Booked for murder

Nelson debuts with an anemic cozy centered on Georgia bookstore owner Madeline Brimley. After her acting career stalls because she's "too old for the ingenue, too young for character parts," Madeline returns to her hometown of Enigma, Ga., to run her late aunt Rose's bookshop. The Old Juniper Bookstore, located in Rose's mansion, provides Madeline with welcome direction until someone sets fire to the gazebo in the backyard. Not long afterward, an anonymous caller tells Madeline to "clear out" or risk being burned to death along with the rest of the mansion. Madeline ignores the threat, but the caller appears to make good, setting the Old Juniper ablaze; in the aftermath, Madeline uncovers the corpse of a friend who's been stabbed to death inside the house. The police first suspect the killer was going after Madeline, but soon rumors spread that she herself might be to blame. Unfortunately, Nelson fails to make Madeline a convincing sleuth, and he wraps things up with a groan-worthy deus ex machina. It's a letdown. (Dec.)

Madeline Brimley fled Enigma, GA, for college and the theater world when she was 17. Almost 20 years later, she returns home when her beloved Aunt Rose dies and leaves her the Victorian home that houses the Old Juniper Bookstore. The gazebo in the backyard is set on fire 15 minutes after Madeline's arrival, she receives a threatening phone call, and she already wants to pack up and leave again, but the bookstore's healthy sales figures and a college student who loved Aunt Rose encourage her to stay. Then there's a fire in the bookstore and a murder, and Madeline decides to sell and move on. That's when she learns she has to live in the house for six months in order to inherit. Mistrustful of the small-town police force, Madeline joins forces with her aunt's best friend, Dr. Philomena Waldrop, and Enigma's new Episcopal priest, Gloria Coleman, to find the culprit. Both women might soon regret teaming up with Madeline, whose rash actions and accusations cause more trouble. VERDICT This atmospheric mystery from a pseudonymous novelist, actor, dramatist, and professor will appeal to readers who enjoy Southern or bookstore settings, quirky characters, and beautiful, descriptive writing.--Lesa Holstine