A Murderous Plot is the 6th Bookstore cozy by Sue Minix. Released 29th Aug 2024 by HarperCollins on their Avon Books imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an undemanding and fun series for fans of small town shopfront cozies. Crime novelist Jen is drawn into real-life sleuthing yet again when another violent death occurs in Riverton. It seems -everyone- is conspiring to keep her from finishing her newest book. The usual pool of small-town-oddball characters are present, there's skullduggery and hidden motives to be unearthed, and there's also some romance.

Some of the characterizations and plot developments are admittedly a bit over the top and there are some twists which require a healthy suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's a pretty good example of why the shopfront cozy subgenre is so popular. Although it works well enough as a standalone, readers who choose to read them out of order should be prepared for some spoilers and developments from earlier books in the series.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours and 52 minutes and is read by series narrator Rebecca LaChance. She has an interesting and nuanced voice. She enunciates very well and although her voice is youthful (she's young), it doesn't detract from the read at all. The sound and production quality of the recording were high throughout.

Four stars. This would be a good light read for fans of cozies. It would be perfectly safe for work/commute reading. The series is developing well, and it'll be interesting to see what comes next for Jen and co.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

“When an amnesiac man covered in blood mysteriously appears in the woods during her morning run, retired amateur sleuth, Jen, promises to stay away from the case. She has a murder mystery to write, and absolutely no interest in being involved in another case with the Riddleton police force. She just wants to run her bookshop, and write her next book, in peace.”
I want to go to Ravenous Reads, meet Jen and her friends, maybe avoid the murders but a great story.

"A Murderous Plot (The Bookstore Mystery #6)" by Sue Minix is fairly standalone, however probably would be better if you had read the previous books in the series. This one relies a little more on knowing the past between Jen and a couple of the characters. In particular, Detective Havermyer and Jen work out some of their differences. I do think Jen may be pushing her luck with her boyfriend in this one though. I got frustrated at her lack of sense a few times.

It's ramping up to the town Halloween party and stores are getting ready for a decorating contest. Jen and crew included. People are still a bit annoyed with the guy who is wanting to really open the town to tourists with his resort as well. Then, while about to do their usual weekend run, a man shows up not remembering who or where he is. Things just stumble into more trouble from there. Then the resort owner turns up dead in Detective Havermyer's car.

Jen decides to try to help the detective, at her boyfriend's request. Sort of. Jen is really quite lucky she isn't arrested, or worse, with the way she goes about investigating. In the end everything works out and now I think she'll need to do some serious decision making in the next book about her own personal future. If not, it's all getting dragged out a bit much for my liking.

I wanted to sit and read this book only. Forget the housework, dinner and all that! Book six but can easily be read as a standalone. A wonderful cozy. Great characters, good story and moves smoothly along. Thanks #Netgalley and #AvonBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

A mirderous Plot by Sue Minix
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I enjoyed this book.
I liked the thought of it before I even started it.
With a nosy bookstore owner set in a little town. I thought I would give it a go.
It delivered and more.

It had a good plot and sets the scenes nicely.
There are twists throughout and along with liking the characters and the background story. The twists keep you from putting it down.

Even though this is in a series. You don’t have to have read the other books to enjoy this one.

Perfect for an Autumn cosy read.

A Murderous Plot (The Bookstore Mystery, #6) by Sue Minix opens with a man covered in blood, stumbling towards the running track where Jen and Eric are running. The man doesn't know who he is or what happened to him. After the unknown man is rushed to the hospital, Eric and the Riddleton Police Department start their investigation, and of course, Jen sticks her nose into it as she wants to find out who the mystery man is and what happened.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for this book as Sue Minix has become one of my favorite authors.

This latest installment was intriguing. I had trouble putting it down because I had no idea who the murderer could be and thought there had to be more than one. There were lots of motives! Sue Minix definitely had me stumped on this book.

With that being said, I felt like the ending was a little rushed, which was the reason I gave A Murderous Plot (The Bookstore Mystery, #6) four out of five stars. I also wanted a bit more interaction between Jen and Detective Havermayer. With that being said, I was extremely happy to find out why the detective hates Jen so much!

Jen Dawson, mystery writer and bookstore owner, lives in the cosy town of Riddleton with her cute dog Savannah. She is no stranger to solving real life mysteries when she comes across a very confused and concussed man in the local park and a body is found in a police officer’s car of millionaire, Simeon Kirby. Jen knows the police have accused the wrong person and sets out to find the truth.

This book is one to snuggle down with as summer changes to Autumn. I really loved the cosy feel that this book gave me and the town of Riddleton sounded a bit like Cabot Cove with activity centering around the local diner and bookstore. I think the fact that Jen is a mystery writer and part owner of a bookstore will appeal to many readers. It certainly added another layer to the story for me.

There was plenty of action with Jen our sleuth leading the investigation and putting herself and her friends at the centre of danger in the process. I did think that we revisited a couple of the scenes Jen had already investigated where action could have taken place at other venues. The opening had me invested in the story and I really must praise the writer for introducing us to the murder in a different way. I think that as there are regular characters in the novel and previous events are discussed, this series is best read from the beginning.

As a side note one character was British and kept saying luv all the time in almost every sentence which is not really true to life. This is a very minor point and overall, this novel was on a par with the Teagarden mysteries and others. It could be turned into a nice TV series.

