Aspiring Cozy Mystery writer Samantha (Sam) Washington is opening her own mystery bookshop while trying to solve the mystery of a man who was killed on her property. As readers, we get to meet a whole cast of characters including Sam's Nana Jo and her gang of mystery-solving Senior Citizen girlfriends. Together they figure out whodunit and why.

I enjoyed the characters of the retired ladies but didn't connect so much to Sam. She seemed kind of bland compared to her spitfire grandmother. And while Sam's mystery novel was fun, it felt out of place to me. I thought that Sam's storyline was fun and clever, and the mystery she was writing was more than the book needed.

I would give another book in this series a try, to see how the mystery bookshop is going for Sam. And to read more about Nana Jo!

My thanks to NetGalley for the Kindle copy of this book to read and review.

First in a new cozy series, Samantha just lost her husband and is changing her life to honor their dreams by buying a building, and opening a mystery bookstore. All starts well until she finds the body of her nemesis in her backyard. Her grandmother and zany senior friends come to the rescue, helping Sam find the killer. Samantha is also writing her own mystery novel, so you're reading a mystery within a mystery. Great secondary characters, a believable plot make this a series to read. Included at the end is a preview of book 2, and now,I can't wait to read that book as well.

The Plot Is Murder by V. M. Burns is a great start to a new cozy series. I was so wrapped in the story that I hated when I had to put it down.

Ms. Burns' plot is smoothly paced and the twists and turns kept me guessing. Ms. Burns has developed quite a cast of characters. Samantha is a widow who is just now allowing herself to begin her life again after the loss of her husband. She is opening a mystery bookstore to fulfill a dream of hers and her husbands. Unfortunately, a murder victim is found in the small backyard behind her bookstore before she can open the store. Her grandmother, Nana Jo, and her grandmother's friends from the retirement village where she lives are more than ready to help Sam solve the murder case. In fact, with their contacts, they gathered the most clues; but it was Sam that put it all together. I laughed a lot while reading this one and I really want to meet the Senior Sleuths. Plus, Sam is writing a British cozy mystery that is included within the story so you get two books within one. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.

Fun mystery cozy in a contemporary setting, with an added bonus of a British cozy set between the wars. The main character, Sam is a recent widow following her and her husband's dream of having a mystery bookstore. She buys a brownstone and lives upstairs while bringing her store to life. In Sam's down time she is writing a British cozy that plays along while her own mystery plays out starting with the unpleasant selling agent being murdered in the courtyard. It is very easy to follow the two mysteries running simultaneously and nice to flip between the two. The supporting characters are a lot of fun and I look forward to them in the future books. Good mysteries, light enjoyable read. Netgalley provided me with a copy and my opinion is my own.

This is a good start to a new series. It is a cozy mystery, though actually it is two cozy mysteries - the mystery in the main character’s life and the text of the murder mystery novel she is writing. I like parallel narratives, but with two stories in one book, both seemed to lack depth. There are two interesting casts of characters, and they give the series promise. I plan on reading the next book when it’s released.

Great start to a new series. Likable characters and a plot that keeps you guessing make this a very good book. My only caution is, don't read it when you're hungry!

The Plot is Murder introduces us to Samantha Washington, a recently widowed former high school English teacher in North Harbor, Michigan. After the death of her husband, Samantha decides to follow both of their dreams and open a bookshop with a British style tea shoppe in it called Market Street Mysteries. She sold her home and has put everything into making her dreams, their dreams come true. She is almost finished with her teaching duties and the bookstore isn’t quite ready to open. The last day of school is also her last day as a teacher. A party is thrown for her at school by faculty and students. Another party is thrown for her at home by family and friends. After such a long, she wants nothing more than to retreat to the bookstore that is also her home and rest. Her plans are interrupted when an unscrupulous realtor came knocking on her door. It was late, she was tired and wasn’t in the mood to be bothered. Besides, it wasn’t like he was her realtor, just someone she had met while buying her bookstore. The next morning, however, she finds the body of the realtor located just outside her door. Had she been the last one to see him alive? Why had he come calling the night before? Why would someone murder him outside of her store?

The story started off slowly in my opinion and so very melancholy. If it isn’t a drama I really don’t want to read such sad and depressing things. It made me not want to continue the book because I read cozies for light reading and fun. I don’t want to be depressed or saddened reading them. Reading about Leon was sad, necessary I understand, but sad nonetheless. Samantha is also a budding author of British mysteries and we are introduced to Samantha’s book (a mini mystery within the mystery). Maybe I was just in a weird mood when i started reading this book but when first introduced to Samantha’s novel I was annoyed with how long it was–it wasn’t what I was interested in and it felt as though it went on forever. Now, I’ve read books that have a story within a story in them. If it’s done right it’s a fun addition to the novel. If the execution is poor i tend to skim over those parts unless there are too many of them, in those cases I stop reading the book. I read for fun and enjoyment–not to roll my eyes (and channel robert downey jr. you know the picture i’m referring to) if it becomes a chore, tedious I don’t continue reading. I used to finish every book I started, even if I didn’t like it but there are far too many books out there to waste my time on books that I don’t enjoy. I am critical of new to me authors because I’ve read some wonderful cozies–yes I know I shouldn’t compare– but the bar has been set and it’s high. I’m especially critical of new series because the first in a series can make or break it for me. Obviously, if its great I continue to buy and read the rest. If it’s too bad I won’t want to read the next one which is a waste because there are so many good series out there and I’m sorry that I hadn’t chosen a better book. If it isn’t great, but isn’t horrible either I will read the next book to see if the author, in my opinion, finds their groove.

As the book progressed I began to enjoy the story of Victor, Penelope, and the rest of the cast of characters in Samantha’s novel (the story within the story). I dreaded it at the beginning when I was only one or two installments in, I won’t lie, but the more that story progressed the more I found myself enjoying it and even wanting to read more of it. That impresses me because generally adding all of the extra ‘goings on’ feels like the author is trying to do too much. I felt that way in the beginning, possibly because it felt more like a love story, but the story grew on me as the mystery progressed. I really liked it, no i’m not just saying that, i actually liked it. Who killed Charles? Who killed Clayton? Before I realized it, my kindle was showing that I was halfway finished with the book. It didn’t feel that way. It didn’t seem that I had read that much. The story picked up after it’s slow start and I truly enjoyed it. I liked getting to know Sam, Jenna and her kids, Nana Jo and her friends–who reminded me of the Golden Girls, and Dawson (though I kept wanting to break out into a chorus of “I don’t wanna wait” by Paula Cole, haha don’t judge me). I figured out who I thought was the murderer a little over halfway through the book but that didn’t discourage from continuing to read, I needed to see if I was right. Plus, I started thinking it may not have been who i thought it was because it felt as thought that was too obvious. It was someone else (I was wrong!).

V.M. Burns is a talented writer (and all of the talk about scones had me googling scone recipes and looking up clotted cream–they sounded so good). I will read the next book in this series.



I received an arc of this book from netgalley.

I loved this book! This was a classic cozy mystery with a twist, a cozy within a cozy, and I looked forward to finding the murderer in both books. What a great plot device. The writing was stellar and the characters interesting and funny, especially the senior citizens. I'm really looking forward to the future books in the Mystery Bookshop series.

Samantha Washington is a widow. She and her husband and always planned to open a bookstore, so after he died, Sam decided she'd do it anyway. Sam is also a budding author who loves English mysteries and she's writing one on the side (included in the book). She lot of help from her family, especially her grandmother and her friends, a group of fun-loving senior citizens. Just before the store finally opens, Sam has a visit from the realtor, who tried to cheat her and whom she never liked. She refused to let him in, and the next morning he's found dead in the backyard. Sam, her grandmother and the senior citizens band together to solve the murder.

I highly recommend this book. It's a great read and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Loved the book within a book, it was different than anything I read previously. I felt connected to Sam. I've read several cozies where the main character's love has passed, but Sam was really relatable. Fun read, hard to put down. Hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one!

This was one of my favourite books of 2017.
I enjoyed the premise of the character owning a mystery bookstore. The characters were well written and I look forward to reading more about them, especially the senior citizens, who were written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
The whodunit was well plotted and kept me guessing.
This is the first in a new series, and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

This is the first book in the Mystery Bookshop series. After the death of her husband, Samantha Washington decides to quit her teaching job and open the mystery book store she and her husband had always dreamed of opening. When not at the store, Sam is writing her own mystery set in the late 1930's in England. She's much too busy to open the door a relator (one she doesn't even like) shows up at her door and says he wants to talk. The next morning, she regrets her decision to not unlock the door when the man's body is found in her backyard. She is determined to make some sort of amends by helping the police find the murderer. In the meantime, Sam, her grandmother, and her grandmother's group of friends from the retirement village are on their own mission to discover as much as they can before the murderer strikes again.

The premise of this book is a good one. I'm interested to learn more about the store. I loved the retirees and their quirky personalities, as well as Dawson, a college student with a sad history. The book itself, however, did not keep my attention as I had hoped. At first I thought a-book-inside-a-book would be really annoying, but it did grow on me. In the middle, I was interested to see how both mysteries turned out. Toward the end, however, I just wanted to skip ahead to find out who the murderer was in both stories. I think, looking back, that there was not enough description to hook me to the town, the heroine, or the bookstore. They were there, but not fully fleshed out. The retirees were brought to life, which is probably why I enjoyed them so much. The next book is Read Herring Hunt. I will probably give that one a try, and if it is no better, that will be the last book I read in this series.

A fun cast of characters and solid writing gives this series a leg up on the competition.

I must admit that I had been waiting months for the release of author V.M. Burns' cozy mystery debut - The Plot is Murder. The cover, the title, and the plot (no pun intended!) description grabbed my attention from the moment I first saw it, and I pre-ordered the book as soon as it was available. I was lucky enough to obtain an advance copy to review, and it did not disappoint! Not only do we get the story of bookshop owner Samantha Washington, we also get to immerse ourselves in the British cozy mystery she's writing in her spare time. Sam is a widow, and it was her late husband's dying wish that she open up their dream bookshop, which she does with the help of her loving and supportive family. Shortly before the opening, however, the unscrupulous realtor who sold her the building is found dead in her courtyard and Sam must work to discover who murdered Clayton Parker and why. Enter Nana Jo and her Senior Sleuths, and cozy mystery solving (and reading) and mayhem ensues with this hilarious bunch of octogenarians. And while we're reading about this mystery in North Harbor, Michigan we're also transported to the pre-WWII English countryside and the manor home of the aristocratic Marsh family where a murder has taken place in their garden and it's up to Lady Elizabeth et al. to discover whodunit. I highly, highly recommend this wonderful first very cozy and well-written installment in the Mystery Bookshop series! A+++

I truly enjoyed The Plot is Murder. At first, I didn't think I'd like the way the story was interrupted by the goings-on in the mystery book the main character, Sam, was writing, but I quickly found myself just as invested in that mystery as I was in finding out who killed Clayton Parker in Sam's real life. I loved all of the characters, especially Nana Jo and her friends. If you're looking for a great mystery (or two, since Sam is writing a mystery in the book) with entertaining characters you will love getting to know, then this book is for you. I read the first two chapters of the next book in the series, as they were provided at the end of this book, and I'm impatiently waiting for it to be published so I can find out what happens next in Sam's new mystery book she's started. I'm sure I'll feel the same about the mystery that comes in Sam's real life, but it wasn't introduced in the first two chapters. I'm sure it'll be just as good as this first book in the series though.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

t seems as if all Samantha Washington’s dreams are coming true, she’s opening her own mystery themed bookstore and writing a mystery of her own. But murder is not confined to the pages of Samantha’s book and she finds a body in her backyard. The police (who seem non too bright) suspect Samantha of the crime. Luckily, her grandmother and her sleuthing senior friends are on the job, working to prove Samantha’s innocence and find the real killer. I loved the senior sleuths, ladies who refuse to let a little thing like age get in the way of truth and justice, this is a really fun read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

I'm not going to lie, I read A LOT of cozy mystery, and this one just didn't tick all the boxes for me. It SHOULD have, because it's a cozy mystery set in a mystery book store but it just felt far too simple for my tastes. Everything is simple; the writing style, the mystery, and even the main character. She didn't even do any of the sleuthing herself, she just chauffeurs around the senior citizens with far more gumption until one of them finds a clue!

Now I get that she is a character in mourning, after losing her husband Leon. But she really isn't much of a character anyway. As I said, she doesn't investigate on her own, and the author surrounds her with far more interesting characters. Also, we really did not get enough information on the murder victim before he was offed- and you at least need a little background if you're going to care that he died. I did not.

Then there was the 20th century English murder mystery chugging along with the plot (the book Sam is writing basically) Sorry, but it read like a bad Mills and Boon romance. There was scarcely any real mystery in that either, and the eventual reveal of the perpetrator was disappointing to say the least.

Not my favorite cozy read of the year, but I might still read book two to see if it improves. Three stars.

This is a delightful new mystery filled with interesting characters and a surprise twist that gives you not only the current mystery but also includes an English cottage mystery that Sam Washington, the lead character, is writing. Sam is a long time mystery lover who met her husband Leon in the mystery section of a book store. It had always been their dream to open a mystery book store of their own together and when Leon is dying of cancer he makes Sam promise that she will use the insurance money to follow that dream. It is the last day of Sam's teaching career and after a party thrown by her family she hears a knock at the door and it is Clayton Parker, a nasty real estate agent who tried to derail her purchase of the book store building. She refuses to let him in and the next morning is shocked to find him lying dead on her new property. The detective assigned to the case, Brad Pitt (who looks nothing like the actor of the same name) asks her if Parker was in distress or need of aid when he knocked on her door. That makes Sam feel guilty that he may have needed her help and she vows to do everything she can to find out what happened to him. She is assisted by her Nana Jo and Nana's friends from the retirement community who turn out to be remarkable at ferreting out information and they all throw themselves into the investigation. This book has a compelling plot and a great sense of humor. Added to that the inclusion of Sam's writing of her English cottage mystery makes this a mystery to savor. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to see more of these characters in the future.