Carol Early Cooney

Dear Fellow Reader,

It has finally happened. I waited so long to write a book review that I forgot what the book was about. Granted, this has almost happened before but usually, when I read the description on Amazon, I remember the book.

This is not a reflection of the book. Well, I suppose it is a bit but I finished the book around the first of June and I have read a lot since then. It was bound to happen. I get books in advance of their publication and I have been concentrating on reading the book when I should concentrate on reading and writing the review. First off, sitting down to write the review is always a hurdle for me. I am always torn when the book doesn’t come out for six months after I have read it, should I tell you about the book when I read it or when it comes out? Yes, I could write the review and save it for publication of the book. WHICH IS WHAT I SHOULD DO. I will try to do this in the future.

So, I re-read the book last night and early this morning. I did remember at some point “Who done it’ but I was enjoying it and there were parts I didn’t remember so I read the whole book. I suppose the fact that I re-read the book so quickly will tell you two things. First of all, I read fast. (Credit to my mother who sent me to speed reading class before my freshman year of high school.) The other thing to note is that this is a cozy mystery around 330 pages long and it does read quickly.

Booked for Murder takes place in the small Georgia town of Enigma. (Which is a real town.) Madeline Brimley has returned to Enigma because her Aunt Rose has died, and left her a bookshop. The bookshop is located in a house where Rose worked and lived. Growing up, all Madeline wanted to do was get out of Enigma and be an actress like her Aunt Rose. She left when she was 17, went to college, then to New York, and then to Atlanta. Her parents had died years before and while she talked to her Aunt Rose regularly, she had not been back. She is confused as to why Aunt Rose left her the bookstore and is not sure at all that she wants to be there. Very soon after walking into the house, she smells burning junipers. The gazebo at the back of the house is on fire. She calls the Fire Department, and they come and tell her it is arson and imply that she is the likely source of the fire. This doesn’t sit well. After the fire is out and the fire department leaves, the phone rings and a male voice tells her that she has to leave or the next fire will be in the house with her in it.

Early the next morning, Dr. Philomena Waldrop, her aunt’s best friend and the woman who also seemed like an aunt to her arrives at the bookshop. She tells Philomena what has happened and feels a great sense of relief that Philomena is there. That day she starts meeting some of the bookshop regulars, which include students from Barnsley College. Barnsley College is located in Enigma and Philomena is the head of the psychology department. One student who makes her presence known, in the best possible way, is Tandy Fletcher. Everyone loves Tandy. It seems that Aunt Ruth did too as Tandy helped her in the store and would occasionally sleep over at the house/bookstore. Officer Billy Sanders also comes to see Madeline because of the fire. It turns out that she used to babysit for Officer Sanders. She doesn’t tell him about the call but she does tell him in no uncertain terms that she did not start the fire and he believes her.

The next day, she receives another threatening phone call. She doesn’t tell Officer Sanders about either call. That night, Tandy asks to stay the night. Madeline wakes up during the night because she smells smoke. She runs downstairs and finds the front door of the house on fire and Tandy dead on the floor. Tandy has been stabbed.

Who would kill this girl everyone says is the nicest person on earth? Did they really mean to kill Madeline? And why is someone so upset about Madeline and the bookstore?

In trying to puzzle this out, Philomena decides that they need the help of Gloria Coleman. Madeline is a bit mystified as to who Gloria Coleman is and why they need her help. Gloria Coleman is the relatively new pastor of the Episcopalian Church in Enigma. She has been receiving phone threats also.

Is it the same person?

I enjoyed the book – both times. It is has character development and several plot twists. Also, there is another mystery with the book. The author of the book is P.J. Nelson.

“PJ NELSON is the pseudonym of an award-winning actor, dramatist, professor, and novelist (among other many other professions) who has done just about everything except run a bookstore. He lives in Decatur, Georgia.”

So… who is P.J. Nelson?

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and in case you think I forgot – I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.