Review originally published on my blog, Musings of a Bookish Kitty: https://www.literaryfeline.com/2023/11/weekly-mews-sunny-start-to-november.html

How could I resist a cozy mystery set in a bookstore by the ocean? Scarlet Garner's plan was to open the Oceanside bookstore with her boyfriend, but he pulled out of the business--and her life--at the last minute. She did not give up her dream, however, and is now the proud owner of her own bookstore, Palm Trees and and Page Turners. She's made a life for herself in Oceanside, sharing a townhouse with her attorney roommate.

One sunny morning she comes across a dead body under the pier--and suddenly finds herself the prime suspect. The body belongs to a one time customer who she met the night before. It comes as quite the surprise when Scarlet is told by a visiting attorney that she's the heir to the dead woman's fortune. How could that be? Who is this woman? And who would want to kill her? Scarlet, with the help of her roommate, decides she needs to get to the bottom of these questions and clear her name.

Having spent two years of my childhood in Oceanside and visited since, I was curious if I would recognize the city in Samara Yew's novel. While Yew's Oceanside doesn't quite match the reality, I still really like the version the author has created--it is fiction after all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, and its wonderful cast of characters. Scarlet isn't sure who she can trust, even among her friends. And to make it worse, her ex is back in town. There are plenty of suspects and twists, and while I guessed almost immediately who the likely culprit was, that did not stop me from enjoying seeing Scarlett discover the truth for herself. This was such an entertaining read.

My thoughts on…

THE STORY: The story is everything I love about book-themed cozy mysteries.

We have a bookstore, an accidental amateur sleuth, a body on the beach, and a cast of characters that we aren’t sure if we can trust…just yet. It is the first in a new series, and the first is when the cozy writer introduces readers to their amateur sleuth and supporting cast, but the tricky part in a first in the series is who is there as supporting cast, who is our shapeshifting character that we think we can trust, and what is the overall setting for the series.

This book checked every single one of those boxes, and the writer does not make readers work for it. We learn what we need as we need it, and many readers will put the puzzle pieces together faster than Scarlett, which makes sense for the more seasoned cozy reader. Afterall, Scarlett is new to the game, and many of us have been reading cozies for a long time.

THE CHARACTERS: I loved our amateur sleuth, Scarlett.

Scarlett is a new business owner, opening Palm Trees and Page Turners to share her love of reading. She initially opened the store with her boyfriend, but he soon left her to run it herself while he went off to a different business venture. She is developed quickly, so I am curious to see what the writer has in store for her character in the future.

Lucia is Scarlett’s roommate, and she just happens to be a lawyer. This is convenient for Scarlett when she is arrested for murder. But Lucia is so much more. She is definitely ride-or-die for Scarlett, and I hope we get a lot more of her in the next book.

Evelynn works at the bookstore and is Scarlett’s only employee. She loves books, and she loves working at the bookstore. She is our most convenient character because she is married to the cop in our story, Detective Maxwell. Typically the investigating officer becomes the love interest of our amateur sleuth; however, I like that this has been flipped with the characters.

There are no characters wasted.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I enjoyed this book-themed cozy mystery, and it was a fast read for me. There is a cast of characters that I can get behind, a murder that needs to be solved, and a final confrontation that kept me turning the page until the end.

WHO WILL WANT TO READ THIS: This book will appeal to cozy mystery readers, most especially those who enjoy a book-themed cozy. This book will appeal to fans of Jenn McKinlay, Ellery Adams, and Lorna Barrett.

The book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review

I felt like this was just an okay read for me. The story seemed like it could have gone through a few more edits to make the pacing seem more realistic. I also thought a lot of the story was too cringey for my taste. I love a good cozy seashore murder mystery, but sometimes I find the characters to be a bit unbelievable in their actions. I'm also just never a fan of the mc being the prime suspect. All of these things are particular to my tastes. If you need a quick summer read, this may be the new book for you.

A good start to the series. The characters and plot were stable, but not amazing. Although I’m not totally wowed, I am interested to see where the series goes because there could definitely be some good stuff built up from here.

I should have liked a book set in a bookstore, even if the location was Southern California. Scarlett has just broken up with her boyfriend, who had been her partner in opening a bookstore located right by a popular beach and tourist hotspot. Scarlett finds a dead body on the beach, and then discovers that she has inherited a large sum of money from a relative she never knew. Both situations throw her life into chaos. I really couldn't get into this new series. I didn't find Scarlett that interesting, and I found her relationships and interactions to be rather juvenile and superficial. The mystery and the murder were neither suspenseful nor difficult to solve. I'll give any future books in this series a hard pass.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Scarlett is already reeling with the betrayal and abandonment of her partner and boyfriend. She is trying to run the bookstore the two opened together with great plans for the future. The last thing she needs is to find a body under the pier on a morning walk. Things become even worse when it turns out she has a very deep connection to the woman who was a total stranger to her. And when it is learned that Scarlett is the woman’s sole heir of a substantial fortune, she becomes the prime suspect.

The cop in charge happens to be married to Scarlett’s staff person. Scarlett becomes uncertain of whom to trust as Evelyn, the now returned boyfriend Connor and assorted other characters all seem to be wrapped up in the mystery. What role they played in the murder, and then a subsequent murder muddles her mind when all she wants to do is find the murderer. It is a good thing she has an excellent partner in her roommate Lucia. And before it is all over, she teams up with an unexpected helper.

It all works out in the end and more than one mystery is solved. And. Scarlett learns she can stand on her own two feet. Four purrs and two paws up.

After a still fresh break up, Scarlett Gardner intends to make a go of the bookshop she and her ex opened. I love the name of the store-Palm Trees and Page Turners, along with the perfect setting on the beach. When a tourist winds up dead under the pier near the bookstore, the fact that the deceased was recently in the bookstore puts suspicion on Scarlett right away. There were many red herrings and an odd coworker who is married to the new local detective.

I didn't hate this one but I also didn't love it. It was just an okay cozy mystery. But I'm pretty sure that I would pick up more in this series.

This was enjoyable, but I don't know that I would read more from the series. There wasn't much about the story that differentiated it from other mysteries that I've read; I think it blends in well with the genre, but it won't be one that I remember.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

A good start for a new cozy series: entertaining, fast paced and solid. I liked the well plotted characters and the mystery kept me guessing.
Can't wait to read the next story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

There was a lot going on - the dead body, Scarlett's past, Scarlett's assistant. I enjoyed the mysteries and that we got numerous answers.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by the Seashore is the first book in the California Bookshop Mystery series by Samara Yew. This mystery novel was full of unforgettable characters that grabbed my attention from the beginning. I absolutely loved that the main character is a bookshop owner and that she isn’t perfect, which makes her very relatable. This novel follows Scarlet as she unfortunately comes across a dead body and shortly afterward finds out that the police suspect her of being the murderer. What does she do, well she decides that in order to clear her name she is going to have to find the killer herself. Will Scarlet figure out who the killer is before she becomes the next victim? Read Murder by the Seashore to find out.
I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to find out what happens next in Scarlet’s life. I recommend Murder by the Seashore to anyone who is looking for a new cozy mystery series to read.

Cozy bookstore mystery that takes place in Oceanside, CA (not my first choice for a setting but...). Of course the protagonist is the suspect, as is usual with any first in a series. Author does an excellent job of painting Scarlett's ex as a sleaze ball. I would consider reading another in the series

This was a cute cozy mystery in a bookstore by the ocean. I loved many of the elements of this story, but it just didn't quite come together for me. The characters were a little flat and I didn't get as invested in them as I thought I would.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy a good cozy mystery, but struggled getting through this one. Scarlett was a bit annoying. I wish I had liked it more. Ihad high hopes for it with the bookstore and the beachy vibes.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Murder by the Seashore had a medium-paced storyline. I wasn’t a fan of the pacing. I felt that it could have gone a little faster. It seemed like the author drew out certain events because of the pace.

Trigger/Content Warning: There are no trigger or content warnings in Murder by the Seashore.

Series: Murder by the Seashore is the first book in the California Bookshop Mystery. Since it is the first book, you don’t have to worry about missing information on characters or plotlines. You can dive right now in and enjoy.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Murder by the Seashore. The main character doesn’t have time to have sex or kiss anyone.

Language: There is very light language used in Murder by the Seashore.

Setting: Murder by the Seashore is set entirely in Oceanside, California.

Representation: There is Asian representation (Hiroki Yoshida, one of Scarlet’s friends, is Japanese) and Latina representation (Lucia Armenta, Scarlet’s best friend, roommate, and lawyer is Hispanic).

Tropes: The Unlikable Victim, Outsmarting the Criminal, The Red Herring, The Protagonist is the Suspect, Twist Ending

Age Range to read Murder by the Seashore: I went back and forth with the rating. But, because it is a clean book (no sex, light language), I would recommend 16 and over to read.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Scarlet was living the dream of running a seaside bookstore with her boyfriend. But that dream crashed when her boyfriend ditched her and left her responsible for the shop. Struggling for months, Scarlet is finally making headway when two things happen-she finds the body of a murdered customer under the pier by her shop, and she is contacted by a lawyer who says she has inherited a small fortune from the murder victim. Declared the main suspect in the murder and wondering if the surprise inheritance has anything to do with it, Scarlet starts her investigation to clear her name. But even she is surprised by the twists and turns her investigation takes her. Will she clear her name? And will she figure out why the victim chose her as a beneficiary?

Main Characters

Scarlet Gardner: I like Scarlet. She was trying to keep her dream (the bookshop) alive but was slowly drowning. Her horror at finding Lorelai Knight came off the page, as was her disbelief over how the investigation was going. But things went a little sideways for me when she started looking into the case. Instead of the confident woman at the beginning of the book, she becomes obsessed with finding her killer. She jumped on the bandwagon for each suspect that she and Lucia came up with. At a point in the book, I wondered if the killer would be revealed with all the distractions being thrown around. By the end of the book, though, I did like how she made headway with her case. I also liked that she talked to her suspects and explained why she thought they killed Lorelai.

Secondary characters: There were a lot of secondary characters who had a lot of page time (Lucia, Evelyn, Connor). While I liked the extra depth they brought to the storyline, some fell flat.

My review:

Murder by the Seashore was an OK mystery for me. I had difficulty getting into it because of the book’s pacing and how the murder/inheritance played out. But once I got into it, I enjoyed reading it. I did get a little grumpy with the police investigation. I can understand naming Scarlet as their primary suspect, but to freak out on her when she opens her backdoor and finds a dead man on her stoop? With her lawyer friend/roommate as her alibi? A little much. I did like how the author wrapped up the book and was surprised at who the murderer ended up being.

The main storyline centers on Scarlet, the murder of Lorelai Knight, her inheritance from Lorelai, and who the murderer is. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I wasn’t a massive fan of how the police’s investigation of Lorelai went. The single-handed focus on Scarlet wore on me, and I couldn’t wait for the actual murderer to be revealed. What also wore on me was Scarlet’s investigation into Lorelai’s murder and why she was given the inheritance. I was glad when the author finally brought both together and revealed the killer. That was a huge surprise because I didn’t see that person coming at all.

The mystery angle was all right. I was halfway right about Lorelai and her reasons for giving Scarlet her money. But the reason why didn’t surprise me. The reason why Lorelai was killed did surprise me. The motive and who did it was a massive twist at the end of the book. I felt terrible for that person, but they did stupid things and paid the consequences.

The end of Murder by the Seashore was typical. I liked how the author wrapped everything up. I loved how Scarlet dealt with Connor (I was internally cheering). I also liked how the author set up book 2!!

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Samara Yew for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Murder by the Seashore. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Really fun read! Great start to a new series by a new-to-me author. Series seems promising! Excited to read more with Scarlett and the gang! Hoping for a romance with Scarlett and Hiroki!

This sounded like it would be a fun cozy read but I spent the whole read feeling like I had already read this book. It was so formulaic that nothing struck me as new and everything was too predictable. I just couldn't shake the feeling I'd already read it.

Scarlett Gardner is happy in her life as a bookstore owner in a small beach community in Southern California ... that is, until she goes for an early morning walk and finds a body under the pier. The murdered woman turns out to be someone who was bequeathing a great deal of money to Scarlett ... making her the chief suspect.

I wanted to read Murder by the Seashore because I love cozy mysteries. I especially enjoy bookstore settings, and the beach locale was an added bonus.

This is a terrific start to a new series. I really liked Scarlett as a bookstore owner - and also an amateur detective. I enjoyed following her sleuthing on this case. The author does a great job at introducing the new characters, the bookstore, and the feel of this beach community.

I recommend Murder by the Seashore for fans of cozy fiction, and especially for anyone who enjoys bookstore or beach settings. I look forward to reading more in this new series.

Great first is series!! I loved the setting as well as the main character and roommate. I could totally relate to Scarlette and Lucia, they were hilarious. There were so many mild twists and turns that I never saw the who dunnit coming. I was shocked.

If you want a fun mystery set in a bookstore on the beach, this is for you. This was definitely a page turner. I finished in one sitting. I cannot wait for more in the series!