3.75 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley & Level Best Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a sucker for mysteries, so this book’s title and premise intrigued me from the beginning. I didn’t realize that it was part of the Trending Topic series (Oops!), so some references to past books went over my head. (That’s totally on me and has no bearing on my review.) Still, I was super interested in the concept of this book.

The plot of influencer & amateur sleuth Cordelia “Coco" Cline looking into the murder of fellow influencer LaTàge- who she was supposed to work with- was a fresh concept I haven’t seen before. As someone who has worked in social media for years, following a main character with such a background made following the case more interesting. I’ve never read a book where a murder mystery was followed from that sort of lens, so it was refreshing. The mystery itself was great too, what with all the solid red herrings and possibilities of who the killer was. As for the reveal of the killer, it totally surprised me who it was! It took a turn that I truly didn’t expect.

I also loved the small town setting of Central Shores. Something hits different than a murder mystery set in a big city. It didn’t feel like a typical small town either; it felt unique enough that it wasn’t a bland setting.

Where this book fell a bit flat were the characters and some of the dialogue. I didn’t mind Coco as a character, but some of her dialogue- which was heavily laced with “trendy” lingo (i.e. the constant use of “tea”)- seemed a little out of place when used in serious conversations. A couple of the side characters grated on me a little too, which made reading some scenes with them hard to get through. But the humour and murder mystery made the book a more enjoyable experience.

Overall, this was a solid amateur sleuth murder mystery. I’m definitely going to read the first two books in this series in the future!

Unfortunately ai didn’t love this book. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The story just seemed drawn out. This would be a great book for young adults.

I didn’t actually know this book was the second in this series but I was able to follow the story fairly easily.

I liked the overall story of this book but I did struggle a bit to connect with the characters and had to force myself at times to keep reading.

For me personally I felt there were certain moments of cringe that I was struggling with a bit and there were a few slow burn moments where I thought the pace could have been a bit faster.

The ending had me in shambles though, I did not see it coming at all!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC to me in return for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion on this title.

Coco Cline is a small beach town influencer and owner of Center of Attention who has the chance to work with a mega influence LaTàge. Coco’s not so stoked anymore when she shows up to a rebranding meeting to find LaTàge dead in a Central Shores luxury, beach front property. This story follows Coco and the police department (and many others) on the mystery to uncover the twists and turns of LaTàge’s untimely death.

I love a cozy mystery, but this one was much too slow for my liking especially in the middle. We’re introduced to a multitude of characters throughout the book, most of which I kept wondering “why would Coco bring yet ANOTHER person into the case?”… The story line of a consultant working with the PD is similar to another series, The Booking Agents, as well as the books the TV series Bones is based off of. The story of an influencer solving a murder case was cringey, the online following texted like middle schoolers texting for the first time, and I think I genuinely sat through an ad read within the first few chapters.

I think this would be a great novel to pick up for any young adults or newbies to the cozy mystery genre. There was a fun and surprising twist mid-way through the book to help keep my attention. The arrest at the end was shocking, but slightly predictable and the last few pages were cute though a tad cringey.

A fun murder mystery -- kinda no thoughts, just vibes, but perfect for what I needed as a palate cleanser between fantasies. The influencer angle to the sleuthing worked well for this mystery. Although this book is the third in the series, it read well as a standalone, and got me interested in the established relationships enough to want to read the first two books to understand their origin stories.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up so many times, only to read for a few pages and then put it down as I just didn’t want to continue.
If it was on KU, I would have DNF’d earlier but I felt it was unfair to do that considering I got it on NetGalley.

There was too many pop culture references. (However this could be a personal preference thing)

My only real issue with the book was the channel titles. Coco (our main FMC) has a blog called ‘Trending Topic’, Jasper has a magazine called ‘Divulge Direct” & LaTàge (the victim) had a channel called ‘dats how we dooz it?’
From my memory, LaTàge is the only black character introduced (other than perhaps, her followers who, of course, speak in AAVE when reacting to her death)
It feels too much of a bad stereotype to be ok!

** I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

Fun easy read. I liked the characters and their relationships. It was a fun take on the cosy murder genre.

Unfortunately I couldn't finish this book and that made me so sad. I hate not finishing books and I feel as though this book how so much promise. However there were too many parts where it tried to be relatable and reference every day things to the point where it just got cringy. I had to stop reading at 35%. If there were less moments where they tried to seem relatable and cool then it would've been good.

Read as an ebook.

This is a sequel book in a series, but it was easy to understand even if you haven’t read the others. The characters and their relationships are well-explained, as is the setting. The town and the various side characters are vibrant, and the mystery itself was low stakes and satisfying. There were several twists to the story that I didn’t see coming.

While I enjoyed this story overall, I found the main character a little difficult to relate to, and the attempt at “Gen Z” speech patterns felt a bit forced and even out of character at times, which occasionally interrupted the flow of the story for me. Generally though, this was an entertaining, quick read that I would recommend to people who are interested in influencer culture and cozy mysteries that don’t get too graphic.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

3/5 An easy-read, social media-fueled mystery.

Social media influencer Coco is excited about her meeting with mega influencer LaTage. Coco has a horrible surprise when she arrives for the meeting and finds Latage's dead body. Although she is not a suspect, Anonymous accounts on social media accuse her of having a hand in LaTage's death. Coco has no choice but to find the real culprit and clear her own name. This was a fun fast paced and light hearted mystery with numerous plot twists and multiple suspects. The main characters are likeable and well written, especially her two best friends and fellow sleuths Jasper and Charlotte. I enjoyed this book and was surprised at who the murderer turned out to be.

DM Me For Murder is an electrifying and utterly addictive read that seamlessly blends the captivating world of social media influencers with the suspense of a thrilling mystery.

Protagonist Coco Cline is a relatable and endearing character, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in her journey. As she navigates the murky waters of social media fame and a murder investigation, her resilience and determination shine through. The dynamic friendship between Coco and her 'Sleuth Squad' adds depth to the story, offering moments of humor.

This book is a compelling exploration of the dark side of social media fame, where hashtags and trending topics can quickly turn a person's life upside down. It's a story that delves into the complexities of jealousy, ambition, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets.

Intriguing, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, this book is a must-read for fans of both mystery and social media culture.

Gen Z + Cozy Mystery - sign me up.

This is part of a serires, but I read this without reading the others and had no issues understanding what was going on. That said, I will go back to the start of the series as I like to really get to know the characters, and not just try to solve the mystery at hand.

One influencer trying to solve another influencers murder. This felt like it could be a tik tok series (not a bad thing). Pacing of the book is quite good and definitely a lot of good twists and turns.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I didn't know what to expect when reading this book but hoped it would be a fun cozy murder mystery style novel. I am pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. I think this has a specific target audience as uses a lot of slang and pop culture references but I could easily overlook some of this and still enjoyed the story.

I didn't realise that this was part of a series but I don't think it has impacted my understanding of the book and the characters so don't worry if you read out of sequence!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah E. Burr for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. When Instagram influencer LáTage and her crew arrive in a small Delaware town, the last thing anyone expects is for her to end up murdered. Coco Kline is at it again, but this time, she’s investigating the murder of a would-be client. But LáTage may not be who she says she is, making the suspect list for this murder investigation even longer and more personal for small town sleuth Coco Kline.

I would rate this book as 3.5 stars. I love a good murder mystery and I feel like this novel delivered just that in a light hearted manner. It took a good 50-70 pages for me to become really invested in the story, but once I got there, I was motivated to finish the book and find out who the killer was. Some of the relationships with the main character felt a little underdeveloped and would’ve appreciated fewer characters with more development. There were also a lot of “gen Z” references, which felt a little forced to me, but maybe that’s due to me being a millennial. At the end of the day, I enjoyed this cozy murder mystery and would be interested in reading future novels from Sarah E. Burr.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this Advanced Review Copy of DM me for Murder by Sarah E. Burr. The book is a lighthearted mystery where influencer Coco Cline attempts to solve the murder of fellow influencer LaTage. The book has many twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing until the very end. I hadn't read the first 2 books in the series and found this very accessible as a stand alone read and thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The ending was unpredictable and I really loved that I was gripped until the very end.

