day and age. If Gertie was out of patience with her mother it had to at least partially be due to her name. The other part was probably the wild theories.
Tess annoys the local sheriff too. Granted there is a lot of crazy going on - Bigfoot, toucans, flying fish, blast fishing, triplets and plenty of crooked people.
I do have to admit I didn’t see the final outcome coming. Some of Tess’ theories seemed plausible.
I am on the fence as to whether I would continue if a second book comes out. This book makes the country song “Third Rock From the Sun” come to mind. All of the chaos makes perfect sense in the end.

I absolutely love cozies but none of them tickle my funny bone as much as this one did. In this first book in the By the Book Mysteries series, bestselling mystery author Tess Harrow brings her teen daughter, Gertrude, to stay at a cabin. Off the grid, so to speak. The fun part for me is that the town's sheriff strongly resembles the cop/sleuth in Tess's mysteries. There's definitely a chemistry there.

Great plot, great characters. Loved it and I'm quite happy to see that the second book in the series is due out later this year.

This is the first cozy mystery that I have read in many years and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It had an interesting plot that kept me turning the pages as quick as possible. The humor had me laughing out loud but it also had some seriousness pertaining to dealing with divorce and it’s effects on children. This is the first book in a new series and I will certainly be looking for the next installment.

This is the first book in the By The Book mysteries. Tess Harlow is recently divorced and her ex-husband Quentin has basically ignored their teenaged daughter Gertrude since and it is breaking Tess’s heart. She decides heading up north to Winthrop and her Grandfather’s isolated cabin (no wifi and electricity) and take her out of Seattle and facing that hurt every day. She also has a deadline on her book, as Tess is an author of the popular “Fury” series. As Tess and Gertie are unloading the car they hear a series of booms and run around back to the pond and find someone throwing dynamite which leads to fish flying and then body parts. Body parts? Tess calls the police and Sheriff Victor Boyd arrives and he is surprisingly the spitting image of her main character Detective Gonzales. Sheriff Boyd is not thrilled when he learns who Tess is as he is constantly being reminded of what Detective Gonzales would do which he points out to her no officer could possibly do the things she does in her books. Sheriff Boyd and Tess butt heads at every step of this murder investigation since she is driving him with her theories yet they begin to form a friendship. I enjoyed this book so much as Tess really grew as a person as does Gertie. The story had me guessing until almost the very end who was the guilty party and I like that as some stories can be so predictable. Cannot wait to see what happens next in this series.

Buried In A Good Book is the first in a new cozy mystery series by Tamara Berry. I requested it from NetGalley on a whim because I liked the cover, and I’m so glad I did! This book is an entertaining murder mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end.

Tess Harrow is a bestselling mystery writer from Seattle who inherited a rustic cabin in a small town in Washington after her grandfather died. It's been a few months since her divorce and she decides to bring her 14-year-old daughter Gertie to stay at the cabin for the summer as a way to recharge and hopefully start writing a new book. They’ve barely arrived when an explosion rocks the cabin, plunging them into a real life murder mysery.

I love books that give me an inside look into an author’s writing process, even if it’s fictional. While trying to help solve the murder, Tess starts to compare the local sheriff to her own bestselling MC and incorporates some of the more salacious details of the case into her new book. There are some laugh out loud moments, some quirky side characters and a few twists that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the pacing, the small town setting and the budding romance between Tessa and the sheriff.

The plot was original, if not a little far-fetched, but if you can suspend your disbelief I think you’ll really enjoy this. Some of the “clues” came out of nowhere, too, so there’s really no way to guess what’s going to happen until it’s happening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one! If you like a cozy mystery with a quirky, opinionated heroine, hilarious banter and an entertaining cast of side characters, then this one is worth checking out! Add this to your TBR before it releases on May 24th! Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy to read and review.

Five stars for what I found to be an excellent opener to a new cosy series. As soon as it began I knew I was going to like the main character, Tess Harris. She is a famous writer of thrillers starring a detective called Gabriel Gonzales and tends to live all of life's experiences as though she is in a book herself. I thought she was great fun.

The book begins with Tess and her (also amazingly likeable) teenage daughter, Gertie, escaping to a wilderness cabin after a marriage break up. Their arrival does not bode well as an explosion in a nearby lake causes them to be showered by dead fish and a human arm. A murder investigation ensues and Tess meets Sheriff Victor Boyd, a man who always comes off second best to her imaginary hero Gabriel Gonzales.

The dialogue is frequently amusing, the story occasionally outrageous but always entertaining and there are even some teary moments. The author provides many red herrings and it is difficult to trust any of the characters. I thought I had cleverly guessed the baddy but it turned out I could not have been more wrong.

Altogether an excellent read and I am really looking forward to the next book. The author has given herself so much to work with in the setting and the characters that it should definitely be a good one!

Tess Harrow escapes Seattle to Winthrop to write her latest novel with her 14 year old daughter in tow. When the remote cabin with NO modern conveniences becomes a real life crime story, Tess tries to solve the crime using her fictional characters as guides.

First, I loved Tess! She’s equal parts sassy, naive, and confident. Gertie keeps us all on our toes. I especially liked the casualness of this book. It kept me reading and it kept me entertained. Every character served a purpose. I am excited for book two in this series!!!!!