***I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***
"A mystery writer finds solace and murder in rural Oregon...Whimsy meets woodsy"— Kirkus Reviews
Don't miss the first book in a brand-new gripping and hilarious bookish cozy mystery series by author Tamara Berry!
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.
Put your sleuthing hat on—Buried in a Good Book features:
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
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the first book in her new By the Book series, a bookish cozy mystery series. This book is fun and mysterious, and has a Sasquatch and flying Tucans!
Tess Harrow, a best-selling thriller writer, decided to spend some time in her Grandfather’s rustic cabin in the woods with her teenage daughter Gertie. She recently inherited the cabin, set by a lake in a remote area in Washington state. With no electricity, wifi, or other distractions, Tess hopes this will be a bonding experience with her daughter after her divorce from Gertie’s father.
But, as soon as they arrive, they hear a large explosion from the lake, and body parts rain on top of them. Now Tess is involved in a murder investigation and decides to help the local sheriff, Victor Boyd, who happens to share an uncanny resemblance to her main character, Detective Gabriel Gonzales. Sheriff Boyd isn’t happy to have help with his investigation, but eventually, he grudgingly accepts her help.
This book was a quick read for me. There is an excellent balance of humor, mystery, and vivid characters that kept me turning pages until I could find out who the murderer was. Tess, as a thriller writer, knows just enough about murder investigations to be a pain in the behind to the sheriff, but without her sleuthing, he never would have figured out who was murdering his citizens. These characters are very well written, I felt like I could be a best friend to Tess, and enjoyed her smartmouthed daughter, Gertie very much.
The mystery had enough red herrings in it to keep me guessing until the very end. The addition of Sasquatch and some wild animals make for some humor as well as some interesting theories for the murderer. I loved the little town and all the quirky characters. I’m looking forward to the next books in this series.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
About Tamara Berry
Tamara Berry is a part-time author and part-time freelance copywriter/editor. She has a B.A. degree in English Literature from Eastern Washington University. In addition to books, she has mad love for all things TV, movies, and pop culture.
She also writes romances under the pennames Lucy Gilmore and Tamara Morgan.
This is an interesting way to get modern characters away from wifi for a summer. My teenage nephew shudders at the thought of not having wifi at all. (Honestly, it would be hard for me, too!)
The blurb mentioned an arm falling out of the sky. Was this a gory read in general?
I am cutting back on requests, BUT it is first in the series, bookish, I’m auto-approved, and you have indicated it is clean and a quick read. I couldn’t resist😉; it has been downloaded. Thanks for the recommendation.
I love cozy mysteries and this sounds like something I’d love! I’m glad to hear that it was a quick read and had a good balance between humor and mystery. Great review Wendy!
[…] BOOK REVIEW: Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry from The Bashful Bookworm […]
This sounds fun, but I can’t start another series. I just can’t…… Great review, Wendy.
This sounds like so much fun and I love the combination of laugh out loud and mystery. My cup of tea for sure!
Oh this sounds fantastic! I love that the main character is a thriller writer. How fun!
I enjoy a good cosy, and this sounds like one. Great review, Wendy.
This is an interesting way to get modern characters away from wifi for a summer. My teenage nephew shudders at the thought of not having wifi at all. (Honestly, it would be hard for me, too!)
The blurb mentioned an arm falling out of the sky. Was this a gory read in general?
This one sounds kind of fun. I have to admit that I’ve never read a cozy mystery.
I haven’t read many cozy mysteries, but the few I have read have been a lot of fun.
I am cutting back on requests, BUT it is first in the series, bookish, I’m auto-approved, and you have indicated it is clean and a quick read. I couldn’t resist😉; it has been downloaded. Thanks for the recommendation.
I hope you enjoy it, Linda!
What a way to start off a summer! This one sounds entertaining!
It really was entertaining, Jolene!
I love these kinds of thrillers! The ones that just feel claustrophobic are the best ones to me.
Thank you, Carrie!
This one sounds like such an enjoyable read! I love that cabin/mountain setting, and the mother/daughter relationship in this one sounds fun, too. 🙂
Thank you, Lark!
This sounds like a lot of fun, and I love the Sasquatch angle as well!
It is fun, and Sasquatch made it even funnier.
I love cozy mysteries and this sounds like something I’d love! I’m glad to hear that it was a quick read and had a good balance between humor and mystery. Great review Wendy!
Thank you!
Buried in a Good Book sounds wonderful, Wendy. I’ll have to look out for it. Thanks for sharing your review.
Thank you, Kim! It’s a fun cozy mystery.
This does sound like a great cozy mystery, great review
It is, Jenny!
Fun book cover
Thank you, Rosie! I agree, it’s a fun-looking cover.
This sounds like such a fun and engaging read full of action! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Thank you, Jodie!
Wonderful review Wendy! I think I might have this one. I better go check!🤦♀️📚🤗💜
You probably do have it, Susan! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.
That’s a seriously adorable cover, and I love the sound of this. The humor shines through in the blurb. Fab review, Wendy!
Thank you, Teri! It’s a fun little mystery.
This sounds so fun and I absolutely love this cover 😍
Thank you, Rae!
An author as the detective, a nice setting, lots of wild animals–sounds like something I’d love.
I think you would enjoy it, Mallika! It does have a good mystery
I don’t read many mysteries but this one sounds really good! Great review!
Thank you, Amanda!