Murder Runs in the Family
By: Tamara Berry
Pages: 256

I have loved the past two books authored by Lucy Gilmore, aka Tamara Berry (books: The Lonely Hearts Book Club and The Library of Borrowed Hearts). When I saw Murder Runs in the Family available on Netgalley, I was thrilled to receive the ARC.

Amber Winslow's life is in shambles, so she has made the decision to arrive (uninvited) on her grandmother's retirement home doorstep. Jade is instantly accepting of Amber and welcomes her with open arms, as does her group of friends. When one of those friends is murdered, it is up to Amber and the residents of the retirement home to find the killer (and get a great season of their podcast out of it). Add in an ex boyfriend, a veterinarian and a 98 year old tortoise and you have the start of what I hope will be a long series.

A fun 4 star read.

When you can laugh your way through a cozy murder mystery, I’m one happy camper.
Amber has fled her boyfriend and headed to Arizona. Her grandmother Jade lives there and even though they have never met, it really is the only alternative. Amber does not have money, her parents and brothers consider her the black sheep of the family, and she hopes Jade will take pity on her and give her a place to stay.
Jade welcomes her with open arms, but before Amber has time to settle in, there is a murder. Who is the prime suspect? Well Jade, of course.
Add lots of red herrings, the dead man’s pet turtle, the ex-boyfriend, a patient in rehab, and a nasty nurse, and there were a whole lot of potential (except for the turtle) suspects. I was really surprised when the whodunnit and why was revealed. Another group of very intriguing senior citizens. I grew very fond of Amber and Jade and would not mind seeing them again.

3.75 stars
I was looking forward to reading this new book by one of my favourite cozy mystery writers, though I was disappointed to hear that her previous By The Book series had ended. This new book follows Amber Winslow, a PI in training, who abruptly leaves her previous life in Seattle and tracks down her Grandma Jade (whom she has never met) at an upscale retirement community in Arizona. Luckily she is welcomed with open arms and settles into her new life with the retirees, as she is now jobless and her only possessions are found in her backpack. Unfortunately, a resident is found dead the next day - and Grandma Jade is a prime suspect in his death and a missing (and very valuable) family heirloom. Amber doesn't want to think about her own grandma being a murderer or thief, so she sets out to solve the case. Though it started off slow, it quickly blossomed into an entertaining tale of the different types of retirees, some of whom are ruthless in their comments, actions, and behaviours. Though I really didn't care for the ending and 'death', it was a fun whodunit. I hope this turns into a new series as I would like to see what Amber does next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved this book! It was a cute and fun read. Definitely recommending it to family and friends. A book about keeping it within the family.