I couldn’t bring myself to finish this book as I found it too hard going. There are too many characters introduced within the first couple chapters, so that it’s hard to remember who is whom, and also there is quite a bit of descriptive work which takes away from the progression of the story, and makes the writing feel a bit amateurish

The Murderous Type by Sue Minx is not what I expected. I struggled to get through this story. The author could not have made it more obvious that the chief of police was going to die (did anyone like this man). Jen, who should be working on her second novel, is ready to dive into the investigation. In a cozy mystery, you expect the amateur sleuth to investigate (it is a given). I did not expect the police to let Jennifer Dawson have such an active role (it seemed like she was the detective, and they were her subordinates). I cannot imagine the police letting a civilian get involved in a dangerous aspect of the case (they seemed to be begging Jen for help). Jen goes over the suspects multiple times (it was repetitive). The mystery can be solved before the reveal. I do find that Jen plays fast and loose with her safety. I believe part of my dislike of the series is Jen. I find her annoying. She is a writer whose first book was a hit. People are anxious for the second book. Unfortunately, Jen has writer’s block. Jen is tired of people asking her when her next book will be out (she can be quite snarky about it—in her head). You would think she would be happy that people bought her book, enjoyed it, and want more (this woman needs a reality check). I like the name of her bookstore, Ravenous Readers. I did not like that Jen does not pay her staff properly and that they are okay with it (in what world would this happen). Jen’s new dog, Savannah, is a sweetie. He is a growing puppy. The author perfectly captured how a dog sniffs every little thing on a walk (every lamp post, mailbox, rock, pile of limbs). While I liked small snippets of the story, I did not enjoy the majority of it. The Murderous Type is the second A Bookstore Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. While The Murderous Type was not my cup of tea, I suggest you download a sample so you can judge it for yourself. The Murderous Type is lighthearted cozy with a cutthroat race, a fundraising dinner, a poisoned chief, a sniff happy puppy, and a probing bookseller.

I really liked the first book in this series, I thought it was witty and the protagonist was interesting. Unfortunately, that didn't carry over to the second book and I found myself bored. The similes and metaphors got obnoxious since the author felt the need to supply one nearly once a paragraph. I dreaded having to come back to this whereas nightly reading is one of my daily pleasures. Life is too short to read books you're not enjoying.

This is a charming cozy series with fun charcters, great mysteries and a endearing bookstore . This is the second in the "Bookstore Mystery Series" Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

This delightful series features a crime writer/sleuth who manages her local bookstore. The protagnist is likable, smart and savvy at solving clues. When the local police chief is poisened and suspects abound Jen is determined to solve this mystery and find the rightful suspect. With the help of her friends and townspeople this presents many red herrings and clues abound to conclusion.

I enjoyed the well crafted sleuth and likable charcters. The growth of the protagnist in the second book is adding to enjoyment of the series. I look forward to the next in series.

murder mystery
flows nicely, a nice mix of characters
I liked that the main character is a writer and i found the story both fun and lighthearted.
perfect for a cosy read

Jen has returned to her hometown to work on the difficult follow-up to her very successful YA crime novel. Following events in the first book of this series, Murder at the Bookstore, Jen is now the owner of the town bookstore, Ravenous Readers, and must now juggle the responsibilities. Thankfully her injuries – sustained in that first ‘adventure’ and realistically shown to have needed actual recovery time (!) – are healing well, she’s learning to take better care of herself, and her annoying neighbour seems to have calmed down and is now a decent friend.

But you know fine and well it’s not all going to go smoothly, don’t you? Wouldn’t be much of a story if it did! And so it’s not long before Jen is once again tangled up in a murder, this time when the unpopular and pompous local police chief is poisoned. With suspects a-plenty, Jen steps up to help clear a friend’s name and reputation.

I had some reservations about the first book in the series, which do thankfully seem to have been addressed here – the creepy neighbour, for instance, with behaviour that didn’t just scream ‘red flag’ but was so unaddressedily awful I’m still a bit ‘hmm’ that he’s all ‘okay, decent bloke’ now.

Still, it made for a much more enjoyable read, as we get to know Jen and the rest of the town a little better. There is the ever-present “I really shouldn’t be getting involved” before diving head in, and a few too-perilous silly moments. However, I really wasn’t sure with how much the authorities didn’t just allow but practically encouraged and relied on her involved – hmm!

Overall, I’d say the balance is nicely maintained between the ‘cosy’ and the ‘mystery’ here, although perhaps could have gone a little deeper on both fronts. A few things are a little repetitive, e.g. it’s bad enough reading that Jen doesn’t actually pay her staff properly (but they’re okay with that!) especially in the currently economic climate, but it didn’t need repeating. But hey, with both stuff like that and the mystery, give this a little suspension of disbelief and it’s a quick, fun read. If book 3 continues to show improvement, then I’m all here for the ride!

A small town writer is on a deadline to finish her next book, but a local mystery has her attention anywhere but on her manuscript. It starts with nothing more than a local fundraiser turned deadly. From there, Jen begins to question what the police are reporting and gets into trouble as she puts her nose where it doesn't belong. 
Cozy mysteries are so much fun, especially when the characters are well-written. And these are characters that jump off the page. Told in a first person style, the main character is one I can honestly relate to. She had weaknesses, faults, and trouble seems to find her wherever she is. All she wants to do is enjoy writing, eating chocolate, drinking coffee, and spending time with her dog. But trouble won't let her. She has a police detective that doesn't like her and wants to blame Jen for every death in the county. She has people lying to her when she asks questions concerning the death which very well could be murder. There are even events that put her life in danger. Then there are the times she recklessly digs deeper even if it is breaking the law. 
That's just the main character. There are others who made me laugh or just piqued my curiosity. They were real. In fact, I can't wait to visit them again and see what is happening in their lives. 
As for the mystery… I nearly got it. I was so close to figuring out who was behind all the shenanigans. But I wasn't quite on the mark. The author did a great job in throwing in a few red herrings and wild goose chases to keep me on my toes. Great job!
Oh, and I wanted to note that the author gives a unique glimpse into the struggles of an author. Since the main character is a writer, the reader is invited into her story as she struggles to create the plot just right and develop complex characters. It helps to break up the story pace and gives the reader a tiny bit of down time just to enjoy and not burn your brain cells on figuring out whodunit. 
An enjoyable read that will have you wanting more. This is one author I will be following.

The chief of police drops dead at a fundraiser for the town. When it is discovered the chief was poisoned, no one knows who could have done it. Jen is busy running the bookstore she inherited and trying to meet the deadline on book number two from her publisher since she has missed the previous one so she is not going to investigate. But when her friend Eric is suspended from his job as a policeman when he is a suspect Jen jumps in to help him. And then when she receives a threat to harm her dog if she doesn't back off Jen is all in,

You won’t want to miss Minix’s newest entry in the Bookstore Mystery series. A new favorite author, Minix balances the clues, red herrings and suspects with precision in such a way that you’ll be left guessing the whodunit until the last moment. Minix’s characters are not only well written but incredibly likeable and I very much enjoyed catching up with Jen and the folks of Riddleton, South Carolina. Additionally, I love the sections where Jen’s writing her book, the sneak peek into the process is oh so very meta and fun. And do NOT get me started on the adorableness of Savannah the German Shepherd puppy. Check the CWs. This is the second book in the series, so be sure to check out Murder at the Bookstore, book one, and get to reading this great new Literary Cozy Mystery series.


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK, Avon in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

While I really enjoyed the first book in the Bookstore Mysteries by Sue Minix, book two, The Murderous Type, not so much. There were two big issues I had and two small ones.

A lot of the book was dedicated to Jen going over the suspects over and over and over and over. While this is done in all cozy mysteries, in this one it was way overdone and does not for a good story make. I wanted to read more in depth details about the characters and the town.

The second thing that I really found off putting was how the police just bowed down to what Jen said and she basically ran the investigation… for the cops. While this happens in many cozies, it was really different and in the reader’s face in this one. I have no problem with the characters going against the cops for their own investigations… that is part of a cozy, but this was just really heavy handed.

And my small issues, which are just my own annoyance, was how Jen kept getting upset when people would ask her when the next book was coming out. I am sure authors get annoyed by this, but at least people still remembered her and her books… I would think that is a good thing with so many other offerings out there in the world.

Also Jen is basically not paying her employees anything. While this is of their own choosing, I just can’t in the world we live in today. So many people are not being paid what they are worth (I believe the minimum wage should be at least $25) that to encourage it in a book is not something I enjoy… but once again, this could just be on me, so do with it what you will.

Since I really did enjoy the first book, Murder at the Bookstore, I would give book three a read to see if things have improved. If they don’t I can’t see myself not continuing this series.

