Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

In this excellent new mystery in its series, Samantha faces potential prison time when a syndicated book reviewer is found dead in her shop after trying to extract payment from Sam in lieu of filing a lawsuit against her. I enjoyed both the mystery Sam is living and the mystery she is writing that will be her second to publish. I felt the characters, both from 1939 England and present-day Michigan, were very well defined through conversations, behaviors, and even their facial expressions. I especially love the Girls, Nana Jo’s friends, who bring additional life and laughter to the pages.

Sam, widowed at a young age, is preparing to get married again. Her indie mystery bookstore, opened after her husband’s death, continues to grow in popularity. Her first mystery, set in Britain as the country is preparing to enter WWII, will be released in a few days and she is working diligently on the second. Then, after a tornado roared through North Harbor and the library is damaged, a book club that need a temporary place to meet will use her conference room. Delia, the head of the Mystery Mavens, is one of the nastiest people Sam has ever met. As Nana Jo commented, “Whose house landed on her back?”

An argument, loud enough to be heard throughout the store, took place during their first meeting. Sam went in to quiet them down, only to be met with more nastiness from Delia, who left the meeting. After Sam commented about being surprised nobody has killed the woman already, she heard a crash from the front of the store and her dogs barking. Delia was on the floor, having fallen, and is going to sue Sam for all she has and take one of her dogs away. It wasn’t until later that Sam learned the woman had kicked one of her dogs, and the other had not hurt, or bit, her. Refusing to let EMT’s check her out, Delia left.

The next night, Delia called and offered Sam an alternate to being sued by her. Even though it was late, Sam spent a couple hours looking for Delia. She finally returned home without finding her. Nana Jo got in about an hour later. She found Delia on the floor of the bookstore, with the very expensive special-order book she hadn’t yet paid Sam for looking like the murder weapon.

Having an attorney in the family can come in handy. Described as a pit bull in the courtroom, Sam’s sister Jenna was a wealth of information. This time, unfortunately, she is certain an arrest warrant for Sam would be forthcoming. Sam had only a couple days to find a killer, and while she and the Girls were very good at gathering information from their resources, it would take more than a day to come up with a killer.

Sam and her friends are very engaging, delightful folks. I enjoyed picturing some of the facial expressions and gestures, especially Jenna’s, and was very surprised at the changes in Detective Pitt. Only one of the book club members was forthcoming about Delia’s schemes, as was a tentative new member. The men and women in Sam’s cozy mystery series are mostly likeable, including the Royal family and their staff. Sam has a unique way of working through mysteries that works for her. One can see parallels between their situation and the mystery she is writing, including the logic behind the clever clues they found. I especially enjoyed seeing another point of view regarding the weeks before Britain joined WWII and insight into the Royal family. I was stunned at the vastness of Windsor Castle! Both mysteries kept me guessing throughout, and I was somewhat surprised at each of the outcomes. The author continues to demonstrate her skill of building a mystery within a mystery. I highly recommend this novel and series!

It was interesting and fun to read a story within the story. Sam is writing the second story. I love how she thinks while she is writing. We all need a Nana Jo and a Frank in our lives. I would love to hang out at Market Street Mysteries. What a great place for a book club meeting. I do wonder what Sam’s new dream will be. Hmmmm. Enjoyed the story and the characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

An enjoyable, light and fast read. Fans of cozies will enjoy this one. I thought the story within the story was interesting but a bit long in areas. There were some things that were a little unbelievable but that is to be expected in a cozy. I enjoyed the people and relationships. More Nanny please.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Bookclubbed to Death, the eighth book in the V. B. Burns's wonderful Mystery Bookshop, is a great read. The mystery pulled me in and kept me on edge even though I knew that any problems our favorite bookseller faces, and boy, does she face problems in this one, would be resolved happily. In spite of a tense situation at the bookstore, V.M. Burns newest novel offers a great visit with friends I have come to care about greatly.
At a time when Sam should be floating over the publication of her first book, an act of kindness turns into a nightmare even before the first body falls. Sam is going to need all the support she can get from the members of the team who are around.
My thanks go to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read and share my love of the ARC of Bookclubbed to Death. Further thank you goes to V.M. Burns for giving an excellent story and dear friends I can enjoy spending time with knowing that their problems will work out.

#NetGalley #Kensington #MysteryBookshop #BookclubbedtoDeath

Bookclubbed to Death is the eighth book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series by V. M. Burns.

A tornado has ripped through North Harbor, and when Samantha(Sam) learns from her fiance, Frank, that the local library has sustained some damage, Sam immediately sets off for the library. Arriving at the library, Sam talks to the librarian, asking her if there is anything she can do for the library. The librarian asks if Sam would provide her bookstore for a couple of book groups. The first book group to use Sam’s bookstore in the Mystery Mavens. Delia Marshall, a syndicated book reviewer, heads Mystery Mavens. Her reviews have been known to make a book a bestseller or ruin an author’s career. Sam is hoping that with her first book about to be published, she is hoping to get a five-star review from Delia. When Delia enters the store, she acts like she owns the place and gets into arguments with some members. Delia will soon trip over Snickers, Sam’s adorable toy Poodle. Delia claims that she was attacked and injured her back. She threatens Sam with a lawsuit that could financially ruin Sam. Close to midnight, Sam gets a call from Delia asking her, no, telling her to deliver the book Sam had ordered for her right away. The book, The Complete Works of Agatha Christie, is rather substantial in weight and costs $1200. When Sam arrives at Delia’s home, there is no response to her repeated knocks. Sam returns to the bookstore and goes directly to her apartment above the store. The next morning they will find the body of Delia dead, having been beaten to death heavy book Sam had tried to deliver the night before. Sam became a prime suspect as she had the book, and the body was in her bookstore.

Sam will need to call on Nana Jo and her posse from the retirement community, her sister Jenna, and Frank to help her track down the murderer.

I love this series because the reader gets two mysteries in one. The second mystery occurs in 1939 at Lord and Lady Marsh’s English Country Home, Wickfield Lodge. The Marsh’s grandson's christening is coming, and the family will be heading to Buckingham Palace so King George VI can attend. Once there, the family will be involved in solving a murder that may affect the Queen.

I found the book well-written, plotted, and read at a good pace. The characters are all interesting and well-developed. I like Nana-Jo and her posse. They would keep me laughing all the time.

I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in this enjoyable series.

Sam Washington owns a mystery bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. When the local library is flooded in a storm, the librarian asks her if a book club can meet in her shop while repairs are completed. She ends up hosting a group of mystery lovers whose leader is a longtime and well-known book critic. And Delia Marshall is not just a book critic: she’s critical and exacting about everything.

In no time at all, Delia has implied she would give a terrible review to Sam’s soon-to-be-published debut novel and said she would sue her over an incident with her two dogs. Not long after that, the horrid woman is dead on the floor of the store.

The police focus on Sam in their investigation, even though Delia ran afoul of plenty of other people, including several in the book club. So Sam has to go into amateur sleuth mode (yet again: this is the eighth book in a series, though I haven’t read any of them) to save herself. She enlists the help of her grandmother, Nana Jo; Nana Jo’s friends from the retirement community; her fiancé; her attorney sister; a friend who’s a police officer but on leave at the moment; and some others.

Though I hadn’t heard of this series before, and this is well into the continuing story, I didn’t feel lost. The author did a good job of making it accessible for new readers. It’s a pleasant group of characters, the mystery is nicely written, and I enjoyed my visit in North Harbor. It’s not particularly memorable, but it’s a good clean mystery book.

After the local library in North Harbor, Michigan, is flooded in a storm, Sam offers her bookstore as a new venue for the Mystery Mavens Book Club. Unfortunately, she immediately runs afoul of the club leader, Delia Marshall, a book reviewer who can make or break careers—something Sam can ill afford with her debut historical mystery soon to be published. The next morning, Sam opens her shop to find the unpleasant woman dead on the floor, bashed with a heavy—apparently lethal—tome: the Complete Works of Agatha Christie. While Sam is busy writing her latest British historical mystery in which the queen mother is suspected in the murder of a London Times correspondent, a pair of ambitious cops suspect Sam of the real-life crime. When she gathers Nana Jo and their friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village to review the case, they discover every one of the Mavens had a motive!

