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Mystery Bookshop #2
Read Herring Hunt
Mystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington is about to find out it's not so easy to play Monday morning quarterback when it comes to murder. . .
To the town of North Harbor, Michigan, MISU quarterback Dawson Alexander is a local hero. To Samantha Washington, owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, Dawson is more than a tenant—he’s like an adopted son. But to the police, he is their prime suspect after his ex-girlfriend is found murdered. It’s more than enough real-life drama for Sam to tackle, but her role as a mystery writer also calls. Returning to the English countryside between the wars, she finds Lady Daphne Marsh in quite the quandary. Someone has tried to murder the scandalous American divorcée Wallis Simpson, for whom Edward VIII so recently abdicated his throne. It seems finding a suspect is no small challenge when most of England has a motive . . .
While Sam’s lawyer sister Jenna rushes in to build Dawson's defense, Sam and her lively grandmother, Nana Jo, huddle up to solve the mystery and blow the whistle on the real killer. With the tenacious members of the Sleuthing Senior Book Club eager to come off the sidelines, Sam and her team just might stop a killer from completing another deadly play . . .
To the town of North Harbor, Michigan, MISU quarterback Dawson Alexander is a local hero. To Samantha Washington, owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, Dawson is more than a tenant—he’s like an adopted son. But to the police, he is their prime suspect after his ex-girlfriend is found murdered. It’s more than enough real-life drama for Sam to tackle, but her role as a mystery writer also calls. Returning to the English countryside between the wars, she finds Lady Daphne Marsh in quite the quandary. Someone has tried to murder the scandalous American divorcée Wallis Simpson, for whom Edward VIII so recently abdicated his throne. It seems finding a suspect is no small challenge when most of England has a motive . . .
While Sam’s lawyer sister Jenna rushes in to build Dawson's defense, Sam and her lively grandmother, Nana Jo, huddle up to solve the mystery and blow the whistle on the real killer. With the tenacious members of the Sleuthing Senior Book Club eager to come off the sidelines, Sam and her team just might stop a killer from completing another deadly play . . .
271 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2018
278 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read
About the author
V.M. Burns
20 books1,272 followersValerie (V.M.) Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in
Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs,
British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the
Midwest she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Northern Georgia with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Her short story, "The Vermeer Conspiracy" was an Anthony and Edgar Award finalist in 2022. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association, Crime Writers of Color, and Sisters in Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com.
Contact Info: author@vmburns.com
Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs,
British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the
Midwest she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Northern Georgia with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Her short story, "The Vermeer Conspiracy" was an Anthony and Edgar Award finalist in 2022. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association, Crime Writers of Color, and Sisters in Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com.
Contact Info: author@vmburns.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
October 22, 2022
I first read this second book in the Mystery Bookshop series back in 2018 before it was published. Then life kinda swooped in and I lost track of so many series I enjoy. Back now...and I started reading this series (and several others) all over again from the beginning. Having a great time!
Samantha Washington, Nana Jo and her senior friends, Dawson and the whole crew are back in Read Herring Hunt, the second book in the Mystery Bookshop series. Samantha was widowed about a year ago. She fulfilled a dream she had with her husband to open a mystery bookshop. The shop is doing quite well, despite the dead body discovered nearby when it first opened. Sam lives in an apartment over the store. Nana Jo still stays over often. And adopted member of the family and college student, Dawson lives in the apartment above the garage. Things are getting easier for Sam...the shop is making money, she has friends, and she's trying to learn to enjoy life without her husband.
Dawson has become entangled with the wrong sort of girl. Nana Jo (always quick to express her opinion) hates her and calls her a floozy. Obviously the tart has her eyes on Dawson because he's a popular and talented football player at the local college, with prospects for a pro career. The day after breaking off his relationship with her, Dawson comes to work at the bookshop with a black eye and scratches on his face. He blames Melody for the injuries. Unfortunately, the floozy is found dead, and Dawson is immediately suspect number one. Sam, Nana Jo and the gaggle of lovely seniors join forces again to prove his innocence (before the upcoming big football game of course).
I love this series! Nana Jo is a hoot. And her friends are even more fun. They are outspoken and very good at helping Sam with her amateur sleuthing. Iris is probably my favorite. She has to be stopped each time she almost lets loose with curse words. Sam is a great main character. She's trying to put her life together after a terrible loss, and building the dream she had with her husband is making a new life for her. The other supporting characters like Dawson and Sam's sister, Jenna, make this a funny, feel good, entertaining cozy mystery series. Sam is also writing her own murder mystery series set in Britain in the 1940s. The story she is writing is included within the book, making each story a mystery within a mystery. This time, the story forms around the former King Edward VI who just abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. A woman is shot during a shooting party....who was the intended victim? And was the motive political?
Fun, entertaining and suspenseful cozy! The cover art is perfect -- very colorful with Sam's poodle smack dab in the middle. :) Very eye catching! I have book 3 on hold at my local library!
Samantha Washington, Nana Jo and her senior friends, Dawson and the whole crew are back in Read Herring Hunt, the second book in the Mystery Bookshop series. Samantha was widowed about a year ago. She fulfilled a dream she had with her husband to open a mystery bookshop. The shop is doing quite well, despite the dead body discovered nearby when it first opened. Sam lives in an apartment over the store. Nana Jo still stays over often. And adopted member of the family and college student, Dawson lives in the apartment above the garage. Things are getting easier for Sam...the shop is making money, she has friends, and she's trying to learn to enjoy life without her husband.
Dawson has become entangled with the wrong sort of girl. Nana Jo (always quick to express her opinion) hates her and calls her a floozy. Obviously the tart has her eyes on Dawson because he's a popular and talented football player at the local college, with prospects for a pro career. The day after breaking off his relationship with her, Dawson comes to work at the bookshop with a black eye and scratches on his face. He blames Melody for the injuries. Unfortunately, the floozy is found dead, and Dawson is immediately suspect number one. Sam, Nana Jo and the gaggle of lovely seniors join forces again to prove his innocence (before the upcoming big football game of course).
I love this series! Nana Jo is a hoot. And her friends are even more fun. They are outspoken and very good at helping Sam with her amateur sleuthing. Iris is probably my favorite. She has to be stopped each time she almost lets loose with curse words. Sam is a great main character. She's trying to put her life together after a terrible loss, and building the dream she had with her husband is making a new life for her. The other supporting characters like Dawson and Sam's sister, Jenna, make this a funny, feel good, entertaining cozy mystery series. Sam is also writing her own murder mystery series set in Britain in the 1940s. The story she is writing is included within the book, making each story a mystery within a mystery. This time, the story forms around the former King Edward VI who just abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. A woman is shot during a shooting party....who was the intended victim? And was the motive political?
Fun, entertaining and suspenseful cozy! The cover art is perfect -- very colorful with Sam's poodle smack dab in the middle. :) Very eye catching! I have book 3 on hold at my local library!
April 1, 2018
Autumn is Sam Washington’s favorite time of the year along the Michigan coast. Her bookshop, Market Street Mysteries is flourishing. When her assistant, Dawson, is suspected of murder, he could lose his football career if sent to prison. Determined to clear his name, Sam, Nana Jo, and her grandmother’s amusing friends from the retirement center talk it over and ask their contacts for information about the deceased—Melody. Melody appears to have been a con artist with a less than desirable past.
This is a good mystery with plenty of red herrings making it difficult to pinpoint the true killer. There is a ‘mystery within a mystery’ as the novel includes the 1930’s mystery Sam is writing in her free time—it’s okay; however, I prefer the main mystery.
I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley And Kensington.
This is a good mystery with plenty of red herrings making it difficult to pinpoint the true killer. There is a ‘mystery within a mystery’ as the novel includes the 1930’s mystery Sam is writing in her free time—it’s okay; however, I prefer the main mystery.
I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley And Kensington.
