Samantha becomes the prime suspect while waiting for the release of her first book. The victim is a book reviewer who has ruined several careers due to her dislike of the author. I enjoyed how Samantha gets herself out of this mess. The cover has to be one of my favorite in the series. The expression on that poor dog’s face. Priceless.

I have been a fan of this series since the first book, and this was a good addition to it. I love the supporting characters! Sam is so lucky to have such a strong support system. When she is unfairly accused of killing an unscrupulous reviewer, Sam has to rely on her friends and family more than ever. I do agree, however, with other reviewers that the book within a book sections tended to drag down the main narrative at times. I also got annoyed with how long it took Sam and her crew to figure out a pretty big plot point. Overall, though, I enjoyed the read and will be checking out the next one.

This cozy mystery lived up to my expectation….thank you NetGalley! The characters were likable and believable, well as much as fiction characters can be. Cute story as well as easy story to follow!

I knew I just had to read this. I mean a book set in a bookshop ❤️ and doggies on the cover !!!❤️

I have to admit that I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series but like most cozy mysteries you really don’t need to read previous books .
This is a great cozy mystery book that got me hooked from the very first page. It’s well written .

I do recommend

Bookclubbed to Death was another excellent addition to the Mystery Bookshop series following Sam as she finds herself accused of murder.

Mystery bookshop owner Samantha Washington thinks she's doing a good deed when she offers up the store to a book club after the local library is flooded in a storm. But when Sam accidentally angers the club leader Delia Marshall, a book reviewer who can make or break an author's career, she becomes worried as her book is about to be published. And then the next morning Sam finds Delia dead on the shop's floor leading to Sam becoming a suspect after two ambitious cops are assigned to the case. Sam quickly gathers Nana Jo and their friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village to clear Sam's name and find the killer before Sam is locked up for a crime she didn't commit.

The premise of this one was interesting and while it wasn't the first time Sam found herself accused of murder, it was certainly the closest she came to being convicted for it. Unfortunately for Sam, she's not dealing with Detective Pitt this time around as he is still recovering from being shot saving Sam's life in a previous book. The two detectives assigned to the case like Sam for the crime and are completely unwilling to entertain any other suspects. And there were definitely a lot of those as Delia was almost universally disliked by everyone who knew her and she upset a lot of people. With Sam's freedom on the line, the Sleuthing Seniors quickly get to work and I love watching these ladies chase down leads. Each of the women have their own specialties and they're an absolute riot when they get together to go over the case. I was happy with how the case was resolved and I thought the ending was particularly well done.

Sam's journey to become a published author is almost complete with her book on the verge of release at the start of Bookclubbed to Death. I've enjoyed watching Sam work on her books throughout the series and she once again writes another installment of her British cozy mystery series in this book. While historical British cozies aren't really my thing, Sam has developed a well fleshed out series with interesting characters. I like that Sam uses her writing as a way to work out her theories for whatever real-life mystery she's trying to solve and it's once again a useful tool for her in the investigation.

Overall Bookclubbed to Death was a great read and I would highly recommend the series if you're looking for some fun cozy mysteries.

After the local library in North Harbor, Michigan, is flooded in a storm, Sam offers her bookstore as a new venue for the Mystery Mavens Book Club. Unfortunately, she immediately runs afoul of the club leader, Delia Marshall, a book reviewer who can make or break careers. But the next morning, Sam opens her shop to find Delia dead on the floor, bashed with the Complete Works of Agatha Christie. While Sam is busy writing her latest British historical mystery, a pair of ambitious cops suspect Sam of the real murder. When she gathers Nano Jo and their friends to review the case, they discover everyone in the book club had a motive. Sam must find out who clubbed Delia before a judge throws the book at her.
This was a great cozy mystery to curl up to on a cold November night. I love how there is a mystery inside of the story. I loved both plots, and the characters in both stories are very likeable. I would love the author to actually write a full-sized historical mystery with the characters created by her amateur sleuth. I will read the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader's copy.

A cozy mystery set in a. Book shop?! There's nothing better. This book is part 8 of a series but don't let that stop you! The story is clever and keeps you wondering. The characters are fun and I'm definitely going back for the rest of this series now!

5/5 stars!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I somehow got behind and missed Bookclubbed to Death, book 8 in the Mystery Bookshop cozy mystery series by V.M. Burns so I’m glad I found an audiobook copy on @hoopladigital. This is the first time I’ve listened to one in this series (the rest I read in print) and it was so enjoyable! Listening to it really brought the story within a story aspect to life. A solid mystery with main character Sam at the center of this murder investigation! Thankfully Sam has a lovely cast of characters in her life to help prove her innocence since the narrow minded police only want to focus on Sam. Loved getting to see more of Sam’s older sister as well. Looking forward to book 9 that comes out in late November. @kensingtonbooks

Bookclubbed to Death

by V. M. Burns

Samantha “Sam” Washington owns Market Street Mysteries Bookshop on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Her grandmother Nana Jo helps out at the bookstore and with the mysteries in which Sam manages to get enmeshed. Nana Jo lives in a retirement community and has a cadre of friends who always want to help out too. Sam’s sidekicks are her two toy poodles Snickers and Oreo. Her fiancé Frank is retired from secretive government agencies and still has contacts that prove to be invaluable when Sam needs to prove her innocence after a murder victim is found in her store.

Sam is also a writer awaiting publication of her first book. She needs a distraction when the investigation becomes overwhelming. Then she involves herself with manuscripts that are in process. They are historical fiction pieces; the novels she writes mirror her real-life problems and help her think them through. In this case we read her book about King George VI who needs Lady Elizabeth’s help in unraveling a murder mystery at Windsor Castle. Just as in Sam’s real-life mystery, Lady Elizabeth surrounds herself with trusted volunteers and assigns them jobs. Then Lady Elizabeth puts the clues together to discover opportunity, motivation, method, and the killer.

In the present day murder, Sam has to deal with Delia Marshall, an important reviewer who could ruin Sam’s writing career. Sam agrees to allow Delia and her book club, the Mystery Mavens, the use of her bookstore for their meeting when the library is closed for repairs after a tornado. At first Sam caters to Delia’s unreasonable requests, but eventually stands firms. She soon discovers that Delia is quite unpopular, and it becomes necessary for her to find out why.

The author’s technique of echoing the theme and plot of one story within another is interesting. It is not my favorite way of storytelling, but the author does it well. It will appeal to lovers of cozy mysteries, historical fiction, royalty, and dual timeline as Bookclubbed to Death combines all into one work of fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #8 in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone. I have only read one other in the series, #6, so you can see that the author does a good job in providing any needed details.

Publication: December 27, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

“But rather than using her brains to help others, she used hers to sleuth out secrets. Everyone has secrets they’d rather weren’t made public. Delia found out what they were and figured out how to use them to her benefit.”

“You inspired me. You came into that room like a … giant. You weren’t afraid of Delia. You knew she could destroy your career, but you still burst into that room and challenged her. You weren’t afraid of Delia Marshall. That’s when I gained courage. I knew I needed to do something.”

… writing allowed my subconscious to sort through the clues and figure out things my conscious mind couldn’t, then I needed to write. I needed all of the help I could get.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting book. Thank you.

I finished this book right before the recent book reviewer controversy on tik tok, and let me say I couldn't have timed it any better. Delia is a local "well respected" book reviewer/literary critic, but come to find out shes been blackmailing the authors. When she's found dead, Sam is accused, since Delia was found in her bookstore. It's time for the entire crew to solve this mystery and prove Sam's innocence.

I love how everyone is truly a family and will do whatever their strengths are to help solve the case. My favorite part was how loving Frank is to Sam. Of course the seniors will have you in chuckles. And you get a continuation of Sam's writing process and more information about the characters of her book.

This is a fun cozy. Sam owns a book store and has offered to host the Mystery Mavens Book Club after the library has a fire. Boy was she in for a surprise. The leader of the book club is bossy and mean and also a book reviewer. Sam has just finished writing a book and hopes for a good review. However things go catty-wampus when the reviewer turns nasty and threatens to sue her. Delia tried to kick on of the Sam's little dogs and the other one came to it's rescue. The next morning Sam finds Delia murdered in her bookstore! What can Sam do but set out to find the real killer and stop all the gossip.

Fun story and a nice escape. It was easy to read and there were some twists in the story that kept me turning the pages.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

Sam is celebrating, not without trepidation, the publication of her first Wickfield Lodge mystery. A bad storm knocks out electricity to a large part of North Harbor, Michigan, and the public library is damaged. Sam offers to help out by hosting a local mystery book club in her mystery bookstore, and she's excited to discover that the Mystery Mavens include a published author and well-known reviewer. Then the reviewer is found dead in her bookstore, and Sam finds herself the number one suspect in a real life murder mystery. One that could have deadly consequences if she can't uncover the real murderer before she's arrested. I like Sam and her mom and the secondary characters, but the trope of having her subconscious figure out the clues and the mystery while she's writing her book is wearing mighty thin. We've read chapters of her mystery within the books, and frankly, they kind of stink, so the accolades upon publishing are hard to swallow. I'd suggest limiting this plot device to once or twice in the course of a Mystery Bookshop story, as its prevalence in just about every other chapter is tedious.

The characters in this series are always a joy to revisit, Sam and Nana Jo keep things interesting, and the Seniors help with everything from research to clean up. Truth is stranger than fiction, so they say, and it doesn’t take long for readers to discover that sometimes things they thought were true are nothing more than a rumor or perhaps purposeful deception. The ending will make book reviewers and writers think twice before posting or publishing their material. Sam is a fun character that gives readers hour after hour of entertainment. The book within a book continues in this latest addition to the series and may even be better than the actual mystery. This is a must read for fans of V.M. Burns and the series. This was an excellent read. I look forward to reading Murder on Tour.

