This title, by father-son writing duo Will & Ian Ferguson, is the introduction to a series of mysteries featuring former television star Miranda Abbott. Miranda has fled LA, and her non-existent career, and ends up in Happy Rock, a small seaside town in the Pacific northwest. While there, Miranda is cast in a local theater production and is on stage when one of her fellow actors dies on opening night. Proving it was murder, and who committed the crime, has Miranda chasing leads and meeting a bevy of quirky locals along the way. The supporting characters are written as adorably off-kilter folk, but Miranda is polarizing. While her character can read as charmingly unaware, more often she comes across as rudely obtuse. Overall this village mystery is well paced and entertaining, but maybe Miranda’s likability does not translate from screen to page?

This was a really unique concept for a mystery novel, I enjoyed the use of a tv sleuth. It had a great mystery to solve and the characters worked in this setting. I was never bored when reading this and wanted to solve the mystery inside. Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson does a great job in writing this and leaving me wanting more in this world.

This was a fun read! The main character had a wicked sense of humor, whether she intended to or not. I loved it. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Miranda Abbott, is a has-been actress in complete denial. Once the famous crime solving pastor of a loved tv show, her agent can't even snag a used up reality show spot for her. Miranda carries on and travels to the home town of her ex, or is it current husband.

What she finds there suprises her. And before she knows it, she has signed up for the local community play. When a death puts a potential end to the show, she has no choice but to use her skills as Pastor Fran to save the town! Great book - truly witty and hilarious.
#harlequin #ionlyreadmurder #willferguson #ianferguson

First, I need to say if you can have a love/hate relationship with a book…this is it! I know it isn’t ready for the shelves, but the spacing after so many “f”s was driving me mad. I struggled through half of the book and believe it should be cut back by about 100 pages. All the nonsense with the lead was just too drawn out. When the book finally started to keep my interested, it was over. Where is my love? Miranda! She is the worst, but the best worst you can have. Her behavior was rude but so funny.

Lights, camera action! Aging former TV star Miranda Abbott is back in Happy Rock and trying out for the local theater production of Death is the Dickens. Her career as the sexy, collar wearing Pastor Fran “Hallowed be her fists!” is over. Can a star turn in local theater impress Hollywood? It might if she was cast as the star. Instead that part goes to local realtor Annette “You bet, Annette” Baillie. Miranda is cast as the maid, a one line part followed by her death scene. On opening night, Miranda’s death scene is upstaged by a very real death scene and Miranda is only one of the many suspects. This complicates her real reason for the trip to Happy Rock. She had hoped to reconcile with her husband Edgar, owner of the local bookstore called, aptly for this small town, I Only Read Murder. But now Edgar is also a suspect and Miranda must clear them both. It’s definitely a job for Pastor Fran!

I Only Read Murder is pure delight. Miranda Abbott is sometime a sympathetic character and at other times totally dislikable for what can only be described a narcissistic tendencies. The plot is unique with laugh-out-loud moments. Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Will Ferguson; Ian Ferguson for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I loved this book! In my mind it's like Schitts Creek but in theater. Brilliant! It looks like there will be another one with these characters as well. I can hardly wait!!

I Only Read Murder is an example of authors or creators seeing a greater idea and then delivering subpar works trying so badly to be the original. The Fergusons try to copy quirky mysteries such as The Maid or The Thursday Murder Club and fail spectacularly even trying to rip off Only Murderers in The Building and failing.

A big shoutout to @netgalley for providing my 99th read of 2023. For those seeking a snug mystery, consider giving this one a whirl. I was truly impressed by how the characters were fleshed out, and the authors' sense of humor had me chuckling more than once. Admittedly, there were moments when the storytelling seemed a tad lengthy, and the pace felt slow around the midpoint. However, the conclusion caught me off guard. While I'm not always a cozy mystery enthusiast, I'd rate this as a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the genre. Fingers crossed for a potential follow-up! #avivaandfriendsrecos

A cute cozy mystery, but Miranda takes some getting used to. I realize that the frivolity was part of her charm, but it really does border on the ridiculous sometimes. There were a lot of characters to take in, but isn’t that always the case with the first in a series of mysteries? Overall, I enjoyed this book and would happily read more Miranda Abbott mysteries.

Thanks @netgalley for read number 99 of 2023. If you’re in the mood for a cozy mystery, this one might be for you. I appreciated the character development in this book. The authors made me laugh out loud many times. There were times when they told more than they needed to. I wondered a bit about a bit of dragging in the middle. The end surprised me though. Cozy mysteries aren’t always for me, but if you’re in the mood, this is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ cozy. I hope that a sequel might be in our future. #avivaandfriendsrecos