Hi, everyone! My name is Jennifer Dawson, but my friends all call me Jen. I’m a mystery writer currently working on the third book of my Davenport Twins Mystery series. A couple of years ago, I rode my hobby horse back to my tiny hometown of Riddleton, South Carolina, because I had a rip-roaring case of writer’s block, writing the second book in the series.

This little town suffocated me growing up. The gossip train was the only form of public transportation, and my personal business always seemed to have a front seat. But since I’ve been back home, Riddleton has really grown on me. I’ve made some new friends and live in an apartment across the hall from my best friend Brittany—who adopted me in kindergarten and hasn’t left my side since—picked up a new hobby and inherited a bookstore when the owner died unexpectedly. If it weren’t for all the murders I’ve been stuck in the middle of, life would be pretty good.

Now I’m struggling to keep the bookstore afloat but, lucky for me, I have my new friends Lacey and Charlie to help me. Lacey is a mid-thirties, married mother of two who knows everything there is to know about running a bookstore. Charlie is a computer geek and our barista-in-chief who dresses as if every day is Halloween. I don’t know where I’d be without them, and I sure don’t want to find out.

I have to say, though, the best addition to my new life is my boyfriend, Eric. We were friends for a long time, and he’s the one who convinced me to join the Riddleton Runners—the group he started, which meets every Saturday morning. He said it would help with my writer’s block and it surprised the heck out of me when he turned out to be right.

Eric’s a rookie detective with the Riddleton Police Department, partnered up with Detective Havermayer, who detests me more than finding a wrinkle in her overly starched blouse. A sticky spot for him to be in, but he manages pretty well. Which is good for all of us because I’d hate for his relationship with me to interfere with his career.

The most interesting addition to my family, though, is my German shepherd Savannah. When I almost drowned in the Savannah River a while back, the lady who found me gave me a puppy to keep me out of trouble. It didn’t work, of course. Trouble seems to find me wherever I go. But Savannah’s antics bring pure joy to my life in a way I’ve never had before.

Life in Riddleton is pleasantly mundane these days. Downright boring if you want to know the truth. Unless you count the explosion that killed my friend and got me a bookstore I had no idea how to run, or the poisoning that killed the Chief of Police, or the dead body propped against the back door of the store. Not to mention Detective Havermayer praying she could find enough evidence to put me away for any one of the above. Yup. Downright boring.

So, the next time you’re in South Carolina making the trip from Blackburn to Sutton, stop by and say Hi. We have comfy chairs, and Charlie will put on a fresh pot of coffee!

A Cover for Murder, A Bookstore Mystery Book #5
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: January 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

She loved writing the perfect murder mystery, but she never wanted to be written into one . . .

Just as Jen gets to work on her next book, the owner of the town’s rival bookstore is found murdered and suspicions turn to Jen. Time is ticking for Jen to both clear her name and write her new book before the store closes forever.

But what will strike Jen first? Inspiration…or the killer?

Fans of Agatha Christie, Lauren Elliott and Ellery Adams will be hooked by this Christmas bookish cozy mystery, which will leave you guessing right up until the final page.

About the author
Sue Minix is the author of the Bookstore Mystery Series. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, watching old movies, or hiking the New Mexico desert with her furry best friend.