Sam is walking on eggshells with book reviewer Delia. She goes above and beyond to make Delia's book club meeting a success to no avail. When Delia is found dead in Sam's bookstore, Sam is the only suspect. As she and the Shady Acres Retirement Village residents start to investigate, they discover plenty of people who had reasons to want Delia dead. I do admit to skipping over the sub-story (Sam's book) in every one of these that I read. I enjoy the series but find this extra story drags things down!

⭐⭐⭐.5 -- Cute cover on this book.

<b>"Bookclubbed to Death"</b> is the eighth (and finale?) book in the <b>"Mystery Bookshop</b> series by V.M. Burns. It was also my first foray into this series. Being that haven't read any of the other books in this series i will say this held up excellently as a standalone. I loved the setting of a mystery bookshop in North Harbor, Michigan. The plot was engaging (mostly...more on this in a bit). It had plenty of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing. The characters themselves were all very pleasant and likable. All good things.

However, there was one aspect of the book that just didn't work for me. The story within the story....Sam's book she is writing. First, how is she still writing a book that is set to release within days?? 🤔 That aside, I found the inclusion of pages of this separate mystery story to be disruptive to the flow of the main story. I simply wasn't interested in this secondary mystery, and eventually just started skimming past those parts to get back to the main story. 🤷🏻‍♀️

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the main mystery, and because of that I am giving this 👍🏻👍🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

A tornado tears through town and leaves the library book clubs homeless. Sam offers her store and other bonuses for them to continue meeting until the library reopens. Little did she realize that a real life murder would soon be under discussion, with her as the suspect. There is a cozy within this cozy as Sam's own book is to be published shortly, and she is writing the next in the series.

Bookclubbed to Death is the 8th volume in the V.M. Burns Mystery Bookshop series. I’ve read the previous books and enjoyed them all. It’s one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Reading the full series in order would be ideal to best experience the development of the characters from book to book. I hopped around the series based on the availability of individual books and did fine.

The series is centered around Samantha Washington, who quit her job and opened a mystery bookshop to follow through on the dream she shared with her recently deceased husband.

When her community in North Harbor, Michigan, is faced with a major storm that causes power outages and floods the local library, Sam comes to the rescue, offering to host the Mystery Mavens Book Club. Unfortunately, the club is led by Delia Matthews, an influential book reviewer who lives to complain.

The next day, Delia is found “clubbed to death” with The Complete Works of Agatha Christie. Once again, Sam must solve a crime she has stumbled across, this time because she’s a prime suspect in the case. Fortunately, her grandmother Nano Jo and her friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village are available to provide backup.

The multi-dimensional Sam is a big Agatha Christie fan and writing a cozy of her own – a British Drawing Room Mystery set in the 1930s – which the reader is treated to excerpts of throughout the series. In her spare time, she’s also mentoring a college student and romancing a local restaurateur.

Throughout the series, Burns brings up relevant true-to-life racial issues, such as redlining and how the police treat Black men. These serious realities are woven seamlessly throughout the stories in a way that stays true to the cozy mystery genre.

The series manages to do a lot without ever losing the lightness of a cozy.

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Bookclubbed to Death from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#BookclubbedtoDeath #NetGalley

I haven't read the previous books in this series (and never will), so I took the following quote at face value:

"The pounding continued. I headed for the stairs but had a flashback to another time when someone pounded on my door and I'd denied him entry. He'd been found dead in my courtyard the very next morning. I wasn't a superstitious person, but I also didn't want to tempt fate twice."

This comes not very many pages into the book, and was a pretty clear sign that I wasn't going to be finishing it. That one little quote raised so many questions for me. Like "are you seriously not even going to see who it is?" and "do you seriously think you'll be able to sleep with someone pounding on the door?" and "seriously, the last person you ignored DIED, and you're calling learning from that experience superstition?" and "how are you able to sleep at night, pounding or no pounding, knowing that someone you 'denied entry' DIED?" I obviously don't know the rest of that story, but if I once decided not to let someone in and they died shortly thereafter, hearing a pounding on my door would send me running to open it (or at least call the police) forever after.

I made a note shortly after:
"Nana Jo must have noticed how miserable I was and decided to take pity on me."
- - What was her first clue? You were being so subtle.

Which was, of course, me being sarcastic. Because "subtle" isn't something I expect happens in this book.

I gave up a few pages later when the main character sat in front of her computer and started working on her novel or what-have-you. Which meant that the book just got finished introducing a whole cast of characters, and now, through the MC's novel, it was (to quote my reaction, caps lock and all) intro-dumping a WHOLE NEW CAST OF CHARACTERS.

It just didn't seem worth it.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.