The Plot is Murder

This was a new series and author for me.  VM Burns introduced the Murder Bookshop series with this title.  We meet the main character, Samantha Washington, and her group of friends and family in this first installment.  They are quite a lively and diverse group that you cannot help but be drawn to.  Samantha is just about to open the mystery bookstore of her dreams when we first meet her.  She is newly widowed in her 30s and is pursuing the dream she had planned with her late husband, Leon.  His death provided her with the financial means to pursue their plans.  Although she is happy to be opening her dream store, it is without him and that leaves hole in her heart.

Well she wasn't alone, her Nana Jo- her octogenarian co sleuth, her sister Jenna, her nephews and her new employee are all active characters in the story.   When she found the realtor, Clayton Parker,  dead in her back garden, the local police suspected her of the crime.  She and Nana Jo worked with the other ladies from Nana's retirement village to suss out clues and solve the crime.   Pretty good story all by itself, but there is a great twist to this cozy mystery. 

Sam is an aspiring novelist.  As part of the main story, we read her manuscript for a cozy mystery set in England in the late 1930s.  This was a fun side story about 2 sisters and their Aunt and Uncle, all members of the Royal peerage.   They solve a murder that occurs during a weekend Ball at their country estate.

I look forward to continuing this series, which I fortunately had checked out of my library before the shelter at home was announced.   Look for the reviews on the future installments in the series soon.




The Plot Is Murder by V.M. Burns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this first installment in a new series by VM Burns. Samantha, a recent young widow, is introduced to us as she is about to open her new bookshop on the shores of Lake Michigan in North Harbor, MI. Opening a mystery bookstore was a lifelong dream she had intended to pursue with her husband, Leon. Unfortunately his young death left her to pursue it alone.

Well she wasn't alone, her Nana Jo- the octogenarian co sleuth, her sister Jenna, her nephews and her new employee are all active characters in the story. They work to solve a crime in which Sam has become embroiled in. The fun twist to this cozy is Sam is also an aspiring writer herself. We are treated to reading her manuscript as a part of the larger story. This was a fun twist and I look forward to reading the other mysteries in the series as I catch up.


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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge -  Book #39
2. Literary Escapes-  MI
3. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book  #31
4. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice #4
5. Medical Examiner-  3 Toe Tag 
6. Six Shooter-  1st shot for VM Burns
7. Mystery Bingo: 
   • Clues:  something burned in fireplace