I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was a quick read and the setting of a bookstore made it even more appealing. The characters were quirky and I was kept guessing about the ending with many twists and wrong guesses. Well done!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt more real than in a lot of the murder mystery books that I’ve read. There’s doubts, confusion, false accusations. It isn’t some random person solving the mystery all alone with ease and clarity. There was a lot of emotion packed into this story. I also loved the inclusion of books, jazz, and tea!

Booked For Murder is a fun Cozy murder mystery. Perfect quick beach read with fun, quirky characters and lots of twists and turns.

This was a typical cozy mystery! I really enjoyed the atmospheric small Southern town setting and the fact that the main location was a Georgia bookstore! I can picture it. The story itself was ok. Our FMC Madeline is not only learning how to run a bookshop now after her aunts death but she has to solve a murder that has occurred in said bookshop. It starts off with a bang right off the bat but stays pretty charming and cozy. The ending was rather unexpected in a kind of “huh, ok” way. Overall, this isn’t a stand out story but certainly worth the read on a rainy day in if you enjoy a cozy bookshop mystery.

Debut author PJ Nelson crafted a fun little story where the main character goes to a small town to keep her recently deceased Aunt’s bookstore open.
I’m not the biggest fan of cozy mysteries, but I have read a few. One thing I like is when all the side characters have their own little quirks to make them seem more well rounded. Nelson did this very well in this book.
The book moves well with very few spots where my attention started to drift.
If this is Nelson’s debut, I feel her next one will be even better.

In this atmospheric southern cozy debut, Madeline Brimley returns to the bookstore she inherited, discovering that small towns hold deadly secrets.

This was definitely a cozy quick read, but ultimately puttered out for me.

I think readers of cozy mysteries will obviously love this book and the books to come after.

Thanks Net Galley and Minatour Books for the ARC of this novel.

Holy moly for back and forth guessing. This book had so many wrong guesses about the killer that I couldn’t keep up. I liked the character and the backstory but the quick flip flopping was not fun.

I’d give this 3.5 stars. I rounded down here instead of up because I think it being partly set in a bookshop is really where that other half a star comes in for me. If it had been in any other setting that didn’t involve books, it would be a solid 3 stars.

So if you’re looking for a run of the mill, quick cozy mystery… this qualifies. It was a quick read with enough action to keep me engaged. However, there were no surprises in this one for me. I knew whodunit for part of the crimes pretty early on. The other part was fairly easy to figure out further into the book before the official reveal. So no surprising plot twists for me. I also can’t say I was terribly fond of any of the characters. They seemed too… excitable… or fixated on their current solution, until they weren’t. I seriously felt bad for the police officer having to deal with this group.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series… maybe I’ll try one more. I’d honestly be more interested if it was the aunt (now deceased) that was the detective. She seemed like a much more interesting character than her niece.

I really enjoyed this book! The pace was perfect for a murder mystery, not too slow or fast. It always left you wondering what was going to happen next and who was the culprit of it all. I believe that the book had a great and satisfying ending to it as well. I do wish I had a more concrete answer on exactly how old Madeleine is just cause I couldn’t really figure out what stage of life she was in. I couldn’t immerse myself into the story as much as i would’ve liked because i was trying to figure out a rough timeline of how old she was and in turn how old Aunt Phil was. Overall a great book and definitely something I’d recommend to anyone who likes cozy murder mysteries

I loved this book so much, as a southerner myself, I fell in love with the atmosphere of this mystery almost immediately. It’s a must read for anyone looking for small towns and deathly secrets!

In his debut novel, P.J. Nelson brings such a fun, atmospheric, cozy mystery. I ate it up! There was suspense, action, murder (of course), and some great twists. It was definitely a fun read. I can't wait to read more by PJ!!

I enjoyed this fun read by P.J. Nelson! I must read any book set in a bookshop, and this one didn’t disappoint. Add in a cozy murder mystery, and I am set! This was a perfect summer read! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author, for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful cozy mystery! I’m so glad that this is the first book in a new series. Main character Madeline inherits a bookstore, so she returns to the the small Georgia town she left behind when she tried to chase her dreams. Once she arrives though, she starts to receive threats, which lead to a murder. I can’t wait to see who book 2 is about!

Madeline returns to Enigma, GA after her aunts death and takes over her little local bookstore.
After leaving her dreams to make it big as a stage actress, Madeline seems to be content with a simple little life in a small southern town, except:

There's nothing simple about the threat she receives shortly after her arrival. After a gazebo is burned down and a request for her to hit the road accompanies it, Madeline finds herself playing a new part: that of an amateur detective.

Characters are introduced and well built so as to add suspicion to the whodunit.

It's a simple little cozy mystery, and I love that it is book themed.

Enjoyed very much; a compelling story and a quick, fun read. I enjoyed the perspective of the main character and her observations settling into a small town where she has roots! The book opens up with a mysterious fire, soon followed by a murder. Great read, would recommend. Thank for to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine getting lost in a compelling mystery while nestled next to a crackling fire. This book is the perfect way to spend a cozy evening.

Madeline Brimley left her small town in Georgia many years ago to pursue her dreams on the stage. Despite her many dramatic adventures, success has eluded her, leaving her feeling adrift. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when she learns that her beloved Aunt Rose has passed away, leaving Madeline her eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma.

When Madeline arrives to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore and restart her life, she encounters unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the backyard is set ablaze, and a late-night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn't leave immediately. Undeterred, Madeline presses on until there's another fire and a murder in the store. Now, with suspicion falling over her, Madeline must unravel the web of secrets and find the killer before she becomes the next victim.

For a debut novel, this book has everything that keeps you turning the pages! Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy book to read. There were a lot of interesting characters in this, and they all felt authentic to me. Also, a lot of coffee and food descriptions - which I loved. Everything sounded so southern and delicious! I

I requested Booked for Murder on a whim. I am a sucker for small town-centered plots and had been eager to find a murder mystery that rivaled the comfort-esque feeling I always had when I watched Clue or read Nancy Drew. Luckily, P.J. Nelson’s writing exceeded my expectations.

While I normally would have binge read the novel and truly felt the urge to do so every time I paused, unfortunately, my distraction-addled mind did not let me do so (nor did my schedule). Though the premise was slightly stereotypical, something about the writing style and the characters just clicked for me and I continuously thought about the novel even when I wasn’t reading.

I’m not sure if other readers will enjoy Booked for Murder. However, I would hope that they would be as entertained by the townspeople, the constant second guessing about the whodunnit, and the idyllic setting as much as I was.

The only points of concern for me were the moments during which Madeline came across as unlikeable (she was a bit insufferable at times, especially with respect to her constant involvement in the detective work) and the plot hole about how Rose was able to financially support herself on the bookstore’s profits.

Booked for Murder was a nice little who.l done it. Madeline Brimley moved from Atlanta to Enigma, Georgia to inherit a bookstore from her deceased Aunt Rose. The bookstore was an old mansion that had been converted. The deal was that she had to live on the property for 6 months before she could sell it. This was a property that Madeline used to live at. Her first day back, someone burned down the gazebo in the backyard. Shortly thereafter, she started getting death threats on the telephone.

Her second day there, a young woman by the name of Tandy asked if she could help in the bookstore. Madeline welcomed the help. Tandy knew that Madeline had received death threats so she asked if she could spend the night with her to keep her company. Madeline thought that was not a bad idea so she agreed. That night, someone broke in, stabbed Tandy to death and burned the doorway. Tandy had been a student at the university and she had a roommate named Rae. Madeline decided she would go to have a conversation with Rae about Tandy. Rae had a boyfriend named Bo and she said Tandy had flirted with him. So Madeline went to Bo's house to talk to him. Bo acted torn up about Tandy's death so Madeline decided he hadn't killed her.

Bo had an uncle named Speck who was trying to buy up property in town to open an outlet mall. He wanted to buy the bookstore. He was anxious to get everything done quickly. Madeline told him she couldn't sell the bookstore for 6 months. At any rate, she was not inclined to sell him the bookstore for an outlet mall. When she talked to Speck, she recognized his voice to be the one making the threats. When she confronted him, he admitted it. At that point, she believed he was the one that killed Tandy. He denied it.

The police believed Bo killed Tandy. So Madeline went back to talk to him and got what she believed was a drunken confession.

Philomena had been a pseudo aunt to Madeline. She had been Rose's best friend. As it turns out, they had been lovers. Philomena had been extremely upset that Rose had left the bookstore to Madeline instead of to her and, in her angst, she was the one who burned down the gazebo.

This book was so compelling, it kept me coming back for more. The author, PJ Nelson, did an awesome job weaving Madeline through the story from suspect to suspect. PJ kept my suspicions heightened and I must say that the killer was someone who I would have least suspected. I love twist endings and this one didn't disappoint. I gave this book five stars.

A delightfully fun romp about women learning to stand up for themselves, and their town – a community that felt instantly known. Add in a bookstore and a burned down gazebo and you have the makings of a good time! Reading felt like a warm hug and a cup of tea. Love the interplay among the three main characters and their reliance on each other, despite secrets and different views. Only drawback is the multitude of loose ends - I assume this is the beginning of a series. A little odd that so much of the plot hinged on college age/teenage kids.