In this atmospheric southern cozy debut, Madeline Brimley returns to the bookstore she inherited, discovering that small towns hold deadly secrets. Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she’s left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn’t leave immediately.
Dru’s Short Musing:
Madeline’s arrival at the bookstore she inherited is marred when the gazebo is set on fire, thus setting the stage for mischief and mayhem in this new debut series.
This drama had all the elements I like in a cozy mystery, a heroine, a villain, an eclectic cast of characters, a small-town atmosphere and suspects, clues and secrets just waiting to be uncovered. The author did a great job in presenting this tale with visually descriptive narrative, engaging dialogue and enough suspense to keep me intrigued throughout. There were a few twists that I did not see coming that enhanced my reading pleasure. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in this delightfully appealing series.
Series Name: Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: December 10, 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.