It’s been a few years since I read one of the books in V.M. Burns’ Mystery Bookshop series. A Tourist’s Guide to Murder reminds me how much I enjoy the cast and the parallel storylines in these books.

Samantha Washington, owner of Market Street Mysteries Bookstore, is taking a dream trip to England, along with her grandmother Nana Jo and her friends from the retirement village. Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour will take the amateur sleuths to mystery sites in England, including Agatha Christie’s home and Torquay. But, there’s all kinds of excitement before they even leave. Sam’s agent calls to say a publisher is offering her a three-book deal for her British cozy historical mysteries. And, that group of women can’t leave O’Hare without causing an uproar at the airport.

They’re destined to be involved in trouble. They may be tired, but they recognize an argument between the owners of the tour group, Horace Peabody and Clive Green, the tour guide. It seems to be an odd group of tourists, some with unusual relationships with Peabody. Who has reasons to want the man dead, though? Although DI Rupert Nelson seems incompetent, and unwilling to look beyond the obvious for a killer, Detective Sergeant Moira Templeton is shrewd enough to listen to the amateur sleuths.

While I enjoy Sam, Nana Jo and all their cohorts, I really appreciate the parallel story. As an author, Sam writes her historical mystery in quiet moments and late nights. It’s a continuing cast from book to book, and the current mystery, set in 1939 at the English country home of Lord William Marsh, includes a murder mystery that resembles the current one that Sam and her friends investigate. Sam’s historical mysteries often contain clues readers will catch for the ongoing mystery.

I would imagine it’s hard enough to keep one mystery plot straight, but Burns juggles a contemporary one with its cast, and a historical one with a separate cast of characters. Fans of cozy mysteries will appreciate the interesting characters Burns introduces, and the clever solutions to both stories. Even if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, you can start with A Tourist’s Guide for Murder. However, if you want a fun cozy series that offers you the chance to read two storylines at once, start with the first in Burns’ series, The Plot is Murder.

V.M. Burns’ website is http://www.vmburns.com/

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder by V.M. Burns. Kensington, 2021. ISBN 9781496728951 (paperback), 250p.

FTC Full Disclosure – The author sent me a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.