Murder at the Bookstore
by Sue Minix
ISBN 9780008584634
Avon Books UK, Avon
Jen Dawson always wanted to be a writer. Her first mystery novel, featuring twins Dana and Daniel was a big hit and she got a contract for the sequel. But her long-term boyfriend broke up with her and writer’s block moved in, so she opted for a fresh start back in her small hometown. There she discovers a new bookstore/coffee shop and spends a lot of time there waiting for the ideas to arrive. She befriends the owner, Aletha, and they become close, so Jen is devastated when Aletha is killed in an explosion on her husband’s sailboat. She is shocked when the police, in the form of a high school boyfriend and his police partner, show up at her apartment one Sunday morning, saying she and Tim, Aletha’s husband, are under suspicion. They are working on the assumption that he killed his wife and she helped. Jen decides that it’s in her best interests to do some sleuthing on her own. She doesn’t really believe Tim killed Aletha. When she starts to collect clues, she is pretty much ignored, so she investigates even more.
This was a great read. I could relate to Jen and her struggles to gain confidence in herself and to stop beating herself up. There were times I wanted to shake her and ask why she was making the choices she was making, but then I remembered my 20s. In that context, it was very believable. I found the group of quirky cozy characters delightful. One of the things I love most about cozies is the group of quirky people in them. The mystery was well plotted and kept my interest from beginning to end. The ending was well done and the ‘why’ the culprit did what they did was unexpected and interesting.
This is the first in a new cozy mystery series and I am delighted to have gotten into it from the beginning. I will definitely be looking out for more!
I downloaded a free copy of this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I thank them, the author, and the publisher.
12 comments:
Enjoyed this book too
I will read on in the series whenever the next one comes out.🙂
I used to read a lot of cozy's but haven't the last few years. I hope to change that in "23.
It's unusual to see the name Aletha! I had a boyfriend years ago whose name was Jeff Soltwedel. His sister was Aletha and she was my twin brother's girlfriend :)
What a cool story from your past! It's true--I don't think I've seen Aletha in a book before.
I had a bunch of cozy series that I would read when we were in the US, mostly book, craft, and food related. I knew when they'd come out each year and request them from the library. But when we moved here, they weren't available anymore. Every once in a while I had a hankering for one and sometimes I found one, but once they expanded the online offerings it was easier. Now I seem to find them on NetGalley, which is cool.
Hopefully 23 will bring us plenty of good reading!
Library or bookstore in the title… I enjoy
You and me both! Those words will definitely make me click to find out more!😆
This does sound good. I'm adding this name to my reading wishlist. Thanks for sharing.
Always happy to share the reading love :-)
I am definitely going to add this to my reading list. I love books like this one. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday- Hugs-Diana
When I saw the title, I had to request it! :-)
Fun. I'm checking to see if our library has it.
One of the things I enjoyed about the book was Jen's personal growth and moments of self-discovery.
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