3.25 stars! A fun and cozy read. Perfect for the rainy day!

We follow Ally, a B&B host in the third installment of a murder mystery series. This one centers around a famous writer hosting an event with a seeming eclectic range of women in attendance. The writer is murdered right at the beginning of the event, and poor Ally is smack dab in the middle as she hosts some of the potential murder suspects in her own home! Ally then must navigate the balance between being a good hostess and trying to help the local investigator uncover which of these seemingly unlikely ladies is the murderer.

The writing and plot are straightforward and easy to read. The characters are interesting but given the length of the book, we don’t get to see too much about them. I was able to predict the killer about halfway through, which is exciting. Overall, I’d recommend this book if you are interested in cozy mysteries set in a charming environment! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I was hooked from the start, right to the end. It's an enjoyable story with excellent writing and believable characters.

Ally McKinley hosts a group of writers at her guesthouse in the Highlands. But at the start of the writing retreat, a famous author is found murdered. Ally discovers a range of suspects and wonders which of her guests is guilty.

The pacing is perfect. The story unfolds with every chapter revealing more about the victim, the suspects and Ally's investigation. It's never rushed and it's never too slow.

There are gentle nods to Ally's earlier experiences in the Highlands. But there are no spoilers about previous books. As this is the first Ally McKinley story I've read, I'm now interested in reading the rest of the series.

The only minor change I'd suggest is fewer character introductions in the first chapter, which felt a little overwhelming. While there are many characters, they are uniquely drawn, so you know who's who as they appear in the story. 

The plot was carefully crafted and left me guessing 'who' and 'why' until very late in the book. Clues and red herrings are also left in full view for you to focus on or simply forget.

Above all, it was an entertaining, cosy mystery without being twee.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

A Very Fine-ish Thriller...
As the spring season commences in Locharran, Ally McKinley is yet again ready to accommodate guests at her charming B&B, this time hosting a group of ladies arriving for the literary ladies writer's retreat. However, this enlightening and delightful event becomes an ordeal when Ally discovers Jodi, the guest speaker and best-selling author dead in the ladies' cloakroom. What follows is an investigation and series of accusations, revelations, suspicions and confessions from the suspects - women from different walks of life, some who had ulterior agendas for visiting this retreat.
Ally, the 'local sleuth' she is, helps uncover the puzzle surrounding the murder in this Agatha Christie-type cozy murder mystery novel.

I loved the initial bit of the first chapter where the main and recurring characters, their background, and the scenic beauty that Lacharran is introduced which I found perfect to set the theme and characters of the story for a first-time Ally McKinley reader like myself. Overall, the language was simple, straightforward and the story flowed smoothly. I felt this book fall in the slow to medium-paced category as the different characters' personalities and motivations developed gradually. 72% into the book, I guessed the murderer and was glad I turned out right. Yeah!

With some amazing supporting characters (Ross an absolute sweetheart), a familiar yet gripping story that kept me hooked from the start to the end, and little moments of amusement, I would definitely recommend this book for murder mystery lovers. It has sparked my interest in her previous two Ally McKinley mysteries and I look forward to reading Dee MacDonald's future work in this series.

Thank you Bookouture for providing eARC copy of this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A cozy mystery centered around a writer’s retreat where the headline author is murdered shortly after being accused of plagiarism. There was so much to enjoy about A Very Bookish Murder. I found the cast of characters to be charming with the right amount of quirkiness and believability. There was an excellent balance between humor and mystery and the pacing clipped along nicely.

This is the 3rd book in the series and though I haven’t read the first two, I never felt lost or confused. As I liked this one so much, I’ll be adding the rest of the series to my summer TBR.

This was such an enjoyable cosy murder mystery! It’s the third in a series but having not read the first two didn’t affect me at all and I had a really good time puzzling along with our main character. All the people we meet in the town are quirky and add to the humour.
For the mystery there’s lots of clues and red herrings that keep you on your toes and make it a really fun story to follow. I’ll definitely be going back and reading the first two when I’m in the mood for some cosy mystery solving.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Bookouture.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A writers’ retreat turns deadly as Ally will find a writer dead n the bathroom. She will ask questions as accessions of plagiarism surface. Who can be trusted to tell the truth in this crime? You might just be surprised.

A Very Bookish Murder the third novel in the fun, cosy mystery series, with our elderly protagonist Ally McKinley. And once again, our Ally finds herself right in the middle of the action (erm, murders)
Retired and running a small B&B at Locharran, in the Scottish Highlands, Ally has welcomed a few members of a writers retreat to the village. But the event has only begun when a murder occurs, a detective is hospitalised and the rumours are escalating by the moment! With a new detective stepping in to run the investigation, Ally is asked to assist and it's not long before the residents and visitors of Locharran are facing another murder!
The Ally McKinley series is a highly enjoyable cosy mystery series with stories that contain lots of clues, red herrings and humour. I'm getting to know the residents of the village and their reactions to the latest murders add to the entertainment with Hamish (the local Laird) providing some hilarious commentary on why a particular character could well be a murderer.