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Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Book Review: Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew (California Bookshop Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Good mystery, delightful characters and setting
Cons: Plot, while good, is more event driven than I prefer
The Bottom Line:
Customer murdered
Why is Scarlett a suspect?
Enjoyed this debut



Murder Under the Pier

Despite the fact that my bookshelves are overloaded with books I haven’t read yet, I can’t help but look at upcoming first in series for new series I might enjoy.  While I was doing that, Murder by the Seashore caught my eye.  A cozy mystery set in a beach side bookstore in Oceanside in Southern California.  Could this have been targeted any more for me?  I had to give the book a try, and I’m glad I did.

Scarlett Garner has recently opened Palm Trees and Page Turners bookstore on the beach in Oceanside.  While a bad breakup with her boyfriend has put a damper on it, she is loving her new store and her new life living by the ocean.  Since it is May, she is looking forward to the influx of tourists that will be coming to town over the summer.

When she arrives early to work one Monday morning, she decides to walk down to the town’s pier and back before she has to open the store.  However, when she gets to the pier, she finds a dead woman.  Scarlett recognizes her as the last customer of the day the day before, but she doesn’t even know the woman’s name.  After she gives her statement to the police, she assumes that her involvement is done.

But the next day, Scarlett gets the surprise of her life – a surprise that makes her the prime suspect in the case.  Can she prove her innocence?

I felt right at home within just a few pages.  Scarlett is an appealing protagonist, and I immediately liked the supporting cast as well.  These are characters I already know I want to read about for a long time to come.  I’m sure we’d become friends if they were real and I could meet them.  (Stupid reality!)

The mystery could be a little stronger for my tastes.  Don’t get me wrong there is a lot happening, and I quite often found myself reading more than I should have.  I just felt like this was a book more driven by events than investigating.  Ideally, I prefer a book that is driven by both.  As I said, this is a matter of taste.  I was absolutely hooked.  While I did figure out the solution before I reached the end, it was only a couple of chapters early, and I was proud of myself.  The suspects are strong and kept me guessing most of the way.

Oceanside is located just south of Camp Pendleton, a Marine base where I did mud runs ten years in a row (and hope to get back to do one again at some point in the future).  It’s always more fun to read about a setting I know, even if I don’t know it well.  In this case, I do know exactly where the police department is, so it was always fun when a scene was set there.  (The Pit Stop Diner, which I love, is right next to the police department.  That’s why I know.  Honest!)  I really want to explore the real town a bit more now to see how fictional or how real the setting is.

Murder by the Seashore is a delightful debut.  I will definitely be back to find out what kind of trouble Scarlett can get into next.  If you are looking for a fun new series, pick this one up and get in at the very beginning.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book

 


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2 comments:

  1. Loved the review, makes me want to read this new to me author and book even more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds really good and I love when a character feels like someone I'd be friends with! That makes a cozy extra fun.

    ReplyDelete

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