Ughhh, I was so bored from the beginning. I really need to never request a cozy mystery ever again. I even tried to listen to this on audio. It did not help me.

Madeline inherits a bookstore from her aunt, the bookstore catches fire and someone is murdered leaving Madeline to uncover the dark secrets of her New venture. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I was expecting a cozy bookshop murder mystery but this wasn’t it. I failed to connect to the story and the characters. I ended up DNFing.
Thank you to NetGalley for this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Booked for Murder is the debut mystery in the Old Juniper Book series. The story revolves around Madeline returning to her small-town Georgia home to run the bookshop left to her by her Aunt Rose. Booked for Murder is your quintessential small town, cozy mystery with a charming cast of characters. While I enjoyed the story overall, there were a lot of different plot points in the mystery that made for a somewhat muddled resolution. I appreciated the plot twists and turns, and I always love the promise of a little small-town romance. I'm very curious to see where these characters go, so I look forward to further books in the series.

BOOKED FOR MURDER
P.J. Nelson, author
Mystery

When her beloved aunt passes right and Madeline’s dream of being on stage have been denied, she packs up everything and goes to check out her inheritance, her aunts eccentric bookstore. Soon threats and a murder occur, but that is not enough to scare Madeline away.

I always love a cozy mystery about a bookstore. This one did not disappoint and I am anxiously awaiting the second in the series. I would definitely give this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

This was a cute cozy mystery. It wasn’t exceptionally good but it wasn’t bad. The pacing was good but I didn’t really seem to connect with the characters.

This was an ARC given to me by NetGalley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 stars

[ thank you @stmartinspress for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

This was a solid start to a new cozy mystery series!
Madeline quickly got into some sticky situations but with the help of some new friends, they figured out the mystery!
It was set in a cute town and a bookstore. What’s not to love about that?

Booked for Murder was a light, enjoyable read that made for a cozy escape. The story follows Madeline Brimley, who returns to her late Aunt Rose’s bookstore only to be met with unexpected danger—mysterious fires, anonymous threats, and ultimately, a murder on the property. As Madeline digs deeper into the chaos around her, the small-town charm blends with a bit of suspense.

While the plot kept me engaged and the pacing was steady, the story didn’t leave a lasting impression for me personally. I’d rate it a solid 3 stars—it held my attention, but I don’t see it becoming a standout read I’ll remember long-term.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

In Booked for Murder, Madeline Brimely returns to Enigma, a small town in Georgia where she grew up. After leaving for college and working as an actress, Madeline returns due to her Aunt Rose's recent death and to deal with her inheritance. Aunt Rose named Madeline the heir to her bookstore (The Old Juniper Bookstore), which doubles as a home. Almost as soon as Madeline arrives back in Enigma, she faces a few frightening events. The gazebo behind the bookstore is burned down. A mysterious man calls and threatens to burn down the store if Madeline doesn't leave. And finally, there's another fire and murder in the bookstore. This culmination of events convinces Madeline that she must stay and investigate to find out who has committed these crimes.

Anyone who enjoys reading cozy mysteries will probably enjoy reading Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson. I particularly appreciated that there was enough excitement at the beginning of the book to get me hooked and make me wonder who could be setting fires and making threats. The drama started almost immediately, which I like in any mystery novel. The crimes also escalated from a fire in the backyard and threats to a murder and setting part of the bookstore on fire, which kept me interested in reading more to find the culprit. The premise of these events made me curious enough that I had to finish the book.

I enjoyed reading about certain characters, but I felt that others should have been fleshed out more. My favorite character was Gloria, and I wish she had been in the book more from the beginning. She seemed like an interesting person with a backstory that could potentially be explored further in a sequel (if this becomes a series). I also liked the detective, Billy Sanders, but I cannot understand why Madeline thought he was stupid and unsatisfactory at being a detective with no reference point. As a teenager, she used to babysit Billy. However, she didn't even know he was a detective until he arrived at the bookstore to investigate. There's no explanation for why Madeline repeatedly says Billy can't solve the crimes and acts as if she has to take matters into her own hands when she has no credentials.

Madeline Brimely was not an endearing character. She wasn't completely unlikeable, but in certain situations, she came across as annoying and condescending. I also did not like Philomena. I cannot fully explain why I disliked her character here because it will contain spoilers. From the beginning, Philomena seemed suspicious because she inserted herself where she didn't belong and gave opinions about things she wasn't asked about. If the characters of Madeline and Philomena were improved upon, I think the book would significantly improve.

Overall, this book started strong with interesting events. As I read more of the book, I got a bit bored. I was left feeling unsatisfied with the book as a whole.

This cozy mystery is a bit different from the rest. I must say, I am not sure why the author would kill the sweetest girl off in the first few chapters. Poor Tandy. Overall, I liked how this mystery unfolded and how Maddie grows by the end of the novel. I am looking forward to the second installment.

A book about a bookstore-be still my beating heart! This is a super cute cozy mystery that evokes the genre and its Southern setting to a ‘T’. I really enjoyed the background of the characters, the setting, the plot and its execution and the ending. I am somewhat-patiently waiting for volume two of this series to come out at the end of the year because I am now invested in Madeline, David, Philomena and Gloria and The Old Juniper Bookstore.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and P. J. Nelson for this ebook to read. All opinions are my own.

Booked for Murder was an easy and enjoyable read. The main character, Madeline Brimley, returns to the bookstore her late Aunt Rose gave to her. When she gets there she is met with a fire to the gazebo in the backyard and threatening calls to leave town. While trying to figure out who is causing all these problems and ignoring the warnings, she awakes to another fire in the home along with a dead body. I rated it a 3 just because yes it was good and it kept my attention throughout but I don’t foresee it being very memorable to me. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy for giving my honest review.

I couldn’t get into this one- picked it up so many times but the plot and characters didn’t speak to me. I’m bummed as the premise sounded fun.

Booked for Murder is a cozy mystery set in small town Georgia. Madeline returns to her hometown after her Aunt passed and left her bookstore estate in her name. As a thriller reader, I found this book to be somewhat underwhelming. I listened to the audio copy and was kept entertained by the narrator's sweet Southern accent. When one chapter ended with a traumatic event happening such as a murder or fire, the next chapter started out with a happy main character the next morning. Several times I had to go back to the previous chapter to make sure I didn't skip the in-between. I wish the flow was a little better and the events made a bigger impact on Madeline as the main character.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I really liked this book. I love a good cozy mystery and this gave me that. There were a lot of heartfelt moments. You get really attached to some of the characters. I loved all of the main characters so much. Gloria was a hoot and a half. One of my favorite things about cozy mysteries is you can't help but fall in love with the world it's taking place in. Engima, Georgia. The quaint bookstore. The small town family feel. I will definitely read more from this author in the future. Super big thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of Booked for Murder. Unfortunately, I am a little behind in my reading.

This one was a meh for me. It started out with promise. Then it just fell flat. I was hoping for a little romance spark and got nothing.
The story line itself was okay. But the twist could have been a little more twisty.

I tried coming back to this one a couple of times, because I love a cozy mystery, but it just didn't land for me. It was hard to care deeply about the actual mystery and it was ultimately a DNF for me.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Madeline was fun to get to know. Her friendship with Philamena and thr lady priest was fun, relatable and hilarious. I hope we see more from these 3 and this small town.

Probably not my fave cozy mystery this year, this novel was a "just okay." It took too long for me to get interested in this book, so I skipped to the end and read the last few chapters. I like that it was set in a bookstore, and loved the cat and the jazz music. Too many loose ends and unbelievable actions on the part of the main character though. I received this ARC (thank you) from NetGalley and was not required to give a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

📖 “Booked for Murder” by P.J. Nelson is a cozy mystery set in the small Southern town of Enigma, Georgia. The story follows Madeline Brimley. She is a former actress who moves back to her hometown after her Aunt Rose dies and leaves her a big, old bookstore. All seems fine and aboveboard until things take a dark turn when the bookstore is set on fire, strange notes show up, and someone is murdered. Madeline decides to solve the mystery herself—before she becomes the next victim.

❤️ The best part of the book is the setting. The bookstore, with its old wooden floors and hidden corners, feels like a place I’d want to visit. The town has a nice charm to it, and the side characters, like the priest and the mysterious professor, are fun and interesting. The setting put the “cozy” in cozy mystery.

💭 However, the story moves slowly in some parts, and there are a few scenes that don’t really add much. Madeline is a likable main character, but she makes some unrealistic choices that kinda made me roll my eyes. The ending also feels a little rushed and not very believable.

Overall, “Booked for Murder” is a decent read with a charming setting and quirky characters. If you enjoy light mysteries and small-town vibes, you might enjoy this one—even if it’s not perfect.