I absolutely loved this cozy mystery! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book but it just sucked me in and I really enjoyed it. It was a fast, easy read with a good story line and a good mystery to solve.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4 out of 5 Stars!

Amber Winslow has made an impulsive decision to leave Seattle and head to Arizona, to meet her grandmother, Jade, for the first time. But as soon as she sneaks into Seven Ponds, a retirement community, she is shocked to learn of one of her grandmother’s friends, George Vincent a.k.a. The Admiral has been murdered. Surprisingly, nobody seems to be taking his death hard. Or the fact that his prize pet tortoise is missing. All anyone cares about is the Vincent family heirloom, a priceless ring. Right away, Jade is pointed at for the murder, which confuses Amber. Should she trust her grandmother, even though they had just met?

Wow! “Murder Runs in the Family” by Tamara Berry was a comical mystery book with lots of personality and humor. This was a fast-paced book, with a shocking ending that I didn’t see coming. Not only was it a mystery, but there were other themes, including romance and new family relationships.

I really liked our main character, Amber, and her grandmother, Jade. I thought both of these characters were perfect for their roles and brought so much personality to the book. Without them, I think the book could have had a slower pace which might have lost some readers. But you were hooked on what these two were going to do next! I also really liked the backstories that Berry gave them, which again added to the uniqueness of these characters.

I thought the beginning had a LOT of information. Which, I do appreciate everything up front, but I think Berry could have pumped the brakes a little bit. I think introducing the characters could have taken a little bit more time, just to make them a little more memorable. There were so many characters introduced all at once, I had a hard time keeping everyone in order.

Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting a comical mystery to lighten up their reading. I think it was easy to follow and understand, with a little bit of everything for everyone.

“Murder Runs in the Family” by Tamara Berry will be published on April 29th, 2025!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Tamara Berry, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really fun mystery to follow. I loved the aspect of the grandmother working with her grandchild in this way. There was humor, and a good mystery to solve, which are two of my favorite pieces of a book.

PI-in-training Amber Winslow has left her boyfriend, a detective, who would not sign off on the paperwork to make Amber a full fledged PI. She heads to Arizona’s Seven Ponds Retirement Community where a grandmother she has no relationship with lives. It turns out that Judith Webb is a true crime podcaster known as Jade McCallan that Amber is a huge fan of. Coincidentally, the same night that Amber arrives someone kills George Vincent, a.k.a. the Admiral, also a podcaster. There is also the question of a missing Vincent family heirloom. Oh yes, a tortoise has gone missing, Tatiana. Rumors are buzz, could Grandma Jade, the nice lady who took Amber in, without hesitation, really have killed the Admiral and stolen the heirloom? Almost PI Amber, with help from some of the characters of the retirement community, are on the case.

This is a fun debut! I am looking forward to revisiting this cast of characters. The book started out a little slow, but did pick up the pace. The story is light hearted, but touches on family and the sometimes complex relationships. Although the author gives a conclusion to this case, she has opened the door to another.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading this book. I must say that I really enjoyed it and became invested with the characters. Amber and her grandmother Jade were such interesting characters. I feel like Amber really grew over the course of the story. All of the senior citizens and Ethan and Tatiana the tortoise were fun additions to the story. Highly recommended. I hope this begins a series.

Amber Winslow is getting over a bad break-up. Therefore,  she decides to go look for her grandmother whom she has never met before. Her grandmother lives in Seven Ponds Retirement Community  in Arizona. Judith Webb, aka grandmother, aka Jade McCallan, 76 years-old runs the Death Comes Calling true crime podcast. And when Amber arrives, a death occurs at the retirement home. Amber needs to help get her grandmother cleared of the crime before she gets sentenced for theft and murder.

What a delightful, cozy mystery! I loved Jade’s irreverent character, the the retirees and their little intrigues, the betting pool that they run on almost everything, and the closed-room crime plot line. Highly recommended!

This was one of the best cozy mysteries I've read. At first, I was a little worried because the writing was trying a little hard to be witty and charming, but this book found its groove and it was extremely enjoyable.

I loved the writing, how all the characters were developed, and how complex the relationships were. My favourite relationship was between Jade and Amber and how that developed so organically. The plot kept me immersed in the story and I thought the retirement community was such a great setting for the story and the mystery. It was self-contained but still exciting and there were a lot of fun twists that I didn't expect.

I think this would be the great start to a series and I hope it does become one.

