Dollycas’s Thoughts

Mega-influencer LaTàge has contacted Cordelia “Coco” Cline’s Center of Attention Consulting to represent her for her rebranding campaign. But that connection was not meant to be. When Coco arrives for the introductory meeting at the palatial home LaTàge is renting in Central Shores she finds her prospective client dead. It’s not the first time she has found a dead body and she is not a suspect in this murder but the internet trolls are taking her to task. #CocoClineistheProblem is trending and some are even accusing her of killing the influencer.

The Sleuth Squad (Coco and her friends) are banding together to get all the information they can about LaTàge’s life in LA to determine who would want the celebrity influencer dead and why she was killed in Central Shores instead of on the West Coast.

Coco is very good at her job. She is open, friendly, and super tech-savvy. Her talents also make her an excellent amateur sleuth and certain members of the police force know it and want her help. She has Amanda Highgrove on staff to help her with Center of Attention Consulting and until a recent development, she was also ready, willing, and able to help Coco track down leads and follow clues. She also has her pals Jasper and Charlotte at her beck and call. They are The Sleuth Squad. Hudson is away on a press tour for most of this book but he and Coco make an effort to connect every day keeping their relationship a priority. In this story, Hudson’s mother is receiving an award so his sister Willow and her wife Reade fly in from California for the event and are staying with Coco. They too get caught up in the murder mystery. All the characters are fun and engaging but Jasper is my fave. He never fails to crack me up.

The murder mystery started off pretty straightforward and immediately in the first chapter. LaTàge’s entourage were not happy campers and all were suspects. But then a major secret is revealed which opens of the suspect pool. Coco spends time looking into everyone’s social media presence and then explains all she learns to the police. They can’t get a break with one key piece of evidence until Coco is able to contribute to the case in a meaningful way that blows the case wide open. But beware there is another doozy of a twist coming and Willow and Reade are right there with Coco when she makes an important observation. I enjoyed tagging along each step of the way.

There is another surprise after the mystery is wrapped that made me smile. Like Coco, I had no idea and fell for the ruse hook, line, and sinker.

I appreciated all the almost current pop cultural references, such as Twitter, now referred to as X, and Musk running it. After the last few weeks in real life, Coco may be heading to BlueSky more than X in the future. All the hashtags and her knowledge of searching social media accounts for information are always interesting. I always learn something.

In DM Me for Murder, Ms. Burr continues to make trending and technology cozy with entertaining characters that work and play together so well. The mystery was well-plotted and written and had my theories changing until the end. I do think this entire series has the ability to introduce a new generation to the cozy mystery genre while keeping us older folks on board as well. I am hoping for more Trending Topic Mysteries in the future. Technology is always evolving.

I didn't read the first 2 books in this series but I felt like you didn't need too. I liked this, some parts of it dragged on and that's why it has a lower rating; but overall it was a good cozy mystery, I recommend the audio if you try it and can't seem to get into it.

A fun and engaging cozy mystery and a great addition to the series. The story explores the world of social media and influencer culture. The writing is lively and I loved the wit throughout the story. The mystery was current and relatable
Many thanks to Level Best Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

DM Me For Murder by Sarah E. Burr is a fast-paced, engaging mystery that skillfully weaves together modern social media culture with the traditional elements of a whodunit. The plot revolves around a gripping murder case that unfolds in the world of influencers, offering a fresh, contemporary twist to the genre. Burr’s sharp writing and attention to detail make for an entertaining and suspenseful read.

The characters are well-developed, and the protagonist's investigation keeps you hooked as secrets and lies are uncovered. While the social media angle might feel a bit gimmicky to some, it adds a unique dimension to the story. The only drawback is that a few plot points feel rushed or overly convenient, but overall, DM Me For Murder delivers an exciting and clever mystery perfect for fans of modern thrillers.

The story had its moments—some parts were fast-paced and gripping, while others dragged a bit for me. It wasn’t a bad read! It did what I hoped for, providing an enjoyable escape.

#DMMeforMurder #NetGalley

Lovely mystery; a great read on holiday. Will be recommending to my friends! Great mix of mystery and humor!

I do love a cosy mystery and although this book is in a few into the series I still did enjoy it. It does feel more aligned to a younger audience or those who love the social media and influencer world. I think I’ll pick up the others!

So I ended up actually enjoying this one to where I went back and read the others in the series. Was a cute simple read and enjoyed the group enough to get me to read the others.

Loved seeing Coco and the gang back for another adventure! In book three of the Trending Topics Mysteries, Coco is once again at the center of a murder. This time, it's not the police who think she's up to no good, but the internet itself. The net is split between people sending her hate messages and people calling for her to help solve the murder of infulencer LaTage. Our girl Coco does her hardest to stay out of trouble, but as in the previous 2 books, trouble usually finds her.

I love that this book shows Coco growing a little more, turning off notifications and not letting social media rule her life, even though it is her career. More than once she wonders if she should deactivate her account, a thought that would have made book 1 Coco shudder.

The twists were good in this one, and although I had an inkling of who the killer was, I fell for the red herring a bit.

