This and That with Karen : Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry

May 23, 2023

Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry the 3rd instalment in the "By the Book Mystery" series.

Author Tess Harrow and her daughter, Gertrude, are starting to get a bad reputation due to their involvement in recent murder cases, so Tess has come up with the perfect plan to drum up some positive press. She'll combine her new book release and her bookstore opening into one big event, giving her a chance to wine and dine the locals and some big press contacts. But the night before the party, Tess is greeted by a surprise: her mother has come for a visit, with her much-younger new boyfriend in tow...a boyfriend Gertrude recognizes as the notorious Levi Parker, a man recently connected to the deaths of three elderly widows.

Tess immediately alerts Sheriff Boyd about the visitor, but it's already too late. Levi Parker is found dead and Tess's mother is starting to look like the prime suspect. Bernadette swears she didn't murder Levi, and Tess is doing her best to maintain her mother's innocence, but too many coincidences keep stacking up. With the whole town seemingly against her family, it's up to Tess to get to the bottom of the story before it's too late.

I really enjoyed visiting Winthrop, Washington and the seeing how Tess and Gertie were making out in the woods. I enjoy Gertie and now we have her mom Bee who’s a hoot!

I like the budding romance between Tess and Sheriff Boyd too.

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Tess did.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 4!