The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns

Item: The Next Deadly Chapter
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted February 24, 2025 by karenbaron in Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Next Deadly Chapter

by V.M. Burns

Series: Mystery Bookshop #10
Series Rating:

Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on February 25, 2025
Setting: North Harbor, Michigan
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 272
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Wed, Read & Dead, Bookmarked for Murder, Murder on Tour

Michigan bookshop owner and mystery writer Samantha Washington is engaged to be married—but she may have to step over a few bodies before she walks down the aisle . . .

All Sam wanted was to make a good impression on her fiancé Frank’s mother, the very proper Dr. Camilia Patterson. But when Nano Jo and the lively ladies of Shady Acres Retirement Village throw a surprise bridal shower for Sam at the Four Feathers Casino—watch out! Things spin out of control faster than a roulette wheel. Fortunately, Sam knows when to fold ’em and slips back to her room to work on her latest historical mystery set between the wars, in which a houseguest meets a grim end at an English country manor.

The morning after brings another rude surprise. Sam gets a frantic call from Camilia, who’s discovered a dead body in her room. Now winning over her soon-to-be mother-in-law means keeping the good doctor out of a potential scandal and attempting to discreetly solve a murder without ruffling any feathers. For that she’ll need the help of Nano Jo—not exactly the soul of discretion—Detective “Stinky” Pitt, and the ladies—because the casino killer keeps upping the ante. . .

The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns has Sam meeting Frank’s mom for the first time at a casino.

Will Sam, Nana Jo, and their friends catch the murderer?

Samantha Washington

Sam is anxious about meeting her soon-to-be mother-in-law and isn’t happy that she has to deal with a mystery besides the one she is writing. While on this trip with Nana Jo and her friends, as well as Frank’s mom at a casino, she is working on her next book in her cozy historical mystery series. Sam is a good person who wants one event not to be involved in a police investigation.

I like Sam and how she sometimes disagrees with Frank’s mom. What I like best is how she takes charge of solving a murder with all of her friends.

The Mystery

Dr. Camilia Patterson finds a dead body in her suite, which used to be Sam’s, but then they switched to switch back, and she doesn’t know how it got there. Sam, Nana Jo, and their friends help solve the mystery. This is a unique investigation as the dead body ends up disappearing from the room. Camilia also ends up helping, and it is a great bonding opportunity for the two of them. I had an inkling that I knew who it was, and I’m glad I was right, but wow, my reasoning as to why that person did it was off.

Five Stars

My rating for The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns is five stars. I’m trying to catch up on this series, but I do recommend it. Ms. Burns has a great way of putting you into the scenes with her characters and making you feel like you are there with them, trying to catch the killer.

Mystery Bookshop Mysteries

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About V.M. Burns

V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs, British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the Midwest, she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime.

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