Mystery Writer Cozy
Ms. Berry’s lead character Tess Harrow is a mystery author/ book store owner and mother of a teen. We’re given a well drawn out character with friends, a small town life and a visiting P.IT.A dramatic mother. The book has bits of romance and humor along with the mystery and is a great read. I read the earlier books in the series and was hoping I’d be picked for this one. I highly recommend.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry is a fun cozy mystery. This is the third book in the series and can be read as a standalone book. But I would encourage readers to read the other books to understand the characters because the stories are fun to read, and the writing is done well.

I love Gertrude; she is such a great character. She is funny, resourceful, full of spunk, and relatable.

The book's premise is that author Tess Harrow and her daughter, Gertrude, are starting to get a bad reputation due to their involvement in recent murder cases, so Tess has devised the perfect plan to drum up some positive press. She'll combine her new book release and bookstore opening into one big event. But the night before the party, her mother has come for a visit with her much-younger new boyfriend in tow...a boyfriend Gertrude recognizes as the notorious Levi Parker, a man recently connected to the deaths of three elderly widows.

Tess immediately alerts Sheriff Boyd about the visitor, but it's too late. Levi Parker is found dead, and Tess's mother is starting to look like the prime suspect.

There were a lot of red herrings to keep me turning the pages. The story was believable, and the characters were interesting. I like this author's writing style, and I like this series. I would recommend this book.

Such a cute cover too! I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars (rounded to 5).

#NetGalley @PPPress @Tamara_Morgan

Things I liked:
*The tension between author and podcaster, which seemed to translate into a bigger book vs podcast argument. #teambook all the way!
*That the love triangle was resolved. I'm just not a fan of that trope.
*That Gertie is such a strong, self-assured young woman. She likes what she likes and doesn't care what you think.
*That we got to meet Tess' mom - I like feisty old ladies!

Things that weren't my cup of tea:
*Still so many unanswered questions surrounding Kendra.
*Jared really drives me nuts. I don't like dumb blonde characters - women or men, apparently.

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review. I found the characters realistic and down to earth. I was able to follow the plot very well.

This is an entertaining cozy! I enjoyed the characters and dialogue throughout. The book kept me guessing!

This was my favorite book of this series so far. The character development in this installment felt more substantial than the other two books (or maybe it is just cumulative?) and it was fun to have the addition of Tess's mother to add some background and another amusing character and potential plot twist. Also, who doesn't love a bookstore opening?

My one disappointment was that Nicki, Tess's best friend, wasn't in this book as much as she featured in the last two, and I love her character and the relationship between the two friends (she is an undercover FBI agent running a mobile library/bookmobile - what's not to love?), but that's really just more of my personal attachment to that character than an actual issue with the story or writing.

Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Murder Off the Books is the third installment in the By the Book Mysteries series set in Winthrop, Washington and featuring mystery author Tess Harrow and her daughter Gertrude. Tess has decided to combine the grand opening of her new bookstore, The Paper Trail with the release of her latest novel, Fury under the Floorboards. Her latest book is based upon the most recent murder investigation Tess helped to solve, when bones were found in her grandfather's hardware store.

Tess thinks she has everything under control; her best friend Nicki, bookmobile librarian and undercover FBI agent, is helping out as the event planner, Gertrude is cooking the canapes and professional journalist Mumford Umberto is coming to stay with her and do an expose on her life. But, boy is she wrong.

Things start heading downhill when Tess's mother Bernadette Springer makes a surprise appearance and she has her much younger beau in tow, Levi Parker. Levi is recently released from Rikers where he'd been held on suspicion of murdering three elderly, wealthy widows. The next sign of trouble is in the form of Neptune Jones, the famous murder-podcaster who seems to be hot on the trail of Levi. Rounding out the night is Gertie's discovery of a big wad of cash stuffed under the tuna that was flown in from Seattle.

When Levi turns up dead, all fingers are pointing at Bernadette when it's discovered she was friends with one of the murdered widows. Determined to prove to Sheriff Victor Boyd that her mother isn't a killer, Tess finds herself caught up in another investigation.

Another delightful mystery that will have you laughing out loud and Gertie continues to steal the show. Filled with multiple suspects that somehow also seem to tie in with the suspected logging/money laundering scheme that Nicki believes the Peabody family is operating. I can't wait for my next visit to Winthrop.

