Book Review: Over My Dead Blog by Sarah E. Burr (Book Blogger Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Engaging story and wonderful characters

Cons: Nothing major

The Bottom Line:

Visiting brother

Winnie finds her first murder

Happy to meet her

Debut I Had to Read.  And I’m Glad I Did

I’m always on the lookout for new cozy series with a hook that appeals to me.  Having been a book blogger for over 10 years now (and a hobby online reviewer for over a decade before that), I was immediately drawn to Sarah E. Burr’s Book Blogger Mysteries.  I quickly made room in my reading schedule for Over My Dead Blog, the first in the series, and I’m glad I did.

This book introduces us to Winnie Lark.  Several years ago, she moved across the country, settling into the small coastal town of Copper Bay, Massachusetts, and anonymously started the extremely popular book blog What Spine is Yours.  Not even her family knows she is the person behind the blog, which is the way Winnie likes it.  She is an introvert who is happy to have escaped the limelight of her family’s many accomplishments.

The move has strained her relationships with her family, so she is both excited and nervous when her twin brother, popular actor Strider Lark, decides to come for a visit for two weeks before flying to Europe to shoot his next movie.  His first night out, they go to a popular restaurant, where he hits it off with Kelsey, a local reporter.  The next morning, Kelsey is found dead at the bottom of the cliff near Winnie’s home, and the police look at Strider as their prime suspect since he was the last one to see Kelsey alive.  Winnie has read plenty of mysteries.  Can she use those to help her solve this real-life case?

Winnie and Strider have lots of baggage in their relationship.  Normally, I’d be impatient as that strong sub-plot was introduced early instead of the book focusing on setting up the mystery.  Here, I didn’t mind in the slightest.  In fact, I found the scenes between the two of them some of the strongest in the book.  I thing I especially liked was that both of them had made assumptions about the other and the other’s life that turned out to not be true.  It is nice to see a book that recognizes the complexity of a strained relationship and how all involved can be partially responsible without meaning to hurt anyone else.

But yes, this is a mystery, and the book doesn’t take too long before it kicks off.  Winnie does seem to struggle for a bit trying to get a handle on suspects or motive, but she is trying.  And she follows a logical path to reach the right conclusion.  I also appreciated that Winnie worked hard to figure out how to prove her case, not just blundering along and not worrying about that aspect.

Winnie has made a couple of good friends since she moved, and I loved meeting them here and watching their friendship.  We meet some other characters along the way whom I look forward to seeing grow more as the series progresses.

Then there’s the book blogger aspect of the story.  While I can only dream of the success that Winnie has had, I did find it relatable.  If only I could pursue it full time like Winnie does.  Alas, that’s what fiction is for, right?  I can dream and ignore that my bills demand a day job.

I also must comment on the cute way that Winnie swears.  I think any book lover will be smiling at it like I was.  And yes, it is completely cozy.

This book takes place during October with the town getting ready for a harvest festival.  If you want to hang on to some fall vibes, this is a great book to pick up.

But no matter what time of the year you pick up Over My Dead Blog, you’ll be glad you did.  This book blogger recommends this delightful debut.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book