Murder’s the Word is exactly the kind of cozy mystery that feels like slipping back into a favourite armchair — comforting, lightly mischievous, and threaded with just enough danger to keep the pages turning. Sue Minix brings us back to Jen, the crime‑writing bookstore owner who keeps promising herself she’s done with amateur sleuthing… and who absolutely cannot resist a real‑life puzzle when it lands on her doorstep.

The murder of the local high school Principal sends a quiet ripple of shock through the town, but it’s the naming of the beloved vet as the prime suspect that truly unsettles everything. Jen’s certainty in his innocence gives the story its heartbeat, pulling her back into the world she swears she’s leaving behind. There’s something wonderfully charming about watching her juggle fictional murder plots while stumbling into a very real one.

Minix keeps the tone light but never flimsy, balancing small‑town warmth with the steady tightening of clues and motives. The pacing has that cosy‑mystery ease — brisk chapters, gentle humour, and a heroine who solves crimes with intuition, stubbornness, and a writer’s eye for the details everyone else overlooks.

A charming, page‑turning addition to the series, perfect for readers who love bookish sleuths, small‑town secrets, and mysteries that feel like spending time with old friends — with a body or two thrown in for good measure.

With thanks to Sue Minix, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Bookstore owner and author, Jen, is trying to write her next book, without much luck, and figure out why she keeps hesitating about finding a house with her boyfriend, police detective Eric. Then her friend, Ingrid tells her that her boyfriend, Marcus, and his two young daughters are missing after a weekend camping trip. When Marcus' burned out car is found with a body of a man inside is found full panic starts. The girls are no where to be found. And the High School principal was found shot dead in what appears to be an accident. But the more Jen looks into everything they seem to be connected, especially when the body in the car is proven not to be Marcus...

Number 7 in the series but read fine as a stand alone. Jen is caught up in a murder and subsequent disappearance. She is dating Eric a detective also working on the case. Alongside trying to solve the case she owns a book store and is writing a detective novel. Her dog and new kitten feature and there is quite a lot of reference to food preferences. The story is pacy and keeps you engaged.