A Cover for Murder by Sue Minix the 4th instalment in the "A Bookstore Mystery" series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to book 5! I do recommend reading in order so that you understand Jen better. She loved writing the perfect murder mystery, but she never wanted to be written into one . . .

I really enjoyed visiting Riddleton again and Ravenous Reads Bookstore. The main cast of characters Charlie, Lacey, Eric, and I love Savannah the German shepherd and all her antics. Jen is trying to figure out how to save the bookstore, write 2 more books in a year along with proving she’s not a killer!

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I did guess whodunnit but that did not distract from the story.

I recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends!

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Harper Collins/Avon and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Just as Jen gets to work on her next book, the owner of the town’s rival bookstore is found murdered and suspicions turn to Jen. Time is ticking for Jen to both clear her name and write her new book before the store closes forever.

This book if #4 of 5 in this series, but I read it first and was able to pick up details from the previous books without trouble. I liked it so much that I have gone back and read others in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to an author new to me, and I will be looking for others in this series that I have not read.

A fairly standard cozy mystery which is well paced with a cast of quirky character's and a dog to help with likeability. The mystery is easy enough to solve but has enough twists and turns to keep thinks interesting. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another very enjoyable read in thIs cosy mystery series. I love the small town setting, and by reading the books in order it is satisfying to see the relationships develop between the characters, though it could still be read as a stand alone novel. The story moves along at a good pace as Jen tries to prove her innocence. I’m eagerly waiting for the next tale of this book shop!

This is a fairly standard cozy mystery. Although I found it readable, I never connected with the main character enough to care what was happening to her. The cold case of the skeleton in the tunnel was the thing that interested me the most and I wish the book had been centered around solving that.

Sue Minix does a great job in writing this murder mystery novel, it had a great concept and I enjoyed the overall feel of this book. The characters had a great overall feel to the world and worked with the killer aspect. I hope this series continues as I really enjoyed reading this a lot.

A Cover For Murder is the fourth installment in the Bookstore Mystery series. Caught in the middle of a writing slump, Jen's troubles are just beginning. The bookstore is having money problems and things are about to get worse. A rival bookstore is coming to town. Jen hopes she can convince the owner to change her mind, but then the woman is found dead and Jen is accused of murder.

Not having read any of the previous books in the series it took some time getting used to the characters. It was easy enough to follow along but I think having read the previous entries would have helped. As it is I didn't care for the main character. Jen is prickly, hard headed, and prone to impulsive gestures. That being said I think these characteristics are well established and referenced by the other characters. Perhaps I would like Jen more if I had read about her other adventures first.

The mystery is fairly easy to figure out. What's harder to understand is some of the characters' bizarre behavior. Jen isn't the only one acting rashly. The tone is consistent throughout which makes it easier to follow along and becomes the thing to solve.

My favorite parts are the action sequences when Jen is in danger. They are quite entertaining and show great thinking on Jen's part. Although she might not get into so much trouble if she didn't try to do everything on her own. I find Jen fairly believable actually. It's the other characters that I don't understand as well. Like when Jen is left alone after a major thing happens. That just doesn't seem realistic.

A few things kept taking me out of the story. Jen referenced a name several times in her thoughts and that character appears nowhere in the book. I'm guessing this is something I would understand if I had read the other entries. There is a spoiler for a previous book. I found a small error near the end when Lacey is talking to Jen. She's talking about another character and their interaction with Jen. What she says is inaccurate unless she was supposed to use different wording.

I could have done without the constant references to Jen's hygiene, or lack thereof, and descriptions of Savannah the dog's potty habits. A lot of time is spent talking about Savannah so I think it's worth mentioning that she's not a good bookstore pet. She's 80 pounds and runs around on the carpeted floors, books everywhere, where she could crash into a customer at any moment. It's even talked about a few times by the characters. She's so excitable she nips at people's hands enough that they (jokingly?) need bandaids. Savannah clearly needs training yet everyone is okay with it all. Also, Lacey constantly feeds the dog treats and naturally gets slobber on her hands. But she's handling books while doing so! There might be many things to look at when trying to improve sales....

