“The Novel Art of Murder” by V. M. Burns it's an absolute gem of the cozy mystery that seamlessly blends the words of literature, friendship, and a captivating murder investigation. The book introduces us to Samantha Washington, a charming and relatable protagonist who finds herself immersed in a real-life mystery reminiscent of the classic whodunits she loves to read and write. Burns’s writing is engaging in witty, drawing readers into a small-town setting brimming with quirky characters and bookish charm.

The plot is cleverly crafted, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. As Samantha delves deeper into her investigation, the suspense builds and the layers of secrets and motives are expertly revealed. Alongside the mystery, the book explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the power of storytelling. The well-developed catholic characters, including Samantha’s book club friends and her lovable dog, add depth and charm to the story. ”The Novel Art of Murder” It's a delightful and cozy read that will keep you entertained and guessing, and leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I had enjoyed the first book in the series and I always love books set in bookshops, especially when they’re cosy mysteries. I haven’t read the second book but I didn’t find this a detriment to reading this book at all.

In this book, Sam and her grandmother, Nana Jo, are back to solving crimes when someone in Nana Jo’s retirement home/village gets killed and she is blamed for it. This time they have some surprising allies, as well as some more exploration of the group of Nana Jo’s friends, especially when someone else gets killed.

Like with the first book, I enjoyed seeing Sam’s relationships with the people around her, like with Nana Jo, her mother and Frank, the love interest. It was interesting to see such a great variety between them, especially her grandmother and her mother. The latter’s relationship with Sam is very complicated and you could tell the love was there for Sam, even when her mother drove her up the wall. I liked seeing more of the bookshop in this book as well, how it runs and the different events Sam sets up and how she ends up fitting more into the community.

I do love seeing that kind of small town feel, even if it not necessarily a small town as such, with intersecting relationships and community events set up where you meet people who you either know or they know someone you know. Having that running along the murder mystery plot was very realistic and I enjoyed it. The actual murder mystery was one I enjoyed as well. I guessed the murderer quite early on and I was a little surprised how no one really considered them as the murderer until right before the reveal, but I did find the reasoning behind the murder even more interesting.

However, there was the same problem in this book as there was in the first book. Sam is very secondary to solving the mystery really, it’s far more on Nana Jo and her friends who are doing all the work. It wasn’t quite as bad as it was in the first book but it was clear enough that I was wondering why Sam was the main character when it was clearly Nana Jo who was the driving force behind the mysteries actually getting solved. And, again, with Sam writing her book and the mystery mirroring what was going on in real life, it could be hard to keep track of two casts of characters, especially when it switches between chapter and chapter.

3.5 stars!

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

1/5 stars. I HATED THIS BOOK

The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she's descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the day. She’s not just a lousy liar, she's a bad actress, so when she nabs the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies—a part Nana Jo plays every year in their retirement village production—Nana Jo blows a gasket and reads her the riot act in front of everyone.

Of course, when Maria is silenced with a bullet to the head, Nana Jo lands the leading role on the suspects list. Sam’s been writing her newest mystery, set in England between the wars, with her intrepid heroine Lady Daphne drawn into murder and scandal in the household of Winston Churchill. But now she has to prove that Nana Jo’s been framed. With help from her grandmother's posse of rambunctious retirees, Sam shines a spotlight on Maria’s secrets, hoping to draw the real killer out of the shadows . . .

This is my first book by V.M. Burns and it won’t be my last! While this is the third in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone – but I’m totally going to go back and read the first two books at my earliest opportunity.

Samantha “Sam” is a great heroine, someone you’d like to have as a friend for sure. Not only does she run a successful mystery bookstore but she also gets to carry out her dream of writing. I loved how Sam uses the events in the story we’re reading to parallel things in the story she’s writing, a story within a story of sorts. And of course there’s the ladies of the Shady Acres retirement village, including Sam’s Nana Jo who is cast every year in the leading role of the Shady Acres Senior Follies. Therein lies the problem – and the murder – this year, and Sam needs the help of the other ladies at Shady Acres to keep her Nana Jo from being arrested. Enter a bevy of delightful, quirky, and diverse characters who are full of life and intelligence and wit. I loved these secondary characters and can’t wait for another chance to visit with them.

Bottom Line: A well-written cozy mystery with charm and heart, The Novel Art of Murder is a truly enjoyable read from start to finish. The murder case itself was nicely-plotted and kept me guessing until the big reveal, and the dash of romance of course had my full attention. Vividly-drawn characters represent a mix of ages and race, and each had a role to play. Looking forward to more from this author and series!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39339734-the-novel-art-of-murder" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Novel Art of Murder (Mystery Bookshop, #3)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521652695m/39339734.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39339734-the-novel-art-of-murder">The Novel Art of Murder</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16534140.V_M_Burns">V.M. Burns</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2368501489">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she's descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the day. She’s not just a lousy liar, she's a bad actress, so when she nabs the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies a part that Nana Jo plays every year in their retirement village production, Nana Jo blows a gasket and reads her the riot act in front of everyone. Of course, when Maria is silenced with a bullet to the head, Nana Jo lands the leading role on the suspects list. Sam’s been writing her newest mystery, set in England between the wars, with her intrepid heroine Lady Daphne drawn into murder and scandal in the household of Winston Churchill. But now she has to prove that Nana Jo’s been framed. With help from her grandmother's posse of rambunctious retirees, Sam shines a spotlight on Maria’s secrets, hoping to draw the real killer out of the shadows.<br /><br />this book is very well written, well plotted, an interesting cast of characters, and a mystery inside a mystery. The main mystery has enough red herrings along with twist and turns to keep the reader guessing who the real culprit is until the exciting ending. <br /><br />I like how the author lets her secondary characters shine and grow so that the reader gets to know them. I how the author has Samantha, her mother and Nana Jo are learning to love again. The way the characters deal with things and emotions make them lifelike and relatable. I'm looking forward to reading Wed, Read, & Dead and Bookmarked For Murder the next to books in the series to see what Sam, Nana Jo and the rest of the characters get themselves into.<br /><br />I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my review.
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As the third installment to this adorable series we are familiar with the characters and if you have not read the other two that is okay too as they each come to life all on their own as the story progresses showing their distinct personalities which are hoot to say the least. We have a fairly recent widow surrounded by a group of seniors that are very busy in their day to day lives at their community which seems to offer all kinds of things to keep them busy. Unfortunately murder just happens to pop up as well with Samantha's grandma the main suspect so they all get involved depending on where their skills are used best to figure it all out. Add in the charming book store, the cute poodles, and the little town to create a literary cozy that fans can really enjoy. Lots of little twists and turns to keep you guessing wrapped around enough charm to really draw the reader in. Perfect for fans of literary cozies especially since we get a entire second story for free as the Sam writes to relax her mind. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

Title: The Novel Art of Murder
Author: V.M. Burns
Pg: 256
Series: Mystery Bookshop book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 3 Stars
The Novel Art of Murder is the 3 book in the Mystery Bookshop series by V.M. Burns. Samantha Washington’s book shop is doing good. She’s still writing her books and waiting to hear back from an agent. When a new murder mystery lands in her lap. In which her grandmother is the prime suspect. She must work quickly to find the real killer and clear her grandmother’s name.
Like with the first two in the series this is a quick read, that despite the fact that it is a murder mystery there is quite a few bits of humor found in the story. Especially from Samantha’s grandmother. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught.

First off, I read this out of sequential order with no problems so no need to worry about that.

Novel Art of Murder is adorable, funny, and well done! I will be going back to the beginning to find out about Samantha and Dawson coming under suspicion of murder themselves. And continuing on with Samantha and crew, of course. It’s modern Golden Girls solving mysteries with a granddaughter at the helm.

Did I mention the two adorable dogs Sam has? Living with and taking care of doggos is well represented here. I didn’t have a single moment of “what about your pets!!!” like with so many other series that include familiar sidekicks. That’s always distressing and kicks me out of the flow.

WRITER & BOOKSHOP OWNER LEADS GOLDEN GIRLS GANG IN SOLVING MYSTERIES
Bookshops are not uncommon in cozy mysteries, but this is the first time I’ve read SO many amazing recommendations for different people. This bookshop isn’t just a wistful backdrop, they actually worked it. I want to go to Samantha’s bookshop and not just because it’s a bookshop lol!

I am not a fan of Churchill, the genocidal imperialist white supremacist. It made me uncomfortable with the excerpts from Samantha’s mystery set in his house, with him, his wife and son. Thankfully the “great man” is hardly on the page and by the time he is, you’re already engaged. Further, it’s more about the women banding together to solve a mystery and a young couple having an argument.

This little story within a story kept me guessing as much as the larger mystery at hand. I love how Samantha used writing this story as a way to process and mull. Most things have to percolate in the back a bit before springing forward as a full thought. It’s clever and felt authentic.

