Murder Runs in the Family: A Novel by Tamara BerrySeries: Seven Ponds #1
Publication Date: April 29, 2025
Pages: 256
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Rating: ★★★★
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press / Sourcebooks
Synopsis:
A new soft-boiled mystery from award-winning author Tamara Berry! Amber Winslow thought she had troubles before her grandma was arrested for murder...
Amber Winslow's life has taken a serious turn for the worse. When an impulsive decision forces her to flee her former life carrying nothing but the clothes on her back, she heads to the sunny state of Arizona...and to the luxury accommodations of her grandmother's retirement community. But as soon as she sneaks her things into Seven Ponds—a place she technically doesn’t qualify for and definitely can't afford—she finds that her Grandma Jade is about to be arrested for murder. With the help of the other retirees and her grandma’s true crime podcast friends, Amber must work to find the real killer.
REVIEW
What would happen if your grandma started a true-crime podcast and was then arrested for murder? That’s the deliciously chaotic world Tamara Berry creates in her latest mystery.
Meet Amber Winslow, a failed PI who’s having the worst week of her life. First, she has to flee town in the middle of the night. Then her grandmother gets charged with murder. Oh, and there’s a 98-year-old tortoise involved in the investigation somehow. Did I mention the missing £3 million ring?
Berry’s genius lies in making this ridiculous premise work. Her cast of characters shouldn’t fit together: a millennial amateur sleuth, podcast-producing retirees, and an escaped reptile, but they do, creating a story that’s equal parts hilarious and suspenseful. The pacing clips along nicely, never dwelling too long on the darker elements before hitting you with another laugh-out-loud moment.
What really sets this book apart is how it bridges generations. Berry weaves modern elements like true crime podcasts and millennial culture into classic mystery traditions without missing a beat. Yes, there are moments when keeping track of all the characters feels like solving a mystery itself, but the sharp dialogue and quirky interactions make it worth the effort.
The mystery itself? Clever enough to keep you guessing, but not so twisty that you’ll need a flowchart to follow along. While some character relationships could use more depth, it’s clear that Berry prioritized entertainment over heavy emotional investment, and honestly, in a book featuring a geriatric tortoise on the lam, that feels like the right call.
Murder Runs in the Family is exactly what the cozy mystery genre needs right now: fresh, funny, and just a little bit absurd. If you enjoy your mysteries with a side of humour and don’t mind your sleuths coming in unexpected packages, this book is for you. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself checking your local retirement home for amateur podcasters.
