Crime writer Tess Harrow is starting to realise that a hugely successful publishing career might be based off the back of some really unfortunate press around her involvement in two previous crimes in her small town. She’s hoping the grand opening of her new bookstore, based in the refurbished hardware store left to her by her grandfather, might do the trick. However, when her mother arrives in town, unannounced and with a possible serial killer in tow – well, things are already far too interesting, and that’s before the hoards of podcast fans arrive, drawn by the lure of the infamous Neptune Jones, hot on the trail of the widow-killer, Levi Parker.

The question is, will a new murder be fodder for Tess’s next plot – or, will it Neptune who gets the scoop by pinning the crime on Tess’s mother, Bernadette?

This is probably my favourite bookish cosy mystery series these days, and three books in it’s still ticking all of the right boxes for me. Tess and teenage daughter, Gertrude – a smart and sassy delight, to my surprise! – are settling in well into the little town they now call home. I loved that the consequences of the previous two books/crimes are coming home to roost, and are far from positive – Tess’s reputation is not what she’d want.

There’s also a very well-handled romantic subplot. Usually this is the weak part of any cosy mystery for me, but I fairly enjoyed this one – it’s just very well pitched. The relationships between the three generations of Harrow women was also deftly handled, and the supporting cast give a nice warm glow of good friendships. The new faces are perhaps a little less well-drawn, but then, you have to have your lineup of suspects remain nicely mysterious!

The whole is just very well written, very engaging and with multiple threads and plenty of twists to keep you guessing about the mystery. There’s an excellent sense of humour throughout, keeping things light without resorting to the usual pets, cakes, and overdose on the love front. I’m already looking forward to spending more time with Tess and Gertrude, so fingers crossed for more books in the series!

If I had only one word to review this book I'd use the word chaotic. For the most part that is in the best possible way. Tess Harrow is smart, creative, funny, and could not do a load of laundry without turning everything into complete and total chaos which makes for a very entertaining story. Gertrude is her usual delightful precocious self and the addition of Tess's mother definitely added to the chaos and drama - especially considering her latest fling is suspected of murdering his last few love interests (all older women with money). Throw in Tess trying to open her bookstore and a fame driven podcaster and this was a fun mystery from beginning to end.

I love that Tess is a bit of chaos and definitely quirky but it doesn't feel forced or over the top. Tess is quirky and impulsive and fabulous at jumping to the wildest of conclusions but it is so 100% her that it doesn't bother me the way it might in a character less well drawn. The mystery had lots of ins and outs and things going on with fish money, autographed books, and bunches of other things that did come together in the end to make a satisfying conclusion. That said some of the chaos did bleed off onto the end of the book making things feel a tiny bit confusing at first and there were a few points that I would have liked addressed more (especially an old picture Tess finds in an ill advised searching activity).

All of that said, this is a fun read from beginning to end with an entertaining and unpredictable main character and I can't wait to see what she's going to do next!

Author Tess Harrow is looking to get back in the town of Winthrop's good graces after she uncovered two long-forgotten murders. With the perfect plan of combining her new book release with her bookstore's grand opening she'll have the chance to wine and dine the locals and some big press contacts. However, the night before the party, Tess is greeted by a surprise that her mother has come for a visit, with her much-younger new boyfriend in tow…a boyfriend her daughter Gertrude recognizes as the notorious Levi Parker, a man recently connected to the deaths of three elderly widows. Then, Levi is found dead and Tess's mother is the prime suspect even though she claims her innocence. It is up to Tess to find the killer and clear her mother.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read this book, the third in the By the Book series. I have read the other two, and really enjoyed them and this one continues to evolve the main characters of Tess, Gertie, and Sheriff Boyd. I hope the series continues and highly recommend it.

This is the third in the By the Book Mysteries series. These series are cozy mysteries, but just a touch darker.

