This cozy mystery is a bit different from the rest. I must say, I am not sure why the author would kill the sweetest girl off in the first few chapters. Poor Tandy. Overall, I liked how this mystery unfolded and how Maddie grows by the end of the novel. I am looking forward to the second installment.

A book about a bookstore-be still my beating heart! This is a super cute cozy mystery that evokes the genre and its Southern setting to a ‘T’. I really enjoyed the background of the characters, the setting, the plot and its execution and the ending. I am somewhat-patiently waiting for volume two of this series to come out at the end of the year because I am now invested in Madeline, David, Philomena and Gloria and The Old Juniper Bookstore.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and P. J. Nelson for this ebook to read. All opinions are my own.

Booked for Murder was an easy and enjoyable read. The main character, Madeline Brimley, returns to the bookstore her late Aunt Rose gave to her. When she gets there she is met with a fire to the gazebo in the backyard and threatening calls to leave town. While trying to figure out who is causing all these problems and ignoring the warnings, she awakes to another fire in the home along with a dead body. I rated it a 3 just because yes it was good and it kept my attention throughout but I don’t foresee it being very memorable to me. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy for giving my honest review.

I couldn’t get into this one- picked it up so many times but the plot and characters didn’t speak to me. I’m bummed as the premise sounded fun.

Booked for Murder is a cozy mystery set in small town Georgia. Madeline returns to her hometown after her Aunt passed and left her bookstore estate in her name. As a thriller reader, I found this book to be somewhat underwhelming. I listened to the audio copy and was kept entertained by the narrator's sweet Southern accent. When one chapter ended with a traumatic event happening such as a murder or fire, the next chapter started out with a happy main character the next morning. Several times I had to go back to the previous chapter to make sure I didn't skip the in-between. I wish the flow was a little better and the events made a bigger impact on Madeline as the main character.

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.