Murder on tour

Samantha Washington, cozy author and owner of Market Street Mysteries bookstore in southwestern Michigan, fills in at the last minute on a panel of mystery writers at the North Harbor Book Festival. She's largely ignored in the acrimonious rivalry between fellow panelists Nora Cooper and Judith Hunter, with Nora accusing Judith of having stolen the manuscript for the best-seller she's promoting. At a reception, Judith's publicist collapses after drinking champagne intended for Judith. Sam and her fiancé take charge, calling 911 and the local detective. As Sam and her posse--her grandmother and the eccentric ladies from the senior home--investigate, they uncover other enmities. For her part, Sam gets inspiration from letting her mind wander as she works on her next British cozy set at a country estate pre-WWII, where there is a similar death. In the ninth in the Mystery Bookshop series by this prolific Black author (following Bookclubbed to Death, 2022), the two stories complement each other, and the returning characters are unforgettable.

Mystery-bookstore owner Sam Washington is a last-minute panelist at the North Harbor Book Festival. Her cozy historical mystery was recently published, but she suffers from imposter syndrome. She's in awe of the other novelists on her panel: Nora Cooper, Scarlet McDunkin, and best-seller Judith Hunter. She soon learns that Nora and Scarlet hate Judith and have accused her of plagiarism and sabotage. That night at the festival's cocktail party, Judith's publicist collapses after drinking from Judith's poisoned glass of champagne. Who was the poisoner's target, Judith or her publicist? Sam, her feisty grandmother, and the residents of the local rest home investigate, all while Sam also works on the sequel to her historical mystery. In Sam's novel-in-progress, set in England in 1939 when Britain is preparing for war, Colonel Basil Livingston has written a tell-all book that gives away inside information about the British military. Then the colonel appears at village fete, where his secretary is poisoned and dies. Sam's writing helps her find the solution to the crime at the book festival. VERDICT Fans of cozy mysteries set in bookstores will enjoy Burns's latest "Mystery Bookshop Mystery," a sequel to Bookclubbed to Death.--Lesa Holstine

A much-hated author's publicist is offed by a poisoned cocktail doubtless designed for his client. Who had the guts to do what everyone wished they could've done? Michigan's North Harbor Book Festival has brought some of the best and brightest to the area, so Samantha Washington is tickled to be part of an author panel even though some attendees might think she's just a local yokel surrounded by big names. Samantha's proud of both the launch of her mystery series and the bookshop she runs with her Nana Jo, Market Street Mysteries, even if neither one will change the world. It's fun to do what she loves and get the stories in her head down on paper for others to enjoy. But that sense of humility isn't something all authors share, and Samantha's fellow panelist, bestseller Judith Hunter, certainly could use a dose that would bring her down to earth. Samantha watches Judith go head-to-head with two other authors, one of whom even jokes about starting an I-Hate-Judith-Hunter Fan Club. So terrible is Judith that when her publicist, Clark Cunningham, is poisoned during the cocktail reception following the big panel, Samantha is certain the drink that killed Clark was meant for Judith instead. With the help of Nana Jo and their shared network of connections, Samantha tries to figure out which of Judith's many highly motivated enemies stepped up to kill the famous author. Interspersed extracts from Samantha's work-in-progress, a sequel to her first cozy, Murder at Wickfield Lodge, drop broad hints about the killer's identity before the characters can figure it out. The remarkable heroine's refreshing lack of aspirations adds to the charm of this modest mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.