Samara Yew

Opening "Palm Trees and Page Turners" was a dream come true for Scarlett Gardner after moving to Oceanside in Southern California. Well, at least part of the dream came true. Walks on the beach before opening the store bring Scarlett the greatest joy to refresh her spirits for a new day of opportunity at the bookshop. Joyous until she found a dead body under the pier. Joyous until she became the lead suspect.

Character development of the relationships in Scarlett’s life – a business show more partner that didn’t materialize, an employee, a roommate, a customer’s last-minute purchase before becoming a victim, and the potential of a new hire - are well-written, adding intrigue with dimensions beyond standard fare. The inheritance factor ramping up person of interest to lead suspect also has a creative twist. A roommate’s employment may seem too convenient at first until loud thumps past midnight awaken Scarlett and Lucia and bring more than a one-time shock. And who was that victim that Scarlett claimed she didn’t know?

I’m always excited to read a new cozy featuring a bookshop setting. I love the refreshing twists in the cozy series debut, intensifying my delight in recommending this new release.

#MurderbytheSeashore #NetGalley show less

How could I resist a cozy mystery set in a bookstore by the ocean? Scarlet Garner's plan was to open the Oceanside bookstore with her boyfriend, but he pulled out of the business--and her life--at the last minute. She did not give up her dream, however, and is now the proud owner of her own bookstore, Palm Trees and and Page Turners. She's made a life for herself in Oceanside, sharing a townhouse with her attorney roommate.

One sunny morning she comes across a dead body under the pier--and show more suddenly finds herself the prime suspect. The body belongs to a one time customer who she met the night before. It comes as quite the surprise when Scarlet is told by a visiting attorney that she's the heir to the dead woman's fortune. How could that be? Who is this woman? And who would want to kill her? Scarlet, with the help of her roommate, decides she needs to get to the bottom of these questions and clear her name.

Having spent two years of my childhood in Oceanside and visited since, I was curious if I would recognize the city in Samara Yew's novel. While Yew's Oceanside doesn't quite match the reality, I still really like the version the author has created--it is fiction after all.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, and its wonderful cast of characters. Scarlet isn't sure who she can trust, even among her friends. And to make it worse, her ex is back in town. There are plenty of suspects and twists, and while I guessed almost immediately who the likely culprit was, that did not stop me from enjoying seeing Scarlett discover the truth for herself. This was such an entertaining read. show less

‘It was a holding cell!’

A fun new cozy series set on the shores of California. Action packed and full of red herrings that kept me on the edge of my seat until the final page was turned! I can’t wait to see what Scarlet gets into next.

Scarlett is abandoned by her boyfriend who is also her business partner when he gets a better offer for a new job. She struggles to make a go of her new business, and it is just taking off when she discovers a body on the beach. And that isn’t her biggest surprise. I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. Scarlett is a fun character. She fancies herself a sleuth, when she really isn’t good at detecting at all. But she is so cute as she goes about snooping that her wild ideas show more about who the murderer is are really entertaining. Scarlett has a good motive to find the real killer, since the cops are looking at her as a prime suspect. The writing is quite good and the characters are believable. After all, what bookshop owner would be really good at being a detective?! This is a great start for what promises to be an entertaining new series. show less