In Arlo and Chloe's latest adventure, A Murder Like No Author by Amy Lillard, the town of Sugar Springs is preparing to host the premiere of the film that is based on the book that the first book in this series, "Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover", revolved around. As with the other books in this series, the murder that is the central focus of this story occurs in the first chapter and the remainder of the book details the involvement of the members of the Main Street Book Club as they search for (and find) clues to reveal the murderer. As the story unfolds, we are once again treated to Helen, Camille and Fern investigating much to the chagrin of the local police chief, Mads. This book also addresses social concerns and issues that while may be considered somewhat heavy for a cozy mystery are definitely not out of line within the circumstances of this story. This book also continues the saga of Arlo's reflections on her high school sweethearts and her attempts to determine what the current, and possible future, status of their involvement in her life.

I definitely am looking forward to additional books in this series that will continue to explore and flesh out these characters and relationships. ( )

Hollywood is coming to the small town of Sugar Springs! A film adapted from local author Wally Harrison's book is about to premiere. Everyone, including bookstore owner Arlo, is doing what they can to make sure the town is ready for its day in the spotlight. However, when a stranger comes to town claiming that Wally didn't actually write the book, the premiere is put in jeopardy. When the stranger is found dead in the very theatre the movie is supposed to premiere in, Arlo knows that it could be lights out on Sugar Springs' big day if the police don't catch the killer - and fast.

It's refreshing to see a book where the protagonist doesn't actually want to jump head-first into the sleuthing. Instead, Arlo is the one who has to restrain her enthusiastic Book Club friends from interfering too much in the police investigation! This doesn't mean she's a passive protagonist either though, as she works hard to piece together the clues.

I can feel Arlo's irritation with the Book Club's antics through the pages! I can also feel her empathy for others and her love of Sugar Springs. Arlo is an expressive narrator with a clear voice. The town of Sugar Springs also seems lovely, like a real town I might one day want to visit.

There is a lot of action in this book, which makes for a fun and fast read. At the same time, having too much action can sometimes mean that some parts of the book aren't as developed as they could be. In particular, I feel that there could have been a larger emphasis on the mystery itself, even if Arlo is reluctant to directly participate herself. At times, I felt that the mystery was secondary to some of the other subplots. Spending more time on fleshing out the clues would lead to a fuller and more complex mystery.

That being said though, I did appreciate that the mystery was clearly executed. By the end of the book, I could see how the pieces of the mystery felt together in spite of the book's twists and turns.

It's possible to read this book as a standalone, but I think new readers to the series would benefit from starting from the beginning. This way, they will get to know the starring characters and their relationships better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Readers should know that there is no foul language and minimal violence in this book. The book has a significant romantic sideplot; readers who are not interested in romance may want to skip this one.

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A Murder Like No Author by Amy Lillard has Arlo and the book club group try to solve the murder of a visitor who was causing a ruckus in town. The town of Sugar Springs is getting ready to host the movie premiere of Missing Girl. The film is based on the bestselling book by the late Wally Harrison. The victim claimed he had proof that the author’s assistant really authored the novel. He was killed before he could produce his evidence. Arlo and the Friday Night Book Club (which is now meeting every day and rarely discusses books) set out to solve the crime before the movie premiere. Arlo has her hands full this time trying to wrangle the ladies to keep them out of mischief and out of the Chief of Police’s hair. Matters are further complicated by a series of incidents at the theater. Fern claims it is ghosts, but Arlo has her doubts. Can Arlo and the book club ladies get to the bottom of the murder? A Murder Like No Author is the 3rd book in A Main Street Book Club Mysteries. I suggest reading the books in order as each book builds upon the previous one. It will allow you to understand the characters and their relationships. The characters are developed and unique. Arlo is a kind woman who is always there for her friends. She has the patience of a saint. She tries so hard to wrangle Helen, Camille, and Fern. They can be a handful especially when they have an idea. Mads Keller, the Chief of Police, is a good man who is rapidly losing patience with the senior sleuths. Sam is going through a tough family situation. Arlo feels for him and wishes there was more she could do for him. My heart went out to Sam. I understand what he is going through very well. The town of Sugar Springs is charming. It is full of quirky residents and quaint shops. I love the bookstore, though, I do not how Arlo can listen to Faulkner all day. The mystery was thought out and there are good clues to help readers solve the crime. I liked the red herring. The crime can easily be solved long before the reveal if you do not let Helen, Camille, and Fern’s antics distract you. Everything comes together for a satisfying ending. The Wally Harrison storyline which has been running through the first three books is finally put to bed. There is plenty of humor in this cozy mystery that will have you chuckling and shaking your head. I could do without the repetition. It is a bit much after a while. I also am not a fan of the sort-of love triangle between Arlo, Mads, and Sam. I am hoping that Arlo will get with Mads. Their relationship makes more sense to me, and they are a cute pair. A Murder Like No Author is a spirited whodunit with a departed rebel rouser, hilarious hijinks, a cross chief, a lady in scarlet, and an overburdened bookstore owner. ( )

A Murder Like No Author by Amy Lillard is the third book in the Main Street Book Club Mysteries, and I had hopes that this series would get better after reading book two, but this is my lowest rated one in the series. And the biggest reason comes down to me skimming a lot of the book because of Arlo continually trying to contain octogenarians and the sheriff being angry with her because she couldn’t… even though I don’t feel as if she should even be trying.

If Lillard would get rid of Arlo and let Fern, Camille, and Helen continue to be their fabulous selves that infuse humor into each book while solving the mystery, this series would be fantastic!

I do have to give Lillard kudos for being able to keep the theme of Wally and the “did he or didn’t he write the bestseller book” going through all three books. It is pretty ingenious how she is using this plot device to span the series…. That being said, if I read book four in the series, I hope that question gets answered and Lillard goes onto something else.

And I was also happy that Lillard introduced a character with a different lifestyle than many people have, and some cozy readers may even be aware of. But as much as I appreciated it, and hope to see more of this in other cozies, the way it was presented didn’t feel as fresh as it could have. Lillard did try to address this with the octogenarians not being PC about it, but even putting that nod towards it didn’t help.

As always, this is just my opinion. You may love this series, which always makes me happy when people enjoy a book. I will most likely try book four in the series, but if it keeps having the same problems, I’ll be reading other cozy mysteries since there are so many great ones out there. ( )

bookseller, murder, murder-investigation, small-town, small-business, situational-humor, senior-sleuths, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, famous-author, witty, Mississippi*****

When Arlo was 16, she'd had enough of the nomadic life of her hippie parents and found a lifelong friend and more in Helen, the owner of the local inn. She had high school crushes, went off to college, lived away for a time and moved back to Sugar Springs to open a bookshop across the street from her high school friend and bakery shop owner. One of her old crushes is the local law (Mads is a good Norwegian name!), and the other is in town temporarily because of his mother's declining health. The rest of her close friends are quirky senior citizens with maddening propensities that are on full display in this riotous cozy mystery! The plot is sound, complete with plot twists and red herrings. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )