I really enjoyed this book. The pace was great. The characters were quirky and fun. It was a really good cozy mystery that I gobbled up.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry.

This is a cute, funny, cozy mystery. It's like A Thursday Murder Club but lighter and more American, with a granddaughter serving as the true lead/narrator vs one of the older characters.

I took off a star because I figured out the ring theft / murder fairly early on, but while the mystery itself wasn't too difficult, the interactions between the characters and the information we slowly learn about the retirement community and its retirees was a lot of fun and really made the story. My mom has a weekly dinner with an older group of ladies (late 70s/80s), and the stories they tell can be downright ridiculous or raunchy, and I feel like Seven Ponds gives that kind of energy. It shows that the older characters still have a lot of life left in them, and they may as well live it up, no matter where their life circumstances have led them or if Seven Ponds is the last place on their life journey.

I liked the relationship between Jade and Amber and how Amber identified with her as opposed to her mother and siblings., while also recognizing the pitfalls of hers and her grandma's personality types. I think a lot of people may feel that way about aspects of their family life and it's easy to relate to.

I also liked the interactions between Amber, Bones, Tatiana and Ethan. Tatiana was truly the star of the book, but I liked seeing Amber recover from her relationship with Bones (while still getting to laugh at him in all of his scenes), and to see that there might be more stability down the road for her with Ethan (or maybe more adventures with random animals).

I will definitely be reading any sequels in this series.

A fun take on a cozy mystery that had more spunk and feisty spirit than you typically expect with this genre!

I don´t know what is it with old people in murder mystery books but I just love them, I don´t know if is a trope yet, but is a type of character I will always feel attracted to read, it doesn´t matter if they are adorable or sassy.

I had a GREAT time solving this mystery with Amber, after little struggle at the beggining to connect with the story it gave a warmed sensation specially the fact that Amber is struggling with a lot and seeing her connecting and feeling appreciated by her grandma is very wholesome.

It was a very wholesome and fun read, I really recommend it,

4.5 stars. Just the cozy mystery with a grandma/granddaughter dynamic that I was looking for! As someone who lives in a neighborhood where pet tortoises go missing frequently, the tortoise on the loose cracked me up. I really enjoyed the relationship between Amber and her grandma, Jade. As someone who lives in Arizona, I could really appreciate the Arizona setting (although it's a made up town). Murder Runs in the Family is a perfectly cozy and entertaining read. I sure hope this is a start to a series because I want more of the characters!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Berry’s writing balances humour, quirky characters, and an engaging mystery with well-paced twists. The story delivers the charm expected of a cozy mystery while offering enough intrigue to keep readers hooked. If you enjoy lighthearted whodunits with a strong-willed protagonist and witty dialogue, this book is a fun pick.

I wasn’t sure at first with this being labeled a “cozy mystery”, they usually aren’t a book a would pick up. I decided to give this one a try, and I’m glad I did. It was a fun read with cute characters.

This book, I must admit, took me quite a while to actually get into. I was loving the mystery and the comedic side of the story but some parts of it just didn’t compliment each other well. The characters were interesting but I found the side characters to be more so. It was however, light hearted and a fun overall read. So I would still recommend it to the right audience

Although I’m a fan of mystery, this was hard to get into. The slow pace coupled with limited action made it a book I was eager to pick up. It took longer than usual to finish. Some of the minor characters really stand out and add to the comedy. It’s a cosy lighthearted read overall.

Tamara Berry has crafted yet another thoroughly entertaining cozy and I hope this is the start of a new and sassy series. The main character, Amber decides that her life needs a new direction, so she heads to Arizona to find the grandma she was never allowed to meet because according to Moonbeam Effervescence aka Effie, aka Amber’s mom, Grandma Judith aka Jade, is the most selfish person who ever existed and is not to be spoken of or to. How could an inquisitive almost official PI not want to solve that mystery?

The last thing Amber expected was to discover that her wayward grandma was also the creator of Death Comes Calling, a podcast that she has listened to for the last three years on stakeouts with Bones. Bones, the EX-boyfriend, make sure you understand that he is the EX-boyfriend, is a former Navy Seal, animal loving, official private investigator, and a Neanderthal. I am not sure how Amber doesn’t lose it every time he calls her “babe,” but I do understand why she decided it was time to move on from the role of girlfriend/secretary/underling.

There is more than meets the eyes when it comes to grandma Jade’s posse, shifty septuagenarians, who double as the podcast crew. As she follows the clues we start to see more than what is on the surface. I enjoyed the great introspection by Amber as she analyzes how she seems to be the black sheep in her family but apparently the truth is that it just skipped a generation. Amber’s family isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy which pulls on your heartstrings. In addition to looking inward, Amber starts to really look at Jade’s friends. They are definitely more than just a couple of retirees who spend time baking croissants, taking and placing bets, possibly hacking into the local servers, or playing hide the turtle (no that is not a euphemism). Who would have guessed that you could use Nextdoor to report pet sightings.

There is one person whom Amber has some difficulty getting to know, Ethan Adler, a guy too young to be in retirement, turns out he is recuperating from a hip surgery. Do I detect a little interest on Amber’s part?

Just wait until you get to the solution to this mystery. I was reading it and shaking my head. I had to read it twice because the first time I literally said “wait…what…no way!” Unless I am mistaken, the next book was tee’d up at the conclusion of this one and I can’t wait to see if PI Amber is in fact able to find Ethan the vet.

Book Review: Murder Runs in the Family
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Tamara Berry. @tamaratamaralucy
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press @poisonedpenpress
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC.

Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry is a fun, eccentric cozy mystery that delivers laughs, chaos, and an unconventional murder investigation.

Amber Winslow, a former PI-in-training, flees her life and crashes at her estranged grandmother Jade’s upscale retirement home. But instead of a fresh start, she walks into a murder case—Jade is arrested for the death of fellow resident George “The Admiral” Vincent, whose $3 million heirloom ring is also missing. Determined to clear her grandmother’s name, Amber dives into a mystery full of nosy retirees, a missing tortoise, and a true crime podcast crew that’s a little too eager to investigate.

The retirement home setting was hilarious, packed with scheming seniors and unexpected twists. Jade’s true crime podcast crew stole the show, adding humor and chaos to every scene. The mystery started as a simple whodunit but evolved into a morally complex case, forcing Amber to rethink justice. And her personal growth was satisfying, as she finally stood up for herself and embraced her new life.

The slow start bogged down the first half, and Amber’s ex, Bones, was completely unnecessary—his presence only added frustration. The romance with Ethan lacked depth, making it hard to invest in. Lastly, the missing perspective of The Admiral made the twist feel a little morally ambiguous.

If you love quirky cozy mysteries with humor, found family, and true crime chaos, this book is a fun ride—despite a few missteps.

#CozyMystery #MurderRunsInTheFamily #TamaraBerry #TrueCrimePodcast #AmateurSleuth #MysteryBooks #FoundFamily #CrimeFiction #bookreviewer #BookLovers #BookNerds #Bibliophile #ReadersOfInstagram #Bookstagram #BookwormLife #ReadingCommunity #BookshelfGoals #BookAddict #LiteraryEscape

Amber Winslow leaves her boyfriend for a new life. Unfortunately, all she took with her was her backpack and some clothes. Amber is a 30-something with no roots so where does she go? Not to her parents who criticize everything she does and not to her brothers who her parents consider the perfect sons. Amber decides to meet her grandmother for the first time. She tracks her down using the PI skills she learned from her ex-boyfriend, and a few she learned on her own.

Amber learns that her grandmother is living in a very exclusive retirement community under a different name. Grandma Jade and Amber seem to hit it off from the start. Unfortunately, the day after Amber arrives, one of Grandma Jade's dear friends in the community passes away.

Now it's up to Amber to figure out if this is a natural death or a murder, as well as figuring out some other puzzling things going on in the community.

I chose this book because I like the author, and she did not disappoint. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

I’ve never been a fan of cozy mysteries, and I didn’t really realize that this was a cozy mystery until I dove in. But I love the unconventional characters and the developing plot.

Murder Runs in the Family is lighthearted, even though it brings to light issues at retirement communities with older parental units having little to no family ties.

I love the found family that is developed throughout the story and the close ties developed at the retirement community. The characters are colorful and eccentric, and even our ex PI boyfriend has some good redeeming qualities.

The story is engaging and perfect for light reading when you need something not overly heavy, but humorous and entertaining. For me, I felt that Berry left several threads hanging that could have been further developed or closed, but overall it is a cozy and delightful story with some unexpected twists.

I'd really enjoyed the By the Books series which ended too soon, so I was very curious to read this new one. Also, working in a nursing home all these years and having some crazy stories to go with it, I could only imagine what kind of things these fictional characters could get up to.
Here we have a community of seniors living life to the fullest. The tight-knit group runs a popular mystery podcast, will bet on anything, There's plenty of
humor as they all know how to have a good time, and the animal sidekick is a tortoise. I think the characters all have rich backgrounds and I'd like to drive more into their histories and youthful experiences in future books.
I'm still uncertain about the ending. While a good twist, I have a personal preference for seeing justice done, regardless of the reasoning. And the case was just dropped. I really wish it had tied in with the cold case files, especially since the group was so intent on getting them.

