Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

Buried in a Good Book (By the Book Mysteries)

by Tamara Berry

Don't miss the first book in a brand-new gripping and hilarious bookish cozy mystery series by author Tamara Berry! 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

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.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Buried in a Good Book is the first By the Book cozy mystery by Tamara Berry. Released 24th May 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 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.

The subgenre of cozies which features small-town eccentric characters, usually including a local handsome law officer, and female amateur sleuth, honestly runneth over. They're wildly popular and as such, many are, frankly formulaic and predictable. THIS series starter engaged and amused me from the start. There's real chuckle-out-loud humor (which is a lot more difficult than it appears), the dialogue timing, and action are well controlled and unpredictable. 

Protagonist Tess is a successful middle aged mystery writer who has inherited her grandfather's cabin in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. The summer retreat (even without running water and electricity) appeals, especially since her marriage has recently broken up with the additional trauma of her ex-husband's rift with their teenage daughter. The trip starts out with a unexpected literal bang when a local ne'er-do-well dynamites her pond causing a deluge of stunned fish and unintentional body parts. 

I love small-town mysteries and bookish mysteries and this one combines both. It's potentially a little too gritty (body parts!) to be called a proper cozy mystery, but it's not very graphic and I had 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. 

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Reading updates

  • 31 December, 2022: Started reading
  • 31 December, 2022: Finished reading
  • 31 December, 2022: Reviewed