On Spine of Death (By the Book Mysteries, #2)

by Tamara Berry

Don't miss the second installment of this gripping and funny bookish cozy mystery series by Tamara Berry! This case isn't just cold, it's practically frozen shut...

In the aftermath of solving their first murder, bestselling author Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter Gertrude have decided to stay in Winthrop permanently. Now that they've made some updates to their cabin in the woods, they're turning to the family hardware store that Tess inherited and converting it into the town's first independent bookstore. But when renovations unearth bones from a cold case and send them toppling-literally-onto Tess's head, the work comes to a grinding halt. With the whole town convinced that her grandfather was a serial killer, Tess has to call in a fellow horror author for reinforcements. Together, they'll come up with a perfect story to make all the clues fit...and solve a mystery more than thirty years in the making.

• ISBN10: 1728248639
• ISBN13: 9781728248639
• Publish Date: 29 December 2022 (first published 29 November 2022)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Poisoned Pen Press
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 408
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

On Spine of Death is the second By the Book cozy mystery by Tamara Berry. Released 29th Nov 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 408 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an appealing small town cozy with a full complement of eccentric characters, usually including the requisite handsome local officer of the law, and featuring an intelligent female amateur sleuth. The genre is wildly popular and due to the abundance, more than a few are, frankly, formulaic and predictable. In this case the writing is well above average, engaging, well done and entertaining. There's more than a little humor, and the dialogue is never overwrought or clunky.

For readers who love small-town mysteries, especially bookish mysteries, this one combines both. It's potentially a little too gritty to be called a proper cozy mystery, but it's not very graphic and readers will likely have no trouble with the descriptions. 

Four stars. Definitely worth a look for fans of bookish small-town cozies. There are currently two books out, with a third due out in second quarter, 2023, making it a good candidate for a weekend mini-binge read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.