An enjoyable first in series. Small town Michigan is one of my favorite settings, so obviously I loved the setting. The senior citizens were awesome. The book inside the book was interesting, but slightly distracting. I kept trying to solve the wrong murder. I found the mystery interesting yet slightly predictable.

The opening of this book left me wanting more. The character who dies in the beginning really needed more for me. We find out more about his life threw Nana Jo and the girls. But it just seemed "Here is a body" It wasn't until doing more of the investigating that the reasons why were evident. I loved the development of plot. I guess that is a running with the title. The whole time I was expecting the wife. But the ending lead me to a BIG "A-HA" I ended up loving the book. I want to read more by Burns. I will certainly be expecting more from Sam. As for the "story with-in a story" I was going "really"? But about chapter 8 with the story in the story I was like Awesome. Two Who did its and Why. A great idea. Now I will keep reading to find about the characters in Sam's life in Michigan, but also 1938 England. Super exciting! I did however feel Sam was drinking way too much coffee for a tea lover. I myself have had the same idea of bookstore/tea shop, and felt myself turning on the kettle, just to read Sam drinking coffee. I think she needs more time for tea time.
Now the fact that there is a book written with toy poodles (Snickers and Oreo) as plot motivators was great. I myself have a toy poodle and had never read a book with them as the star helper animal. I will say I feel concern over the loss of Leon the love of Sam's life. I look forward to hopefully more tidbits of what he was like. I sense emotions with these lead characters that I don't feel for some other series, and I have read many "First in series". So again Anticipating the follow up. I need another visit to this world.

The Plot Is Murder is the first book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.

The Plot Is Murder is an excellent beginning to what I feel will be an exciting and humorous series.

Samantha, Sam to her friends, Washington is a recent widow who has gone ahead and followed through on her and her late husband’s dream of opening a bookstore.

Upon arriving at home after her last day of teaching she is surprised by her family and some close friends with a retirement/bookstore owner party. Later, after everyone had left Sam walking around her store imagining what it will be like when the shelves are stock and she is actually open for business. She is interrupted when a pounding on the front door disturbs her thoughts. At the door is Clayton Parker, the man who had listed the store for sale and who later tried to back out of the deal. He yells that he wants to talk with her. Being the last person she wants to talk to, ever, she turns and heads for her apartment, above the bookstore. The next morning as she is letting Snickers and Oreo, her Poodles out for their morning duties she sees the lifeless body of Parker laying in a heap in her backyard. As Detective Pitt begins to question Sam, she gets the distinct impression that she is being thought of as the killer.

When Sam’s granny, Nana Jo, learns the murder she promptly moves in to help keep her safe, and also being a lover of mysteries, thinks that she and Sam should start their own investigation. Nana Jo enlists the help of some her friends in the retirement community where she lives to help “dig up the dirt” on Clayton Parker. They soon learn that Parker was a rather ruthless businessman, so maybe he had upset someone in another real estate deal like he did Sam and they got rid of the problem. They also learn the there was marital discord between him and his wife and with a prenuptial agreement there no way for her to divorce him. In addition, they need to learn where his father and his two brothers got the money right after returning from the war to start buying up real estate and starting a real estate business.

In addition to opening her bookstore and something that Sam has kept a secret from everyone, is that she is an aspiring mystery author. Interspersed in Sam’s story the reader also gets to follow the story Sam is writing and hopes to get published. This story set in the English countryside follows the lives of Penelope Marsh, her sister Daphne and Victor Carlston. Victor feels he is in love with Penelope, while Penelope has eyes for another who she will find dead in a fountain in the families garden. But at the same time, Daphne has feelings for Victor. Daphne and Victor end up working together to clear Penelope from the list of suspects and in doing so just might be what is needed for Victor to learn where his heart really lies.

The story is well-plotted and told with an interesting and believable cast of characters. The characters that I enjoyed the most were Nana Jo and her posse of retirement center friends. I can’t really call them older ladies, as most are about my age. There is Dorothy, Ruby Mae and last but not least, Irma. This little group of ladies has either children or grandchildren who can call on to help Sam and Nana Jo solve the case. They were all humorous, but Irma was by far the most humorous. Irma’s tends to be a little “salty” from time to time, but the others are quick to stop her her before she says anything nasty.

I’m anxiously looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Read Herring Hunt, due out April 28, 2018.

The lovely bookstore owner is also writing a book, so we get her story plus the one she is writing. It is fun to switch back and forth. Both have surprise endings with heart and humanity along the way. I look forward to reading more by this author. A delightful cozy!

The first in a new line of Mystery Bookshop mysteries, The Plot Is Murder is predictable but good-hearted, a welcome diversion for fans of cozy mysteries.

I liked that, while our middle-aged heroine Sam is newly on her own and starting a new business, she wasn’t divorced from a cheating ne’er-do-well (as in so many of these books). She’s been widowed, and she’s opening a mystery bookstore as a way of honoring a dream she shared with her departed husband.

Unfortunately, the cheating real estate agent who sold her the building is found dead on her patio, and the useless local detective likes her for the crime.

The book seems at times a little over-stuffed. For the animal lovers, Sam has two poodles. For humor, there’s her gun-toting grandmother and her active group of friends at the retirement village, who provide most of the plot advances. One is a flirt and gathers needed information that way. Another has a wide network of relatives who all conveniently work wherever the amateur sleuths need to get information.

There’s also the agent’s widow to get information from, and the dead man’s criminal uncle, just released from jail. More unusual is the second book included. Sam is writing her own mystery that we get to read as she writes it, an historical mystery/romance set amongst the British upper class in 1938. It’s pretty good, mainly due to the dialogue and character interaction. More to the point, it means that we get two cases in one book, which keeps things moving.

It’s unusual for me to guess the crime in advance, but this was one where I knew what the revelation was going to be long before the characters did. However, I enjoyed spending time with these women, and I’d read another in the series. I do wish, however, that so many cozies didn’t end with the bad guy showing up to threaten the life of the lead. I know it’s easier than establishing deductive proof, but it’s such a cliche!

Here is a 1930's British Cozy Mystery within a contemporary American cozy mystery. The protagonist, Samantha (Sam) Washington has lost her husband with whom she shared a dream to open a mystery bookshop in North Harbor, Michigan. She sells the home they owned, collected the insurance money, and buys an older building downtown where she will convert the upper story into living quarters and the main level into her mystery book retail space with hopes of also providing a limited assortment of teas and scones. She has her grandmother, Nana Jo, and her grandmother's friends from the retirement community. Unfortunately, closing the sale was difficult, had to involve an attorney, and left her with major animosity toward the real estate agent--the weasel. Subsequently, Clayton Parker, the agent, is found murdered in her back yard.
You have to give Ms. Burns an A for effort with her debut in a new series regarding the mystery bookshop in this unique plot concept. Sam plots her manuscript of a murder in England using some aspects of her current experience. Her Great Britain murder plot begins to portray the Marsh's, Lord William being the 8th Duke of Hunsford who with his wife, Lady Elizabeth Marsh, have two daughters, Daphne and Penelope, the latter being the British protagonist. At home, Sam's grandmother and her cronies name themselves the Sleuthing Seniors. Let the fun begin!
The antagonist doesn't figure too prominently in either time period, and really, Sam isn't as fully fleshed as we'd like, though perhaps that is being saved for additional series. Writing her own mystery book is a closet dream of hers and she jumps into that aspect of her new life not realizing she may be incriminating herself. Neither plot is overly long and both are neatly sewn up in rather predictable fashion with the plot in Great Britain tipping on the pseudo-romance side of the cozy mystery genre.
The novel is clean of four-letter words and I wasn't stumbling over edit errors. If I had any problem, it was with the format going from book plot to protagonist's British plot. As a senior myself, and reading from my cell phone, I was having to adjust the font size back and forth to accommodate the new and separate (British) plot.
I downloaded this digital offering from Kensington Books and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Three point five stars.

Samantha Washington's life has completely changed. Her husband of 13 years died, but he made her promise to fulfill her dream of opening a bookshop. She keeps her promise, selling their house, buying a building and preparing to open her mystery bookshop in North Harbor, MI. Not only is she opening her dream shop, but Samantha is also writing a murder mystery. All her dreams are about to come true. Things are moving along smoothly until she discovers the dead body of real estate agent Clayton Parker in her enclosed patio. Parker tried to sabotage her purchase of the building, forcing her to get an attorney to help her complete closing on the property. Now he's dead. Parker had come to her door the day before asking to speak with her, and she had refused to open the door, walking away instead. Feeling guilty that there might have been a way to prevent the man's death (even if he was a shyster), she vows to find out who killed him.

This first book in the Mystery Bookshop series is actually a mystery within a mystery. As Samantha tries to discover who killed Clayton Parker, she is also writing her own British-style cozy mystery novel about Lady Penelope Marsh and her sister Daphne. As she works to discover who killed Parker, she's also working on her book. I enjoyed the snippets of Samantha's novel and thought the author alternating between the two stories was really creative and fun.

I love the characters in this book! Samantha is a strong woman, realizing her dreams while still grieving for her husband. Her grandmother Jo is a tough old bird, who enlists her friends at the retirement village to help in the investigation. My favorite side character is Irma....the lovely old lady who peppers her conversation with curse words.....well, the group stops her before she finishes saying them, but still....it's the thought that counts. ha ha. :) The colorful characters and humor sprinkled in with the mystery really made this an enjoyable book. The mystery moves along at a nice pace. There are plenty of suspects and sleuthing. Nana Jo's friends are really a huge help -- nothing like a gang of old ladies to dig up gossip and info on anybody!

This is a great start to a new cozy series! A second book, Read Herring Hunt, will be out in April 2018!

For more information on the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.vmburns.com/

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Average cozy

Cozy mysteries are known to have quirky characters and in this the book does not dissapoint. Nana Joe and her girlfriends fit the bill. Samantha aka Sam is our main sleuth bookstore owner and would be writer. While I think the story being written by Sam was an interesting ploy it just didn't work for me, I found it distracting. to go back and forth between the work in progress and the actual plot.

I received an advance reader copy of this book.

First off, thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

Picked up the based based on book and description. I know i made a good choice. Who can complain when you get two cozies in one book!

The main character Sam is a recent widow who is writing an English Mystery in her free time. Nana Jo is a classic grandma every girl/woman should have around. Nana jo and her friends make getting older something to look forward to.

The sub story is very enjoyable. As for the plot in the book, its not very complicated but not overly simple too. I look forward to reading more cozies by this author.

A new author for me and the first book of the series. The cover and author's name attracted me to this book. I was disappointed because the format of the book is not a favorite of mine. I find it difficult to jump from one story to another. I thought the ending was original but easy to guess it. I like the current mystery and would have a higher rating of the second story had not been included. I found the book being written by the main character very simple and the titles of the characters annoy me.
Samantha Washington has opened her dream mystery bookstore. Using the proceeds of her dead husband's insurance she bought a building and started the bookstore they had a plan to run. Before it opens the real estate dealer is found dead in the garden. Samantha explores the mystery of his death to clear the names of her friends. Yes, she is writing a mystery set in England in the 1930's that is similar to the current story. Samantha needs to find the answer before she loses her life?

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kennington Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

After the unexpected loss of her husband Samantha Washington has become determined to live out her dreams that she has always had that were put on the back burner for a more steady and reliable income. Part of her dream has been to open her own bookstore and cafe in the small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan. Samantha is also a budding writer herself and has finally begun work on her own cozy mystery.

Things seem to be going well in her new life until one night when her realtor comes knocking at her door. Never a man that Samantha trusted she points to the closed sign and heads to bed refusing to allow him in. The next morning however the realtor is found murdered in Samantha’s back yard and with all clues mirroring what is in her manuscript Samantha becomes the primary suspect.

The Plot is Murder by V.M. Burns is the first book in the new cozy Mystery Bookshop series. The best way to describe this book would be as if the reader were reading two cozy mystery novellas at the same time with the main character being an author and the story alternating between her life and that of the pages of her book as she writes them.

Now while I thought this was an OK start to the series and quite an interesting idea of having an author as the main character what I think held me back from rating higher is simply the length that each side of the story ends up being in an overall short read. There were plenty of times I’d quite enjoy each side to the story but I think this would have succeeded better in my mind had both sides had a bit more depth to them. In the end though it was a fun twist following both stories at once and would be interested in seeing how the series continues.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a fun book to read. A dead body is found on Sam’s property and she becomes the prime suspect. In order to clear her name, Sam with assistance from a seniors group led by her nana, show that it’s what you can gleam from doing what comes naturally to bring a killer to justice.
What a wonderful story that grabbed my attention immediately quickly becoming a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. I love the pacing and the comfortable tone that made it easy to follow as each chapter gave me enough to narrow down the list of suspects. Also liked the story within a story that mirrored “real-life” in North Harbor. The author did a great job in staging this engaging mystery abound with lovable characters like Nana Jo, Dorothy, Irma, Ruby Mae, Dawson, Sam and of course Oreo and Snickers. The mystery was expertly written keeping me glued to the pages and I enjoyed how everyone played a pivotal role in the apprehension of the killer. The narrative was visually descriptive, making me feel a part of the action as the ladies searched for clues and Sam’s property became victimized. This was a great debut and I can’t wait to read the next book in this delightfully entertaining series.

Thought this was a good start to a new series, who doesn't enjoy a mystery with a bookshop background, the interesting twist to this book is the main character writing her own mystery which you, the reader, gets to follow along with. Looking forward to more.

The Plot is Murder is the debut of the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series featuring widower Samantha Washington, set in the small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan. Sam and her husband Leon had dreamed of a mystery bookstore and when Leon passes away, Sam decides to keep her promise to him and purchases an old building that she renovates into a mystery bookstore on the lower level, and an apartment upstairs for herself and her two poodles, Snickers and Oreo.

When Clayton Parker the sleazy realtor who had sold Sam the building but then tried to renege on the sale and dragged her through hoops, turns up dead in her courtyard the police point the finger at Sam. Determined to clear her name and find the real killer, plus prove Detective "Stinky" Pitts wrong, Sam is joined by her grandmother Nana Jo and retirement center friends, Irma, Dorothy and Ruby Mae.

While trying to find Clayton's killer, Sam is also secretly writing her own cozy mystery set in the English countryside. In Sam's book we meet Lady Penelope Marsh, overshadowed by her beautiful sister Daphne and in love with Victor Carlston, who only has eyes for Daphne. Daphne however has her sights set on another man and when he turns up dead in the gardens, Victor becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear his name, Penelope sets out on her own investigation with the help of her aunt and uncle, Lord William and Lady Elizabeth.

The two mysteries tie in together perfectly and the author does a terrific job switching between the plotlines. A great cast of characters, you'll fall in love with Sam and Nana Jo and the young Dawson Alexander.

I received an advanced copy of The Plot is Murder from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

The Plot Is Murder is the debut book in by V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series and is a good start to this cozy series. The storyline is smoothly paced, the twists and turns keep the reader engaged, and there were multiple ‘laugh out loud’ moments. Ms. Burns has developed a great cast of characters and interesting mystery. The main character is writing a mystery book that is included within the storyline and while it provides a second mystery for the reader to attempt to solve, I didn’t care for “the book inside a book” concept and quickly found myself skipping through those sections. That being said, both mysteries were intriguing and well plotted. The identity of the killer came as a surprise to me.