October 7, 2019
Read Herring Hunt was a wonderful read with an engaging mystery featuring a cast of characters you can't help but love.
Samantha Washington's whole life has become about her new mystery bookstore and she wouldn't be able to do it without all of the help from her family and friends. One of those helpers is Dawson Alexander, the star quarterback at local college MISU, who bakes all of the treats for Sam's store and has become like a son to her. When Dawson's ex-girlfriend turns up dead, the police are quick to name Dawson as the prime suspect. After recently being falsely accused herself, Sam knows she needs to work fast to clear Dawson's name. With help from her Nana Jo and the ladies of the Sleuthing Senior Book Club, Sam sets out to find the real killer before Dawson is convicted of someone else's crimes.
Sam continues to be a wonderful character who I can easily connect with. She's still trying to learn to navigate life after the loss of her husband a year ago and you can really see how much his death is still effecting her. A lot of the people in her life are telling her she needs to start moving forward and to start dating again which is a notion Sam struggles with. I like that the author added the possibility of a future romance for Sam but that she didn't try to force the situation. To me it seems that if and when Sam is ready, there's a great guy for her.
I was so happy to see the return of Sam's Nana Jo and her group of friends. Each of these ladies has a unique set of skills they use to find out information and I loved the meetings where everyone would share their findings. Together the ladies are quite hilarious and I found myself wishing I knew a group of ladies like them. Dawson pops up in a lot more scenes in this book than he did the first one, but that makes sense as he's the murder suspect. I love how close he has become with Sam's family and how they consider him to be one of their own. The scenes between Dawson, Sam, Nana Jo, and Sam's sister Jenna were quite touching,
The mystery plot in this book is very well done and I found myself swept up in Sam and co.'s investigation to find the real killer. I did guess who the killer was before the reveal, but everything was still very well done and I enjoyed finding out how the killer was connected to it all. During the course of her investigation, Sam is in the process of writing her second book, another British cozy mystery. I liked the story in Sam's second book a bit more than the first one (as seen in The Plot Is Murder), but both of them are great mysteries that I would pick up if they were real books.
Read Herring Hunt was just as delightful as the first book in the series, The Plot Is Murder, and I'm excited to read future books in the series. I highly recommend these books for fans of the genre or to those looking to start reading cozy mysteries.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Samantha Washington's whole life has become about her new mystery bookstore and she wouldn't be able to do it without all of the help from her family and friends. One of those helpers is Dawson Alexander, the star quarterback at local college MISU, who bakes all of the treats for Sam's store and has become like a son to her. When Dawson's ex-girlfriend turns up dead, the police are quick to name Dawson as the prime suspect. After recently being falsely accused herself, Sam knows she needs to work fast to clear Dawson's name. With help from her Nana Jo and the ladies of the Sleuthing Senior Book Club, Sam sets out to find the real killer before Dawson is convicted of someone else's crimes.
Sam continues to be a wonderful character who I can easily connect with. She's still trying to learn to navigate life after the loss of her husband a year ago and you can really see how much his death is still effecting her. A lot of the people in her life are telling her she needs to start moving forward and to start dating again which is a notion Sam struggles with. I like that the author added the possibility of a future romance for Sam but that she didn't try to force the situation. To me it seems that if and when Sam is ready, there's a great guy for her.
I was so happy to see the return of Sam's Nana Jo and her group of friends. Each of these ladies has a unique set of skills they use to find out information and I loved the meetings where everyone would share their findings. Together the ladies are quite hilarious and I found myself wishing I knew a group of ladies like them. Dawson pops up in a lot more scenes in this book than he did the first one, but that makes sense as he's the murder suspect. I love how close he has become with Sam's family and how they consider him to be one of their own. The scenes between Dawson, Sam, Nana Jo, and Sam's sister Jenna were quite touching,
The mystery plot in this book is very well done and I found myself swept up in Sam and co.'s investigation to find the real killer. I did guess who the killer was before the reveal, but everything was still very well done and I enjoyed finding out how the killer was connected to it all. During the course of her investigation, Sam is in the process of writing her second book, another British cozy mystery. I liked the story in Sam's second book a bit more than the first one (as seen in The Plot Is Murder), but both of them are great mysteries that I would pick up if they were real books.
Read Herring Hunt was just as delightful as the first book in the series, The Plot Is Murder, and I'm excited to read future books in the series. I highly recommend these books for fans of the genre or to those looking to start reading cozy mysteries.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
May 5, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Tenant, employee, and MISU quarterback Dawson Alexander finds himself in hot water when his ex-girlfriend is found dead. He is suspended from the football team but his boss/landlord Samantha Washington is committed to proving his innocence and her Sleuthing Senior Book Club, including her grandmother, Nana Jo are all on board to help. First Samantha gets Jenna, her sister/lawyer to represent Dawson, then she and the ladies start investigating.
Samantha Washington is also a budding author and her characters are dealing with a murder mystery of their own. During a hunt, a young woman is shot and killed. Lady Daphne Marsh is on the case because she knows one of her guests in a murderer. She hopes to pin down the killer before any more blood is shed.
V.M. Burns is unique because she gives her readers two completely separate mysteries in each book.
Samantha is a fantastic protagonist. She is still finding her way since her husband’s death but Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, a dream she ended up fulfilling on her own has had great success. Her nephews pitch in at the store when they can and while Dawson helps in the store but his main duty is baking up tasty treats for the customers to enjoy.
Her other dream to become a mystery writer is proceeding nicely too, as she pens her second story. She has yet to take the major step of finding an agent to get her books published.
Her Nana Jo has moved in with Samantha since she was involved in the murder in book one, The Plot is Murder. Nana Jo and her friends round out this clever cast. These senior ladies all remind me of my mother in one way or another and their antics had me in stitches.
I was happy to see Dawson in a key role. His mother/ son like relationship with Sam was heartwarming. Getting more of his backstory was very interesting.
The main mystery really had me guessing. The victim was not at all what she seemed and the more we found out about her the more suspects came into play. The police decided early on the Dawson was guilty so Sam and her senior sleuths really had to dig to get the evidence to convince them otherwise and by then they were almost too late. Twists, turns, and yes, Red Herrings kept the pages flying until the real murderer was revealed.
The second mystery, the one Samantha is writing was a type of closed room mystery. The guilty party had to have been part of the hunt. For me, this one was easier to solve but very entertaining. I will admit, it takes a while, to get into a rhythm with one story interrupting the other. I thought about skipping through and reading the main story first and then going back to read the second, but I didn’t do it. Samantha always finds time to write when she is stuck on the real drama in her life, late at night when she can’t sleep and I understand that. I read at night when I can’t sleep. So in recognizing her process I adjusted mine and read the book as it was written.
Both settings, the English countryside, and the Michigan college town of North Harbor come alive in the worlds V. M. Burns has created. The Marsh Manor and the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore are both places I would love to visit again and again.
Not one, but two well-written mysteries, a slew of interesting characters, and two vastly different settings make this book unique and enjoyable. I look forward to many more books in this series.
Tenant, employee, and MISU quarterback Dawson Alexander finds himself in hot water when his ex-girlfriend is found dead. He is suspended from the football team but his boss/landlord Samantha Washington is committed to proving his innocence and her Sleuthing Senior Book Club, including her grandmother, Nana Jo are all on board to help. First Samantha gets Jenna, her sister/lawyer to represent Dawson, then she and the ladies start investigating.
Samantha Washington is also a budding author and her characters are dealing with a murder mystery of their own. During a hunt, a young woman is shot and killed. Lady Daphne Marsh is on the case because she knows one of her guests in a murderer. She hopes to pin down the killer before any more blood is shed.
V.M. Burns is unique because she gives her readers two completely separate mysteries in each book.
Samantha is a fantastic protagonist. She is still finding her way since her husband’s death but Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, a dream she ended up fulfilling on her own has had great success. Her nephews pitch in at the store when they can and while Dawson helps in the store but his main duty is baking up tasty treats for the customers to enjoy.
Her other dream to become a mystery writer is proceeding nicely too, as she pens her second story. She has yet to take the major step of finding an agent to get her books published.
Her Nana Jo has moved in with Samantha since she was involved in the murder in book one, The Plot is Murder. Nana Jo and her friends round out this clever cast. These senior ladies all remind me of my mother in one way or another and their antics had me in stitches.
I was happy to see Dawson in a key role. His mother/ son like relationship with Sam was heartwarming. Getting more of his backstory was very interesting.
The main mystery really had me guessing. The victim was not at all what she seemed and the more we found out about her the more suspects came into play. The police decided early on the Dawson was guilty so Sam and her senior sleuths really had to dig to get the evidence to convince them otherwise and by then they were almost too late. Twists, turns, and yes, Red Herrings kept the pages flying until the real murderer was revealed.
The second mystery, the one Samantha is writing was a type of closed room mystery. The guilty party had to have been part of the hunt. For me, this one was easier to solve but very entertaining. I will admit, it takes a while, to get into a rhythm with one story interrupting the other. I thought about skipping through and reading the main story first and then going back to read the second, but I didn’t do it. Samantha always finds time to write when she is stuck on the real drama in her life, late at night when she can’t sleep and I understand that. I read at night when I can’t sleep. So in recognizing her process I adjusted mine and read the book as it was written.
Both settings, the English countryside, and the Michigan college town of North Harbor come alive in the worlds V. M. Burns has created. The Marsh Manor and the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore are both places I would love to visit again and again.
Not one, but two well-written mysteries, a slew of interesting characters, and two vastly different settings make this book unique and enjoyable. I look forward to many more books in this series.
February 27, 2023
When Dawson Alexander is accused of murder, mystery bookstore owner Samantha (Sam) Washington steps up to find the real murderer. Soon after Dawson and Melody break up she is found strangled. As the star quarterback for the university's football team, Dawson is well known. Melody is a fellow student who doesn't appear to put much effort into her studies. Because Dawson is like an adopted son to Sam, her sister, Jenna, steps in as Dawson's attorney. While Dawson's team is trying to manage damage control, his belligerent Dad steps up to tell the press in colorful language that he knows who the real killer is.
Meanwhile Sam is working with the university community to learn as much as she can about Melody and her shady past. To relax in between sleuthing, Sam is writing a novel about a murder mystery in the English county side set in the 1930's. We get to read that story as she is writing it. This gives the reader two mysteries to solve.
This is the second installment of the Mystery Bookshop series. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first one. The mystery was easy to solve, because most of the clues pointed to one person. The English country side murder was more confusing to me. It is a pet peeve of mine to drag Wallis Simpson into every historical mystery and talk her down.
Meanwhile Sam is working with the university community to learn as much as she can about Melody and her shady past. To relax in between sleuthing, Sam is writing a novel about a murder mystery in the English county side set in the 1930's. We get to read that story as she is writing it. This gives the reader two mysteries to solve.
This is the second installment of the Mystery Bookshop series. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first one. The mystery was easy to solve, because most of the clues pointed to one person. The English country side murder was more confusing to me. It is a pet peeve of mine to drag Wallis Simpson into every historical mystery and talk her down.
April 16, 2018
thoroughly enjoyed Read Herring Hunt! I have no idea how V.M. Burns does it but in this book you get two very different and wonderful cozy mysteries. I am in awe of her writing talent and I could not put this book down. There is something so wonderful in the way that main character Sam has taken so many painful things in her life and found a way to start moving on, even under the most imposible of circumstances. I love her relationship with her Grandmother, and the way her employee has become like family to her. You get this deep feeling of love and family in this story, love that stands the test of time, disease, anger and anguish. A great group of supporting characters and two wonderful little dogs. I loved this book and I am excited ready for book three! This one is out April 24th, so you don't have long to wait!
July 14, 2020
Read Herring Hunt (Mystery Bookshop, #2) by V.M. Burns.
This is the 2nd in the new bookshop series by V.M. Burns...and it just keeps getting better. The newest adopted member of Samantha Washington's family, Dawson, is thriving. His baking skills are tastier by the day. As a quarterback for MISU, there's none that can surpass him on the field. But there's a dark cloud shadowing his every move. That dark cloud is in the person of his ex-girlfriend Melody.
No matter how Dawson tries he just can't get rid of Melody, that is until she's found dead with Dawson as the top suspect.
Nana Jo's close relationship with Sam grows although at times she may overstep her bounds as Nana. Emma & Jenna along with the twins are all helping out in the bookshop when needed. They're needed for more than just as assistants in the bookshop. The entire clan works closely together to find the real perpetrator behind Melody's murder. And just when we thought we'd seen the last of him-Dawson's dad enters the picture to complicate matters all the more.
If you're looking for a refreshingly original new series this is the place.
This is the 2nd in the new bookshop series by V.M. Burns...and it just keeps getting better. The newest adopted member of Samantha Washington's family, Dawson, is thriving. His baking skills are tastier by the day. As a quarterback for MISU, there's none that can surpass him on the field. But there's a dark cloud shadowing his every move. That dark cloud is in the person of his ex-girlfriend Melody.
No matter how Dawson tries he just can't get rid of Melody, that is until she's found dead with Dawson as the top suspect.
Nana Jo's close relationship with Sam grows although at times she may overstep her bounds as Nana. Emma & Jenna along with the twins are all helping out in the bookshop when needed. They're needed for more than just as assistants in the bookshop. The entire clan works closely together to find the real perpetrator behind Melody's murder. And just when we thought we'd seen the last of him-Dawson's dad enters the picture to complicate matters all the more.
If you're looking for a refreshingly original new series this is the place.
April 2, 2018
Read Herring Hunt by V. M. Burns was another delightful afternoon spent with Sam, Nana Jo and Nana Jo's wonderful and quirky friends.
The plot was smoothly paced with a few twists and only a few suspects to seriously consider. I do enjoy reading Sam's mystery stories that are included within each book. Having been an Agatha Christie fan for years, I caught on to who the culprit might be before Sam did which surprised me. I usually don't catch all of the clues while reading but this one stood out to me.
The characters are developing well and I felt like I got to know more about Sam, Nana Jo and her friends. I love it when Nana Jo and her friends are on the page as they bring laughter and insight into the mystery. It was nice to learn more about Sam's sister, Jenna, too. I liked her as she is feisty and determined which made her the perfect lawyer for Dawson. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
The plot was smoothly paced with a few twists and only a few suspects to seriously consider. I do enjoy reading Sam's mystery stories that are included within each book. Having been an Agatha Christie fan for years, I caught on to who the culprit might be before Sam did which surprised me. I usually don't catch all of the clues while reading but this one stood out to me.
The characters are developing well and I felt like I got to know more about Sam, Nana Jo and her friends. I love it when Nana Jo and her friends are on the page as they bring laughter and insight into the mystery. It was nice to learn more about Sam's sister, Jenna, too. I liked her as she is feisty and determined which made her the perfect lawyer for Dawson. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
March 21, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
I read the first in this series last year, and although I liked it, I had a case of the first book blues with it a little. I think book two sees and improvement in both writing and pace, and I found myself really enjoying this one. I think I would still prefer if we didn't read Sam's mysteries in their own chapters, but the actual Sam chapters are what kept me going.
I'm liking where we are going with the romance department; not too quickly or forced. Sam is a widow after all, and still regularly thinks of her husband. Nice as some of the characters appear, she doesn't have to rush for the sake of the story I think. Nana Jo and her girls are as likeable as ever, they really make this a series worth reading.
A fun mystery series that is only growing better. Four stars.
I read the first in this series last year, and although I liked it, I had a case of the first book blues with it a little. I think book two sees and improvement in both writing and pace, and I found myself really enjoying this one. I think I would still prefer if we didn't read Sam's mysteries in their own chapters, but the actual Sam chapters are what kept me going.
