A wonderful read. I loved the characters and the storyline. I couldn’t put the story down. I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Small town, southern setting, cozy atmosphere

I really enjoyed this book. It pulled me in right away and kept me there. I love the characters. The mystery was unpredictable. This was a great debut. I highly recommend this!

Cozy, clever, and charmingly twisty — a delightful start to a new series!

I just finished Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson, and I absolutely loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC — this one hit the cozy mystery sweet spot for me.

Madeline Brimley is such a fun main character — flawed, relatable, and determined, with a flair for the dramatic that brings extra personality to the story. I really enjoyed following her return to Enigma, Georgia, as she inherits her quirky aunt’s equally quirky bookstore (seriously, a Victorian mansion turned bookstore? Sign me up).

The setting was richly atmospheric, the mystery twisty without being overly convoluted, and I appreciated how the amateur sleuth aspect played out — it felt organic and believable, which isn’t always the case in cozies. The book balances charm and suspense so well, and the Southern small-town vibe added a lot of flavor without ever being cliché.

I’m already looking forward to the second book coming in December — I can’t wait to spend more time in Enigma and see what Madeline uncovers next!

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a bit of grit, strong female leads, and bookish settings.

Madeline has been marginally successful as an actress, but now that she is "older', even parts in plays in Atlanta have dried up. With perfect (if depressing) timing, her aunt Rose passed away and leaves her book shop to Madeline. So Madeline moves back to Enigma to ponder her options. Then someone burns down the gazebo in the backyard and someone is murdered in the bookshop.

This is an intriguing mystery with several twists and turns. Madeline's dilemma (should she give up her dream or sell the bookshop and try again) is a critical piece of the story. This is the start of a series, and there's some potential there. Not the best I've read, but definitely worth the time, and I plan to check out book #2.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery

This follows Madeline Brimley who left her small town in Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue stage acting. She was not super successful, so when she learns her Aunt Rose has passed away and left her a bookstore, she travels to the small town of Engima to check it out. When she arrives, Madeline is faced with threats that the bookstore will be burned down if she doesn't leave town immediately and the gazebo in her backyard is actually burned. Then there is a second fire and a young girl is murdered at her store. Madeline doesn't have a lot of faith in the small town police so she sets off with one of Aunt Rose's best friends and the local priest to investigate on their own.

Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with any of the characters in this book. Madeline herself has no sense of self-preservation. She gets herself in a lot of situations of "oops, probably shouldn't said that/done that" and it got old very fast. Pretty much everyone in the town has a childish temper. When I picture small town vibes, I think of a close-knit community, found family, but that was not the case here. No one had any compassion for anyone else. And it was honestly a lot darker than I was expecting. I also don't usually enjoy books where the characters decide to go sleuthing themselves (there are a few exceptions to this, but this book was not one of them). Please, stop interfering with investigations. I don't care how small the town seems or how incompetent the local detectives are. The main characters never have any idea what they are doing. The writing overall was fine though and I did enjoy the bookstore setting. There was also an awesome bookstore cat that I would have loved to see more of. Unfortunately it ended up being a predictable not-so-cozy mystery.

Thank you Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC. The above review and honest thoughts are my own.

Booked for Murder has an intriguing premise and a cozy mystery vibe that makes for an easy read. The small-town setting and bookshop backdrop are charming, and the story has moments of cleverness. However, the pacing felt uneven, and some of the characters lacked depth or development. While the mystery kept me curious enough to finish, it didn’t quite deliver the suspense or emotional connection I was hoping for. A decent read for fans of light mysteries, but not particularly memorable.

Booked for Murder is the first Old Juniper Bookstore cozy shopfront mystery by P.J. Nelson. Released 10th Dec 2024 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out from the same publisher in 4th quarter 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Despite being a debut effort, this is a well constructed small town cozy with the requisite eccentric secondary characters, and an indelible Southern USA (Georgia) flavor. It's a trifle longer than the average small town shopfront cozy, and consequently the pacing is a trifle uneven and slow in places. That being said, the author manages to put all the working parts in the right places, and the mystery, denouement, and resolution are fair play and (mostly) satisfying. Some of the motivations for the crimes in the book are a little over the top and unrealistic, but not egregiously so for the genre.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 20 minutes and is capably read by Hallie Bee Bard. She has a well modulated, slightly breathy alto, and for this read, a syrupy deep south Georgian American accent. There are some points where the more rapid dialogue exchanges get a bit confused as far as character delineation goes, but it's not egregious, and it is easy enough to tell them apart that it never becomes confusing.

