Loved it! Definitely a great read. Murder, romance and adventure. Great story! Loved the plot and the characters. A must read.

I received this ARC from Poisoned Pen Press & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the third in a series, but was the first for me. I’m sure the background info on the characters would have been helpful, nevertheless I thought it was a fast, entertaining read. Makes me want to go back and read the first two.

Another charming cozy by Tamara Berry. Well written, with a smooth narrative, Murder off the Books sucked in me in from the start and kept me engaged until the end. There was plenty of intrigue to keep the plot moving, and the characters were so likable that I wouldn't mind being their neighbors. Plus who doesn't love a main character in the vein of Jessica Fletcher? This is definitely a series I look forward to continuing and I'm already eager for the 4th installment.

A wildly fun series, even if it does leave your head spinning at times. Tess Harrow, a best-selling mystery writer, is smart, stubborn, impulsive....well, you get my drift. Just the type to go running into danger on a hunch or cross that fuzzy legal line to find clues. Her daughter is much like her, apt to blurt things outloud that she shouldn't, a trait she shares with her mother. We even get to watch the dynamics of Tess's relationship with her own mother, Bernadette. There is nothing subtle about either of them although, shh, neither wants to hear how much alike they really are.

Well, Tess at least hasn't been spending time traveling about the country with Levi Parker, a probable serial murder. It's when Levi is murdered that the real roller-coaster ride of the plot begins. Never mind that Tess's best friend is an undercover FBI agent, not to mention that her underling has a serious crush on Tess, who has a serious crush on the town detective who looks amazingly like the hero in Tess's books. Unlike Tess, he's a more closed up, by-the-books kinda guy, meaning they butt heads frequently as Tess finds herself involved in his investigation.

Tess's grand opening of her bookstore in conjunction with the release of her best-selling mystery novel doesn't go as planned. Not only does her mother show up unexpectedly but a man that daughter Gertie quickly identifies as an accused serial killer is tagging along with her. Close behind is famous and very wealthy true crime blogger Neptune and her assistant Sven. Tess takes an immediate disliking to her, albeit mostly because Neptune winds up staying at the crush's, er, detective's house. Jealous much, Tess?

And that is really just the beginning. Who killed Levi the serial killer? Could it have really been her mother? How many coincidences are too many? What weird thing is found in Tess's freezer? How did it get there and who was it meant for? Is the reporter tagging along behind Tess, okay, maybe she sorta paid his way, but is he onto more than one story? Who is Darcy? How about Jay? How does a logging business fit into the story? Why is Tess bulk ordering candy and chips? And, oh, too many other happenings to even begin to hint about. Like, will Ivy ever run out of patience with Tess?

Although Tess's rapid fire brainstorms and antics leave your head spinning, I like her. True, she'd probably give me repeated headaches trying to keep up with her thinking, never mind her actions, but she cares. She turns into a mother bear where her daughter Gertie is involved, for instance. She may be sarcastic, impulsive, and single-minded, but she will do anything to protect those she cares about.

Thanks #NetGalley and #PoisonPenBooks for giving me the opportunity to drop into Tess's fascinating but chaotic world again. After that last chapter, I can't wait to come back!

This is the third book in the By the Book Mysteries series. I am loving this cozy mystery series by Tamara Berry. This time Tess Harrow, a thriller writer is opening her new bookstore, The Paper Trail. Set in the town of Winthrop Washington, Tess has helped solve previous murders in the town and she has gotten a bit of a reputation because of it. As Tess prepares for the store opening her mother arrives with her notorious new boyfriend. It seems he has been preying on older women who then turn up dead. But this time, he is the one who turns up dead.

The story is put together very well and there are several threads we follow as Tess tries to prevent her mother from being the number one suspect. The flow of the story is great. There are lots of characters, many of whom we have met in previous books. The series regulars are well developed with interesting and distinct personalities. With two undercover FBI agents, Sheriff Boyd and Deputy Ivy Bell, as well as Edna St. Clair, the town busy body, it is surprising that so many murders are happening in the town, but that just adds to the charm.

I am looking forward to continuing this fast paced, well plotted series!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced readers copy to enjoy.

This is a well done cozy and kept my attention throughout. It was a murder mystery that was complex with a lot of threads to be woven together to fit and Tamara Berry did a great job. I liked the lead character, Tess who is a mystery/thriller writer and is opening a new bookstore and launching her latest book at the same time. I also enjoyed her daughter, Gertrude. The relationship between Tess and the Sheriff was interesting.

