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Bookmarked for Murder
(Mystery Bookshop #5)
by
Amateur sleuth Samantha Washington’s shopping trip to Chicago takes a deadly detour when a man is murdered on her bus . . .
After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Ma ...more
After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Ma ...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
November 26th 2019
by Kensington Publishing Corporation
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Start your review of Bookmarked for Murder (Mystery Bookshop, #5)

After a fun shopping trip in Chicago, mystery bookshop owner and writer Sam Washington is returning home with her grandmother and her friends from the retirement village. Unfortunately, the relaxing bus ride turns deadly when a passenger is murdered in his seat. With the help of her grandmother and her friends, Sam is determined to bring the killer to justice. Bookmarked For Murder is a fast-paced, enjoyable cozy mystery with a touch of humor, a great cast of fun, quirky characters, and a clever
...more

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I just can’t get enough of this series!
This time Sam takes a trip to Chicago with Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres for a little post-holiday fun on a chartered bus trip. They all had a good time and as usual, Irma found herself a man. He is so taken with her he joins her on the bus home to North Harbor. When the bus makes an unscheduled courtesy stop it seems her new friend is not snoozing in his seat. No, the man is dead. Before the police can arrive, Nana Jo, Irma, D ...more
I just can’t get enough of this series!
This time Sam takes a trip to Chicago with Nana Jo and her friends from Shady Acres for a little post-holiday fun on a chartered bus trip. They all had a good time and as usual, Irma found herself a man. He is so taken with her he joins her on the bus home to North Harbor. When the bus makes an unscheduled courtesy stop it seems her new friend is not snoozing in his seat. No, the man is dead. Before the police can arrive, Nana Jo, Irma, D ...more

I find this series to be cleverly crafted and entertaining. The characters are very engaging and diverse. Once again, Sam, her Nana Jo and the rest of the ladies from Shady Acres are involved in solving a murder. This time its a take on a closed-door murder- the victim was killed in a bus while the ladies were returning from a shopping trip from Chicago. I think Sam's character is developing nicely and her relationship with Frank is moving along at a natural pace. The dialogue is at times witty
...more

Bookmarked for Murder by V. M. Burns is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series and was another winner in my book.
Samantha Washington is a character that I admire. She is strong, intelligent, curious and gifted with a strong intuition for solving mysteries. I absolutely love Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy and Ruby Mae. They are quirky and unique and when they are on the page you know there will shenanigans. The plot is well crafted and clever with plenty of twists to keep a reader turning the page ...more
Samantha Washington is a character that I admire. She is strong, intelligent, curious and gifted with a strong intuition for solving mysteries. I absolutely love Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy and Ruby Mae. They are quirky and unique and when they are on the page you know there will shenanigans. The plot is well crafted and clever with plenty of twists to keep a reader turning the page ...more

This Mystery Bookshop Story has Sam, Nana Jo and the girls heading off to Chicago for some shopping, theatre and time together. After a whirlwind few days, they board the bus for a quick trip back home. That trip home ended up taking twelve hours, due to the death/murder of one of the passengers while stopped at a rest station. Even though the murder did not take place in North Harbor, Sam is still enlisted by "the girls" to solve the murder.
Bookmarked For Murder is a fast-paced, enjoyable cozy ...more
Bookmarked For Murder is a fast-paced, enjoyable cozy ...more

Nov 23, 2019
Melanie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley,
cozy-mystery
Bookmarked for Murder was another fantastic addition to the Mystery Bookshop series featuring an interesting mystery for the group to solve.
When Nana Jo suggests some retail therapy in Chicago to wind down after the holiday season, mystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington jumps at the chance. Soon Sam, Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae are headed to the Windy City with some of the fellow retirees from the Shady Acres Retirement Village. But when the group begins to make their way back home ...more
When Nana Jo suggests some retail therapy in Chicago to wind down after the holiday season, mystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington jumps at the chance. Soon Sam, Nana Jo, Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae are headed to the Windy City with some of the fellow retirees from the Shady Acres Retirement Village. But when the group begins to make their way back home ...more

Sam had finally agreed to take a mini vacation from the bookstore and went with her Nana and the other senior sleuths to Chicago. Before they could return home, the guy that Irma was seeing was found dead on the bus. There were plenty of suspects, but somehow I managed to guess the correct one. Of course, as usual, I didn't know any of the reasoning behind why I picked. It just seemed to be the right person.
The showdown was very exciting...how else would it be with Nana Jo involved? The ending w ...more
The showdown was very exciting...how else would it be with Nana Jo involved? The ending w ...more

