Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Murder by the Seashore (A California Bookshop Mystery) by Samara Yew. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Murder by the Seashore (A California Bookshop Mystery)
by Samara Yew
Murder by the Seashore (A California Bookshop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
Hardcover : 256 pages
Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Scarlett Gardner’s dream was to open a bookshop in Southern California, but it soon becomes a nightmare when she finds the dead body of a customer—and becomes the prime suspect.
Southern California is where dreams come true—or so Scarlett Gardner thought. When she moved there and opened the Palm Trees and Page Turners bookshop, she thought her boyfriend and business partner would be part of the story. When he leaves her for a better job, Scarlett finds herself struggling to keep her new business afloat. That’s not the only thing she has to worry about—she discovers something underneath the pier by her bookshop that she didn’t outline for her life’s story: the dead body of a book-buying customer.
After Scarlett gives a statement to the police, she thinks her life can go back to business as usual. But when a lawyer, representing someone named Lorelai Knight, tells Scarlett that she now stands to inherit a small fortune, she’s left with more questions than answers. Before she can make sense of any of it, the police bring her in for questioning; the body she found was Lorelai Knight. And the evidence they have against Scarlett doesn’t look good. Business is booming as Scarlett returns to Palm Trees and Page Turners, but for all the wrong reasons – curious tourists don’t want books, they want a glimpse of the Bookshop Killer.
Who could really be behind all of this? And why frame Scarlett? To clear her name, she’s going to have get creative—and hope she can remain one page ahead of the killer.
My review of Murder by the Seashore
I completely loved Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew! It’s the first in her new California Bookshop Mystery series, and I’m already looking forward to more!
Scarlett Gardener is living my best life…owning a bookshop by the beach! I’m sure lots of cozy mystery readers have a similar dream. Since I don’t have a bookshop by the beach, I’ll settle for the next best thing – reading cozy mystery books like this! We all know what happens in a cozy mystery, and this is not a part of my best life – finding a murder victim! Poor Scarlett just wants to enjoy the beach for a little while one morning, and as she’s walking, she discovers a body under the pier. Then Scarlett finds out that the victim, whom she didn’t know at all, has left everything to Scarlett in her will! And it’s a lot! Now Scarlett has a motive for killing the victim even though she didn’t know anything about the will either! I mean, how can you know you’re inheriting a fortune if you don’t know anything about the person who left it to you?
I think Scarlett makes a great protagonist. When she’s faced with what seems to be an impossible task, she takes it head-on. Though separated by distance, she’s close to her sister and parents. She’s got awesome friends whom I also love! They’re a well-rounded group. Yew does a fabulous job developing her characters in this first book. I feel like I got to know them well enough to care about their lives and to want to read about them again.
Yew paints a vivid picture of the beach setting. As she leads us through everything from the bookshop to the food truck, you get the feeling that you’re right there in the book. The setting plays a part in the mystery too! You can picture the pier…and what’s underneath it! I had an inkling as to whodunit, but not until I was nearing the end. Since a lot of people had motives, there are a lot of suspects! The clues are subtle, but as a cozy mystery reader, you should be able to pick up on them as you’re reading.
I highly recommend this delightful cozy mystery book! It has an awesome beach setting, well-written characters, lots of unexpected events, and a puzzling mystery to solve! I loved it and am looking forward to more California Bookshop Mysteries!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Character Guest Post
Scarlett Gardner’s Guide to the Best Beach Vacation Ever!
Hey, there! My name is Scarlett Gardner, and I’m the owner of the Palm Trees and Page Turners Bookshop. My bookshop is right on the beach in Southern California, and I love having a business that celebrates both my love of reading and my love of the ocean. Doesn’t that smell of the salty, sweet air just bring an instant smile to your sun-kissed face?
The main traffic my bookshop receives is from tourists who are looking for the perfect beach read for their vacation. Many locals shop here as well, but I spend a lot of my day helping those who have traipsed in from the sandy shore looking for a good book. And I love suggesting other local businesses that tourists can check out to further add to their perfect vacation such as restaurants, bars, surf shops, and street markets.
Because this is something that brings me so much joy to do, I’ve created this guide to having the best beach vacation ever! It’s based on my own past experiences, as well as what I’ve learned from chatting with hundreds of customers who are here on vacation.
All right, so here is Scarlett Gardner’s Guide to the Best Beach Vacation Ever!
- Whether your beach vacation will only be for a few hours or an entire week, leave all your worries aside and focus solely on the warm sand and gentle waves around you.
- Bring a comfy blanket, beach chair, or lounger with you, and make your little spot on the beach your own. Bring an umbrella or a floppy beach hat so you can be as comfortable as can be. And don’t forget your sunscreen. That is non-negotiable.
- Most beaches have plenty of places nearby to grab a delicious, quick snack or drink. On the Oceanside beach, which is where Palm Trees and Page Turners is located, there is a snack stand by the nearby pier that has the most cheesy-goodness nachos. And I love their strawberry lemonade. Nearby is also the Guac ‘n’ Roll Food truck, which has the best carnitas tacos.
- If a grab-and-go snack isn’t your thing, there are lots of sit-down restaurants in the area as well. My favorite is the Miku Miso: Sushi and Grill. My friend Hiroki’s family owns it, and I dine there more often than my bank account probably likes, but I can’t help it. Everything on their menu is so delicious. Does anyone else feel especially hungry after a day at the beach? That’s probably their business plan—prey on hungry tourists who can’t make it further than a few feet from the beach. Just kidding, Hiroki, if you are reading this. Your food would stand on its own no matter where the restaurant was located. Another favorite location of mine is the Sunshine Café. I especially love their all-day breakfast items. For drinks, I like to get either an iced chai latte or a peach iced tea. You can’t go wrong with either.
- Check out some other local businesses. There are farmer’s markets and flea markets nearby to explore, and lots of little souvenir shops to find something to remember your trip by. I love window shopping at the artwork and summery clothes that shop owners are selling. Everything tends to be so colorful and cheery near the beach.
- The pier. Ahh, the love of my own beach days. My favorite part about the beach, besides diving into a good new book, is walking along the pier. I love standing at the end where there is nothing but the gorgeous Pacific Ocean around me. Nothing touches my soul like taking in deep breaths of the sea air. Plus, that exercise is a good excuse to eat more tacos!
- Be a kid again. Build a sandcastle. Bury a friend in the sand. Have a water fight. Throw a Frisbee around. Go boogie boarding. Just have fun, be goofy, and make some memories.
- Watch the sunset. I don’t even think I need to expand on this one.
- Don’t forget your swimsuit for a dip in the ocean. It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people come into Palm Trees and Page Turners asking if we sell swimwear. Um, no, just books. Maybe the odd bookmark or piece of stationery. But mostly just hardcovers, paperbacks, and picture books.
- Speaking of, please stop by Palm Trees and Page Turners to find your perfect beach read! I guarantee I’ll help you find something that will keep you lost in the pages for hours.
What do you think of my ten tips for having the best beach vacation ever? What do you like to do on your beach vacation? Where is the perfect spot to visit the beach?
Thank you for stopping by Palm Trees and Page Turners! I hope to see you around again soon.
About Samara Yew
Samara Yew is a cozy mystery author who writes about adorable bookshops and dead bodies. A full-time mom, full-time dog servant, and part-time writer, Samara lives in British Columbia, Canada, where she can often be found watching Psych reruns. Samara loves to travel, especially visiting her husband’s home country of Singapore or donning Mickey ears in Disneyland. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers.
Author Links
Website https://samarayew.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/samara.yew.books
Twitter (X) https://twitter.com/samarayewauthor
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samara.yew.author
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24259604.Samara_Yew
Purchase Links – Amazon – PenguinRandomHouse – B&N – Chapters Indigo
Enter the giveaway
Murder by the Seashore TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 11 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – REVIEW
October 12 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
October 12 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
October 13 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 14 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
October 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 16 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
October 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 17 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
October 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 18 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
October 19 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
October 19 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
October 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
October 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
October 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 21 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
October 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
October 24 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
October 24 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
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This looks like a fantastic novel and I thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
I think the seashore is a great setting for a mystery!
Murder By the Seashore sounds like a reading delight for mystery lovers.