Buried in A Good Book (By the Book Mystery, 1), by Tamara Berry

🍄🍄🍄🍄

I had heard of Buried in a Good Book and had planned on reading it soon. Soon came sooner than I had expected because it was chosen as the book of the month for the cozy book club I participate in.

Tess Harrow is a best-selling thriller author who needs a fresh start with her teenage daughter, Gertrude, after Tess's recent divorce. The mother and daughter duo head to a cabin in the woods that Tess inherited from her grandfather. They are looking forward to a peaceful time in nature away from technology.  Peaceful that is, until Tess and Gertie discover a dead body - most of the dead body anyway. And so begins the quest to unravel this mystery.

There are many things I like about this book. First and foremost, the body is discovered very early in the story. It always bugs me when I'm a third or more of the way through the book, and the crime has not happened yet. This was not a problem here. 

There are enough red herrings, legitimate clues, suspects with motives and means, and twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the culprit is revealed. I had my suspicions about the culprit as soon as that character was introduced. So it wasn't a complete surprise to me, but I still wasn't sure until it was revealed. 

There is a hint of romance, but not so much that it overpowers the rest of the story. It is enough to keep the reader interested  not only in what happens in this book, but also in what might happen in future books. The sheriff happens to look exactly like the fictional detective in Tess's books. That alone makes for a fun read. 

There is more humor in this book than I've read in any other cozy mystery. I mean, there really are some laugh-out-loud moments. Some will appreciate it, but it may be too much for others. I enjoyed the humor. Along with the humor, there is also more grit. It's definitely more edgy than most cozy mysteries I've read, but it still most certainly qualifies as a cozy. I wasn't crazy about this aspect of it, but others will enjoy it.

I had a difficult time connecting with the main character, Tess. Her personality is more abrasive than what I prefer in cozies. She has a good heart, she's a great mom, and she's been through a lot. I just think if this were real life it might take me a little more time to really warm up to her. Eventually I most likely would. I liked her daughter, Gertrude. She's very perceptive and intelligent, but she also has a very colorful personality. I think we would get along well.

I liked the twists and turns in this book, but untangling everything at the end was a bit too much for my brain. It did all come together, but it was a lot to take in. 

This was a good book to read in the summer. I'm glad I read it, but I haven't yet decided if I will read the next one in the series. I am not as excited about it as I usually am after reading a first in the series. I haven't ruled it out, though. 

Have you read Buried in a Good Book or any others in the series? Is it one that you think you might be interested in?