10/21/2024
Nelson debuts with an anemic cozy centered on Georgia bookstore owner Madeline Brimley. After her acting career stalls because she’s “too old for the ingenue, too young for character parts,” Madeline returns to her hometown of Enigma, Ga., to run her late aunt Rose’s bookshop. The Old Juniper Bookstore, located in Rose’s mansion, provides Madeline with welcome direction until someone sets fire to the gazebo in the backyard. Not long afterward, an anonymous caller tells Madeline to “clear out” or risk being burned to death along with the rest of the mansion. Madeline ignores the threat, but the caller appears to make good, setting the Old Juniper ablaze; in the aftermath, Madeline uncovers the corpse of a friend who’s been stabbed to death inside the house. The police first suspect the killer was going after Madeline, but soon rumors spread that she herself might be to blame. Unfortunately, Nelson fails to make Madeline a convincing sleuth, and he wraps things up with a groan-worthy deus ex machina. It’s a letdown. (Dec.)
"Booked for Murder goes down like honey-drizzled cornbread chased with sweet tea. College kids, a grande dame, and a quirky Episcopalian priest help our out-of-her-depth, but not out-of-the-fight sleuth take on a peach basket full of suspects." —Julia Spencer-Fleming
"A wonderfully rich narrative that ricochets between the past and the present, reminding us just how complex life can be." —firstCLUE
"P.J.Nelson’s Booked for Murder is like slipping beneath a cherished comforter filled with memories and emotions. What could be better than a small-town bookstore—with a black cat and a hint of lingering ghosts in the village of Enigma, Georgia. Madeline Brimley has inherited her aunt’s bookstore and home and a passion for theater. But the inheritance comes with more than Madeline bargained for. Nelson draws you into the story with terrific writing, unique characters, spot-on descriptions—and arson. Nelson knows how to spin a tale and hooked me with the first paragraph. Highly recommended." —Carolyn Haines, USA Today bestselling author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series
"Atmospheric... will appeal to readers who enjoy Southern or bookstore settings, quirky characters, and beautiful, descriptive writing." —Library Journal (starred)
"This wonderful debut seamlessly blends Southern charm, cozy mystery and a touch of suspense." —The Summerville Journal Scene
"An intelligent blend of Dixie cozy and Southern noir, the author delivers the unexpected." —Richmond Times Dispatch on Booked for Murder
★ 10/01/2024
Madeline Brimley fled Enigma, GA, for college and the theater world when she was 17. Almost 20 years later, she returns home when her beloved Aunt Rose dies and leaves her the Victorian home that houses the Old Juniper Bookstore. The gazebo in the backyard is set on fire 15 minutes after Madeline's arrival, she receives a threatening phone call, and she already wants to pack up and leave again, but the bookstore's healthy sales figures and a college student who loved Aunt Rose encourage her to stay. Then there's a fire in the bookstore and a murder, and Madeline decides to sell and move on. That's when she learns she has to live in the house for six months in order to inherit. Mistrustful of the small-town police force, Madeline joins forces with her aunt's best friend, Dr. Philomena Waldrop, and Enigma's new Episcopal priest, Gloria Coleman, to find the culprit. Both women might soon regret teaming up with Madeline, whose rash actions and accusations cause more trouble. VERDICT This atmospheric mystery from a pseudonymous novelist, actor, dramatist, and professor will appeal to readers who enjoy Southern or bookstore settings, quirky characters, and beautiful, descriptive writing.—Lesa Holstine
2024-10-11
An actress learns about life, herself, and homicide when she inherits a bookshop.
When Madeline Brimley was growing up in Enigma, Georgia, she spent less time with her parents than with her late aunt Rose, once Rose retired from the Broadway stage, moved home, and opened the Old Juniper Bookshop. Now, the house and bookshop feel like a lifeline to Madeline, whose own career as an actor in Atlanta has stalled—until, just after she returns to her aunt’s Victorian mansion for the first time since she inherited it, she spots the backyard gazebo in flames. Capt. Jordon of the fire department says it was arson and seems to suspect Madeline; then Madeline gets a threatening call on her aunt’s landline telling her to clear out. It’s not much of a welcome, but things improve when Rose’s best friend, Dr. Philomena Waldrop of nearby Barnsley College, arrives on the scene. Then, Tandy Fletcher, a Barnsley student who used to help Rose, offers to work in the shop for free because she enjoys it; soon, after a tiff with her roommate, she asks to stay with Madeline overnight, and cooks a fantastic meal. But the threatening calls keep coming, the shop is set on fire, and Madeline finds Tandy stabbed to death. Furious and upset, Madeline decides to investigate with help from Gloria Coleman, an Episcopal priest who’s had fire troubles of her own. She finds out that Tandy’s roommate is in love with chem major and meth cooker Bo Whitaker, who claims to have been in love with Tandy. In addition, Madeline is suspicious of a property speculator who wants to buy her place and the church to build an outlet mall. Though she keeps changing her mind about who’s guilty, she won’t quit until she ascertains whodunit.
Plenty of suspects with varied motives provide a knotty puzzle for a conflicted heroine.
As many listeners have observed, murderers, like readers, are drawn to bookstore settings. In this cozy mystery set in the small town of Enigma, Georgia, listeners learn about a vicious murder in the bookstore recently inherited by an actress named Madeline, niece of the former owner. Narrator Hallie Bee Bard does an outstanding job of portraying the accent, tone, and tempo of Southern voices to bring these characters to life. While Madeline is the most amateur of amateur detectives--she makes snap decisions and is usually wrong in her analysis of clues--she is diverting, and the plot moves along. The audiobook has witty repartee and humor, some clever and some cornball. This is the beginning of a new series revolving around the bookstore. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
