ARC Review

Thank you Tamara Berry, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As always, I try to have my reviews be spoiler free and focus on my feelings during and after reading the book.

Overall: This book was kitschy and a never-ending good time! I want a friend group like this!

Things I loved: the pacing, the humor, the friend group, the character growth

Things I wanted more of: the romance and the biological family drama.

Things I wanted less of: the ex-boyfriend

The characters are colorful, the mystery twisty, and the humor charming—but the slow start and frustrating main characters kept me from fully loving it.

Still, I enjoyed the found family theme, the podcasting seniors, and the delightful chaos of Seven Ponds. Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club or Only Murders in the Building!

What a super read! This is such a fun murder mystery. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the humor. It’s a must-read!

3.75 ⭐️

Overall this was a good read! I did find it hard to invest in the characters and felt that certain plot elements could have been further developed, but the concept was definitely unique. I think fans of 'Only Murders In The Building' and 'A Man On The Inside' would enjoy this!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

Murder Runs in the Family was my first Tamara Berry mystery, and I can already tell it won’t be my last. The story takes place in a retirement community, where Amber lands on her estranged grandmother’s doorstep, looking for a fresh start and some distance from an ex who was seriously holding her back. But, of course, things don’t stay quiet for long—a baffling mystery unfolds, packed with twists, unexpected clues, and plenty of small-town secrets. The case keeps you guessing, balancing intrigue with a touch of humor and charm. A fabulous series debut—I’m already excited for the next installment!

Reflections:
This was such a fun twist on the cozy mystery genre—with all the sass, secrets, and small-town chaos I crave!

Murder Runs in the Family gave me the perfect mix of laugh-out-loud moments and slow-burn sleuthing, and I loved the fresh setting and wild cast of characters.

And speaking of characters—I’ve really come to love and appreciate the wave of books coming out right now that highlight the incredible partnerships, friendships, and support systems formed between characters of all ages, from teens to nonagenarians!

This is the first book I’ve read by Tamara Berry and suffice it to say, it won’t be my last!

Summary:
Amber Winslow rolls into the upscale Arizona retirement community of Seven Ponds looking to escape her messy life and awkward family vibes—only to land smack in the middle of a murder.

When a resident turns up dead in the recording station of Amber’s favorite podcast, her estranged Grandma Jade somehow ends up at the top of the suspect list. But Grandma Jade isn’t an ordinary frandma - she is a force to be reckoned with (seriously, she’s iconic), and Amber’s not about to let her take the fall.

What follows is a hilarious, slightly chaotic investigation filled with nosy neighbors, true crime podcasters, and a tortoise named Tatiana who completely stole my heart (among other things 🐢)! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to return to Seven Ponds again!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Tamara Berry, and Poisoned Pen Press for this four star gem of a read in exchange for a review!

Family secrets, literary laughs, and a murder that hits too close to home—Tamara Berry’s latest By the Book Mystery is cozy crime at its cleverest. Author-turned-sleuth Tess Harrow is back, navigating genealogical twists and small-town chaos with wit and grit.
Smart, sharp, and just the right amount of quirky—this mystery is a page-turner with heart.
#murderrunsinthefamily #NetGalley

I feel like this review needs to be split into two parts.
First, the positives, I genuinely loved the humor and the sheer hilarity brought on by the innocent, orphaned turtle. It added such a charming, whimsical touch to the story. I'm also a sucker for a bumbling detective who somehow manages to solve the case before anyone else, and that element was executed well here. Another aspect I appreciated was the focus on an often overlooked demographic of the elderly. It's refreshing to see stories told through their perspectives.
Now, onto the down side. I found myself constantly frustrated with the main characters. Amber, for instance, spends so much time complaining and playing the victim it’s exhausting, especially coming from a middle aged woman who seems to have no interest in getting her life together. Even when she's handed a once in a lifetime opportunity to live rent free and have a job provided by a grandmother she’s never met, she still manages to grumble about it. Then there’s Jade, the grandmother, whose steamroller personality pushes everyone into doing her bidding through guilt and manipulation. And finally, the narcissistic mother, who takes every opportunity to berate both her daughter and her own mother, with no real explanation or depth to her behavior.
I truly wanted to love this book, the premise was unique and had so much potential but I struggled to feel any real connection to the characters, which made it hard to fully engage with the story.

