** “And what was that Detective Inspector Ramos on about, saying someone wouldn’t be killed over a book? Doesn’t he understand how important books are?” **

E.C. Nevin delivers a fun whodunnit in “A Novel Murder: A Mystery.”

Even though she isn’t a famous mystery writer, author Jane Hepburn is exited to be attending the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival. Although she’s unsure of herself, she hopes to gain ground in the literary world at the conference. But when she literally stumbles upon the dead body of her agent, Carrie Marks, Jane knows her world is about to be turned upside down.

Joining forces with new friends, up-and-coming author Natasha and her agent’s intern Daniel, the group meanders through the twists and turns of the murder to find the truth. Who would want Carrie dead? Or maybe they should ask, who wouldn’t?

Nevin does an incredible job of weaving together a plot filled with misdirections and red herrings to leave the reader guessing until the very end, as well as also including some good themes, like finding empowerment through self-doubt; having faith in oneself and one’s abilities; “Murder isn’t everywhere. It’s actually rather rare. Even among writers”; and opening up to friendships.

Fans of stories like “The Charity Shop Detective Agency” series by Peter Boland, “The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder” by C.L. Miller and “The Antique Store Detective” series by Clare Chase will love “A Novel Murder.”

Four stars out of five.

Knopf provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Jane is a writer, but not a successful one. She has gone to the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival in hopes of somehow increasing her novels lackluster sales. When she goes to execute her plan, she stumbles upon the dead body of her agent.
I loved, loved, loved this cozy mystery about a woman with few friends and very low self-esteem. Jane literally transforms during the course of the novel. She’s got a great squad of assistants helping her solve the mystery too. With a slew of suspects they’ve got their work cut out for them if they’re going to solve the case in time. 4.5 stars

A Novel Murder by E C Nevin is a mystery with so many storylines and crimes committed. The crimes take place at a mystery book festival held in a small English town, but irregularities are also uncovered. A group of misfits, two authors, and an intern decide to stick together to figure out whodunnit.

Jane has written seven mysteries starring her fictional Detective Baker, but the books are barely seeing the light of day. When Jane discovers the dead body, she decides to find out who the murderer is. Natasha is a debut author who is already making a name for herself, and Daniel is the intern who rounds out the group, and they all unexpectedly click and become friends. Seeing them in action—individually or together—was sometimes a hoot.

There are clues to gather and suspects to interview and investigate, much to the chagrin of Detective Inspector Ramos. However, with some help from Jane and her friends, they provide him with additional information and details, along with other suspects to consider. The suspects were many and were ruled out one by one.

The book has several twists and turns, and at times, it lacks a smooth flow. However, there are clues and red herrings throughout, and some are in plain sight. They enlarge their group and pick up others to help them figure out whodunnit, and they surprisingly do. There is closure in solving the crimes, along with a few surprises.

A Novel Murder had me guessing throughout to figure out who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit the crimes. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t who I thought.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.

Protagonist Jane Hepburn may be a bit of a late bloomer, but she’s easy to love. Still grieving her recently deceased mother, whose words continue to guide her, Jane feels like she has no one in her corner. She’s feeling overlooked and a little defeated. She’s written six mystery novels, which have been published, but they haven’t sold well enough to give up her day job. She’s close to throwing in the towel.

She heads to the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival, hoping to drum up interest in her latest book. But even her own agent doesn’t seem to have time for her. She sneaks into the book tent after hours and takes it upon herself to move her books to a more prominent place on the display table. That’s when she stumbles upon the body of her agent, Carrie Marks.

Rather than retreat, Jane takes a page from her fictional detective, DI Baker, and begins to investigate. Along the way, she gains some much-needed friends, builds confidence, and uncovers secrets. But the case is baffling. There was no shortage of people who had a problem with Carrie Marks, but did any of them have the means, motive, and opportunity?

The pace is leisurely, but that’s fine. Not every plot needs to move at a breakneck speed, and it never dragged.

A Novel Murder is not exactly a closed-circle mystery because the characters are not trapped at the festival, but there is time pressure since they must solve the murder before the attendees (suspects) leave.

It was fun to watch Jane come into her own, and I hope this is the start of a series. I’d love to see where she goes next.

I received this advance reader copy of A Novel Murder from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading A Novel Murder, though it didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its description. The setting was interesting, and the ensemble of characters had potential, but the plot felt a bit flat and the pacing was slow. I got the impression that the author put more heart into describing the writing and publishing world than into developing the mystery itself.

The main group of characters could have been more fully developed—only Jane's personal growth stood out and was portrayed with more depth. That said, I did enjoy the humorous parts of the story.

Overall, it was a pleasant, cozy read. If this becomes a series, I’ll definitely be curious to hear more about Jane’s future adventures.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy.

This book started out a bit slow for me. There were a lot of character points of view, some of which were few and far between, so I had trouble keeping track of everyone. This was also in part--and this is NO FAULT of the author--to the formatting on the arc which was a little funky. It made it hard to tell when POVs were being switched. Hopefully, this will not be an issue with the published ebook.

Initially, I found the main character, Jane, to be a bit boring. As the story went on, this was clearly the point--to see her change and transform--but in this particular trope, a balance must be struck in establishing the plainness of a character while still engaging the reader. That balance was not quite there. I mostly felt pity for Jane, but in a way that is uncomfortable rather than sympathetic.

As the story went on, I got more into it though! And I definitely did not figure out who the murderer was! What I loved most were the friendships that developed throughout the novel, and I appreciated that, as we got to know the characters, they were made to be more sympathetic but not necessarily fully redeemed. The whole good person with flaws kind of thing. Jane's character also became more likable as she took agency over herself.

In the end, I can say that the book didn't leave a lasting impression on me, but I enjoyed the read well enough. I will be curious to see if more novels follow after this one. There is certainly potential for sequels with Jane and some of the cast. If so, I will certainly try the next one!

My thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf Publishing for the ARC of "A Novel Murder" in exchange for an honest review.

After what wore me down with its slow tedious beginnings, 'A Novel Murder' turned itself around to become a pleasant and fun surprise.

At first it started as another 'oh-here-we-go=again'. Another gathering of mystery writers with an actual real killer among them. Usually with this trope, I'd expect a lot of snappy, bitchy repartee between the scribes, along with knowing take-downs of the cutthroat, survival-of-the-fittest world of publishing.

This book chooses to concentrate on Jane Hepburn, a woe-is-me author of a modestly selling police procedural series. Big of build and topping 6 feet, Jane's inferiority complex and constant bemoaning of her fate in life rivals Winnie The Pooh's Eeyore. It doesn't help her already crumbling confidence when she's not even listed as an invited author at the 'Killer Lines' mystery writer festival - she's forced to pay the full admission of a visitor's ticket.

At this point, I dreaded having to spend the length of this book in Jane's company.........even when her life becomes way more eventful when she stumbles upon the dead (and most severely murdered) body of her agent, the universally despised Carrie Marks.

And here's where the book finally grabbed my attention, by dealing with Jane's transformation, little by little finding her confidence, nerve and something she'd never enjoyed in her sad, lonely life.......friends. In a 'seize-the-day' epiphany, Jane vows to track down Carrie's killer, with the help of her very own unlikely Scooby Doo crew......intern Daniel, a huge fan of Jane's books, and flavor-of-the-year new young novelist. Natasha Martez. Together they confront and question a daunting list of suspects, since there's hardly anyone in the publishing world without a festering grudge against Carrie Marks.

Jane and the gang's calamitous investigation goes down one blind alley after another, with all manner of tantalizing secrets revealed about the suspected guilty parties. And in its second half, the book constantly surprised me with its sudden bursts of laugh-out-loud moments and needle-sharp pokes at the world of authors, agents and publishers. I only wish author E.C. Nevin had lavished this funny, satirical outlook on the entire book instead of rationing it out in tiny spoonfuls.

So I ended up going from rolling my eyes at Jane's depressing introspections to cheering her on as she discovers her own talent, her own value as a person........and when it comes to both writing and sleuthing, a force to be reckoned with.. And if author Nevin would promise to dish out more of that wicked humor, I wouldn't mind seeing Jane take on another case or two....or more.

If there's a sequel I would read it because I feel like the second one might get better. It took a bit longer than I would have preferred for the main character to sort of "find her people" and find her way. I think if this is the setup for a series the next could be even better.

