Member Reviews

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this story for my review.

When I first received this book I realized that it was the third in the series so I immediately had to buy the first 2 stories so that I was familiar with the characters and the basic story line. From the first book I enjoyed the premise of someone coming back home and opening her dream shop. The murder and choice of 2 seemingly handsome men were an added bonus!

I have found that the writer has stayed true to her characters and I feel as though I get to know them a little more, and like them even more, with every new book. This is definitely a series I will keep up with and an author I will watch.

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I loved the premise--a fiction story appearing in the paper seems to foreshadow a murder that happens that very morning, but at 10% in, the stilted dialog and (for me) unengaging storytelling jsut isn't holding my interest. Vicky as a main character just doesn't seem ... forceful enough, I guess, is the best way I can put it. She's doing what other people tell her, and I find myself just not caring...

Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher. I enjoyed this book but wished I had read the first 2 books to form a better opinion and give a more honest review

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I enjoyed this book in the Country Gift Shop series. It's a quick read, although there were points that I couldn't keep up with who was 'speaking'.

The mystery was interesting but felt that it was a very easy 'solve'. I would have given it 5 stars but it seems to me that Vicky has made herself part of the official investigating staff. Also, I don't think that we spent enough time in her shop. It will be interesting to read the next one in the series when it is published.

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Book three in the Country Gift Shop Cozy Mystery series by Vivian Conroy is Written into the Grave. The books in this series occur in quick succession. While this one stands alone, I think it is helpful to have read the previous books. When a supposedly fictional story in the morning paper comes true, Vicky is drawn into yet another murder investigation. The dead man was not well liked which makes the suspect list long. Vicky is a likable character, but at times she seems too nice. That small negative aside, this is a strong series with a wonderful setting and room for growth!

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This is the first book I have read in this series so I had no background on characters. That being said there is no way the language if from people (even though they lived in England) from Maine, or anywhere in the United States. The male characters were emotional and hard to believe as men. The mystery was interesting and engaged me more as I went on, but not enough to overcome the flaws in characterizations for me. Sorry.

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*3.5 stars

I enjoyed this one so much more than the last, #2, of the series. Although, I was hoping Vivian Conroy would write more about Lady Alkmene. In this one, Vicky is involved in another murder after someone apparently falls over a cliff. The twist is, that the "murder" was written in that mornings paper! I liked the concept of this mystery and it kept me interested. The only thing that bothers me is Vicky. She really overtakes the investigation even from the sheriff. Its not that she's even butting her nose into things. She actually tells the sheriff what to do, what questions to ask, and who to look at!! There's no subtlety to her when it comes to her investigating. Other than that, I do enjoy sitting down and relaxing with a cozy and this one was nice to do that with. However, I do prefer Conroy's Lady Alkmene series better.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A fun cozy mystery. When the murder is described in the newspaper, it gets everyone shook up in the small town. Vicky has a hard time helping the cops and journalists find the killer. Lots of red herrings, and a fast pace helps to clip the story right along. I did figure out the killer about halfway through, but it was still fun to see how it all unfolded. First I've read by this author, but will not be the last. Fun read, and I highly recommend it. Good summer reading.

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Our delightful protagonist spends more time trying to solve the mystery then she does running her gift shop. The gift shop sounds as if it would be a fun store to explore, but sleuthing is more exciting. Vivian Conroy keeps me guessing. She also provides suspects that you don't want to be the killer, so the need to keep searching (and turning the pages) gets more interesting. Romance, dogs, and friends add to the tale.

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Thank you Net Galley. My first book in this delightful series. I enjoyed the book very much and finished it in one go on a Saturday afternoon. A well written cozy mystery, perfect any time.

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This third book in the series was a quick, enjoyable read.
In this series, I enjoy the characters, the small town setting, and the really good whodunits. All the elements of a good cozy are included. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more in the series. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

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The concept of this story is quite clever. A book group writes their own story and it gets published in weekly segments in the local newspaper.
Each member writes their own piece and I found the idea fun. It reminded me of a modern day radio show.

The fun quickly turns to shock as one published story turns out to be a true crime!
Was the author of the story crazy enough to be guilty or did someone set him up?

This was a really interesting story and I can't wait to read the next book.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

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Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Another winner from Vivian Conroy in the Country Gift Shop series. The books get better and better with each installment as the characters continue to develop and grow.

In this book, Written into the Grave, Vicki Simmons, the owner of the Country Gift Shop, sees the latest entry in a serialized mystery series in the newspaper one morning. The entry is disturbing in its graphic description of a murder. Vicki is shocked when she comes upon a death later that morning that seems to match description of the murder in the newspaper exactly.

The local police chief, Cash, gets Vicki involved when he takes her to notify the next of kin. There are family dynamics swirling around the case, and Vicki's old friend Michael, the editor of the local paper, gets involved when one of his reporters begins to act suspiciously. The triangle between Vicki, Cash and Michael is interesting, although Vicki isn't dating either of them.

As in the other books, the characters are interesting and the writing is engaging. I didn't guess the culprit until the very end, which is always a bonus in a cozy mystery.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It can be read as a standalone book, but the other books in the series are equally enjoyable.

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I was contacted by the author about reading the third book in the installment, after reading the second one earlier this year/late last year. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it a quick read. I love a good cosy crime and the cover is so beautiful!

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Easily the best book in the series to date. Was gripped incredibly early on and found the book to be full of action and red herrings, and kept me thinking the whole way through.

In Written into the Grave you are transported to the heart of the action, within the first few chapters, and before you get to the real murder, I was gripped by Vicky reading out a part of a story serial in the newspaper that describes in great detail a murder being committed. So when Vicky notices police action at the cliffs in Glen Cove, she can;t help but get a feeling that reality was mirroring fiction.

On the surface it should have been a very easy crime to solve, until you start thinking and digging into the people potentially involved, at which point there suddenly are a whole range of potential suspects which could have the motivation for murder.

What surprised me a bit was how fast Cash, the local police, starts to lean on Vicky for support with the case, going as far as to ask for help and discuss theories with her, whereas in the previous two books in the series he seemed rather reluctant for any help at all.

It's not just Cash that Vicky is helping with investigating, but also Michael who runs the local paper. The three of them seem locked in a weird triangle involving jealousy despite Vicky not going out with either man.

This may be book three in the A Country Gift Shop series but it could definitely be read as a standalone, although if you want to understand the full depths of the Cash - Michael - Vicky conundrum, then reading the other books which are equally enjoyable would be a good idea.

I was engaged in the story from the start and really enjoyed reading the book and seeing how it all panned out. I am marginally frustrated that Vivian Conroy managed to outwit me yet again for so far into the story, but loved trying to work it out.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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