Murder On Tour is the ninth book in the A Mystery Bookshop Mystery series by V. M. Burns.

Samantha's (Sam) first historical mystery, Murder At Wickfield Lodge, has just been published, and she will be attending her first-panel discussion and book signing at the North Harbor Book Festival. Sam begins to doubt whether she should be there when she hears she was a last-minute pick when another author could not attend, and she was local and an easy fill-in. Regardless, Sam decides to stay and make the best of it.

Shortly after the start of the first festival, Sam hears an argument between two of the other authors, Judith Hunter, Nora Cooper, and Scarlett MacDonald. Judith accused Nora of stealing her manuscript, which became a best seller for Judith. When threats are made to kill Judith, Sam calls upon her grandmother, Nana Jo, and her posse of friends from Shady Acres Retirement Home to keep an eye out for anyone who might be trying to murder Judith.

At the awards banquet, the authors are gathered around sipping on champagne. When someone bumps into Clark Cunnigham, Judith’s publicist, causing him to spill his drink. Judith hands him her drink, and moments later, he is dead. The police are called, and soon Det. Bradley “Stinky” Pitt arrives. Pitts believes that he was poisoned and asks Sam to recount what had happened that evening. Before the evening is over, Pitt tells Sam that it is her case to solve. Maybe against his better judgment, but with Sam having been involved in previous cases, he informs her it is her case to solve. He’s sure with all the literary people involved, Sam will be able to get more out of them quicker and easier.

Sam will gather Nana Jo and her posse from Shady Acres, her sister, Jenna, and her fiance, Frank, to help her with the investigation.

I love this series because Ms. Burns includes excerpts from Sam’s latest Wickfield Lodge mystery series, set in 1939 England. The book is well-written and plotted and describes the events well. The characters are well-developed and believable and will provide many chuckles. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end of the book as to the identity of the murderer. I found the book hard to put down.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series. ( )

sleuthing-seniors, local-law-enforcement, Michigan, bookseller, small-business, small-town, engaged, former-teacher, ex-military, widow, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, book-within-a-book, author, pet-dog, verbal-humor, retirees, sisters, rivalry, poisons, restauranteur*****

Samantha Washington, bookseller and former teacher is at a book festival/writer's conference at a university in Michigan. She feels out of place among all the noted authors, but her marvelous Nana Jo, the feisty seniors from the retirement village, and Sam's fiance, Frank, (an ex-military man who is currently a local restauranteur), are close by to support her in her presence at the event (and later in sleuthing). During a gala in the evening an author is poisoned but does not appear to have been the intended target as that honor seems to belong to a pair of contentious authors with personal history. Let the sleuthing begin! It's a great read with plenty of realistic fun characters, plot twists, and red herrings!
Sam’s historical mystery (which she is writing throughout the contemporary sleuthing), Murder at Wickfield Lodge, is set in a country home in 1939 England is also a good cosy mystery that mirrors the other.
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )