BOOKED FOR MURDER
by P.J. NELSON
Biscuits, Gravy, Romance, and a Dead Body? It’s Cozy Murder—Southern Style
Actress Madeline Brimley is called home to Enigma, Georgia. Partly to sort out her life, and partly to claim an inheritance left to her by her favorite aunt, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. She’s at a crossroads and no longer certain of what she wants to do with her life. Acting no longer seems a viable option, but neither does running the Old Juniper Bookstore, her aunt’s store that is now hers. But what inheriting the business does do is provide a chance for Madeline to ‘set a spell’ and reconnect with old friends and an easy-peasy lifestyle. It also provides enough income for her to not to be pushed into making a bad decision. So she settles back, ready to enjoy the welcome break when an anonymous caller throws everything out of kilter. Before Madeline knows it, the raspy voice on the other end of the line threatens to burn the bookstore down with her in it if she doesn’t leave the town she was just getting reacquainted with. It isn’t long before the calls she hoped were a prank prove themselves genuine. And as promised, both arson and homicide are delivered, but with one major difference—the murder victim isn’t her.
Thus begins the very clever, very entertaining BOOKED FOR MURDER by P.J. Nelson. This was my first-time reading this author, and I’m finding there’s a lot to love! There’s a real richness to the writing, a texture that is likened to many of the dishes served up in this mystery. Coincidence? I think not! It’s entirely purposeful as is the touch of nostalgia running throughout the storyline. One of the smartest moves the author made was to allow Brimley space to “reconnect” with the past. Totally a great idea and one that leaves the door open for all sorts of discarded hopes, dreams, and romance to make their way into the present. But it doesn’t end there because there’s lots more to get excited about.
Like what? How about a solid plot that compels you to keep following the breadcrumbs. Then there’s the ‘twisteroonis’ (my newly-invented word for violent twists in a narrative) that keep us guessing as to the identity of the mastermind behind all the mayhem. Then there are the characters themselves. Okay, I definitely nominate the hot handyman as my favorite, but that’s just how I roll. And since we’re up to discussing characters, it’s here where things start getting tricky. Why? Because characters that run afoul of the law have to be nice enough for we readers to care about, but devious enough to have committed murder and arson. They also need to be suspicious, but not suspicious enough for them to fail the sniff test the first-time around. The author nails this and more which leaves us guessing right up to the end.
So if you love cozy mysteries, Shakespearean quotes, and hot handymen (I know! I know! I’ll stop obsessing!), and a plot that is more like a jambalaya than a burger and fries, this might be for you. I’m giving this FIVE STARS and a mint julep to grow on!
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