Number five in the series does not disappoint!
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book. This is not a distraction from the main story, but a compliment.
The regular cast of characters are so endearing and I love to read about them! I really enjoy the relationship between Sam and Nana Jo. As well, I enjoy Nana Jo’s friends, who are written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
The mysteries are well written and kept me gues ...more
The main character is also a writer, so there is a bonus in that there are two mysteries to solve within the book. This is not a distraction from the main story, but a compliment.
The regular cast of characters are so endearing and I love to read about them! I really enjoy the relationship between Sam and Nana Jo. As well, I enjoy Nana Jo’s friends, who are written as smart, full of life and entertaining.
The mysteries are well written and kept me gues ...more

The Mystery Bookshop series is quickly becoming one of my fave cozy series, and the latest installment – Bookmarked for Murder – reminds me why. Witty, sweet, clean, and smartly written, it’s also lots of fun!
The delightful cast of characters is back and just as quirky as ever (Irma, I’m looking at you…), and they are definitely a big part of what makes the book so entertaining and endearing. I love Nana Jo & her Shady Acres gang of senior sleuths (picture a sort of Golden Girls ensemble cast), ...more
The delightful cast of characters is back and just as quirky as ever (Irma, I’m looking at you…), and they are definitely a big part of what makes the book so entertaining and endearing. I love Nana Jo & her Shady Acres gang of senior sleuths (picture a sort of Golden Girls ensemble cast), ...more

Bookmarked For Murder is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series.
Samantha (Sam) Washington, NanaJo and gal pals from Shady Acres Retirement Village have just spent an exciting four days of shopping Christmas shopping in Chicago. As they are loading luggage on their bus, Sam notices that Irma, being Irma, has met a gentleman, Max, who seems to join the group for their trip home. They soon learn that Max is a celebrated author whose next book will reveal more information on assignation Rober ...more
Samantha (Sam) Washington, NanaJo and gal pals from Shady Acres Retirement Village have just spent an exciting four days of shopping Christmas shopping in Chicago. As they are loading luggage on their bus, Sam notices that Irma, being Irma, has met a gentleman, Max, who seems to join the group for their trip home. They soon learn that Max is a celebrated author whose next book will reveal more information on assignation Rober ...more

V.M. Burns could write a grocery list and I would enjoy reading it. No matter which series - The Dog Club series or the Mystery Bookshop - her books are great escapes for this reader. Bookmarked for Murder brings a fun, updated version of the classic locked room murder. What a great twist.
Samantha, Nana Jo and the lively ladies from the Shady Acres Retirement Village are returning from Chicago after enjoying some after Christmas shopping. Traveling along the wintery highway on their chartered bu ...more
Samantha, Nana Jo and the lively ladies from the Shady Acres Retirement Village are returning from Chicago after enjoying some after Christmas shopping. Traveling along the wintery highway on their chartered bu ...more

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write a honest review for.
Another great adventure with Samantha!! This time she has went on a group trip to Chicago with her Nana and the Shady Acres crew. Things are going fantastic until the ride home which is filled with traffic jams leading to an unexpected rest stop. Upon loading up again they discover one of their party dead. Sam is determined to not get involved since it didn't even happen in Michigan but pressure from the ...more
Another great adventure with Samantha!! This time she has went on a group trip to Chicago with her Nana and the Shady Acres crew. Things are going fantastic until the ride home which is filled with traffic jams leading to an unexpected rest stop. Upon loading up again they discover one of their party dead. Sam is determined to not get involved since it didn't even happen in Michigan but pressure from the ...more

When a controversial author is murdered, during a bus trip to Chicago, Samantha (Sam), Nana Jo and the senior sleuths are in for a compelling and dangerous mystery.
Sam is ready to ring in the New Year and a quick bus trip to Chicago, with her grandmother and her friends, is an entertaining way to start the celebration. Irma the senior seductress, makes friends with the author and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
This series is a fun read for so many reasons - the character ...more
Sam is ready to ring in the New Year and a quick bus trip to Chicago, with her grandmother and her friends, is an entertaining way to start the celebration. Irma the senior seductress, makes friends with the author and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
This series is a fun read for so many reasons - the character ...more

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!
Cozy mystery is a massive genre, and filled with subgenres for basically every theme you can think of. I tend to gravitate to books, cats, dogs, magic and food themes, and this book covers quite a few of them (no magic, except that of a good book) It also has the story in story going for it, as each chapter contains a little from the series that the main character, Sam, is writing. It's also cozy mystery, so you get anothe ...more
Cozy mystery is a massive genre, and filled with subgenres for basically every theme you can think of. I tend to gravitate to books, cats, dogs, magic and food themes, and this book covers quite a few of them (no magic, except that of a good book) It also has the story in story going for it, as each chapter contains a little from the series that the main character, Sam, is writing. It's also cozy mystery, so you get anothe ...more

I really enjoy getting 2 mysteries/stories in one book. I like the characters and their relationships. The first mystery is a "locked room" one. The other incidents have more folks involved. I was able to figure out who the murderer was, but this didn't impact my enjoyment of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. - I really like this series and hope for many more. ...more
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. - I really like this series and hope for many more. ...more

BOOKMARKED FOR MURDER by V. M. Burns is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series. Although part of a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone book.
BOOKMARKED FOR MURDER is the wonderful cozy mystery about Samantha “Sam” Washington, her Nana Jo - Josephine Thomas, and the rest of the gang from Shady Acres Retirement Village along with a few extras taking a four day shopping excursion to Chicago via a chartered bus. The trip ends with one of the riders being murdered in the bus on th ...more
BOOKMARKED FOR MURDER is the wonderful cozy mystery about Samantha “Sam” Washington, her Nana Jo - Josephine Thomas, and the rest of the gang from Shady Acres Retirement Village along with a few extras taking a four day shopping excursion to Chicago via a chartered bus. The trip ends with one of the riders being murdered in the bus on th ...more

A modern-day locked room (actually a tour bus) mystery and a tale set in 1938 England are both included in Bookmarked for Murder.
The author uses a clever plot device of having the main sleuth, Samantha, be creating the period mystery as we watch. Since Sam is also a mystery bookstore owner, she also recommends other excellent cozy mysteries a la the Death on Demand mystery series. The main plot on the bus involves Sam, her grandmother Jo, and her three neighbors at the senior living residence, ...more
The author uses a clever plot device of having the main sleuth, Samantha, be creating the period mystery as we watch. Since Sam is also a mystery bookstore owner, she also recommends other excellent cozy mysteries a la the Death on Demand mystery series. The main plot on the bus involves Sam, her grandmother Jo, and her three neighbors at the senior living residence, ...more

Series; Mystery Bookshop – Book 5
Author: V.M. Burns
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Amateur Sleuth/ Bookstore
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 256
The incredible new addition to the bookstore cozy series “Mystery Bookshop” comes Bookmarked for Murder from author V.M. Burns and Kensington Books.
Sam and Nana Jo are highly entertaining characters in this bookstore cozy. Nana Jo is a no-nonsense, feisty kind of gal, and Sam can keep up with her with no problem. Other characters are interesting, spunky, an ...more
Author: V.M. Burns
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Amateur Sleuth/ Bookstore
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 256
The incredible new addition to the bookstore cozy series “Mystery Bookshop” comes Bookmarked for Murder from author V.M. Burns and Kensington Books.
Sam and Nana Jo are highly entertaining characters in this bookstore cozy. Nana Jo is a no-nonsense, feisty kind of gal, and Sam can keep up with her with no problem. Other characters are interesting, spunky, an ...more

Bookmarked for Murder is at least as awesome as the other books in the Mystery Bookshop series. The plot varies greatly from book to book but the quality of the mysteries remains the sharp and the characters are real-people-great! It was the fact that this series was set in a book shop and included 2 poodles that first caught my attention, but now it is the author and her outstanding writing that keeps me coming back for all of her series. I want to visit that bookshop and meet the twins and the
...more

Bookmarked for Murder by V. M. Burns is the 5th book in the Mystery Bookshop series, and it is becoming one of my favorite series. Samantha Washington owns Market Street Mysteries bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. Sam, Nana Jo and her friends at Shady Acres Retirement Village take a charter bus to Chicago to do some after Christmas shopping. On the bus ride back home, one of the passengers is murdered. Sam is determined to find the real killer, and the sleuthing begins. This book was great. I
...more

Great book!! One of my favorite things about this series is the story within a story that always connect to each other. Such fun to read about what Samantha is writing. I enjoyed this book and trying to figure out who killed Irma's new friend, Max, who turned out to be a famous writer. Very intriguing. Nana Jo and her friends are always so much fun to read about. Looking forward to more books in this series!! Love Samantha and Frank's growing relationship, too!!
...more