I'm liking where we are going with the romance department; not too quickly or forced. Sam is a widow after all, and still regularly thinks of her husband. Nice as some of the characters appear, she doesn't have to rush for the sake of the story I think. Nana Jo and her girls are as likeable as ever, they really make this a series worth reading.
A fun mystery series that is only growing better. Four stars.
July 9, 2020
After really enjoying the first book in the series, "The Plot is Murder", I was left underwhelmed and disappointed by "Read Herring Hunt". I struggled with how some of the characters were handled, particularly the murder victim. I am well aware and understand that Melody (the victim) was to be an unlikable character. I just did not like or understand why it was heavily based on slut-shaming/body-shaming ideas. I liked Nana Jo in the first book, but found her particularly judgy this time around and many of her comments and sayings were...cringey, to say the least. Essentially, the only character I really felt for was Dawson.
Other characters were pretty stereotypical: sleazy, no-good landlord; problematic father; manipulative villain; etc. The writing felt a bit dated and flat. I also did not like the story within a story feel this time around. The British cozy found within the book seemed to take up more pages and was not as captivating.
The plot of RHH was fairly predictable, but the journey towards solving the mystery was a bit meandering. I don't intend for the review to sound harsh, especially as I did enjoy the premise and did find some humor along the way. I did pause a couple times to think if I indeed liked the first book as much as I remember, given the aspects I found uninspiring in RHH. (I listened the the first one entirely via audiobook so I may have missed some things).
I still am interested in picking up the next book in the series and hope some of the things I was not a fan of do not reappear throughout the series.
Other characters were pretty stereotypical: sleazy, no-good landlord; problematic father; manipulative villain; etc. The writing felt a bit dated and flat. I also did not like the story within a story feel this time around. The British cozy found within the book seemed to take up more pages and was not as captivating.
The plot of RHH was fairly predictable, but the journey towards solving the mystery was a bit meandering. I don't intend for the review to sound harsh, especially as I did enjoy the premise and did find some humor along the way. I did pause a couple times to think if I indeed liked the first book as much as I remember, given the aspects I found uninspiring in RHH. (I listened the the first one entirely via audiobook so I may have missed some things).
I still am interested in picking up the next book in the series and hope some of the things I was not a fan of do not reappear throughout the series.
August 3, 2018
From the adorable cover to the fantastic and satisfying ending, I enjoyed every minute of this phenomenal read. Bookstore owner Samantha Washington has her hands full--again--trying to solve a murder to keep her beloved employee, college football star Dawson, out of prison. With Nana Jo and her senior sleuth cohorts pitching in to help, readers can be assured of a whopping good time! The killer was elusive, slippery as a snake. The ending put a huge smile on my face, and now I can't wait for the third installment in this delightful new cozy series.
May 1, 2018
Samantha owns a mystery bookstore and lets Dawson, who is like an adopted son live by her. He is a talented baker, football and has a bright future, then his ex-girlfriend is found murderer and he is to blame. Sam’s lawyer sister rushes to help and so does Sam’s grandmother.The grandmother is something else but saves the day in the end. Sam is also writing a novel and in between chapters of this book, pages of her book are written. You can read either book on it’s own.
March 27, 2018
I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was delighted when I was offered an ARC of the second book. I thought this was an entertaining read. I like all of the characters and it was nice to see Sam's character grow and emerge from her grief. Nana Jo and the rest of the ladies from the retirement community make a return appearance and provide a lot of fun and humor to the story. The secondary cast of characters is solid and rounds out the story nicely. I know some people struggle with this, but I am a fan of the story in a story. In fact, I find myself equally engaged in both mysteries.
I thought the mystery was woven nicely throughout the entire story. The author offers the readers a few different suspects who may have committed the crimes. It was a bit surprising to me that I figured out the identity of the killer before it was revealed and was close to the motive. That said, it didn't detract from my enjoyment because it is always interesting to me to see how the protagonist discovers the identity of the culprit and how it is revealed.
I will be back for more in this series. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy which was provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
I thought the mystery was woven nicely throughout the entire story. The author offers the readers a few different suspects who may have committed the crimes. It was a bit surprising to me that I figured out the identity of the killer before it was revealed and was close to the motive. That said, it didn't detract from my enjoyment because it is always interesting to me to see how the protagonist discovers the identity of the culprit and how it is revealed.
I will be back for more in this series. I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy which was provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
April 14, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was really excited to read Read Herring Hunt.
Samantha has set up shop, the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, to be exact, in the charming town of North Harbor, Michigan.
When Samantha isn't in her shop, she can be found penning an historical mystery, featuring Lady Daphne Marsh. I love this story as much as I love the book.
The author has woven a mystery in such a way that it leaves the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.
This is a series I will keep my eye on.
Grab your copy from Kensington Mystery & Thrillers on April 24th.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
#ReadHerringHunt #NetGalley
Samantha has set up shop, the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, to be exact, in the charming town of North Harbor, Michigan.
When Samantha isn't in her shop, she can be found penning an historical mystery, featuring Lady Daphne Marsh. I love this story as much as I love the book.
The author has woven a mystery in such a way that it leaves the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.
This is a series I will keep my eye on.
Grab your copy from Kensington Mystery & Thrillers on April 24th.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
#ReadHerringHunt #NetGalley
April 6, 2018
Read Herring Hunt is the second installment in Mystery Bookshop series but it can be read as standalone.
This book is a rare treat as it is two books in one. I love it!
One is set in present day when local quarterback is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, a well known gold digger. Sam and NanaJo along with the Sleuthing Senior Book Club and Jenna rush to find the culprit and exonerate Dawson, while the other book, the one that Sam is writing, is set on the brink of WWII. Europe's creme de la creme is having a shooting party at Lady Elizabeth's estate where a french maid of Edward VIII's wife has been murdered. Was she an intended victim or not?
I particularly liked the book within the book. It has made everything so fresh and interesting. It made me realize that I like historic mysteries. I also liked characters in both books, as each set had its typical and atypical representatives, and have immensely enjoyed descriptions of English countryside and way of life.
I can't wait for the next book.
This book is a rare treat as it is two books in one. I love it!
One is set in present day when local quarterback is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, a well known gold digger. Sam and NanaJo along with the Sleuthing Senior Book Club and Jenna rush to find the culprit and exonerate Dawson, while the other book, the one that Sam is writing, is set on the brink of WWII. Europe's creme de la creme is having a shooting party at Lady Elizabeth's estate where a french maid of Edward VIII's wife has been murdered. Was she an intended victim or not?
I particularly liked the book within the book. It has made everything so fresh and interesting. It made me realize that I like historic mysteries. I also liked characters in both books, as each set had its typical and atypical representatives, and have immensely enjoyed descriptions of English countryside and way of life.
I can't wait for the next book.
April 14, 2018
Read Herring Hunt is the second book in by V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series. This is an entertaining read with a great cast of characters and an interesting mystery. The storyline is smoothly paced and there were multiple situations where I found myself laughing out loud. The main character is writing a mystery book that is included within the storyline and while it provides a second mystery for the reader to attempt to solve, I didn’t care for “the book inside a book” concept and quickly found myself skipping through those sections.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is the owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. After the death of her husband, Sam sold their home, purchased a building, quit her teaching job, and open the mystery bookstore she and her late husband had always dreamed of and her living quarters are upstairs. Michigan Southwest University’s star quarterback, Dawson Alexander, lives in the studio apartment above Sam’s garage and because he finds baking therapeutic, bakes delicious treats for the bookstore. Dawson’s more than a tenant to Sam; he’s like an adopted son and her grandmother, Nana Jo, and sister, Jenna, treat him like family. Dawson recently broke up with his girlfriend, Melody Hardwick, and she didn’t take it well; in fact, she confronted and physically attacked him. When early morning joggers find Melody’s body, the investigating officer, Detective Brad Pitt, believes Dawson is responsible. Jenna, a criminal defense lawyer, jumps in to represent Dawson. Nana Jo and her somewhat quirky friends from the retirement community help Sam with her endeavor to clear Dawson’s name.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is the owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. After the death of her husband, Sam sold their home, purchased a building, quit her teaching job, and open the mystery bookstore she and her late husband had always dreamed of and her living quarters are upstairs. Michigan Southwest University’s star quarterback, Dawson Alexander, lives in the studio apartment above Sam’s garage and because he finds baking therapeutic, bakes delicious treats for the bookstore. Dawson’s more than a tenant to Sam; he’s like an adopted son and her grandmother, Nana Jo, and sister, Jenna, treat him like family. Dawson recently broke up with his girlfriend, Melody Hardwick, and she didn’t take it well; in fact, she confronted and physically attacked him. When early morning joggers find Melody’s body, the investigating officer, Detective Brad Pitt, believes Dawson is responsible. Jenna, a criminal defense lawyer, jumps in to represent Dawson. Nana Jo and her somewhat quirky friends from the retirement community help Sam with her endeavor to clear Dawson’s name.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
April 24, 2018
This is the second book in the series.
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book.
I especially enjoy the senior citizens, who were written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book.
I especially enjoy the senior citizens, who were written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
January 17, 2019
A nice 5 hour read--IF you can just let things go. Sam eats about 3,500 calories of pastry every day. She bought nearly a full wardrobe at the designer outlets for less than $500. (Or maybe things are dirt cheap there and the Pacific Northwest has extravagant prices?) It is also strange that a business owner never has to show up for work, and the tiny bookstore that sells only one genre is so busy it can support a staff the size of a small Walmart's while giving away mountains of pastry, urns of coffee, and gallons of tea. Obviously, I can't let things go.
I do really like the characters, and this is absolutely a "cozy" that runs right up to dirty words leaving no doubt what it was going to be without "offending" anyone by printing it. The murders are done off the page, and very tidy with no graphic details or gruesome autopsies. This book has far less of the Sleuthing Seniors, and suffers from their absence.
I do really like the characters, and this is absolutely a "cozy" that runs right up to dirty words leaving no doubt what it was going to be without "offending" anyone by printing it. The murders are done off the page, and very tidy with no graphic details or gruesome autopsies. This book has far less of the Sleuthing Seniors, and suffers from their absence.
August 5, 2022
Dawson, the student Sam is helping, is accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Melody. Sam knows he didn’t do it, and decides to investigate. She is also an aspiring writer, and her novel—portions of which are interspersed throughout the text-- is about well-to-do Brits in the late 1930’s. I thought this seemed like a way to pad the narrative, like the dual timelines I’ve seen in many novels. It was cute in the first of this series, but this one annoyed me, since it involved a real person, the Duchess of Windsor, and mentioned both Hitler and von Ribbentrop--please don't remind me of these people in my attempt to find escapist reading. The murderer’s identity was no surprise. I really liked the characters in this series: Sam, her sister Jenna, Dawson, and Nana Jo and her friends from the retirement village, and hope the next installment in this series is better.
April 24, 2018
Six months have passed in this story line since the last book and it was now fall. Dawson had gotten back to college and was a star football player going out with a very overbearing girl that he ended up breaking up with mainly because he could tell she was just a gold digger. When she ended up dead, all fingers pointed to Dawson so Sam and the Senior Sleuths knew that they had their job cut out for them. Dawson's abusive dad was in the picture again, making things even more complicated but the sleuths wouldn't let that deter them from finding out the truth. Hopefully no one else will get killed in the process!
This was another fun read and I think it was even better than the first book. As with the first book, whenever Sam needed a break from real life, she turned to her historical cozy she was writing which was set in 1938 England.
I just love how Nana and her friends get into the case and can come up with information from personal contacts and as in the case of Dorothy, going on dates with various men. Sam had two new male interests in her life but was one of them someone she should watch out for? One of them ends up being ok to date and I'm looking forward to her continuing her friendship with this man.
I did guess who did it this time too but I credit that with good clues that led up to it. I didn't know the full reasoning so I can't say I totally guessed. The take down was once again really exciting because it involved the seniors. At the end, Sam got a couple of wonderful surprises, which is another reason I just love her Nana Jo!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. There was an excerpt for the next book which I am anxious to read but I wanted to get my review done first. You can't go wrong with this well-written, fun mystery!
This was another fun read and I think it was even better than the first book. As with the first book, whenever Sam needed a break from real life, she turned to her historical cozy she was writing which was set in 1938 England.
I just love how Nana and her friends get into the case and can come up with information from personal contacts and as in the case of Dorothy, going on dates with various men. Sam had two new male interests in her life but was one of them someone she should watch out for? One of them ends up being ok to date and I'm looking forward to her continuing her friendship with this man.
I did guess who did it this time too but I credit that with good clues that led up to it. I didn't know the full reasoning so I can't say I totally guessed. The take down was once again really exciting because it involved the seniors. At the end, Sam got a couple of wonderful surprises, which is another reason I just love her Nana Jo!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. There was an excerpt for the next book which I am anxious to read but I wanted to get my review done first. You can't go wrong with this well-written, fun mystery!
July 18, 2018
This is a fun read and the novel within a novel is interesting. This is the 2nd book by this author and I'm interested in both stories equally. Nana Jo and the other seniors are a ton of fun to read about.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
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January 2, 2022I started reading Read Herring Hunt back in October, and finished it on the last day of the year. I got off on the wrong foot with it, and could never get on the right one. I couldn't let go off my first issue with it. I'm not rating it, because I don't feel good about doing that. Instead, I'm just going to "talk" about it. If you liked the first book in the series, if you like cozies with pets, and if my issues are not yours, this is probably an excellent choice for you. I know I enjoyed the first book!
For context, because I enjoyed the first book, and wanted to read more mysteries, I entered into a Goodreads Giveaway for the 7th book, which I won. My plan was to read the whole series in a timely manner. So, when I got off to that bad start this time around, I felt obligated to keep going. For me, if I in a sense ask for a free book, and get it, I see that as a promise. And so I didn't want to DNF book 2 when I felt I needed to read book 7.
So much of what I like to read involves my feminism, as well as preferring a lot of diversity. And I can't leave my feminism at the door. I think this series DOES lift up strong women, and older women, and I love that. It fell down for me on another aspect of feminism.
Selected lines and passages from the book, starting with the very first line of the book:
"Did you see the getup that little floozy had on?"
“Is someone watching your pole?”
“floozy,” “harpy,” “tart,” and “shrew.”
She was hot and easy
Nana Jo stood. “And we’re going to figure out who killed that floozy.”
If the authorities won’t figure out who killed that . . . girl, well...
"...he didn’t kill nobody, specially not that little tramp. Fine piece of [bleep]. But that’s all she was.”
“She was asking for what she got.”
...and about another character...
that little tart of a maid and that little French strumpet.
A couple of these quotes, and there are more, are not from the people we're supposed to root for ... but most are.
They're, in the first examples, talking about the murder victim, Melody. She is not meant to be a pillar of the community, this is true. In readers of cozies are not supposed to mourn the dead too badly, so they're often not ... pillars of the community. However, it felt too much like her manner of dress was a part of why we should write off a newly adult human.
The stripper pole comment was said to someone who they had yet to know was not the greatest person based solely on what she was wearing. Can you imagine someone saying that to you?
The old-fashioned terms are because much of this is from the mouth of the heroine's grandmother, and I guess it's supposed to be funny? However, I know "Nana" and her friends -- these are the fun senior women who read mysteries, and gamble, take advantage of every opportunity to have fun, and who flirt and date too. One of them likes to use salty language. (The others hush her before she can finish, in case swearing bothers you.)
This band of seniors is compared in the first book to "The Golden Girls." (An aside, Betty White passed away yesterday, and now all the "girls" are gone. I'm 53, so I knew these woman prior to GG, in earlier influential roles in my life. As a child, I was told about Betty White's love of animals, and how she'd lost a husband way to young to cancer who also loved animals. I've had a strong bond with animals my entire life, and she was the only celebrity I knew of -- other than Bob Barker -- who I could relate to specifically on that level. A lot of people are saying Betty is having cheesecake with the girls, but I think before that she's going to spend some time with the hubby and all their pets. I raise my Golden Girls Squad Goals glass to them all.)
The Golden Girls, while some of the jokes are dated, and Blanche as a floozy jokes were a mainstay, were pro-women. No one doubted Blanche had a right to dress how she liked and entertain gentlemen callers. Sophia got to make her remarks with the understanding that the point was that no one WOULD say these things in real life, and not about a young woman who'd been murdered. I get a cozy isn't the real world either, but it still made it hard for me to enjoy the book. And since the comments kept cropping up, every time I pulled myself from the edge -- another one.
This was NOT a huge part of the book, only huge to me. And so I think some people won't care, and others can put it aside like I do when I read Agatha Christie and she writes something inappropriate -- if you know you know -- but I can do that with Christie because of the age of the work, and it still dampens my appreciation a little.
But more on Christie shortly.
To sum it up, on a presumably unintentional level, the plot reads like, "Hoochie dies, and a promising young athlete's future might be derailed. HIS life is worth so much."
Sam, BTW, doesn't seem completely comfortable with these aspects. That moron just insulted women, implied Melody Hardwick deserved to be murdered, and announced to the world he knows who murdered her. It just would have been a whole different book for me if she'd taken Nana Jo to task to the small extent you can with your elders.
The book within a book is back. Sam, our main character, writes mysteries, and her latest book is interspersed throughout. I still struggle with this because, by necessity, these stories aren't fully fleshed out. They're books inside of the actual books. They're set in England among the upper class, a classic setting. Because of the need for brevity, the characters are archetypes that can't be too fleshed out. If they were full books in their own write, I think I'd like them. There are shades of the main plot in the book within a book.
Sam also owns a bookstore devoted to mysteries, a dream she'd shared with her late husband.
The next portion I'll discuss behind a spoiler tag. This is where the subject of Agatha Christie comes up again. I truly want to emphasis that it doesn't get more spoilery than where I'm going. Don't click unless you're sure you want to know the identity of the killer.
And I predict you'll figure out some of that.
I loved when Sam realized someone was trash, and you could feel her iciness and strength radiating from the page.
So, where does this leave me? I think it leaves me at hopping over to book 7, where my love of these characters will hopefully be renewed. I really do adore them, but I'm not standing for the, er, slat shaming should be ever meet.
Also, there are poodles named Snickers and Oreo. I think either in this book or the other, it's mentioned how one of them is extra attuned to when Sam needs a cuddle, I think it's Snickers. One of my Shelties, Copper, was definitely there for me when I was very sick. I want to read more about these poodles!
One final thing, there's still something a bit lax with the editing. In the first book, the word discrete was used maybe a half dozen times when discreet had the definition that fit in context. This time, the historical figure, Wallis Simpson, had her name spelled Wallace once. Another character had the spelling of his last name changed in one case, with both spellings on the same page. There were a few little formatting glitches as well. If this were an indie book, this would have been pretty good, but this -- like the last one -- was published by Kensington. None of this is on the author. And still, none of it is a big enough deal to derail the book for the vast majority of readers.
Sam points out to one of the ladies, Irma, romances with a mystery subplot written by Brenda Jackson. The first book in that series is A Brother's Honor, then A Man's Promise, followed by A Lover's Vow.
I really struggled with whether or not to review this at all. It would have been a DNF if I didn't have the aforementioned readings. A DNF not because the book was bad, but because the chemistry was off for me. If it had been a DNF, I wouldn't have reviewed it. Twitter is abuzz right now with authors angry at reviewers, and other authors, who are putting out Worst of 2021 lists, and that discussion doesn't happen without slipping into some taking a position that all reviews should be positive, the old "If you don't have nice things to say..." and "reviewers don't the struggle," and "heartless." And after arguing for better than a decade that my reviews are for other readers, that I want to DISCUSS books, that all reviewers who seek to be fair have a place in the book ecosystem, this last round really got in my head. Particularly because my intention is always to be supportive of the thing that's only loses out to my husband and my pets in my heart -- reading (and readers.) I value and admire authors, have worked with a few, even got my own story published once, but a long time ago my ideal review reader became someone without a lot of money or time, and how horrible I'd feel if she picked a highly rated book that was only highly rated because people were prioritizing writers over her. And I NEED to stop typing, especially since I typed "One final thing" a while ago, and then added more things.
I do sincerely look forward to book 7.
For context, because I enjoyed the first book, and wanted to read more mysteries, I entered into a Goodreads Giveaway for the 7th book, which I won. My plan was to read the whole series in a timely manner. So, when I got off to that bad start this time around, I felt obligated to keep going. For me, if I in a sense ask for a free book, and get it, I see that as a promise. And so I didn't want to DNF book 2 when I felt I needed to read book 7.
So much of what I like to read involves my feminism, as well as preferring a lot of diversity. And I can't leave my feminism at the door. I think this series DOES lift up strong women, and older women, and I love that. It fell down for me on another aspect of feminism.
Selected lines and passages from the book, starting with the very first line of the book:
"Did you see the getup that little floozy had on?"
“Is someone watching your pole?”
“floozy,” “harpy,” “tart,” and “shrew.”
She was hot and easy
Nana Jo stood. “And we’re going to figure out who killed that floozy.”
If the authorities won’t figure out who killed that . . . girl, well...
"...he didn’t kill nobody, specially not that little tramp. Fine piece of [bleep]. But that’s all she was.”
“She was asking for what she got.”
...and about another character...
that little tart of a maid and that little French strumpet.
A couple of these quotes, and there are more, are not from the people we're supposed to root for ... but most are.
They're, in the first examples, talking about the murder victim, Melody. She is not meant to be a pillar of the community, this is true. In readers of cozies are not supposed to mourn the dead too badly, so they're often not ... pillars of the community. However, it felt too much like her manner of dress was a part of why we should write off a newly adult human.
The stripper pole comment was said to someone who they had yet to know was not the greatest person based solely on what she was wearing. Can you imagine someone saying that to you?
The old-fashioned terms are because much of this is from the mouth of the heroine's grandmother, and I guess it's supposed to be funny? However, I know "Nana" and her friends -- these are the fun senior women who read mysteries, and gamble, take advantage of every opportunity to have fun, and who flirt and date too. One of them likes to use salty language. (The others hush her before she can finish, in case swearing bothers you.)
This band of seniors is compared in the first book to "The Golden Girls." (An aside, Betty White passed away yesterday, and now all the "girls" are gone. I'm 53, so I knew these woman prior to GG, in earlier influential roles in my life. As a child, I was told about Betty White's love of animals, and how she'd lost a husband way to young to cancer who also loved animals. I've had a strong bond with animals my entire life, and she was the only celebrity I knew of -- other than Bob Barker -- who I could relate to specifically on that level. A lot of people are saying Betty is having cheesecake with the girls, but I think before that she's going to spend some time with the hubby and all their pets. I raise my Golden Girls Squad Goals glass to them all.)
The Golden Girls, while some of the jokes are dated, and Blanche as a floozy jokes were a mainstay, were pro-women. No one doubted Blanche had a right to dress how she liked and entertain gentlemen callers. Sophia got to make her remarks with the understanding that the point was that no one WOULD say these things in real life, and not about a young woman who'd been murdered. I get a cozy isn't the real world either, but it still made it hard for me to enjoy the book. And since the comments kept cropping up, every time I pulled myself from the edge -- another one.
This was NOT a huge part of the book, only huge to me. And so I think some people won't care, and others can put it aside like I do when I read Agatha Christie and she writes something inappropriate -- if you know you know -- but I can do that with Christie because of the age of the work, and it still dampens my appreciation a little.
But more on Christie shortly.
To sum it up, on a presumably unintentional level, the plot reads like, "Hoochie dies, and a promising young athlete's future might be derailed. HIS life is worth so much."
Sam, BTW, doesn't seem completely comfortable with these aspects. That moron just insulted women, implied Melody Hardwick deserved to be murdered, and announced to the world he knows who murdered her. It just would have been a whole different book for me if she'd taken Nana Jo to task to the small extent you can with your elders.
The book within a book is back. Sam, our main character, writes mysteries, and her latest book is interspersed throughout. I still struggle with this because, by necessity, these stories aren't fully fleshed out. They're books inside of the actual books. They're set in England among the upper class, a classic setting. Because of the need for brevity, the characters are archetypes that can't be too fleshed out. If they were full books in their own write, I think I'd like them. There are shades of the main plot in the book within a book.
Sam also owns a bookstore devoted to mysteries, a dream she'd shared with her late husband.
The next portion I'll discuss behind a spoiler tag. This is where the subject of Agatha Christie comes up again. I truly want to emphasis that it doesn't get more spoilery than where I'm going. Don't click unless you're sure you want to know the identity of the killer.
And I predict you'll figure out some of that.
I loved when Sam realized someone was trash, and you could feel her iciness and strength radiating from the page.
So, where does this leave me? I think it leaves me at hopping over to book 7, where my love of these characters will hopefully be renewed. I really do adore them, but I'm not standing for the, er, slat shaming should be ever meet.
Also, there are poodles named Snickers and Oreo. I think either in this book or the other, it's mentioned how one of them is extra attuned to when Sam needs a cuddle, I think it's Snickers. One of my Shelties, Copper, was definitely there for me when I was very sick. I want to read more about these poodles!
One final thing, there's still something a bit lax with the editing. In the first book, the word discrete was used maybe a half dozen times when discreet had the definition that fit in context. This time, the historical figure, Wallis Simpson, had her name spelled Wallace once. Another character had the spelling of his last name changed in one case, with both spellings on the same page. There were a few little formatting glitches as well. If this were an indie book, this would have been pretty good, but this -- like the last one -- was published by Kensington. None of this is on the author. And still, none of it is a big enough deal to derail the book for the vast majority of readers.
Sam points out to one of the ladies, Irma, romances with a mystery subplot written by Brenda Jackson. The first book in that series is A Brother's Honor, then A Man's Promise, followed by A Lover's Vow.
I really struggled with whether or not to review this at all. It would have been a DNF if I didn't have the aforementioned readings. A DNF not because the book was bad, but because the chemistry was off for me. If it had been a DNF, I wouldn't have reviewed it. Twitter is abuzz right now with authors angry at reviewers, and other authors, who are putting out Worst of 2021 lists, and that discussion doesn't happen without slipping into some taking a position that all reviews should be positive, the old "If you don't have nice things to say..." and "reviewers don't the struggle," and "heartless." And after arguing for better than a decade that my reviews are for other readers, that I want to DISCUSS books, that all reviewers who seek to be fair have a place in the book ecosystem, this last round really got in my head. Particularly because my intention is always to be supportive of the thing that's only loses out to my husband and my pets in my heart -- reading (and readers.) I value and admire authors, have worked with a few, even got my own story published once, but a long time ago my ideal review reader became someone without a lot of money or time, and how horrible I'd feel if she picked a highly rated book that was only highly rated because people were prioritizing writers over her. And I NEED to stop typing, especially since I typed "One final thing" a while ago, and then added more things.
I do sincerely look forward to book 7.
April 23, 2018
Read Herring Hunt is the second book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.
I loved this exciting follow up to The Plot Is Murder the first in the series.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is enjoying living her dream of owning a bookstore and things are going well at the bookstore. But Sam is concerned about Dawson Alexander, her assistant at the store and baker of delicious desserts. He has recently broken up with Melody Hardwick, a college classmate of his and appears to be a “hanger on”, wanting to bask in the glory of his football career. Melody did not take the break-up well and assaulted Dawson. The next morning her body is found and Detective Pitt feels he has enough evidence to arrest Dawson for murder.
Dawson is like family to Sam and her grandmother, Nanna Jo, so they set out to find who actually killed Melody. With the help of Dorothy, Irma, and Ruby Mae, friends of Nanna Jo fellow residents at her retirement community they soon learn that she has been arrested for fraud in the past. After talking with fellow classmates they begin to look at her past to see if someone has decided to seek revenge.
Once again Sam shares with the reader her work-in-progress dealing with Wickfield Lodge and Lord William Marsh and his family. Lord James asks Lord William to host a shooting party to be attended by Duchess of Windsor and a few important representatives of European countries. When one of the members of the party is killed Lady Daphne, Lady Penelope and their aunt Lady Elizabeth need to find out if the person killed was the intended victim and who the killer is.
This is a well-plotted story with a cast of believable and interesting characters. I particularly enjoy Nanna Jo and her “posse”. They are all so feisty, especially Irma. I would love to friends with all of them.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this very enjoyable series.
I loved this exciting follow up to The Plot Is Murder the first in the series.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is enjoying living her dream of owning a bookstore and things are going well at the bookstore. But Sam is concerned about Dawson Alexander, her assistant at the store and baker of delicious desserts. He has recently broken up with Melody Hardwick, a college classmate of his and appears to be a “hanger on”, wanting to bask in the glory of his football career. Melody did not take the break-up well and assaulted Dawson. The next morning her body is found and Detective Pitt feels he has enough evidence to arrest Dawson for murder.
Dawson is like family to Sam and her grandmother, Nanna Jo, so they set out to find who actually killed Melody. With the help of Dorothy, Irma, and Ruby Mae, friends of Nanna Jo fellow residents at her retirement community they soon learn that she has been arrested for fraud in the past. After talking with fellow classmates they begin to look at her past to see if someone has decided to seek revenge.
Once again Sam shares with the reader her work-in-progress dealing with Wickfield Lodge and Lord William Marsh and his family. Lord James asks Lord William to host a shooting party to be attended by Duchess of Windsor and a few important representatives of European countries. When one of the members of the party is killed Lady Daphne, Lady Penelope and their aunt Lady Elizabeth need to find out if the person killed was the intended victim and who the killer is.
This is a well-plotted story with a cast of believable and interesting characters. I particularly enjoy Nanna Jo and her “posse”. They are all so feisty, especially Irma. I would love to friends with all of them.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this very enjoyable series.
Read
December 18, 2020Another good installment in the Mystery Bookshop series :)
My only issue with this one was that the victim (Melody) was reduced to being the Slutty Gold Digger archetype and faced a lot of slut-shaming from the narrative, especially from Nana Jo. This actually made me dislike Nana Jo a bit even though she was one of my faves when I read the first book! There was some attempt to give Melody more character depth post-humously, but none of the characters took back what they said or changed their mind about her, so this backstory was really only for the reader's benefit I guess.
I'm still planning to continue with this series, so I hope the slut-shaming/girl-hate is constrained to this book, because it actually made this book kinda hard to get through.
My only issue with this one was that the victim (Melody) was reduced to being the Slutty Gold Digger archetype and faced a lot of slut-shaming from the narrative, especially from Nana Jo. This actually made me dislike Nana Jo a bit even though she was one of my faves when I read the first book! There was some attempt to give Melody more character depth post-humously, but none of the characters took back what they said or changed their mind about her, so this backstory was really only for the reader's benefit I guess.
I'm still planning to continue with this series, so I hope the slut-shaming/girl-hate is constrained to this book, because it actually made this book kinda hard to get through.