Murder Runs in the Family is a fast, fun, and very entertaining. From start to finish, I was sucked in and didn't want to put it down, reading it in one sitting.
I love the humor and the banter! I had such a great time following along with Amber and Tatianna as they try and prove her Gram's innocence in the death of the Admiral. All the characters are so unique, and I loved getting to know them all.

Everyone is acting shifty, and any one of them could be considered a good suspect. I had no idea how it was going to end or who the killer was going to be, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and laughing out loud.

I had a great time with this one, and I can't wait to read the next one!!!

4.5 stars
Amber Winslow, an aspiring PI, leaves Seattle and tracks down a grandmother she has never met. Amber shows up unannounced at the Seven Ponds Retirement Community in Draycott, Arizona where Judith Webb, who now goes by Jade McCallan, is living. Amber has a difficult relationship with her mother, but instantly connects with her grandmother and is barely unpacked before Jade has her involved in a couple different investigations as well as doing research for the true crime podcast that Jade and her friends run. Things really get complicated when Jade is accused of killing a close friend and it's up to Amber to prove her innocence.

This book is delightful! Neither Amber nor Jade are perfect, but I liked both of their characters from the beginning. Together they are even better. Jade gives Amber confidence in herself and that comes in handy when she is investigating the crime and making life decisions. I love that we see character growth for Amber as the story progresses. There are a couple of characters that you're not supposed to like and I didn't, but they are also three-dimensional characters who aren't completely bad. The ending really surprised me and was nothing like I expected. I hope there are more books with Amber, Jade, and Jade's fellow podcasters. There are certainly more stories to tell with these interesting characters.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Murder Runs in the Family is a wonderful, laugh-out-loud mystery, that mixes family, found family, murder and getting older gracefully. I loved following Amber along as she met her spunky grandmother for the first time, is introduced to the most wacky and coolest senior retirement community in Arizona, and how they all bond to solve a murder. Oh, and let’s not forget the best guest, the tortoise!

Another hit as far as I am concerned. Tamara Berry sure knows how to write a cozy murder mystery with that humorous twist!

Amber is looking for a fresh start so when she runs away in the middle of night, her estranged grandmother’s retirement community sounds like the best option. We kick right off with a murder, so you’re not waiting around for the action to occur, but even with that this one felt to me like there were some holes in the story and the characters felt a little flat. The mystery itself was entertaining, and there were enough twists to keep me wondering who did it, but the storyline just felt a little bizarre to me. There just seemed to be some strange threads that I didn’t think enhanced the story in any way. (The tortoise is just such a weird piece of the puzzle…) I still enjoyed the book, but it’s not one that will standout for me this year. If you’re looking for light and entertaining, it will hit the mark! If you’re a fan of Only Murders in the Building, I do think this will be up your alley!

Thank you to @netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this digital advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Amber has never met her grandma Jade, but when she breaks up with her boyfriend, she winds up heading to Jade’s retirement community. Amber is thrilled to be welcomed with open arms, but the night she arrives, a man in the community dies. The police suspect it was murder, and the man’s family begins telling anyone who will listen that Jade is responsible. Can Amber lean on her PI training and figure out what really happened?

I enjoyed a previous series from this author, but this one didn’t really work for me. I was put off by a negative attitude toward Christianity we get early on. I get it that this is a personal issue, but it did make me read more critically. The characters are thin and more caricature to drive the comedy. The plot is more events than mystery driven, although Amber does make some good deductions along the way. Still, there was an aspect of the plot that I didn’t enjoy. The book does provide some laughs, but over all, it didn’t work for me. This will probably be my only visit with these characters.

Seeing as I loved Tamara Berry's "Buried in a Good Book" series, I was so excited to see her coming out with a new book!

Typically, within the cozy mystery genre, I tend to lean more towards bookish topics, so this one was a bit outside of my comfort zone. But the synopsis intrigued me, nonetheless.

I found both Amber and her grandmother to be interesting characters to follow, and I enjoyed seeing the found family aspect within the retirement community (specifically the podcast crew). I also liked Tamara's quirky, easy-to-read writing style.

Overall, I did enjoy the story, but it wasn't a stand out for me. It was slow at times, and I was never fully invested in the characters or the mystery. I always appreciate that Tamara's writing is intelligent and her reveals can't quite be pinpointed, but I do wish I had more of a "jaw-on-the-floor" reaction to this one.

I think readers who are fans of The Thursday Murder Club book series or the Only Murders in the Building tv series would be fond of this book as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Tamara Berry is one of my favorite authors in the cozy mystery genre. Her books are clever and make me laugh, and I love the interesting characters she creates. Her latest is a whole lot of fun!