After the death of her husband, Samantha ‘Sam’ Washington, sells their home, purchases a building, quits her teaching job, and opens the mystery bookstore she and her late husband had always dreamed of opening in North Harbor, Michigan. When Clayton Parker arrives unannounced and unwanted at the bookstore late one night, Sam refuses to answer the door and heads to her upstairs apartment. Sam finds his bloody body on her back patio the next morning. Clayton was the listing agent for the property Sam purchased and had many enemies due to his unethical business practices. Samantha is also an aspiring author and is writing a cozy mystery set in the 1930’s in England that is included within the current mystery, providing another mystery for the reader to attempt to solve. When the investigating officer, Detective Brad Pitt, finds her unfinished manuscript, he sees similarities to Clayton’s murder and moves Sam up on this suspect list. Sam’s feisty grandmother, Nana Jo, and her somewhat quirky friends from the retirement village where she lives (a/k/a Sleuthing Seniors) the help Sam solve the murder case.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Very nice debut cozy that hopefully is the beginning of a series. Sam, a widow, has a lot going on in her life, what with opening the mystery bookstore she'd planned with her husband and writing her own novel. The last thing she needs, or wants, is to find the body of a creepy man on her property. Luckily, her grandmother Nana Jo and her buddies are there to help out with the investigation. The bonus here is that you get to read the cozy Sam's writing, which is equally interesting. There's some madcap activities with the senior citizens and some red herrings for the murder, all of which add up to a well rounded read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one from a new author if you enjoy the genre.

This book starts a bit slowly and then - BANG - you start reading and cannot stop. I am a sucker for senior sleuthing and the cast of senior was really enjoable. On the whole the entire cast of charachters was enjoyable and funny
The plot is interesting and there is also the added bonus of the plot of a historical mystery in the main plot. I really enjoyed both.
It was also a good travel in the grief and how to make your dreams come real.
Cannot wait to read the second instalment in the series.

This mystery was a bit different than others. Samantha has lost her spouse and opens a bookstore to support herself. To relax, she begins a manuscript on her computer. Her work in progress is a story written in present time about her book store. This novel has her solving a few murders in real time while working on a murder within her manuscript. Howver, this back and forth can cause the plot to become convoluted. Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.

Great debut to this series. Fun characters. The protagonist is a bookstore owner and mystery author. Not only do we watch her, her grandmother and grandmother's friends solve the mystery, we get to see her "work in progress"...so she solves 2 mysteries.

The Plot is Murder, written by the incredibly talented V.M. Burns is a 10 star winner! I was hooked on the book from the first couple of pages and could not put it down. I spent the entire day with Samantha, Dawson, Nana JoJo and all the wonderful and colorful characters in this well written story.
Set in North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan, The Plot is Murder takes the reader to the opening of a new mystery bookstore. After the death of her husband Leon, Samantha makes a brave choice, to follow the dreams she shared with her husband and open their dream shop.
Before the shelves are stocked and the doors open, Samantha finds herself in her own mystery, when the arrogant, greedy real estate agent is found dead in her own back yard!
Dealing with all the stress isn't easy, so Samantha puts pen to paper and writes her own story- which is just as exciting as the actual book!
It seems that Clayton Parker has many enemies and it won't be easy to find the answers.
When Samantha's grandma offers her assistance, the book takes the reader on a wild ride to casinos, all you can eat buffets and a group of ladies that will leave you laughing and wishing you were along for the ride.
Will Samantha and the ladies find the answers they need or will it be then of the bookstore for it even opens?

Find out on November 28th when The Plot is Murder hits the shelf. Grab your copy fast, you will not want to miss the debut of this new series.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by NetGalley and Kensington Books.