"Murder Runs in The Family" By Tamara Berry: Review/Giveaway

Review by Tracy Condie  

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Tamara Berry has crafted yet another thoroughly entertaining cozy, and it seems to be the start of a new and sassy series. The main character, Amber, decides that her life needs a new direction, so she heads to Arizona to find the grandma she was never allowed to meet. According to Moonbeam Effervescence, aka Effie, aka Amber’s mom, Grandma Judith, aka Jade, is the most selfish person who ever existed, and is not to be spoken of or to. How could an inquisitive, almost official PI not want to discover the truth?

---

➡ switch to KingsRiverLife.com for more articles ⬅

---

Image Source Poisoned Pen Press

The last thing Amber expects is to discover that her wayward grandma is also the creator of Death Comes Calling, a podcast Amber has listened to for the last three years on stakeouts with Bones, her ex-boyfriend. Make sure you understand that he is the EX-boyfriend, a former Navy Seal, an animal-loving, official private investigator, and a Neanderthal. I am not sure how Amber doesn’t lose it every time he calls her “babe,” but I do understand why she decided it was time to move on from the role of girlfriend/secretary/underling.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Grandma Jade’s posse––shifty septuagenarians who double as the podcast crew. As Amber follows the clues, we start to see more than what is on the surface. I enjoyed her great introspection as she analyzes how she thought she was the black sheep in her family. Amber’s family isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy, which pulls on your heartstrings.

In addition to looking inward, Amber looks at Jade’s friends. They are more than just a couple of retirees who spend time baking croissants, taking and placing bets, possibly hacking into the local servers, or playing hide the turtle (no that is not a euphemism). Who would have guessed that you could use Nextdoor to report pet sightings.

There is one person whom Amber has some difficulty getting to know, Ethan Adler, a guy too young to be in retirement. Turns out he is recuperating from hip surgery. Do I detect a little interest on Amber’s part?

Just wait until you get to the solution to this mystery. I was reading it and shaking my head. I had to read it twice because the first time, I literally said “wait…what…no way!” Unless I am mistaken, the next book is tee’d up at the conclusion of this one, and I can’t wait to read it.

To enter to win a copy of Murder Runs in The Family, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "murder runs,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 3, 2025. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book 

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.