Booked for Murder by PJ Nelson is a delightful and atmospheric cozy mystery set in the heart of the South. Madeline Brimley is a charming protagonist, full of wit and determination, who makes an engaging guide through the quirky small town of Enigma. The Old Juniper Bookstore, with its Victorian charm and dark secrets, is the perfect backdrop for this twisty tale.

Nelson weaves a story filled with colorful characters, unexpected plot turns, and just the right amount of suspense. The slow-burning mystery keeps you guessing, and the Southern charm adds a layer of warmth to the darker moments.

A promising debut for fans of Southern cozies with a hint of danger—I'll be keeping an eye out for the next Madeline Brimley mystery!

Thank you PJ Nelson, Dreamscape Media, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

P.J. Nelson's new mystery series opens with a bang (not literally). Madeline is returning to her hometown to take over the old house and bookshop that belonged to her aunt. It appears someone has been in the house and the outside gazebo is on fire! Madeline wants nothing to do with the house or bookshop, but it appears someone wants to driver her out of town. Due to a wacky clause in her aunt's will, she is unable to just rid herself of the house, so she decides to stick around and let it play out. But then, there's a murder that may have been intended for her! She teams up with the most unlikely of characters to solve the mystery of who wants her out of town and possibly dead.

The characters are certainly quirky, giving readers several laughs and leaving them wondering just how smart they are by jumping into a murder investigation without the proper authority. Madeline is a strong heroine figure even if she seems to be a fish out of water from the big city back to the rural south. Her partners trying to solve the case are a female priest, who is also attempted to being driven out of town, and the professor companion of her aunt.

Booked for Murder is a wonderful cozy mystery that is a quick read. I look forward to more entries to this new series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

DNF.

I ended up leaving this book as a DNF about 10 chapters in. I even tried to skip ahead a few chapters to see if could grab me and just couldn't. I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately for me it was not only too slow, but kind of boring.

I just could not get pulled into the book. It came off more juvenile than adult, especially in the beginning. The characters were kind of boring, especially the main character just coming off with no care for anything. Barely seemed to care about her aunt's death, the inheritance and even the fire and threatening phone calls. Lack of detail in parts and overall just wasn't for me.

If you are new to my blog, I review my books as if I had a blind date with the book.
Our first meeting:
I got this book from NetGalley – so thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Cover Story:
This cover is colorful and because the subject is books, I probably would have picked it up to check it out. So, I think the cover is effective for me.
First line:
October can be a summer month in South Georgia.
Not sure this is a great pick-up line, but it does set the scene well.
Beverage suggestion:
Since it’s set in the south, I would suggest sweet tea.
Getting to know the book:
The story is told in first person. The main character is Madeline Brimley. She is an actress who drives an old Fiat. She inherits her aunt Rose’s home and bookstore in Enigma Georgia. The bookstore is part of the large older two story with a porch big enough for five Bentwood Rockers. She notices the gnats as soon as she steps out of her car.
That was an example of the descriptive detail I liked about this book. It felt like you were there swatting the gnats too. The description and the dialogue for the quirky southern characters was great.
Madeline had grown up in Enigma but hadn’t really planned to move back. Her career had stalled so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to come home and make a new start.
Shortly after she arrives, there is a fire in the gazebo in the backyard. She meets the new fire chief who I thought might be a romantic interest.
Madeline’s aunt Rose had been an actress in New York City. Madeline’s last few years had been spent in Atlanta as an actress.
Rose’s best friend Philomena Waldrup shows up after the fire and she eventually introduces Madeline to the local Episcopal Priest – Gloria Colman.
After a second fire and a dead body, Madeline receives a few telephone threats telling her to leave. Of course, she doesn’t. Madeline, Philomena, and Gloria decide to catch the killer.
There are a couple of other story lines woven into this story. The writing style is enjoyable, and it feels like you are in Georgia.
The characters are well developed, and the story is believable. At least as believable as most cozy mysteries are. The story flowed naturally to an acceptable conclusion. I didn’t guess who the killer was until the end.
My rating:
Flirtation with possibilities – might not keep forever but highly recommend.
This is the first book by this author for me, but I would be interested in reading more.

This was a quick cozy mystery and I was able to get through it in one day. I liked the characters and the book had good flow start to finish. Madeline was a horrible detective but I think it added extra charm to the overall feel. The whodunnit mystery kept me interested in the plot. I think this will appeal to readers looking for a lighthearted mystery with a small town atmosphere.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the review copy.

P.J. Nelson’s Booked for Murder features Madeline Brimley, who returns to her hometown of Enigma, Georgia when she inherits her Aunt Ruby’s Victorian mansion that acts as a bookstore on the first floor and a residence upstairs.

