The Novel Art of Murder
By V.M. Burns
4/5
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About this ebook
The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she's descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the day. She’s not just a lousy liar, she's a bad actress, so when she nabs the lead in the Shady Acres Senior Follies—a part Nana Jo plays every year in their retirement village production—Nana Jo blows a gasket and reads her the riot act in front of everyone.
Of course, when Maria is silenced with a bullet to the head, Nana Jo lands the leading role on the suspects list. Sam’s been writing her newest mystery, set in England between the wars, with her intrepid heroine Lady Daphne drawn into murder and scandal in the household of Winston Churchill. But now she has to prove that Nana Jo’s been framed. With help from her grandmother's posse of rambunctious retirees, Sam shines a spotlight on Maria’s secrets, hoping to draw the real killer out of the shadows…
Praise for The Plot Is Murder
“Readers of Carolyn Hart and Vicki Delany will appreciate the lively seniors, the humor, and the bookstore environment.”—Library Journal
V.M. Burns
Valerie (V. M.) Burns is a mystery writer whose novels and short stories have been finalists for the Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers' Association. She is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in the southeastern United States with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at VMBurns.com.
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Reviews for The Novel Art of Murder
8 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is another book that I picked up because of the pair of cute dogs with big soulful eyes on the cover. I have to stop doing that!! Fortunately this one…unlike others that have tricked me into taking them home had a fairly decent story. I found the character of Nana Jo and her friends at her retirement community to be likeable even if they were a bit eccentric. I believe it’s like most cozies…a series that is just supposed to be taken with a grain of salt and a large dose of fun…as there are so many things that would just never ever happen in reality. No detective would ever share information with a civilian especially one that is a suspect….but then a detective that would allow himself to be nicknamed… “Stinky”… might be capable of most anything. Oh…the two cute little dogs that were the cover draw for me picking this up to begin with are Snickers and Oreo.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Samantha (Sam) Washington, owner of the Mystery Bookshop, has a bit of a problem. Her grandmother Nana Jo, has for the last ten years played the lead role in the Senior Follies at her retirement home. However, this year, when the part was given to Maria Romanov (bad actress, lousy singer), Nana Jo erupts in front of everyone and so is cast in the role of prime suspect when Maria is found with a bullet in her head. Situations don't improve when another resident is found poisoned. Since Sam is pretty good at solving mysteries, she's writing one of her own, she decides that Nana Jo could use some help staying out of jail, and sets out to find the murderer, or is there more than one?This series seems to improve with each book. I love the way that it is crafted with the book in a book - Sam's novel efforts mirroring the actual mystery and wind clues through out. Great addition to the series!