Amy Lillard is a new author to me. I so enjoyed this mystery, I’ve now finished the first book in her Amish mystery series.

This book is not about the Amish. It is set in a small town where everybody knows everyone else’s business.

Arlo Stanley is co-owner of a bookstore and coffeehouse. She is responsible for the books and her business partner, Chloe is in charge of coffee and food.

Arlo is gearing up for a whirlwind weekend as the local boy who left town and made good as an author is going to do a book signing at her store. Instead, he show up dead on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore. As Chloe has had a relationship with him in the past and had seen and talked to him the morning of his death, suspicion falls on her.

Arlo, with the help of her new Book Club (made up of several rather older but feisty ladies) determine they will look for clues and solve the murder. Well, maybe, Arlo isn’t quite on board but she wants to get her favorite customers from getting hurt or worse.

As usual with first books in series, there is a lot of introduction of characters but still the pace moves rapidly.

The dialog is funny and the plot is both interesting and different. I am looking forward to both more in this series and reading the author’s other mystery books.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

The author has us on a quest to solve the murder of one of her high school class members, and with an all class reunion in town, it could be anyone.
With chuckles and sleuthing we go about looking who killed Wally, and then trying to get her friend and employee out of jail. We have a bookstore owner, the one who has a body fall out of her building, and her worker and friend accused of the dastardly deed.
We get to see the Book Club go about trying to prove the innocence of their friend.
Surprises here, or maybe not, whom is the murderer? This one will keep you page-turning and guessing!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Poison Pen Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Not every murder is by the book…

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime.

Celebrity Murder in a Small Southern Town
This is a fun book to read. This is the first book in a new series. There is a very eclectic group of amateur detectives plus the heroine has 2 old beaus come back to town to get in her life. There is a fun air to a serious mystery in this book. If that continues, this should be a most enjoyable series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This was a really enjoyable bunch of new characters, and I got such a kick out of the book club ladies wanting to do their sleuthing in such a way that Arlo must have felt like she was herding cats trying to keep them under control and out of danger. I liked Arlo and her bestie Chloe. They worked well together at their business, and Arlo was a fierce and faithful friend when Chloe was charged with murder. She was relentless at trying to prove her best friend's innocence, and I know Chloe and her little boy truly appreciated it. Mads, not so much, but he seemed to have an incredibly large amount of patience with Arlo--possibly because they dated in high school, but maybe because he's just a nice guy to begin with. I also enjoyed the character of Frances, the seventy-something woman who worked the desk at the police station. She was a great source of info and gossip.

I loved how when Arlo realized who the killer was, she raced to where she needed to be but managed to get Sam to call the police for backup. Both men who liked Arlo were her exes from high school, and for once I'm a little stumped as to which guy I like for her, although I always tend to lean toward the law enforcement officials in a case like this. Not sure why, but I don't get tired of that theme of the sleuth liking the cop. Sam does seem nice, and he's well-liked by the book club ladies. I'll definitely be interested in reading more in this series and visiting this sweet southern town again.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Sugar Springs in Mississippi was a small town where everyone knew everyone else. The bookshop – Books and More – was owned and run by Arlo Stanley and her best friend Chloe, with Chloe in charge of “and More” and Arlo running the book side of it all. When Wally Harrison, author and one-time resident of Sugar Springs announced he was heading for a book signing in Books and More, the preparation made Arlo nervous. But when she was called down to the bookshop early one morning by the police, the shock at seeing the body at the front door of Arlo’s shop froze her to the spot. Worse was to come when Chloe was arrested...

Immediately, Arlo and the elderly ladies of the Book Club – held once a week in the book shop – determined they would find who the murderer was, so Chloe would be exonerated. But with the list of suspects high, Arlo despaired they would ever find the answers. Could they do it? And why was the police chief so determined Chloe was guilty?

Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder is the 1st in the Main Street Book Club Mystery series by Amy Lillard, and it starts with a murder, but then the action doesn’t pick up until almost half way through the book. A light whodunnit with the most entertaining character being Faulkner the talking parrot who welcomed customers to the bookshop, quoted Shakespeare, called for help and generally made me laugh. Recommended to cozy fans.

With thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery was not a success for me. It felt sloppy and cliche and forced. I know it is the first In a new series, but there are way too many characters to try to keep track of, let alone connect with any of them. Overall, this one was a disappointment.

Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder is the first in A Main Street Book Club Mystery Series by Amy Lillard. I enjoyed this charming new cozy and hope the series will continue. .Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the review copy. My opinions are my own . I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

The setting is a charming friendly small town in Mississippi. Arlo Stanley owns a book store with hr best friend. The store also has a popular coffee shop . The Southern culture and kindness is done to perfection here and right away I was drawn into this sweet small town and the lovable charcters. The book store is delightful and I only wish this was a real place we readers could visit for coffee and books.
The town is planning a big reunion and everyone is excited about the impending return of a local boy who is a nationally known crime writer. Arlo and Chloe both knew him in high school so they are looking forward to reconnecting.. After he arrives he is found dead at their shop and Chloe is arrested as the prime suspect. Arlo must step up to save her best friend, her reputation and find the true suspect.