Our main character and female sleuther is Tess Harrow. A forty something single mom to 15 year old Gertrude (Gertie). Tess Harrow is a highly successful mystery writer. She moves her and her daughter to the small town of Winthrop after her grandfather passes away and leaves her his cabin and hardware store.

But as soon as Tess moves to Winthrop, the bodies start dropping. They give Tess great material for her books but earn her the reputation in her small town of being the author who murders to get material for her books.

In the 3rd installment, Tess' mom comes to town on the eve of Tess' new book store opening, bringing with her a suspected murderer of wealthy widows. When he ends up murdered, suspicion is cast on Tess's mom, and Tess has to work to find out the real killer.

I absolutely love these books, each one as good as the last. Tess is a real character who struggles with middle age, at times struggles with her career, and definitely has challenges solo parenting Gertie. Gertie is an amazing character. She is fiercely independent. At times, she can take on the parent role. She does all the cooking and is on the way to being an amazing chef. But she also has this morbid love of murder and death. Add in her ability to astutely say what others are thinking. She can be quite hilarious at times.

The rest of the supporting cast adds so much to these stories as well.

And let's talk about the romance. It is so slow burn, filled with lack of communication. But, when it gets there, it is so satisfying.

The mystery in this story is so interesting. There are so many intricate parts to it, and I love the way the author shows us how Tess puts all the pieces together. I was piecing it together with her right up until the end.

If you love cozy mysteries, I cannot recommend these enough. I hope that there are more books in this series to come!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @poisonedpenpress for the advanced digital copy of Murder Off The Books, in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery set around books and a bookstore? Count me in!

This is the first Tamara Berry book I’ve read. I’m not usually a mystery reader but I agreed to read this at the same time as my sister; SHE’s the mystery reader in the family.

Loved the author’s character development and never felt for a moment that I had to read her previous Tess Harrow novels to figure out what was going on in this one. As the romance reader I was happy to see Tess and Victor resolve issues that would allow their relationship to develop. Would have loved a bit more of that but…

I think I missed a couple of clues but still managed to follow the storyline to its ending. If you like mysteries this is one you might enjoy.

Tess is back in action and has a murder to solve before someone she loves goes down for it! Once again, this series brings us a book that is equal parts humorous and exciting! The mystery is well crafted and leaves you guessing up until the last moment! The cast of characters are fun and relatable which helps create a better connection to the story and town! I love how real the author makes the teenage angst that Gertie is exhibiting, but also presents it in a humorous way so you can escape real life for a bit while feeling like you have been seen and heard! You are not alone if you have a teenaged daughter who isn't always your biggest fan, yet she still loves and supports you! The connection between all the various characters is well crafted and unique to each one so that you truly feel like you get to know each character. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book as it seems that Tess may be graduating to the big leagues with her investigative and writing skills.

Murder Off The Books is the third entry in the By The Book Mysteries series by Tamara Berry. In this one Tess is preparing for the grand opening of her new bookstore, The Paper Trail. It is going to be a big event, coinciding with her latest book release. Things are not off to a smooth start though. Tess's mother shows up in town with a much younger man who is a suspected murderer. Then when he turns up dead her mother becomes the prime suspect. As if that's not bad enough a popular podcaster also arrives to stir up trouble for both Tess and her mother.

This series has always been known for its humor. It's a large focus and I laughed out loud while reading the first two books in the series. This third one is still funny but the humor has slightly changed. Some of the characters seem to be acting more extreme and most of the laughs are at Tess's expense. I don't mean when she actually does something silly but people who care about her are poking fun at her for things that are not funny. .
The romance situation continues where it left off last time. There is a resolution by the end of the book but I wish the triangle hadn't been included at all. Too much time is spent on Tess thinking about two different men.

I didn't guess the killer but I also wasn't excited to. I didn't really like the inclusion of an assumed murderer in the storyline. It's a serious matter and there is too much humor surrounding it. Elements of Nicki's ongoing investigation are mixed in as well, creating many moving parts. I wish the focus in the series would shrink instead of widen like it seems to be doing. It's hard to pin this series down which may be a good thing for some readers.

