Once Upon a Seaside Murder

Tis is the season to be jolly, but for bookstore owner Summer Merriwether it is anything but when she discovers a deadly secret about her late mother. A secret someone will kill to keep…. Once Upon a Seaside Murder is the 2nd instalment in the Beach Read Mysteries and is a great read. In saying that, I do have to be honest upfront and say that I didn’t gel with the 1st book, Little Bookshop of Murder, but I did enjoy Maggie Blackburns style which is why I wanted to read this latest addition and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed Summer’s character more this time around and found her to be more personable. The duel storyline’s are well done and merge together well and its picturesque setting in Brigid’s Island in North Carolina, rounds out the characterisation of small town charm. All up, Once Upon a Seaside Murder is a very engaging read and I will be looking forward to the next instalment.

Twisted Beach Town Crimes This book is the second of a series. The books should be read in order. I have not read the first book and I struggled with details through most of the story. Plus, there are so many characters with similar names; Mia, Marilyn, and Mimi, Peg, Poppy, and Piper. Even in the final denouement, I was having trouble figuring out who was who. It was the prologue that finally straightened it out in my head. The prologue is placed at the end of the book because, while it straightens out the details, it is full of spoilers and should be read last. I did not care for the story and did not think it was well written. There are so many unnecessary details when that space should have been used to fill out the story instead of the background. If you have read the first book, you will enjoy the second book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn is the 2nd A Beach Reads Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not had a chance to indulge in Little Bookshop of Murder. I found Once Upon a Seaside Murder a Debbie downer. There is a lot of sadness, anxiousness, and stress in the story. Summer has several issues that affect her personality. She is grieving the loss of her mother, she zones out, and she is terrified of spiders. We get to hear in detail about her thoughts and feelings. These issues, of course, affect her attitude. I just do not find Summer appealing as a protagonist. Summer is learning about her birth father and family. We get to meet her newly found half-siblings as well as a grandmother plus she learns about a host of other relatives. The whodunit ties to a murder that occurred at Mermaid Point over thirty years ago. There are threats, break ins, and a kidnapping. There was one thing done that was a little extreme for a cozy mystery. The mystery is resolved in the end with complete explanation. I wish Once Upon a Seaside Murder had been lighter and shorter. I hope going forward that Summer starts to move past her grief and fears. There are some good characters in the story such as Glads, Marilyn, Mia, and Aunt Agatha. They are fun and engaging. Let us not forget Mr. Darcy. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the bookstore. I could get lost for hours inside Beach Reads. Once Upon a Seaside Murder takes readers to Brigid’s Island, North Carolina where mayhem ensues when a cozy mystery author is kidnapped, and old secrets come to light.