Review - Murder at the Bookstore

This is a brand new series for me.  A bookstore setting and a writer who is the sleuth, what's not to like?

Author: Sue Minix

Copyright: January 2023 (Berkley) 331 pgs

Series: 1st in The Bookstore Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Woman amateur sleuth

Main Characters: Jennifer Marie Dawson, mystery author with writer's block

Setting: Modern day, fictional town of Riddleton, South Carolina 

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "She can write the perfect murder mystery… But can she solve one in real life?

Meet Jen Dawson, mystery writer, coffee lover, and amateur detective?

Crime writer Jen returns to her small hometown with a bestselling book behind her and a bad case of writer’s block. Finding sanctuary in the local bookstore, with an endless supply of coffee, Jen waits impatiently for inspiration to strike.

But when the owner of the bookstore dies suddenly in mysterious circumstances, Jen has a real-life murder to solve.

The stakes are suddenly higher when evidence places Jen at the scene of the crime and the reading of the will names her as the new owner of the bookstore …

Can she crack the case and clear her name, before the killer strikes again?" 

My thoughts: Jen Dawson was a difficult character for me.  She was scattered in her investigation, shifting focus seemingly willy-nilly without a clear reason. She also approached sleuthing in a manner that left every single person angry at her because she had no subtlety and even engaged in some really risky behavior. Add to that, there were moments where she acted like a teenager smitten with a boy.  This character was the biggest drawback to my enjoying the book.  

Her former boyfriend seemed tedious.  Her librarian best friend, Brittany Dunlop, was sadly forgettable and a librarian stereotype.   Sometimes the dialog was stiff.  I know this all sounds off-putting, but overall the mystery was average, just okay.  I did see who the killer was even though there were a few suspects.  The cover has a beautiful white cat, but there isn't a cat in the story.  The title suggests the murder took place in the bookstore, but it was in a boat on a lake.  I may give the second in the series a try to see if the author gets her stride-depending on my TBR pile.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Join my author newsletter, get a recipe booklet for subscribing: Click Here 

Rating: Good - an average read with a few flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.