I'm confused as to how quickly Tess seems to write and get a book published. It seems to happen with little time passing. Edna St. Clair is my new favorite character. I was happy to see more of her. I'm also happy with the choice Tess makes romantically.

Murder Off The Books is best read having read the first two books in the series. Some storylines continue and relationships develop which should make readers happy. This isn't my favorite in the series but I think other readers will like it.

Looking for a cozy mystery series you can spend a lot of time reading? How about this series of books:
Book Release - in this 3rd in the series, Author and amateur sleuth Tess is releasing a new book in her own series
Shop Open - on top of that, she is opening a new book shop with the first event being her own book signing
Serial Killer - but all that gets overshadowed when an alleged serial killer of older women arrives in town
Stalking mom - and unfortunately her own mother may be the next target of his stalking

So while this is the 3rd book in the series, I actually have not read the first 2. I do have them on my TBR cart ready to catch up. So that being sad, I absolutely had no issues following along with what was happening, although I could recognize that there was some backstory that was occurring. To be honest, the story was very intriguing and I actually didn’t guess what was happening at all. I do like Tess and her super smart daughter Gertrude so much so I am really happy to add this to my cozy mystery collection.

This has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Books about books, strong female lead characters who take no nonsense and a hard nosed cynical costar flesh out the stories into a delightful read

This story has an intriguing storyline and engaging characters. There’s a lot happening in this small town when a man investigated for murder shows up dating MC Tess’s mother.

This is my first cozy mystery and definitely not my last.

I enjoyed the humor in this book. The small town feels and the surprises

Author Tess Harrow is looking to get back in the town of Winthrop's good graces after she uncovered not one, but two long-forgotten murders. With the perfect plan of combining her new book release with her bookstore's grand opening she'll have the chance to wine and dine the locals and some big press contacts. But the night before the party her mother Bernadette comes for a visit, with her much-younger new boyfriend in tow…a boyfriend her daughter Gertrude recognizes as the notorious Levi Parker, a man recently connected to the deaths of three elderly widows. Tess immediately alerts Sheriff Boyd about Levi and his suspicious past, but it's already too late—Levi Parker is found dead and Tess's mother is starting to look like the prime suspect.
The third outing for Tess & another engrossing read, which is lightly more gritty than some cosy mysteries but it also has a wealth of humour. I love Tess, her daughter Gertie & the regulars. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists & turns. Plus there’s a slow burn romance which is gradually progressing throughout the series. I loved it & look forward to more in the series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is the third book in the By the Book Mysteries Series. I have not read any of the previous books, but I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted, easy to read mystery!
Tess Harrow is an award winning writer of mystery and thriller books who has recently moved back to her hometown in Washington State. Tess and her daughter Gertie have renovated the family’s old cabin and also are getting ready to open their own bookstore, The Paper Trail. Their grand opening doesn’t go as planned when Tess’s mother, Beatrice comes to town unexpectedly. Shortly after Bea’s arrival, there is a murder and that’s when the ‘fun’ begins. . Many strong characters, some love interests as well as a famous podcaster help to round out the story.
This is a great stand alone book, although I will be reading the first two in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Clever addition to a terrific series. It was delightful to be back in the small town of Winthrop. Nice to be back with the recurring characters and meeting new people. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Cute characters and a quaint little town/storyline, all perfect for a cozy mystery. Unfortunately for me I just was bored. I felt that the characters were a bit bland and slightly annoying at times. I just wanted to know who did it and finish the story to move on to another book. I’m not sure if coming into this at the third book was the problem or not but I’m sure it contributed. I also felt like the grammar/pacing of most of the conversation was off putting in some way, I can’t quite put my finger on it at this moment.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Murder Off the Books by Tarama Berry
Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date: 5/30

This is my favorite of the three books in this cozy mystery series! It’s action-packed and suspenseful, with great characters and a dusting of romance.

