Hi. My name is Samantha Washington. For years, my husband Leon and I dreamed that one day, we’d be able to quit our jobs and open a mystery bookshop. When Leon died, I quit my job as a high school English teacher, bought the building we both loved, and opened Market Street Mysteries. I sold our house and moved upstairs, so my morning commute is very short.
My day typically starts when one of my poodles, Snickers or Oreo, who seem to think I’m their personal servant, wakes me so they can go outside. If I’m lucky, it’ll be one of the days when my grandmother, Nana Jo, is staying over because she almost always beats me to the kitchen. By the time I’m dressed, there’s hot coffee and bacon waiting. I love bacon. Then, it’s down to the bookstore.
One of the many things that I love about the bookshop, is working with my family and friends. Nana Jo is an avid mystery lover and she’s the person who first got me started on my love affair with mysteries. During college breaks, my nephews, Christopher and Zaq help out too. I’ve also been blessed with an assistant, Dawson Alexander, who loves to bake (and he’s very good at it). Dawson lives in the apartment above my garage and helps out when he’s not in school or playing football for the Michigan Southwest University Tigers or Miss-U as the natives call it. However, owning a mystery bookshop was only one of my dreams. I also dreamed of writing British historic cozy mysteries. After Leon’s death, I started writing at night to kill time. Over time, I’ve managed to complete several mysteries set in England between WWI and WWII. Thanks to Nana Jo and her friend Ruby Mae’s network of extended family, I now have an agent who is enthusiastic about selling my British historic cozy mysteries, so I’ve decided to take a trip to England for a vacation and to research my next book.
Nana Jo, and several of our friends from the Shady Acres Retirement Village, Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae, have all decided to come with me on a Mystery Lovers Tour across England. Since opening the bookshop and spending more time with my grandmother and her friends, I’ve found myself way too close to murderers. When it comes to puzzling out a murder North Harbor’s police aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, and we’ve had to get involved to help ensure justice is served. So, I’m looking forward to this trip to England where we’ll be an ocean away from murder. My sister Jenna Rutherford thinks I’m crazy to go on vacation with Nana Jo and the Girls. However, it’s just a short vacation. What could possibly go wrong?
A Tourist’s Guide to Murder by V.M. Burns, Mystery Bookshop Mystery #6
Genre: Cozy
Release: January 2021
Purchase Link
Sam joins Nana Jo and her Shady Acres Retirement Village friends Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae on a weeklong trip to London, England, to experience the Peabody Mystery Lovers Tour. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract as a mystery author.
But between visits to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel district and 221B Baker Street, Major Horace Peabody is found dead, supposedly of natural causes. Despite his employer’s unfortunate demise, the tour guide insists on keeping calm and carrying on—until another tourist on their trip also dies under mysterious circumstances. Now it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers, find a motive, and turn up a murderer . . .
About the author
V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in Northwestern Indiana. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers Association of America, Thriller Writers International and is on the national board for Sisters in Crime. V.M. Burns is also the Agatha Award nominated author of The Plot is Murder, the first book in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series; and the RJ Franklin Mystery series. She now lives in Eastern Tennessee with her two poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.
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If you could travel to England, what one place would you like to visit? Leave a comment below for your chance to win a kindle copy of A Tourist’s Guide To Murder, the sixth book in the Mystery Dog Club series. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends January 30, 2021. Good luck everyone!
All comments are welcomed.
Thank you Sam for giving us a glimpse into your day abroad. Thanks Valerie for donating a copy to my readers.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting England a number of times, and there are so many wonderful places to see. If I had to choose, I’d go back to Cornwall. Or maybe the Lake District.
I haven’t been to either of those places yet, but they are on my list.
This is as close as I will ever get and touring it with Sam would be so much fun.
After months of securing in place, I was excited to travel with Sam, too.
Thanks for hosting us, Dru Ann!
This sounds spectacular. Thanks, Dru Ann, for all you do to promote great books and fabulous authors.
Will be reading this one for sure!
-Stacy Allen
I ❤ the cover!!!
Oops!!! Forgot to comment with my answer: HARROD’S!!!
This is one of my top three favorite cozy series.
Thank you, Annette. That made my day
I loved Harrods. It is an amazing store.
Thank you! I love it too
Thank you! I totally agree with you about everything Dru does! She is awesome!
One place?! So hard to choose. But, the pub building that my great grandmother’s familyl ran at the turn if the last century still stands–off to Durham I would go!
Such a fun series, and now a trip to England. I’d like to see Charring Cross Road as featured in a couple fun books! (tipping my hat to Helene Hanff and Liz Hedgecock) I would love to see the countryside and costal areas as well.
That is a really hard question. I guess I’d go first to London. I’d see if those corgis need a pet sitter. Thanks for the article and the contest. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com
I have no clue as to where I would like to go. I’ve not traveled abroad so I think just the fact that I could go to England would be a thrill in itself.
wfnren at aol dot com
Travelling to England would be thrilling. My first trip, I wanted to see everything, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Harrods, etc., etc. Oh there are so many great sites to see.
Love the title!
Thank you! I think my editor might have come up with this one. He’s really good at titles.
I enjoyed A Day in the Life of Samantha Washington – thanks Dru Ann and Valerie. I would love to go back to London and visit friends there and sightsee and shop. I would also do a side trip to Bath to have cream tea at the Royal Crescent ~
I want to go to Bath, too. Maybe we’ll both make it one day. Thanks!
I went to London once and loved it! I would love to go back and visit Hyde Park.
I would love to stay long enough to enjoy a relaxing day in a park. Usually, I’m trying to cram all the sites into a few short days. I think I’ll add Hyde Park to the list for my next visit.
I laughingly tell my husband we must tour Midsomer County some day! It would be hard to pick just one place. The Cotswolds maybe or Yorkshire?
Oh, I totally agree with the Midsomer visit.
My ancestral tree on my paternal side is from England so if I were able to visit England I would visit any area where I might be able to find someone who maybe part of my tree. My fingers are crossed since I love V.M.Burns books.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you make it to England and can connect with your family tree.
I haven’t ever been to England so I am not very familiar with the places, but I tend to love out of the way, quieter attractions like a cozy bakery or a quaint restaurant.
There are definitely lots of quiet, cozy corners to see in England. The countryside is beautiful.
I’m so excited to meet you Sam. Valerie congratulations on A Tourist’s Guide to Murder. I can’t wait to read it.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the mysteries.
This is one of my top three favorite cozy series.
Thank you so much, Annette. That really makes my heart happy.
Anywhere in England and the British Isles sounds good to me!
It sounds good to me, too. I hope on my next visit I can make it to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Oh, so much to see.
I love this series. Also loved everywhere I went when I visited England years ago. London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, York, the Lake District and many more. Stay safe and well.
Oh, I’d love to see Stratford-Upon-Avon. And, every time I hear “the Lake District” I think of Pride & Prejudice (love that book).
Iceland, my parent went in the 80’s and loved this county. Their stories made me want to go there.
Awesome. I hope you make it there, one day.
I went to England two years ago, and I’d like to go back and spend more time in Bath. I’d like to spend more time in the Roman baths, and looking at the architecture.
I’d love to go to Bath. There is some amazing architecture throughout England. Definitely, worth adding to my list.
**** WINNER ****
A Tourist’s Guide to Murder is violet2233
Congratulations!