This is the first book in a new cozy series and takes place in a Southern California bookstore. Scarlett Gardner is struggling to run her new bookstore on her own after her boyfriend bails on their relationship and their new business. Things get even worse when Scarlett becomes the prime suspect in a murder and has to clear her name before she can move forward in her new life. I enjoyed getting to know Scarlett and seeing her in action to solve the case. The book was entertaining and I was surprised by the solution to the case. I would rate it 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew is the debut of A California Bookshop Mysteries. I thought Murder by the Seashore was a lighthearted cozy mystery. Scarlett Gardner, a booklover, owns Palm Trees and Page Turners, a bookstore. Scarlett went into the business with her boyfriend, but he ditched her and the business when a better opportunity came along. She manages to keep the bookstore, but I am curious as to how Scarlett qualified for a bank loan (does not come from money, did not have a high paying job, no large inheritance, and she is not business savvy—I wonder if she has heard of a business plan). Scarlett is struggling to manage the business side of the bookstore, but she loves helping patrons find books (wouldn’t it be prudent to hire a business manager or accountant, maybe take a night class). With the bookstore being a new business, I am curious how Scarlett can afford a full-time employee and she plans to add a part-time one as well. There are a variety of characters introduced. I would like to see the main secondary characters fleshed out a bit more as well as Scarlett. The whodunit has Scarlett at the top of the suspect list (of course). Scarlett clumsily investigates (imagine a bull in a china shop). There are a limited number of suspects since the victim was visiting Oceanside. Scarlett picked her suspects based on their dislike of her instead of how they felt about the victim. The detective jumps to conclusions and zeros in on Scarlett based on circumstantial evidence. It is a good thing that Scarlett’s roommate is a lawyer. The whodunit is neatly wrapped up at the end. The reveal had me rolling my eyes. I know I am in the minority regarding Murder by the Seashore, but I found it to be predictable with cliché characters and crime. There is too much repetition. I do not need the details of the crime repeated three, four, or five times. The same can be said for information regarding the ex-boyfriend. I mentioned a few inconsistencies regarding the business, and there were a couple of discrepancies concerning Scarlett’s inheritance. The story was only two hundred and sixty pages long, but it felt longer. I struggled to finish it. Murder by the Seashore was not for me. I wish the author had added something unique since I recently read a couple of cozies with the protagonist owning or opening a bookstore and driving a mini cooper. While this cozy was not for me, I do suggest you download a sample to judge for yourself. Murder by the Seashore is a casual cozy with a busy bookstore, a problem under the pier, unexpected news, a bothersome ex-boyfriend, a protective detective, and a lawyer for a roommate.

I picked this book up because I like cozy mysteries and this is the first book in a new series and I always like to get in at the first don't I don't miss anything.

Description:
Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she came out and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookstore that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.

After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But when a lawyer, representing someone named Lorelai Knight, tells her that Scarlett now stands to inherit a small fortune, Scarlett is left with more questions than answers. Before she can think about any of it, the police bring her in for questioning; the body she found was Lorelai Knight. And the evidence they have against Scarlett doesn’t look good—not only does she have a motive because of her inheritance, but a bottle of the same poison found in Lorelai’s system was discovered near the bookshop. Business is booming as Scarlett returns to the bookshop, but for all the wrong reasons – they want to question the last known suspect of the murder.

Who could really be behind all of this? And why frame Scarlett? To clear her name, she’s going to have get creative—and hope she can remain one page ahead of the killer.

My Thoughts:
This was a fun cozy and I liked the characters and the beach setting. I felt bad for Scarlett because she was dealing with a lot with the new business, her boyfriend flaking out, finding the dead body, finding about about and inheritance from someone she didn't know, and becoming the prime suspect in a murder - how much more worse could it get? The book moved at a good pace and kept my attention. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good cozy.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 17, 2023.

A fantastic new cozy mystery that will have you guessing right up to the end! The characters are wonderfully diverse in a multitude of ways much like any small tourist town, so you'll quickly feel at home with them! The main character has a bit of anxiety over her interactions with people and her business, but you'll quickly be cheering her on to move forward as she does just that! The bookshop she owns sounds fabulous and I would love to be able to visit a real one just like it some day! The plot is the clincher of this book though. The characters are great, the town is fantastic, but the plot is detailed without being minutely so that it is enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining. I love how the main character and her roommate are investigating with her sister cheering her on from afar. The twists, turns and reveals are well done to keep the entertainment flowing while moving you towards the ultimate reveal of who the killer really is! I absolutely can't wait for the next book to be available and I must say that I will be looking for it in audio as the narration really brought this story and characters to life for me!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Welcome to Palm Trees and Page Turners, a new bookshop in Southern California owned by Scarlett Gardner. The original dream of opening included Scarlett’s boyfriend as her business partner but their relationship imploded when he left her and the business for a “better job”. The dream also didn’t include her finding one of her customers dead underneath the nearby pier or that she would be a suspect in the murder. Her motive, the dead woman left Scarlett a fortune in her will. But Scarlett has no idea why, she only visited the bookshop once. She is clearly being framed, but by whom, and why? She has those and many more questions to be answered so that she can get on with her life and prove she is not the “Bookshop Killer”.

I am very impressed with this first California Bookshop Mystery!

The author does an excellent job of introducing Scarlett Gardner and all the supporting cast. I love that Scarlett has a fantastic roommate who can really come to her rescue when needed. Scarlett’s employee Evelyn is very capable but a bit pushy which gave me pause. Evelyn’s husband is the lead detective on the murder case. Scarlett’s ex Connor shows back up in town too. Lucia and Scarlett’s friend Hiroki works at his family’s restaurant and was also friends with Connor. All the characters are very well crafted for the first book in the series. I enjoyed the way they grew over the course of the story while leaving room to evolve as the series continues. The connections make sense and the dialogues ring true.

The entire book was very well-plotted and there were layers to peel away. The murder mystery had some nice twists and the clues were dropped with precision. I had pared my suspects down to two when the last twist made everything clear and the dramatic showdown began. I was delighted with the way things played out.

I do love the setting for this series. Escaping to a sunny beach with a good book is my paradise and this book places that perfectly within reach.

Murder by the Seashore has given this series a marvelous start. Interesting characters, two compelling mysteries to solve, and an ideal setting are everything I need for a Perfect Escape. I am excited for this series to continue to see what Ms. Yew has in store for Scarlett next.

The first in a new cozy mystery series about Scarlett, a bookstore owner. She decided to stay in Oceanside even after being dumped by her boyfriend. Things are going well until Scarlett finds a murdered woman and becomes the number one suspect when she learns she inherited a bunch of money from that woman. She must investigate to clear her name.

Overall, I liked this one! At the beginning, it felt more like the second or third in the series because the author referenced characters or things like we should know about them. I think even like a prologue where we see Scarlett get dumped and left with the business would’ve helped situate the reader. After that though, I thought it was good. We get some good characters and I’m excited to see where it goes from here!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlett Gardner thought she was going to live her dream of owning a bookstore in California with the love of her life. Then things go south when her boyfriend and business partner abandons her for another job. Needing to get some air, Scarlett walks to the pier before opening her store, and finds the dead body of a woman who had shopped in the bookstore the day before.

Then she gets a phone call from a lawyer saying that she inherits a small fortune from a woman named Lorelai Knight, and by the way she’s also the dead body under the pier. Now the police have brought her in for further questioning and it looks bad. Scarlett must discover exactly who Lorelai is to her, and who murdered her, before the cops lock her up for good.

Starting this novel was rough, as I initially disliked Scarlett and Detective Maxwell so much. She started to sound “woe-is-me”, but then as the investigation commenced, she seemed to grow stronger and more determined. I really liked reading her character progression. However, Detective Maxwell! Who arrests, I’m sorry “detains”, someone based on trash?! I’m afraid I never got the chance to like this man, and I actually felt bad for his wife and Scarlett’s employee/friend Evelyn. When Scarlett is “detained”, Maxwell says she is their only suspect, but after she leaves the cells, it's like Maxwell disappears. When he does reappear, which is only when another crime is committed, then he is very accusatory and antagonistic towards her. I felt Scarlett’s pain at his betrayal to their friendship, and kind of want to see what happens in the next novel.

As for the mystery, I did not suspect the killer at all. I followed all the other suspects and really hoped it was one more than others (hello, justice in the world!), but alas it was someone who didn’t even blip on my radar. The mystery of who Lorelai Knight was and its solution also made sense, and again I would like to see what Scarlett does with that information.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Scarlett was supposed to open a new bookstore with her boyfriend, but when he dumps her the store is not doing so well. One day she finds a body and ends up being the prime suspect.
I tried but just could not get into this book. I found it boring and it was a struggle to keep focused on it.

Murder by the Seashore is the first book in the California Bookshop Mystery.

Scarlett Gardner is the owner of Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop. One morning before coming to the bookshop as she walks around the pier, she discovers a dead body lying underneath. After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she becomes a person of interest.

Scarlett is notified that she has inherited a small inheritance which happens to be from the woman she found murdered. Scarlett has lots of questions and begins to investigate only getting into more trouble than finding answers.

This was a fun cozy mystery. The characters were entertaining, and the writing was easy to read which made for a quick afternoon read.

This first book in a new cozy series has lots of potential. Set along the California coast, Scarlett has finally opened her dream bookshop. When her cheating ex leaves, she sticks with her dream. While out for a beach walk, she finds a body of one of her customers. Circumstances make her the prime suspect. Luckily, her roommate is a lawyer, and her employee is married to the lead detective, so her friends have her back. Fun first book and I look forward to the next.

First in the California Bookshop Mystery series.

Scarlett Gardner is the owner Of the Palm Trees and Page Turners Bookshop and everything seems to be going well until one day she discovers a woman's body on the beach. She becomes a suspect and as a result she begins to investigate.

Events are complicated by a mysterious inheritance, and a number of possible suspects. The mystery is good and there are a number of very tense moments towards the end. I enjoyed the way the investigation progressed and I liked many of the characters. Well worth reading.

This is the first book in a fabulous new series. I really enjoyed reading this one. The only downside is that now I have to wait for the second one to be published! The setting was beautiful and the charchters were great. I liked getting to know them and I am really looking foward to seeing how things develop.

Scarlett Gardner has achieved her dream of opening a bookshop. She initially opened it with her ex-boyfriend, Conner but when he left for greener pastures, she decided to go it on her own. The bookstore is called Palm Trees and Page Turners. It sounds like such a cute shop, I wish I could spend some time (and money) there!

Scarlett is out for a morning stroll along the beach and stumbles across the body of one of her customers. In case that wasn't shock enough, the murder weapon shows up right outside her shop and the police start looking at her as the main suspect. Scarlett is pulled in to an epic mystery. Luckily she has her good friend and roommate (who happens to be a lawyer), Lucia and her friend and employee, Evelyn (who happens to be the detective's wife) on her side.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to like Murder By The Seashore written by Samara Yew, but I often found myself dozing off, which is kind of a bummer because I wanted to enjoy my first cozy mystery of the year. This book was only two hundred and fifty six pages, but it felt like it was four hundred pages long. I like to go into a book completely blind and be surprised, but about halfway through it was so predictable who the main culprit was. Is it just me or do y'all get bored with a book when you aren't surprised anymore? This was my first book by Samara Yew and i'm so disappointed to say it wasn't for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a cozy mystery yet, or maybe i'm actually an outlier because so many other people loved this book. It makes me feel so guilty rating a book three stars that everyone else loved. The cover looked so pretty and the synopsis sounded so promising, but I feel like it went downhill after finding out who the main culprit actually was. I don't want this review in any way to stop people from reading this book, I'm just sharing my <b>OWN OPINIONS</b> and how I felt about this book. If you are looking for your first cozy mystery of 2023, then please do yourself a favor and pick up Murder By The Seashore.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND CROOKED LANE BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

Scarlett Gardner's dream was to open bookshop for EVERYONE in Southern California, but it soon becomes a nightmare when Scarlett finds the dead body of one of her customers, and then Scarlett becomes the prime suspect, but was Scarlett the actual suspect? Oceanside in Southern California is where dreams come true.....or that's just what Scarlett thinks. When Scarlett decided to open Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend Connor and business partner would be a part of the journey of opening this bookshop, but Connor decides to leave Scarlett because he found a better job. When Connor leaves, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat, but how is that possible when she has one of the best business partners helping her and she has customers stopping by every five seconds? That's because Scarlett has something else on her mind and can't focus on her new business. Scarlett discovers something underneath the pier by her bookstore that she didn't outline for her life's story: THE DEAD BODY OF A BOOK BUYING CUSTOMER!!!!!! What else could possibly go wrong for Scarlett? If Connor wanted to be a part of the journey and help Scarlett open her new bookstore, why would he leave for a new job?

