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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. cute and silly but drags on even though it's pretty short.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Mur d*r Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry was an unexpected mystery with a twist among a group of lively folks in a retirement home, a tortoise, and granddaughter Amber Winslow.
Amber flees to the luxurious Seven Ponds Retirement home after a breakup from her P.I. boyfriend Bones, to meet her grandmother Jade whom she has never met. Instantly Jade knows it’s her granddaughter and welcomes her in right away. Amber’s mom has warned her to stay away from her grandmother and has written her out of her life, but Amber wants to meet this woman with nowhere else to turn. Jade hosts a true crime podcast with some of the other residents of the retirement home, and on the night of Amber’s arrival she finds out one of their own has died, only it appears to not be an accident or natural causes. A three million dollar ring is missing along with a tortoise that belong to the victim. Amber having P.I. experience from shadowing her boyfriend for the last three years, takes on the case of the missing tortoise, and also clearing her grandmother’s name who has become suspect number one.
This was a fun mystery. The group of retirees are a funny, loyal group, that you can’t help but like everyone and want to also clear their name as everyone becomes a suspect. I thought I had this one figured out, but had a twist in the end that got me. The ex boyfriend being a P.I. also shows up, so there’s a whole cast of characters that make this mystery interesting.
In MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY, written by Tamara Berry, Amber Winslow flirts her way into the Seven Ponds Retirement Community in Draycot, Arizona, to visit her grandmother. The grandmother, bowling ace Judith Webb, goes by the name Jade McCallum. Amber’s grandmother runs a true-crime podcast, Death Comes Calling, from her retirement community and wants Amber to be on the podcast in the role of a detective. When the body of the “Admiral” is found in the podcast studio, my interest is piqued.
I like Tamara Berry’s writing. To my delight, she injects a bit of humor into her characters—like the string-bikini-clad grandmother. While the characters are interesting to read about, they don’t seem as memorable as those in Tamara Berry’s previous series, By the Books. I must admit, I prefer the other series. I do like the ending of this book. It makes me want to read the next one. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of MURDER RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4 Stars
One Liner: Funny and entertaining
Amber Winslow leaves her former life in Seattle and goes to a retirement center in Arizona to meet her grandma, a woman she has never met! While she is still coming to terms with the easy entry into Seven Ponds (the luxury retirement community center) and meeting her eccentric and modern grandmother, Amber is shocked to hear about the death of a resident, George Vincent, a.k.a. the Admiral.
With the Admiral’s missing pet tortoise and the sudden disappearance of his family heirloom, the fingers point at Amber’s grandma, Jude. Amber may not know this woman, but she is determined to prove that her grandmother is innocent. Seems like it is time she used her sleuthing skills for her family.
The story comes in Amber’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
I’ve seen good reviews for the author’s cozy mystery series and decided to try her latest book.
The book starts with Amber down on her luck and trying to meet her estranged grandmother, someone her mother doesn’t approve of. Not having anywhere else to go, Amber decides she would try a chance with her grandma.
The death occurs fairly soon (less than 10%), so the book pretty much puts us in the mystery immediately. That said, we also get a glimpse into the backstory, the strained family relationships, the FMC’s career, and the eccentricities at the retirement center.
While this feels like a lot, it is not. Sure, there are some laugh-out-loud moments, and Grandma Jude is a sparkling and OTT personality. However, we don’t feel overwhelmed with the information we get right at the beginning. There’s more than what we see at first, obviously!
The mystery is really cozy. It’s a blend of drama and mystery, so think of something like Vera Wong (though grandma here isn’t gonna waste her time cooking).
The themes of found family, friendship, living in a community center, sense of belongingness, etc., are also explored, but without making the book heavy or overwhelming.
Humor is the highlight. Since it is subjective, if you don’t enjoy the lighthearted scenes, you may not like the book as much.
We have a pet tortoise which plays a prominent role in the plot and is carried around by quite a few. Moreover, this ninety-plus tortoise inspires protective feelings in many people!
I also like that the ex is not totally a bad guy. He has some good traits. In fact, most characters are the same. They feel realistic enough to be flawed and good.
The ending very much makes it sound like this book will be a series. I hope it is! I’d be delighted to read more books with the FMC and her grandmother.
To summarize, Murder Runs in the Family is a lighthearted and cozy read with a mystery (or two), a pet tortoise, and characters trying to make the best of their situation and be happy.
A part of it reminded me of the reports we get from Kerala Airport (IYKYK).
Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #murderrunsinthefamily
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Amber Winslow, an aspiring PI, leaves Seattle and tracks down a grandmother she has never met. Amber shows up unannounced at the Seven Ponds Retirement Community in Draycott, Arizona where Judith Webb, who now goes by Jade McCallan, is living. Amber has a difficult relationship with her mother, but instantly connects with her grandmother and is barely unpacked before Jade has her involved in a couple different investigations as well as doing research for the true crime podcast that Jade and her friends run. Things really get complicated when Jade is accused of killing a close friend and it's up to Amber to prove her innocence.
This book is delightful! Neither Amber nor Jade are perfect, but I liked both of their characters from the beginning. Together they are even better. Jade gives Amber confidence in herself and that comes in handy when she is investigating the crime and making life decisions. I love that we see character growth for Amber as the story progresses. There are a couple of characters that you're not supposed to like and I didn't, but they are also three-dimensional characters who aren't completely bad. The ending really surprised me and was nothing like I expected. I hope there are more books with Amber, Jade, and Jade's fellow podcasters. There are certainly more stories to tell with these interesting characters.
I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Seeing as I loved Tamara Berry's "Buried in a Good Book" series, I was so excited to see her coming out with a new book!
Typically, within the cozy mystery genre, I tend to lean more towards bookish topics, so this one was a bit outside of my comfort zone. But the synopsis intrigued me, nonetheless.
I found both Amber and her grandmother to be interesting characters to follow, and I enjoyed seeing the found family aspect within the retirement community (specifically the podcast crew). I also liked Tamara's quirky, easy-to-read writing style.
Overall, I did enjoy the story, but it wasn't a stand out for me. It was slow at times, and I was never fully invested in the characters or the mystery. I always appreciate that Tamara's writing is intelligent and her reveals can't quite be pinpointed, but I do wish I had more of a "jaw-on-the-floor" reaction to this one.
I think readers who are fans of The Thursday Murder Club book series or the Only Murders in the Building tv series would be fond of this book as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Typically, within the cozy mystery genre, I tend to lean more towards bookish topics, so this one was a bit outside of my comfort zone. But the synopsis intrigued me, nonetheless.
I found both Amber and her grandmother to be interesting characters to follow, and I enjoyed seeing the found family aspect within the retirement community (specifically the podcast crew). I also liked Tamara's quirky, easy-to-read writing style.
Overall, I did enjoy the story, but it wasn't a stand out for me. It was slow at times, and I was never fully invested in the characters or the mystery. I always appreciate that Tamara's writing is intelligent and her reveals can't quite be pinpointed, but I do wish I had more of a "jaw-on-the-floor" reaction to this one.
I think readers who are fans of The Thursday Murder Club book series or the Only Murders in the Building tv series would be fond of this book as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Fleeing her past, Amber seeks refuge with her estranged grandmother in a luxury Arizona retirement community. When a resident is murdered and suspicion falls on her eccentric grandmother, Amber investigate to clear her grandmother’s name, even if it means confronting a dangerous secret.
I loved the characters and the compelling writing style in this novel. The plot is clever and fun. I hope this becomes a series—I’d love to read more about these characters.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I loved the characters and the compelling writing style in this novel. The plot is clever and fun. I hope this becomes a series—I’d love to read more about these characters.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes