I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by BookSirens. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Murder UnShelved by Vannetta Chapman Series: Stitches, Perks & Pages #1
Published by Vannetta Chapman on March 26, 2026
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Crafts, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
Pages: 220
Format: ARC
Source: BookSirens
Amazon|Barnes&Noble|Goodreads
A fresh start was supposed to be simple.
Open the doors. Welcome customers. Build a new life.
Fox Hollow, Texas, has other plans.
Sisters Emma Dawson and Sydney Givens arrive in town ready to launch their dream business—Stitches, Perks & Pages, a quilt shop and bookstore under one roof. But before they can even begin unpacking, they find a dead body sprawled across their delivery entrance. Welcome to Fox Hollow.
The victim, Evan Pritchard, had secrets—and someone is still searching for whatever he was hiding. With danger edging closer and another murder looming, Emma and Sydney realize they can’t just shelve the problem and hope it goes away.
Luckily, Fox Hollow has a way of turning strangers into allies. With the help of a sharp-witted retired nurse, a determined Amish teen, an overachieving high school valedictorian, and steady-eyed Detective Noble Beck, the sisters may have a chance to catch a killer before their new beginning becomes their last.
Discussion questions included--perfect for book clubs!
From NYT Bestselling author Vannetta Chapman, Murder UnShelved is a charming cozy mystery about sisterhood, second chances, found family—and discovering that home can be built in the most unexpected places.
If you have forgotten the low-key stalking of Vannetta Chapman’s books I’ve done over the years, she is a top-tier author for me. No matter the genre (she does not pigeonhole herself), she captures me with her storylines, her characters, and her seamlessly woven faith content. That last one, authentic faith in books, seems difficult to find across the board. It feels like it’s either in passing or it’s contrived. Vannetta, though, hits the mark for me every time. While I’ve lately just been doing some reading challenges and clearing some old TBR backlist books, Murder UnShelved would not leave me alone. I ‘saved for later’, I added to the want to read pile, but I kept just going back to look at it and read reviews. It would not leave me alone, so here I am reading it already 😀
Two sisters, about as opposite as night and day (oh, can I relate, though I only have one sister – no middle child to help his navigate), a bit of financial security for differing reasons, and a free house inherited from an aunt. Of course, you are going to open a business that sells fabric and books? I mean, they go together, right? Maybe? I can stretch some believability 😀 Very early on, though, as they talked about the Lost Zone, I was demanding a coffee shop . . . just saying it works for me in all the ways, but I’m more bookstore than fabric store. But here’s the clincher for me. Chapter 1 Paragraph 1. ‘Sydney Givens and Emma Dawson stepped over the threshold of their new business venture, unaware a dead body lay on the premises. If they had known, they never would have purchased the place. They didn’t agree on much, but they would have agreed on that.’ That’s all I needed to immediately know I was back in Vannetta words and I would cozy up with this mystery, these sisters, and come out the last words feeling better about life as a whole.
A touch of romance (even if a bit insta), a smidge of unbelievable, building new friendships, healing family relationships, and finding second chances in life, regardless of age. And that was a clincher for me. Main characters that are my generation who acted their age and felt authentic. I don’t want to give anything away, but I did struggle with the mystery and the ways some things played out. But I did bond with this group of folks, and I laughed a bit too much for all the right reasons. This review has somehow ended up as a hot mess of mishmashed words that make absolutely no sense. I want to say all the things without giving the things away! True Story: Perfect dive back into Vannetta’s book worlds. I loved the themes and the story. I was meh on the insta romance and some of the things these folks did around the mystery. I laughed too hard, I adored too much, and the absolute worst part of reading this book is the wait for the next one. Just sayin’
About Vannetta Chapman
She has sold more than one million copies and has written for Abingdon Press, Harvest House Publishers, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, and the Love Inspired line of Harlequin Books. She currently is focusing on her indie projects in the genres of dystopian thrillers, techno thrillers, and cozy mysteries,.
Vannetta has received numerous awards including the ACFW Carol Award for best mystery (Falling to Pieces) and Christy Award finalist (Anna’s Healing). Her recent release Against All Enemies is a finalist for the 2024 Daphne du Maurier award in mainstream mystery suspense.
Her educational background includes both a BA and MA degree in English from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has 25 years’ experience as a public-school teacher as well as an adjunct college professor. She also speaks to writing groups on how to get published, plotting your novel, what’s in a mystery, how to acquire an agent, and more.
Chapman currently writes and makes her home in the Texas Hill Country. She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Literary Agency.
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