After Scarlett gives her statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual and before she found a dead body. When a lawyer representing Lorelai Knight tells Scarlett she now stands to inherit a small fortune, Scarlett is left with so many unanswered questions. Before Scarlett has any time to think about the new fortune she's about to inherit, the police bring her in for questioning, the body Scarlett found was Lorelai Knight. The evidence that the police have against Scarlett doesn't look very good, not only does Scarlett have a motive because of the inheritance that was left behind for her, the police find a bottle of the same poison that was found in Lorelai's system discovered near the bookshop that Scarlett now owns. As Scarlett returns to open the bookshop, business starts booming again, but for all the wrong reasons, people want to question the last known suspect in the murder of Lorelai Knight. Could Scarlett be the main suspect or is someone tying to frame her? If so, who could be framing her and why would they want to? To keep her name cleared, Scarlett is going to have to get creative and remain one page ahead of the killer.

A new cozy mystery series featuring Scarlett, who runs a beachside bookstore in CA. Scarlett finds a body 1 morning while walking the beach. Turns out the victim, who she’s never met, has left her inheritance to Scarlett.

What I liked:
🌊 Beach town setting
🌊 Side characters, especially her Roomate/lawyer
🌊 Inheritance story line

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed this new cozy mystery and the audiobook was great to listen to. The California beach setting, a bookstore and great side characters have all the makings for a great series.

I really loved this cozy mystery. Scarlet the amateur sleuth and Evelyn team up to find the person who murdered Loregli Knight and Martin an attorney. There is so much that goes on in this book that it is much easier for you to read it than for me to spoil it for you. A VERY GOOD COZY MYSTERY.

A nice start to a possible new series! Who killed Lorelai? And who wants the police to think Scarlett did it? Scarlett, who's struggling a bit with her life after her boyfriend left her just as she was opening what she thought would be their bookstore, finds Lorelei's body and then the police find a bottle of the poison that killed her in the garbage at the bookshop! AND Scarlett is the sole heir to Lorelei's fortune? Was she Scarlett's birth mother? Scarlett and her room mate, the smart and capable Lucia, set off to get answers. This is nicely twisty and the characters are good- and pretty well rounded for a first outing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Enjoyed this and am looking forward to a second.

This was an enjoyable first in a new series. It is full of cozy tropes, including a bookstore in a beachy tourist town (my personal favorite locale), a jilted owner, a sleazy ex-boyfriend, the requisite friends, new and not as new, and of course, the murder. Somewhat unique aspects include Scarlett's status as an adopted child with no knowledge of her birth family and Lucia, a Latino attorney and Scarlett's roommate. I might want to be a slightly softer Lucia. Keep an eye on the young sushi chef. There may be promise there. Those who do not like the protagonist's love interest to be the police detective are in luck since the town's police detective is married to Scarlett's assistant at the bookstore and is old enough to be Scarlett's father. It all works, though the detective needs to lighten up and warm up, in my opinion. Scarlett is likeable enough, but she tends to ramble on in her head or out loud, overreact, and jump to conclusions. To be fair, this is her first murder; so, I will give her some leeway and hope she gets it together in the next book. All in all, I look forward to the next in this series.

Scarlett owns a book shop in Oceanside, California. She opened it with her Boyfriend Conner but when a better offer came along he left her and the business. One day she decided to check out the beach and walk along the pier. Where she found a dead body. Turns out she might be related to the woman. The woman left Scarlett an inheritance. The cops think she killed her for the inheritance.

This is the beginning of a new cozy mystery series and has a promising start. I enjoyed the sleuthing and the quirky characters and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Murder by the Seashore is a cozy mystery with the beach, a bookstore and an unexpected inheritance.
Scarlett has opened a bookstore in Oceanside, California. Despite her name Scarlett is rather a mouse of a character - timid and easily intimidated. She gains in bravery after becoming the prime suspect in the murder of a woman she doesn’t even know. Scarlett becomes suspicious of almost everyone around her except some of the people she should have suspected. I didn’t figure out the culprit until closer to reveal.
I enjoyed reading Murder by the Seashore. The book doesn’t really stand out from other cozy mysteries and women’s fiction that is already on the market.

A charming and engaging cozy mystery. It takes place along the Southern California coast. A favorite area of mine. The murders kept me guessing. Delightful resolution. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.