Amber needs a fresh start, so she travels halfway across the country to visit her estranged and eccentric grandmother, Jade, at her retirement community. Just as they begin to get to know each other, Jade is arrested for the suspicious death of one of her friends. In addition, the victim's nearly 100-year-old tortoise is missing. Amber, who has learned a lot about investigation from her ex-boyfriend, a PI, puts her newfound skills to good use.

Like all of Berry's books, this is well-written with humorous dialogue and some funny situations. The characters in this story are quirky and vibrant, and their interactions and shenanigans made me laugh out loud. Jade is a hoot, and Amber is likable and an observant and smart sleuth. I love stories featuring senior characters, and this one includes a very entertaining group of them, complete with their own crime podcast! While we only get brief glimpses of their backstories, it seems like some very intriguing tales about this group are just waiting to be uncovered in future books. Fingers crossed that this becomes a series!

The mystery was well-crafted and kept me guessing. Honestly, I did not anticipate the resolution at all, and I loved being surprised! The story also includes some family drama, potential romance, and a few genuinely sweet moments as Amber is embraced by Jade's friends. Cozy mystery fans will want to add this one to their tbr. It's delightful!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the gifted eARC!

From the first chapter I knew this was gonna be a great book. I had read Berry’s other series & I find her humour to be hilarious & her characters seem to walk off the page, they’re drawn so realistically. Grandma Jade is a hoot, eccentric & lovely. Heroine, Amber, is also bright, imperfect & resilient. The setting of a seniors home is unique & a good choice for future plot possibilities. If it’s quirky, charming characters you enjoy this is a book for you. The dialog is sharp, you’ve got murder, missing heirlooms & a giant tortoise! The mystery itself was quite smart, adding in a true crime podcast that Jade produces & the many characters who aid in the sleuthing. This is such a fun read, ideal for your beach/summer book.

👵🏻

Read if you like:
* Catering Hall series by Maria DiRico
* Marlow Murder Club series by Robert Thorogood
* Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman

This was a delightful and fun cozy mystery! It had a bit of a slower start, but I really started to enjoy myself once we started getting to know all the colorful characters at the retirement community and within the podcast club. This book was incredibly charming, with Amber finding a family with the podcast club and the close friendship the members have, the tortoise Tatianna (who despite his name, is a male tortoise) Amber and Bones find themselves getting attached to, Amber's banter with one of the residents, and Bones even getting a bit of a redemption arc towards the end. I did not expect the twist at the end at all, and thought it was satisfying and fitting. I don't look to mysteries expecting character development and well-fleshed out relationships, so I also enjoyed that our main character had a complex relationship with her mom and family that is delved into. I hope this becomes a series, as I would love to see Amber's continued adventures with her grandma and this cast of characters.

One other thing I wanted to note: the title is rather misleading, given only one person in the family is or ever has been accused of murder, but that doesn't detract at all from the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC!

Murder runs in the family had a little bit of a slower start for me, but it had a phenomenal ending. It was such a fun read! I couldn't get enough of Jade and the older residents' antics. I really hope that we get more books about Amber.

This book starts with Amber running away from her ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night, she's vendictivley taken his good luck charm. She runsfrom WA to AZ, and she's convinced that Bones won't find her. for the first time in her life she's embraced by her maternal grandmother, and all seems right in her life, but of course that's not the way it goes!

A nice start to a new series featuring Amber, a 30 something PI, and her grandmother Jade, who lives a retirement community and has a true crime podcast. They've just connected when Jade becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the Admiral, the disappearance of Tatiana the tortoise and the theft of a ring. Whew. Luckily, Amber's smart and she's able to quickly get a handle on the community and its secrets. Then her ex Bones shows up and, despite his being a bit of a dork to her, helps. It's very cozy but there are enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read.

A light fun entertaining cozy mystery. A little at the start, but after the murder it picks up speed. Amber, a training PI, wanted an escape and decided to visit her grandmother. In a luxurious retirement community in Arizona. Her grandmother Jade is a successful crime podcaster and is very smart and witty.. The retirement community and its residents were very interesting, and the mystery behind the murder and finding the stolen ring keeps Amber and the readers fully occupied. I love Tatiana, the 98 years old tortoise. It was an easy-to-read mystery with wonderful characters and hilarious dialogues. The ending was intriguing a little twist. Overall, I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.