Note: This was read in a bookstore bookclub and the review is coming after the Net Galley archival date.

This was a disappointing read. The main character was aggravating with no non-one dimensional thing about her. Her obsession with one actress role in the past in borderline boring. Her desire to solve the mystery is mysterious in its own right. And the way she treated every single character was appalling. There is not one single redeeming quality about her.

I'm not sure why the book is called "I Only Read Murder" - coming from the bookstore of her (ex) husband, when that character and his bookstore are mentioned in the briefest ways. I had a completely different idea of the book based on the title alone, which did not match the actual story.

Love love love this book. While the main character seems arrogant and unlikeable at the outset of this story, she does evolve. Her character sees things in a different light which results in more than a few smiles by the reader. There is an interesting cast of characters in the small town Miranda visits.

This was an easy read and one I have recommended often to others. It is a cozy mystery which keeps you engaged. I enjoyed the writing and the story.

Thank you for the advanced reading copy.

I ended up dnf'ing this book unfortunately. The main character had a very big personality that I didn't mesh with. I think other people will enjoy this book but it just wasn't for me.

3.5 star

I Only Read Murder was really entertaining and I quickly fell in love with our main character, Miranda. She’s so quirky and fun to read about. This one was also really cozy and had quite a few laugh out loud moments! It was very reminiscent of Murder, She Wrote vibes.

However, I did find that the pacing was a bit off and I felt like some things didn’t need to be dragged on as much as they were, which led to some things needing to be brushed over too quickly.

Overall I would definitely recommend this one and would definitely read a sequel!

This was a fun story to read. Very cozy type of mystery wo tj a good amount of humour. I really disliked Miranda in the beginning with how out of touch she is with everything, but you can tell that is the point of the story. By the end I really came to like her and enjoyed her growth.

I only used to read romance, but now I Only Read Murder! This book was an interesting read about an actress who returns home to her husband in hopes of a reconciliation after moving to LA to pursue her acting career. When she comes to the hard-hitting realization that her husband has moved on and wants a divorce, she is determined to try and change his mind. She auditions for a play in town in hopes of finding a way to win him back, and an unfortunate event takes place. There is a death, in a town that is obsessed with murder and mysteries. The local bookstore owned and run by her husband is called I Only Read Murder, and the play that takes place every year is about a murder that happened on the property of the book shop. Quickly, the death turns into a murder mystery and Miranda is becoming a suspect. Was the death a murder for the spotlight, or a tragic accident? This book had an interesting story line that kept me wanting to uncover more about the mysterious town, but I found it to be a little bit slow and hoped for a quicker paced read. Overall, I found this book and the main character to be interesting, mysterious, witty and all around determined.

“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘.”

As a huge fan of shows like Murder, She Wrote, Hart to Hart and Magnum PI, I absolutely adored this cozy mystery from Ian and Will Ferguson, which sees a former actress from tv’s Pastor Fran Investigates turn amateur sleuth when murder strikes a local theatre production.

At first, Miranda Abbott might get on your nerves: she is very unaware of the world outside herself at the beginning of the story (a little like Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek), but as she spends time in Happy Rock, she has a wonderful character arc of becoming more considerate, and really leaning on the people around her. The story gave me major Murder, She Wrote vibes from a small coastal town that is both sunny and sinister (Happy Rock and Cabot Cove), Miranda befriending the local doctor and chief of police (much like Doc Hazlitt and Sheriff Tupper/Metzger), and naturally a loved one of Miranda’s getting accursed of murder (much like poor Jessica’s loved ones!). This tribute to the good female amateur sleuth, alongside a collection of eccentric loveable townfolk, had me hooked right away. It is humorous and light, making me laugh out loud in many places (especially the winks to the Hart to Hart action figures and St. Olaf as Miranda’s hometown - Golden Girls reference!). The mystery was solid, with clever red herrings that kept me guessing right until the end. Knowing this is the set-up for a new series, I look forward to hopefully returning to Happy Rock and so many of these great characters (I especially felt the woe of Miranda’s assistant, Andrew, and wished he had a larger role!)

I Only Read Murder is story of community, theatre, family, jealousy, and finding goodness in people. It is witty, quirky, entertaining and a great cozy mystery. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

It's a 4 star, fun summer read. Be entertained!

Delightful, easy read by Canadian (brothers), Ian and Will Ferguson.

Set in a town called Happy Rock, centering on an amateur theatre group, a bookstore, and an on-stage murder, how could it not be a fun read?

Miranda (who in my mind is a red-head!) is surrounded by the quirkiest of characters, red herrings abound, and love her or dislike her, she gets things moving. Throw in an old romance and the town is primed for this murder.