I received an advanced copy of Murder Off the Books from NetGalley via Poisoned Pen Press. While not required to write a review I am happy to share my honest opinion.

This book felt so refreshingly original. After reading the previous two books, I hoped that I was in for more of the same with the third. This book did not disappoint. I loved how new and fresh it felt. It didn't feel like the same old cozy mystery. The book felt extremely well thought out and everything came together beautifully in the end. I loved all the misdirects and the challenge of figuring out all the mysteries and how they worked together. It was so well written and easy to become immersed in. The relationships in this series are amazing and have me coming back for more. I highly recommend this book and series if you love cozy mysteries but want something well written and less predictable.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Our favorite crime solving author is back and on the case in the latest installment of Tamara Berry’s By the Book Mysteries series! Tess Harrow is gearing up to open her new bookstore and celebrate her latest release “Fury under the Floorboards” when everything suddenly implodes. The small town of Winthrop is turned upside down when Tess’s mother arrives unexpectedly with a new man she is seeing. The issue? The much younger man in question is connected to the suspicious deaths of 3 older women! Everyone doesn’t have long to digest this new information though because the next day the man is found murdered in his hotel room and Tess's mom is the main suspect! Now instead of parties and book signings, Tess is sleuthing around and opening up her own investigation to clear her mother’s name. Full of chaotically humorous characters, small town vibes, a will-they-won’t-they romance and twists I never saw coming - Murder Off the Books was a fantastic addition to a great series!!

Murder Off the Books hits shelves May 30, 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in The quaint town of Winthrop, Tess Harrow, owner of Paper Trail Bookstore 📚 is looking forward to her new book release and her bookstore opening.

She plans to combine them into one big event, allowing her to mingle with the locals and press contacts. Her newest release *Fury under the Floorboards*—the latest installment of her Detective Gonzales series—is set to hit the shelves at the launch party the next day.

Tess is throwing a murder-themed party and her best friend Nicki and her teenage daughter Gertrude are there to help out. Nicki is an undercover cop FBI agent 👮🏼‍♀️ moonlighting as a librarian who runs a bookmobile program.

Tess plans to spend all day signing books, after which everyone would be invited to attend a murder-themed party, with cupcakes that ooze fake blood and sushi made to look like grotesque body parts.

But the night before the party, Tess’s mother Bernadette Springer decides to visit Tess with her much younger boyfriend Levi Parker whom Tess doesn’t warm up to given his reputation as a notorious killer.
Bee is a thrived-divorced attorney and has poor taste in men and fashion.

Soon after Levi turns up dead. Who killed him and why?

Thank you to Tamara Berry, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc of this book.

I absolutely adore this series!! I can't get enough of these characters and I want more!! I love cozy mysteries and this series is in the top 5 of my favorites! I think Tess is the perfect lead and I can't wait to see what she gets into next! This is a must read series if you like cozy mysteries!!! I would give this 6 stars if I could! Thank you so much for letting me get an ARC to read this.
I just reviewed Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry. #NetGalley
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Wry Thread of Humour..
The third in the Murder By The Book mystery series finds author Tess trying to keep a relatively low profile following her previous discoveries - but also trying to assimilate well into the community and gain Winthrop’s favour. A book launch and a grand bookshop opening should do it. Well, you would think - but fate has more in store for Tess when an unlikely and suspicious guest arrives along with her mother. Obviously, murder is never far away - is the whole town is about to turn against her and her family? Another entertaining outing with well crafted characters and an engaging plot with a wry thread of humour throughout.

Bookstore owner and Authur Tess Harrow gets involved in another murder investigation when her mother Bernadette becomes the prime suspect of the murder of her much younger boyfriend, Levi Parker - a man connected in the deaths of three elderly widows. This book had a good solid plot, lots of red herrings, a little romance, and a surprise ending. I enjoyed this book from page one.

This is the latest entry in a series about the author of a series of detective novels, her daughter, and their friends and neighbors in a small Washington town. This story has Tess drawn into a murder investigation by her mother, who appears in town unexpectedly and brings true crime podcasters, reporters, a suspected murderer, and FBI interest in her wake. The mystery is well plotted and moves uncomfortably close to Tess’s mother. There’s some development in Tess’s personal life, and I’m glad it appears that this series won’t rely on a love triangle as it has appeared in the last book.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was a cozy quick mystery and I had so much fun with it! I really loved the clues and I also enjoyed our characters.