Murder's the Word

The Bookstore Mystery #7

by Sue Minix

Mystery writer, coffee lover, and amateur detective…Jen Dawson is in the case!

Jen is leaving her sleuthing days behind her. She’s got a bookstore to run, and a crime novel to finish – she’s just got to figure out the final twist, and then she’ll be able to focus full time on bringing sales back to the dwindling store.

But retiring is easier written than done, and Jen is thrown into the midst of yet another murder investigation when the local high school Principal is murdered. The beloved local vet is accused almost immediately by the town police, but Jen knows he couldn’t have done it. It’s up to Jen to find the real killer before they can strike again, all whilst keeping the bookstore afloat.

Can she crack the case before the killer strikes again?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2026

Reviews

[boogleloo]

5/5 stars: This is Minix's seventh entry in Bookstore Mystery series which is a Literary Cozy Mystery set in South Carolina. Featuring a mystery author and bookstore owner as she finds herself turning sleuth after the local high school principal's killed in what's supposed to look like a hunting accident and the beloved local veterinarian almost immediately becomes the police's main suspect. Knowing he's innocent she's determined to track down the clues and find other suspects in order to clear his name, despite juggling her personal life, struggling to finish her third book before it's deadline and drumming up sales for her store. When a friend and his two daughters go missing while camping in the same area the principal dies in, she fears the two events might be connected. She'll have to work fast to save the threesome and stop the killer before it's too late.

With plenty of twists and turns, Minix has masterfully a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Witty and tons of fun, Minix's writing and character work are stellar; the main characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable with a secondary cast that are well crafted and uniquely voiced.

• For animal lovers: MC has an adorable German Shepherd and sweet rescue kitten.
• Includes the MC's writing journey.

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. Minix's a favorite author and I'm so glad to see this new entry; highly recommend!

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

[Leanne]

Murder’s the Word is exactly the kind of cozy mystery that feels like slipping back into a favourite armchair — comforting, lightly mischievous, and threaded with just enough danger to keep the pages turning. Sue Minix brings us back to Jen, the crime‑writing bookstore owner who keeps promising herself she’s done with amateur sleuthing… and who absolutely cannot resist a real‑life puzzle when it lands on her doorstep.

The murder of the local high school Principal sends a quiet ripple of shock through the town, but it’s the naming of the beloved vet as the prime suspect that truly unsettles everything. Jen’s certainty in his innocence gives the story its heartbeat, pulling her back into the world she swears she’s leaving behind. There’s something wonderfully charming about watching her juggle fictional murder plots while stumbling into a very real one.

Minix keeps the tone light but never flimsy, balancing small‑town warmth with the steady tightening of clues and motives. The pacing has that cosy‑mystery ease — brisk chapters, gentle humour, and a heroine who solves crimes with intuition, stubbornness, and a writer’s eye for the details everyone else overlooks.

A charming, page‑turning addition to the series, perfect for readers who love bookish sleuths, small‑town secrets, and mysteries that feel like spending time with old friends — with a body or two thrown in for good measure.

With thanks to Sue Minix, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Jalissa Mooney]

Jen is busy trying to finish her current novel that could go in two different ways. But she’s also busy trying to find a house to move in to with her boyfriend, Eric. The problem, Jen has trust issues and can’t decide on a place or convince herself that Eric is truly here for the long run. Things get strange when Eric is called into work to help investigate the death of Alan Goldfarb. While Alan was out on a hunting trip with Quincy Felton, the local veterinarian, they had an incident and Quincy accidentally shot Alan. However, Ingrid, the local ME, finds evidence that Alan was in fact murdered.
Soon, things get even stranger when Ingrid’s boyfriend, Marcus, and his two young daughters go missing after a camping trip. No one can get ahold of them and when they find Marcus’s car on the side of a road, burned with a body in the front seat, the worst is assumed. In the beginning the police suspect the body is Marcus but DNA tells them something else.
Police begin searching for Marcus and his two daughters. The woods are wide and deep but Jen comes upon all three of them in an empty cabin, injured, but alive. Then she comes face to face with the real killer/mastermind. Rachel Goldfarb was having an affair and conned her partner into helping her kill her husband, Alan. Things go sideways when her partner, Hank, kidnapped Marcus and his daughters to get their car, so Rachel had to kill him as well. Jen manages to disarm Rachel in time for the police to find them.
In the end, Jen realizes her own emotional trust problems and wants to work on them. She and Eric decide on a house to purchase and move in together. I think it’s good for her to acknowledge her own trust issues and want to work on them. In the long run it will be very beneficial. I think she’ll have a healthier live and healthier relationships.