December 2, 2019
Welcome back to North Harbor, Michigan the home of Samantha Washington and her store, The Market Street Mysteries Bookstore. She runs the store with Nana Jo and Dawson Alexander. Dawson is the star quarterback of the MISU football team and has a chance to go pro. He is attached to Melody, a honey pot, who hopes to cash in on his future earnings. When she turns up dead, shortly after Dawson has broken up with her, he is arrested for her murder. Sam, Nana Jo, Sam's sister Jenna, who is also a lawyer and many others are convinced Dawson is innocent. With the help of Nana Jo's friends, "The Girls" all senior citizens with connections, Sam sets out to find the real killer.
I love the characters in this series. Sam, Nana Jo and Jenna are family by blood, but they have all adopted Dawson, who was an abused young boy when they found him hiding out in the washroom of the store. He now works with them and lives in the apartment over Sam's garage. Family means everything to this group and the family you choose is just as important as the family by blood. Nana Jo is a hoot and her friends are even more entertaining. They are outspoken, have all kinds of connections, drink, gamble, love to party and are very good at helping Sam with her amateur sleuthing. Sam is a great main character. She is learning to live and enjoy her life since her husband died and the business is doing well. She is also writing a novel set in Britain in the 1940s, which is a storyline in the book. We actually get two stories for the money, as Sam's story in also included in this book. She is smart, intuitive, loyal, a bit nosy and tough when it comes to standing up for her beliefs and those she loves.
Read Herring Hunt is a fun, entertaining and suspenseful cozy! The mystery is well-developed with a few suspects and some red herrings. I did figure out who the murderer was when there was a huge clue dropped in the story, and was delighted when I was correct. The investigation itself was fun, with the girls, finding out all sorts of information. The final showdown was well done, with some suspense and quick thinking on the part of several characters. I enjoyed the dialogue, the relationships between the characters and the mystery, so all in all, a very enjoyable story. I recommend this one to cozy mystery lovers who enjoy quirky characters and a bit of a different twist on a cozy mystery.
I love the characters in this series. Sam, Nana Jo and Jenna are family by blood, but they have all adopted Dawson, who was an abused young boy when they found him hiding out in the washroom of the store. He now works with them and lives in the apartment over Sam's garage. Family means everything to this group and the family you choose is just as important as the family by blood. Nana Jo is a hoot and her friends are even more entertaining. They are outspoken, have all kinds of connections, drink, gamble, love to party and are very good at helping Sam with her amateur sleuthing. Sam is a great main character. She is learning to live and enjoy her life since her husband died and the business is doing well. She is also writing a novel set in Britain in the 1940s, which is a storyline in the book. We actually get two stories for the money, as Sam's story in also included in this book. She is smart, intuitive, loyal, a bit nosy and tough when it comes to standing up for her beliefs and those she loves.
Read Herring Hunt is a fun, entertaining and suspenseful cozy! The mystery is well-developed with a few suspects and some red herrings. I did figure out who the murderer was when there was a huge clue dropped in the story, and was delighted when I was correct. The investigation itself was fun, with the girls, finding out all sorts of information. The final showdown was well done, with some suspense and quick thinking on the part of several characters. I enjoyed the dialogue, the relationships between the characters and the mystery, so all in all, a very enjoyable story. I recommend this one to cozy mystery lovers who enjoy quirky characters and a bit of a different twist on a cozy mystery.
September 12, 2023
4 stelle e mezza
Ho quasi tutti i libri di questa serie da un po', ma mi sono decisa a leggerli solo ultimamente. Come sempre ci sono misteri da risolvere, uno contemporaneo e uno ambientato fra le due guerre mondiali e inventato dalla protagonista, che oltre a possedere una libreria dedicati ai libri gialli è una aspirante scrittrice. Devo dire che avevo azzeccato ben presto chi fosse il colpevole contemporaneo, mentre avevo scartato come troppo ovvio quello storico. Comunque sia, mi sta davvero piacendo questa serie e vorrei tanto che esistesse una libreria dedicata al mystery vicino a casa mia...
Ho quasi tutti i libri di questa serie da un po', ma mi sono decisa a leggerli solo ultimamente. Come sempre ci sono misteri da risolvere, uno contemporaneo e uno ambientato fra le due guerre mondiali e inventato dalla protagonista, che oltre a possedere una libreria dedicati ai libri gialli è una aspirante scrittrice. Devo dire che avevo azzeccato ben presto chi fosse il colpevole contemporaneo, mentre avevo scartato come troppo ovvio quello storico. Comunque sia, mi sta davvero piacendo questa serie e vorrei tanto che esistesse una libreria dedicata al mystery vicino a casa mia...
June 30, 2020
Market Mysteries Bookshop is thriving and Sam couldn't be happier until murder once again interrupts her life. A young woman named Melody has been killed and police are suspecting Dawson Alexander. Dawson is the QB for the local college MISU, but more than that he was Melody's boyfriend. Dawson is like family so Sam, Nana Jo and the members of the Sleuthing Senior Book Club step in, determined to solve the mystery and save the day.
While working to prove Dawson's innocence, Sam continues writing, and begins the 2nd book in her British cozy mystery series. It helps her find some peace with everything going on and if one day she can summon the strength to submit her writing for publication, having more than one book ready is a necessity.
I am absolutely loving this series. First off, Snickers & Oreo are the cutest names for the pups in this series, although I may be a bit biased since Oreo happens to be my kitty's name. 🤣🤣 They add such a sweet touch to the series as only animals can do.
I am also really enjoying the cozy within a cozy. One would think it would take away from the main story but, for me anyway, it adds to the fun. I am so glad I snagged this series and can't wait to read on.
While working to prove Dawson's innocence, Sam continues writing, and begins the 2nd book in her British cozy mystery series. It helps her find some peace with everything going on and if one day she can summon the strength to submit her writing for publication, having more than one book ready is a necessity.
I am absolutely loving this series. First off, Snickers & Oreo are the cutest names for the pups in this series, although I may be a bit biased since Oreo happens to be my kitty's name. 🤣🤣 They add such a sweet touch to the series as only animals can do.
I am also really enjoying the cozy within a cozy. One would think it would take away from the main story but, for me anyway, it adds to the fun. I am so glad I snagged this series and can't wait to read on.
February 5, 2023
4 solid stars
I loved this so much.
Nana Jo is hilarious and I love both the book store setting and the quirky crew that gathers to solve the crimes.
Delightful.
I loved this so much.
Nana Jo is hilarious and I love both the book store setting and the quirky crew that gathers to solve the crimes.
Delightful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
This book was one I pounced on on publication day. I had read the first one in the series a few months ago and loved it, and had been waiting most impatiently for this one. It was well worth the wait! The plot and mystery were great, but my favorite part is the characters. I'm just so charmed by so many of them!
And as an extra bonus of fun with this book -- there were TWO mysteries for me to not be able to solve! I love the mystery within the mystery aspect of this series. I didn't expect the internal mystery to draw me in as much as it did, but I was just as hooked on it as I was on the main mystery.
All in all, this is a really great follow up to The Plot Is Murder and I highly recommend it!
*5 Stars
And as an extra bonus of fun with this book -- there were TWO mysteries for me to not be able to solve! I love the mystery within the mystery aspect of this series. I didn't expect the internal mystery to draw me in as much as it did, but I was just as hooked on it as I was on the main mystery.
All in all, this is a really great follow up to The Plot Is Murder and I highly recommend it!
*5 Stars
May 4, 2018
Read Herring Hunt is the second book in VM. Burn’s Mystery Bookshop series. Just like the first book in the series, The Plot is Murder, this second book is an excellent cozy mystery. You actually get two stories in one book, present day and pre WWII England. The main character, Samantha Washington, aka Sam, is someone you will care deeply about. Her Nana Jo and friends are a delightful and entertaining group of secondary characters. The mystery plot is well crafted and moves along at a good pace. The way Burns uses references to other mystery books and authors is brilliant. I really liked that. I highly recommend both books in this charming series and I look forward to more books to come. V.M. Burns is a new author worth watching.
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