From unique characters to odd situations, the story kept me wondering "who done it?" Just when I thought I had things figured out, a surprise happened. I enjoyed this one. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required

small-town, small-business, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth

Did he jump or was he pushed? Small town class reunion brings popular author and big time egoist back to the place where he was involved in a fatal auto accident and deserted the mother of his illegitimate child. But he didn't come alone, his wife and mistress came with him. Local bookstore owner, Arlo, has worries of her own including the fact that the guy dropped down from the roof of her bookstore and landed on the sidewalk right in front! Interesting Southern cozy mystery with interesting characters.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book.

This was an interesting first book for this series. It was a light and easy read and wasn't necessarily in-depth, although it was a thriller i wasn't really "thrilled" by it and didn't find it overly imaginative. It was quite a straightforward murder mystery plot. To me the killer was quite obvious because they had framed one person so much it clearly wasn't them. I do think the plot was slow at times and we just seemed to be going over the same plot lines over and over again. I do think the author did well in building this small town village; although I don't live in one I do feel it was very realistic to what happens in a small town where people are born there and die there.

There were certain aspects of this book that annoyed me which is why I gave it three stars;

I did find aspects of this book to just be very over the top and unrealistic in how they were acting. I didn't understand why the police would just allow a potential murderer to chill in their local jail whilst the book club brought her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't know if this is an American thing and therefore is just a different culture but it just seemed so odd and bizarre to me.

I don't like love triangles; it ruins any book for me and they're clearly setting up a love triangle here that's dating back like 10 years. Just move on folks.

Overall this was an easy read; it wasn't really a thriller for me and with the clear love triangle beginning I don't think i'd be interested in reading the rest of the series. Love the title though.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Read this during my lunch breaks at work, good easy cosy mystery.

Arlo Stanley runs a bookshop with coffee counter with her friend Chloe Carter in the town of Sugar Springs. She's hoping a book signing with famous author and former Sugar Springs golden boy Walter Harrison will boost her sales. Her hopes are quickly dashed when Walter (Wally) is found dead on the pavement in front of her story.

Was it suicide? But why jump from a three storey building? If you don't land right, you're crippled for life.

Or was it murder? Plenty of people may have wanted Wally dead:
Chloe, the ex-girlfriend he left pregnant;
Daisy, the wife that was cheated on;
Inna, the "assistant" / mistress;
Travis, whose brother was killed in a car crash that involved Wally.

When the police arrest Chloe and charge her with the murder, Arlo is sure her friend is innocent and she must prove this before her friend is taken to county jail.

I liked this book. It was well-written and engaging. The three ladies from the book club make a good sleuthing team, though they lack subtlety. I liked all the characters and there was no one I wanted to slap upside the head, though I wouldn't have minded if Arlo had yelled at Mads some.

I fail to understand why Mads was thought of as a good cop. Good in the sense of doing his job well. He kept saying he arrested Chloe because of the evidence, but why did no one point out the evidence he had was not really up to snuff? One bit was circumstantial, another needed explaining and a third just made no sense. And he should have been more thorough questioning possible witnesses. I'm sure he should have been able to figure out on his own that his arrest of Chloe was premature.

Can't Judge A Book By It's Murder by Amy Lillard was a interesting cozy mystery set in Sugar Springs, MS.

The suspicious death was front and center in the first chapter but the plot moved slowly as Ms. Lillard was introducing the central characters. Arlo and Chloe are friends and business partners in Sugar Springs. Chloe has a history with the murder victim and subsequently is arrested for the murder. Arlo's book club members, Camille, Fern and Helen, decide they need to investigate the murder so Chloe can be released. Frankly, I connected more with Camille, Fern and Helen than with Arlo. I found them to be smart, independent, determined, funny and devious when getting information. Unfortunately, it looks like Arlo will be involved in a romantic triangle that dates back to her high school days 10 years ago. I'm not a fan of romantic triangles in cozy mysteries as it seems to often allow the mystery to become a secondary plot. All in all a good introduction to a new series.

This is the first book in the Main Street Book Club Mystery Series. In it, we meet Arlo Stanley who, with her best friend Chloe, owns Books and More, a bookstore in Sugar Springs, Mississippi. The town is gearing up for it's all-school reunion and it's most famous alumn, Wally Harrison (the author), is scheduled to do a book signing at Arlo's shop. However, his body is found in front of Arlo's shop, her best friend arrested, and two men from her past are looking into the crime.

This was an OK first book. It was slow going, but about the half-way mark I was chuckling to myself. I felt the author found her stride. The author did set the story well, talking a bit about the locals as well as letting us all get to know Sugar Springs. I will certainly give the next book a read because I feel, as I said, the author found her stride and I expect the following books to get better. This first book nicely set up what I am sure will be future books in the series, both my subtle and not-so-subtle references so I am looking forward to giving the series another look, but this one is just a three star for me.

This is the first book in the series Main Street Book Club series and it’s a promising first book. The setting of the book is Sugar Springs, Mississippi and I wish I lived there. There’s something about small towns with a bookstore.

Arlo and her friend Chloes owns the bookstore together and are preparing for the great author Wally Harrison to come home to Sugar Springs. Unfortunately he’s murdered first thing in the book and Chloe is a suspect. Arlo and her friends are trying to help the police solve the case and you’re along for the ride.

I would recommend this to people who likes a cosy mystery in a small town setting, that wants to be entertained by a circle of friends helping each other.

The publishers kindly provided me with a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sugar Spring, Mississippi’s famous son, Wally Harrison, is heading home for a class reunion and book signing of his best selling book. A very good thing for Arlo and her business partner Chloe who own the local book store. It’s big doings for Sugar Creek and the girls are hoping the event will draw business to their new store. But Wally is back in town to do more than attend the reunion and sell some books, he wants to meet the son he walked away from ten years ago.

An hour before the shop opens, Arlo gets a call from the police asking her to head into the store early, and she finds Wally laying dead in front of the store. It looks like Wally jumped off the roof of their building and committed suicide. But how did he get up there? Soon it looks more like murder than suicide and things don’t look good when Chloe appears to be the last person to have seen Wally alive after their early morning meeting.

Can Arlo and the book club ladies save Chloe from being sent to jail for a murder she didn’t commit? They’ve got a set amount of time to find the killer while Arlo contends with her two high school sweethearts who are both come back to Sugar Spring. Life is about to get interesting in Sugar Spring!

I adore the author’s Kappy King series and was excited to read this first book in her new series and was not disappointed. Can’t wait for the next visit to Sugar Creek.

Arlo owns a book store with her friend Chloe who runs the coffee shop. Wally left after high school but is now a best selling author and is back for a reunion and a book signing. Unfortunately, Wally ends up dead and Chloe is arrested for his murder. With the help of her elderly book group Arlo is determined to find the killer.

The characters are fun and there's a nice sense of the town. A good first book in the series.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press in return for an honest review. This is the first in a new cosy series and sets the stage well for the books to come. A local bookstore owner, Arlo Stanley, prepares for her biggest book-signing event by hosting a local boy 'made good', Wally Harrison. While he's returned to attend the all-class high school reunion, someone's taken great offense and decided that he's better off dead. Unfortunately for Arlo, it happens right outside her bookshop/bakery door and her best friend, Chloe, has reasons to want Wally dead. With the 'help' of the mature members of the bookstore's Friday Night Book Club, Arlo decides to investigate and find out the who and the why. It's a good first book and an enjoyable cosy.

I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Can’t Judge a Book by its Murder is the first in A Main Street Book Club Mystery Series by Amy Lillard set in small town Mississippi. Arlo Stanley owns a book store with a coffee shop attached along with her friend Chloe. The entire town is getting revved up for a big reunion, which is seeing the return of a local boy who has “done good” as a nationally known crime writer. Arlo and Chloe both knew him in high school and when he ends up dead on the doorstep of their shop, Chloe finds herself in jail and Arlo launches an investigation to free her friend.

A well done southern, small town setting with a nice cadre of side characters in terms of both the book club members and the Chief of Police, Mads, and the PI, Sam, as possible future love interests. The mystery is well done with plenty of red herrings. I was firmly convinced I knew who did it and I was completely wrong! Enjoyable start to a cozy mystery series. I look forward to more in the series.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is the first in the Main Street Book Club Mysteries. Sugar Springs, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley is busily preparing for a book signing event with a famous local author when she is contacted by the police. A body, dead as a doornail, is lying on the sidewalk directly in front of her bookstore. To make matters worse, the dead body just so happens to be her special guest of honor, author Wally Harrison. Instead of a popular shopper’s destination, her newly opened bookstore has suddenly become a crime scene. And her best friend is suspect numero uno! Arlo and her Friday Night Book Club members decide to make sense of the chaos and catch the real killer Author Amy Lillard does a tremendous job of keeping the dialogue flowing, setting each scene and keeping you turning the pages. I am looking forward to the next in the series!

Fun small town bookstore/club setting and an interesting well written mystery around an author book signing. and well developed characters. Great start to a new series.

Loved the book.
Mystery book with twists
Loved all the characters
Mystery about a Book club at Books and more book store in a small town of silver springs.
An author comes for a book signing that grew up in silver springs and mysteriously dies in front of book store

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder (Main Street Book Club Mysteries #1) by Amy Lillard was a quick and pleasant read. I enjoyed the small-town setting, and the author developed the characters well and they were enjoyable.

The book is an excellent introduction to the writing of Amy Lillard and a good introduction to a new series. The mystery kept me on my toes, and when I thought I had it figured out, a new twist or turn threw my thoughts in a new direction. 

I will check out other books by Amy Lillard and will keep my eye on this new series for future books.

Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder is a great new mystery series that is a fun read. Great characters and well written.

As a first in a new series, I found Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder to be an interesting story.
Arlo and Chloe are owners of a book store cafe, and while preparing for an author book signing, a mysterious death turns their world upside down.
I did find the beginning of the story to be a bit rough, but once I got deeper into the story, I found myself immersed in the mystery.
This story has fun, colorful characters who are likable and interesting.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this series by Amy Lillard.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.