Sue Minix

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… (mais)

verbal-humor, writers, suspense, South-Carolina, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, inheritance, friendship, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, bookseller, coffee-shop, family****

Jen inherited the bookstore with coffee shop but is also a mystery writer having writer's block and trying to work on book 3 of her series while trying to stay afloat financially. This is her hometown and she has a lot of good friends who also give her the business about her habit of being an amateur sleuth for real and getting into danger, like now when the victim is a rival bookseller. The characters are all so real and the plot is smooth with interesting red herrings and a few dramatic twists. Good read!
I requested and received an EARC from Avon Books UK/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you… (mais)

South Carolina, bookseller, coffee-shop, local-law-enforcement, writers, friends, friendship, friction, frustration, suspense, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, family, twins, puppy, verbal-humor, inheritance, tunnel****

The real body was at the dumpster of her shop and had her name on a scrap of paper in his pocket.
Jen inherited the bookstore with coffee shop but is also a mystery writer working on book 3 of series. This is her hometown and she has a lot of good friends who also give her the business about her habit of being an amateur sleuth for real and getting into danger. The characters are engaging and the plot runs smoothly. I really enjoyed it.
I requested and received an EARC from Avon Books UK/Avon via NetGalley. Thank you… (mais)

The Murderous Type by Sue Minx is not what I expected. I struggled to get through this story. The author could not have made it more obvious that the chief of police was going to die (did anyone like this man). Jen, who should be working on her second novel, is ready to dive into the investigation. In a cozy mystery, you expect the amateur sleuth to investigate (it is a given). I did not expect the police to let Jennifer Dawson have such an active role (it seemed like she was the detective, and they were her subordinates). I cannot imagine the police letting a civilian get involved in a dangerous aspect of the case (they seemed to be begging Jen for help). Jen goes over the suspects multiple times (it was repetitive). The mystery can be solved before the reveal. I do find that Jen plays fast and loose with her safety. I believe part of my dislike of the series is Jen. I find her annoying. She is a writer whose first book was a hit. People are anxious for the second book. Unfortunately, Jen has writer’s block. Jen is tired of people asking her when her next book will be out (she can be quite snarky about it—in her head). You would think she would be happy that people bought her book, enjoyed it, and want more (this woman needs a reality check). I like the name of her bookstore, Ravenous Readers. I did not like that Jen does not pay her staff properly and that they are okay with it (in what world would this happen). Jen’s new dog, Savannah, is a sweetie. He is a growing puppy. The author perfectly captured how a dog sniffs every little thing on a walk (every lamp post, mailbox, rock, pile of limbs). While I liked small snippets of the story, I did not enjoy the majority of it. The Murderous Type is the second A Bookstore Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. While The Murderous Type was not my cup of tea, I suggest you download a sample so you can judge it for yourself. The Murderous Type is lighthearted cozy with a cutthroat race, a fundraising dinner, a poisoned chief, a sniff happy puppy, and a probing bookseller.… (mais)