Sometimes an author does it exactly right. Tamara Berry has done just that. With the right amount of humor, the right amount of suspense, the right amount of romance, and the right amount of clues, Ms. Berry has put together a perfect cozy mystery.

Famous mystery writer, Tess Harrow, has come home for a change of pace with her teenage daughter to Northern Washington - Bigfoot country. She is struggling with her divorce, writer’s block, and teenage angst - would she survive the summer? Before the end of her first day home, she has to deal with body parts (literally) raining down on their temporary home.

As the back-page book blurb says, “... solving a real crime is a lot more difficult than writing about it …” Tess, her daughter, the local sheriff, and the town librarian, would have their hands full as they deal with an evil criminal, suspicious characters, and their own relationships. Here’s hoping for more in the series, the book receives five stars,
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

This story is a delight! It is engaging and entertaining, in fact I was only 10% into the story before I had to stop and go order the paperback version for my shelf! This story is the perfect balance of mystery, humor, heart, and fun.

I have never read this author before, but this story made me an instant fan. The story is full of intelligence, family, love, devotion, lack of boundaries, funny moments, interesting characters, laugh aloud moments and oh so much fun! The humor and the heart really took over and the mystery of the murder was fun. I really feel for the characters and their relationships. I might have a crush on the Chief of Police, just saying. Wink, wink.

If anyone is looking for a great summer read: a fun story to read on the beach, a story that will entertain around the campfire and will make the reader feel a bit lighter and more joyful in this current heavy world; this is the story to do it! I need more of this series and of these characters. Please and thank you!

Can you tell I fell in love?! LOL. I rarely have this much fun reading. A huge thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

Reading Buried in a Good Book was just as the title describes. I was so ready to get into bed and read each night. I snuck in a chapter in the morning and during nap time. I wanted to know what was going to happen and thought about it all day long. Whose body (minus identifying markers) was in the pond? Why are there exotic birds in the forests? What’s happening with the hardware store and logging company? Tamara Berry wrote a fun and perfectly complicated cozy mystery. I will certainly be reading on as the series continues and I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for my arc & e-arc! Also thank you to Netgalley for my e-arc!

Tess is a thriller writer who gets herself tangled up in a real-life murder investigation while staying in a cabin in a rural, mountain town. Perfect setup for a fun mystery.

While I didn’t always love Tess’s choices as a parent, I did love her tenacity. I also appreciated that her behavior made sense for who she was as a person, even if I didn’t always agree with her.

The plot moved at a good pace and kept me guessing. We have a bit of drama and a budding romance along with the investigation.

Overall, this is a great start to a new mystery series.

What a wonderful introduction to a new series of fantastic characters! I love that the main character is an author and when she visits the cabin she has inherited from her grandfather discovers that the local sheriff looks just like her main character in her books! This book was well plotted with great twists to keep you guessing who the real villain could be while having you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what twist is coming next! Typically a cozy mystery takes a few books to really develop the characters and their personalities, but you walked away from this book feeling like you really knew the characters and are ready for the next adventure to begin soon. This series will definitely go on my must read list!

Tess Harrow recently inherited her grandfather's rustic cabin. She takes her teenage daughter there as a way to bond and heal from her divorce. What she hadn't planned on was a dead body in her pond.

This book was very cleverly written. The main character is a thriller writer and and sees any clues in the real murder through the eyes of her fictional main character.

I would definitely read more in this series.

This was such a fun book! I thoroughly enjoy Tess’s thriller writing comments and her investigation be skills and her crazy theories. The ride she took us on through this book was so fun! And she and Victor were hilarious together. I’m definitely looking forward to the next books in the series to continue the adventure! I laughed so hard so many times!

This well-written and fast-paced drama had me immersed in all aspect from the first page until the last page. A murder, a short list of suspects and wild sightings plague this enticingly intriguing whodunit. The author did a great job in setting this story up with enough suspense and trepidation that kept me glued to the pages. The visually descriptive narrative, engaging dialogue and the small-town setting enhanced how well this story was being told. When I thought I had a handle on who was doing what to whom, the author changed direction and boy did I not see what happened next coming. Great job! I love the characters of Tess and Gertie and I hope they are here to stay for a long, long time.

Tess Harrow is a frazzled bestselling mystery fiction author who is getting out of Seattle and traveling to her grandfather's cabin close to the Canadian border. Her husband divorced her for a younger woman and has ignored their 14-year-old daughter Gertrude since the divorce, so an adventure seemed just the thing. The cabin has no running water, electricity, or wi-fi and Gertie is not pleased. Just as they arrive at the cabin, they hear what sounds like bombs going off and body parts and fish fly at them from the nearby pond. There is a small town nearby and they then meet the sheriff, several deputies, the bookmobile librarian and other more suspicious characters. Tess begins to suspect there is an exotic wildlife smuggling ring involved and thinks the logging camp owners are also shady since the victim worked there. This is the first in a new series and Gertie is the character that shines. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series from Tamara Berry. It follows famous mystery writer, Tess Harrow as she spends a month in her recently deceased Grandfather's rustic mountain cabin. She wants to get away from Seattle to give her and her teen daughter Gertie a break after a difficult divorce.
You'd think a cabin with no wifi or electricity would be peaceful, but not even a day in, the quiet is shattered by an explosion and the discovery of human remains.

Tess can't help inserting herself in the mystery and has a list of suspects including the bookmobile librarian, local police, a pair of up to no good twins and even "Bigfoot" or at least someone dressed like him. She buts heads with Sheriff Boyd - who everyone compares to the hero detective in her popular book series.

There are many twists in the story and things do get a little out there, but it's filled with humour and interesting characters. This is also more modern/more tough then some cozies, but I enjoy the fresher take on genre.

I’m usually pretty good at predicting the endings for books or even tv shows but this novel made me guessing the entire time and I loved it.

The book starts with raining fish and body parts so you know you’re in for an interesting ride.
While Tess and Gertie are both strong independent women you can really sense their love for one another. Gertie is going through a tough time with the divorce of her parents and being a teenager but her characters personalities were constructed so well that everything linked together with great meaning.

I must admit I was a little put off by Tess Harrows character at the beginning of the book. It was almost as if she didn’t take life that seriously but her character really grew throughout the book for me and I’m so glad I read the entire thing.

You know when you are reading a book and you keep thinking of what’s going to happen next so you continually find the time to read as much as you can, well that’s what happened with this one.

Excited for the release of book 2 On Spine Of Death

Burried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is a fun and very entertaining quick cozy mystery read. This is the first book in By the Book Mystery series.

I really had a great time reading this story, so many great characters, I really liked them all. Characters are unstereotypical and well drawn out. There are some quite interesting relations between main subjects, and the author touches on different serious social topics while having great fun.

The mystery is well developed, clues clearly presented for the readers to follow should they so desire. The topic wasn't one of my favorites but it definitely didn't undermine my enjoyment.

There are many references to the books, main heroine is a cozy mystery author and I absolutely adore that trope.
The book is steady paced with many humorous moments which I particularly appreciate.
I can't wait for the next installment.
Highly recommended.

Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather's rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess's recent divorce, but they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it's raining fish guts and...is that a human arm? Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she's thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they've spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales—something he's less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter's summer plans at stake, it's up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.

I am always drawn to books about books, bookstores, librarians as I am a retired librarian, which made me intrigued and drawn in by the title of the book. I was not familiar with the author, but thoroughly enjoyed this first in a new series. The descriptions of well done, and there are not so many characters that lost in the story which is really appealing. There is also a touch of humor thrown in which I enjoyed.
I see there is a second one in the series so am looking forward to reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to a new author that I am sure I will be following.

I need more of this right now! Buried in a Good Book was the exact kind of cozy I look for in my reading. It's about family, friends, and self-discovery. It's also about a strong woman trying to get herself back on track after (or during) a difficult stage in life. The relationships here are equal to the importance of the murder mystery, which starts page 1!

After her grandfather dies and her husband leaves her and her teenage daughter for another woman, Tess decides it's time for a break. Tess and Gertie escape the family's remote cabin, with no wi-fi, no running water, no cell service... just what no teenager wants. To make it even more exciting, on day one it seems to be raining body parts.

This book was a lot of fun and had some interesting twists until the end. I really hope there is a part 2!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an amusing mystery and a fun read. It was perfect to have a thriller writer centered in the middle of a mystery. I loved the banter between Tess and Detectvie Gonzales. Lots of good twists at the end. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

Picked this book up for several reasons: 1) The main character is an author; 2) it's the first in the series and sounds like it will be interessting; 3) I like cozy mysteries; and 4) Tamara Berry is a new author for me and I like to read new authors. After reading about 10% of the book I was laughing out loud and speeding through the pages. I'm already looking forward to the next book!

Thriller writer, Tess Harrow, and her daughter, Gertie (Gertrude), arrive at Tess's grandfather's cabin in northern Washington state - very neard the Canadian border. Before they even get in the door they hear a loud explosion and the earth shakes and then fish guts and to their horror a human arm come raining down on them. Tess becomes involved in a murder investigation, Bigfoott has been spotten in the woods near the cabin, and the Sheriff is very much like the lead character in Tess's thriller series, Detective Gonzales.

The book was fun from the beginning. Tess is a likable character who knows much about murder. She is impulsive and inquisitive and takes things too far sometimes. She also daydreams about plots, sometimes at inappropriate times, and imagines scenarios that may or may not pan out. Gertie is a likable, precocious fourteen-year-old - very smart and helpful. The writing drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 24, 2022.

It’s raining fish and body parts, preceded by a loud boom that rattles the teeth, the roof, and the windowsills. A minor occurrence compared to dealing with a teenager who just discovered the cabin, her home for the next month, comes with no running water, bad enough, and no telephone or internet, a complete disaster.Tess, mother of said teenager, successful mystery author, and owner of a mystery author’s overactive imagination, assures Gertie, teenager in question, that it’s not the end of the world and will be a good experience for them. Gertie, of course, has her doubts.

This is the beginning of Tamara Berry’s newest book Buried in a Good Book, and sets the reader up for what to expect of the book itself. Tess, recently divorced from a man who in the six months since the divorce hasn’t bothered to call or email his daughter, not even in response to her messages. It’s Tess’ hope that Gertie will be able to forget the total disinterest being shown by her father as they immerse themselves in this rustic atmosphere.

While things remain rustic regarding these more modern conveniences, the intrigue takes off like a well-laid bonfire. As might be said of many mystery writers, Tess is blessed with an overactive imagination and frequently strays off into creating scenes for a new book based on what she is experiencing. Her experiences are rich when you consider the meeting she has with the sheriff which results in several deputies assigned to protect the cabin and it’s occupants, the sheriff’s reactions when she shares her increasingly outlandish theories regarding the dead body in her pond, and the friendship that springs up between Tess and Nikki, the bookmobile driver,

As Tess’ imagination takes flight with various solutions to the local murder, it expands with local sightings of bigfoot, three toucans that fly from a tree near the forest, and a colorful old woman from town who swears someone has stolen her cat. Since no one ever saw her with a cat, her complaint is discounted by the sheriff. Tess is curious about the description of the animal itself and weaves its description into the theory she is creating regarding how all these things come together..

Tess takes all these disparate occurrences and weaves them together into one plot that explains the murder and includes her explanation of who is responsible for the other strange occurrences in town. She is flexible enough to change her theory when she thinks she’s on the wrong track, but the solution is still rejected by the sheriff as being too outlandish. As the sheriff becomes more resistant to Tess’ theories, they become more outlandish. She also uses them to write her next novel, and at times has to stop and acknowledge that some of the things she writes would not happen in real life; a source of constant irritation between Tess and the sheriff.

There are numerous twists and turns throughout the book, some humorous and others not, that pull the reader through the book. The plot is quick, well written, and provides a significant element of fun. The characters are unique and well crafted, providing the reader with descriptions that enable them to imagine exactly how these people look, move, and behave. There is plenty of humor to keep the reader amused and at the same time a good puzzle for them to solve. It’s a satisfying read, whether the reader decides to read straight through on in spurts during vacation or an extended plane/train ride.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book for this review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Sinister Occurances…
The first in a new series of cosy mysteries featuring best selling thriller writer Tess. A remote woodside cabin, and a time to mother - daughter bond turns into something far more sinister. Tess had enough trouble getting her daughter here and now… this. It’s time for Tess to don her sleuthing hat. Entertaining with a cast of well drawn characters and a promising start to a new series.

This was a super cute cozy mystery. I loved all of the characters and the connections that Tess made with everyone. It was really sweet to see a mystery writer having to solve a murder case and all of the rest of the chaos that came from that. The book had me laughing out loud so much and was just such an easy read. I did have a weird suspicion of who might have been the culprit and my hunch ended up being correct, but I liked that I questioned my hunch all the way to the very end of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! This was a suspenseful read, and the setting was thrilling and immersive!