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A review by leandrathetbrzero
Murder Off the Books by Tamara Berry
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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
*BOOK CATCH UP #6/54 😳*
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review.
This is a cozy series that I can 100% see myself rereading. I love Tamara Berry's writing style, the humor and playful absurdity that find their way into each plot, and the consistent character development. With that said, this particular title was my least favorite in the By the Book mystery series to date. I think it strongly has to do with how many new characters arrived on the scene in order to make the plotting work, not only Tess's mother but the many podcast/journalism-related characters as well. It made the setting very busy, just as I felt like I was feeling familiar with the town and its characters with books 1 and 2.
I can very much understand the author's choice to use podcasting as a narrative device because that is a platform growing ever more popular in true crime/thriller circles. As Tess is a thriller writer, it fits that she would have a mystery that might mix her up in one. It just wasn't as well-executed as I would have liked it to be, and compared to how strong Buried in a Good Book (book (#1) and On Spine of Death (book #2) which both received 5 stars from me.
On that note, this remains a strong cozy mystery series, and I will definitely be reading more books published by Tamara Berry in the future whether it be part of the By the Book series or a new one!
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an e-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review.
This is a cozy series that I can 100% see myself rereading. I love Tamara Berry's writing style, the humor and playful absurdity that find their way into each plot, and the consistent character development. With that said, this particular title was my least favorite in the By the Book mystery series to date. I think it strongly has to do with how many new characters arrived on the scene in order to make the plotting work, not only Tess's mother but the many podcast/journalism-related characters as well. It made the setting very busy, just as I felt like I was feeling familiar with the town and its characters with books 1 and 2.
I can very much understand the author's choice to use podcasting as a narrative device because that is a platform growing ever more popular in true crime/thriller circles. As Tess is a thriller writer, it fits that she would have a mystery that might mix her up in one. It just wasn't as well-executed as I would have liked it to be, and compared to how strong Buried in a Good Book (book (#1) and On Spine of Death (book #2) which both received 5 stars from me.
On that note, this remains a strong cozy mystery series, and I will definitely be reading more books published by Tamara Berry in the future whether it be part of the By the Book series or a new one!