Plotting for Murder

Cozy Mystery Bookshop #1

by Tamra Baumann

Sawyer Davis’ new life in picturesque Sunset Cove is crumbling around her as fast as the old Victorian house she lives in. She’s a chef whose matchmaking mother has left her a puppy, a bevy of single men to choose from, and a bookshop dedicated to whodunnits. Complete with a book club of amateur sleuths who live for death. When one of the members dies just after eating Sawyer’s amazing truffle mac and cheese, Sawyer is immersed in an even bigger soup pot of trouble.

With her chef’s reputation on the line, and an uncle after her inheritance, Sawyer teams up with the sheriff who once broke her heart—whether he wants her help or not—to solve the mystery. Will past hurts, and long-buried attraction for the sheriff stand in the way of solving the crime before the murderer strikes again?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Cozy, Books About Books, Murder Mystery

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 14, 2019

About the author

Tamra Baumann is an award-winning author of light-hearted contemporary romance and cozy mystery. A reality-show junkie, she justifies her addiction by telling others she’s scouting for potential character material. She adamantly denies she’s actually living vicariously in their closets. Tamra resides with her real-life characters—her husband, kids, and their adorable golden doodle in the sunny Southwest. Visit her online at: www.tamrabaumann.com

Reviews

[beachbum bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis by Goodreads:
Sawyer Davis’ new life in picturesque Sunset Cove is crumbling around her as fast as the old Victorian house she lives in. She’s a chef whose matchmaking mother has left her a puppy, a bevy of single men to choose from, and a bookshop dedicated to whodunnits. Complete with a book club of amateur sleuths who live for death. When one of the members dies just after eating Sawyer’s amazing truffle mac and cheese, Sawyer is immersed in an even bigger soup pot of trouble.

With her chef’s reputation on the line, and an uncle after her inheritance, Sawyer teams up with the sheriff who once broke her heart—whether he wants her help or not—to solve the mystery. Will past hurts, and long-buried attraction for the sheriff stand in the way of solving the crime before the murderer strikes again?

Let me start by saying I rate my cozy mysteries different than all other genres of books I read. I still use a five star rating system (or with cozies I like to think instead of stars how many cups of coffee/tea.….which is my idea of cozy). The following is how I rate my cozies:
1 cup of coffee- did not finish or will not continue on in series.
2 cups of coffee- this book has potential, but on the fence about whether I will read the next book.
3 cups of coffee- good- will definitely continue series, but did have some issues
4 cups of coffee- great- will definitely continue series- minor issues
5 cups of coffee-EXCEPTIONAL!
What I think about when I give my ratings:
1.) They are called cozies for a reason, and that being said I know they are not for everybody. I love them!! Therefore the first thing I think about is how cozy are they? The more cheese the better for me…lol. The horrible puns in the titles…LOVE THEM. Yes…if you’re wondering... I am the person who loves laffy taffy jokes.
2.) Characters/ and relationships with secondary characters
3.) Setting/theme
4.) The mystery

This book is 3 big cups of coffee...more like 3 1/2 , but I don’t want to spill hot coffee on myself.

When I first met Sawyer she was at an estate lawyers office for the reading of her mother's trust fund. Unfortunately because of her grandparents worries of her mother's “flightyness” her access to the trust fund is under lock and key….and her uncle the mayor wants to do nothing to change these circumstances….unless you count taking her portion for himself. A chef from Chicago displaced to her small hometown Sunset Cove, California to take over her moms failing cozy mystery bookshop Cloaks, daggers, and croissants. To make matters worse Sawyer was not really a reader (seriously...gasp…). After getting over the shock and dismay...I quickly assured Sawyer that I AM A READER, and I am VERY familiar with the cozy mystery genre. That seemed to reassure her,and we moved on. Which was good because at one of the first book club groups Sawyer hosts one of the members drops dead...POISON! I don’t need to remind you that when someone drops dead when eating food made by a chef...it can ruin her reputation. On top of the murder Sawyer has to decipher the code her mom left her. This could help her keep her head above water until she can figure out her trust fund.


My thoughts:

I loved the cover...very cozy. The characters in this book are a hoot Madge, the Admiral, her behind the times magician father, and many others. We can't forget the mini goldendoodle left to Sawyer by her mother. Cooper...who was named by her mother...which is the name of Sawyers ex-fiance who left her at the altar….is as sweet a teddy bear that he is described to look like. I love a book set in a small town with lots of quirky characters,and a bookshop...a COZY bookshop...IM IN!

The things I didn’t love. I thought the writing in the first couple of chapters was “clunky”. There were phrases that were stated in a weird way, but luckily whatever that was about it quickly worked itself out. I also thought she needed more supportive character development (they were great...give us more!), and more description of what sounds like an amazing setting!

So in the spirit of full disclosure...I read the 2nd book first. It was a request from Netgalley. I will say that almost all of my issues in the first book were addressed in her second. It was amazing... 4 ½ scoops of ice cream with a cherry on top. I’ll explain the ice cream in the full review to come.
Please do yourself a favor, and check out this new series! Check out my blog at: http://beachbumbookworm.com/

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved my trip to Sunset Cove. A quaint little tourist town with some interesting residents.
There's a lot going on in the background story that will be interesting to come back to in future installments. So this series will likely best read in order.

A little bit of romance, so far in form of a love triangle, which I can't wait to see how it will develop....
Sawyers father is a magician and her mother was his assistant which caused her family to put her inheritance into a trust fund which she couldn't access without her brothers permission. Sawyers uncle holds on tight to it and hopes to push Sawyer to give up on the trust fund and leave it to him.
Sawyers mom has some valuables that she hid in the bookstore and the house. She left a few clues that only Sawyer will be able to solve to find the treasure.

All this combined with the murder in Sawyers bookstore kept the story at a great pace. All in all a very good and clean cozy mystery.

I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that BookBuzz.net and the author provided me with an advance copy.

[Aristotle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scrolling through NetGalley i sometimes see murder mystery books with bright red, green, and yellow colors, pictures of dogs, cats, and a stuffed turkey next to a Christmas tree on the cover. This is one of them books.
After the death of her eccentric mother Sawyer finds a sort of treasure map to a hidden fortune somewhere in the bookstore or her moms house. People will kill, have killed to find it. That sums up the plot. Nothing special, humorous, clever, witty, or dark about it. This isn't the book you're looking for. Move along, move along.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, an apology to the author and NetGalley who had graciously sent me a review copy of this book. I am so sorry I did not get this book read until you approved me for the second in the series.

Now on to the good part. I loved this book. During the "Stay At Home" order I've been trying to do a lot of reading. I had read several books but wanted something different. So I picked a Cozy Mystery and found this funny, interesting, bookish, cozy out of all my books! This book is full of interesting characters, including a sweet puppy named Cooper (I'm a sucker for dogs). I laughed, I cried and I didn't want to stop reading! I'm ready for the second in this great series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great mystery, awesome characters and one of the cutest dogs I've read about in awhile. I'll say upfront that I wasn't a fan of the present tense style and can't quite figure out why it was used, unless it was supposed to be like Sawyer looking back and writing her memoirs. But even then, it's kind of annoying, but honestly, I'm glad I didn't let it stop me from enjoying a great story. The riddle, clues and puzzle aspect really kept me intrigued.

Other than the constant present tense, it was well-written as far as vocabulary, and the dialogue was actually believable--and real-sounding. The author did a great job of painting the nasty uncle as a total snake, because I absolutely couldn't stand him--am I awful to wish he'd been offed? But then they'd have thought Sawyer did it lol. At first, I wasn't sure about Brittany, the store employee, but she grew on me more and more. I just love what good thing happened for her eventually! I liked the romance aspect a lot. It was just the right amount. At first I was one team, but by the end of the book I was ready to switch teams. I won't say, so I don't spoil it ;) The other supporting character of Madge was a lot of fun! I got such a kick out of how she and Sawyer would compare case notes, but Dylan the sheriff knew what they were doing all along. Renee, Sawyer's best friend was a hoot! She was a happy-go-lucky free spirit and dated a new guy almost every week

I can't leave out the sweet Admiral! Every mystery needs a fun and quirky character. The author nailed it with the Admiral. I hope he's around for a very long time! (Can I help it if I pictured him as the famous white-haired star of the old Diagnosis Murder series?) ;) As far as the killer, I was going back and forth on that one, so it was a little bit of a surprise. But it led to an awesome showdown where little Cooper the mini Goldendoodle got to be a hero, and his mommy wasn't too shabby either! The sheriff showed up just as my nerves were giving out lol. I thought the ending was satisfying as far as the main mystery, but it was kind of fun to leave a couple of little threads dangling. I'm definitely enticed to read the next book!

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

OK, so I'm going to start by saying that if you pick this book up and the begiing hasn't changed, keep reading! I was really thrown off by the start, because I felt like the writing was poor and it kept distracting me. After a chapter or two it actually really improved, and I genuinely think the start was the only bad thing about this book; after a while the characters and the situation grows on you and I really liked the story! I can always do without a love triangle, but hopefully Sawyer makes a decision on that front and doesn't leave the reader's hanging for too long.

I always love books about books, and this was no exception. There are plenty of points of reference in this, but I feel like maybe the focus will move to food eventually if Sawyer opens her dream restaurant. The might mix the two themes though, we'll see!

So yeah, I felt like this was overall a fun and interesting mystery. Four stars.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sawyer's uncle is determined to keep her and her sister from getting anything from the family trust, someone wants to run her out of town and someone seems to be killing to be the first to find what her mother hid for her. A well thought out plot, entertaining characters and intrigue all draw you in to keep you turning pages or listening if you are an audio fan like me. I quite enjoyed this first book in the series and hope there will be more to come!

[Cherry London · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, this book started a bit on the slow side and made me think aw it’s one of those mild cozies but it quickly builds into an intriguing and fun package. I love the mix with the romance in between, along with the few twists and turns. The storyline is fabulous and the characters are awesome but I have to say I like the sheriff best, and not forgetting cooper the pooch Sawyer’s tiny guardian.

[Melissa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plotting for Murder is a story that I had considered reading for a long time. I had put off reading it because I wasn’t sure about the whole second chance romance paired with a cozy mystery. Luckily, I did give this story a chance and I found it to be quite entertaining. The mystery was nicely done and the romance element did not run away with the story. I liked the introduction of the supporting characters and I am eager to get to know them all better. I look forward to reading book two :D. 

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sawyer Davis has inherited her mother's Victorian home and mystery bookstore, "Cloaks, Daggers, and Croissants." Sawyer's sister Megan, a physician, is married with 2 children, lives in San Francisco, and consistently tells Sawyer that she doesn't need any of the inheritance and that Sawyer is the one to carry on their mother's dreams.

Sawyer's mother knew she was dying of cancer so she was careful to leave information for Sawyer to comfort her and also to reveal her secrets with clues meaningful to Sawyer. Most importantly, the discoveries would also help Sawyer retain her mother's part of the trust and far from the reach of her conniving Uncle Frank's hands. As mayor he has access to people and documentation at his fingertips and doesn't hesitate to use intimidation so Sawyer needs to be careful of who she takes into her confidence.

Inheritance has become a "typical" reason for a woman to move back to her hometown or to a dearly loved small town from her past. A romantic interest that has also become "standard fare" is a member of law enforcement. In this series opener, I absolutely love and highly applaud the twists that the author has creatively added that made this mystery all the more enticing to read, added sparkle to the love triangle, and an adorable Doodle for cuddles. I'm looking forward to reading what's next for Sawyer.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sawyer's mother has passed and left Sawyer as a half recipient of the family trust, if she can survive her uncle. And Zoe also left Sawyer a scavenger hunt of sorts. Add in some crazy characters and a brand new puppy, and this was the start of a great new series.

The audio version was a bit irritating as the narrator spoke in valley girl type accents and it was very off putting. I will be able to read the e-book version of the next in the series and avoid the narrator altogether so that is a great win!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice start to a new cozy mystery series. Well-written plot, good character development and background.

[Annie ⚜️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Uber generic. I know these are supposed to be cozy chick porn but everything was so unbelievably perfect down to her dog/bookstore/Victorian house. Ridiculous.

[Books Yada Yada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sawyer, originally from a small tourist town along the CA coast leaves to attend MIT in Cambridge, Mass-a suburb of Boston -and graduates with degree in engineering. Realizing that being an engineer was a path not meant to be, Sawyer relocates to Chicago, attends culinary school and becomes a chef satisfying her true passion-food. Fast-forward 10 years, Sawyer is called back to Sunset Cove after her mother passes away and wills Sawyer the bookshop and the dilapidated Victorian home her mother adored. Sawyer, uncomfortable returning the town she tried so hard to escape is reluctant to stay but is compelled to respect her mother's dying wishes to keep the bookstore and home in the family.

It isn't long before a townie and former high school classmate turns up dead at the bookshop's weekly book club meeting. Who dun it?!!

I really enjoyed this first installment to the Cozy Mystery Bookshop Series. Tamra Baumann has created some truly eccentric characters in this fun cozy. Sawyer is great. She is a self-proclaimed math nerd and is not bookish. WHAT?!! Oh, the horror! However, I thought that was an interesting facet of her personality. As the main protagonist, it's definitely a very different character trait especially when the series is a bookshop cozy. I found the fact that she isn't well-read in the literary realm, refreshing.

Sawyer is wound up like a top and definitely needs a chill pill (or a few) but is relatable as a "fish out of water" as she tries to deal with the mess around her literally and figuratively. She has found herself in quite the pickle as she tries to unravel a murder with the help of her ex-boyfriend Dylan, now the town sheriff. The town's wackadoodle locals and Sawyer's family provide some really LOL moments (especially Madge-the police department dispatcher) as they try to figure out the who, why's and how's of Sunset Cove's rare murder investigation.

This series is a keeper and I'm looking forward to next book in this series!

[Angela Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost...but not quite

By the midpoint of this story I wondered if Sunset Cove was populated by idiots. What else could explain: several individuals colluding with Sawyer's nut job mother to maintain an irritatingly complex treasure hunt for Sawyer's inheritance; no one finding it arrogant, manipulative, reckless, or unacceptable to leave living beings as a behest with no heads up, and; repeatedly electing a venal bully who is known to use his office as mayor as a weapon?

However, thanks to the journey the author provides, by the end of the story I appreciated the idea of townspeople who: show tolerance even for the "odd ones"; are loyal, supportive, and keep their promises, and; stand up to bullying in subtle and creative ways. This is the kind of support system that Sawyer (ironically NOT a mystery buff) will need to help keep her mother's mystery bookstore open while she simultaneously pursues her dream of owning a restaurant and considers giving a heartbreaker a second chance.

With so much going on, it's unsurprising that certain elements may fall by the wayside; unfortunately, that underdeveloped element is the murder mystery, which is a rather large fail for a cozy mystery story. Adding this to the distracting choice to use present tense narrative makes "Plotting for Murder" a bit of a disappointment.

[Karen Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Tamra Baumann, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC, through Netgalley, of "Plotting for Murder".

