Title: Buried in a Good Book (By the Book Mysteries #1)
Author: Tamara Berry
Genre: Adult Cozy Mystery / Contemporary
Publication Date: May 24th, 2022
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A thriller writer who knows way more than anyone should about death and dismemberment
Her young daughter who’s more intrigued by dead bodies than she probably should be
An isolated cabin in the woods that’s probably―definitely―hiding something
The tiny mountain town that seems less than troubled by a sudden abundance of murders
Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather’s rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess’s recent divorce, but they’ve barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it’s raining fish guts and…is that a human arm?
Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she’s thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they’ve spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales―something he’s less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter’s summer plans at stake, it’s up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.” (Goodreads)
I was looking forward to this one after I saw it mentioned on here from Wendy W @ The Bashful Bookworm. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have known about it!
The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Tess Harrow who is a bestselling thriller author. Her career definitely made the book more fun as there were distinct details from her books that made its way into reality, like the sheriff. A lot of the townsfolk have read her books as well. It’s always great to read a book that is also bookish in nature.
Tess Harrow is a very daring character. Her and her daughter end up in wild predicaments and Tess doesn’t let danger stop her from finding out the truth. I liked that she was a good mom and would do anything for her daughter, even if that meant letting go. It’s a tough thing to do but I admire Tess.
The sheriff was one of my favorite characters. He is very grumpy and goes by the book. I thought that him and Tess were an unlikely pair but they played off each other well.
I was very surprised by the plot and was definitely invested from the beginning. It is well paced and I wasn’t expecting the killer to be who it was. That is always a good thing!
Overall, this was a fun cozy mystery and I can’t wait to continue on with the series.
TheGeekishBrunette 