I wanted to love this book because it sounds perfect for me, but I was instantly turned off when Tandy was killed. I had just started to become invested in their friendship. It’s I may circle back to it eventually, but as of right now it’s a DNF.

Oh, what fire! 
This was such a great mystery. With all the great cozy mystery vibes. Madeline is back in her hometown. Small town, check! After her aunt passed and left her the bookstore. Victorian house bookstore, check! While horrible situations arise immediately after arrival. Murder, check! So she and her newfound friends decided to investigate. All the wonderful points of a cozy mystery done in such an interesting story. It really keeps moving and keeps you guessing. Who’s telling the truth? Small towns don't only have small lies. 
I read this so quickly. And enjoyed it so much. I'm looking forward to a second book.

Booked For Murder is a cozy mystery set in a small town Bookshop inherited by the main character, Madeline. True to most mystery novels, Madeline takes it up on herself to try to solve the case of a customer that is killed in her shop. She takes risks and fumbles around with her ever-changing understanding of the people in the small town she grew up in with her Aunt.

Madeline is a stage performer and her life has mostly been spent moving wherever her career in the arts has taken her. She is trying hard to resist forces that are trying to get her to finally settle down and put down roots. Although predictable in parts, it kept me interested and I would definitely read more by the author!

This was a fun time. I enjoyed this southern cozy mystery with all it's quirks and weird people living in this small town. It was a little predictable and a little easy to guess who did it but it was still a good time while reading. I loved the bookstore atmosphere and of course the kitty. If your looking for nothing more then a quick fun read, look no farther.

Moving back to Enigma, Georgia to take over her aunts bookstore was no in Madeline Brinkley’s long term plans, but now it seems more like an escape. A welcome escape until she’s confronted with threatening phone calls, a burned down gazebo and the death of a new friend. Unwilling to be intimidated, Madeline takes it upon herself to find the culprit, stopping at nothing to get to the truth.

I am always looking for a good mystery and was intrigued by this book. I wasn’t disappointed. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish and liked the characters a lot. There was a good assortment of personalities and quirks, but the main characters were all great together. At times the sleuthing skills were a little bold and in your face, but I think that was part of Madeline’s charm. She’s definitely not subtle and not as good of a sleuth as she thinks she is, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I don’t know if this is going to turn into a series or if it’s a one off, but I’d be interested in seeing more. If you are a mystery fan and want some good laughs along with your mystery this is a good book to choose.

Another series where unlikely characters got together to solve a murder. My standards are really high for this theme as I'm not used to read The Thursday Murder Club or Finlay Donovan stories. This one was a good palate cleanser, but nothing that swept me off my feet.

Madeline took over her aunt's bookshop after she passed away. She wanted to get away from that town so bad that coming back felt like a punishment. She thought about selling the store, but also she was bind by the law that she had to live in aunt's house and work at the bookstore for 6 months before she could do anything. This would have been okay if it was only that. Gazebo arson, murder, and threatening messages came after to turn Madeline's life into living hell

If you are interested in murder mysteries tied to specific location and people, you'll like this one too. I enjoyed it, but also I have read so many like this.

Thank you so much Minotaur for the ARC!

I'm a huge fan of cute cozy mysteries and they usually hit the spot for me.

Unfortunately, something was missing for me in this one. I think it just felt a little slow and I kept waiting for it to hook me and it never did sadly.

I do love the cover and the premise of a mystery at a bookstore, but I feel like a lot of this was basic tropes that have been done many times before, especially with the inheriting from a family member, etc.

I wish the author sucess!

Who doesn't dream of inheriting a book store??

This was a great debut #mystery full of southern atmosphere and charm!

While I sometimes struggled to connect with the main character, Madeline, I really enjoyed the cast of supporting characters (especially Gloria and Billy). I loved the overall idea of not judging a book by it's cover (i.e. just because someone's a farmer in a small, rural town in the south doesn't mean they can't love jazz and Shakespeare) and can't wait for a second book in the series.

If you are looking for a whodunit full of southern charm, atmosphere, and quirky characters, then this one is for you.

Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson follows
Madeline Brimley, who returns to the bookstore she inherited and discovers that small towns hold deadly and dark secrets.

The plot and main characters are perfect for cozy mystery lovers who also don't mind the subject matter to be a little dark at times. At times, I felt like the books pace was a little slow, but I did enjoy the banter between characters and finding out the secrets of this small town.

Happy Reading!

This was such a fun and easy read and the perfect cozy mystery! I loved the writing style and the small town vibes. The main characters were easy to like and show strong women being true to themselves. Madeline was not a great detective but I felt it added to the charm of the book. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Booked for Murder
P.J. Nelson

This is a small-town Southern mystery, set in a bookstore. The plot is persuasive, though not enormously original. The main characters, Madeleine and Philomena are well-drawn and I’m reading it because I’m enjoying it.
Madeleine arrives in the small Georgia town of Enigma after her favorite aunt, a bookstore owner, dies. She’s had a moderately successful career as an actor in Atlanta but is considering taking over and running the bookstore, at least temporarily.
Immediately, she begins to receive threats from some unknown person. In fact, the gazebo behind the house/store is burned down the very night she arrives. And then there is the murder of a person mistaken for Maddie herself.
I must admit I'm somewhat put off by the stereotypical rural Southern bad grammar among the lesser characters.
I tried to find other books by this author, but could not. It appears to me that this is the first in an intended series. I wish Ms. Nelson well and hope that her stories continue to improve as she goes along. If this is a series, I will look forward to reading the next one.