Despite all my nitpicking I found A Cover For Murder entertaining. The scenes where Jen is in danger are really good. It's a quick read.

A Cosy mystery to be enjoyed. Part of a series with all the right ingredients, a bookstore, a difficult. Crime and an adorable dog. However it reads as a stand alone beautifully.
Jen, the owner of a bookstore in a small town, learns of a second hand bookstore setting up in opposition and there is a heated discussion with the owner when she tries to explain there is not room for two bookstores. Calming down she returns to try again and finds the prospective owner dead. Having felt for a pulse to make sure, the police arrive and are sure the murder is solved. It’s all circumstantial but the lead detective will not let it go…. What follows is full of twists and turns and side alleys until it is eventually solved. It may be Cosy but it still packs a punch! I enjoyed it and it’s well worth a read!

Jen is having deep money woes concerning her Ravenous Readers Bookstore and she is having problems writing her next book. But those aren’t her most pressing problems, especially after being accused of murdering a rival.
This is a fun book with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to have you guessing who is the murderer. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for an enjoyable, lighthearted read.
I voluntarily read and am reviewing this book. The comments are my honest opinion.

Another cozy, quick, mystery by Sue Minix, with likable characters, a bookstore, and a great dog! Thankfully, there were not too many detailed references to the previous books, although there were a few. I, personally, do not like to read series books that constantly refer to the previous writings, however, this book only did that minimally and not enough to be distracting. I finished the book in a day and enjoyed every minute of it. if you would like an easy, quick-read escape, I would recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Jen’s back and she’s not having too good a time of it. She’s struggling with the plot of her latest book and Ravenous Readers, her bookshop, is in danger of closure.
On the bright side though, her relationship with Eric is blossoming and she and Savannah, her dog, have a really close bond.
So, shored up by boyfriend and dog, it’s fairly safe to assume that our redoubtable Jen can probably muddle her way through these problems.
And then she’s hit with a double whammy. The much-needed money that comes in regularly to keep the shop afloat ceases when the company that granted it goes bankrupt. Added to that, a new bookshop is about to open, selling secondhand books which will severely hit her financially.
It transpires that Maura, the would-be owner of the new shop, has a personal grudge against Jen and refuses to listen to reason, determined as she is to ruin Jen.
So when Maura is found dead with Jen standing over her, Detective Havermeyer is practically rubbing her hands in glee at the prospect of finally being able to pin a murder on Jen.
In this, the fourth in the Bookstore series, our Jen is a little more mature than previously, has grown a little in self-confidence but is still as headstrong and impetuous as ever. As always, there are red herrings galore as Jen follows her instincts and drops herself in hot water more than once. It’s an engaging, good clean read. Highly recommended.

Literary Cozy Mystery in which a mystery author and South Carolina bookstore owner turns sleuth when the town's rival bookstore owner's murdered and suspicions turn to her.

5/5 stars: This is the fourth entry in Minix's Bookstore Mystery series, which is a Literary Cozy Mystery that takes place in South Carolina and features a YA/NA mystery writer and bookstore owner. With plenty of twists and turns, Minix has crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. This is a favorite series of mine due in part to Minix’s well crafted characters. Jen's a go-getter and determined to make her writing career and her deceased friend's bookstore a success. Additionally, I love catching up with the Ravenous Readers employees and I get a kick out of the Riddleton town folks. Oh and it's great to see Jen's relationship with her detective boyfriend, Eric, continue to grow. The other reason I love this series is Minix's inclusion of Jen’s actual writing journey and the “excerpts” of her Davenport twins books in progress. Those peek into the process are oh so very meta and tons of fun. And one must never forget the fluffy cuteness of Savannah, Jen's lovely German Shepherd. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Murder at the Bookstore.

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

Jen didn't murder Maura, who owned a bookshop that was about to challengeJen's shop. She was busy not only keeping her own business afloat but also trying to write the latest installment in her mystery series. That's not a good enough answer for Detective Havermayer but luckily, Jen's got friends and, even more, she's become an ace amateur investigator. This is classic cozy stuff, with good characters, a bookshop setting (yay), and just enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books in the series- this will be just fine as a standalone.

We cozy readers love a series set in a bookstore and this is one of my favorites. Thank you to the publisher, the author and Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Jen is in the middle of a complex murder mystery when a owner of a rival bookstore is found murdered. She is suspect number one and must work to clear her name and save her business. She is assisted by a wonderful group of friends and locals who believe in her. She is also struggling to finish her next book and working under a deadline while trying to clear her name. . As the 4th in this compelling series this was a fun read and a great addition to the series. The characters are well crafted, the sleuth exciting and the setting is enticing to al readers who love bookstores I highly recommend this next in series for your reading enjoyment. Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

verbal-humor, writers, suspense, South-Carolina, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, inheritance, friendship, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, bookseller, coffee-shop, family****

Jen inherited the bookstore with coffee shop but is also a mystery writer having writer's block and trying to work on book 3 of her series while trying to stay afloat financially. This is her hometown and she has a lot of good friends who also give her the business about her habit of being an amateur sleuth for real and getting into danger, like now when the victim is a rival bookseller. The characters are all so real and the plot is smooth with interesting red herrings and a few dramatic twists. Good read!
I requested and received an EARC from Avon Books UK/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first ever cozy mystery novel. That also means that I wasn't aware of this being the 4th book in the series. Every connection to the prior storyline was explained in this story (shortly), so I didn't feel like I was missing out based on the storyline. However, I found myself struggling to connect with the main character emotionally and I wonder if it's because I got told what she's been through, but I didn't experience it with her.

Therefore, I recommend reading the other books in the series first.

I am not a mystery reader in general. That being said, I still questioned many decisions of our main character where she put herself in dangerous situations that she could easily have made less dangerous by asking for help or simply not going alone. If this would have been her first experience with incriminating situations, I would've understood. But it has been made clear, she IS experienced AND a mystery writer - that's why I couldn't sympathize with her at times, unfortunately.

Overall I found this book easy to read, a little bit cozy with the bookshop, the smalltown vibes and found family. But the best thing about this book was the pup.

Lovely cosy mystery with an intrepid protagonist and her band of friends who really care for her; these are the friends everyone needs and the relationships between them would make a great book even without the extra thrills of a murder to solve, a bookstore to run and two new novels to be written. Great escapism.

I enjoyed this book. It’s complex and interesting. It looks like a typical cozy mystery with how the murder happens but the characters really bring it alive. They’re interesting, and rich in details. #ACoverforMurder #NetGalley

Just as Jen gets to work on her next book, the owner of the town’s rival bookstore is found murdered and suspicions turn to Jen. Time is ticking for Jen to both clear her name and write her new book before the store closes forever.

This is the first book I read in The Bookstore Mysteries Series, and while this is #4, I was able to understand the character dynamics and get into this cozy mystery right from the start! The town of Riddleton reminded me so much of Stars Hollow, with a unique cast of characters from the manager of the diner to the mayor, and I loved seeing all of them interact with our MC, Jen. Her love for her friends, her town, and her store made her instantly likeable. And while she didn't have much character development, solving the mystery alongside her was a delight.

A well-paced mystery, this book was a perfect cozy afternoon read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sue Minix, and Avon Books for this ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Just as Jen gets to work on her next book, the owner of the town’s rival bookstore is found murdered and suspicions turn to Jen. Time is ticking for Jen to both clear her name and write her new book before the store closes forever.

I would like to say before I get into the review that I didn’t realise this was the 4th book in a series. However, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment and I understood the dynamics pretty quickly.

Firstly, I enjoyed Jen as a character. She’s a busy woman with a fierce love of her small town and her friendship group. However, I don’t think there was much character development for her in this story. For me, I prefer it when characters are a little different from the beginning to the end.

One of the things that I found really cool were some of the quotes. Some, like the one I’ve included above, are so witty and funny that I just had to note them down.

The story was well paced, although there was a point at the end where I felt like I had to push through.

There was a massive cast of characters, which meant I forgot about very important figures very quickly because the story kept focusing on everyone all at once. Although, I’m sure if I read the previous books I wouldn’t have been as confused.

Personally, I don’t think I’ll read any of the previous books, but I still enjoyed this story. This book (and its series) would be perfect for those who want an engaging cozy murder mystery.