Coco is up to sleuthing out a killer in this the newest Trending Topics murder. A social media influencer comes to town to talk to Coco and ends up dead. No one knew her. Very few knew she was in town. Old secrets come unraveled. Once again Coco is drawn into the investigation.
Sarah E. Burr has a way of writing a very up to the minute cozy filled with the fastest tech savvy information. I love how her characters have such in depth personalities. You really do feel like your there a part of the story!
There are lots of twists to the plot so keep guessing! The mystery flows like smooth rich chocolate! Thanks for putting in the story how social media affects so many people's mental well being. If could this would get a 10 star rating!! Thanks #Netgalley and #LevelBestBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.
...

Cozy Mystery following a Delaware social media influencer & consultant and her friends aka the Sleuth Squad are on the case after she finds a mega-influencer dead.

4/5 stars: This is the third entry in Burr's Trending Topic Mystery series, which is a Cozy Mystery that takes place in Delaware and features a social media influencer and consultant. With plenty of twists and turns, Burr has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Burr's characters are incredibly likable. It’s fun to catch up with Coco and her friends, Jasper and Charlotte (who are a hoot). And I really like seeing Coco and Hudson's relationship moving to the next level. I’m always on the lookout for cozies that feature unique careers and Coco’s work in the social media sphere hits the spot. This book touches on some sensitive issues, so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading this series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, FollowMe for Murder.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

❥ dm me for murder — sarah e. burr
★ ★ ★

˗ˏˋ ♡ ´ˎ˗ genre : mystery
˗ˏˋ ♡ ´ˎ˗ pages: 338


synopsis —

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 clone for her most outrageous case yet as she and her friends uncover long-buried scandals trending just below the surface.

review —

so this was the first one ive read in the ‘cosy mystery’ type series and it lured me in kept me on my toes. not a bad story and it did the job for me.

some parts of the book just dragged for me, some parts were fast paced. at some points the slang in the conversations became a bit too much but the book overall wasn’t a bad book!!

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

This is the third book in the Trending Topic Mystery Series by Sarah E. Burr and it’s the best one yet.
Ms. Burr has skillfully crafted a diverse cast of characters who return in DM Me for Murder. It’s like sitting down for coffee with a group of friends.

The body drops early in the book, and Coco is first on the scene. Using her tech savvy skills and social media knowledge, Coco and her sidekicks, Charlotte and Jasper, get to work figuring out who could have done it.

Central Shores Police Department Lieutenant Gavin McInnis finally acknowledges that Coco has skills that could help the department solve the murder. That’s a relief! And Coco does a good job of keeping him in the loop of her investigation.

The story is fast-paced and there are excellent suspects. There are enough twists in the story to keep the reader on their toes and guessing who the killer could be.
And the surprise twist at the end is wonderful!

Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. Ms. Burr pulled me into the story and it didn’t let me go.
It hits all the marks for a contemporary cozy mystery.

DM me for murder

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for granting early access to this cozy mystery. Earning a steady three stars, the story introduces readers to micro-influencer Coco Cline and her diverse group as they embark on solving the murder of celebrity influencer LaTage. As the investigation unfolds, exposing hidden secrets, the narrative takes unexpected twists and turns.

Cozy mysteries usually hit the right notes for me, but this one presented a distinctive challenge. The characters, particularly Coco and her friends, embraced gen Z slang to an extent that felt slightly forced. The frequent use of shorthand like "u" and "ur" felt unnatural, and even the inclusion of such language in the dialogue of a sixty or seventy-year-old character seemed a bit too exaggerated. The repetitive use of "spill the tea" in the context of a homicide investigation left me cringing, and the forced nicknames, like "cokes" for Coco, added an unnecessary layer of eye-rolling.

Jasper's questionable behavior and Coco's surprising friendship with her former school bully introduced unexpected dynamics that felt somewhat strained. The attempt to incorporate trendy language into the characters' interactions didn't quite hit the mark.

Despite these stylistic challenges, the core mystery proved engaging, peeling back the enigmatic layers of LaTage's life. The guessing game of identifying the murderer injected a level of enjoyment into the narrative. However, the exaggerated use of gen Z slang and forced nicknames overshadowed the positive aspects.

In conclusion, while the mystery provided entertainment, the forced inclusion of trendy language and somewhat unrealistic character dynamics might not resonate with readers seeking a more authentic cozy mystery experience. A three-star rating reflects the balancing act between enjoyable mystery elements and stylistic missteps.