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Bookmarked for Murder by V.M. Burns is another fascinating tale of finding out whodunit with Ms. Burns. Sam, Nana Jo, and their quirky group of people are back to try and solve another mystery.
Can Sam find out who killed Irma's gentleman friend before someone else is snuffed out?
What I liked:
Sam's relationship with Nana Joy and Nana Jo's ...more
Can Sam find out who killed Irma's gentleman friend before someone else is snuffed out?
What I liked:
Sam's relationship with Nana Joy and Nana Jo's ...more

Mystery bookshop owner Samantha takes a shopping excursion bus trip to Chicago with family and friends. The trip is organized by Shady Acres, the retirement community where Sam’s grandma Nana Jo lives. It was a great vacation but after hours on the bus slogging through traffic trying to get home to Michigan they have to pull over at a rest stop for a bathroom break. When they re-board they find one of the passengers has been murdered, right in the seat they left him in. Nana Jo and her friends f
...more

Bookmarked for Murder is the fifth book in V. M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series. The smoothly paced storyline is well-plotted, with laugh out loud moments, and lots of twists, clues, and red herrings to keep readers engaged and guessing. The well-developed characters are likable, diverse, and fun. The main character is writing a mystery book that is included within the storyline.
Samantha “Sam” Washington is the owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. After the d ...more
Samantha “Sam” Washington is the owner of the Market Street Mysteries Bookstore in North Harbor, Michigan. After the d ...more

4.5 Stars
This is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series by V.M. Burns
What a hoot of a series! The ladies from Shady Acres Retirement Village are just exactly the perfect backdrop for a cozy mystery!
This book is about how the Shady Acres gang are coming back from a trek to Chicago and on the bus home, a man is found murdered. He is a somewhat famous Pulitzer prize-winning author about to come out with an in-depth book about JFK’s brother, Robert Kennedy.
Sam Washington, mystery book store o ...more
This is the fifth book in the Mystery Bookshop series by V.M. Burns
What a hoot of a series! The ladies from Shady Acres Retirement Village are just exactly the perfect backdrop for a cozy mystery!
This book is about how the Shady Acres gang are coming back from a trek to Chicago and on the bus home, a man is found murdered. He is a somewhat famous Pulitzer prize-winning author about to come out with an in-depth book about JFK’s brother, Robert Kennedy.
Sam Washington, mystery book store o ...more

Sam, her grandmother and friends are in Chicago for a short trip after Christmas. Irma picks up a guy named Max and he rides the bus back to North Harbor with them. Following a rest stop, Max is found murdered on the bus.
Sam has no intention of investigating because she didn’t know Max and he wasn’t one of them in her mind. But Irma is so upset that Sam agrees to look into it.
The mystery Sam is working on during this book also involves a stranger, and Lady Elizabeth is able to figure out who ki ...more
Sam has no intention of investigating because she didn’t know Max and he wasn’t one of them in her mind. But Irma is so upset that Sam agrees to look into it.
The mystery Sam is working on during this book also involves a stranger, and Lady Elizabeth is able to figure out who ki ...more

Bookmarked for Murder is the 5th book in the Mystery bookshop series. I haven’t read all of them, yet. Each is a standalone story cleverly written and quite entertaining. I have enjoyed each one that I have read.
This series has bookshop owner Samantha Washington attempting to write a mystery of her own. This mystery within a mystery concept is a nice touch. It gives the reader a glimpse into a writer’s process which I liked.
Samantha is a strong, intelligent and curious individual with an ability ...more
This series has bookshop owner Samantha Washington attempting to write a mystery of her own. This mystery within a mystery concept is a nice touch. It gives the reader a glimpse into a writer’s process which I liked.
Samantha is a strong, intelligent and curious individual with an ability ...more

Sam, Nana Jo and the Sleuthing Seniors are enjoying a shopping spree in Chicago via a bus chartered by Shady Acres. On the last day of the trip they load up and start heading home to North Harbor, MI. During a pit stop one of the passengers has been murdered and the girls are thrown into sleuthing mode. Who is the man that was killled, and why?
Another fun mystery filled with a cozy-within-a-cozy, action, danger, comraderie and Nana Jo's antics (LOVE her). This is such a well-rounded series fille ...more
Another fun mystery filled with a cozy-within-a-cozy, action, danger, comraderie and Nana Jo's antics (LOVE her). This is such a well-rounded series fille ...more
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V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in
Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs,
British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the
Midwest she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern
Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award ...more
Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs,
British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the
Midwest she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern
Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award ...more
Other books in the series
Mystery Bookshop
(6 books)
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