Tess has finally finished converting her grandfather’s hardware store into her new bookstore. Her latest book is being released, and fans are coming to celebrate. When her mother shows up with Levi, a person of interest in three murder cases, Tess gets suspicious. But when he’s promptly murdered, and her mother becomes a suspect, Tess goes into sleuth mode to find the real killer and clear her mother’s name.

With twists and turns and clues around every corner, this series is shaping up to be a lot of fun. Tess is a feisty, headstrong, and resourceful heroine. I love that she knows herself so well and doesn’t let other people’s opinions deter her from what she knows to be true. Her daughter, Gertrude, best friend, Niki, and the rest of the cast are all quirky and hilarious. My romance-loving heart eats up the tension between her and Sheriff Boyd, and I became very interested in the love triangle that unwittingly popped up.

All in all, if you like cozy mysteries, you’re going to love this one.

Read if you like:
*twists and turns
*friendship
*complicated family relationships
*mysteries
*murder

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my ARC to read and review.

Berry’s characters are not only well written but incredibly charming and I very much enjoyed catching up with Tess and the folks of Winthrop, Washington. I especially love the ever crotchety Edna, getting to meet Tess's mom and seeing the relationship between Tess and the Victor (Sheriff Boyd) develop. Berry's mystery is a nice balance of the clues, red herrings and suspects that'll have you guessing 'til the last page. This is the third book in the By the Book Mysteries series, so to get caught up check out Buried in a Good Book, book one.


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

This is the third book in this cozy mystery series and I think my new favourite! It was action packed featuring the murder of a murderer in town with Tess' mom for the book store opening. There were so many twists to keep the plot moving at a fast pace and the ending was perfect.
Highly recommend this series! It's not necessary to read them all but would help with character backgrounds.

This was an adorable cozy mystery! Tess is a mystery writer who also owns a book store and is always finding herself caught up in murders. This story was full of twists and turns that left you guessing in all the right ways and the characters were super likable.
Totally recommend to those who enjoy cozies!

Mystery writer Tess Harrow has finally finished the conversion of her grandfather’s run-down hardware store into a bookstore and has planned a big opening party to coincide with the release of her new book. Unfortunately, the event is derailed when a man is found dead in his hotel room and by popular podcaster Neptune Jones taking centre stage in investigating his death with Sheriff Victor Boyd. The dead man, Levi Parker had arrived in town the day before, not long after Tess’ mother Bernadette. They had met at a retreat a few months ago and become lovers, despite his much younger age and the fact that he had been accused (although not found guilty) with murdering three elderly widows. With her mother now suspected of his murder, Tess finds herself once again embroiled in a murder investigation.

This is proving to be a fun murder mystery series. In addition to Tess there are some great characters – her teenage daughter Gertie who is fascinated by murder more than any girl should be, Sherriff Boyd who is clearly attracted to Tess but doesn’t know what to do about it, and the two FBI agents working undercover investigating a money laundering operation. There’s also a lot of humour, both in Tess and Victor’s interations and the situations Tess gets herself into. Recommended to everyone who enjoys a good cosy mystery!

I cannot get enough of Tess, Gertrude, Nicki, Sheriff Boyd and the whole Winthrop gang! Each book in this series always starts with a bang and keep me completely immersed until the very end.

The funny and charming back-and-forths between mother and daughter, Tess and Gertie always make for a fun read, and the addition of Tess’ mother Bee to the storyline only added to this. Bee is quirky, smart, and the star of the show - never to be underestimated.

Tamara Berry is always able to pack in so many clues, red herrings, and plot twists into each book making for a fast-paced and enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.

I loved that this had some undertones of Only Murders in the Building, with a stuck-up true crime podcaster interfering in the investigation making us question - is she involved??

Thank you to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.