Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enigma, Georgia is the setting for this charming read. Booked for Murder is a cozy set in and around an old book store. Yes, it's not a new premise by any means, but it still kept my interest thanks to the main character's largely flawed investigation. Madeline leaps from one conclusion to the next (as does one of the main supporting characters), and it became a tad repetitive for my liking.

The conclusion to the death was also quite an anti-climax insofar as it wasn't really because of Madeline's investigative (or lack of) prowess but more down to circumstance.

3 out of 5.

I liked the premise of the book, but there were so many inconsistencies, unresolved plots/loose ends, and character issues, I had a hard time enjoying the book and will not be leaving a review on Goodreads because I don't like to leave negative reviews.. Examples of things that bugged me in no particular order:

* How does Madeline not have a phone? She's an itinerant actor! She'd have a smart phone or at least a cell phone with the ability to text. Totally unbelievable.
* Also, if her car is as banged up as portrayed, a cop would have nailed her.
* Billy is portrayed as not being so bright -- with Phil and Gloria saying he isn't so bright and then saying he knows what he's doing at the end, which is only days after saying he wasn't so smart. If they'd lived in Enigma for years, they should know that Billy is a good cop if he really is.
* The plotline of Philomena having a major breakdown -- and torching the gazebo -- seemed totally abrupt and out of character. And why does everyone in Enigma have a tortured past?
* If it's a college town, with lots of students and faculty, why have nearly all of the shops closed?
* Also, no way could a bookstore like that make money or enough to provide a living for Madeline and allow her to hire someone. (I'm good friends with the owner of an indie bookstore in a place a bit larger than fictional Enigma, and she'd laugh about the Juniper.)
* If Madeline drank as much coffee as portrayed in the book, she'd be a wreck or in a bathroom or a hospital
* Why all the mystery around Rose's will? Where did Rose get her money? Both things were teased and not resolved. Annoying. Also, the bit about Madeline giving half of the store to Phil and then Rusty revealing that that was what Rose had wanted or hoped for at the end was also a big stretch.
* I got whiplash from reading about Bo.
* And really, Madeline fell in love with Tandy after just a day? Tandy sounded great, but that was the world's fastest bonding. And instead of killing Tandy, what about having her seriously injured, be touch-and-go and in a coma instead -- and have her wake up at the end of the book?

Maybe with another round of editing some of these things will be fixed.

Maddy is easy to like when she’s not racing from one extreme to the other, quickly attaching and then detaching from people at times. She often took a clue and ran a little too far with it, jumping to conclusions hastily and making assumptions that were often wrong. I was also a little uncomfortable with her extremely quick attachment to one of her new friends and the subsequent consequences. I see good potential here for future stories. The overall concept was good, but the details needed a little tightening up for consistency of character and better story flow.

This was so fun and cozy! I really enjoyed this and flew through it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I wasn't too sure in the beginning but it turned out to be a good cozy mystery. Inheritance, murder mystery, that kept me reading. I would never have guessed who dun it! I'm looking forward to the next!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

In this atmospheric southern cozy debut, Madeline Brimley returns to the bookstore she inherited, discovering that small towns hold deadly secrets!!
Good book!! This book was definitely a cozy mystery type book but with a bit of grit! It had good suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a good who done it and a few twists and turns! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Booked for Murder is a cute cozy mystery. The murder made me sad because I liked the character that was killed and, like everyone in the book, wondered who would kill such a sweet girl. I instantly thought the death was a case of mistaken identity and was surprised that the main character didn't think so even though she had been threatened. Unlike many cozy mysteries, the police do handle the investigation and are not incompetent. However, Maddie who was once the detective's babysitter doesn't believe in his abilities and tries to investigate herself. Unfortunately, she is terrible at detective work. Her confusion means that the reader isn't given many clear clues as to the identity of the killer. Booked for Murder is a fun, easy read. I hope there is a sequel.

"Booked for Murder" by PJ Nelson is a delightful cozy murder mystery that kept me guessing until the very end! I loved the twists and turns that kept me on my toes, trying to figure out whodunit. While I had some unanswered questions by the end, I'm hoping for a sequel to tie up loose ends.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this engaging mystery. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries, add this one to your list!

NetGalley had a new author release last month with P.J. Nelson's Booked for Murder, an amateur sleuth series set in the south. Madeline, a mid 30s (with premature graying hair) returns to take over her late aunt's book store only to discover someone else wants to keep her away. Fires. Murder. Drugs. Lots of darkness for a cozy but handled well. I like Madeline a lot, and the story has been set up with a balanced supporting cast. I won't share much as its the first book, so you never know if one of them turns out to be the villain. I like how things are set up for a possible romantic triangle, a mentor relationship, and a connection to the local liberal arts college. For such a small town, there is a lot of drama, I will say, but that's what makes for a good read.

DNF 54%

I really tried to keep going but the characters and story just didn't do it for me. I was both bored and irritated by the trio detectives. Phil was quick to a hot temper with accusations and a weird sense prejudice. Gloria was used to set up so many moments to just actually never deliver her statement - she's a pastor and you're telling me she couldn't get anyone to listen to her. And Madeline, who at one point admitted she wanted to be sad about the death of a girl she knew for 2 days and didn't want someone else to be sad about her.

The premise was such a cute cozy mystery, but there was nothing cute or cozy and the mystery wasn't intriguing enough to continue.

I might push along later to finish.

I flew through this book. If you are needing a cozy murder mystery, pick this book up! Would absolutely recommend this book. Can't wait for the other books!

Many thanks to NetGalley for sending me an Advance Reader's Copy.

Booked for Murder is about a woman who inherits a bookshop and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. I liked the idea of another cozy mystery and jumped right in. The book didn't quite live up to my expectations and I would probably give this closer to 2.5 stars.

The characters were a mixed bag. Some were charming and likeable and others were really underdeveloped and hard to like. Unfortunately, the main character was one that was unpalatable. Madeline is given the chance to go back to the place where she was happiest as a child; and owns it to boot! Throughout the whole book she reminisces about the happy times but does not act happy to be there now. Her distaste for the bookstore, her situation, her life, and really the whole city in general is very evident. Her character isn't well rounded but at the same time seems vaguely mean. She's distrustful of everyone, even her pseudo-aunt who she loves, and acts impulsively on half-cocked ideas.

I was interested in reading more about Philomena and her possible relationship with Madeline's aunt, Rose. I suspect more will come about that in subsequent books. David was fun and is a good choice as a possible love interest for Madeline. The side characters were quirky and enjoyable. There were a couple twists in the story and they were exciting and mostly unexpected. The pace was a little slow in some parts. Overall, Booked for Murder had some great elements and interesting characters. If things were more fleshed out, the plot was faster paced, and some characters were tweaked a little it would be even better! Hopefully more loose ends will be tied up in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this ARC!

I was excited about this story, but I’m sorry so say the writing just fell flat for me. I didn’t feel the coziness, the small-town quirkiness the way I wanted., and the characters were all pretty boring. The plot and resolution did hang together well, at least. In the end this one was just not for me.

Madeline Brinley reluctantly returns to Enigma, the small town of Georgia she left years before to attend college. Her dreams of becoming an actress never came to fruition, and while she was trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life, she received word that her Aunt Rose had passed and had left her an ancient Victorian Mansion that housed a famous town bookstore. When Madeline returned to Enigma in her beloved beat-up Fiat to claim the property, she hoped to be able to begin a new life. However, those hopes were short-lived. The night she arrived, the gazebo in the backyard of the mansion was set on fire. Then, in the middle of the night, a late-night caller threatened to burn the mansion and bookstore down if she didn’t leave.
Madeline was not going to be intimidated and moved ahead with her plans to settle in until there was another fire, and a young lady was murdered in the store. With little help from the town authorities and fearing that her own life was in danger, she moved full speed ahead to find the killer.

The premise of this book is adorable, young adult inherits Aunts in home book shop. Unfortunately the characters are not well developed and the writing wasn't good enough to carry the whole plot line. I was hoping for the usual level of sleuth of the typical cozy mystery, but unfortunately these characters did a lot of jumping to conclusions without proper evidence. Overall, it was an OK read however if more books come out in the series I don't think I will press on to book 2.

I am a big fan of murder mysteries! This pne did not disappoint! Easy and quick read that captured me and had me enjoying the caper!

I was provided an electronic copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher.

Other reviewers have offered synopses of this book and I will not duplicate their efforts here. I found the book to be a fairly typical cozy mystery, with the protagonist playing amateur Nancy Drew and sticking her nose into places that would rather not have outside noses snooping around. As is typical in cozies, there were certainly red herrings, surprises and twists, especially in the matter of "whodunit." All in all, an enjoyable read, albeit a bit cliched.

Thank you to Hanna at Minotaur Books for the ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 3.5 ⭐️. It has lifetime movie vibes and some good characters. I disliked the longer chapters- just not a fan. Overall, quick, easy and fun read!

Such a a cozy, entertaining, and quick mystery novel! I truly enjoyed it and couldn't believe this was a debut novel. I look forward to reading more from P.J. Nelson! Highly recommend to all mystery novel lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC of "Booked for Murder"!

This was a great cozy mystery. Some great twists and turns.. but the end left me with some remaining questions. Maybe a sequel? I do enjoy a mystery about books!