Pulling out quotes was hard and I was wrapped up enjoying the book to make a study of it, but this one tickles me every time:

I couldn’t help wondering if some of her coughing spells weren’t related to having to choke down obscenities. Maybe we should just let her swear and see if her coughing decreased.

Great Rating Graphic

four-half-stars

Perfect cozy mystery specimen, which aside from Churchill, was a joy to read.

In the latest installment of the Mystery Bookshop series, bookstore owner Samantha "Sam" Washington must clear the name of her grandmother Nana Jo, the prime suspect in the murder of Maria Romanov. When Romanov, who recently secured the lead part in the Shady Acres Senior Follies play--the role Nana Jo has held for the last 10 years--dies from a bullet wound, the police turn their attention to Nana Jo, who is well known for her marksmanship. After all, the feisty Nana Jo had publicly declared her displeasure at losing the starring role.

While Sam and Nana Jo's band of loyal, eccentric friends begin to investigate the crime, a second resident of the Shady Acres Retirement Village turns up dead. Not much is known about Magnus von Braun, but his unexpected demise under suspicious circumstances raises questions about whether the two murders are related. Are there unknown factors that tie the two victims to each other, or is more than one killer on the loose in sleepy North Harbor, Michigan?

Sam and Nana Jo's supporters are more than up to the task of discovering clues based on the research they conduct. However, putting the pieces together to clear Nana Jo proves challenging. Sam once again uses her writing skills as a budding mystery author to process both the clues and her thoughts, which ultimately leads to solving the murders.

In the Mystery Bookshop series, Burns has established a cozy bookstore setting and team of close-knit family members and friends. Rounding out the cast of characters are Sam's two faithful poodles, Snickers and Oreo, who are prominently displayed on the series' book covers. A major distinctive feature of the series is the "novel within a novel" technique, which has Sam writing cozy murder mysteries set in England between the two world wars. It is thus that readers are actually following the developments in two murder mysteries--one in the present day and one in Edwardian times. The result is a satisfying experience for cozy mystery fans.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We are back in North Harbor, Michigan just in time for Samantha Washington’s Nana Jo to become a murder suspect. It seems her usual part in the Shady Acres Senior Follies has been given to Maria Romanov, a woman of questionable character. Said to be descended from Russian Royalty and a great actress, Nana Jo knows the woman is a phony. As soon as others hear her sing, they know it too. Nana Jo tries to take the woman to task publically so when Maria ends up dead, Nana Jo’s fate as a murder suspect is sealed.

Not so fast, Sam is on the case. Using her current work in progress where Lady Daphne is in the middle of a murder in the home of Winston Churchill to settle her mind and draw parallels, she is sure to find who has framed her Nana. The crew from Shady Acres steps in to help too and soon real suspects are uncovered and clues start to fall into place.

That’s Oreo and Snickers on the cover, Oreo looks nothing like my Oreo but I love the author’s choice of pet names. The expression of the dog in the back cracks me up every time I look at the cover.

Okay, the cover is great, but the story/stories within are excellent. Ms. Burns gives us a present-day cozy mystery and her character Samantha Washington is an author and we get to read her latest work too. I love that we get two stories in each novel. It took some getting used to with the first book, but now with book 3, I hit the rhythm right away. I really enjoy how they work together.

Full of colorful characters the story sets a nice pace. Intrigue with a big dose of humor keeps the pages turning and both stories had wonderful surprise endings. Some parts are truly laugh out loud funny.

I loved this book and can’t wait for more! This is the first book of 2019 to receive my top Paradise rating and a place on my Best Reads of 2019 list. While the story can stand on its own I recommend starting at the beginning of the series for maximum enjoyment.

This is a great little cozy series, Mystery Bookshop. This is book 3 and can be read as a stand alone but you won't want to miss Nana Jo's antics in the previous books. Samantha is trying to finish her latest historical novel when Nana Jo becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a fellow retiree. Maria is found shot and everyone knows Nana Jo was mad enough to murder her since she beat Nana out of the starring role in the Shady Acres retirement home production. Now Sam must prove someone is trying to frame her grandmother before one of them becomes the next victim. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Novel Art of Murder by V.M. Burns is the third book in the Mystery Bookshop series. When the new girl at Shady Acres is found dead, Samantha's Nana Jo is the prime suspect. Samantha makes a deal with the local detective to find the murderer and keep her nana out of jail. At the same time Samantha is writing another book in her historical British mystery series that mirror the real life crime. I enjoyed both mysteries. The book is a light, cozy mystery and perfect for reading when you need an escape. I look forward to the next installment.

