I had no idea before reading this book that publishing was such a cutthroat occupation! Jane Hepburn is the main character of the book, an author who has written six books in a crime fiction series. Her book sales are disappointing, and Jane hopes to get more attention for her books by attending the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival (and also sneaking some of her books into a display of the most popular books).

There are authors like herself, book readers, literary agents and their interns attending the festival. Jane also intends to speak to her agent who has not been returning her calls. Then she finds the dead body of Carrie Marks, a prominent literary agent, slumped over at her station in one of the tents. She had been stabbed with a dagger. Carrie had numerous enemies.

Since none of the people there were allowed to leave the premises, Jane and two other people at the festival decided to try to determine who the killer was. I was never able to guess the identity of the killer. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I am looking forward to reading more by her.

I received an e-arc from the publisher Knopf and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

This was a delightful read. The plot is ver engaging, however the pacing is rather slow for me and I found my mind wondering a bit as I read.

What a fun read! In "A Novel Murder," E.C. Nevin delivers engaging characters, confusing clues and a delightful murder mystery.

Jane is a not-very-successful mystery writer who travels to a crime-writing festival determined to take action to improve her writing career. Instead, she stumbles upon a dead body and soon becomes immersed in trying to solve the crime, just like the fictional detective in her books.

I received an ARC of this book and waited entirely too long to actually read it. Now, I am hopeful that the author has started on a sequel. I am eager to go on another adventure with Jane and her newfound friends.

Jane is relatable, smart and flawed. Lots of characters translated into lots of suspects and a bit of a juggling act in trying to keep everyone straight. The conclusion was simultaneously out of left field and telegraphed early on.

All in all, it was fun.

𝑨 𝑵𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑳 𝑴𝑼𝑹𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝒃𝒚 𝑬.𝑪. 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒏 is a jolly whodunit with a flawed and ever-so-insecure protagonist that one cannot help but root for, #gifted via @netgalley from @aaknopf & published June 17th.

Jane is an author in her 40's who is generally happy to be somewhat invisible. The flagging interest in her crime series propels her to sneak into the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival. It does not go smoothly, however, and when Jane finds her prickly agent with the Crime Dagger Award in her chest, she has to decide if she has it in her, like her crime-fighting character, to search for the truth!

While this is a charming cozy murder mystery, it also seems to cast a wink to the publishing world, including influencers, but without feeling too critical. Jane herself is the real star of this story. It is a second coming-of-age wrapped in a mystery with lovely side characters and an ending I did not guess.

Overall this was a safe, comfort read that was well done. I am not sure that it is top tier cozy for me, but still enjoyable! I'd definitely recommend it for fans of the genre.

Real Rating: 3.3* of five

Nice writing with a good balance of description and action. Fun, silly, cozy plot. Enough touches from the publishing world to make me feel a tiny wisp of nostalgic longing.

Slower pace than I prefer. Not really invested in the sleuth...she doesn't have "It" for me, whatever that "It" might be. Side characters just fine but pretty predictable.

Knopf asks you to spend $14.99 for an ebook. Might be worth it if you really enjoy books about books and publishing.

Who knew the publishing world is so cut-throat. Set in a quiet small town at a crime fiction festival with a cast of quirky characters, this was a fun read. I really enjoyed how Jane's, the main character, confidence grew throughout the book.. She considered herself almost invisible and lacked the confidence in herself, not just was a writer, but as a person. As Jane and her new friends try to figure out who the killer is you're taken on a journey where everyone is the killer, or so it seems.

If you like amateur sleuthing and cozy mysteries, then this book is for you.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

If I'm allowed only three words they would be - Loveable, querky, cozy. This was a fun read. It did take some time for Jane to grow on me, but she did and in a big way! I loved all the zigzags in trying to figure out the murderer. A lovely little mystery surrounding a book publishing festival in a quaint town. I was particualarly happy that Jane gained new friends and they all grew into themselves as the story unfolded. Jane choosing the red dress! OMG! That was desperately bold and hilarious! This book didn't make it to the "I love it" level, but I really did enjoy the ride. So for me it's a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Story conains:
Self loathing, little or no confidence, trying to fit in, murder and attempted murder, cozy mystery, sleuthing, friendship, books and festival.

I don't normally read cozy mysteries, but I do enjoy them when I'm in the need of a 'palate cleanser' read and A Novel Murder didn't disappoint, Clever and entertaining!

I ended up not finishing this and DNFed after the first couple chapters. I didn’t enjoy the main character and didn’t vibe with the story. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an early reader.

Jane is attending the Killer Lines mystery fiction convention, hoping to revitalize her career and make some connections. Instead, she discovers a dead body, and she works to solve the mystery along with some new friends. I enjoyed the cozy mystery, but really loved seeing Jane grow in confidence as the story progressed. A charming British setting also made this a fun mystery book. I also liked the insight into the publishing world. This book would make a fun tv mystery movie too!

What a pleasant surprise! This was a thrilling treat from out of the blue. Cozy, indeed. Entertaining, yes. I think fans of the 'Horowitz and Hawthorne' series by Anthony Horowitz will enjoy A Novel Murder as much as I did. I can only hope E. C. Nevin has plans for this to be a series. Jane Hepburn is a wonderful character and it would be a shame if we don't see her again (even if it isn't at a killer book festival). A Novel Murder works thanks to both the colorful characters and the masterful mystery. It's a well crafted debut that will have you hooked. It's always fun when a writer (fictional or otherwise) turns their attention to solving crimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Did not finish ... stopped at 29% ... so slow and draggy ... just couldn't stay with it ... even tho' I'd love to know who-dunnit ... story is promising, but just doesn't make it ...

A Novel Murder is as refreshing as a glass of ice water on a hot day. The story is uniquely set at the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival in a small English town. Author Jane Hepburn is paying her own way, unlike most of the authors present. Jane's mystery novels have not sold well and she sees the festival as her chance to make connections that will set her on the path to success. When Jane's literary agent is murdered at the festival Jane is shocked. Jane wants to solve the crime. She channels the skills she has written for her character PI Sandra Baker. Jane, along with some new crime solving friends, interviews witnesses and seeks out clues. Nevin's characters are what make this book special. A Novel Murder is more than a page turner. Jane not only solves a murder but also discovers many truths about herself.

Really enjoyed this cozy mystery!

I really enjoyed Jane as the protagonist; she was very relatable, and I really enjoyed seeing her growth throughout the book. There was a large pool of characters and povs but I liked reading the different perspectives and trying to guess what that character might have up their sleeve. The little found family that the characters ended up forming was very heartwarming and I would love to see this series continue with them.

The mystery itself took place at a book festival and I love cozy mysteries surrounding books. The mystery was entertaining and I unfortunately didn't guess the culprit but the reveal was pretty wild. My only gripe was that the book seemed a little long - would have loved to know more about the suspects rather than Jane's thoughts lol.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Although the setting and setup were appealing, the actual mystery at the core did not really gel for me. I felt the characters were forced and the premise labored. Dragged in the middle, but I'm willing to give the author another chance at a later date.

A Novel Murder by E.C. Nevin was a great mystery I really enjoyed.

The characters were complex and well fleshed out.

The mystery was really clever, and kept me guessing.

Nevin has crafted a murder mystery deeply set in the book publishing and promoting world. The murder victim had made many enemies so there were plenty of suspects. The sleuth is a mystery writer who actually finds herself needing to solve a murder mystery in reality. It was fun to see how she grew in the experience.

The novel is written in present tense, something I find disconcerting. There are also several viewpoints presented, though in third person. Despite my dislike of some features of the writing, I did appreciate the atmosphere of book publishing and the personalities of authors. I like the sleuthing action and the twists keeping me guessing as to the actual villain.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

I thought that premise was interesting a murder at a book festival where the main character is an author. The pacing was a little uneven at times. However, this is the first book in the series, and so sometimes those are a little more rough around the edges than future books. I enjoyed seeing how Jane developed through the course of this book. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to the author, Knopf, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

While pretty quickly into this book the murder occurs, I felt the pacing was a bit on the slower side, and it wasn't really grabbing me.
However, I am glad I stuck with it, the further I got into the story, the more I liked the characters and the more convoluted and complex the mystery became. I had fun following along and trying to figure out who the killer was going to be.

A Novel Murder is an interesting mashup of a cozy amateur detective mystery and an insider’s look into the publishing industry.

Jane is an ambitious author at a murder mystery convention. When a literary agent is killed at the event, Jane jumps at the chance to solve the crime while also garnering free publicity for her new book.

The book has many details about how the publishing world works behind the scenes. The debut author is from that world so the setting rings true most of the time. Jane is a complex character who is both pushy and anxiety ridden. In fact, I enjoyed all the characters in A Novel Murder more than the mystery itself.

Sometimes a reader just wants to settle into someone else’s life without trying to be an armchair detective themselves. If so, A Novel Murder will be the perfect relaxing read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an advanced review copy.