“On the surface, small towns can seem so simple, but they’re not. Behind every smile there could be an unspoken resentment. Every kind word was a possible pretense. Every action had more than one motive. Everybody had secrets and lived with the dull fear that those secrets would be found out.“

Enigma is a small town where it’s citizens have many secrets. There’s a murder and anyone could be the suspect, everyone has a motive.

The FMC moves back to town after her aunt dies to help get loose ends tied. While there, someone wants her gone. They try to burn down the house twice, they leave threatening messages, & someone is even murdered.

If you enjoy:
🕵️‍♀️ cozy mysteries
🧩 suspects left and right
🏡 small towns
🎭 drama

The audiobook for this one was cozy to listen to as well. The narrator had the perfect voice for our FMC. Her southern voices for all the characters were spot on.
Length: 9 hours
Narrator: Hallie Bee Bard

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, & Minotaur Books (SMP) for the free ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Madeline isn't making it as an actress in Atlanta. When her Aunt Rose passes away she comes back to Enigma, GA to run her bookshop. When a young woman is murdered at the bookshop Madeline with the help of the new pastor of the Episcopal church, Gloria, and her aunt's best friend, Philomena, they try to find her killer.

I found Madeline a bit annoying. In the course of the book, she was sure at least three different people were the murderer, went off interviewing her own witnesses and felt that the police officer in charge didn't know what he was doing. The book shop sounded delightful, but I didn't have a strong sense that I was in Georgia. I think the author was going for a cozy mystery but I didn't really find the characters cute or amusing and some of the back characters were darn right hateful.

Apparently this is the set up to a series and I hope in the next installment the characters will be fleshed out more. It's not great literature but it was a pleasant enough read that I would be willing to give book 2 a try.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of Booked for Murder. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely devoured this debut cozy mystery by P.J. Nelson. The story pulled me at the first page and the action never stopped. I was super bummed by the choice of murder victim. So much potential for a great story line!! But never fear, I will not spoil it for you! I am glad there was not an over abundance of food (as in many cozy mysteries) this one is set in an old house/bookstore.

The side characters have their own unique backstories, and they all come together to solve this mystery. The addition of just a tiny bit of magical realism/ghosts was an added bonus.

I am looking forward to reading more of this series.

📚 PUBLICATION WEEK BOOK REVIEW 📚

Booked For Murder By P.J. Nelson
Publication Date: December 10, 2024
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Booked For Murder is an atmospheric Southern cozy debut from author P.J. Nelson, which immediately drew me in and kept me invested in its mystery until its unexpected ending!

After her Aunt Rose's death, Madeline inherits her old Victorian home in small-town Georgia - which also houses an independent bookstore - and she returns to the town she hasn't lived in since she left for college years ago. Immediately upon her arrival, it becomes clear that someone isn't happy she's back in town. -- When a murder happens in her new residence, only a few days after she's moved in, the town is buzzing with gossip and rumors about what's going on. Madeline quickly learns that so many of the town's residents have big secrets -- and everyone isn't always who they appear to be.

I absolutely loved the female main character Madeline, who had moxie and intelligence - a formidable combo. I really enjoyed her friendships with her Aunt Rose's best friend, Philomena, and the town's new pastor, Gloria. And the supporting characters were such a quirky cast of characters that really added to the story throughout the pages. Nelson's writing painted a picture of this small town that was so perfectly detailed, I could almost smell the juniper on the breeze, taste the French-pressed coffee, and hear the creaking of the rocking chair on the big front porch.

This quick read kept me entertained and eagerly awaiting its ultimate conclusion as the characters' secrets were revealed one at a time. I was so shocked to learn this is Nelson's debut, as this atmospheric read certainly doesn't read like a debut! If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you're gonna love this book! Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and P.J. Nelson for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

#BookedForMurder #PJNelson #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #cozymysteries #mysteries #booklover #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #bookreviews

P. J. Nelson’s Booked for Murder has all the makings of a charming cozy mystery—an eccentric Victorian bookstore, a quirky Southern small-town setting, and a fiery protagonist determined to solve a murder. Madeline Brimley’s return to Enigma, Georgia, to claim her late Aunt Rose’s bookstore feels like the perfect setup for mystery lovers, especially when threats, arson, and a murder derail her fresh start.

The book shines in its atmospheric details, from the creaky old mansion housing The Old Juniper Bookstore to the colorful, secretive townsfolk. Madeline’s stubborn and theatrical personality makes her a compelling lead, particularly when she clashes with locals and refuses to back down in the face of danger.

However, the pacing feels uneven, with the first half building slowly before rushing through critical developments in the second half. The mystery itself, while intriguing, could have used more twists and red herrings to heighten the suspense. Some side characters feel underdeveloped, leaving the town of Enigma a bit flatter than it could have been.

That said, Booked for Murder is a fun and easy read for fans of cozy mysteries, particularly those who enjoy bookstores and Southern charm. While it may not be groundbreaking, it delivers enough intrigue and heart to keep you turning the pages.

Final Thoughts: If you love cozy mysteries with determined heroines and bookish settings, give Booked for Murder a try. Just don’t expect it to set the mystery genre ablaze—pun intended!

I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. I hope this becomes a series. There is a fire and then a murder. Madeline decides she must solve it.

A cute and cozy mystery that left me a bit frustrated at times. I love a story that involves books and/or bookstores, so I immediately jumped on Booked for Murder. My two interests meshed together, books and crime, what could be better. Madeline returns to her small town after her Aunt Rose passes away and she inherits her aunt's house/bookstore. Upon her arrival she soon learns there may be more going on in the small town than she realized, and someone isn't happy she is back. While the writing of the book was done well, the plot was a bit tricky to keep up with. It was almost as if the author wanted to make so many twists to keep the reader interested, they threw in every curve ball, red herring they could think of. The main character was frustrating at times and hard to root for, she just did some idiotic things that I don't think would be a rational persons' response. It did make for a nice easy read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced digital copy.

Oh dear, I confess to skipping around. The drag got to me & I was afraid I wouldn't finish at all. There are so many twists and turns and some weren't connected. I was surprised a couple of times, but I never fully engaged in the plot. The main character, Madeline, was not smart so much as stubborn. Caring about her enough to get involved in her journey never happened. I guessed the big shock reveal the first time I read the description. The PR blurb gives the gist of the story and I can't say much more without spoiling the whole thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing a complimentary advance readers copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#NetGalley #Booked for Murder #P.J.Nelson #debut novel #Old Juniper Bookshop Mystery #mystery #cozy mystery

Madeline was born in Enigma, South Georgia, but left to Barnsley College to pursue her passion, theatre. With too many rejections, she is back in the small town where she inherits her aunt’s bookstore. Aunt Rose has passed, she was a hit in Broadway, upon retiring she founded the Old Juniper bookstore.
Upon entering the Victorian mansion, which can be from a Hawthorne’s novel, she remembers the feeling from childhood, she is back at her castle, full of items from her aunt’s broadway plays.
As she is settling down, a fire smell filled the house, only to find out the gazebo in the backyard garden is on fire. From the fire brigade perspective it was arson. Someone is targeting Madeline, threatens to burn out the whole store, only to find the threats are real: there’s another fire along with a murder.
Nothing is going to make her gave up on her store and her new life in enigma.
As it seems, Enigma is a small town of 1251, full of secrets and darkness.
It’s a enjoyable cozy mystery with Southern setting, many characters that can be developed in a sequel, I hope there will be one!.

A fun cozy mystery, set in an eclectic southern bookstore, with the capacity to keep me flipping pages so I could have the mystery resolved. The setting added to the mystery of it all.

I would like to see the characters developed a bit more, as they came across as flat and one-dimensional. Uncertain if I will follow the series further.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Cozy mystery, light reading.

A fire, a murder, several suspects. It was a bit predictable but it kept me entertained wanting to know if I was right.

There are certain relationships that were left unresolved and others that were forced to be fixed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to review the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Booked for Murder is a nice cozy mystery set in a bookstore, which has been inherited by Madeline Brimley, the main character. Madeline face threats, but ignores them at first. When the threats become real and she is framed for Murder, Madeline has no choice but to investigate, in order to clear her name. The storyline was interesting, and I thought that Booked for Murder was an interesting cozy mystery. It is a good read in order to unwind after a busy day.

This was a quick, fun, and easy read. At first, I thought that the multiple mysteries going on would've been an issue for me. However, I found that ti helped keep me engaged since something was always happening. I loved the balance between suspense and humor. Since there is a murder plot, the humor helped it feel lighter in certain areas.

I found that some of the references were a miss for me, but I am not a theatre kid so that is probably why. Also, I would've liked for there to have been more character development.

Overall, for a debut I enjoyed this. In future books I hope to see more within the characters.

I love literary cozy mysteries and " Booked for Murder" is a delight. This first book in the Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery series was an enjoyable diversion I read in one sitting. The small town setting is permeated with southern charm, and the characters are multifaceted and I cant wait to get to know them better. P.J. Nelson is a pseudonym for an established author, so this is not really a debut novel. The story is well planned and the plot is believable, although a bit predictable. I received an advanced electronic copy of this book, but the review is voluntary. I can honestly recommend this novel to cozy mystery fans everywhere.

Booked for Murder by PJ Nelson is kind of a borderline cozy mystery. Many of the elements are there but it is a little more grisly than cozies normally are. It’s a fun premise: it all takes place in Georgia. Enigma, to be exact. Aunt Rose has died and left her home/bookstore to her niece, Madeline. Rose spent thirty years in New York City theatre; never a lead, but always working. Then she came home and opened a bookstore on the ground floor of her home. Madeline Brimley, emulating her aunt, spent some years in the theatre in Atlanta and is not at all sure she wants to come “home.” The evening she arrives, as she is looking for something edible, she sees the gazebo in the back yard aflame. She calls the fire department and is immediately offended by Captain Jordan, who seemed to think she had set the fire herself. That was not the end of the oddities which come one after another, including a murder.

What a great cast of characters this books has. It is a real community. They are all entertaining and quirky, and the reader gets to know them along with Madeline. She figures the boy she used to babysit, Billy, is not really up to being a police officer, so she decides to investigate herself. Needless to say, that gets her in trouble. Lots of surprises await, for both the reader and the sleuth. This is a very entertaining book. I can’t wait for the next. Fantastic Fiction says it will be a year. Totally entertaining. Totally immersive. Excellent characters. Different setting. Surprises galore!

I was invited to read Booked for Murder by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #PJNelson #BookedForMurder

I could not stop reading this book, even though I thought it was hilariously terribly written. I did some research as to who the actual author is, and I was both surprised and not surprised. The depiction of every single woman as a one-dimensional being having one or two basic characteristics (lesbian, old person, young person) was laughable at best. But for some reason I had to finish it and know what happened. Unclear if I'll continue with this series. Three stars, mainly just because I didn't put it down after the first 50 pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC of Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson.

A cozy mystery set in Georgia, Madeline is returning home after her aunts death as she has inherited her aunts home/bookstore. Upon her return, one unfortunate event after another occurs…fire, murder, fire and threatening calls! Add to this the small town, and some quirky characters and Madeline is off to solve all the mysteries. It was cute read. By only complaint is there were a lot of characters and a lot of possible they did it moments. At times I struggled to remember who all the characters were and how they connected. Cozy mysteries typically don’t hold my attention, but this one did, so I’d say that’s a plus. A little love interest in the story helped for sure.

3.5⭐️

There is a lot of potential within this mystery! I can foresee the development of all the characters with new ones being added in from the college. I just don't know if I like the main character. She is very hot and cold regarding her emotions and feelings. I think she will mature with the stability she's setting herself into. I'm not sure if I'd recommend starting another cozy mystery, but I may have to give the second book a chance!

If you look for a quick small town cozy mystery read this book is it. Madeline is coming back home after her aunt passed to take over her house and bookstore. When 2 fires and a murder happen, Madeline decides she’s going to figure out who did it. This was a cozy quick read that I enjoyed and think other will too!!

Booked for Murder was an enjoyable read with a lot going on for a small town.

It was a bit predictable but in a realistic way. The biggest issue I had was with the main character, Madeline who, at times, was just TSTL, and others a bit judgmental like how she had no faith in the local cop for no reason. However, I did like several of the friendships that were building in the story, promising a good series. The author wove a lot of secrets into this book, which is always tough, but they did a good job, especially with all the themes of grief and forgiveness.