I’m not usually a cozy mystery kinda girl, but Samara Yew may have just converted me! This story follows Scarlett, a new beachside bookstore owner, who discovers a body during a pre-work morning walk on the beach. Shortly after finding out who the victim was, Scarlett finds out that the victim was VERY wealthy - and Scarlett is listed as the recipient of her inheritance. But who was this woman? Why did a complete stranger leave all her earthly belongings to Scarlett?

I really enjoyed the setting of this small beach town, crazy inheritance driven murder mystery. Scarlett strikes me as a very “normal” protagonist, someone like me and you, who just ends up in a pickle as she’s casually investigated for murder. Her lawyer roommate is someone we all wish we had in our lives, and their friendship chemistry along with their drive to solve this mystery kept the pages turning. With plenty of red herrings and characters who made me raise my eyebrows a few times, I was never bored during this fun, quick novel. 

MURDER BY THE SEASHORE will transport you to a quaint bookshop in Oceanside, CA and provide endless entertainment as Scarlett fights to keep herself out of jail - and to solve this thing once and for all.