Sawyer, a chef, returns to her hometown of Sunset Cove, California, following the death of her eccentric matchmaking mother, Zoe, a local business owner of a mystery bookshop. Throw in a new puppy, a few attractive eligible men (including a former boyfriend), running a mystery bookshop (when she does not read mysteries), a magician father, a crumbling Victorian house, a greedy uncle who controls the family's trust fund, dreams of opening her own restaurant, what could go wrong?

In the beginning of the book, a book club meeting results in a death of one of its members, Sawyer and her former boyfriend, the local sheriff must race to find out who the killer is and what is the big mystery that Sawyer's mother wanted her to solve in order to realize her restaurant dreams.

Initially, I felt this book was all of the place with multiple situations going on at the same time. At times, I felt that these multiple situations were too much for a first book in a new cozy mystery series. However, Baumann did an excellent job of bringing all the storylines together for a solid ending.

I look forward to reading more books in this series.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the first chapter and had enough. There’s a handful of things that turned me off of this book. The narrator seems hyped up - not coming across as a good reading style. She seems overly peppy, bright, and fast instead of reading the book in her normal. I think she’s trying too hard to sound engaging.

Within the first few pages we meet the 2 adoring and handsome competing love interests. We also hear all about the “evil villain” (uncle /town mayor)who’s going to make Sydney’s (main character) life difficult. We see how the wise dead mom is still able to pull strings from beyond the grave to care for her daughter. We haven’t even come to the murder yet. Set up is way too plucky and perfect.

[Crazy for Books (Stephanie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard deciding if this was a two star or a three star read. I don't like the narrator's voice and intonation. I also thought it took forever to get going. I almost DNF. It wasn't until the last third of the book that got me interested. Now I want to know what happens with the sisters in the next book. I also want them to somehow get rid of that Uncle of theirs, so they can live their lives without him hovering over them.

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Urghhh. So aggravating. This book had real potential because the premise, setting and characters could actually work. However, the writing is absolutely terrible. The murder has zero seriousness for people of the town, the narrator seems distracted. Such a waste

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much back and forth, was it him, was it her? A little of this, too much of that.
Also, don’t care for the “mom left clues” scenario.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy of this book via Goodreads giveaway, which has no influence on my rating or review.

I almost DNFed this book. I felt like the beginning was extremely weak. Some of the phrases were oddly written, and had the spelling and punctuation been off, I would have dropped it.

I'm glad I didn't.

Sawyer Davis has returned home following her mother's death, and is trying to find a way to turn a profit at her mother's foundering bookstore and a way to access the trust overseen by her uncle Frank, the town mayor, so she can open her own restaurant. Add a love triangle between a past love and a possible future one, and a goldendoodle puppy (all orchestrated by her mother before her death), and Sawyer has enough to keep her busy, even before a former schoolmate dies during book club at the bookshop.

This turned out to be a fun little read. Like most cozy mysteries, it's a little farfetched, but it was a little more restrained than some others I've read. I had the killer pegged for a long time, so there was no surprise there.

The surprise was that the writing got better as the story went on (only one odd turn of phrase about 90% in after the dubious beginning). I enjoyed watching Sawyer learn more about her mother as she tried to unravel the mystery.

There are some suitably quirky characters that populate the town, and I enjoyed meeting most of them, too. I thought the romance angle was a bit much at times, and Sawyer made some questionable decisions, but I've pretty much accepted that those are a staple in a lot of modern cozies.

Story ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, reminiscent of the original Nancy Drew series. Not my favorite ending, but I would be willing to revisit Sawyer (and adorable puppy, Cooper!) again in the future.

3 out of 5 stars.

[Earlene Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing

I am not into dysfunctional family and the story was overflowing with pointing out just how bad this groups were starting with the mother's family! The mystery was slow and what romance?

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t find a lot of intrigue in this cozy mystery. The writing style and characters seemed more geared toward the “young adult” age group of readers. Maybe it was supposed to be? Moving on.

[KK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good simple quick RomCom who dunnit!