The premise is good. The arc of the mystery storyline is well developed, but the pace is uneven. As with most cozy mysteries, there is plenty of “hometowny” detail that readers either enjoy or find annoying. The cozy details were fine for me, but the frequent references to acting and how that gave Madeline skills to get through the various scenes was overdone for me.

I enjoyed Gloria, the priest of the nearby church, Philomena, who was Aunt Rose’s long-time friend, and David, the handyman. There is a lot of darkness for a cozy mystery, and overall, it is handled well. Some of those secondary storylines add needed red herrings.

Booked For Murder is atmospheric and laced with unique characters. There is something for everyone in this trilogy starter.

This was a cute cozy mystery and a start to a promising new series. This book follows Madeline an actress who inherited her aunts bookstore and house. When Madeline returns to the small town strange fires and threats start happening , then a murder happens leaving Madeline to figure out who did it so she is not the main suspect. This book was fun fast paced cozy mystery I enjoyed the writing and the pacing. The main character got on my nerves a little with how fast she would jump to blame people. This book was the start of a cute cozy series and cannot wait to read the next in the series. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

This novel was one I was really hopeful for however it fell flat for me. From the beginning the novel moved quickly however there was not a good and catchy beginning. I felt like I was thrown into a small town where I didn’t really know anyone and lacked getting to know anyone throughout. I did like the premise of the novel, and the small southern town mystery cozy vibe, but overall would not recommend this one, however this may be a completely loved book by many!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the ARC opportunity!

OBSESSED. One word. Not enough meaning.

This book is the epitome of greatness. I love the characters. I love the setting. I love the plot. I really can’t think of anything I do not like about this one.

Madeline is an actor trying to find her way in this big world returning to her hometown due to her Aunts passing. Said Aunt owned a bookstore in this small town that brought the people & drama together.

If you are looking for murder, fun, book love, found family, and so much more, this one is for you.

Solid Premise but Fell a Bit Short

I was intrigued by the premise and expecting a gripping mystery. While the storyline had potential and some twists kept me turning the pages, I felt the pacing was uneven, and certain parts dragged. The characters had moments of depth but didn’t fully resonate with me, which made it hard to stay invested.

That said, the small-town setting was atmospheric, and the mystery had a few surprises that I didn’t see coming. Overall, it was a decent read but didn’t completely hook me. If you’re a die-hard cozy mystery fan, you might enjoy it more than I did!

Madeline Brimley could not wait to leave the small town of Enigma, Georgia for an acting career in New York. After quite a few years of struggling to find her niche, she returns to Enigma following the death of her Aunt Rose, who has left Maddy her bookshop housed in an old Victorian mansion. The bookstore on the first floor, and living quarters upstairs should work well for Maddy. Of course, Aunt Rose left some stipulations as to what Maddy can and cannot do, but oh well. On the first night back home, the gazebo out back catches fire. Maddy attempts to put out the fire herself, and she refuses to report the incident to the police as she believes them to be inept. She receives threatening phone calls and it is not until her part-time young helper dies in a fire, this time in the bookstore part of the house,that Maddy realizes she may need help to survive. Her Aunt Rose's dear friend, Philomena, is both a help and a hindrance. Add the female priest to the mix and we have quite a crew to either solve the murders or muddy the waters even more.

What a change from the cozy mystery genre: this is a cozy mystery but the written words are like poetry. To me, this reads like the lyrics to “The Sound of Music.” What an image comparing dust motes to smallest ballerinas in the universe and so the prose continues. There is a bookstore (yeh) but located within the owner’s own home. The owner, a niece of the recently deceased, arrives to her new inheritance site and within hours, a gazebo in the back yard is on fire and a threatening phone call has been made. The bookstore is popular to the students of the local college and life is almost back to the way it was when a young gal is murdered during the evening and attempted arson of the place takes place. Madeline relies upon her aunt’s best friend, Philomena, and the female Episcopal priest, Gloria, to figure out the murderer and who wants her to give up the bookstore and return to Atlanta. Highly recommend this cleverly written story. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC; this is my honest opinion..

Booked for Murder was an interesting murder mystery. I had a bit of a harder time connecting with some of the characters, but other people might be able to connect to them better! The mystery was well done and the resolution was nicely done in my opinion. If cozy mystery and quirky characters are your thing this book will be perfect for you!

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4!

This was a nice semi-cozy mystery. I personally found it a bit predictable, but it’s a perfect read for a holiday weekend or something! Engaging, not stressful, and fun.

Booked for Murder is the debut novel by author P.J. Nelson, and is the first book in their Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery series.