*Thank you to Tamara Berry, Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This was such a fun murder mystery filled with red herrings, amateur sleuthing, and a cast of likable—but not always trustworthy—characters. The twists kept me guessing, and the storyline had me turning pages and wanting more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

In Murder Runs in the Family, we meet Amber, an aspiring private investigator who stumbles into a murder investigation when she shows up to meet her estranged, eccentric grandmother for the first time. Lighthearted and funny, this is a solid opening to a cozy mystery series, and I look forward to getting to know these characters more in the next installment!

The only part that pulled me out of the story was a subplot involving post-hip replacement care. It didn’t quite line up with my real-world understanding and made me think there was more to the storyline than there turned out to be, though it may not stand out to readers without a background in that area.

I’ll be recommending this to:
– True crime podcast fans, who want to imagine finding themselves helping their favorite show investigate a case
– Anyone already multiple books deep in a handful of other ongoing detective se
– A friend who lives in an Arizona condo community and would get a kick out of the setting

In Murder runs in the family, the main character, Amber, visits her grandma who resides at a retirement home in Arizona. While at the retirement home, she learns that her grandma is part of a podcast and a dead body is found at the podcast recording studio. Amber embarks in the journey of investigating the murder and the disappearance of the victim's tortoise and valuable ring.

Cozy mystery that takes place in a retirement home in Arizona; while reading this story, it reminded me a lot of the Netflix Show, A Man on the Inside, with Ted Danson. The overall story was well written and entertaining; will definitely be reading more from Tamara Berry.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was my first time reading Tamara Berry; I loved the writing. I can't wait to read more. This book had eccentric characters, a lovable found family (maybe), true crime podcasts, wannabe P.I.s, and a missing tortoise.

When Amber decides to leave her ex ( a famous P.I.) and working as his assistant/apprentice, she heads for her Grandmother. A woman she has never met, but has heard a lot of stories about from her Mom. Hoping she can crash with her till she figures out what to do with her life. When she arrives at Seven Ponds, a retirement community filled with Senior Citizens, that will keep her on her toes. Starting with her Grandma, it turns out she is Jade McCallan, known for her True Crime Podcast. Jade and her friends all run the podcast and enjoy getting into trouble. As soon as Amber arrives, The Admiral winds up dead, and his family wants to know what happened to a family heirloom. Now her Grandma is under arrest, and everyone is looking at her to find some clues and a missing tortoise.

Will she be able to help her Grandma and find out what happened to The Admiral? Before the Director kicks her off the property, or Nasty Nancy gets rid of her? Just wait till her Ex shows up. This book is filled with twists and Turns that keep you guessing.

Fair warning… this Book will have you laughing out loud. If you don’t want weird looks, avoid reading in waiting rooms. :) Learned the hard way.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amber Winslow, former PI, has fled her home, her former life, carrying nothing but the clothes on her back. She has found herself in the sunny state of Arizona in the luxury accommodations of her grandmother’s retirement community. Never mind that Amber has never actually met her estranged, eccentric grandmother.

As soon as she finds herself in Seven Ponds, she’s shocked to learn that George Vincent, aka The Admiral, was found dead on the very night of her arrival. Much to Amber’s dismay, all anyone seems to care about is the missing Vincent family heirloom and the possible whereabouts of his mysterious tortoise who went missing shortly before his death.

As rumours circulate, Amber doesn’t want to admit that the grandmother she has just met could be guilty of murder and they must work together to clear her name, no matter the cost.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. I loved the missing tortoise and the antics that he gets up to as a little side story. This 90 year old character somehow has the whole community intrigued and it makes for a fun way to get to know some of the characters.