To me, Cozy murder/mystery reads are amazing when its paired with humor, I need a good laugh, and between Jane, Daniel and Natasha, we get all of that. Carrie is an agent in the literary world and she is also one of the most hated, and she ends up dead in a book festival, and Jane discovered the body. Jane feels this need to want to help but with everything going, being a has been in the book world, when she bumped into Daniel the intern, who is a huge fan of her books, he motivated her to do what her characters would do in this situation which is, try to find out who killed Carrie. And Natasha is a new author and Carrie’s newest client, and she wants in on everything.
I had so much fun reading this book, and I love a good underdog, Jane is the best.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A Novel Murder is a fun, lighthearted mystery set during the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival—a perfect setting for book lovers and murder mystery fans alike. Author Jane Hepburn arrives hoping to boost her writing career, but instead finds herself investigating the murder of notorious literary agent Carrie Marks. With the help of debut novelist Natasha and intern Daniel, Jane channels her fictional detective’s instincts to navigate a long list of suspects, each with a motive.

E.C. Nevin offers a cozy mystery full of industry humor, book festival antics, and a dash of amateur sleuthing. The publishing world backdrop adds charm and makes this one especially fun for readers who love stories about books and authors. While the pacing is on the gentler side and the twists aren’t jaw-dropping, the story stays engaging and delivers a satisfying, light mystery perfect for cozy readers looking for an enjoyable weekend read.

A Novel Murder kept me on my toes from the jump! Such a fun and immersive read, offering a skew of clues and red herrings at every turn of the page!! Nevin really makes a splash with the debut and I’ll me keeping a rapt eye out for her next release!!!

This was a pleasant and easy read. I enjoyed the characters. The main characters were quirky and likable. I particularly enjoyed the setting of a literary festival with the confluence of Authors, Editors, Critics and of course fans.
The mystery itself was not deep or particularly clever but reasonable and believable within a cozy. The murderer wasn't overly obvious but predictable though there were enough other interesting side stories to keep the story going and interesting.

I had fun reading this book. The cozy crime that was set in the countryside and there was a fiction crime festival going on. I liked not having the crime being solved that was not easy to do as I read the book.
The characters fit perfectly together and that helped hold my interest in what was going on as I read.
Thank you NetGalley, E. C. Nevin and Knopf Pantheon Vintage for the copy of A Novel Murder. This is my personal review.

I would say this is less of a mystery thriller and more of just a cozy mystery. I felt like the characters were not that well developed and just fell flat for me. I did like the book fair festival aspect and think it would be enjoyable to attend one. The killer reveal took a little too long which caused me to struggle with staying invested in the story. But I enjoyed the vibe of the small English village and the entertaining dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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Overall, I thought this was fun book – I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It’s a cozy murder mystery set in a quiet small town at a crime fiction festival. I felt the setting added a fun element to the story. I rated A Novel Murder 3 stars for a few different reasons. One being that the story was slow-paced and didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked. It also felt like a Hallmark movie mystery, where the ending was predictable but also not predictable. However, I loved seeing Jane’s growth as a person. She took some getting used to but became a dynamic character – watching her confidence grow as she channeled her books’ FMC was great to read.

As this is E. C. Nevin’s debut novel, I’m interested to see what else they write in the future.

Positives -
I really enjoyed how light-hearted and easy-to-read the story was. As someone who reads dark thrillers, this makes an excellent palate-cleanser. I also liked getting an inside look at the publishing world and how it works. For the overall plot, I found myself caring more about Jane’s changes as a character from an insecure individual to someone with more confidence in herself. The murder mystery became more of a secondary plot.

Frustrations -
One major frustration I had was the pacing of the story. It is very slow-paced, and I found myself losing attention at some points and now connecting with the characters and the story as much as I would like. I also found it hard to warm up to the characters. Multiple characters fell flat for me, and I feel they could have been developed more. Jane took some getting used to as an FMC. She didn’t have much personality at the beginning, and it was hard to read the constant self-loathing and watch the war with herself unfold. With that said, her internal struggle did become a major focus for me in the book, and I enjoyed watching her grow into her confidence as the story continued.

Would I recommend this? If you are looking for an easy mystery that is fun with an over-the-top plot, I recommend this one. It had moments where it reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano with the amateur sleuthing.

Read if You Like:
- Amateur Sleuthing
- Cozy Murder Mysteries
- Small Town Setting
- Books about Bookish Things
- Main Character Growth

A fun concept that drops you in right into a murder in a book festival.

Every year the quaint English town of Hoslewit is flooded with people for the Killer Lines festival. Author Jane Hepburn is determined to attend this year and get her book noticed. But then Jane finds the body of well-known (and commonly-hated) literary agent Carries Marks. Along with a debut novelist and an intern, Jane ends up channeling her heroine and trying to solve the murder. Assuming the murderer doesn't catch up with her first.

This concept is amazing: a murder at a crime book festival? Count me in! There are tons of characters, all with reasons to hate Carrie. With the festival on-going, it starts to read a bit like a locked room mystery (even though it isn't).

The execution was a bit rough for me. It took a while to really warm up to Jane since she doesn't have a ton of personality at the beginning. We also get chapters dropping in on lots of different characters, and I don't know that it built the suspense the way I hoped.

Overall, if you like cozy murder mysteries, this one is a fun one to try. I am curious to see where this story goes, now that we have a strong set of main characters all interacting with one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I’m a fan of a good murder mystery, but one that isn’t heavy on the gore….this book is that. My issue was that it’s a slow moving read. The characters, especially our main character, is just extremely unlikable. Not because she’s a horrible person, but because she’s just so “woe is my” in the most obnoxious of ways. At one point I actually felt like this might be one of my first books I wouldn’t finish, but I had to see it through. Let me tell ya, the ending didn’t make the story get any better. This one was a miss for me. The only positive aspects I found were the thorough descriptions of the characters personalities being built. The classic murder mystery aspect was a plus as well.

A Novel Murder by E.C. Nevin was a really enjoyable murder mystery, especially for fans of the book world. Set at a crime thriller convention in England, the story follows Jane Hepburn, an author who feels completely out of place amidst the bustle of bestselling writers, agents, and publishing insiders. But when one of the most prominent literary agents is found dead in the book sale tent, Jane and her awkward, grieving, and far outside her comfort zone self, decides to help the police investigate, convinced the motive may lie within the world of books and publishing.

I really enjoyed the layered "inception" feel of a murder mystery about mystery writers and the business surrounding them. Jane is a charmingly quirky main character: a bit older, still processing the loss of her mother, and trying to navigate both the convention and her amateur sleuthing. Her awkward determination made her easy to root for, and I appreciated seeing her confidence grow over the course of the novel.

The plot itself was engaging, with some moments that lagged slightly, but the curiosity of "whodunnit" kept me turning the pages. I especially liked the nods to classic mystery tropes and other crime fiction as Jane and her new friends pieced things together. The ending was satisfying and clever, bringing everything together in a way that worked well for the story.

Overall, A Novel Murder is a fun, bookish mystery perfect for readers who enjoy stories set in the publishing world with a relatable amateur sleuth at the center. I’d happily read more adventures with Jane!

Jane Hepburn has had the best luck recently. She lost her mother and her boyfriend, has a job she doesn't enjoy to pay her bills while she writes her crime fiction series featuring PI Sandra Baker. She has come to the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival to see if she can change her fortune. What she didn't count on is to end up in the middle of a murder investigation.

I admit it was a slow going in the beginning, but it picked up and I was all in. The mystery is set in the book world which I found very interesting and totally believable. They mystery was good and has lots of twists and turns. While I enjoyed the mystery, I loved seeing Jane come into herself and see her find her "tribe." I hope there is another book coming.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for the chance to read and review this book.

Carrie Marks is dead. And Jane Hepburn discovered her body. Jane was at the Killer Lines festival with the hope of selling her novel but now she's turned from crime writer to amateur detective. This is a nice start to what well could be a new cozy series. The mystery is a classic one as the victim was disliked by many and the red herrings abound. I liked this for the dip behind the curtain of the publishing business as well as of a book festival. Jane is nicely intrepid and her cohorts are a hoot. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read and here's hoping there will be more.