A Novel Murder: A Mystery

by E. C. Nevin

Overview

Welcome to the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival, the place for star writers of the genre to meet their adoring fans. But be careful—this year the murders aren’t just on the page.

In the quaint English town of Hoslewit, the biggest names in crime writing have congregated to celebrate all things bookish and murderous. Author Jane Hepburn is determined to make her time at the Killer Lines festival worthwhile. This is her chance to change her fortunes and make her fictional Private Detective Baker a household name. And if she has to resort to sneaking into the book tent after hours to rearrange some books so hers are front and center, so be it. 

But when Jane encounters the dead body of renowned (and reviled) literary agent Carrie Marks, the festival takes on a decidedly different tone. Joined by Carrie's newest client, debut novelist Natasha Martez, and the agency's hapless intern, Daniel Thurston, Jane decides to put her fictional sleuthing skills to use in the real world—she's going to solve the murder. But the list of suspects is long: seemingly everyone at the festival has a motive to kill Carrie, and the more Jane and her new friends investigate, the closer they come to a dangerous truth—one that’s stranger than fiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593803011
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/17/2025
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

E. C. NEVIN is a pseudonym for an ex–publishing professional. E.C. worked for large trade publishers focusing on crime/thriller publishing and established brands.

Editorial Reviews

"The pseudonymous Nevin, a former publishing professional, has written a fun, tongue-in-cheek debut that spoofs the publishing industry and social media’s impact (BookTok, anyone?). . . . Jane is a delight. Readers will root for the lonely sleuth as she makes new friends and develops joyful self-confidence. . . . An appealing cozy star is born." —Kirkus Review

"With its cozy bookish setting and mystery-writer protagonist, this will be a hit with fans of Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood." —Library Journal

"E.C. Nevin transports readers to a lethal literary festival in, A Novel Murder. . . . E.C. Nevin is a pseudonym for a former publishing professional who worked with crime novels and thrillers. That knowledge shapes A Novel Murder, where every character is connected to the literary industry in some way. Nevin threads humor throughout the novel, too, creating a winning combination in this debut cozy mystery." —BookPage

"An entertaining whodunit centered on 40- something mystery author Jane Hepburn. . . . With a well-rounded list of suspects and [a] lovably awed heroine. Cozy fans will hope this is the start of a new series." —Publishers Weekly

"A fun and well plotted murder mystery with a hugely engaging author amateur sleuth, Jane Hepburn. A great debut by E. C Nevin." —C. L. Miller, USA Today bestselling author of The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder.

"Wickedly funny modern cosy with so many twists you'll get whiplash." —Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

“With a sympathetic protagonist and a cast of suitably obnoxious suspects, E.C. Nevin's eviscerating portrait of modern publishing is couched within an immensely readable mystery. Rarely will the industry feel so seen. A wicked, wicked book.” —Vaseem Khan, author of The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

From the Publisher

2025-04-19
A middling English mystery writer turns eager sleuth after discovering the body of her literary agent at a crime fiction festival.

Propelled by the recent death of her mother, 42-year-old Jane Hepburn, the shy and awkward 6-foot-tall author of six excellent, if not exactly bestselling, PI Sandra Baker novels, is finally attending the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival in the Cumbrian village of Hoslewit. She hopes to track down her agent and editor, who have not replied to her emails for two months, and to “network her socks off” with the famous crime writers who flock there every year. “These next few days will be the making of her, she has afeeling.” Little does Jane realize how much her life will change when she sneaks into the book tent during the off-hours to rearrange the displays to highlight her books. There she finds the body of her agent, the much-feared Carrie Marks, stabbed to death with a large dagger. Dismissed by DI Ramos when she suggests that a book may have been the motive for the murder, a dispirited Jane decides to return home until she runs into Carrie’s 22-year-old intern, Daniel Thurston. A fan of her books, Daniel convinces Jane that she, like her fictional sleuth, could solve the crime. If she succeeds, Jane might revive her writing career. The pseudonymous Nevin, a former publishing professional, has written a fun, tongue-in-cheek debut that spoofs the publishing industry and social media’s impact (BookTok, anyone?). Although the secondary characters are thinly drawn, Jane is a delight. Readers will root for the lonely sleuth as she makes new friends and develops joyful self-confidence. In some ways, her character arc is more interesting than the mystery’s resolution.

An appealing cozy star is born.

Kirkus Reviews