Wonderful crime stories with a good pinch of humour.

"Sentenced to Murder" has a thrilling main story, from which many little story arms come off and make it a wonderful work of art. The story is coherent and although there are several characters in the book, they didn't overwhelm me. I was also fascinated by how you are led through the story and how everything slowly takes shape. At the beginning I thought - "well, how is she supposed to find out anything without much to go on?" But the story unfolded step by step and afterwards you have a complete overview. Reading and puzzling along was great fun!

For me, it was the first book by Sue Minix, and the first one I read in a language other than my mother tongue. But the story was easy to understand and yet with deep and warm-hearted characters. I was almost sad when I finished reading it!

In any case, it made me want to read more from Sue Minix!

***

Herrliche Krimigeschichte mit einer guten Prise Humor.

"Sentenced to Murder" enthält eine spannende Hauptgeschichte, von der viele kleine Story-Ärmchen abgehen und sie zu einem wundervollem Gesamtkunstwerk machen. Die Story ist schlüssig und obwohl es einige Personen im Buch gibt, haben sie mich nicht überfordert. Auch wie man durch die Geschichte geführt wird und wie alles langsam Formen annimmt hat mich fasziniert. Am Anfang hab ich gedacht - "na, wie soll sie da ohne große Anhaltspunkte etwas herausfinden?" Aber Schritt für Schritt hat sich die Geschichte entsponnen und nachher hat man vollen Durchblick. Das hat richtig Spaß gemacht!

Für mich war es das erste Buch von Sue Minix, und das erste, das ich nicht in meiner Muttersprache lese. Aber die Geschichte war einfach zu verstehen und trotzdem mit tiefgründigen und warmherzigen Charakteren versehen, dass ich fast schon traurig war, als ich sie ausgelesen hatte. 

In jedem Fall hat sie mit Lust auf mehr Lesestoff vom Sue Minix gemacht!

Jen's a mystery writer who also has a bookstore and.....an ability to solve murders. This time out, she's trying to help Jaylon, who insists he didn't do it. And there's a time element to the quest because Jaylon needs a kidney transplant, a transplant he won't get unless he's cleared. At the same time, Jen's balancing her friends, her boyfriend, her dog, and the rest of life. Will this cold case solve her writer's block as well? No spoilers. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is the latest in a series but it's going to be fine as a standalone (although fans will be happy to be back in Riddleton).

Sentenced to Murder is the fifh book in The Bookstore Mystery series written by Sue Minix.

Eventhough this book is part of the series it can be read as a stand alone, and this being my first book from this series I had absolutely no problem getting into the story and familiarizing with the characters. All references from the previous installment were explained very clearly.

However, I would really appreciate if NetGalley could provide information about number of the book in the series, when the books are featured, because although I make it a point to research this fact I still miss it sometimes.
I will definitely go and read this series from the beginning.

I love that main character, her job as a writer, I like that she is smart, careful and thoughtful. I did find mentions of some of the daily habits a bit repetitious, the story held my attention and it flowed nicely.
The mystery is fairly and realistically presented and the ending was satisfactorily wrapped up.

Sentenced to Murder by Sue Minix the 5th instalment in the "A Bookstore Mystery" series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to book 6!

She’s written murder mysteries before, but can she solve this real life cold case?

I really enjoyed visiting Riddleton again and Ravenous Reads Bookstore. The main cast of characters Charlie, Lacey, Eric, and I love Savannah the German shepherd and all her antics. Jen is trying to navigate having a partner in the bookstore and what that entails as well as, write 2 more books in a year along with proving Jaylon is not a killer!

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I did guess whodunnit but that did not distract from the story.

I recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends!

I requested and received an advanced readers copy from Harper Collins/Avon and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Culinary Cozy Mystery that features a mystery author and South Carolina bookstore owner who turns sleuth to clear a man who claims he’s been wrongly convicted for murder.

5/5 stars: Minix's a favorite author and this newest book doesn't disappoint. This is the fifth entry in Minix's Bookstore Mystery series, which is a Literary Cozy Mystery that takes place is South Carolina and features a mystery author and bookstore owner. With plenty of twists and turns, Minix has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Minix's writing and character work is stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a joy catching up with Jen, the staff of Ravenous Readers (especially Charlie, who's eccentric wardrobe is always a surprise) and the townsfolk of Riddleton. And it's great to see Jen's relationship with her detective boyfriend, Eric continue to grow. Oh, and one must never forget Savannah, Jen's adorable German Shepherd. Additionally, I appreciate seeing Jen's struggles with writer's block and her process in writing her mystery series... the Davenport Twins are the best. It's all so very meta and fun. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Murder at the Bookstore.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK, Avon in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This is book 5 in the Bookstore Mystery series. Jen Dawson has been asked by Marcus to prove a man's innocence. The man needs a kidney transplant but the donor will not do the surgery with the man being a convicted murderer. Jen is dealing with alot with someone buying out local businesses and trying to writing her next book. The cozy is well written with a great cast of characters. Good solid mystery. Thanks #Netgalley and #AvonBooksUK for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of SENTENCED TO MURDER (Book 5 of the Bookstore Mystery series) by Sue Minix in exchange for an honest review. Marcus asks Jen Dawson to prove one of his convicted inmate friends is innocent. Jaylon Barnes, Marcus’ friend, will die without a kidney transplant, but the identified match will not donate to a murderer. During this time, Jen is also struggling with writing her next book. Also, someone is trying to buy out local businesses and is targeting the bookstore. Jen would refuse the offer, but she now has partners in the bookstore, so the decision is no longer hers alone.

I enjoyed this book and like the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring authors, writing, bookstores, hometowns, canine fur babies.

pet-dog, cold-case, convicted, kidney-failure, verbal-humor, friends, writers, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, coffee-shop, bookseller, amateur-sleuth, investigation, suspense, South Carolina, local-law-enforcement, small-town, small-business, wrongful-conviction, police-detectives, siblings, jewelry-heist, missing-persons*****

A new cold case sparks interest in an old skeleton.
She needed something interesting to do to cure her writers' block and a friend suggested that she re-investigate an older case in which the prisoner was convicted on circumstantial evidence and said he was innocent. It needed speedy work as he was in severe need of a transplant but was denied it because he was a convicted murderer. Let the investigations begin! Along the way she is threatened, has a B&E at the shop, and finds the dead body of a gypsy fortune teller who had tried to warn her.
The characters are all so real and the plot is smooth with interesting red herrings and a few dramatic twists. Good read! Pub Date May 23 2024
I requested and received an EARC from Avon Books UK/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you

The setting and the FMC of this book is what I love to read about, a small town, a writer who loves coffee who owns a bookshop and tries to solve real life mysteries. Jen and her dog's routines provided me a sense of comfort which I always look for in cozy mysteries and also her lunches/dinners with Eric. He is such a sweetheart and I want to be like Eric.
Coming to the mystery, Jen is looking into a case where a guy is sentenced to lifetime in jail for killing his own brother and he is going to die soon if he doesn't get a kidney transplant. Jen thinks he didn't commit the crime and is trying to solve the mystery.
I think she is a good detective/sleuth, she gets a lot of help from her detective boyfriend and her employee Charlie, she does the major work though. But what didnt sit right with me was she could figure out many things that didn't make sense or far fetched because she says 'there's nothing as coincidence when it comes to murder' but couldn't see what was right in front of her, I know she is amateur but still you can see who's lying blatantly and not calling for help when its really needed seemed foolish to me since did I mention this? Her boyfriend is a detective??? she could just drop a message to him before entering a possible danger place where there would be no network. So these things didn't make any sense to me, but in general the mystery was good even though I figured out most of it before Jen.
I would still read the next books in the series because I loved the town and the people and to see if Jen learns from her experiences and does a better job next time.

Interesting cold case solving. The mystery kept me guessing and I like the characters and the setting.

Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a fun small town murder mystery.
You'd think in a town where everyone knows everything there'd be no mystery, but that also means that no one wants to talk.
Our FMC, Jen, is a writer and bookstore owner (goals, girl lol), but suddenly gets swept into this case of wrongful conviction that gets more complicated the more she digs into it.

