This is not the way things were supposed to go. Scarlett thought she found her happily ever after in Southern California with her new bookstore and her boyfriend. But when the boyfriend leaves, and the bookstore is struggling, financially, Scarlett wonders if she’s made a big mistake. That’s compounded when she finds the body of a customer under the local pier. As it that weren’t weird enough, Scarlett learns she’s about to inherit a substantial sum of money. And the person leaving her the money? None other than the woman whose body she found. Now the police have plenty of questions. And Scarlett finds herself the prime suspect for murder. This is a delightful, cozy sure to please.

Samara Yew's "Murder by the Seashore" is a fairly benign cozy mystery about a new bookstore owner who happens upon a dead body and quickly finds out that she's connected to the victim, but doesn't know how. There's nothing to dislike about this story, except some stilted dialogue, but it was mostly a miss for me. It felt like it was checking all of the Cozy Mystery boxes, but all-in-all, it was pretty forgettable.

Samara Yew’s cute new cozy mystery, Murder by the Seashore is the first in a new series, a “California Bookshop Mystery.”

Scarlett Gardner is the owner of a quaint bookshop, called Palm Trees and Pageturners, in her California seaside town. She hadn’t planned on being the sole owner, until her boyfriend Connor dumped her to go and try his luck at a start-up.

As the summer season just began to pick up, a tourist popped in and bought a book 5 minutes before closing, making her memorable, if for nothing but her timing. Next thing that you know, Scarlett is taking a walk on the beach, and finds a corpse, and could swear that it’s that same tourist.

This murder mystery is the first adventure for Scarlett, and the way that she handles the sleuthing is very amateur, but at times, hilarious. She drags everyone around her into her sniffing about and to help her clear her name, as the local detective has some circumstantial evidence linking her with the murder.

This was a cute “beach read”, and I know that other cozy mystery fans will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC!! It was so much fun!

I'm not usually into cozy mysteries, but Samara Yew might've just turned me into a fan with this awesome story. So, there's Scarlett, who's now running a cute little beachside bookstore. One fine morning, she's out for a stroll on the beach, and She finds a dead body just lying there. But wait, it gets even wilder. Turns out, Scarlett's the lucky winner of the deceased's big fortune. Whoa, right? But here's the kicker: who the heck was this mysterious lady, and why'd she pick Scarlett as her heir?

I gotta say, this book had me hooked, and it wasn't just the murder mystery. The whole scene is set in this charming beach town that's straight out of a postcard. And Scarlett? She's just your everyday person who suddenly gets caught up in a murder investigation. Her roommate, who's a lawyer, is the kind of buddy we all wish we had, and their teamwork to crack the case keeps the story rolling. With plenty of plot twists and quirky characters that make you raise an eyebrow, this novel was a non-stop thrill ride.

I very much enjoyed this story. The characters are quirky. Love the roommate. I think you will enjoy this book too.

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.
The narrator of the audiobook does a good job, although friend Lucia’s voice was more husky than I would have expected.
Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the chance to check out Murder by the Seashore.

I liked this new cozy mystery enough to read it twice! First the ebook and then again on audio at 1.5 speed. 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. The audiobook reader has a pleasant voice and does a good job bringing the characters to life. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to listen to it!

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!

Scarlett moved to Oceanside to open a bookstore with her boyfriend. But after dumps her and moves on to another job, she refuses to give up her dream and is hoping that Palm Trees and Page Turners will thrive regardless. Things are going well until Scarlett sees a dead body under the pier. And things only get worse - the deceased woman was actually poisoned, and a bottle of said poison is found behind the bookshop. Then Scarlett is notified that the dead woman, whom she had never met before the day she died, has left her a substantial inheritance. Is the deceased, Lorelai Knight, her birth mother? Is that why she has bequeathed Scarlett her family's fortune? Then Scarlett's roommate's nemesis, Martin, is killed on their doorstep. What exactly is going on here? Scarlett decides to take matters in her own hands and clear her name herself - no matter the consequences.

While it is a complicated story, this book will keep you on your toes, looking for more. Rather an enjoyable start to a new series. I will definitely be looking for more!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟

Murder by the Seashore is the first in a new cozy mystery series. The story follows Scarlett Gardner, a new resident of Southern California and owner of a bookstore. When she finds the body of a customer of her store, Scarlett is thrust into a police investigation, especially when it comes out that the stranger left her estate to Scarlett. Now, she must find the real killer before she is framed.

This was a fun start to a new series. I love the setting and Scarlett is a good leading lady. I want a bit more romance (I love a romcozy), so hopefully that gets developed more in future installments! Great narration!

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first in a new cozy series and it has lots of potential. I always enjoy a good bookstore cozy especially with the beach setting. I would like to see more backstory for the characters and go a little deeper into personalities. And even more, I want Scarlett to have a pet! The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic!

Fast facts:
📚Lighthearted murder mystery
🌴Beach town
📚Cozy bookshop setting
🌴Mysterious inheritance
📚Quirky characters
🌴Amateur sleuths

Scarlett Gardner’s dream to open a bookshop in Southern California soon becomes a nightmare when she finds the dead body of a customer near her store and becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. When Scarlett moved to Southern California and opened the Palm Trees & Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend/business partner would be part of her happily-ever-after. But when he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. And that’s not the only thing she has to worry about. One morning, Scarlett finds the body of a customer underneath the pier near her bookshop. After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But then, Scarlett finds out that she stands to inherit a small fortune from a woman named Lorelai Knight, who just happens to be the same woman whose body she found on the beach. The police bring Scarlett in for more questioning, and the evidence they have against her doesn’t look good. Who is behind all of this, and why are they framing Scarlett? To clear her name, Scarlett is going to have get creative and stay one page ahead of the killer.

There’s just nothing better than a cozy mystery with amateur sleuths. But add the beach and a bookshop to the mix, and I’m immediately sold! Full of lovable and quirky characters, a dreamy setting, and twists and turns, “Murder by the Seashore” is a must-read for mystery lovers. This was a fast-paced mystery with an enjoyable storyline and short chapters, making it a quick read that you can easily binge in a day. “Murder by the Seashore” is the first book in the California Bookshop Mystery series, and I can’t wait to read Samara Yew’s next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good start for a new series. I liked the setting and I’m always a fan of mysteries set in bookstores but there was nothing really different from any other cozies with similar settings. The mystery was intriguing and the characters were likeable enough but I found that they lacked any real depth and was annoyed by Scarlett’s constant hysterics and her investigative techniques. I will read the next in the series and hope some of these kinks are worked out.