Thanks to St Martins and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Booked for Murder is a great cozy bookshop mystery, introducing us to Enigma, GA and all of its crazy inhabitants. Madeline is just trying to figure it all out when she pulls up to the bookstore that her Aunt left her when she died and what does she find? A burning gazebo. From there she makes friends and plays detective. At times I found Madeline a little naive given her background, but she jumps into information and the mystery with gusto. Like most small town mysteries, the cast of characters is varied and fun and this is a perfect "curl up on the couch" mystery.

Such a gripping cozy mystery that combines suspense, clever twists, and endearing characters. Set in a bookshop, the story follows an amateur sleuth as she uncovers dark secrets in a seemingly peaceful town. With a strong plot and engaging writing.

The storyline was great! It didn’t seem like it needed more edits before being published. I enjoyed the conclusion to the long hunt of finding the murderer.

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgally for an honest review.

This was SUCH an easy read and so stinking enjoyable! We are following Madeline as she returns to her very small town in Georgia that she grew up in to take care of her now deceased's aunt's bookshop. This was a fun, cozy type mystery in a small town with some absolutely wonderful charm and comedy thrown into the mix!! And a sweet cat named Cannonball :) I think what I love most about this novel is it shows the impact that even one person can have on a community and whole group of people. I love that Madelene's Aunt Rose had this lovely, eccentric bookshop in a town that is, unfortunately, slowly dying and yet she did what should could to keep it alive...and especially give the town so much love! Overall, quite an enjoyable book and I did see the author has another one on the way, I will ABSOLUTELY be picking up that novel.

BOOKED FOR MURDER is a promising start to a mystery series set in a small town in Georgia centered on a bookshop. (That premise alone just hollers 'cozy', doesn't it?) It has all of the ingredients: an atmospheric setting, a cast of very quirky characters, and a main character who unwittingly becomes involved in a murder investigation.

Our amateur sleuth, Madeline, has just inherited her aunt's bookshop and reluctantly returned to her hometown. She can barely begin to unpack before there's a murder - in her bookshop. And then we're off, fully immersed in getting to the bottom of things - following Madeline's hunches, interviewing a list of unlikely suspects, and even hinting at the possibility of a future romance with the town handyman.

The pacing was a bit slow for me and I confess it really did not seem like Madeline had a knack for this sort of thing - but maybe she's still learning, and we'll be impressed with her showing in the second book! A good read for a day in bed with a cup of tea. I'll certainly look forward to spending some more time in small town Georgia when the next in the series arrives.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

(3.5 stars, rounded up)
Booked For Murder was a good start to a new cozy mystery series set in a small town in Georgia. Madeline Brimley’s career as an actress hadn’t really gone anywhere, so when she inherited a house and bookstore from her beloved aunt Rose, she moved back to her hometown. No sooner does she get there than the large gazebo out back is set on fire! On top of that, she received a couple of threats over the phone. Someone doesn’t want Madeline to take over that bookstore. A couple of nights later, the store is indeed set on fire and a young college student is stabbed. Madeline, after recovering from her shock, sets out to figure out who murdered her new young friend.

I didn’t find Madeline particularly lovable, but that’s not a requirement. She does need to get with the 21st century and get herself a cell phone, though! I did really enjoy the character of Gloria, the fairly new Episcopal priest in town. There are a couple of other interesting side characters who I hope will appear in further installments of this new series.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a very cute, easy to digest, cozy mystery! Would recommend reading in the cold winter months

Booked for Murder is the first in a new cozy mystery series set in Enigma, Georgia. While I usually prefer culinary cozy mysteries, this one features a fascinating bookstore, and I guess I kind of liked the name of the town and that the main character is an actress. Most of the small towns I read about are picturesque with friendly people who might be a little judgmental but always seem to bring food. This one was fascinating in that it took to the darker side of small towns, bringing out all the little secrets that are hidden from plain sight. But reading this was kind of an odd experience, and Madeline was kind of a weird ball of bouncing energy.

