Mystery Bookshop #10
In V. M Burns’ mystery bookshop series, Samantha Washington, who prefers to go by Sam, owns a bookstore in Michigan and is a recent publisher of her own cozy mystery. Thanks to the support from her grandmother, Nana Jo, and her friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village. Sam has not only written about murder, but has solved a few as well, including one where the ever ornery and confrontational Sheriff Brad Pitt, or Stinky Pitt as they prefer to call him, ended up in her debt, much to his horror and embarrassment. Sam has also recently become engaged to her friend and former investigator Frank Patterson. It really does seem that Sam’s life is looking up, even with the murders she keeps helping to solve.
The Next Deadly Chapter has Sam facing one of the greatest challenges anyone can ever encounter: meeting the soon to be mother-in-law. She and Frank get along beautifully and love each other deeply, but Sam is already intimidated and feeling self-conscious when faced with Dr. Camilia Patterson. Given her successful career, and apparent no-nonsense attitude, Sam just feels she won’t meet whatever standards or expectations Camilia might have. Her worry is abated a bit when she is given a luxurious stay at the Four Feathers Casino on the Pontolomas land, all expenses paid. It seems like the perfect way to impress, even if Sam is a little embarrassed and flustered to be given such an amazing gift by one of the tribal leaders, Kai Strongbow. Things start off on the rocky side, but, as hoped, Camilia is thrilled at the idea of staying at the luxurious casino, even if it seems to be more about the location and amenities than to actually spend time getting to know Sam. However, when Camilia discovers a body in her room, she drags Sam into it and desperately requests her help. Seeing a golden opportunity to win her over, and help keep her other friends out of the suspect pool, Sam dives into the investigation wholeheartedly, even though the victim is a less than sympathetic individual, and had some rather unpleasant interactions with Sam herself.
The Next Deadly Chapter is the tenth book in the series, but any first time readers can enjoy this casino adventure as well. V. M. Burns introduces the setting and characters in a way that makes it easy for readers to quickly pick up the flow of the story and the character dynamics. Those who have enjoyed the previous nine installments in the Mystery Bookshop Mysteries will be pleased with The Next Deadly Chapter. The dynamic poodle duo of Snickers and Oreo aren’t as prevalent in this book as some of the others, but they do have a very pungent excuse to not come to a big fancy casino. Sam has a good heart, and easily wins readers over with her determination and courage even in the face of her own fear and anxiety. Despite those feelings, Sam will always find a way to push forward and do what is right. — Carla Schantz