I’m going to kick off my review of T.C. LoTempio’s Murder on the Books by quoting an author, Kim Hays. “The plot sounds quintessentially cozy: heroine’s return to hometown, meet-up with childhood friend, decision opening a shop. Cue cat and descriptions of baked goods, plus a useful policeman and the dead body of someone we barely know. Next the friend will be accused of murder. However, if the characters are appealing, it may turn out to be a good book.”
Kim nailed it. The only thing she missed was the heroine’s high school enemy who is now a police officer, and is still jealous and dislikes her. Other than that, Kim has the entire plot right.
In Murder on the Books, bestselling thriller author, C.J. Barrett (Charley) takes a break from her career and moves back to her small hometown, Austin, Pennsylvania. When her best friend, Zane Adams, bemoans that her business partner, Sheila Crowder, said something came up and she can’t open the bookstore that was to accompany Zane’s bakery. Charley steps up and says she’ll take over the bookstore. But, before they can open, Charley finds Sheila’s body in a trunk in the basement. Two police officers show up to investigate, One is Charley’s high school enemy. The other is the handsome Detective Graves, a visiting homicide detective from Philadelphia.
Because of the murder investigation, Charley has time to poke around to try to find a killer, since Zane is convinced she’s on the top of the suspect list. She also has time to adopt a cat, Poe, and annoy someone who doesn’t want her to investigate.
So, yes, Kim Hays nailed the entire plot. However, she’s also right. I liked the characters, especially the cat, Poe. This made it an enjoyable book with all the tropes of the first in a new cozy series.
T.C. LoTempio’s website is ps://www.tclotempio.net
Murder on the Books by T.C. LoTempio. Severn House, 2025. 240p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley furnished by the publisher through NetGalley, with no promise of a review.
I love that author! I have read several of her books.
I’m sure you’d enjoy the book, Carol.
thank you!
It’s great that the characters made the book work, especially the cat! And there’s nothing wrong with giving readers what they want when they pick up a cozy mystery. I didn’t mean to make fun of it–it just followed the pattern so perfectly that it made me smile.
Kim, I didn’t feel as if you were making fun of it. I felt as if you nailed the first book in almost every cozy series. Thank you! I think you summarized it beautifully.