I had high hopes for this book as a displaced fading tv star (Miranda Abbott) who is struggling with her current status - or lack of - finding herself in a small town stage play with no one she really knows is a strong premise for a fun cozy mystery. I enjoyed the unique and interesting townspeople Miranda encounters, along with the loyalties and conflicts that abound in such small communities that the authors unravel as Miranda struggles to learn who to trust.

Unfortunately, this story is limited by the inconsistency in the character development of Miranda. Very frustrating. At times the authors attempted to create humor through a narcissistic main character. They tried too hard, and it often made me cringe rather than laugh or even grin. The bigger problem, though, is that Miranda is NOT a narcissist; she is intuitive, empathetic, and kind. Dropping the premise of her being spoiled and self-centered would have made this a much better story, and the other humorous moments all the more effective.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, the authors, and Netgalley for early access to an electronic version of this book.

I Only Read Murder is book one in the Miranda Abbott mystery series by Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson.

Miranda Abbott is an out of work actress with few prospects, who finally returns to her long abandoned husband, hoping to reconcile, only to find out that he wants a divorce. She finds herself investigating the death of the lead actress in a play being put on by a local community theatre, when her soon to be ex husband is accused of the woman's murder.

I found this mystery quite entertaining, although I'm on the fence about Miranda, the main character of the story. I get that actors are somewhat self involved but she was exceptionally self centered at times, and really started to get on my nerves. At the same time she seemed to be somewhat naïve in her thinking, or she was insane and just in complete denial, which is more likely.

The other actors in the play provided a wide variety of suspects, and possible motives which kept me guessing throughout the book.

This was a fun quick read and I would recommend it to any lover of a small town, cozy mystery.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Miranda used to be a famous movie star now she is a has been. She is stuck up and doesn’t even pay her assistant due to lack of funds. She receives a postcard in the mail and travels to where her husband lives. She tries out for a party in a play and receives a small role instead of the leading role. During opening night there is a murder and Miranda just so happened to switch the glasses they both drank out of. Was she the one intended to be murdered? And who did it?

I love a good mystery and this did make me laugh a few times but the FMC is absolutely obnoxious. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or if it’s just my own view of her but it did make the novel difficult for me to read.

I’m sure others will love this but sadly it wasn’t for me.

Definitely not a mystery favorite. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters and didn't really like the lead character at all. I really wanted to love this book especially with that title! I hope someone else enjoys this book but it just wasn't for me.

Miranda Abbott once had a career as a TV star, playing a pastor who solved crimes. Now she is living in a small town in the Pacific Northwest and performing in a community theater production. When there is a murder, she channels her TV alter-ego and works to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this mystery because I am a big cozy mystery fan. The community theater setting was a plus!

This was a fun read full of snappy dialogue and a smart, resilient lead character. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries!

** “What is it they say: a lack of evidence doesn’t mean that the wrong evidence is the right evidence.” **

Brothers Ian and Will Ferguson deliver a brilliantly fun murder mystery with “I Only Read Murder.”

Miranda Abbott is a washed up, has-been actress, TV’s former Pastor Fran, who just won’t accept her reality. So when she receives a postcard summoning to her once, brief home in Oregon, she heads there quickly.

Soon she is pulled into the local theater troupe’s annual play, finding herself drawn into a real-life mystery. Will she be able to use her TV character’s skills to solve the case?

“I Only Read Murder” is a fun, quirky story filled with lots of twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. Miranda is so obnoxious she’s lovable, and the rest of the town’s folk are equally delightful and mysterious. The authors do a wonderful job of developing a story that’s fun, suspenseful and will leave a smile on your face.

Fans of mysteries filled with quirky casts, like author Janice Hallett, the Charity Shop Detective Agency series by Peter Boland and the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman will love “I Only Read Murder,” which is due out Feb. 27.

Five stars out of five.

MIRA provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I Only Read Murder follows an actress who is hard on her luck. She was on a famous show fighting crime for a while but now she is getting older and can't find work. She goes back to find her estranged husband and join in a small town production. When someone is killed on stage, she tries to figure out the killer.

I did not finish this book. I really did not like it. I will start with the positives first. I think the small town setting a book store were a cute setting. It had a very cozy feeling and I liked that a lot. Of course, I also loved that was a cute dog as one of the characters. I think the setting was there and the characters could have been great, but alas they were not.

Miranda has to be one of the worst main characters I have ever read. She was so full of herself and entitled. She treated everyone around her terribly and I couldn't stand to read from her point of view anymore. I think it was supposed to be funny at times but I didn't find the book funny at all. It was more just cringey and annoying unfortunately.

This book was not for me. I hope others enjoy it! Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, clever and funny cozy mystery. I loved this hilarious romp through a small town on Tillamook Bay. The characters were each a caricature and a delight to root for. I enjoyed the LA and theatre/play vibe as well! I'll be adding this series to my fun mysteries to read in the future.

Miranda Abbott has a flagging acting career and is 15 years passed her heyday is Pastor Fran when she gets a postcard from her long suffering husband Edgar who lives in Happy Rock Colorado she arrives thinking he wants them to get back together but soon learns he actually wants a divorce. Miranda is down but not out she goes to the local B and B where her biggest fan lives her name is B and through B and the sheriff Ned she will join the annual play for The happy rock amalgamated and consolidated little theater Society. She believes she is a shoe in for the lead part but when a local personality shows up named Annette she is relegated to a one line part is the maid who dies. She isn’t happy about it but being a professional actress she knows it is not about her but the play she agrees to it but when life-threatening things start happening around her she is bewildered but put all her pastor friend skills to work and even get a sidekick in Susan LeDrake, the theater manager and cashier at “I only read Murder“ bookstore that her husband Edgar owns. There’s many suspects but the actual guilty party totally surprise me! I am so loving these well written cozy mysteries I do love a fun cozy mystery romp but for some reason these new in my opinion more credible cozy mysteries that have not only truly funny moments but a Sirius who done it plotline are my favorite. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Miranda Abbet mysteries this is the first book in the series so sign me up. From Miranda‘s attitude when she first arrives to her epiphany especially that with her “gay“ assistant I absolutely loved it all it was so good and definitely a five star read and one I definitely recommend. I want to thank Harlequin trademark and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Miranda is at the end of an illustrious career as an actor and scrambling to find a job when she receives a note from her estranged husband. She goes to see him thinking that he wants to get back together, but what he really wants is a divorce.

I didn't finish this. The main character was just so out of touch, self-centered, and incredibly annoying. Maybe it got better, but I had so much trouble connecting to the story. I just never wanted to pick it up.

This book had a great title and potential based on the summary. Unfortunately, there was little to no plot and the main character is highly annoying. Lots of repetition and unlikable characters across the board.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

I Only Read Murder is a cozy mystery set in Happy Rock, located outside of Portland, Oregon. Miranda Abbott, a former television star who is passed her prime, looks to reignite her career in Happy Rock. As soon as she arrives, she meets many of the towns residents each with their own quirks and past lives.

I recently started reading cozy mysteries and requested this title with high hopes. While I enjoyed some moments of light hearted humour entangled in this small town whodunnit, it still fell short for me. I found that more than half of the book went at a fairly slow pace, then quickly picked up in the last third to wrap up the mystery. Lastly, I had trouble liking the main character. While I understand that her over-the-top and high maintenance persona was part of her act - it was still tough to be on Team Miranda.

I Only Read Murder by Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson is a book that I found a challenge to finish (I wanted to quit reading after the first three pages). Miranda Abbott is an extremely unlikeable character. Miranda is so self-absorbed that I am surprised that she noticed someone was murdered. I believe the story is meant to be humorous, but I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes (instead of laughing). The story takes place in a cliched small town with unoriginal characters. The secondary characters are flat. The pacing is slow (snails move faster) and repetitious details (it was so bad that I knew the information by heart by the end of the book). The author spelled everything out to readers (like we are dimwitted nitwits). There are inconsistencies in the story as well. The murder does not happen until nearly halfway through the story (reminded me of trudging up a big hill on a very hot day—it takes forever to get there). The investigation by Miranda (who thinks she knows everything about investigating a whodunit from the character she played on a television series) is simple and so is the crime. The killer is obvious. I ended up skimming to the end (I was fed up with Miranda). The ending had me groaning in disbelief. I Only Read Murder was cliched, trite, and monotonous.

It was cute. The main character was self-centered to the point of being unlikeable, but I enjoyed the other characters. I’d probably read the next one. Hopefully, Miranda will reveal some redeeming qualities.

Miranda, aging actress who had the lead role on a TV show years ago, is both our protagonist and someone the authors want to make fun of, which is a difficult balancing act that isn't always successful.

As is typical of cozies, the other characters are roles more than people == I wanted to know more about some of them, but this isn't the genre for that. I enjoyed the small-town quirks, particularly the way they handle the 10th anniversary of performing the same play, but I couldn't warm up to Miranda's selfishness and self-centeredness.

Started out really disliking the narcissistic main character, Miranda. Decided to keep reading for the murder, another even more despicable character. Enjoyed the plot and the community. Not sure if I want another dose of Miranda, who knows if she can change her ways?
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Seemingly oblivious to the fact she is broke and no longer a celebrity, has-been actress Miranda Abbott who had played a sleuthing pastor on tv, returns to a coastal Oregon village after receiving a postcard. She had honeymooned there with the screenwriter husband she abandoned fifteen years ago who now owns a mystery bookshop. Residents, who stage a play, the same murder mystery play, every year coerce her into auditioning but the night of the dress rehearsal a real murder takes the stage. Townsfolk and members of the theater company frequently confuse Miranda with Pastor Fran, her tv character. A thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery that brings to mind Only Murders in the Building and Hallett's The Appeal.

Actress Miranda Abbott is in a bit of a slump in her acting career - a fifteen year slump. After achieving fame as Pastor Fran - crime solver and karate chopper, her career has hit hard times. She's relying on her downtrodden assistant Andrews for paying her rent and taking care of her. She finally hits the bottom when her agent offers her the role of the grandmother in a Metamucil commercial.

Then she gets a postcard that takes her on a journey to her past - a sixteen hour bus journey. She winds up in Happy Rock, a very small town in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband Edgar had honeymooned there after Pastor Fran tanked. Edgar fell in love with the place and stayed by buying the local bookstore, but Miranda headed back to Hollywood. But now she has nowhere left to go.

Her happy dreams are dashed when she arrives only to have Edgar ask for a divorce. She winds up staying in a B&B owned by one of her biggest fans. Bea even has Pastor Fran nights where the old videotapes are dragged out and played again and again. Determined to ger back with her husband, Miranda auditions for the tenth annual presentation of Death Is the Dickens but only manages to get the one-line part of a maid who dies in the first act. The lead goes to Annette Baillie - former morning show star turned real estate agent and very much a local celebrity.

When Annette dies in the first act by drinking poison, it is up to Miranda and her new friends to solve the crime and free her now-ex-husband who has been arrested for the crime. There are lots of suspects from the local drama teacher who went to Yale and is constantly butting heads with Annette to the car mechanic who just can't remember his lines and whose business Annette threatened to the local teen Miranda beat out for the part of the dying maid.

This was an amusing story filled with caricatures more than characters. From the ditzy Miranda to the fanatic Bea and all the rest, the story is filled with intriguing people that I came to care about. I liked the way Miranda kept accusing suspects who were quickly proven innocent. She was persistent and did finally find the correct villain.