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

A silly little mystery with all the expected small town characters. But, it helped distract me while painting.

[Sneha Dey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Easy, funny, short, light and feel good.

[Shelly Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cozy with witty characters and an adorable puppy. I really enjoyed all of the different personalities, the mystery, the back story. Definitely one of the better cozies.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a couple of days since I read Plotting for Murder. When I came to my computer to review it, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was about. Then Sawyer’s magician father came into my mind and “poof” like a magic trick, it all came back to me. I am not saying this to relate that the characters were unforgettable but the title didn’t harken me back to the plot.This had great characterization and flow. They story was complex and fun.

Sawyer’s mother left her a real mystery to solve after her death. This rigamarole was done in order to force Sawyer to stay in Sunset Cove. It was implied there was something monetarily important to find. Sawyer dreamed of opening her own restaurant but now had to settle for preparing food in her mother’s mystery bookstore. If she could find this money or whatever it was, maybe her dreams could be realized

Mysteries weren’t really her forte but she would delve into the search for clues anyway… whatever she had to do to make her dream possible. Her Uncle, and mayor of the town, had a vested interest in this money as well. He wanted it for himself but would continually remind her that anything she found belonged to the Trust and he was in charge of the Trust. Her Uncle was not a nice man. I am not sure how he ever got elected Mayor.

Sawyer’s father was a magician and due to his age, he didn’t do the really amazing tricks of today but the hand magic and props of yesteryear. She was very familiar with such tricks since she grew up learning about them. And these tricks become key when she begins her search.

I don’t want to go into too much detail but this was a pretty great read. And I am hoping the subtitle: Cozy Shop Mystery #1 means that there will be more offerings in this series. Definitely check this one out. Lots of fun magical elements.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to her hometown of Sunset Cove as her Mother battles cancer, Sawyer Davis finds that her Mother’s last wish, for Sawyer to stay in Sunset Cove, is actually what she wants. Though her family trust fund requires her to stay in Sunset Cover and keep her Mother’s mystery book shop open and running, she still dreams of running her own restaurant. But her Uncle wants to get his hands on the remaining trust and Sawyer is looking for a loophole to keep her Uncle from taking her Mother’s share of the family trust.

As Sawyer embraces running the bookshop she is hosting the mystery book club at the store and one of her childhood friends dies in the shop. It appears he has been poisoned and everyone in the book club is a suspect. Soon it appears that the dead man was looking for some valuable items that Sawyer’s Mother left for her. But who else knows about the inheritance and would kill to get their hands on it?

Add in the local sheriff is Sawyer’s old fiancé who left her at the altar, a magician who is her father, and doodle puppy her mother bought for her before she died and you’ve got a fun new series with a love triangle, lots of red herrings, and a town full of people who care about each other, and a new series that you are going to love! Can’t wait for more in this series!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the Audiobook.

Not bad.

Complaints: The protagonist is overly dramatic and seems to think no one moves on from high school drama. There was too much jammed into the first book, but I do get that an author might want to try to tie up most loose ends in case the series doesn't take off. The whole thing with Brittney shows a basic lack of understanding AND editing- initially they said TEMPORARY guardianship, then it turns out Zoe had adopted her? Illogical. Pick one at least, the temporary guardianship probably being the more likely choice for a 15 year old. The uncle is a cartoon villain- but the author did acknowledge that. The clear love interest is an asshole and she should freaking move on but she won't because that's how these things work.

Good points: The story was logical, or at least as logical as a cozy tends to get. The killer wasn't stupid, even if they hadn't thought everything through. The dad being a magician wasn't just a weird character trait to throw in- it actually had purpose which was nice to see.

To be fair to this author, I've been off cozies for a bit and then the last one I read (right before this) was AWFUL so I'm in a highly critical mood. The character's dramatic nature might have also been exacerbated by the narrator as I did listen to it as an audiobook.