Member Review

Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix is the debut of The Bookstore Mysteries. Murder at the Bookstore was a letdown. I was a not a fan of Jen Dawson. She is twenty-eight going on sixteen. The story is told in the first person, so we are subjected to all of Jen’s thoughts especially about Russell, the barista at the bookstore. She goes on and on about his physical features (reminds me of a teenager with their first crush). I wish Jen was more likeable and relatable. I found her to be self-absorbed. The characters were lacking development. There were general details on Jen especially regarding her recently failed romance (I got tired of hearing about it). The whodunit can be solved before the victim is killed. The author did everything but hire a skywriter (I could envision a giant neon arrow with the word killer pointing at the guilty party). The why for the crime is no mystery. Jen asks questions in her quest to identify the killer. She has all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Jen makes bad decisions and puts herself at risk several times. The reveal is long-winded. All the details are revealed. I did like Jen’s best friend, Brittany Dunlop. She is a true friend. Murder at the Bookstore is a small-town whodunit with a creative roadblock, a dead friend, a becoming barista, rope trouble, a misplaced pen, a blink bind, and ravenous readers.