Member Reviews
This is a first in series, or so I assume. Also a new author so I wasn't sure what to expect. As with many series, it take a while to settle in or get a feeling for the main characters and where we're headed.
This book starts with Madeline returning to a small town in Georgia as she has inherited her aunt's bookstore. Things start going wrong very fast and the who, and why is the main gist of the book. The location, and some theater and actor skills come into play. There are lots of details that felt dark to me but most questions do get resolved. By the end, I knew the who and why but still had questions and some uncertainty as to how things would truly move forward.
This is a 3.5 stars for me, rounded to 4, as I did get invested closer to the end.
This one was a little slow for me, but I liked the small town setting and the way it really reflected an everyone-knows-everyone feel. I felt like it was set in the 1980s in some parts, and others felt more modern day. Overall it was a nice cozy mystery and a wonderful debut!
This cozy mystery started with a bang but quickly fell off for me. I didn’t care enough about what happened with the love triangle or the murder.
I was excited for this book but it was mostly a disappointment. The ending came out of nowhere and was not satisfying and it had very little to do with books.
Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson is a cozy mystery. It all starts when Madeline Brimley inherits a bookstore that is in an old Victorian house in a small town. The suspense starts as soon as she arrives with a gazebo fire and strange phone call. Who can Madeline really trust and who is behind the threats? The setting was great and once things started happening, there was never a dull moment. The supporting cast was well-written. Overall, a fun, engaging beginning to a new cozy mystery series.
I don’t remember what made me interested in this ARC when I read the description. Maybe it was simply that it was set mainly in a bookstore, because I will read any novel about bookstore owners. I really wasn’t sure about it after the first two chapters (but it has been at least a year since I’ve read a mystery like this). I kept picking it up a bit at a time, but it didn’t take long after that to feel invested.
What do you get when an actor, a female Anglican priest, and a psych prof try to solve a crime? You get this little picture of humanity. You get insight into people from the three types of person who have made a profession out of understanding people.
I enjoyed the characters, the southern charm of the book - the lilt is written into the voice of the book but not in an exaggerated way at all, I enjoyed how the book centered around these “cultured” people that were outside the norm of the typical/stereotypical southern small-town folk.
I didn’t really think this at all while I was reading it, but as I’m describing it, the book resembles Louise Penny’s Three Pines books in its own way.
It’s a lovely book that goes beyond a simple whodunnit and paints a picture of how a person can make a lovely life in a small country town full of people who don’t seem to be like her at all. As long as you don’t get murdered.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy!
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. All opinions are my own.
Available 12/10/24
Madelaine Brinkley just inherited her aunt's bookstore/house in Enigma, Georgia. She is at loose ends in Atlanta so she returns to the small town she couldn't wait to leave. She isn't even there for one night before she is putting out fires and getting threatening phone calls. Then there is a murder in the bookstore. Does she flee? Nope, then there would be no story. Also, she has to stay in her aunt's bookstore/house for six months in order to inherit. And she is riled up. She is going to find the villain. Add in some eccentric women and small town characters for a good story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of "Booked for Murder". I will be honest and say that I did not have high hopes for this book BUT I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definately recommend it!!
Cozy mystery,
little flat, poor character
development. Meh.
⭐️⭐️
I write haiku reviews but am happy to provide more feedback.
In this charming southern cozy debut, Madeline Brimley returns to the small town of Enigma, Georgia, to inherit her eccentric aunt's quirky bookstore housed in a Victorian mansion. What starts as a fresh beginning quickly spirals into danger when mysterious fires and a murder put Madeline in the center of a deadly mystery. Determined to protect her aunt’s legacy and clear her own name, Madeline must unravel the town’s dark secrets. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a dash of southern charm and intrigue!
This was a great fall season read. I was hooked from the beginning and was very invested in the pot. I will be recommending this title to my friends and to my library.
This was a fun read. The author hit the nail on the head when it came to the small-town aspect. It is more of a cozy mystery, not very much suspense and it was a bit slow in a couple of places, but I still enjoyed it.
An easy to read book that immerses us in a quite interesting universe! It's a story that resembles many others, but remains quite well written. the ending was quite predictable.
This cozy mystery stats out strong. Lots of interesting characters, and a great plot. It did get a bit drawn out in the middle, and at times felt repetitive. With that being said, it had a lot of great parts, and was a good read.overall.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Cozy mystery with a simple plot. Sort of dragged at times but I think this did exactly what it needed to do. I’m not a fan of cozy mysteries but I definitely feel like this has changed my opinion somewhat so overall I did like it!
Honestly, this book had a great start, but the story dragged on and on and just ended abruptly.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc
I really liked the premise of this book. Madeline Brimley inherits her aunt's bookstore and is in for (more than one) unwelcome surprised and a murder. This will definitely scratch the itch for anyone looking for a good cozy mystery in a world full of books. 4 stars rounded up
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of Booked for Murder in exchange for an honest review.
When Madeline Brimley’s theater career has left her out of options, the death of her beloved Aunt Rose back in small town Georgia just may be the opportunity she needs for a new beginning. Aunt Rose has left Madeline her quaint little bookstore that so happens to be conveniently located on the first floor of a Victoria mansion. It doesn’t take Madeline long to figure out that someone in this small town doesn’t want her back and would kill to have her gone. After one person is tragically murdered in the bookstore, Madeline races to find the killer in hopes of sparing her own life and possibly saving the bookstore and reconnecting with her roots.
While I feel this book had all the makings for an interesting storyline, the entire plot felt a bit disjointed to me. I felt certain aspects were thrown together quickly with no backstory, while other sections of the book seemed to drag on forever. There were a small handful of chapters that left you on a bit of a cliffhanger but otherwise I was just underwhelmed at how things progressed. I was also very confused by some of the character interactions in the book. The relationship between Madeline and Billy (the police officer she used to babysit) was just—odd. I also feel like not exploring the relationship between Madeline and David more was an opportunity missed.
I think overall this one was a bit of a miss for me. The potential was there, but it just fell a bit flat on many fronts. Giving it a 2.5 star out of five, rounding up.
I'd probably give this 3.7 stars. It was a cozy mystery but a bit disjointed and could have used some more character building. Overall though, it was easy to relate to the main character and had a sweet tone of female friendship and camaraderie no matter how old you are. I can easily see myself reading future books, overall not a bad start to a series.
Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC!