A Tourist's Guide to Murder Review & Guest Post

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Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Tourist’s Guide to Murder (Mystery Bookshop) by V.M. Burns. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder (Mystery Bookshop)

by V.M. Burns

I received this book free; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder (Mystery Bookshop)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 26, 2021)
Paperback: 256 pages

While visiting the land of Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes, bookstore owner and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington finds herself on a tragical mystery tour . . .

Sam joins Nana Jo and her Shady Acres Retirement Village friends Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae on a weeklong trip to London, England, to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract as a mystery author.

But between visits to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel district and 221B Baker Street, Major Horace Peabody is found dead, supposedly of natural causes. Despite his employer’s unfortunate demise, the tour guide insists on keeping calm and carrying on—until another tourist on their trip also dies under mysterious circumstances. Now it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers, find a motive, and turn up a murderer . . .

Guest Post A VICARIOUS VISIT TO MYSTERY LOVERS ENGLAND

Despite past travels to England, I have yet to scratch the surface of all that there is to see. The British Museum, Stonehenge, Roman ruins, castles and grand cathedrals dot the island nation along with quaint villages and historic pubs frequented by some of mysteries greatest writers. Even before COVID-19, I dreamed of another visit abroad. The global pandemic put all plans of travel on the back burner. Yet, my mind still drifted across the pond. So, I was forced, once again, to live vicariously through my books.

In my latest Mystery Bookshop mystery, A Tourist’s Guide to Murder, Samantha Washington, Nana Jo, and the girls, head to England on a Mystery Lovers’ Tour. Based on a real itinerary, the fictitious Peabody tour, included stops in London, Oxford, and Devon at locations and sights of particular interest to lovers of British mysteries, both real and fictional. Whether following in the path of Jack the Ripper on a night time walking tour of White Chapel with stops at the scene of each of the grisly murders, or walking through 221b Baker Street at the Sherlock Holmes Museum, there’s plenty for the mystery enthusiast’s imagination.

However, for Samantha Washington, the highlight of the tour, is visiting Greenway, Agatha Christie’s home in Devon, England. Like me, Sam is a huge fan of the Queen of Crime Fiction. Touring Christie’s vacation home and the setting for three of her novels, is inspirational. Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and throughout her life maintained close ties and a deep love for the English Riviera. From the Grand Hotel where she honeymooned with her first husband, in 1914, to the Torquay Museum with its Agatha Christie gallery, allowing visitors to step into Poirot’s lounge and study, there’s plenty to entertain and inspire.

One day the global pandemic will end and I’ll be able to travel again. Until then, I’m content to confine my adventures to the pages of my books. I’ll live vicariously through Sam and Nana jo, allowing them to travel, and sift through the clues and the red herrings to figure out whodunit. While, I remain safe in the comfort of home.

My Review

I loved A Tourist’s Guide to Murder. Like the author, I too am living vicariously through books (and television) through this travel ban. I’ve dreamed of visiting Great Britain for many years and am still dreaming. And, as I’m sure you fellow cozy mystery lovers will agree, a mystery lovers tour of England would be so much fun! So, I’m very jealous of Samantha, Nana Jo, and the ladies from Shady Acres….just not the murder part!

Though this is only the 2nd Mystery Bookshop Mystery book I’ve read, I feel a deep connection with Sam. I am a young(ish) widow, and I love mystery books. I used to dream about owning a bookshop close to the ocean, but now, I just dream of visiting bookshops by the ocean (okay, everywhere!). Sadly, small, independent bookshops seem to be going the way of the dinosaurs. I do love reading cozy mystery books that involve bookshops though. They allow me to escape and step into the shoes of the main character.

I adore the characters in this series. They are so much fun, and they’re definitely my dream tour companions. These ladies have no issues flitting about with the other tour members….some more than others…If you’ve read any of this series, you know who I’m talking about! Their personable personalities give them the advantage when it comes to solving murder(s)! The “suspects” open up to them so easily because they’re easy to talk to; therefore, it’s easy(ish) for them to gather clues and snoop around.

The mystery in A Tourist’s Guide to Murder isn’t easy to solve. You’ll find lots of clues, but, beware! Lots of red herrings lurk within its pages. I obviously loved the setting in this cozy, and I’m still dreaming of my dream trip there. Now, if I could only find these ladies in real life to accompany me! I am so looking forward to reading more books in this delightful cozy mystery series.

About V.M. Burns

V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She currently resides in the warmer region of the country in East Tennessee with her two poodles. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime. Valerie is the author of the RJ Franklin Mysteries, the Dog Club Mysteries, and the Agatha Award-nominated Mystery Bookshop Mystery series.

Author Links

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Website: vmburns.com

Purchase Links

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