You’ll enjoy the quick pace from this writing duo, and there was lots to laugh out loud about.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsCanada who provided me with this ARC in exchange for my opinion.

For more thoughts on this 'don't miss' book, see my blog https://morethanlettersonalinetoday.blogspot.com/2023/07/i-only-read-murder-book-review.html

Oh. my. gosh. It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud. But brothers Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson did just that - many times over with their new book, I Only Read Murder.
Miranda Abbott played a crime busting, karate kicking Pastor for many seasons on television. But, the offers are few and far between now. When a cryptic postcard arrives, she is sure things are on the upswing, so she happily packs her bags and heads to the small town of Happy Rock.

Here's the thing - Miranda still sees herself as a star. Her perceptions, actions, dialogue and certainty that she is still fodder for the gossip columns is priceless. "But no one recognized her, or if they did, they were too intimidated to approach."

Happy Rock is home to a large cast of quirky characters - all who could be found in the pages of a book. There are many characters but its very easy to remember who's who. Again, the interactions and dialogue is so very good. Much more laughing from me!

One of townsfolk is the owner of the local bookstore - that only sells murder mysteries. The one passion that the entire town has is their beloved yearly play. Hmm, could a role in it be a comeback for Miranda? And then, a cast member is killed. On stage. or And no one saw who did it. Perhaps Miranda's Pastor Fran skills, combined with the the knowledge that can be gleaned from a murder mystery book, could be of use? Especially the cozy mystery tactics!

The authors have excelled at weaving every facet of a cozy mystery into their homage - amateur sleuths, small town, quirky residents, misdirection, every player one is a suspect, no sex, overt violence or profanity. Instead it's a comfortable, entertaining, light hearted and truly very funny read. An easy five stars.

This is the first in a planned series. This reader can't wait for the next entry.

Well-written, and I really loved the premise of this book but I couldn’t get past my dislike of the main character. I’m sure it’ll find its audience, but it just wasn’t for me. DNF after 100 pages.

How can a murder take place with so many witnesses and still have at least a dozen suspects?!

You’ll have to check out this cozy mystery set in a quaint, small town to find out!

Our main character Miranda, a once-famous TV detective, hasn’t been relevant for the past 15 years when she receives a postcard, calling her back to the town of Happy Rock. But when she gets there, nothing is what she expected.

Miranda is quite the character. She has her head in the clouds about the way things should work. She hasn’t quite realize she’s not the star she think she is. She is dramatic and self-centred but as the story goes on she becomes more considerate of others. She definitely contributes to the satire and humour of the story.

Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable, light, easy read and will definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a cozy mystery, or needs to take a break from more gritty, dark, thriller, and horror section.



Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins Canada, Killer Crime club and the authors for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

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

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I found the main character to be very unlikeable, and I couldn’t really enjoy the story because I didn’t enjoy reading about her. I’m sure a redemption arc happens at some point, but I just couldn’t make myself read until that point. I don’t think this is a bad book, I think it’s just not for me, and I think other people will really like this one.

Ian Ferguson is a Canadian and has had a long career as a non-fiction author, playwright, educator, producer and director. He has teamed up with his brother Will Ferguson ("The Finder", "419", etc.) to write this cozy mystery novel. In it we meet Miranda, who played a crime solving church pastor in a successful TV series years ago. Now broke and out of work a mysterious post card has her travelling to the town of Happy Rock. She ends up in a small local production of play and when one of the actors dies from poison in front of a packed house, she decides she must solve the crime to protect someone who is falsely accused. This is a humorous tale with a cast of quirky characters set around both a theatre and a mystery bookstore in a small town. It is a wonderful recommendation for fans of cozy mysteries such as "The Thursday Murder Club", "The Bingo Hall Detectives" or "The Maid". I really enjoyed it.

To me this was an entertaining and quick read. It came at a moment when I was looking for a lighter, faster paced novel to read and this fit the bill. I enjoyed the character development and found the main character quite entertaining , although someone that would be exasperating for me in real life. There were a few twists along the way, which I always appreciate. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before the release. I feel it was well done and worth my time to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Killer Crime Club for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
This light-hearted romp of a mystery novel was the read I didn't know I needed at the time, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Miranda Abbott with 2 b's and 2 t's is a down on her luck actress relegated to only being able to acquire a grandmother role in a Metamucil commercial 15 years after her TV series went off the air.
She receives a message on a postcard and leaves Hollywood for a small town in Oregon. There Miranda, whose character grows from an entitled person to a more endeared one, make new friends, solves a murder all while partaking in the town's special anniversary edition of their play. Her interactions and shenanigans with all the eccentric inhabitants of Happy Rock made this a page-turner indeed. A breath of fresh air from my usual psychological thriller genre.
Looking forward to see if Miranda Abbott will find a new adventure and a whodunit to solve in the future.

Cozy mysteries are always a hit or miss with me. It's a gamble when I dive into one if it is clever or witty enough for my likings.

With "I Only Read Murder", not only was it clever and witty, it was quirky, entertaining and a refreshing cozy mystery.

Miranda Abbott is a once-famous actress known for her most popular role as "Pastor Fran" - a crime fighting... Pastor. Yes, Pastor. This combination alone is enough to make you snort laugh out loud. Her career has fizzled, she has no money and she is a bit delusional thinking it's just a slump and the perfect role will be offered to her soon resurrecting her career. But since nothing is happening just yet when a mysterious postcard arrives, she packs her bags and heads to the quaint town of Happy Rock.

Happy Rock has small town vibes, people who have known each other forever and a town big on traditions and routines. And residing in Happy Rock...her husband Ned who she hasn't seen in years. While in town, Happy Rock Little Theater is holding auditions for their annual play. Miranda makes the decision to audition. She is not given the lead role but sticks around anyway.

The first entire half of the book is all about the play and getting to know the townsfolk characters. It gives us a countdown to the murder. The second half of the book is Miranda trying to put all the pieces together to try and solve the murder.

Things I loved in this book:

Miranda. She is extremely annoying, entitled and clueless about the life of an everyday person. However, she has this endearing unconventional quality about her. All I could envision when reading this book was Catherine O'Hara as Moira in Schitts Creek. Miranda IS Moira. In my mind, this is the same person lol...and while Moira is an annoying character, I still love her.

The quirkiness. You can't take this read serious that people like this exist in real life...lol. While there were a LOT of characters, after a while it was fairly easy to remember who was who. If you find you have a hard time keeping track of characters, Miranda makes cheat sheets of who is who - bookmark those pages!

Things which make me go "hmmm..."

What is with all the parenthesis? I am thinking they were added to create a "theater" aspect of the book but I found them kind of annoying (sorry!)

Overall, a solid 4 stars. I found this was a book easy to put down and pick up again and not have to go back and refresh your memory what was happening. Light and funny.

Thank you to Killer Crime Club, NetGalley and HarperCollins for the electronic ARC of the novel to read and review.

I Only Read Murder by Ian and Will Ferguson is a wonderful, heart-warming read that I highly recommend.
I love how the main character Miranda Abbott grows throughout the book, changing from a self-centred and inconsiderate has-been actress who is absolutely clueless about anything that doesn't involve her, to a more considerate yet still not quite self-aware woman who has begun to see beyond herself.
The mystery itself has so many potential suspects and red herrings that you are kept guessing to the very end. The book's cast of characters is varied and unique, and watching how they react to Miranda's clueless shenanigans provides bountiful humour and fun.
This is a well-written, page-turner of a book that is delightful and a lot of fun to read.
I am happy to have received an ARC of #IOnlyReadMurder from #NetGalley.

Thank you to Killer Crime Club and NetGalley for this opportunity.. This book is a great cozy whodunnit mystery. At first i disliked the main character Miranda Abbott, but towards the end of the book i ended up loving her character. If you want to get "away" from thrillers for a bit this is a good cozy book.

Thanks again!

I Only Read Murder is a delightful new series that will make you laugh as you follow the clues to see who murdered an actor in the small town of Happy Rock.

Happy Rock is full of characters that you will both love and dislike.

Miranda Abbott a popular actress has hit a drought in acting and appears in town on her own mission.

Miranda having been a sleuth on television sets out to solve the murder with the help of a few locals.

I absolutely loved Miranda and the town of Happy Rock.

The pages turn quickly and no I did not guess the murderer.

I will be first in line to see what dilemma and what case Miranda will solve next.

Highly recommend you get your copy of I Only Read Murder and settle in for a fun read

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Canada, Harper Collins Publishers for privilege of reading and reviewing I Only Read Murder.

Miranda Abbott is a has been actor who we meet 15 years after her prime-time crime fighting action show has been cancelled. After a string of bad luck, including, being fired by her agent, having her furniture repossessed, and now facing eviction from her already sad apartment. she receives a mysterious postcard summoning her. Upon arriving to the quaint small town of Happy Rock she finds herself trying to navigate the ins and outs of the small-town relationships she finds herself thrown into. After being cast in a small local play she has to grapple with her feelings after she realizes she is not the most beloved actor on stage. With all the usual twists and turns we expect from a who done it, this book had me intrigued from beginning to end! This is the perfect summer read for those who love a light murder mystery!
Thank you to #Netgalley, Harper Collins Canada, and the Killer Crme Club for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.