I also like how multidimensional all the characters are. No one in the story is who they appear to be and everyone has a backstory which makes for endless entertainment.

Thank you to Poised Pen Press, NetGalley and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review

Thank you @poisonedpenpress and @netgalley for the #gifted book .

MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY is the first book in a new series set in the Seven Ponds Retirement Community. This cozy mystery was so fun. There is a cast of eclectic characters, a true crime podcast, a hot ex boyfriend, and an emotional support tortoise named Tatiana.

Amber flirts her way into the retirement community to find the grandmother she never met and isn't sure her grandmother Jade knows she has a granddaughter. Their connection is immediate. Jade, along with several others in the retirement community runs the Death Comes Calling Podcast. She wants Amber on the podcast as a detective. When one of the members turns up dead and an heirloom ring goes missing, Jade is arrested as the prime suspect. Amber is determined to clear her grandmother's name.

I enjoyed getting to know a little background of each of the fun characters. Each has a secret and love that this group has become a found family. Jade has taken Amber in with open arms and I liked watching their relationship grow. The story is well plotted and fast paced and I read it in an afternoon. This cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I lovd the family aspects of this story and the way Amber reclaimed her independence from Bones. The standout aspects of this particular mystery came from the ways Amber connected to others and the social manipulations she utilized were great, but I do feel that the ending was a bit rushed and underexplained.

Tatiana was a second lovely addition to the story. Everyone needs a cute little animal sidekick and as someone who used to ride tortoises as a toddler (those guys can get really big!) they deserve more love in the literary community.

Anyone who has mommy issues and a love of detective stories will enjoy this one!

I had a lot of fun reading this book. Some of the mysteries in it were pretty easy to guess, but I really enjoyed the cast of characters and the setting. I love seeing a group of older folks with huge personalities and doing more than just sitting around all day. I hope there's more books in these series so I can visit them again.

This was a laugh out loud cozy mystery. It reminded me of Only Murders in the Building or The Thursday Murder Club. Definitely recommend
Also posted on Goodreads

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just finished Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry and I’m officially obsessed with cozy murder mysteries again.
This one is witty, twisty, and totally self-aware. Think: small-town charm, murder with a side of humor, and a mystery writer who keeps getting pulled into real-life crime scenes—because of course she does.

The dialogue? Snappy. The characters? Quirky and lovable. And the mystery itself? Surprisingly layered. I had theories… and I was so wrong, in the best way. Tamara Berry nails that balance between clever and cozy, without getting too heavy.

It’s the kind of book you read with a cuppa and a blanket, pretending you’re the main character in a Hallmark-meets-true-crime series.

4/5 stars. It’s fun, sharp, and perfect for anyone who likes their murders with a wink.



❤️shaye.readss

I had a lot of fun reading this book! All of the characters are so colorful and there are crazy hijinks going on at the retirement community of Seven Ponds! Amber fled her ex and wound up at this place to see if she could find her grandmother, a black sheep (kinda like Amber) from the rest of their family. And I love how the characters are mostly likeable (even Nancy has her moment) though all are flawed, so it is not too sugary sweet. From Jade to Raffi, and even grumpy Ethan, each person stands out with their own talents (and a few secrets) and that means a memorable adventure for Amber to solve the murder of the Admiral (and prove her grandma did not do it), and possibly find his tortoise (I love this little guy!) as well as a missing ring that the Admiral's relatives really want (they are a nasty greedy lot!). Only one dead body, so not much of a murder mystery, just a fun mystery.

Was this a deep and thinking book? No. but it is an entertaining story with plenty of laughs but also sweet moments where Amber learns that she is loved and accepted (at least at Seven Ponds) and the group will always have each other's backs in times of trial. I kinda hope she gets to stick around and help out even more, whether it is solving more mysteries or becoming part of the podcast and maybe finding a new guy to replace Bones!

A lovely cozy mystery with an adorable tortoise! Love this story and the ensemble of characters. The meet-cute is so good, and I can't wait to read whatever Berry writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy!