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A review by the_joyful_book_club
Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I am oddly in love with this book cover. Part of the reason I was hopeful to even read this one early was because I just liked the cover, and obviously, the description appealed to me as well. I am not remotely disappointed in my decision to go all in just because I liked the cover!
This story starts with Madeline arriving back in her hometown of Enigma, Georgia. She surprisingly inherits the home and book store her Aunt Rose owned before she passed away and is entirely unsure what to even do. The lights don't work, there's no food in the home, and Madeline doesn't even own a cell phone to call anyone. Not that she has many people she could call anyway. And then there's that pesky gazebo fire.
But within a day, help arrives in the form of Dr. Philomena Waldrop, a close friend of Rose's. And soon, Gloria, the new reverend in town is there to help too.
Generally speaking, I enjoyed this book. We don't get to know the characters on a very deep level, and there were several times when I was frustrated with our main character, Madeline. As she's investigating this fire and murder, she takes many people at face value on her first time meeting them. With her history of being an actor, you'd assume that she knows people can easily act like something they're not. It also felt a little odd that she's immediately running and investigating so deeply when she doesn't have a history with that, isn't in that career field, doesn't even seem to have an interest in mysteries on any level, and hasn't been in town for many years.
While this book is considered a "cozy mystery", it definitely felt more thrilling and suspenseful than I had expected. You have several mysteries going on, plus other secrets that come pouring out. I thought it was a unique take on an unreliable narrator since we have several characters sharing theories and suspicions; some accurate and some very inaccurate.
If you enjoy small towns with secrets, atmospheric southern charm, and whodunit with a cat, you'll definitely enjoy this one!
This story starts with Madeline arriving back in her hometown of Enigma, Georgia. She surprisingly inherits the home and book store her Aunt Rose owned before she passed away and is entirely unsure what to even do. The lights don't work, there's no food in the home, and Madeline doesn't even own a cell phone to call anyone. Not that she has many people she could call anyway. And then there's that pesky gazebo fire.
But within a day, help arrives in the form of Dr. Philomena Waldrop, a close friend of Rose's. And soon, Gloria, the new reverend in town is there to help too.
Generally speaking, I enjoyed this book. We don't get to know the characters on a very deep level, and there were several times when I was frustrated with our main character, Madeline. As she's investigating this fire and murder, she takes many people at face value on her first time meeting them. With her history of being an actor, you'd assume that she knows people can easily act like something they're not. It also felt a little odd that she's immediately running and investigating so deeply when she doesn't have a history with that, isn't in that career field, doesn't even seem to have an interest in mysteries on any level, and hasn't been in town for many years.
While this book is considered a "cozy mystery", it definitely felt more thrilling and suspenseful than I had expected. You have several mysteries going on, plus other secrets that come pouring out. I thought it was a unique take on an unreliable narrator since we have several characters sharing theories and suspicions; some accurate and some very inaccurate.
If you enjoy small towns with secrets, atmospheric southern charm, and whodunit with a cat, you'll definitely enjoy this one!