Jen inherited a bookstore in Riddleton! A surprise, to be sure, for the mystery writer who is trying to finish a second book, but she's settled in. And then the police chief is poisoned at a fund raiser for the library and her friend Eric is the prime suspect. Of course. Jen puts her snooping skills to good use and finds the real villain but not before putting herself in danger. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a nicely plotted and classic cozy.

I would rate this as a 3 1/2 star read. Since there isn’t that rating option, I rounded up a 4 star rating, as I felt there was improvement from the first book. This is the second book in this series. I think it would be best to start reading this series from the beginning because it builds on characterization, relationships and events from the previous installment. This was an enjoyable read and I actually liked this book more than the first installment. As with many cozies, there is some need to suspend belief as events are manipulated to move the plot forward. It’s fiction and doesn’t necessarily need to be totally believable to be an entertaining reading experience.

The second Bookstore Mystery finds writer turned sleuth Jen investigating after the local police chief is murdered. I’d suggest reading the first one in this series before this; otherwise a solid cozy.

Cute cosy murder mystery, a fairly easy read

I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous book, can’t really put my finger on why.

Cozy mysteries is a very popular genre but this is unfortunately is not the most memorable or best example.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the arc of this story in exchange for my review.

Jennifer Dawson's life is busier than busy. She has inherited Ravenous Readers, a bookstore-cum-coffee shop in the small town of Riddleton, she is helping to organise a fundraising event and, most important of all, she is against the clock to turn in the manuscript of her second book. Added to that, she's still metaphorically licking her wounds from the aftermath of a near-death experience when she was investigating the death of her friend. It's not all gloom.however – there's Savannah, her boisterous, lovable puppy and a wide cast of friends to offer support.
Unfortunately, Jen is her own worst enemy, suffering from an insatiable curiosity and a naturally suspicious bent. So, when the local police chief is poisoned and suspicious falls on her friend, Eric, Jen forgets all her own problems and throws herself wholeheartedly into solving the murder.
If ever there was a character who fitted the description 'madcap', it's Jen. She rushes in where angels fear to tread, always with the best of intentions. She raises hackles, puts herself in danger, always, driven by the certainty of her theories (even though they change at times).
The Murderous Type is thoroughly entertain, fast moving, full of likeable characters (well, mostly) and I look forward the third in the series, which I understand is in the pipeline.
Thank you, Net Galley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A cute cozy mystery and perfect if you love books about books and aren't keen on gore and overly descriptive steamy scenes. Perfect to curl up with on a rainy day

I received a free copy of, The Murderous Type, by Sue Minix, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jen has taken over the local bookstore Ravenous Reads, (I love the name), and has a mystery to solve, unless she gets herself killed in the process. A good read, great characters I enjoyed Jen and Brittany, and of course Savannah.

Enjoyable mystery. It kept me guessing. Lots of mystery, guesswork and interesting twists and turns. Will definitely keep you occupied when you have some time to read.

My first time reading from this author.

One month a year I dedicate to murder mystery so I’m glad I got the arc at an opportune time!

I LOVE books that grip me from the first page and this was no exception!

I highly recommend

Jen was thrilled when her first book, a mystery featuring twin brother and sister as amateur sleuths, was a success. Now she has to follow it up with book two. She's late and her publisher is putting pressure on her to finish it. So when the police chief is poisoned at the Friends of the Library fundraising dinner/auction, she assures people that she will stay out of the investigation--and she means it. Until, that is, her close friend, Eric, becomes the main suspect and Jen knows she must put her investigative skills to good use to clear his name.

This is the second book in this series and while it was just as entertaining as the first one, it's not necessary to have read book one in order to enjoy this one. I was delighted to go back to Riddleton and hang out with Jen and her friends once again--and to laugh at the goofy antics of Savannah, the puppy. That is one of the highlights of these books for me--the humor. I chuckled throughout the book and laughed out loud in places. I found the opening paragraph quite amusing: "By the last Saturday in June, outdoor activities in Riddleton, South Carolina,were like a bad marriage. You could survive more or less unscathed if you got out early enough. Wait too long, though, and it turned to hell in a hurry. With that in mind, today's Riddleton 10k began at six in the morning. Two cups of coffee short of complete brain function, my caffeine-deprived body was camped out on the sidewalk in front of the town hall, at the finish line."

Thus begins Jen's second adventure. If you enjoy light-hearted, funny cozy mysteries set in small rural towns filled with quirky characters and oddballs, complete with puppies, bookshop, and library, then this would be an excellent choice!