This was about a grandma and granddaughter which I liked. The grandma is arrested for murder and Amber is going to figure out who really is the killer. There is so much more too! This is a cozy mystery and has some drama and fun characters. I would for sure read more about about Amber and the rest of the gang.

5/5 stars: This is Berry's Cozy-ish Mystery stand-alone set in Arizona that features a woman fleeing her former life in Seattle with her ex-Navy SEAL PI boyfriend heads to her estranged and eccentric grandmother's lux retirement community where she finds herself turning sleuth after her grandmother, a true crime podcaster, is implicated in the murder of a fellow resident and the man she's been dating and the theft of the man's priceless ring. As she looks for the killer and thief among the retirement community's staff, the quirky senior citizens residents and the man's relatives, she's wrangled into searching for a beloved missing tortoise and participating in her grandmother's podcast. While she's worried the woman she's just met could be a villain, she's determined to clear her grandmother's name no matter the cost. With plenty of twists and turns, Berry has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Berry's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. I thoroughly enjoy meeting Amber, who's a tough, smart lady, her septuagenarian grandmother Jade, who's a hoot and a half, the lovable and eccentric senior citizens residing at Seven Ponds Retirement Community, including the ever dreamy Ethan. And I have to say I adore Tatiana, Amber's adopted 98-year-old male tortoise! Oh and I really like the quotes from the Death Comes Calling podcast that start each chapter. I would love to read more, so I hope this is the first in a new series. Highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3.5 ⭐️My first ARC (advanced reader copy for those that don’t know) and it was so fun! The premise is really different than anything I’ve read before. In this cozy mystery, Amber sets off to find her estranged grandmother after her life as a sort of private investigator gets derailed when she breaks up with her boyfriend. What she finds when sneaking into a posh Arizona retirement community is anything but boring and she might just be able to use those PI skills to solve the murder of one tenant and clear her grandmother’s name at the same time.
Like I said, this book is very much a cozy mystery, very low stakes plot that will keep you wondering who the murderer is and enjoying Amber’s story as she gets to know who she is and about her grandmother. I don’t normally reach for a book like this but it’s nice to have a solid story with a bit of thrill but without all the heart palpitations ya know? So if that sounds like something you need, I definitely say check this book out when it releases in April!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc.

This was an entertaining cozy mystery that I sailed right through in one day.The setting is a retirement home with a cast of elderly characters who are….charming? odd? Both I guess. Ha!
In the beginning the story moved along at a good pace but slowed down quite a bit. The slower pace wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because it was fun to follow the mystery and make guesses but the change in pace was definitely noticeable.
I wasn’t especially fond of the way the story wrapped up but it was a good book overall.

In MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY, written by Tamara Berry, Amber Winslow flirts her way into the Seven Ponds Retirement Community in Draycot, Arizona, to visit her grandmother. The grandmother, bowling ace Judith Webb, goes by the name Jade McCallum. Amber’s grandmother runs a true-crime podcast, Death Comes Calling, from her retirement community and wants Amber to be on the podcast in the role of a detective. When the body of the “Admiral” is found in the podcast studio, my interest is piqued.

I like Tamara Berry’s writing. To my delight, she injects a bit of humor into her characters—like the string bikini-clad grandmother. While the characters are interesting to read about, they don’t seem as memorable as those in Tamara Berry’s previous series, By the Books. I must admit, I prefer the other series. I do like the ending of this book. It makes me want to read the next one. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY.

First I want to give my thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Tamara Berry for allowing me to read this ARC!

Rating: Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

This was such a delightful, cozy read! The story felt refreshing and heartwarming—perfect for when you're in the mood for something light yet entertaining. I'm really hoping for a Book 2 to dive into more adventures with Grandma Jade and Amber.. A change of scenery would be a great twist—maybe a new town or something like a field trip with the podcast members —and perhaps Amber getting that coffee date with Ethan (and Tatiana making a surprise appearance, of course!).

Honestly, scrap Bones—Amber deserves so much better. I’d love to see her officially earn her PI license and take on bigger cases.

This was my first book from Tamara Berry, and I'm definitely planning to check out more of her works for those cozy mystery vibes! Highly recommend it to anyone who loves lighthearted mysteries with a touch of humor and charm.