Buried in a Good Book - (By the Book Mysteries) by Tamara Berry (Paperback)

I was excited (and a little hesitant) to read this book. The blurb sounded interesting, but it's the first book in a new series so you just never know.... I can happily say I really enjoyed it. It was fun, fast-paced, and slightly zany. I enjoyed meeting, and getting to know, Tess (thriller writer and sometimes know-it-all), her daughter Gertie, the sheriff (who reminds Tess of her main character), and so many other interesting characters. There were plenty of red herrings and various shenanigans to keep me guessing whodunit. I was quite surprised when all was revealed. I'll definitely be watching for the next book in the series. Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the debut of By the Book Mysteries. Buried in a Good Book is a lighthearted cozy mystery. I am torn on my thoughts about this book. In the beginning, I was amused by Tess and Gertie as well as the mystery. I love Gertie (my favorite character). She is a precocious teen. Gertie is helpful and comes up with good ideas. She is often several steps ahead of her mother. Gertie is, though, going through that teen angst phase thanks to her absentee father (and arguments with her mother). There is a large cast of characters (Sheriff Boyd, Peabody brothers, Ivy, Nikki, Quinn, and Carl to name a few) which can make it hard to keep them all straight. Tess is a strong character. She can be hard to like at times, but I do find her amusing (for the most part). Her thought processes are what I love (she always has murder on the brain). Her mind can wander at times when a writing idea takes hold (usually at inappropriate times). Sheriff Victor Boyd is a good counterbalance for Tess. He is normally a calm, levelheaded man who conducts his investigations by the book. Tess likes to take liberties with the rules which ruffles Sheriff Boyd’s feathers. If the poor man did not have high blood pressure before meeting Tess, he will have it now. Gertie also loves being part of a murder investigation (which upsets and impresses Tess). The mystery is convoluted. I felt the author tried to put too much into one book. However, it is a fun crime to solve. There are a variety of suspects, a red herring or two, plus plenty of humor. I like how it all wrapped up at the end with an entertaining reveal. I did find it challenging to keep track of the differences between the real crime and Tess’s books. There are numerous references to Tess’s crime thriller series. In addition, we have the bookmobile librarian who has read all of Tess’s books (knows them very well) and a deputy who has written a science fiction novel that she would like Tess to read. I did find it amusing how she got Tess to read her lengthy manuscript. Let us not forget the errant ex-husband who shows up and causes drama. If you like light, comical cozy mysteries, then you will enjoy Buried in a Good Book. I wonder what Tess and Gertie will get up to next time in On Spine of Death. Buried in a Good Book is an entertaining whodunit with flying fish, a derelict dwelling, bothersome brothers, a blue bookmobile, a vexing ex-husband, a staid sheriff, and a witty writer who loves whodunits.

In an attempt to bond with her teenage daughter after a divorce, bestselling thriller authors Tess Harrow decides to spend some time at the rustic cabin she’s recently inherited. But it turns out the lack of running water, electricity, and Wi-Fi aren’t the worst things there. Tess and her daughter haven’t even gotten in the door before there is a horrible boom followed by a rain of fish parts and a human arm. When the sheriff shows up, he is the spitting image of Tess’s main character. What has Tess stumbled into? If that description sounds a little wacky, that’s because it is. But this book fully embraces it, and is better as a result. I was laughing the entire way through the book at the banter between the characters. The characters are strong and relatable if a bit broad to make the comedy work. I did feel the plot got a little convoluted as we neared the end, but that was my only complaint. Everything made sense in the end, and I was drawn in the entire time I was reading. If you are looking for laughs with your mystery, you’ll be happy you picked up this series debut.