I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The characters were interesting and diverse. The mystery kept me guessing. A very pleasant surprise.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ Thank you @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

PUB DATE: October 17, 2023

THOUGHTS:

This was such a fun cozy set in Oceanside, California! ☀️

I really liked that the dead body was found early on — chapter 2! That just gave us more time to solve the mystery which I appreciate.

It had short chapters! I loved that they were anywhere from 5-8 minutes long in length. It was easy for me to keep saying ‘one more chapter’ and fly through this cozy mystery.

I really liked our main character, Scarlett. She was great. I loved her friends, the beach setting, and her bookstore! I thought it was a great start to a new series. I’m looking forward to reading more in the future!

This is first in a new cozy mystery series. Our heroine has a beach side book shop she started with an ex boyfriend and now runs with the help of one employee. She’s happy in her new single life and has a lawyer roommate she’s become best friends with. Alls well till she finds a body…
This book took some twist and turns. It wasn’t for me exactly but it did keep my interest. This reminded me of the cupcake bakery mysteries, which aren’t my favorite but are wildly popular. Both have this bold charters that are type cast and a bit don’t break from that. The lawyer roommate takes the movie hobby a bit far for example.
We have this big web with an inheritance and blood relations that seems to get skipped over. Our sleuth is very selfish. She’s just cool with getting all this money, kinda eh about her presumptive birth mother being murdered and only worried about clearing her own name. Pretty shallow stuff.
The story did move along and i think some people would like it. Thanks netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

A fun new cozy series set on the shores of California. Action packed and full of red herrings that kept me on the edge of my seat until the final page was turned! I can’t wait to see what Scarlet gets into next.

I recently started picking up cozy mystery reads and this book by Samara Yew did not disappoint! I really liked the characters and the setting, this is the first book a series and I really recommend it!

🌴Book Review🌴
Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew
Publication Date: 10/17/2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is Samara Yew’s debut novel, and it is a wonderful whodunnit! I read it cover-to-cover in only a few hours!

Oceanside bookstore owner Scarlett Gardner turns sleuth to clear her name after a mysterious book buyer turns up dead and leaves Scarlett a large inheritance. Follow Scarlett as she tries to run her bookshop with customers more interested in “the bookstore killer,” another dead body, and ex-boyfriend and family issues. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the end!

The pacing is great; the characters could walk off the page and be real-life people; the plot is 👌🏻

I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to @Crooked Lane Books, Samara Yew, and @NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by the Seashore (A California Bookshop Mystery) is the first book in a new cozy mystery series and the first book by author Samara Yew. Scarlett Gardner has opened up her dream business in the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, and is struggling to continue the business after her ex-boyfriend leaves her (and their business) for a new opportunity. Just when she thinks that business is taking a turn for the better, she stumbles upon a dead body on the beach near her shop and quickly learns that she has ties to the victim that place her squarely in the police's vision as a strong potential suspect. Add to this is the notification that a large inheritance is coming her way, and with that, sees the return of her ex. Scarlett quickly must decide if she is going to fight back and clear her name, or wait for the incompetent detective to put her behind bars.

This was a cute first edition to what I am assuming will be a series. I enjoyed the writing style of the author, and found Scarlett to be an intriguing character. However, I wasn't a huge fan of Evelyn constantly insisting that she could "handle the store on her own whenever it was needed". I counted at least a half dozen times she mentioned it even halfway through reading the book, and felt it was a bit of overkill. Otherwise, it was a light-hearted, fun cozy read and I would pick up the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an Advanced Reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I liked this new cozy mystery. It was a quick read and kept me guessing until the end. It had no crass language or content which was a nice change of pace. I enjoyed the bookish content and the open ended plot points that have me interested in reading the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it!

This was such a fun and cozy beachside read! I enjoyed this lighthearted murder mystery and finished the whole thing in one day. The cast of characters was well rounded, from the lawyer roommate to the concerned friend/potential love interest. Being from Southern California, I definitely appreciated the setting of Oceanside and references to Newport Beach. While I did guess the ending, I nonetheless had a good time reading Murder by the Seashore.

This cosy would suit people who already like cosies. I don't think this will convert many readers to the cosy mystery sub-genre, but for cosy fans it's a treat. Like many other cosies I've read, it relies on many tropes, but the author handles them well. Most of all, I liked the setting and the characters. Bookshops in mysteries are always a win for me, as are libraries. It always makes me want to work in either. Comes down to a love for books, I guess.

Scarlett, our protagonist, is a strong character with room for growth, and I liked the small group of friends she's gathered in this first book. They're all different, and I think they're going to add a range of things to further books in this series. That's one of the best things about cosies. The character relationships. I envisage so many potential things for the future of the characters, it will be difficult to resist reading the sequel.

It's a fun and light read. They mystery isn't complex, but it's the first book in the series. Not the first time I've read a series where the mysteries get stronger with each book. We have the setup of the law enforcement officer who's not happy with Scarlett investigating on her own. It's a definite cosy trope, but I admit to loving the trope when done well. And it's done well in this book.

On finishing this book, I thought the read effortless and I wanted more. That's one of the best signs that this series works. I'm looking forward to more books with Scarlett, Lucia, Evelyn, and Jules. I have a feeling the next mystery will be amazing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.

A quick, light read with likable characters and a fabulous setting. It wrapped up nicely with an ending that I didn't expect.

I really wanted to like this book - I tried hard. I thought the concept was great, A bookstore by the seashore when the shop keeper stumbles upon a crime scene? Who wouldn’t love that? But there were so many pieces that were utterly unbelievable - she wants to find poison….in a dark bottle….and expected a pharmacist to tell her they sold it? What? Don’t get me started on the ending. If you can suspend disbelief, it’s a fun, wild ride, but it could have been so much better. I’m definitely going to try one of the author’s other books before I give a definitive opinion. I really enjoyed her writing style, and her characters were likable and easy to identify with.

What a great cozy mystery!

Murder by the Seashore is set in California where we find Scarlett, the proprietor of Palm Trees and Page Turners Bookshop. Her boyfriend and business partner suddenly leaves her all alone to deal with the shop, but things get worse when she finds the body of a customer.

There are many twists and turns in this book, and those are great to keep you guessing until the very end.

A great story and one I'm certain you'll enjoy. Kudos to the author!

I don't often read cozy mysteries but this cover and title stood out to me. I loved that this was the first book in a new cozy series (I typically pick them up two or more books in).

I simply loved the main character, Scarlett and her friendship with her roommate Lucia.

If you're looking for a new cozy series, look no further!

The writing and pacing was fantastic and I look forward to the next one!!

O need to tell you!! This one got my eye and for sure it was an wonderful read!! I really enjoyed every bit of him!!

I will recommended for anyone who likes a cozy mystery!!

I’m a huge cozy mystery fan and I’m always looking for new books go read. I was l thrilled when I was approved for this on Netgalley! Murder by the Seashore reads like a typically first in the series cozy mystery (aka the main character is always the murder suspect), but it still was an enjoyable read. It’s hard not to love the main character Scarlett and her friendship with her roommate, Lucia, is so fun. I also loved that Scarlett owns a bookstore! For once I actually didn’t guess who the murder was until right before it was revealed. I hope the author continues with this series because I can’t wait to read more!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the digital copy!

I received an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the perfect first book for a new cozy series. The beach vibes & a bookstore setting are exactly what readers will love. Scarlett is thrown right into the mystery, being both the one to find the body & a prime suspect. As things are revealed she’s even more involved with the deceased than she even knew! I like Scarlett as a lead & her friendship with her lawyer roommate Lucia, is a real highlight. There’s some interesting plot twists that I didn’t see coming that really makes the book stand out. Especially for the start of a series, it pulled me right in. I’ll be on the look out for book two!

Read if you like:
* Beach Reads series by Maggie Blackburn
* By the Book series by Tamara Berry
* Cambridge Bookshop series by Elizabeth Penney

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for introducing me to this author. Scar has opened her bookstore and is still working out some kinks when she stumbles across a body and is thrown into a family mystery. With the help of a few good friends she solves the mystery and learns more about herself. This is the first book in the California Bookshop Mysteries and I look forward to reading more.

I have never read a cozy mystery before but I had fun with this. had a few minor issues but overall I enjoyed this quick read.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and to the author for the opportunity to review. My review opinions are my own. This is a engaging fun cozy mystery debut that I adored from beginning to end. cozy mystery. The writing is perfection, the charcters are richly drawn and the sleuth was so well crafted I did not guess the ending. A outstanding new series for cozy readers !

Scarlett has opened her own bookstore in picturesque Oceanside CA named Palm Trees and Page Turners. Her boyfriend that was going to run the buisness with her has left her and she is determined to make a success of her store. She has a great love of books and that translates to her customers of the local community. Her life is on track when she discovers a dead body at the pier near her store. When its discovered who the victim was and her connection to Scarlett she is the only suspect number one and must investigate to save her reputation and her beloved store. She is suspected by many in the community and the police have decided she must be the suspect. As she investigates in her new community she finds out secrets about the victim and the commmunity.

I loved everything about this book. I enjoyed the charcters of the community, the savvy intelligent independent Scarlett and the sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion. Put this on your TBR list and ddo not miss this wonderfl cozy read. Well done to the author.