Hi! My name is Jennifer Dawson, although everyone calls me Jen unless I owe them money or they’re mad at me. I’m a mystery writer currently mired in the quicksand of writer’s block, and the second book in my Davenport Twins Mysteries series is two deadlines past due. An unimpressive follow up to the smash hit first book, which landed me in this pickle in the first place. I’m a walking, talking example of the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for…”

It all started when my long-time boyfriend threw me over for a job in Paris. I sank into a deep depression and my writing brain took a vacation to Tahiti. I moved back to my tiny hometown of Riddleton, South Carolina, hoping to jump start my creativity again, but my battery is still dead. So, here I am writing my life story for this blog, instead of working on my novel. Any distraction will do.

Until recently, I spent most of my days sitting at my favorite table by the window in the local bookstore, Ravenous Readers, downing cup after cup of my friend Aletha Cunningham’s free coffee and staring at the flashing cursor on my laptop screen. When I wasn’t staring at bookstore barista, Russell Jeffcoat, whose liquid mahogany eyes and wavy brown hair have taken up permanent residence in my mind. Not to mention the impish grin that could melt an Arctic glacier in January.

Then two detectives showed up at my door one Sunday morning to tell me Aletha had died under questionable circumstances, and I was considered a suspect. And to make things worse, one of the detectives was my ex-boyfriend from high school, who hated me for refusing to marry him after graduation. His partner gleefully showed me the evidence that, in her mind, proved I’d been there when Aletha died. I have no idea why she seemed so set on pinning Aletha’s murder on me, but there’s no way I can count on the two of them to help me clear my name. That would be like hiring a dog to deliver for Uber Eats.

However, I have my best friend since kindergarten on my team and some new friends too. I’ve recently taken up running with a local group that includes a cop and the local diner owner slash CEO of the Riddleton rumor mill. And, of course, there’s Russell. Together, we’re going to do whatever’s necessary to bring the real killer to justice.

Care to come along for the ride?

Murder at the Bookstore, A Bookstore Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: January 2023
Format: Print and Digital
Purchase Link

She can write the perfect murder mystery… But can she solve one in real life?

Meet Jen Dawson, mystery writer, coffee lover, and amateur detective?

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?

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Lauren Elliott and Ellery Adams, this is an absolutely gripping new bookish cozy crime series that will have you hooked from the very first page.

Meet the author
Sue Minix is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert with her furry best friend.

All comments are welcomed.