o … The Ladies have planned a trip to London and the surrounding areas for a romp through the locations made famous by Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and their equally famous contemporaries. What could go wrong?

Before they even leave the country, they miss the airport shuttle, almost miss their flight, lose their seats on the plane and their luggage disappears for parts unknown. Just when they try to put it all behind them, the director of the tour company is found dead. Sam tries to resist Nana Jo’s nudging her into investigating the murder, she is on vacation after all, but when a second person is found dead it is time to assemble her investigators and find out what is going on.

First off let me say how much I enjoy the detail given of the tour and its destinations. I will forever be an armchair tourist, as much as I would love to visit these places that mean so much to the authors and stories that started me reading, I will probably never see them first hand.

This story delivers not just one cozy, but two. The first set in modern times starring Sam and her Ladies, and the second in-story historical cozy being written by Sam as the first story progresses. The idea is a bit hard to get used to at first, but it isn’t long before the reader sucked into the twists and turns in both mysteries.

Tucked away in this story are so many little tidbits of Classic mystery. From the wrong turn/witnessing an incriminating disagreement to the almost hidden corners where Sam, in such a Miss Marple-like way, could sit quietly and “accidentally” overhear the occasional bit of drama that may or may not be important. Each and every member of the mystery tour was Christie-classic, cleverly introduced into the story, shrouded in intrigue, dripping with hidden backstory, and not always what they claim to be. Of course, there is the Holmesque inspector to round things off.

Nana Jo and her retirement village friends are vibrant, filling in the corners of this story. They are outrageous, over-the-top, and in your face, and, with their specilialized talents, just about the best team of investigators, any amateur sleuth could want. They kept me laughing and feeling for poor Sam at times. Early in the story, she references “herding cats” and the image never left my head. Some readers collect book boyfriends as they read along, I adopt grandparents of all stripes. I adore the whole bunch of these gals. This is a series more than worth the time it takes to read it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ( )

Samantha is joining her Nana Jo and Shady Acres friends on a trip for a mystery tour of England - Sam to do research for her next book, the ladies just to have a good time. However, things don't start off well with forgotten passports, nearly missed planes, lost luggage, and the murder of the Tour company owner. Not that the ladies are suspects, but they do want to get involved in solving the crime. After all, they could be traveling with a murderer!

Not knowing the area/people/culture creates some interesting scenarios for this band of senior sleuths. I also enjoy the story within the story - Samantha's new book in progress. I wonder if the author will publish Samantha's writings all together at sometime. ( )

A Tourist Guide To Murder is the sixth book in the Mystery Bookstore Mystery series by V. M. Burns.

Samantha, Nana Jo, and ladies from Shady Acres Retirement Village are jetting off to England for a mystery tour. After settling into their rooms, the ladies head for the ballroom to get Peabody’s Mystery Tours itinerary, and on their way there, they hear a heated argument between Mr. Peabody and tour guide, Clive Green. As they enter the ballroom, Peabody’s approached by his niece, demanding money so she and her boyfriend can marry, and he is also accosted by another woman who claims that he is the father of her daughter.

When Peabody is found dead in his room, Sam vows not to get involved in the police’s investigation but instead enjoy visiting 221B Baker Street and Agatha Christie’s home. But Nana Jo and her “posse” have other plans and soon convince her that the police need her help. Sam will find help from an unlikely source, that being a young female constable.

I love this series; it’s well written and plotted. The characters are well-developed and very believable. I particularly like the “posse,” they are exciting and funny. Irma is a total hoot, what with her chasing all the men and Sam having to stop her from saying something colorful. I also enjoy Ms. Burns incorporating Sam’s writing of her next novel into the current story, and It’s an interesting way for Sam to work through the present mystery they are working to solve. There were enough twists and turns that I was kept guessing until the end. ( )

amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, verbal-humor, England, retirees*****

There's actually two cozy mysteries here. One tells the story about Michigan bookshop owner/soon-to-be-published-author Samantha and her madcap senior sleuths in England on a mystery tour, and interspersed in the opposite chapters is the 1939 British cozy that she works on when stressed. Each is a good cozy, but the current day one is filled with humor as well as the expected interesting characters, plot twists, and red herrings. I enjoyed the read and laughed out loud at some of the fun!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )