Cozy Wednesday featuring Murder on Tour (Mystery Bookshop) by V.M. Burns #Review / #Giveaway @vmburns @KensingtonBooks Great Escapes Book Tour

Murder on Tour (Mystery Bookshop)
by V.M. Burns

About Murder on Tour

Murder on Tour (Mystery Bookshop)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting – Michigan
Kensington Cozies (November 28, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496739485
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496739483
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZBPW627

Bookstore owner and Michigander Samantha Washington is thrilled to see her debut historical mystery finally on the shelves, but a killer seems determined to steal away the spotlight . . .

While Sam wraps up her first whirlwind book tour, Nana Jo has kept Market Street Mysteries running smoothly. The last stop is a prestigious book festival in Sam’s hometown of North Harbor, Michigan. But not everyone thinks the guest of honor, bestselling author Judith Hunter, deserves stellar reviews. Sam witnesses nasty arguments between Judith and two different authors—who accuse her of plagiarism and sabotage . . .

When a publicist is poisoned during a cocktail reception, Sam wonders if the killer missed the intended target. It’s a twist that echoes the plot of Sam’s mystery, Murder at Wickfield Lodge. But fact can be stranger—and deadlier—than fiction. How much collateral damage is the killer willing to risk? With feisty Nana Jo and the girls from Shady Acres Retirement Village lending a hand, Sam tries to solve the case before the festival delivers another fatality . . .

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Samantha Washington can add another title to her resume, published author. Yes, Murder at Wickfield Lodge has been published and she has been on a book tour to promote her first book.  The final stop is right in her hometown of North Harbor, Michigan. Sam isn’t sure that she belongs on discussion panels with some very successful authors but she hopes to hold her own. Before the panels even begin Sam overhears some fierce arguments between the guest of honor, Judith Hunter, and two other authors. Sabotage . . . Plagiarism . . . Could it be true?

Later at a cocktail party, a publicist is poisoned, but was he really the target? Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres are more than willing to help Samantha find out. While Sam works on her next book with a plot similar to the one in real life, the ladies from Shady Acres have some ideas of their own to catch the killer. The question is can they do it without anyone else getting killed? or will there be more dead bodies at the North Harbor Book Festival?

I really enjoy this series and was so pleased to see Sam’s book published and that she has such a fabulous publicist, heck the woman did the work of two people. Using her writing to help figure out clues in a current mystery makes Samantha an excellent amateur sleuth. Teamed up with her Nana Jo and her friends, Ruby Mae, Irma, and Dorothy, with some assistance from her fiancee’ Frank, and her sister Jenna the group is pretty unstoppable which drives Detective Bradley Pitt—aka “Stinky Pitt” pretty crazy. Dawson is pretty busy with college and football but he still finds time to bake up some delicious treats and help out at the bookstore. Twins, Christopher, and Zaq were home from college for the weekend too so they are able to help with all the extra customers in town because of the book festival and the pop-up special events that randomly happened. All the characters are fun and funny while being true to life and relatable.

Oreo and Snickers are such lovable pups and wonderful canine companions. Snickers is getting up there in age but Oreo still follows Sam wherever she goes. Losing animals is just too hard. I hope Sam can avoid that pain for a very long time.

The great thing about this series is that there are two separate mysteries to solve. The historical one always mirrors the current case in some ways. Writing calms Sam and allows her to look at things from a different perspective which helps her entangle clues in the present-day murder. Lady Elizabeth had her hands full this time but she never loses her cool. She makes keen observations and keeps to ears open. Sam does the same. I was all over the place in my theories for both mysteries. When Detective Pitt shows up to tie up “just a few loose ends” you know things are going to be tense and entertaining. And they do/are and I loved it! The same with Detective Inspector Covington and Lady Elizabeth but with a twist.

While the final chapters wrap up the mysteries, by the end of the book Sam has a revelation of her own and she is absolutely right.

This line was in Chapter 1, but it spoke to me clearly as to how I feel.

“. . . don’t discount the importance of escapist fiction. Books are subjective, and people read books for different reasons. Given everything that’s happened in the world, many of us need to escape to maintain our sanity.”
~Nana Jo

I need to put that on a sampler. It’s the ideal tagline for a blog entitled Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book.

Murder on Tour is another superb book from V.M. Burns. Thoughtful and engaging characters with not one but two mysteries that will charm readers from beginning to end. With the weather getting chilly, you can make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, grab a this book and a snuggly blanket, head to that comfy chair, and sit back, get cozy, and escape right into Murder on Tour.

I recommend the entire Mystery Bookshop Series to all cozy readers.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About V.M. Burns

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award Finalist. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, and Thriller Writers International. Valerie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University. In addition to writing, Valerie works as a manager at a call center, and is also a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwest Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles.

Author Links
Website   Facebook    Goodreads     BookBub    Instagram

Purchase Links

Amazon   Apple     Books-A-Million     Barnes and Noble    Bookshop.org    Google Play    Hudson Booksellers    Target   KOBO   Walmart

The Rest of the Series

Also by V.M. Burns

Writing as Valerie Burns

Coming July 23, 2024

TOUR PARTICIPANTS – Please visit all the stops.
November 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
November 28 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
November 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
November 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
November 29 – Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
November 30 – The Book Diva’s Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
November 30 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
November 30 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
December 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
December 1 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
December 1 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
December 2 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
December 2 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
December 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW
December 4 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Nadaness In Motion – SPOTLIGHT
December 4 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”