I enjoyed this book, although the middle does slow down. The killer thing is overly complex to my taste. I love the end.
#AMurderousPlot #NetGalley

Part of a lovely series. Jen, runs a book shop and writes books. She tries to keep her nose out of police business but the amateur sleuth in can’t help butting in. Twist and turns till the end

This is the sixth book in a series set in a small town in South Carolina with the main character, Jen Dawson, being a mystery writer and co-owner of the towns bookshop. Jen’s character is nicely developed and her relationships with her boisterous and affectionate dog, Savannah, her police Detective partner, Eric O’Malley, her friends and neighbours gives the feeling of community spirit.

The story begins with Jen, Savannah and Eric encountering a confused and injured male with amnesia. The immediate mysteries are who is he and whose blood does he have on him. Things escalate quickly with a body being discovered in the boot of Detective Havermayer’s car with other evidence pointing to her as the prime suspect. Jen and Havermayer have never got on with Havermayer previously making life difficult for Jan and getting her arrested. The tables aren’t now turned and there is an interesting dynamic in the story as the basis for their relationship subtly changes.

Overall, this story has good pace throughout with some interesting plot twists. I enjoyed this book more than the previous ones as the characters come over as more rounded and interesting.

This was an easy pleasant going cosy mystery with sufficient pace and twists to keep the reader engaged throughout There are lots of likeable characters, which is was great to catch up with again and of course the star of the show Savannah the dog. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A blurb-free decision to add this book to my collection, based solely on the cover. It is a bit of a fantasy of mine: a quaint little book shop with flowers outside, a bucket of chrysanthemums, some pumpkins, a cat and a Victorian lamp post, wrapped up in a bookish title...how could I not?

Deep down I realised that the story would probably be a cosy crime, but I'm okay with that now and again. Disappointed to see that despite the Victorian scene the book is set in the United States, but I needn't have worried. The language is free from the American thriller buzzwords and definitely has an English charm to it. The pace is slow like a rural market town should be, plenty of time taken over breakfast, too. So far, so good.

This is part of a series featuring a bookshop owner and writer of mysteries, with a part-time hobby of solving crime. It helps that her partner is a police officer so that she can get some insider benefits although she is not technically allowed into crime scenes. Works well as a standalone. This story opens when the couple are taking part in a morning run and an injured man falls into their path. There is a bad head injury and a complete loss of memory. Oh yes, and a dead man who has been threatening the bookshop owner for years so he can develop the area. The suspects are not the correct ones so the bookish amateur detective is forced into action once more despite the protests from the police.

A pleasant, fun and easy read with likeable characters, a starring role for a very lovable dog and an Agatha Christie feel to it. I also enjoyed the interesting insight into running a bookshop. Short enough to pick up another book from the collection.

Jen is committed to finishing her book, but it seems life has other plans. When her nemesis is found dead, and a police officer accused of the murder, Jen breaks the promise to herself and step in to help clear the officers name before the killer can strike again. Is Jen is going to miss her deadline once and for all?

I adore this series. I love Jen as our female protagonist and the mysteries are so well planned out and written that they truly keep you engaged throughout the book. It really doesn’t get much better than this and this is one of the best entries in this series. And they’ve all been good.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Book 6 in the series, these cosy crime books hit JUST the right spot to curl up on a sofa, on a rainy Sunday with a cup of coffee and just lose yourself between the pages, I loved the teasers for possible future books also, love me an Easter egg!!
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But this is truly a series you don’t want to miss, my heart swells with this genre of book, and I will always find myself coming back for a cuddle of a cosy crime
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

A nice addition to a series that will also be fine as a standalone. Jen has writer's block (grr) and so, when she's out on a walk with her boyfriend Eric, a detective, and they discover an man covered in blood who seems to have lost his memory- well, of course she must investigate. And then her nemesis Havermyer becomes the prime suspect in a murder and she's off. This has a nicely twisty mystery. good atmospherics (a bookstore), and fun characters (including Savannah the dog). Thanks to Netgalley for the aRC. A good read for cozy fans.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A MURDEROUS PLOT (Book 6 of the Bookstore mystery series) by Sue Minix in exchange for an honest review. As Halloween approaches, Jen and her boyfriend Eric, a local detective, admire the holiday decorations as they and doggie companion, Savannah, walk to the park to meet with their running group. However, they haven’t even finished with their pre-run stretches when a zombie-like figure shambles from the wood. It’s a relief that the man isn’t actually undead, but it’s still worrisome because he’s suffered a head injury, is covered in blood, has no identification or phone, and has no memory of any events before he woke up in the woods. Is the man a victim, or did the man’s victim retaliate and escape? Jen is itching to dig into the investigation; after all, anything is preferable to actually facing her anxiety, sitting down, and writing her next book!

I liked this book as well as the others in the series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring bookstores, authors, writer’s block, amateur sleuths, and doggy sidekicks.

A cozy murder mystery that kept me guessing til the end. Love the characters and love how it was written.

This is the sixth book in the series and whilst I have not read all of the previous ones, it did not deter significantly from my enjoyment of the story.
Jen is now a successful published author but is struggling to complete her the draft of her next book. So when her and her cop boyfriend find a man covered in blood with no memory of what happened, it becomes a good diversion to her writers block.
This was an easy flowing cosy mystery with sufficient pace and twists to keep the reader engaged throughout. The ending for me seemed a little untidy but that may be the hooks for the next story. Overall a good summer read.

Jen gets involved in another murder investigation when her nemesis, detective Havermyer, is arrested for murder. Jen knows Havermyer has been set up and puts herself in danger while trying to clear Havermyers name. This was a well plotted, fast paced, very twisty mystery, that kept me up reading late into the night. I couldn't sleep until I found out whodunit!