Originally from Enigma, Madeline left to attend college and find success as an actress in New York City and Atlanta, much to her eccentric Aunt Rose’s joy and chagrin as she was an actress in New York herself before opening the Old Juniper Bookstore in a Victorian in Enigma. When Rose passes, she leaves the bookstore to Madeline, who returns because success has eluded her and she has nowhere else to go. But someone isn’t happy she’s back since they set the historic gazebo in the backyard on fire and a mysterious caller warns her to leave. Madeline isn’t easily scared off, though, and even when the entry is set on fire and a young woman who helped out Rose, and then Madeline, is murdered, she’s determined to find the girl’s murderer, leading her into the dangerous secrets a small town might hold.

I found it a little difficult to get into Booked for Murder. While it sets the scene nicely and gets the mystery started right away, I found the dialogue a little hard to understand for much of the book. I’m not familiar with speech patterns in the South, much less a small town in Georgia, so it took a while for me to acclimate and figure out what the characters were actually saying. Gloria, the Episcopalian priest, was well-educated and well-read, and her dialogue showed it, which made it so much easier to enjoy her dialogue. Everyone else, though, was a little harder, and sometimes Madeline’s own thoughts and speech were hard to follow. That might be because she has kind of a frenetic energy about her, or perhaps it’s a result of all the places she’s been and all the shows she’s been in. It’s just that the dialogue sometimes had that Southern feel to me, and sometimes didn’t, and sometimes it was easy to read while more often coming off as more similar to a jumbled mess. It could also be because I read an eARC and corrections hadn’t been made yet, but it was sometimes difficult to puzzle out some of what they were saying and what they meant because the words felt kind of out of order.

The mystery, though, held my attention. It turns out there’s two, and one was easily solved, though it took Madeline forever to figure it out. The weird behavior of someone around her felt like a clear giveaway to me, and it felt poorly masked as one person’s anxiety about all the weird calls and fires that have occurred at the bookstore. They felt overly dramatic to me, and I frequently grew frustrated with Madeline when she couldn’t see it. The other mystery was also easy to figure out, though the red herring was an interesting thread to follow. It was also fun to watch Madeline plunge head first into literally everything with very little thought. Her behavior came off as reckless and naive, which felt strange for a woman in her thirties, but it kept me amused even when I wanted to shake some sense into her. But I really liked how the murder mystery dug into some darker secrets and helped paint this small town as anything but cheery and friendly. There are definitely some shadows under the surface, and they were very much in evidence. Those twists were fun rides, even if I could see them coming.

Madeline herself was kind of a mixed bag for me. Essentially a failed actress in her thirties with no cell phone, which seems kind of bizarre for this day and age and especially for an actor who might be getting calls at anytime for a role (though, I’m not an actor, so I have no clue if maybe this is an actual thing), she returns home to a town that kind of remembers her and kind of doesn’t. She seems lost and unsure of what to do and where to go, and even whether she wants to keep and run the bookstore. The mysteries kind of lit a metaphorical fire under her, but it leads to a frenetic energy that she can’t keep bottled up. She’s constantly jumping to conclusions based on spotty information, at best, and sticks to her guns even when the reader wants to shake sense into her because she’s either clearly wrong or kind of nuts. She’s kind of a mess, all over the place, and it was often agonizing to watch her not think things through like a rational adult.

Fortunately, she has some great people around her. Philomena was Rose’s closest friend, and likely more. A professor at the local college, she always kind of felt put together, but she’s definitely taking the loss of Rose really hard. Phil is the closest Madeline has to family now, and it was sweet to see them together and the love between them, as well as their shared love of Rose. Gloria was probably my favorite. A newcomer to Enigma, she has quite a fascinating story, and she’s painted as a really fascinating character. As a priest, she keeps a level head and understands people far better than anyone else. I adored her, and I loved how jovial she often was, when she wasn’t trying to warn and caution Madeline. Billy is the police officer we get to know, but Madeline used to babysit him, so he’s out as a love interest for her. It was fascinating to see him as a kid from Madeline’s point of view, but he definitely carried himself as someone who knew what he was doing, and I kind of actually liked when he put her in her place. He’s clearly not a kid anymore, and I kind of admired the way he worked, cleanly and methodically as he should. Then there’s David, the actual love interest. He’s something of a master gardener and he takes on doing the repair work for Madeline. I liked that he seemed very even-keeled and was always willing to help. We don’t get to know much about him, but Madeline certainly likes him, even if he has a story about someone named Faye that kind of gets under her skin.

I jumped into Booked for Murder thinking it would be like many other small town cozy mysteries. But Enigma felt more like an enigma than the other small towns I’ve read about, and there’s a lot going on under the surface that starts to get dug up. I did like that everyone seems to know everyone, and yet many people don’t seem to know or remember Madeline, planting her as an outsider, which she kind of is since she’s been gone for so long. But she also feeds into the desire to get out of a small town, and raises the question of why someone who got out would want to go back. This is also explored with college girls Tandy and Rae, who both have big dreams but few ways of actually realizing those dreams. I loved the chats Madeline had with both. What I liked best, though, was that this small town felt very different from every other small town. I’m not sure if it’s because this is actually based on the real small town Enigma, Georgia or if this series is really going to delve into the secrets small towns can harbor. Either way, I find myself fascinated by this town, even if Madeline drove me a little nuts.

Booked for Murder had its ups and downs for me. There was a lot of dialogue I felt lost during, and Madeline really needed to calm down. But I loved the cat, Cannonball, she inherits, and he has some fun scenes. She also has a lot of great people around her, and I loved that they each had a unique role to play. There’s a lot that had to be hashed out in this first book. It sometimes felt like the story was walking on shaky ground, but I do think it firmed up by the end. I find myself excited to see what happens next, though it is tempered because not everything worked for me in this one. Still, it’s a fairly solid start to a new cozy mystery series. And that bookstore feels like it must be a fascinating dream to wander through.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Pub Day to Booked For Murder! I love books about books and look at that cover! Every time I read a book about a young girl who inherits a bookstore from a far away relative I wish this was a possibility for my future, but sadly there isn’t anyone in my family who owns a bookstore.
In Booked For Murder Madeline is left a bookstore by her Aunt and must move to the small town of Enigma. Madeline has found memories of growing up in the stacks of the mansion turned bookstore but it won’t be the same with her Aunt gone.
Right away Madi receives a phone call from a mysterious man treating her and the bookstore. It appears not everyone is happy for an outsider to move to town. Soon things are about to go from bad to worse…first a fire and then a murder. Madeline will need to go to great lengths to save The Juniper Bookstore while keeping herself and her loved ones safe.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. Fun, cozy mystery. It was a slow burn but I enjoyed the characters and will definitely be reading the second book.

Not really a cozy, as there's too much going on - including the sexism of the small town that isn't really ever addressed in substantial fashion - that's too edgy or uncomfortable for a cozy mystery read. Also, for a bookshop mystery, there's a lot more about being an actor. The whole thing never really gelled for me.

If you're looking for a good cozy mystery, then this one might be for you. Although overall the book was decent, there were just some flaws or aspects I didn't really enjoy.
The book starts off with a bang that pulls you in. However as you go farther along, it gets a little boring and it seems as if the author is trying to pull you in a million different directions as to who the murderer truly is. But, in my opinion, it was quite obvious who it was based on some signs and character behavior. Also, as a coffee lover, the amount of coffee and the constant need for the main character to have coffee was getting really annoying and felt a little like a space filler. No I do not want to hear about how the main character is making coffee every other chapter. Overall, this is an okay read, and I wouldn't not recommend it.

I was sure what to expect with this book but overall it was enjoyable. The mystery plot in itself is what kept me reading this book...it was well developed and had a pretty good resolution by the end. The FMC got on my nerves a little bit throughout the book by her take-matters-into-my-own-hands mentality and making so many risky decisions. But I guess that's just her personality and the way the author wrote her to be, so its fine.

Read if you like:
-Cozy mysteries
-Elderly friends
-Small towns
-Great side characters
-Bookstore settings

thank you netgalley for the early copy of this book!

Book Review: Booked For Murder by P.J. Nelson ✍️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mystery

I could tell I was going to enjoy this book right from the first page. I admire P.J.'s writing style and gobbled it up. It's detailed yet quirky and humorous. It made me laugh out loud numerous times, which I love as a diffuser to intense tension in suspenseful books.