Can't wait to see what happens in book four, since the residents of Central Shores are getting a little fed up with all of the violence and murder happening in their sleepy town.

A great addition to an incredible series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

I realized a few chapters in that this is book 3 or 4 of the series. I was a little confused but not overly confused that I thought I needed to read the first few books. This book didn’t intrigue me. I had to DNF it.

I'm a big fan of this series! I love Coco and her sleuthing. This book reads just as easily as my favorite cozy mysteries from Jenn McKinlay. I liked the coastal town setting, and the social media woven in makes it feel current and like something that could be actually happening *thought thankfully it's all fiction!*

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. I am a huge fan of mysteries, especially cozy mysteries but I found this one a bit hard to get into. It may just be better for a younger generation but I was unable to relate to the characters and their storylines. I still say anyone who is a fan of mysteries should still give it a try though!

I am obsessed with the influencer trope so this book was perfect for me.
Coco is a true crime influencer who investigates the death of a celebrity. Social media does its thing and soon the internet thinks Coco was involved.
I didn’t read the previous books in the series before reading this one but I will now!

Thank you, NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased, honest review.

DM Me for Murder follows true crime influencer Coco Cline as she takes on the murder investigation of her celebrity client, LaTage, after finding her deceased. After the news of Latage's death take over the internet and trending hashtags threaten to deviate the narrative in Coco's way; Coco decides to take matters into her own hands and solve Latage's murder with the help of her friends and police department.

I did guess who the killer was early on, but that did not deter me from reading it and enjoying the book as it had lots of plot twists and possible suspects for the murder.
This book is the third in the series and I haven’t read the others, but I am excited to now enjoy more!
Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to anyone who's just getting into mystery and thrillers and wants to ease their way into the genre. If you love social media, true crime, and plot twists in a murder investigation, this book is for you!

Social media guru Coco Cline has just learned the influencer LaTage wants Coco’s business Center of Attention Consulting to handle her rebranding campaign. However, when Coco arrives for her first meeting with the mega influencer, things don’t go according to plan. LaTage is dead and soon enough, the internet believes Coco to be the culprit.
Overall, this cozy mystery was fine. Was Coco slightly annoying? Yes, but I was willing to overlook the fault. One of the reasons this book did not resonate with me was because it was the third book in a series. Instantly, I felt a huge disconnect. I know many people say you can read certain books as a standalone, but there are still things that are missed. DM for Murder also featured a huge messy middle. The ending was good, but unfortunately, not enough to make me want to continue on.

A social media collab turns deadly for influencer Coco Cline.

Cordelia “Coco” Cline is over the moon when she learns mega-influencer LaTàge wants Center of Attention Consulting to handle her rebranding campaign. But things come crashing down when Coco arrives for a brainstorming meeting only to find LaTàge dead on the floor of her rented mansion. While the Central Shores police don't suspect Coco of the disturbing crime, the Internet has other ideas. Coco is horrified to see the hashtag #CocoClineistheProblem trending everywhere on socials, with anonymous accounts accusing her of having a hand in LaTàge's tragic death.

Armed with her phone and her fabulous friends (dubbed the Sleuth Squad), Coco dives into LaTàge's glamorous, over-the-top world of influencer-turned-celebrity. Who in Central Shores would want the LA native dead? What skeletons had LaTàge been hiding?

Join crime-solving influencer Coco Cline for her most outrageous case yet as she and her friends uncover long-buried scandals trending just below the surface.

I really enjoyed the plot and the story. Fantastically written. Will recommend to others.

Dnf sorry I really didn’t enjoy the first 25% of the book and unfortunately I did not wish to continue reading. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I also didn’t connect with any characters. I don’t anticipate the story to peak my interest after what I did read. I haven’t thought of the book since I put it down which makes me not want to finish it in the future. I really appreciate the arc and I wish I did enjoy it more but unfortunately it’s not for me. I’d be willing to try something else from the author just not this book. Sorry again I really hate to dnf a book but I want to love what I’m reading not counting down the pages until it’s over.

This book tried so hard to be politically correct, I SCOFFED.....

I enjoyed the mystery, but good grief.....

It's one thing to have representation that is well thought out and written. It's something else when you just throw it in to have it when it's just for heck of it.

If it weren't for that, I would have given it a 3 star rating. Just "meh" overall. I enjoyed the first one so much and I wish I could say the same of the third installment. I'll go back and try the second, but probably won't go beyond that with the series. We shall see.

DM Me for Murder - 3.7 stars (rounded to 4 stars)
Author: Sarah E. Burr @authorsaraheburr
Publisher: Level Best Books @levelbestbooks
Pages 288

A true crime influencer Coco takes a part on the investigation of a murder, another social media influencer LaTàge. Through the whole process with ups and downs and with all help of her friends, she managed to identify the killer.

For me personally I find hard to connect with the characters and it took me a time to get in. Overall, I do like this book for the idea, it’s something we have these days – a huge impact of social media on our lives. But as much as I enjoy reading mysteries, this book is just not my cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley for providing ARC f this book for my honest review.

#DMMeforMurder #NetGalley