[Tracy Wood]

Life is getting a bit serious for bookshop owner, Jen Dawson. She is struggling with her next book, has become mum to a white kitten, and has been looking at houses with boyfriend and local detective, Eric O'Malley, so they can move in together! What she isn't doing is investigating anything remotely criminal any longer! So, when she hears of the death of a school principal she is saddened but resolute - until she learns who the main suspect is and suddenly she's back in the thick of things! Then another body is discovered and everything becomes far more serious and it's a race against time to find out who's responsible.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Avon Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. It's been two years since the 6th book in this series was released and I'm delighted to see there'll be two new titles released before the end of the year. This is fast paced and tense at times but the humour is still there, and the scene in Jen's kitchen is brilliant. There were a couple of stretches to reality but I was so happy to be back in Riddelton that it didn't really spoil anything.

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits)]

I just have to point out the when I started reading this I had no idea this was book 7 in ‘The Bookstore Mystery’ series but it didn’t at all change anything for me. I read it without a problem but now that I know this exciting little world of characters has more books I’m going to have to go back and read them all.

I instantly loved Jen. She was so easy to connect with. She’s a bookshop owner and a mystery writer who also happens to dabble in sleuthing. She likes solving mysteries, likes being there to help so when the local school principal turns up dead and a local well known and loved vet is facing murder charges, Jen just can’t help but get involved.

When taken on a path of discovery, Jen uncovers many things a long the way that end up being very helpful. It’s been so fun going on this journey with her.

We’re given many twists and turns and it’s so exciting, especially that ending because wow, wtf?

This author did a brilliant job at keeping this book catchy and light. It’s a cosy small town with plenty of humour and mysteries. It’s fun, addictive and utterly fantastic! I can’t wait to read more.

[Helen Arrand]

Murder’s the Word by Sue Minix
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is book 7 in The Bookstore Mystery series, and even though you will get the most from the book if you have read the previous 6 books the mystery is a standalone. Personally I’ve read all 7 books in the last month 😂 as I love a good mystery series.

This is a small town murder mystery book, with a good balance of small town goings-on and murder mystery investigating. I feel like Jen is growing as a person and the change is for the good even if she is still making some slightly dodgy decisions. I love Savannah and Casper 🐶😺I feel a book is always better if there’s a dog in it, and in this case, a cat too.

As a British person I love some of the words and phrases Ingrid comes out with, and her having to explain them to Jen and the gang.
I’m looking forward to reading more book in the series.

I received a gifted ARC of this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books.
This is my honest review.

[Joanie Hinton]

Bookstore owner and author, Jen, is trying to write her next book, without much luck, and figure out why she keeps hesitating about finding a house with her boyfriend, police detective Eric. Then her friend, Ingrid tells her that her boyfriend, Marcus, and his two young daughters are missing after a weekend camping trip. When Marcus' burned out car is found with a body of a man inside is found full panic starts. The girls are no where to be found. And the High School principal was found shot dead in what appears to be an accident. But the more Jen looks into everything they seem to be connected, especially when the body in the car is proven not to be Marcus...
(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy)

[LittleRead]

Poor Jen, all she wants to do is run her bookshop and write her next book. But life has other plans, as it usually does. When the local high school principal is murdered, Jen finds herself looking into yet another murder in her hometown. Can she solve the murder before she becomes the next victim?

This is a great series. I’ve read several and missed a few and still followed along just fine. So if you are worried about this not working as a stand alone, I don’t see it as being a problem. It is a solid and enjoyable read.

[M.W. Arnold]

My first encounter with Jen and here menagerie. This is a deceptive cosy mystery type story, in that it is cosy, yet with a more serious side to the story too. I don't know if this is normal for these books, but I'm intrigued enough to find out more. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the reading copy.

[Ali]

This was a pretty straightforward cozy mystery. This is book 7 but the first one I read so I was at a bit of a disadvantage. I would still suggest this to cozy mystery lovers but maybe start from book one.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy

[Emy]

With a novel to finish writing, Jen is struggling to find an ending to it. A murder at the local school then makes her realise the its not that easy to retire.
This was a cozy easy to read mystery that had enough clues and interesting characters to keep the reader engaged.

[Joyce Burk]

Bookstore Mystery

This mystery has many unbelievable plots. The bookstore writer Jen appears to do more police work than even all the local detectives. I also found it hard to believe she was as bad as cook as she was

[Karen Stallman]

Murder’s the Word by Sue Minix the 6 instalment in the "A Bookstore Mystery" series. I enjoyed this book and look forward to book 7!

I really enjoyed visiting Riddleton again and Ravenous Reads Bookstore. I like the main cast of characters Jen, Charlie, Lacey, Eric, Ingrid and of Savannah the German shepherd. Jen is trying to navigate having writers block and looking for a house with Eric and her commitment issues.

In this instalment the high school principal is murdered and then Marcus, and his two young daughters go missing after a weekend camping trip! Now Jen has to investigate right, she can’t just sit idly by why her friend is missing…

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

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