And the characters? Absolute chef's kiss! While Madeline is the main one, there are quite a few others too, like Gloria and Philomena (and don't forget the cat)! The author gave us so much insight into the characters from their dialogue, and I even clung to the characters you weren't supposed to like.

This was a three-layered mystery, and I gave it 4 stars because I guessed the first too. But the ending was riveting and I didn't see it coming.

If you want a mystery that's small-town cozy, raunchy humour, who-done-it, then this is it!

A quick cozy mystery with a variety of characters who all make great suspects. Lots of twists and turns kept me engaged as I rooted for Madeline and her attempts to readjust and fit in to small town life amidst a murder and a fire. I wasn’t sure who to trust - so it must have been really hard for Madeline! This was a good start to a promising series.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books,and the author for early access to this quick read.

When her deceased Aunt Rose wills her bookshop to struggling actor Madeline Brimsley, Madeline sees this as a lifeline, and returns from Atlanta to her hometown of Enigma, Georgia, where she has been based for years.

She arrives and is immediately shocked to find the impressive and large gazebo on the property burning. After the firefighters leave, Madeline receives a threatening phone call telling her to leave town.

Irritated, she decides to open the bookshop (situated on the main floor of Rose’s large Victorian home). Madeline is welcomed back home by her almost aunt Philomena Waldrop, professor at the local college, and longtime friend of Rose. And one of Philomena’s students, Tandy Fletcher, begins helping Madeline around the shop, and cooking her meals. Tandy is a sweet, caring person, who wants to get her degree then leave Enigma behind her.

After another fire, this time on the main floor of the house, Madeline discovers Tandy murdered, and together with Philomena and her friend Gloria Coleman, the Episcopal priest of the church just down the road, they decide to figure out who killed Tandy, as none of them have any faith in local police officer Billy Sanders, a young man Madeline babysat years earlier.

Madeline discovers things about Tandy and her relationships, and also learns about a stipulation of Rose’s will that will keep her in Enigma, and that there seems to be some shady real estate dealings in town.

Along the way, she erroneously accuses various people of murder, and meets some interesting people. And discovers the murderer by mistake.

I found Madeline to be mostly irritating, and kept reading this book because everyone else was far more interesting, particularly Gloria, who is a ray of sunshine and much common sense. She is a joy.

Madeline is quick to jump to conclusions with little to no analysis or evidence. And despite the constant dismissal of Billy Sanders’ abilities, the author provided little to no evidence to back this up, keeping the character mostly off the page and letting Madeline’s and Philomena’s biases- and snap judgements-fuelled actions get in the way of the actual police investigation and everyone finding out who the murderer was.

I’m not yet sure if I’ll read the next entry.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

While I really tried, I just didn’t find myself engaged in this story. I think it just wasn’t for me, but I think many will enjoy.

Booked for Murder is a cozy mystery featuring FMC Madeline Brimley, a failing stage actress in her 30’s. She retreats to her small Georgian home town when she inherits her beloved aunt’s bookstore, which is housed in a Victorian home. Madeline turns into an amateur sleuth when she immediately receives threatening phone calls, someone sets 2 fires, and then a murder occurs in the bookstore. The story is so cozy, that I found myself forgetting about the murder and the threat to Madeline at times.
I read that this book may be the first in a new series. The author introduces the reader to several eccentric side characters and lays groundwork for a love triangle. I would recommend this to fans of feel good murder mysteries. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy.

To be honest, I’m a little iffy about this book. I enjoyed the banter of the main characters, but a lot of their actions confused and frustrated me.

Without spoilers, the main character I felt repeatedly made very questionable decisions/statements that didn’t seem to be backed by any sort of logic.

While I enjoyed aspects of this book, I didn’t feel it was quite as “cozy” as described.

Overall, I would try another from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this ARC.

This was a really enjoyable read, once I could get myself out of my reading slump and sit still to read!

A gazebo is torched, threatening calls are made and there is a murder! With a retired actress, professor and Episcopalian priest trying to solve it all!

I enjoyed the characters and I hope there are more books in this series. I would definitely buy them.
I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.