Reviews

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review

3.0

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew is the debut of A California Bookshop Mysteries. I thought Murder by the Seashore was a lighthearted cozy mystery. Scarlett Gardner, a booklover, owns Palm Trees and Page Turners, a bookstore. Scarlett went into the business with her boyfriend, but he ditched her and the business when a better opportunity came along. She manages to keep the bookstore, but I am curious as to how Scarlett qualified for a bank loan (does not come from money, did not have a high paying job, no large inheritance, and she is not business savvy—I wonder if she has heard of a business plan). Scarlett is struggling to manage the business side of the bookstore, but she loves helping patrons find books (wouldn’t it be prudent to hire a business manager or accountant, maybe take a night class). With the bookstore being a new business, I am curious how Scarlett can afford a full-time employee and she plans to add a part-time one as well. There are a variety of characters introduced. I would like to see the main secondary characters fleshed out a bit more as well as Scarlett. The whodunit has Scarlett at the top of the suspect list (of course). Scarlett clumsily investigates (imagine a bull in a china shop). There are a limited number of suspects since the victim was visiting Oceanside. Scarlett picked her suspects based on their dislike of her instead of how they felt about the victim. The detective jumps to conclusions and zeros in on Scarlett based on circumstantial evidence. It is a good thing that Scarlett’s roommate is a lawyer. The whodunit is neatly wrapped up at the end. The reveal had me rolling my eyes. I know I am in the minority regarding Murder by the Seashore, but I found it to be predictable with cliché characters and crime. There is too much repetition. I do not need the details of the crime repeated three, four, or five times. The same can be said for information regarding the ex-boyfriend. I mentioned a few inconsistencies regarding the business, and there were a couple of discrepancies concerning Scarlett’s inheritance. The story was only two hundred and sixty pages long, but it felt longer. I struggled to finish it. Murder by the Seashore was not for me. I wish the author had added something unique since I recently read a couple of cozies with the protagonist owning or opening a bookstore and driving a mini cooper. While this cozy was not for me, I do suggest you download a sample to judge for yourself. Murder by the Seashore is a casual cozy with a busy bookstore, a problem under the pier, unexpected news, a bothersome ex-boyfriend, a protective detective, and a lawyer for a roommate.

leniece94's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

kimdavishb's review

4.0

MURDER BY THE SEASHORE is the first book in the brand-new California Bookshop Mystery series by Samara Yew. This delightful seaside cozy mystery is the perfect book to escape into, whether while dreaming of vacation or while sitting on a beach listening to crashing waves and cawing seagulls. Protagonist Scarlett Gardner has just opened her Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop in Oceanside, CA. She is a likeable young woman but what really makes her character shine is the interaction she has with her sidekick and roommate, attorney Lucia. With this being the first book, there’s only so much character development you can do without detracting from the mystery and I’m looking forward to getting to know both of the women better in future books.

The discovery of a body happens early on in the book, which kept the pace flowing. Ms. Yew does an admirable job building a case for why Scarlett needs to get involved. Adding to the mystery of who killed the woman, was also the identity of the woman and how she was connected to Scarlett who had only briefly met her at the bookshop the night before the murder. The multi-faceted plotlines kept me engrossed to find out what happened next…and I wasn’t disappointed as the story unfolded. This is a wonderful start to what I hope is a long-running series!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to the audio version of the book. Narrator Catherine Ho does an admirable job in capturing not only the different voices of the characters, but their personalities as well. It was easy to follow the dialog of the various voices and helped me envision each character.

princessofpups8's review

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

rynflynn12's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

taylorziegler's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

rukitzu's review against another edition

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. There were plot twists that I loved reading because it kept me guessing. The pace was good. You got to meet the characters and get to know them while solving the mystery.

deanapotter's review

4.0

Scarlett Gardner is trying to make her dreams come true. Opening her beach book shop Palm Trees and Page Turner is the beginning of a good thing. Until her boyfriend/business partner decides to leave for a better job. Then to top things off, Scarlet finds a dead body under the pier not far from her Bookshop, making her a suspect in the murder. Then to mix things up just a little bit, a lawyer shows up wanting to speak to Scarlet about an inheritance from a person she has never heard of. Scarlet is filled with lots of questions and not finding too many answers. Deciding to do a little investigating of her own, Scarlet has to clear her name, and that of the book shop.


Murder by the seashore, is a fantastic opening book for this new series. Scarlett Gardner is an interesting main character. She has some complexities to her, has dreams and desires. She wants to fulfill and has a very good heart. She has a solid character any Author has written her in a way that she will be able to grow through future installments. I thought we were going to see the beginning of a love interest in the first book but I guess we’re not quite there yet. As for the mystery, I found it very enjoyable. Author Samara Yew does a wonderful job at keeping the reader guessing as to whether they have actually figured it out or not. From the setting to the characters to the storyline, I found this a very enjoyable, cozy mystery.

jkjoy_books's review

4.0

I recently finished the first book in the California Bookshop Mystery series, Murder by the Seashore. The narrative and its characters held my attention throughout. The author's writing style made for an easy-to-read but entertaining book. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery.

Thank you to Lori at Great Escapes Book Tours and the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

booklovingmom_'s review

4.0

Murder by the Seashore is the first book in the new California Bookshop Mystery series. Scarlett Gardner, a small bookshop owner, discovers a dead body on the beach. When she is questioned about the murder and it seems she is one of the prime suspects, Scarlett takes it upon herself to play Nancy Drew and search out the killer.

I found this to be your typical cozy mystery, which is in no means a bad thing. I love cozy mysteries and especially like finding new series I can start following. The main characters in this book are engaging and I enjoyed getting to know them. I also enjoyed the dynamics between them and getting to see just how awful Scarlett’s ex-boyfriend and ex-business partner, Connor, is. This was a good start to the series and I enjoyed it overall. There were parts of Scarlett’s sleuthing that made me think she wasn’t very good at detecting, but in the end she found the killer anyway. I think this has he potential to be a series I keep coming back to and I look forward to seeing what else is in store for Scarlett!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook version of this book! The narration was great!