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.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I was not a fan of the writing or the characters. I didn’t really care about the mystery because i didn’t like the characters.

I hope others enjoy this one but it didn’t work for me.

Madeline Brinkley returns to her hometown of Enigma, GA to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore that she inherited from her late Aunt Rose. Once she arrives, fires, threats over the phone, and even a murder hang over her head. Will she uncover the mystery that surrounds this old eccentric bookstore before she is the next target?

Overall, I thought this was a fun mystery. My only hang up was that it was a little challenging to connect to the characters. The over arching story was interesting and had enough red herrings to keep you guessing. I did love the conversations around belonging and finding your place, but I think it could have been explored just a little more for me to really fall in love with the characters and setting. I am looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!!

I expected Booked for Murder to be a cozy, low-stakes mystery with the charm of small-town Georgia. While it delivered on these elements, it didn’t go far enough. The atmosphere, mystery, and coziness all felt lacking, making it hard to stay engaged. The characters weren’t fully developed, and some of their actions felt unclear. For example, the main character doesn’t own a phone—a detail mentioned often but never explained. Understanding that quirk could have added depth to her personality.

That said, I didn’t dislike the book—I still had a great time. I just wish it had been a better one.

This was a just okay murder mystery with a side of romance. I didn’t love all the characters although they did remind me of some of the southern storytellers I love watching on TikTok. In BOOKED FOR MURDER by PJ Nelson, the main character moved home after her great aunt unexpectedly passes and tries to pick up the pieces of everything and run the bookshop she’s inherited, while also solving a murder that happens in her home. She clashes with the local police and finds unlikely allies in the small town.

Normally, I love a bookish cozy. This one felt different. It felt like the main character didn’t like books at all, or was indifferent toward them. There were several religious allusions. One of the characters was an Episcopal priest. The main character was openly not religious. However, with so many allusions it was hard to tell if the author was making fun of Christianity or trying to incorporate it positively somehow. It felt icky.

Super cute and cozy read. Highly entertaining and kept me giggling and shaking my head at all the stuff Maddie got herself into.

I was pretty quickly pulled into this cozy mystery. It takes place in rural southern Georgia and they talk about food A LOT. And I sure do miss some good ole southern comfort food! Maddie inherits a home/bookstore and she moves back to the small town and is deciding if she wants to keep it when she starts getting threats and there’s a murder! Whether she stays or goes, she’s solving this mystery first! This was a cute little mystery and it looks like it might be the first in a series! I would go back for the food!

This is a wonderful start to a new cozy mystery series that I look forward to following as Nelson continues to build off this compelling beginning I found this fun book to be filled with well motivated and humorous characters, Madeline, Philomenia, and Gloria and the rest of the quirky cast of characters drew me in and kept me reading. The wit and banter in this story was so much fun and helped bring this book to life. The mystery was a well thought out and I can see how it will be the springboard to keep this community moving forward mystery after mystery!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and P J Nelson for sharing this ARC of Booked for Murder with me. All opinions above are my own thoughts and reactions.

Booked for Murder is the first offering in a new series by PJ Nelson. It has the potential to be a stellar series for cozy mystery lovers. It has all of our favorite elements- inherited bookstore, return to small town, quirky characters and literary references. What it doesn't have is a likable main character.
Madeline is wrongly suspected of starting a fire and is also the one who discovers a dead body. So naturally she sets out to clear her name. Unfortunately she does this by walking headlong into unsafe environments and impulsively making accusations without evidence.
I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and the humorous bantering and one-liners. The plot was fairly standard for cozies.
I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC of Booked for Murder.

this is a southern cozy debut mystery that I absolutely loved! Madeline Brimley is our main character and she left her small hometown in Enigma, Georgia many years ago for college and then a career as a stage actress. Just as Madeline is thinking of leaving her acting career, she receives word that her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose has passed away and left Madeline her bookstore.

And just Aunt Rose wasn’t a typical aunt, her bookshop isn’t a typical store – it’s housed in Aunt Rose’s old Victorian mansion. Before Madeline can even settle in, the gazebo in the back yard is set on fire and Madeline receives threatening phone calls. And then there’s more fire and a murder…can Madeline safely stay in Enigma?

I couldn’t put this down. Madeline is brave and sometimes a little impulsive and the mystery she must resolve has twists and turns and red herrings! There’s a scene in the book that I was not expecting and I sat right up while I was reading. Wonderful side characters, a great setting and some laugh out loud humor made me such an enjoyable read. I can’t wait for book two.

Small southern town cozy mystery. It was a bit slow at points in the story, but overall I thought it was a good book.

What do you get when you cross an actor, professor, and an Episcopalian? A southern, cozy murder mystery that’ll absolutely keep you intrigued from start to finish!

Madeline Brimley returns to the town of Enigma, Georgia to take over her late aunt’s bookstore, but while she is there, secrets from her aunt’s past get revealed all the while a murder takes place soon after.

I really enjoyed P.J. Nelson’s writing style, the quick, short chapters, and the absolute fantastic cast of small town characters. Being from a small southern town myself, I could relate to the colloquialisms and the shenanigans that ensued within the novel. Nelson captivated me from chapter to chapter with the suspenseful language and cliffhangers. If there’s more in store for this series, I can’t wait to read them!!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Make sure to check out Booked for Murder when it arrives in Dec. 2024!

PS — I am living for Cannonball! Absolutely adore him!!🐈‍⬛

Madeline Brimley’s return to small-town Georgia is anything but quiet in *Booked for Murder*. This charming cozy mystery delivers an engaging mix of suspense, quirky characters, and a bookstore setting that bibliophiles will adore. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, weaving together intrigue and humor as Madeline navigates cryptic threats, arson, and murder—all while adjusting to life as a bookstore owner. The atmospheric setting of The Old Juniper Bookstore, housed in a Victorian mansion, adds an irresistible touch. While some twists are predictable, the engaging protagonist and compelling mystery make this a delightful read.

Usually when a mystery purports itself to be based in a bookstore, has books on the cover, and even "booked" in the title, one would naturally expect said bookstore or even books to play a large role in the mystery. Unfortunately, Booked for Murder is not that mystery.

Our main character inherits her aunt's bookstore where she was raised in a small town that again...she grew up in. Yet, throughout the entire novel, Madeline acts like someone who is a complete stranger - even to those who supposedly raised her. She has no idea about romantic relationships between known associates that have supposedly been going on for years despite herself only having left her small town for college and the theater and returning while still in her twenties. She was close enough to her aunt to inherit her bookstore and house, yet had no idea that she had taken in another wayward girl after Madeline left. These small details matter when one is setting up a mystery in a small town with a close-knit community. Also - a small town in Georgia is not going to have every single citizen quoting Shakespeare. They just aren't.

As far as Madeline's detective skills following arson on her property and a murder in her living room, she has none. At all. For someone who has spent much of her life devoted to theater, apparently EVERYONE is a phenomenal actor in her life and she can't even figure out who is gay - which, not meaning to stereotype, but someone in theater should not be blindsided by someone close to them coming out unless you are completely oblivious. Madeline takes the award for being one of the most oblivious detectives to grace the page. She jumps to conclusions and publicly accuses people with zero factual evidence. What clues and confessions she does end up uncovering are simply told to her in various states of drunkeness.

Did this mystery take place in a bookstore? Yes, however due to said murder, the bookstore is closed for 95% of the book and Madeline herself never does any bookselling or managing or really anything. Other than Shakespeare references and a few other obscure theater mentions, Madeline's acting abilities don't even take center stage. There were no disguises or attempts at pretending to be someone else to get to the bottom of the matter. Her theater background had no relevance whatsovever.

Overall, this mystery did not work for me. As a booklover, I was hoping to fall into a cozy bookstore based mystery and also hoping the main character's theater background would offer some crazy "in disguise" shenanigans. What I got instead was a basic murder with little to no clues for the reader to guess whodunnit and information was simply handed to our amateur sleuth with little to no detective work involved. However, if you like cozy mysteries with zero spice and where you don't have to wear your thinking cap and want to just enjoy the small town setting, then this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and PJ Nelson for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.