Madeline Brimley has returned to the small town of Enigma, Georgia, where she grew up, to take over the small bookstore left to her by her aunt. No sooner does she arrive, than someone sets fire to the gazebo in her back yard, and she starts receiving threatening phone calls. Soon after that, a young woman is killed in the store, and the store set on fire. The question is, was the young woman the real target, or was someone trying to kill Madeline?

I really enjoyed this debut novel, and think the author, and the series, shows a lot of promise.

Written in first person from the point of view of Madeline, the story is engaging, and the characters interesting. My biggest disappointment was that the author killed off one of my favourite characters, but that just made me more invested in finding out how Madeline solved the mystery, and who the culprit was.

Madeline seemed to concentrate, quite early on, investigating people who were after the young woman who was killed, and I thought the author could have muddied the waters more by looking more closely at people who might have wanted to harm Madeline. After all, the young woman was killed after hours in the store, while Madeline slept in the living quarters upstairs. Few, if any, people should have expected the young woman to be sleeping downstairs in the shop.

Unfortunately, it was kind of obvious to me from fairly early on who the culprit was. Funnily enough, they were about the only suspect in the story that Madeline didn't openly accuse of the murder. This only lead me to believe that my guess was right, and that the author was trying to steer the reader away from them.

I would recommend this novel to any lover of cozy mysteries, although it's probably slightly darker than some. I will be watching for more books in this series.

This is a lovely cozy mystery. Madeline inherits a bookstore from her grandmother which comes with a lot of secrets and problems. The plot of the story moves quickly as this quirky cast of characters search for clues. It is set in a very small Georgia town where everybody knows each other and all their business. The dialogue between the characters helps the plot move along at a quick pace. Readers will enjoy the story as they go along with the characters and uncover the clues.

This was a cute, cozy read! Overall I enjoyed this story. The characters and plot were interesting, although a tad cliche. One of the biggest things about this book that irked me were the very obvious ad placements that weren’t naturally written into the book lol. Aside from this, it was a fun read! The mystery itself actually threw me for a loop, which I was pleasantly surprised about!


Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for this arc!
3.75 ⭐️

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Mystery
Gore Level: Not actually too gory, but it was surprising (read on to find out why)
Representation: Gay secondary character
Theme: Forgiveness, Found Family, Poverty

Is BOOKED FOR MURDER a cozy mystery? It's got elements of a cozy, but whenever a book has some profanity, it knocks it out of the complete cozy realm for me. But here's the real kicker—I actually loved the person who was murdered...

so...

that changed the temperature of the novel for me.

Was that a bad thing? Not necessarily. I was more invested in it getting solved, but I was actually mourning the fictional person too.

It is a well-constructed novel and had a few twists that I didn't see coming too early.

I think mystery readers will enjoy this book.

Happy reading!

PS—I suspect a slow-burn romance is building.

If you enjoy atmospheric southern cozy mysteries, then this debut and first novel in the Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries may be the book for you. Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson features Madeline Brimley returning to her hometown of Enigma, Georgia when she inherits the bookstore after her aunt Ruby dies.

Madeline left Enigma to go to college and then follow her stage acting dreams in New York and Atlanta. The bookstore is in an old Victorian mansion with living quarters on the second floor. But restarting her life isn’t going to be easy. A fire and a threatening phone call don’t deter her, but when a second fire, a murder, and another threatening call occurs, she knows she needs to find the killer.

Madeline is outgoing, tends to do foolhardy things, and doesn’t feel at home anywhere. The other characters have some depth and I would expect more in future books for the recurring characters.

The premise was great and I enjoyed meeting Gloria, the priest of the nearby church, Philomena, who was Aunt Roses’s friend and someone Madeline knew from her childhood, and David, the handyman. However, the pacing was a little slow for me. There are several sub-plots that impact the overall flow, but add another dimension to the narrative. I enjoyed the literary and movie references throughout the story. My biggest quibble is its predictability, including the identity of the murderer reasonably early in the novel, leading to a sparsity of suspense. However, there were plenty of conflicts, secrets, and humor to go with threads of murder, grief, forgiveness, resentment, gossip, amateur sleuthing, and self-reflection.

Overall, this enjoyable mystery was full of unique characters and was very atmospheric. It’s a good start to the series.

St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and P. J. Nelson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for December 10, 2024.

The book's concept of a failing actress named Madeline inheriting a bookstore from her aunt, while also inheriting secrets and danger is fascinating. I got gothic vibes from the Southern setting and the Victorian mansion that holds the bookstore. I also liked the eccentric personalities of the neighbor friends Gloria and Philomena. The plot moved a bit slowly for me, but I normally read more thrillers than cozies. I would have loved more backstory from Madeline, and maybe more of it will come to light in the next book of the series. I think cozies fans will enjoy this one.