Three stars. There's a second book in the series due out in 4th quarter 2025, so it would potentially make a good choice for public library acquisition, or a buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Set in the small college town of Enigma, Georgia, the novel follows Madeline Brimley, a struggling actress who unexpectedly inherits her late aunt’s eccentric bookstore—only to find herself entangled in a web of secrets, arson, and murder. The mystery itself is well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the end.
For fans of cozy mysteries with strong female leads, Booked for Murder is a must-read. It’s a charming and suspenseful novel that delivers both heart and intrigue, making it perfect for anyone who loves a good whodunit set in a quirky, bookish world. Highly recommended!

The first in a new cozy series finds Maddy, a burnt out actor, coming back to her small town in Georgia after her aunt dies and leaves her a bookshop. She's barely there when the gazebo is set on fire and soon she is receiving mysterious, threatening phone calls. Things get even worse when a young woman staying with her is murdered. Maddy sets out to find the culprit.

I liked parts of this debut. I liked the two main supporting characters, Phil and Gloria, I liked the bookshop, and I even liked the base premise of the mystery. However, Maddy was soooo annoying as a main character in this debut. It felt like she would talk to someone and then immediately be like THIS PERSON DID IT and would yell that all over town. A lot of the interactions just felt weird or unnecessary too. I think this series has promise. I love cozies and can see the possibility here. However, Maddy needs some overhaul on her personality and interactions. That said, I definitely would read a second book to see if things improve!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book! I have only read one other murder mystery and this one was much better! It had me guessing until about 60% and then I was only between a couple of people. I love how her aunt had planned it out that they would co own the book store. I also loved that this book points out how anyone can surprise you and you never fully know anyone.

This was such a great cozy mystery debut book and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. The plot, characters and murder were so much fun to follow along and try to figure out who was causing all the trouble and for the main character.

This was perfectly fine. Nothing special but not the worst. If you like cozy small town popcorn mysteries then this might be a good book for you. I will say the main character made some REALLY stupid decisions so if that will bother you, pass on this.

I received an ARC of this book via the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An easy and fun read. I already love books about books, but then the author throws in a murder mystery making it all the more captivating. Definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to more like it.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱🎧 “Booked for Murder" by P.J. Nelson
Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries Book #1

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
published December 10, 2024

A cozy, southern murder mystery set in GA, where Madeline inherits a bookstore from her Aunt Ruby, and has to return to her hometown years after leaving. Full of characters that I know will continue in the next books made the story richer but also many semi-resolved sub-plots were left. NYC and stage acting were Madeline's dream but an old Victorian mansion with a bookshop on the main floor is her new reality. A fire, a stabbing that ends in death, and a threatening phone call or two puts Madeline on the defense and she knows she needs to find the killer. The pacing was a little slow, but it felt as if many stories were being set up. I loved the amateur sleuthing and of course the bookstore.


#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review. While I enjoyed this book at times, I had a very hard time getting into it. I liked the suspense at first and the mystery but it started wearing on throughout the book. I didn’t really like the main character hunting through the town trying to dig up the culprit with the help of two older unsuspecting ladies. I just wish it wasn’t so scooby doo at times but for a mystery I think it is exactly the right tone. I just don’t think I’m a cozy mystery reader unfortunately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Booked for Murder
By: P.J. Nelson
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub Date: 12/10/24
I would put this in the cozy murder mystery genre. When Madeline’s aunt passes away she unexpectedly inherits her house and bookstore. But things are not just so in the tiny town. As more and more goes awry, Madeline works hard to find out who is after her and what they want. She has the help of a pastor and her aunt's best friend.
It was a quick read, definitively for anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

This is an atmospheric mystery set in a small town in Georgia with a sizeable cast of characters. I felt that some of the subplots weren't super necessary to the overall storyline, making the story feel slow. The formula was fairly predictable and I kept waiting for a twist to shake things up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and cozy mystery. I enjoyed how the book was set against the backdrop of drop of a small book shop. The characters were so great and relatable. I enjoyed the multiple mysteries in this book and how everything tied together in the end. I would love to see these characters in another book.

Thank you to P. J. Nelson, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNFing at 49%. It's not necessarily a bad book, but it's boring me and I'm only half paying attention at this point. The plot was front-loaded with action, but now it's just women at various points of middle age--a failed actress, a female priest, and a college professor--talking, talking, talking. The writing's not particularly funny, nor is anyone charismatic enough to hold up this sagging middle with sheer personality. The only character I care about is Tandy's poor boyfriend. No one else has made much of an impression, and the lead is pretty blah. She didn't want to be there as a kid, she doesn't want to be there now, she doesn't even particularly want to investigate, so I'm wondering--if the MC gives zero shits, why should I? If you're going to be just another cozy mystery set in a bookstore, you'd better have a unique, captivating voice, and this book does not. Not to my taste, moving on.

This is an entertaining, read in a day, curl up and have a good time with book. Nothing to drastic but keeps you wondering and reading. Definitely will pick up more in a series that I am thinking this will be.