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

When actress Madeline Brimely learns that she has inherited her beloved aunt’s bookstore after her untimely death; Madeline leaves the stage and moves back to her hometown, Enigma. Enigma is a small town in Georgia where the personalities are big and the gossip is quick. Upon her return, Madeline starts receiving threats to get out of town or the bookstore will burn with her in it. Madeline has been gone too long and some believe that outsiders are no longer welcome in Enigma.

Booked for Murder was a wonderful debut novel by P.J. Nelson. While I may have been reading this book while enjoying the snowfall, I was transported directly into the South with the beautiful storytelling.

The diction alone was enough to immediately know this takes place in the South, which is extremely hard to do without making a caricature of Southern dialogue. I love when an author can show you their intent without telling you, it shows they really care about their craft.

Reason for mid level review, while the writing was great and the premise was intriguing some parts were a little slow.

Overall, I really think it was a great debut and I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson is a fun, fast paced cozy Southern mystery. Madeline Brimley comes back to her home town after her aunt passes away and leaves Madeline the bookshop she lived in and ran. However, as soon as Madeline arrives back in Enigma, Georgia, she has multiple fires, a dead body, and death threats to contend with!

As a librarian, I'm always a sucker for a book related mystery, so I definitely enjoyed this one. I hope this is the start of a series as I had a good time with the banter and Southern sassiness of the characters!

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel.

This was a fun cosy mystery book. The characters were quirky and the small town really helped with the settings.

I think I’ve just decided I’m not really into cozy mystery books. I just want the pace of the book to move a little bit faster.

I also found the main character a little annoying sometimes. But I think if you are a cosy mystery fan then you will enjoy this book.

3/5 stars

3⭐️

Madeleine never planned on moving back to Enigma, Georgia after she left to be an actor. But when her Aunt Rose dies, she inherits Rose's bookstore. Along with the bookstore, she seems to inherit the young girl who volunteers at the store, Tandy. Shortly after returning to Enigma, it becomes obvious that someone doesn't want Maddie there, leading to the bookstore being set on fire. When the flames are put out, Tandy is found dead inside and it wasn't the fire who killed her.

I love a cozy mystery a la Murder, She Wrote so I was excited to read Booked for Murder. This ended up being just okay. There were a few areas that felt a bit repetitive and redundant that took me out of a story for a while and all around the pacing was a bit slow. I also hate the trope of the main character just doing whatever they want and the police never stepping in. I understand distrusting the police and I understand Maddie being leery that a kid she used to babysit is now the sheriff, but it Maddie's investigation was just blatantly disrespectful.

I never really liked Madeleine as a character, but I did enjoy most of the other characters. Specifically Gloria and Phil and the way they worked with Maddie to investigate the case. It was wild to me that Maddie never realized the relationship between her Aunt Rose and Phil and her reaction to finding out was overblown.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC to me!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!

A southern, small town murder mystery in an inherited bookstore. I wanted a little quicker pacing in some sections, but overall a fun read with a heartwarming ending.

This series debut is so fun! It’s introduced a cast of characters that are somewhat quirky, eccentric and likable. The mystery was interesting. Was a lot that happens somewhat predictable? Yes, but it didn’t detract from enjoying the story, which included the elements that cozy fans look for. This was a solid debut for the upcoming series.

Before I get into this review, I want to preface by saying that I think I’ve realized the cozy mystery sub-genre just isn’t for me.

I’ve come to expect thrills and chills with dark, moody atmospheres and big twists when it comes to suspense novels, and the cozy mysteries just don’t deliver that vibe. And they aren’t supposed to! They are supposed to give an element of mystery rooted more in lower stakes, a happier atmosphere and a little sleuthing with quirky characters and funny or heartwarming side plots. I totally understand that and know so many readers love these books for those reasons… I just don’t think they’re for me.

So, if you’re good with a small town setting filled with gossip and busybodies, I think you’ll like this one! It’s also bookish, which adds a fun element for book lovers. The cast of characters is kooky in a lovable way, but their sleuthing skills could use some work 😅🔎

I will also add that I enjoyed that this story was set in South Georgia! I recognized a lot of the town and city names, and could easily picture the Southern setting. That was the biggest plus for me 🍑

While overall this one wasn’t my fave, I do think the right readers will enjoy it!

I enjoyed this one. It was an easy read, the characters were likable. Sweet, cozy mystery perfect for curling up with during the fall/winter months. It's also a pretty good palate cleanser if you usually read some darker stuff.

Madeline Brimley is all set to start her new life in Enigma, Georgia. Sadly, her Aunt Rose has passed away, but she left Madeline with a nice inheritance. She inherits her aunt’s home and bookstore. Madeline is excited until the gazebo in the backyard is set on fire. This is no accident. She begins to receive threats and doesn’t know what to do. When a dead body is found in the store, all eyes turn their suspicions right onto Madeline’s shoulders. Madeline and her new friends are desperate to get to the bottom of this and clear her name.

This is the first book in a new series and it’s off to a solid start. There’s an interesting array of different personalities in the supporting cast. Our main character is tough with much strength to see this mystery through to the end.

It’s an interesting caper and makes for some great escapism reading.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.