A charming setting with likable characters . I really enjoy the friends of Arlo and Chloe and how loyal they are . There is a book club which is a nice dynamic for the story. I loved this wonderful first in series and hope the series will continued. Well done to the author ! I look forward to the next in series. Cross posted review upon publication date.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a delightful and fun cozy read. What would you do if your best friend was arrested for a murder that she didn't commit, even though all evidence points to her? That is the question that Arlo must face when her best friend, Chloe is arrested when her ex and baby daddy makes a splat outside their shop door, from the second floor. She has 10 days to prove Chloe's innocence and time is quickly running out.
Full of quaint and lively characters, this is a story that drew me in from the beginning and held me until the last page. With bits of humor, sweetness and mystery, lovers of the Cozy Mystery genre will love this first book in a new series!

This was a fun cozy mystery! It's the first in a series so it introduces a lot of the small town's people. I will definitely look out for those. In this book, bookshop owner Arlo is set to have a book signing for a famous local author when he's found dead, outside her shop. There are quite a few twists in the story and I was kept on my toes, wondering who it could be. I loved her book club ladies and I'm sure that they'll be in future stories!

Can’t Judge a Book by Its Murder by Amy Lillard
Book #1: Main Street Book Club Mysteries
Source: NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press
Rating: 2½/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: It’s never a good sign for a book when your favorite character is the snarky, mouthy bird who lives in a cage in a bookstore ☹ I am generally a big fan of cozy mysteries, but I just couldn’t get into this world. I found the characters, outside of the bird and Sam to be rather flat and uninteresting and the plot to be fairly predictable. I really wish that weren’t the case, because I did like the small town setting as well as the bookstore/coffee shop set up. I know I just can’t love every book I read, but I sure want to, especially when there is something as awesome as a snarky, mouthy bird to entertain me. While my rating and overall impressions of this book most certainly suggest I’m done with this series, I may give the eventual second book a chance to see if my first impression can be altered. First in a series books are hard and with any luck, the second book may come out swinging!

I had high hopes for this cozy mystery; the title alone is what drew me to it [it IS a great title] and I hoped that it was as good as the title. Unfortunately, this was not to be. It wasn't a horrible book and I may be tempted to read a second one to see if the characters are fleshed out more, but there are a lot of flaws with this book.

1. There is a L O V E TRIANGLE. If you know me and have read my reviews, you know that this is a deal-breaker for me. I have almost walked away from well-loved series for this very thing [and actually did and never went back to a series that had been my absolute favorite, but the triangle was never resolved and I was disgusted enough to stop reading] and see it as extremely lazy writing. And the way this one is written makes me unhappy. And the MC cannot let things of the past go. She just keeps bringing up the past and what happened with these two men over and over and over again. It got old very fast.

2. NO POLICE CHIEF WOULD BEHAVE LIKE THIS. Ever. I cannot even begin to tell you how much his behavior irritated me. NO woman has that much power.

3. The MC is very off-putting and whiny. She owns this business, but is so unsure of herself and everyone around her and it just is so...meh. And while she takes credit for a lot of what is going on [and to be fair, she DOES solve the thinly-veiled mystery at the end], most of the "heavy" work is done by the little old ladies that are her book club.

4. Chloe is a potentially great second MC [who's biggest flaw is being in love with a creepazoid and seemingly unable to get over it - her having a child with said creepazoid does add to that, but HE. IS. A. CREEPAZOID], but is reduced to the token murder suspect and someone who falls into the wan and depressed and "needs to be rescued" best friend trope. WHICH is annoying. Which leads me to my second biggest pet peeve [after the dreaded love triangle]:

5. CAN ANYONE BE ORIGINAL IN THEIR WRITING? Look, I know there is a set way to do a cozy and for the most part, I like it. You know you usually have a MC and a best friend, a coffee-shop, art shop, some kind of shop, either a hard-boiled cop or a cop that everyone makes google eyes at, or that the MC is so smitten with she cannot see straight [THIS is something that could be changed - writers could take notes from Donna Andrews and her descriptions of an excellent police chief] and a murder. But the whole "I just moved here so I am the immediate suspect", or the "best friend, sibling, parent, adult friend HAS to be the suspect" is O L D. Please. For the love of cozy lovers everywhere - FIND A NEW WAY TO SUSPECT SOMEONE. And maybe have it be someone that isn't close to the MC? P L E A S E??? And maybe just write your own book instead of following almost every other cozy that is out there? And maybe, just maybe, make the murderer a little more difficult to figure out?

Sigh.

There are redeeming qualities in this book, which is why I am willing to possibly read the second one [if she writes one] in spite of the love triangle. I LOVE the "little old ladies" that are a part of Arlo's book club and that lead the charge in finding evidence to free Chloe. They are hilarious and fantastic and I am v e r y intrigued by Camille's handbag. They really were the best part of the book. Them and the parrot "Faulkner". Gosh I love that bird. He really could come into play with a murder. He is hilarious and a much needed distraction to the whining and moping that was going on. I would have liked more "book club" discussion, but that is because I adore my book clubs and the idea of one in a book is so appealing. I would tentatively recommend this book for these reasons.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bookstore owner, Arlo never left Sugar Springs, Mississippi, but Wally Harrison did.
It’s class reunion time and the best selling author, Wally, who could be Sugar Springs most famous alum has agreed to return and do a book signing at Arlo’s bookstore. But someone has decided to write “The End” to Wally when he is found dead.
A fun whodunnit with a “cast of characters” to make Sugar Springs a great town to visit. I voluntarily read this ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press. The comments and review are my honest opinion.

This is an enjoyable start to a new series. Book store owner Arlo Stanley and the book club ladies (meddling grannies") want to figure out who killed their famous hometown author after Chloe, friend and co-owner of the store, is arrested for his murder.

The plot was predictable yet still intriguing enough that I was totally invested in finishing the book. The protagonist is a likable character but the fun characters are the book club ladies.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Bestselling author, Wally Harrison is coming back to Sugar Springs and he will be at Arlo Stanley's bookstore event and High School reunion. That is until he is discovered dead! Arlo's best friend Chloe is a prime suspect in his death and Arlo and the book club women have to figure out who could have done it before time runs out. Go up against the clock they have to narrow down the list of suspects. Can they prove Chole's innocents and figure out who and why they wanted Wally dead.

I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. The first in this new series and look forward to more. The character's are likable and relatable. They mystery was well planned out and can't wait to read the next one. Do yourself a favor cozy mystery lovers and pick this one up.

Chloe and Arlo own a small coffee and bookshop in Sugar Springs, Mississippi. They are preparing to hold a book signing for best-selling home town author Wally Harrison. Everything comes to a halt when his body is found dead on the ground in front of their storefront of an apparent suicide. Even more complicated is that he is the father of Chloe's son. When Chloe is arrested for his murder, Arlo is determined to exonerate her and find the killer.
The book is the first in the series and the title sums up how I feel about it. I don't want to judge it too much but I didn't connect with the characters or the mystery plot. The pace was too slow, dragging on and I struggled to finish the book. However, I would be interested in reading the second installment to see what the future is for the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder by Amy Lillard, is the first book in the Main Street Book Club Mysteries, and it's off to a good start. This book takes place in Sugar Springs Mississippi, love that name. Arlo Stanley is the owner of the bookstore and she is excited to have the town's famous author do a signing while he is in town for a high school reunion. Unfortunately he is found dead outside the book store, and Arlo best friend is the prime suspect. On top of that Arlo has to keep watch of the Friday Night Book Club, made up of elderly ladies, since they decide to investigate. I really enjoyed this new cozy, and am looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Poison Pen Press. Thank you.

I've always enjoyed the Amish fiction that Amy Lillard writes, so when I saw that she wrote a non-Amish cozy, I knew that I had to read it. I LOVED it! Arlo co-owns a bookstore & coffee shop with her best friend, Chloe. When Chlie is arrested for murder, it is up to Arlo and her book club to find real murderer. The elderly ladies in the book club were hilarious!I also really liked the scenes with Faulkner and Auggie (bird & cat). Those scenes made me laugh. I also liked the fact that I did not guess the murderer beforehand. I can't wait for the next book! Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amy Lilard is a prolific author who writes primarily romance novels. She recently has branched out to cozy mysteries. Fear not, romance still plays a large role in her novels. Can't Judge a Book by It's Murder is the first of
her new Main Street Book Club Mystery Series.

Our amateur sleuth is Arlo Stanley, who happily has returned to Sugar Springs MS. She and her BFF, Chloe, have opened a Book Store/Coffee Shop on Main Street. Lilard does not waste time in introducing the dead body. On page one the reader is told a body lies on the concrete directly in front of the book store. And this body belongs to Wally, a home town boy made good through his mastery of the best selling thriller genre. Wally notorious in death as well as life has made her best friend the leading suspect in his murder. She was the last person to see him; he is the father of her child.

One leg of the romantic triange is Matthew "Mads" Keller, the Chief of Police. He is tunnel focused on Chloe. Thus Arlo feels the need to investigate. She is assisted by the members of her book club. They are part of the over seventy crowd in Sugar Springs, but are determined not to be a blue haired rocking chair inhabitant. Of course the ladies are not the other leg of the triangle. This belongs to Sam Tucker. In high school he was the non athletic competition to Mads. Until he to left Sugar Springs. Now he is back, and is a Private Investigator also looking into Wally's death..

Lilard writes with a light comedic touch, telling her story as if the reader were sharing a glass of lemonade on a sultry afternoon. The residents are quick with a quip., The senior ladies are up to the challenge of mystery solving, Faulkner, the book store's resident parrot, frequently chimes in appropriately. Lilard who has lived in the South knows her small towns. One hopes to be visiting Sugar Springs again soon.

Recommended for those who enjoy comedy mysteries.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a great first in a series book by introducing characters and the town. You do not have to go through 100 pages to find out who died but you do have to try to guess who the villain is. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Enjoy!📚