Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix

 Murder at the Bookstore

Book Summary

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 is suffering from writer’s block.  She spends her days in Ravenous Readers, a bookstore owned by Jen’s friend, Althea Cunningham, hoping inspiration will strike.  Jen is trying to write the sequel to Double Trouble, a mystery involving twin teenage sleuths.  Jen is shocked when she receives the news that Althea is dead.  The death is ruled suspicious, and Jen finds herself on the suspect list.  An item of Jen’s is found at the crime scene.  Jen is told to keep her nose out of the investigation, but she has no intention of heeding that advice.  Can Jen reveal the killer before she finds herself composing her next novel in prison?

Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix is the debut of The Bookstore Mysteries.  Murder at the Bookstore was a letdown.  I was a not a fan of Jen Dawson.  She is twenty-eight going on sixteen.  The story is told in the first person, so we are subjected to all of Jen’s thoughts especially about Russell, the barista at the bookstore.  She goes on and on about his physical features (reminds me of a teenager with their first crush).  I wish Jen was more likeable and relatable.  I found her to be self-absorbed.  The characters were lacking development.  There were general details on Jen especially regarding her recently failed romance (I got tired of hearing about it).  The whodunit can be solved before the victim is killed.  The author did everything but hire a skywriter (I could envision a giant neon arrow with the word killer pointing at the guilty party).  The why for the crime is no mystery.  Jen asks questions in her quest to identify the killer.  She has all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop.  Jen makes bad decisions and puts herself at risk several times.  The reveal is long-winded.  All the details are revealed.  I did like Jen’s best friend, Brittany Dunlop.  She is a true friend.  Murder at the Bookstore is a small-town whodunit with a creative roadblock, a dead friend, a becoming barista, rope trouble, a misplaced pen, a blink bind, and ravenous readers.  

Murder at the Bookstore is available from Amazon*.  I suggest you download a sample so you can judge this new cozy mystery for yourself.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will return on Tuesday, January 24 with Together for the Twins by Laurel Blount.  It is a cute story.  I hope that you have a relaxing weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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