I love this series. The retirement home ladies are a hoot, each one with a different personality. I have read the latest 2 in the series, but need to go back and read 3-6. The development of the characters is well done. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher to granting my request, and I highly recommend the series.

This is the eight in the series. I really enjoyed not liking the victim. I can’t say I felt sorry for her one bit.
She was a horrible person and only because she should never have died for her transgressions against others. The writer did an excellent job with mis-directions, twists, and the unexpected. I hope there are more installments in the future.

I like the family feeling when everyone close to Sam gets involved in solving the murder. I haven’t cared for the mystery within the mystery so I just skip over those portions. It doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the this story or the series.

Looking forward to more.

I was given an advanced copy by Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.

Whenever I see that V. M. Burns has a new mystery on the horizon I make space on my TBR list. As soon as it is in my hands I sit down and read it no matter what else I'm "supposed" to be doing (like sleeping) After eight books in this series I can say it's still a pleasure to escape into the world of Samantha, her Nana and the rest of her friends and family.
This time Sam is in a real pickle. Even though she has been warned, the warning wasn't strong enough nor clear enough. The library needs help and she offers to help out. Oops, not a good idea, in hind sight. The librarian had been letting the Mystery Maven book club meet in the library, Now that flooding has shut the library for awhile, Sam's offer of help is taken as giving the group a new home. Delia Marshall is a nightmare with constant demands and subtle threats. Sam is eagerly awaiting the publishing date of her mystery but it's clear that Delia would not hesitate to kill that of she is crossed. When Delia is found dead in Sam's bookstore the police plop Sam in the hot seat as the prime suspect.
Let the investigating begin with Sam and her grandmother, along with residents of Shady Acres Retirement Village determined to clear Sam's reputation and unmask the killer. The setting, the cast and the well developed mystery all come together for a very entertaining read. Though this is book #8 it works fine as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of my favorite cozy series and I had expectations as Ms Burns never disappoints and I love all her series and characters.
This is not a favorite as there's a strong mystery that kept me guessing but Samantha and the characters seemed a bit watered down and faded.
i love them all as I love the British aristocrats but Samantha felt a bit too weak.
I'm sure the next book will be as brilliant as usual.
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

When a literary critic is found bludgeoned to death with a copy of The Complete Works of Agatha Christie, Michigan bookstore owner, author, and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington discovers there is such a thing as bad publicity in this latest Mystery Bookshop novel. Fun mystery with equally fun and interesting characters. This is a great series but this book can easily be read as a stand-alone. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Very quick, fun read. Nice to see Jenna’s momma bear come out. Lots of clues, red herrings, and cooperation amongst everyone to get this solved.

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am a huge V.M Burns fan and I sign up for her books faster than I can say policies LOL. Bookclubbed to Death is every bookworm and reviewer's dream. It is the eighth book in the series and follows mystery book shop owner Samantha Washington. Thanks to her huge heart after the local library is flooded in a storm she volunteers to host some book clubs and alas meets the nightmare of a reviewer. . The reviewer ends up dead and Sam has to clear her name. Bookclubbed to death had everything a good book needs - cute dogs *check* , a plot to keep you engrossed *check* and a nana that's hilarious and sweet. Cannot recommend this gem enough.

A year or two ago, I listened to the first book of this series on audio (which had excellent narration). Sadly, it was the only book of the series available on audio and I never got around to picking the others up. But when the opportunity to receive a copy of book number eight came available, I jumped at the chance! It was easy to pick the series up so far in, and think I would have been completely fine even having not read book one, as is common with cozies.

In this book, we mystery bookshop owner Sam finally on the verge of releasing her own mystery novel. But after an unfortunate encounter with famed book reviewer, Sam is at her whit's end. And when that reviewer is discovered dead in her store--well, things couldn't get worse. Not only is her bookstore closed by police until further notice, but the out-of-town cops suspect her as the killer! But with boyfriend, grandma, and friends, Sam is determine who really murdered the woman.

One of the best and most unique aspects of Burns' books is the story-within-a-story element. Because Sam is a writer, we frequently get glimpses into whatever historical mystery novel she is working on. These interwoven bits parallel the main story, but have enough different elements it's double the fun to follow along. This book is no exception! Ultimately, I did not love the method in which the killer was revealed (seemed a bit like a cop out), but the rest of the story and cast of characters were so enjoyable it's hard not to like the book as a whole.

Thanks to Kensington for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

Bookclubbed to Death: Mystery Bookshop Book 8
By V.M. Burns
Kensington
January 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

After a tornado blows through Michigan and floods the North Harbor Library, Street Mysteries Bookstore Samantha Washington is unable to risk a call for help. It seems like a no-brainer for Sam to offer to host the library’s bookclubs in her own bookstore, especially now that he’s about to become a published author herself. This would not only give her the opportunity to meet members who include award-winning journalists, academics, and book reviewers, it also allows her to share her love of mystery books. Too bad that the president of the bookclub is an infamous newspaper book reviewer who immediately takes a dislike to the bookstore, Sam’s adorable toy poodles Oreo and Snickers, and – yikes – the review copy of Sam’s new book. When Delia Marshall accuses the 8-pound Snickers of causing her to fall down and threatens to sue, Sam is forced into crisis mode and immediately calls her attorney sister Jenna Rutherford for legal advice. Sam’s going to need even more help though when Delia is found dead in the bookstore, bludgeoned to death by the very $1000 Agatha Christie book she had ordered. Investigating Detective Montgomery Deevers has a respectable but not exactly amenable relationship with Jenna, but it’s the new rookie detective who seems more than ready to declare Sam’s guilt and close the book on the investigation.

Luckily for Sam’s sanity, she can always find solace in the fictional world she created in 1939 world of Wickfield Lodge, England. Through the escapades of Lady Elizabeth Marsh and her nieces, Sam is subconsciously able to unravel the knot of her present life by mirroring the events in her next book. Into the lives of the Duke of Kingsfordshire, his wife, and their cousins enters King GeorgeVI, or as Lady Elizabeth calls him, “Bertie.” Their concerns over a coming war and Nazi Germany somehow becomes a refuge for Sam’s subconscious the more she learns about Delia and her unethical reviewing practices. Delia is more than willing to destroy reputations and careers through her reviews, so if one of her victims took revenge it will take an expert in mystery plotting and solving puzzles to find the killer. Which Sam just happens to be.

This 8th in the series is yet another ingenious installment serving up a double dose of classic historical and cozy mystery reading. The two plotlines of Sam’s work-in-progress and her own “real-life” murder are equally compelling, filled with likable characters and clever dialogue. Sam’s engagement with restauranteur Frank Patterson is rolling along nicely, with both fulfilling their lifelong dreams even if it is later than expected. Mystery fans will adore the puzzles and mix of mystery genres, not to mention Sam and her genial friends and family. This series always delivers fun plotting and clever dialogues between characters, whether through the teasing of a beleaguered local detective or the friendly rivalry of sisters. This cozy mystery is the perfect way to start off the year on a high note through hours of entertaining reading pleasure.

Release date for V.M. Burns’ eighth Mystery Bookshop mystery, Bookclubbed to Death, is Dec. 27. I usually don’t review a book a week ahead of time, but now you have time to pre-order it, place it on hold at your local library, or use a gift card you haven’t received yet. Or, maybe you’ll want to pick up the first book in the series, The Plot is Murder. It was an Agatha Award finalist for Best First Novel. The entire series, with its parallel storylines, is engrossing.

Samantha Washington is the owner of Market Street Mysteries Bookshop in North Harbor, Michigan. Sam’s first mystery is about to be published, and, after mourning the death of her first husband, she’s now engaged to Frank Patterson who owns a local restaurant. She feels lucky until the night a tornado twists her life in an unexpected way.