The book surrounded an accused murderer, Levi Parker, who had been cleared and now has some sort of relationship with Tess's mom, Bernadette. Then Levi is found dead. Also, there is a famous podcaster, Neptune Jones, who has been following Levi and using his murder accusations as a central theme of her podcasts. Then there are a couple of FBI characters who are tracking something going on in the town. Tess is trying hard to find out what is really going on as it looks like her Mom may be the number one suspect in Levi's murder.

There are a lot of characters in the book to keep track of but they are all important to the story. This book kept my attention throughout and I enjoyed this cozy.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 30, 2023.

This was a fun read that I really enjoyed. Living in a small town hasn't prevented Tess from running into murders and murderers. She and her family are trying to have a bookstore opening when a famous podcaster and other characters show up in town. Mayhem and murder soon start, and the bookstore opening becomes overshadowed. Between Tess, her daughter, and her mom, adventures ensue. A few minor characters appeared, throwing an interesting curveball in the plot. I'm not sure they were necessary, though.

I enjoyed this book. I finished it in a couple of hours, so it’s a fast read. I like that Tess and the sheriff finally start an relationship. The characters are interesting and well fleshed. I did suspect the killer by the middle of the book but missed a lot of the nuisance. #MurderOfftheBooks NetGalley

Thriller writer Tess Harrow fictionalized murders in Winthrop, Washington in her last couple books. Now, she's combining the launch party for her latest with the opening of her new bookstore in town. But, the night before the grand opening, Tess' mother shows up in town, bringing along her much younger boyfriend. Tess' teen daughter, Gertrude, recognizes him as Levi Parker, a notorious suspect in the murder of three elderly widows. Before Tess can notify Sheriff Boyd, Levi's found dead in his hotel room. Boyd doesn't want Tess near his crime scene, but he insults her by allowing a true crime podcaster and her producer to have access to the crime scene, and to move into his house while in town. Tess' feelings are hurt when townspeople would rather follow the podcaster than show up at her bookstore, but she's determined to find the killer. With a journalist in town, the podcaster, Tess' mother, and two FBI agents investigating money laundering, Tess has her hands full trying to find a killer to prove her mother didn't do it. Fans of quirky casts and funny cozies will enjoy the third By the Book mystery with its eccentric characters and outrageous scenes.

This is book #3 in this cozy mystery series. I enjoyed it as much as the other two novels. It follows Tess Harrow who is embroiled in another murder mystery, with the telling twists and turns and numerous suspects that Tamara Berry is so good at writing which keeps you guessing until the end. I’m already looking forward to book#4!! A must read series.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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 come up with the perfect plan to drum up some positive press. She'll combine her new book release and her bookstore opening into one big event, giving her a chance to wine and dine the locals and some big press contacts. But the night before the party, Tess is greeted by a surprise: 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.
I really like this series and the characters. Tess and Gertrude have a fun relationship overall a fun quick read.
#MurderOfftheBooks#NetGalley

Murder Off the Books (2023): Tamara Berry
"I’d take out a serial killer in the name of vengeance for you."

Now this is one of the series I found on @netgalley and have been following from the first book. Needless to say, if I continued requesting the latest instalments, then I absolutely love them all. As for all series, it is always lovely to visit the characters and their world again.

"I’ve never known anyone to attract trouble the way you do, Tess. It’s like you’re cosmically cursed."

In addition to being an author, Tess Harrow is officially a bookseller now! Unsurprisingly, murder has yet again found Winthrop and Tess. This time, her mother may or may not be involved making things even more dangerous. Absolutely enjoyable read, as always. Looking forward to the next one already!

Thank you, @netgalley for my advance copy.

Tess Harrow is finally ready to open her bookstore. Her mother has decided to attend the grand opening and who has tagged along but a notorious murderer named Levi who's been recently released from prison. And of course the murderer doesn't come alone, but is followed by an entourage of true crime podcasters. When Levi turns up dead the killer seems obvious, Tess's mother took him out before he had a chance to kill her. But Tess's mother was with her all night and even if she hadn't been, Tess knows her mom doesn't have it in her to take a life, no matter how badly she may want revenge... right?

I love this series! The characters are quirky and interesting, they've all been through a lot of crazy stuff but they've kept their sense of humor. There are lots of funny moments, even during the most stressful of circumstances. I love where things are going with the handsome sheriff and the podcasters were really interesting... and not a little suspicious! Tess's mother is quite the wild card so having her around keeps things from ever getting dull.

