Thursday, May 17, 2018

Thursday Thoughts: The Plot is Murder by V.M. Burns

Today I'm sharing my thoughts about a recent read, The Plot is Murder by V. M. Burns, the first book in the Mystery Bookshop Series.


When recently widowed Samantha Washington leaves her teaching job to open a mystery bookshop in her hometown of North Harbor, Michigan, she never imagined that the store would become the site of its own murder mystery. As Market Street Mysteries--her lifelong dream--is about to become reality, Clayton Parker, the obnoxious broker who sold her the building, is found dead near its doorstep. Parker had amassed many enemies over the years, but Sam is considered a prime suspect in Clay's demise. Working to clear her name and reputation, Sam uncovers many reasons why someone would want Clay out of the picture. Can she identify the killer before she herself becomes a victim?

When Sam isn't sleuthing, she's writing her own cozy murder mystery set in England between the two world wars. This feature creates a fascinating "novel within a novel" combination of circumstances, with readers trying to solve not one--but two--murders. 

In this first installment of the Mystery Bookshop series, Burns has established a lovable bookstore setting and team of close-knit family members and friends. Rounding out the cast of characters are Sam's two faithful poodles, Snickers and Oreo, adding another delightful aspect to the series. I am now eagerly awaiting Burns's next book and the opportunity to revisit these new fictional friends.

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Note:  I borrowed this book from the library and received no compensation for my review.

This Thursday Thoughts post was originally written and published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original post on Google+ are appreciated.

15 comments:

  1. This sounds wonderful and I am glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. I really enjoyed getting to meet Valerie Burns in person recently. I had 'visited' with her a bit on the Jungle Reds blog when she and the other 'new book' nominees for the Agatha Award were featured. I talked with her more than once and she was delightful. Can't wait to read this book and I was able to pick up #2 as well.

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    1. I can't wait to read the next in the series. I'll be touring and reviewing the second book, Read Herring Hunt in the coming weeks.

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  3. I definitely want to read this one based on the premise. I love the fact that she's writing a mystery in the book! This sounds like a great read!

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  4. This sounds great. The only thing better would be a librarian opening a bookstore. I just went to Amazon and bought a copy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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    1. As the saying goes, sometimes you have to write the book you want to read, lol.

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  5. Now this is a cozy that I could enjoy (being a bit picky about my cozies, that is). It sounds like a lot of fun, with a book-within-a-book double mystery!

    Nice to "see" you again, Catherine :)

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    1. So great to hear from you, Rita!! I'd lost track of you, so will now take a look at your blog.

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    2. I can't seem to find your current blog, Rita. Can you send me a link?

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  6. I do like a good cozy and this one sounds like it has a lot of great elements with a bookshop and lots of critters. I will have to keep this series in mind.

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  7. I love cozies, especially those set in bookshops or libraries. Thanks for sharing.

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