She only meant to be kind, and offered to help the local public library after it was damaged by the tornado. Now, Sam is hosting the library’s book clubs in her bookstore. But, the first one, Mystery Mavens, is led by Delia Marshall, a literary icon, syndicated book reviewer, and a bully who could destroy Sam’s first book. In fact, after Sam has a run-in with her, Delia accuses one of Sam’s toy poodles of attacking her, and threatens to sue. Sam’s sister, Jenna, a lawyer, admits Delia has a case. So, why would Sam answer Delia’s phone call in the middle of the night, and take a $1200 copy of The Complete Works of Agatha Christie to Marshall’s house? Sam’s scared of the woman, but when Sam’s grandmother, Nana Jo, finds Delia dead in the bookstore in the middle of the night, Sam’s in trouble. She’ll need all the help she can get from Nana Jo’s connected friends, and from Frank, to stay out of jail.

I always enjoy Sam and Nana Jo, and their investigations. But, my favorite sections of the book are actually the parallel story, a historical mystery featuring the Marsh family. While Sam writes those excerpts, something in them always inspires her to solve the contemporary crime. This time, the Marsh mystery is a fascinating pre-World War II story of murder and espionage. Lady Elizabeth Marsh’s grandchild is to be christened, and her cousin, King George VI, can’t attend. But, he wants the entire family to move the christening to Windsor Castle because he wants them to investigate a murder for him. A journalist who tried to blackmail several members of the royal family has been killed. There are no fingerprints, but there are clues that point to George VI or his mother as the killer. Now, the Marsh family has to investigate before stories connecting the royal family to Germany could destroy the confidence of the country.

There are threads there in that historic mystery that Sam writes that link to her own investigation of the murder of Delia Marshall, a woman who was feared in North Harbor.

Burns’ characters are capable, and likable. Yes, several characters should not have been wandering around at night meeting unscrupulous people, in either storyline, But, I like the support they have from family and friends.

Looking for an enjoyable cozy series set in a bookstore? How about a historic mystery set in the early 20th century in England? Combine both in this entertaining series. Bookclubbed to Death is the latest engaging book in the series.

Just when I think this series cannot get any better, it does! I should not be surprised as this is in my top five for cozy series.

The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book. This is not a distraction from the main story, but a compliment.

This latest offering was top notch in terms of the writing, character development and overall enjoyment.

I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Just as Sam was gearing up for her big book launch, a nasty book reviewer was killed in her shop. And I just gotta thank the author for ridding the story of such an awful person, especially because she was so mean to poor little Oreo and Snickers. I seriously saw red at that point in the story! Good old Stinky Pitt was still on medical leave from being shot in the last book, and he actually decided to be of some help in the investigation when Sam just knew she'd be arrested instead of celebrating her book. That replacement detective really had it in for her for some reason.

I loved all the new "Irma!" moments too! (If you're a fan of the series, you'll know what I mean by that!) That woman's such a hoot! I really enjoy Nana Jo and all her friends. The showdown was pretty awesome as we got to see the famous lawyer aka pit bull in action (Jenna, if you're wondering!). The ending party was just great and I felt so happy for Sam for realizing two of her big dreams. Don't miss this book when it releases on December 27, 2022.

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

The Mystery Bookshop series is one of my favorites. It combines a current day mystery with a historical mystery written by the main character Sam. I really enjoy Sam, Nana Jo and the gang. There is great collaboration, support and respect amongst the characters. I love Frank as a love interest for Sam.
Sam’s first mystery is about to be released. This makes her extra sensitive to the machinations of Delia Marshall, a book reviewer. When Delia is found dead in the bookshop, Sam is once again the prime suspect. This reminded me of the first book, only this book was even better because Sam’s tribe is already established and ready to roll into action.
I love the historical mystery and the mystery Sam faces. I love how the book doesn’t end as soon as the mysteries are solved. We get to be part of release day for Sam’s book. All in all, I just loved this book and writing this review days after finishing I still have a happy feeling toward this book.
Read it, but only after reading the first 7 because you need to experience all these characters have passed through to get the full impact of this story.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read an advanced reader copy.

This series is just a ton of fun. I love how we always get a mystery within a mystery with Sam’s stories. This installment featured a very unlikeable victim with all sorts of possible murder suspects. I love how the characters have formed such a dense network. It really allows Burns to bring in whatever clues she’d like - there’s always a way for someone to get information. If you’re a cozy fan and not reading this series, you’re absolutely missing out!