This series is definitely one to check out!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. The latest book in a cozy series with a great mother/daughter duo! I really enjoy this series featuring transplanted mystery author, Tess Harrow, and her young teenage daughter, Gertie. Having relocated to a very small town and encountered dead bodies in the preceding books, Tess’s latest bestseller deals with the most recent murder investigation. Oh, and Tess is also using its launch to formally open her new bookstore in town. As always, things in Tess’s world don’t go to plan when Tess’s mother turns up, accompanied by her latest gigolo. When he’s found dead on the morning of the bookstore’s opening and Tess’s mom is the prime suspect, everything seems to be falling apart. Trust Tess, Gertie, and their amazing friends to get everything back on track (sort of!). Just a fun series and one I recommend.

This was cute story but as it is the third in a series there was a lot of background info on the characters that I think I missed. Still a fun, cute read and the premise was really fun - the murder mystery author being stuck in her own murder mystery.

In book three of the By the Book series, we meet Tess's mother who pops into town unexpectedly with a younger swain in tow. It's clear Tess gets her unique approach to life from her mother--though both would probably cringe to hear it, and the scenes between them and with Gertie are highlights of the book. Gertie recognizes Grandma's boyfriend as an accused swindler, and when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Tess has to step in to protect her mother. It doesn't help that Sheriff Boyd has extended his hospitality to a true-crime podcaster who's been on the trail of the swindler who's left behind several dead women. This was a great way to lighten a dreary weekend!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

What a cozy mystery book! I love the writing style, the individual characters and the flow of the story. A fast-paced murder story is always a winner to me.

Tess Harrow is going to launch her new Murder mystery book, and she thinks it’s a good idea to do it on the same day with her grand new opening of the bookstore. Sounds like a big success!

Tess’s mother, Bernadette, has a young soul character, which she dislikes people call her grandma. She prefers people call her Bee. Bee is dating with a much younger man named Levi Parker, however, Gertrude (Tess’s teenage daughter) recognizes he has been involved in 3 old wealthy widow murder cases…

Everyone worries about Bee now…then one day Levi Parker found dead. Now all the coincidence points directly to Bee and Tess has a mission to help her mother out..

This cozy easy Murder story hit the spot. A page turner and it’s really well done book. Definitely look forward to the next book by this author.

Thank you Netgalley , Tamara Berry and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of “Murder Off the Books” due to be published May 30th 2023. This is the third book in the By the Book Mysteries and is set in Winthrop Washington. This book is about 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 most recent book release “Fury under the floorboards.” Her latest book is based on the most recent murder investigation that Tess helped solve when bones were found in the floorboards of her grandfather’s hardware store.
Tess seems to have everything under control with her best friend Nicki helping out by being her event planner. Nicki is a bookmobile librarian and an undercover FBI agent. But she soon realizes she was wrong and she didn’t have everything under control. Tess’s mother Bernadette unexpectedly turns up with her very young boyfriend Levi Parker. Levi Parker was recently suspected of murdering three very wealthy older widows.
When Levi soon ends up dead and Bernadette is named the prime suspect Tess feels as if she needs to clear her mothers name. Who killed Levi? Was it Burnedette? You must read this book to find out .
Being the third book in a series I thought I’d have a problem getting into the story but I was hooked from the start and it flowed quickly. I will definitely be looking into reading more from this author in the future.
If you’re interested in cozy mysteries this book is definitely for you !

What does a daughter do when their mother is a murder suspect? Well, if you’re Tess Harrow, you put on your sleuthing hat and try to find the real culprit to save your mother. Even if that means your reputation for being involved in previous murders remains intact.

This series is a hoot! I love the characters, the whodunits and the red herrings that keep me changing my mind on who actually dunit until close to the end. The third installment in this series is the best one yet, it just keeps on getting better with each new release.

bookseller, family-drama, family-dynamics, famous-author, rural, small-business, small-town, sheriff, sheriff-s-deputy, situational-humor, suspense, suspicion, romantic, Washington State, cozy-mystery, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, single-parent, divorcee, teenager, multigenerational, relatives, relationships*****

Coincidences my Aunt Fanny!
The paparazzo podcaster (Neptune), the thriller writer (Tess), the retired attorney (Grandma Bernadette), the teenager (Gertrude), the hot sheriff (Boyd), and the slippery gigolo (Levi) accused three times of murdering older women are all present at Tess's grand opening for her new bookstore. Then Levi gets murdered and it all turns to a big mess. The sleuthing is unusual but has lots of misdirection and red herrings. There's the cast of characters who certainly are and the world building is super. The mystery is very well done and the laughs are funny without becoming a farce. Absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!