Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder

by Amy Lillard

Overview

THE FIRST IN A NEW BOOK THEMED COZY MYSTERY SERIES

You won't be able to stop turning the pages of this small town mystery, which is:

Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Lorna Barrett

A riveting bookclub cozy mystery

Full of quirky, Southern charm

Not every murder is by the book...

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town's legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That's when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo's front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime.

When the elderly ladies of Arlo's Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally's reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident.

Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally's death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder. If you love women's murder club books, Amy Lillard's cozy mysteries are just for you!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492687771
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	10/29/2019
Series:	Main Street Book Club Mysteries Series , #1
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	96,054
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.80(h) x 1.10(d)

Editorial Reviews

"A promising series debut, sometimes humorous, often puzzling, and peopled with believable characters." - Kirkus Reviews

"The characters in this book are so well-written...This is definitely a fun book to read and a good start to what I'm sure will turn into a great series." - Christy's Cozy Corner

From the Publisher

2019-07-28
A bookstore owner goes all out to save her best friend from a murder charge in this series kickoff from Lillard (A Family for Gracie, 2019, etc.).

Arlo Stanley's nomadic life with her hippie parents left her with a strong urge to settle down. She chose Sugar Springs, Mississippi, the small town where she'd been allowed to stay for her high school years. Just before the 10th Annual All School Class Reunion, the dead body of former classmate Wallace J. Harrison is found on the sidewalk outside her shop, Books & More. Wally, whose book was a recent New York Times bestseller, had a stunning wife, Daisy James-Harrison, and a lovely mistress/assistant, Inna Kolisnychenko. So did he jump, or was he pushed? Chief Matthew "Mads" Keller was Arlo's high school squeeze until football broke them up. Like everyone else in Sugar Springs, he knows that Arlo's best friend, Chloe Carter, the foodie "More" in Books & More, had a child with Wally in high school whom he refused to acknowledge. Taxed with her motive, Chloe admits that Wally came to see her wanting to get back into his son's life, but she doesn't think the arrogant Wally would kill himself. When Mads arrests Chloe based on a coffee cup laced with poison mushrooms, Arlo resolves to prove her innocent. When Sam Tucker, the man she turned to after she broke up with Mads, arrives in town to care for his sick mother, Arlo's life becomes even more complicated as she ponders her relationships with the two men she may still love. Luckily, Arlo's book club ladies, who've been around forever and know every secret in town, are thrilled to help Arlo as she desperately chases down clues.

A promising series debut, sometimes humorous, often puzzling, and peopled with believable characters.

Kirkus Reviews

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