In the Event of Murder was enjoyable to read. I love a mystery that keeps you guessing, and this one did just that. I made my way through my own lists of suspects, just to realize I was completely off in the end. To me, that is the mark of a great mystery writer-- someone who gives enough information to cast suspicion on many, but in the end, it all comes together and you realize the signs were all there if you'd just put it together right.

Cynthia Kuhn delivers another irresistible mystery featuring intrepid and immensely appealing heroine Emma Starrs. Party planner Emma does a masterful job of balancing sleuthing with sidestepping obstacles enemies toss in her path as she plans the Gala of the year in scenic Silvercrest, Colorado. Humor, suspense, and surprising twists make every party in Kuhn’s delightful series an event you won’t want to miss!

A gala is coming to a beautiful Colorado town. Hollywood celebrities from the hottest series on television will be in attendance. Emma Starrs, who, with her sister, Lucy, run the local bookstore, are excited about the event.

But when a member of the star's entourage falls victim to murder, the mood is changed. The stars decide to forge on. Until two more are victims of attempted murder.

Emma has some experience solving murders. Much to the chagrin of her lifelong friend and police detective love interest. Can Emma solve the murder and get the gala back on track?

It's easy to see why Cynthia Kuhn is an award-winning author. Her writing style is lively and engaging. Her characters are well-developed. The ending wasn't a complete shocker. But the solution was creative. I highly recommend this book and the other book in the series.

I actually borrowed from the library and read how to book a murder in anticipation of reading this book. I loved how to book a murder and I felt like this book was a great continuation of the story, but it could stand alone.

When I tell you this is the COZIEST murder mystery you will ever read. Think murder in Stars Hollow, Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias. It is wholesome. The backdrop is a hallmark worthy town - Silvercrest, Colorado. The main character owns a family bookstore and is so close with her aunt and her sister. It’s all just very charming.

The main character, Emma Starrs, finds herself at the heart of a murder mystery while trying to plan a charity gala to benefit the town library. The special guests are celebrities from a true crime show and all sorts of mystery, gossip, accidents and injury occur. It is filled with beautiful people, some romances and of course, murder. This book is fun and easy to read and even though murder is the main focus - the atmosphere really pulls you in to the charm of the town and its people.

I enjoyed the his book. There are several unlikeable characters, who definitely don’t redeem themselves, lol but the killer isn’t one of them, which is a surprise. I liked how the characters, (most) rise to the difficulties of getting the gala off and the aftermath. #IntheEventofMurder #NetGalley

I had some difficulties with this one. The behaviors that Tabitha and Emma displayed with one another was tiresome. Tabitha was depicted to be one of these mean girls that never grew up. Emma played into this. This kind of interaction was overblown and detracted from the story as it seemed to become the focus at times. I found the actually mystery just popped up here and there and was really not cohesive.

New Year’s Eve is approaching the little town of Silvercrest and with it, a week full of events. Whitney, the star of the beloved show “Chasers”, born in the town is coming back for the premiere of an episode written by one of the town’s resident writers. With everything seemingly perfect, and prepared for every possibility by an event planner, Lyra, Whitney’s niece, things seem to go well, until Lyra ends up dead. In this mystery novel, Emma Starr will have to solve the crime once again, as more and more surprising attacks keep looming over Whitney, who might not be as perfect as she seems. And with a constant rivalry with the country club member, and a rich widow, can Emma find out what is truly going on with the star and what other secrets are looming in Silvercrest?

I was intrigued by the title and the cover when I first came across it, and after learning this book is part of a series, I became even more interested, even though I did not read the first installment in the series. It was an easy read, that I went through quickly, rather engaged, although I was rather confused in some moments, which stemmed from the fact I did not know the characters from the first book.

Overall, the book was quite interesting but it didn’t exactly meet my expectations. I enjoy reading mystery novels from time to time, and there are things in which this one fell flat.

I think that the story idea was nice, it was interesting to see the dynamics between characters, especially with the big-name movie stars in town. The small city life is written out really nicely, with the special spots and characters that help create those, all building up the book’s atmosphere. The array of different events and plot twists was also engaging.

However, I found some aspects of the book to be really cliche and disinteresting. The book mostly revolved around rivalries, not the murders themselves. Emma’s and Tabitha’s rivalry was the main one, highlighting how bad and annoying Tabitha is, and how much better Emma is, but she doesn’t show it. The plotline about Emma’s sister and her romantic spirit also had more significance than the actual murder that happened. Many passages just seem unfitting for the book too, and focused on details rather insignificant for the reader, like cheddar cheese or yoghurt with pecan nuts. The book just felt unsatisfying at times, especially after the truth about the murder is revealed – the conversation there is so casual and so calm like nothing has ever actually happened.

Overall, while the book was engaging, and a quick read, with a nice atmosphere, a lot of the passages were unnecessary and lacking, making the book feel more like a dairy of the character on a casual day in life, rather than a mystery novel, with a literal murder in the title.

2/5 stars.

THANK YOU CROOKED LANE BOOKS AND NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS BOOK.

#IntheEventofMurder #NetGalley featuring Emma Starrs is the latest book in the series.
Emma works in her aunt's bookstore, Starlit Books and now she's looking forward to attending the annual gala at the Silvercrest Library.
The guest list is exclusive and includes Silvercrest native Whitney Willton and her niece, caterer-to-the-stars Lyra Willton.
Whitney and Lyra are extremely close, and it seems everything is perfect in their world, until Lyra suffers an accident, and not long after, becomes the victim of foul play.
Lyra's sudden death devastates her aunt and the other gala members, but it also leaves them without a planner and caterer.
Emma is asked to step in, even though the gala organizer, Tabitha Baxter, is against it. Tabitha holds a grudge against Emma and she is really an awful person.
Emma, of course, shines in her role, leaving Tabitha irritable and mean.
Unexpected events begin to happen and Emma soon finds herself involved in the murder investigation, piecing the clues together and stunned when it's solved.

I really liked this book and I'm happy to recommend it to other readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

A cozy mystery set in a book lover's paradise in the foot hills of the rocky mountains? Sign me up. I enjoy this one I finished it in a day and can't wait for the next one.