This cozy mystery leans more heartfelt than high-stakes, with a focus on friendship and self-discovery. Jane Hepburn is an awkward, anxious author hoping to make her mark at a crime writing festival. She’s painfully unsure of herself but slowly starts to come out of her shell thanks to a couple of new friends. I really liked the way the book centered Jane’s personal growth just as much as the murder plot.

The mystery itself—her agent turns up dead—was fine, though at times it felt secondary to the publishing-world satire and character development. Still, I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes peek at literary festivals and the mix of personalities from the publishing world. The story had plenty of suspects and a few laugh-out-loud moments. I’d happily read another book featuring Jane and her newfound crew.

A great new (I hope) cozy series. Loved the protagonist and the back corridors of the literary world. Easy, fun, and perfectly twisted.

Fun cozy about the book world. Engaging characters and interesting plot however, it didn't really grab me. Just kept reading along.

A Novel Murder, while not the best book I’ve ever read was interesting enough to keep me reading to find out “who dunnit”.
I sometimes was confused on the characters because there were so many and their personalities were.similar. I liked the main character and liked her transformation through the story.
I also found it hard to believe in parts because the novelists became the detectives and so quickly jumped to conclusions without a lot of evidence.
It was an enjoyable read.

This was so much fun that I wish this was a series I could dive into. An unlikely group coming together to solve a book-related murder? Perfect. I loved the writing, the cast of characters and the resolution. If I had a quibble it would be that there is maybe one or two extra characters that didn't add much in the way of personality or depth to the storyline but honestly, would read 4 more of these. Can't wait to follow the author and see what's next.

pretty cute and well written cozy mystery with interesting ideas and good vibes. the growth of Jane as a character is awesome. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Although I didn't warm to the character Jane at first, this was an enjoyable read. The cast of characters were funny, determined and all too human. This was a cozy look at the inside world of publishing, agents and competitive would-be authors.

Loved this cozy mystery! It was very entertaining with the characters, the story and the whole setup. I hope this becomes a series and we get to go along with Jane for another event. Thank you E. C. Nevis, NetGalley and Knopf for this digital arc.

Author Jane Hepburn attends the Killer Lines Festival, hoping to bring attention to her mystery series and connect
with her agent. When her agent is murdered, Jane decides to investigate with the help of her agent's newest client and
her intern. As they look into the connections between the dead woman and other attendees. Jane's confidence
grows. Interesting characters - an enjoyable read.
#ANovelMurder #KnopfPantheonvintageandAnchor #Knopf #NetGalley

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I liked the premise…a murder mystery set at a convention for authors and publishers. Unfortunately, the book moved very slowly and I lost interest about 47% into the book. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

A very entertaining book based at a book fair festival. I have always wanted to go to one of these events.

Our protagonist is a published writer of mystery. However, it is quickly revealed, published is not necessarily mean successful or fruitful. I have read the book editing and publishing world was not glamorous but this story put it in somber perspectivee.

Despite these thoughts, the story was thoroughly enjoyable and my suspect choices changed throughout. The characters were entertaining and engaging.
The pursuit of finding the culprit actually felt realistic. So many stories out there have characters doing foolish things. This one did not.

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. Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a slow starter, but once we got a few more characters for the main to mingle with, it really got rolling! The mystery wasn’t obvious and the suspects list was long enough to keep things interesting.

This was a fun, cozy mystery. Having said that, there were a few parts in the book where I skipped over pages of dry meanderings? thoughts? Over all, I enjoyed the characters and the story.

This was quite an enjoyable cozy murder mystery read. The character were super funny, charming and likable. There were some moments where it seems there were going around in circles and saying the same things but seem realistic enough to recap and review things to help connect the dots. So with that, I just went along their thought process and enjoyed the read throughout the book. What only irked me is the title as it just was not reading it right for me "A Novel Murder". I couldnt get it and for some reason it just bothered me. lol
However, that shudnt deter from the book, I liked the storyline and the unlikely heroes and their blossoming friendship. A great debut novel from the author and look forward to reading more.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley

This book has a great opening scene and just builds from there. You have Jane who is an author attending a book festival when there is a murder. Jane is an introvert and usually tries to fade into the background. But since she was the one to find the body she’s compelled to try to solve to mystery. Along the was she meet people who help and encourage her. This is a fun novel with great characters. I really enjoyed it!

I feel as though this whole experience was coated in an overly sacrine and more than slightly sticky layer of yesterday's cheap alchohol. That said, it is, in itself, it's own sort of mood, i suppose.

Welcome to the world of writers, publishers, and agents. Lots of unpleasant character turn out to be a great source of hilarity, and a few who don't recognize their value gain insight and confidence by working together to solve a real murder. Parts of the story seemed a little too "insider" to me, but the well-done investigation, and the witty and Laugh Your Sox Off lines really did it for me. Hope the author polishes things up and makes this a series!
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof on NetGalley Reader PDF from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 17, 2025 #Lotsoffun #England
#ANovelMurder by #ECNevin @aaknopf @pantheonbooks @vintagebooks @anchor.books #NetGalley #CozyCrime #KillerLinesCrimeFestival #Whodunit #BookishMystery #newseries #booksaboutbooks #mysteryauthors #friends #investigation #amateursleuths #murder #witty

Thank you for the opportunity on reading an early copy of a novel murder. It was a slow burn for me in the beginning but about 20% in it really picked up for me. I really enjoyed the plot . Definitely recommend

First thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. I was not a huge fan of this storyline and it seems to drag on a bit, and veer back and forth between all the suspects a bit too much for me. First it is one person, wait then it is another person, and on and on. Overall, it was just ok and I didn't connect to the main character as much as I thought I would.