I liked The Novel Art of Murder. V.M. Burns has taken the traditional, contemporary cozy mystery and added a twist. There is a second, British historical cozy beautifully woven into the storytelling. I found this mystery full of funny characters and many plot twists and surprises. I loved Nana Jo and the ladies and gentlemen of Shady Acres. It had to be the funniest killer takedown I have seen! I highly recommend this one.

I was given a copy of this book as a part of a book tour and have left an honest review.

First of all, this cover is adorable! I love how the artist personalized the two poodles, and made them very different in character. Wonderfully illustrated! Second, it's wonderful to read how strongly these ladies are connected. Samantha Winston, bookstore owner and widow; her grandmother Nano Jo; and the friends of Nana Jo's who all live at the retirement complex; plus Nana Jo's retired police officer boyfriend and Sam's new boyfriend with the mysterious past (possibly covert government agency), are all "fun" characters, whom the author draws very realistically. All are strongly united friends, mostly unselfish, devoted to each other. The book is so encouraging in that way, as is the group's diligence at ferreting out a murderer, and the contrast with the admittedly bumbling police detective, "Stinky" Pitt. I highly recommend this series.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. Jumping between the dangerous situations Nana Jo gets herself and everyone else into, commiserating with Sam dealing with the people in her life as she works at her dream of becoming a published author, and reading the history that bleeds over into present day life. While there are a number of cozy tropes and stereotypes present in this storyline, it is never dull or boring!
With the wild characters keeping Sam`s life interesting, I wish I had a few crazies like this in my own life. Growing old seems much more exciting.
This book can be read stand alone but you won`t want to miss any of the delightful books in this series.

I have a mixed opinion about this book. There are two stories - the point of view character is an author and writes stories. So, as the story proceeds, one gets to read the story that the Point of View character writes.

The first person narrator or point of view character is just mentioned as Sam until later in the book when Frank introduces her to Gunter as Samantha Washington. Of course, somewhere in between, there is someone who calls her Mrs. Washington, but for people like me who started with this as the first book in the series, it is a tad disappointing. I know Samantha Washington is mentioned in the blurb but I was hoping to see her name in the starting chapters too. That is not too much to ask, is it?

The story was good. Since there were two mysteries, I will go ahead and say that both the mystery solving bits were really good. The book is different from all the other cozy mysteries that I have read so far. I took some time to get used to the writing but as the story proceeded further, I started liking it. Sam's novel was an interesting bit. A WWII story in a modern-day cozy mystery - Aye!

The characters were quirky and sometimes funny. Irma and her colorful vocabulary and bouts of coughs gave the story a touch of humor. And then there's Nana Jo, with another colorful set of vocabulary and oodles of care and love for her beloved granddaughter Sam. The two poodles Snickers and Oreo made the cozy story complete. No cozy mystery is complete without a mention or two of a dog or a cat isn't it? Dawson's scrumptious cookies and Frank's clam chowder ... slurp!

The identity of the perp was unexpected and shocking (in both the stories). The mystery behind the locked room added a brilliant twist to the story. The mystery behind Magnus' past and how it lead to his murder gave the story an unexpected twist. Overall, it was an entertaining cozy mystery.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

This series was SO good to begin with, but if you can believe it, it keeps getting better! This one had all the senior sleuth friends playing fairly equal parts, along with a new retired judge friend.

When a murder at Nana Jo's retirement community points to none other than Nana Jo herself, Sam had more than a vested interest in solving this case. She even appealed to Det. "Stinky" Pitt that if they worked together and shared information, she could guarantee him the killer before Thanksgiving. He grudgingly tried to go along with that. I just love when the sleuths all gather at the bookshop or Frank's restaurant to talk about the case. They each have their assignments, and these tech-smart seniors are forces to reckon with. I liked that Judge Miller was in on it more this time. I'm sure he was consulting on other books (it's so hard to remember details lol) but it was fun to get to know him a little better. After another murder at the retirement village, the sleuths really had their hands full and Sam's brain was working overtime.

The showdown was absolutely awesome! It was funny to picture it and let's just say the perp probably never knew what him them! There's an excerpt in the back of this book for the next book, and I'll be reading that excerpt quickly after I leave my reviews and before I dig into the next book I want to read.