At times I felt the cast of characters was too big, that there were a few characters that were in so few scenes that I didn't think they really added much substance to the story. Overall, it was a fun read. I think this falls into the "cozy-mystery" genre. It's not a super high stakes, action packed thriller - it has some action and some tense moments, but it's definitely more a fun, cozy vibe.

It's one of those mysteries that you take all the legal/police work with a grain of salt. As they say, it's not like it is on TV - it's definitely not like it is in this book.

Unfortunately, I did not solve the mystery until it was revealed haha. I felt like I had a few pieces of the puzzle, but not the whole story! There were some unexpected twists that really kept me going!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5s3OnjrtiM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Jen is an author, bookstore co-owner, dog mamma, girlfriend to Eric, and amateur detective. In book five of the series, Jen is very much feeling the pressure of being pulled in multiple directions, often racing against the clock. As an author she has a deadline looming that she isn’t sure she can meet. As an amateur detective, she has set out to prove the innocence of an incarcerated man who desperately needs his conviction overturned to receive a kidney transplant to save his life.

Will she solve the case in time? Will local law enforcement take her seriously? Will she be able to manage the bookstore cordially and effectively with her new partner? Will she manage to meet her deadlines to save her writing career? Yes, she will, with grit and a bit of adventure along the way.

I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans who enjoy realistic characters who struggle like many of us do from time to time to balance a chaotic life. The pacing of the book is spot on. The story is well plotted, and the characters are well-developed. It has equal parts cozy elements and mystery.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I love suspense writing - and it was this pacing that made me want to keep turning the pages to see where it was going…..
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the first book I have read in this series, and I am going to check out the earlier books. I enjoyed the central mystery and the supporting characters. As with many cozies, I found the MC to be annoying at times. She owns a bookstore, but rarely works there. She is a mystery writer, but rarely works on her latest story. There are quite a few TSTL moments as well. I also find it hard to believe that her detective boyfriend would allow her to question potential suspects, with his blessing.

Jen is under pressure; she committed to her publisher to write two more books in her series by the end of the year and it's nearly spring is just around the corner. And she is still trying to get used to having a partner in "her" bookstore. Now she is asked to prove a young man in prison for murder is innocent and there isn't much time as he is dying and needs a transplant which the donor won't give while he is in prison. There isn't much evidence at all, let alone to prove his innocence. Then when it seems she is onto something, someone tries very hard to stop Jen; by running her car off the road seeming to want to kill her.

This book is part of a series. I recommend reading the whole series before reading so you know what’s going on. Great primary and secondary characters. Enjoyable cozy mystery.

"Sentenced to Murder (the Bookstore Mystery #5)" by Sue Minix was a bit cold case, modern case and a bit Valentine's Day. Jen, a murder mystery author and bookstore owner, is procrastinating her writers block by getting involved in figuring out the true mystery behind the disappearance of an inmate who was, possibly wrongfully, convicted of murdering his brother. This unravels into more and more unsolved cases needing to be solved. Are they connected? They just might be.

I had a couple of theories about the different mysteries going on. I had a little bit right in each of my theories. All I'll say is that was one messed up family.

Jen writes mysteries for a living. But when Jaylon insists he’s no murderer, Jen decides to put her writing skills to the test and try to find out who the real murderer is. It’s a race against time as Jaylon is in dire need of a kidney transplant, which won’t happen if he ends up in prison. It’s a race against the clock and a murderer, but is it one Jen can win?

This was an enjoyable read and I enjoyed the folks in Riddleton. The mystery was rather well done and i recommend this book to any mystery lover!

Sentenced to Murder is the 5th book in the Bookish mysteries. Jen agrees to help a man she believes was wrongly convicted of murder and she needs to act quickly as he needs a kidney transplant to save his life. This book had a nice pace, great characters, plentiful red herrings, a little romance, and a cute dog named Savannah. I was hooked from page one and read this in one sitting. Well done!