Emma Starrs has returned to help her older sister Lucy save Starlit Bookshop to carry on their family legacy. Emma didn't realize that the 1st opportunity to expand events would be an off-site Poe-themed mystery event. Nora, a famous mystery author, professor at Silvercrest College, and Emma and Lucy's aunt, is attending as a guest, and her presence will be calming. Will the event be intriguing, or will another's plans overshadow the night?

The pleasure of reading this cozy began with Lucy saying in the 1st line,

"To be surrounded by books is an exceptional joy."

To discover that Lucy is the bookstore owner of Starlit Bookshop had this armchair traveler immediately immersed in visiting the cozy and cheery independent bookstore in a charming college town. As I imagined browsing the bookshelves, I saw Anne Shirley, a red tabby luxuriating in the sun's warmth streaming in the windows, and I was over the moon.

Don't wait! Your armchair travel awaits with delights provided by every aspect of the author's creativity. ( )

Dr. Emma Starrs returns home to help her sister, Lucy run the family bookstore, Starlit Bookshop. They need an influx of cash, so Emma steps in to help mean girl Tabitha with a murder mystery dinner. The event is a hit until Emma finds Tabitha’s husband dead on the patio. Emma’s aunt, Nora becomes the prime suspects with Emma in line behind her. The pair set out to find the truth. The killer, though, is not done with their slaying. Can Emma and Nora identify the guilty party before they end up next on the hit list? How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn is the debut of A Starlit Bookshop Mystery series. There are a variety of characters in this new cozy mystery. I liked Emma’s sister, Lucy who is a sweetie as well as Emma’s eccentric aunt, Nora. Nora has a lively personality and I like her unique attire. There is a large cast of characters and I found it a challenge to keep them a straight. Emma’s high school nemesis, Tabitha and her gaggle of followers are still in town. They are still mean (worse than in high school because now they have influence) and now they are rich. This might be a trigger for some people who had trouble with mean individuals in high school. The author’s descriptive writing allows readers to envision the characters and the town. Starlit Bookstore sounded like my type of place (where you could spend hours browsing through the books). The murder of Tabitha’s husband, Tip has Emma and Nora becoming amateur sleuths. Tabitha is openly accusing the pair of doing the deed. They have no choice but to search for the killer. They have an extensive list of suspects. Nora and Emma need to whittle down the list to figure out which individual committed the crime. It is a frustrating venture since the mean girl clique is unhelpful and spreading heinous gossip. In the end, all the clues come together for Emma. She needs to step carefully, or she could end up the next victim. I wish the wrap up had been more complete. I was left with a couple of unanswered questions at the end of the book. It also felt more like a recitation of information. There were two secondary characters that I thought were a hit. The caterer, Vivi Yang is a warm, friendly, and upbeat character who creates delectable food. I liked her and I hope we see more of her in future books. I also enjoyed Calliope Nightfall. She is an author with a flair for the dramatic. How to Book a Murder is blithe cozy mystery with a bewitching bookstore, office obstruction, multiple murders, a Poe party, malicious mean females, exquisite culinary cuisine, academic afflictions, and a raven reveal. ( )

https://www.edelweiss.plus/#keywordSearch&q=How+to+Book+A+murder&page=1 ( )

I enjoyed this promising bookstore-themed book (in what I hope is the Starlit Bookshop Mystery series). I love a good series set in a bookstore as this one is. Even better, with a great bunch of characters, such as sisters Emma and Lucy and their aunt, Nora, who's also a college professor at the college in this Colorado town.

Book readings, Halloween, and even the financial difficulties facing the bookstore (which means that Emma is trying to develop the bookstore's business as to holding literary events). Lots to enjoy.

One thing I did not like was the over the top attacks by wealthy (and extremely annoying Tabitha). That could've been drastically toned down.

All in all, though, I enjoyed this one and hope that there are more to come. I've even picked up the first book in the author's other series, an academic mystery called The Semester of Our Discontent.

This solid mystery is certainly a book I'd recommend to cozy fans.

(I received a copy of this boo from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

Emma Starrs, recently minted Ph.D. in English, is back at her home in Colorado helping her sister run the family bookstore which has hit hard times since their parents' deaths. When a former classmate comes into the store for a prop for her upcoming murder mystery dinner and complains that the organizer has backed out, Emma volunteers to step in and run the mystery part of the evening.

Things do well despite the bad relationship between Emma and Tabitha Baxter until the body of Tabitha's husband Tip is discovered to have been strangled. Since Emma's aunt Nora was seen arguing with Tip earlier in the evening, she is considered a suspect. Emma becomes a suspect because Tabitha keeps blaming her.

In order to clear their names and preserve their bookstore. Emma has to turn amateur sleuth. She has to delve into English Department politics since both Nora and Tip were engaged in a discussion there. She also has to look into other possible suspects including Tabitha and her cronies. Meantime, she is also planning a book launch event for Calliope Nightfall who is another very eccentric member of the English Department.

There were lots of great characters in this story. There were also a number of clues and red herrings for everyone to try to solve. It was a fast-paced cozy and the beginning of a new series. ( )