Miranda Abbott, previously recognized for her role as a detective clergyperson on a major television series, finds herself in A Situation: a cryptic postcard calls her to a secluded town where she engages in a local theater's amateur play. But when an actor is murdered, Miranda must join forces with a diverse group of eccentric local characters, channeling her on-screen persona to unravel the mystery.

Wonderful plots twists, an engaging narrative style, and memorable characters all combine to make this a thoroughly delightful read.

A fun romp of a book full of intrigue and mystery. This small town cozy mystery boasts a diverse and fleshed out grouping od characters as well as many plot twists to keep you guessing. The backlay of the Murder mystery play occuring during the murder itself is just perfect.

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2024/10/22/book-review-i-only-read-murder-by-ian-ferguson-and-will-ferguson/

Simple and cozy read. Easy to binge once I got into it. The main character was simple and likable. This could be a binge read once you get into it. It did take me a long time to get into it though. Didn’t realize it was a series either. I think had this been a paperback I would have finished faster than an e book.

I live for a cozie! Miranda was so fun to spend time with--her being so out of touch with reality and her main character energy made for an entertaining read. I love the theme of the cozies being talked about with her not even realizing she is living in a cozie. This was just what I was craving.

Looking for a cozy murder mystery starring a ditzy washed-up actress who ends up in Happy Rock (OR) due to a miscommunication with her soon-to-be ex-husband. While trying to win him back, Miranda Abbott joins the Happy Rock theater group. Unexpectedly, she ends up as the First Victim, rather than the star. But then murder intervenes and she needs to star not only in the play but as a real detective to solve the murder and keep her "ex-husband" out of the hoosegow! Can she channel her inner Pastor Fran and succeed, or will this be another failure? Not a bad read once it got going.

I only read Murder is the first in a cozy mystery series. It is a cute story that is a quick fun read.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Will and Ian Ferguson Latest series.

Loved this one...for lovers of Schitt's Creek. The characters were flawed and lovable, the story sweet, and the humor spot on. I will highly recommend this one!

This was one of those books that was just a comfort to read.
I kind of feel like it has the same vibes as Finnley Donovan. It was a fun read, and something I would recommend to people looking to have a fun time while reading.

Miranda Abbott, an older actor, who is called to a small community on the Oregon coast. Miranda does not appear to have a clue about real life. BUT she fumbles her way to solving the murder of the play's lead. Who did it? Why? and How? will keep you reading.
A debut cozy mystery by the Ian and Will Ferguson team. What comes next for Miranda?

I love a good humorous mystery, and I had high hopes for this one. However, it just didn't do it for me. The humor here is too strident, too broad, too forced. Rather than chortles, it elicited eye rolls, and eventually not even that. Will there be an audience for this book? Undoubtedly. There are people who will appreciate the self centered narcissist among the village idiots. I am not among them.

How could any crime fiction reader not want to pick up a book with this title??

I was feeling a slump coming on, so I reached for this cozy mystery to lighten my reading mood and had a fun journey!

When readers first meet Miranda, they’re probably not going to love her, but I swear she grows on you! I really enjoyed her obliviousness and the humor that her character brought to the book. Beneath all of that is also someone who cares greatly about people and it was nice to see that ultimately shine.

I’m a sucker for a good small town story and Happy Rock really delivers on that setting. It’s the perfect spot for a cozy mystery where everyone knows everyone. In addition to a fun town, the plot gives readers a chance to get to know its residents a little closer as we follow Miranda’s journey into amateur theater with them.

I just saw that there is already a second book in store for later this year that I'll definitely have on my shopping list.

completely forgot why i was putting this off because i was having a good time reading the last time i started, i love how humors the characters are even in a serious situation.

i did lose interest at some points but sometimes it fell flat and i couldn’t keep my attention on it for as long as i needed to. but i LOVE a self absorbed main character so this is okay in my book!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I am sad to say this book was just okay. I had a hard time relating with the characters. It felt like it was lacking in some areas. Especially the one that I was hoping to keep me interested. For this reason I had to put it down and did not finish.

Maybe others would be more interested than me.

I enjoyedreading this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fun read with highly devoped characters. The plot is well developed and keeps the reader interested to the end.

4.5/5

I am officially obsessed with Ian and Will Ferguson as a writing duo, and no one is going to tell me otherwise. I Only Read Murder was such an incredibly fun read and Miranda Abbott might be the most over-the-top character I have ever read about, but I loved her dearly. This book takes amateur sleuthing to a whole new level, and we get to experience it through someone exceedingly vain but loveable at the same time. The mystery leads our FMC Miranda to various locations and suspects, and we find out along the way that not everyone is what they appear to be on the outside.

The audiobook is narrated by Molly Secours, and words cannot even express how much I loved her as the voice of Miranda. She was able to bring this character's persona to life in such a fitting and stunning way that if you told me she WAS Miranda I would believe you. Narration at its finest and I would highly recommend the audio if you want the character to really leap off the page at you. The ending of the book was very Murder She Wrote, and I for one was shocked by the whodunnit. I Only Read Murder is definitely not going to be for everyone, but if you enjoy crazy antics and a main character you might hate and love at the same time, this is the book for you!

I enjoyed 'I Only Read Murder' so much that I had a t-shirt made with a picture of the title! I actually only read books about murder so it was the perfect book for me! Miranda is funny and the perfect detective to solve the crime. I loved the theatre as a setting and the characters were hilarious!

I read book 2, Mystery in the title, before reading this one. It's book 1 in the Miranda Abbott series. Miranda is an aging actress that needs money. She accepts a role in a small community play never expecting a murder on stage with the entire audience watching. e. But out of one hundred witnesses, no one actually saw what happened. Now everyone is under a cloud of suspicion, including the sardonic town doctor, the local high school drama teacher, an oil-stained car mechanic, an older gentleman who may or may not have been in the CIA—and Miranda herself. Clearly, the only way to solve this mystery is for Miranda to summon her skills as television’s Pastor Fran and draw on the help of her new sidekick, Susan, a shy bookstore clerk who seems to know everyone’s secrets. Because the show must go on! A nice cozy series staring Miranda Abbott.

DNF 25%

I really tried to like this story, but the main character made it so hard for me that I couldn't finish it. She was so selfish in her behavior and it might be funny, but it went over my head. I find it hard to like books where the characters aren't likable or relatable. But the premise of the story still sounds interesting, so if you don't have a problem like me with disliking the character, this might be the book for you. :)

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.