A novel murder A mystery

Nevin (a pseudonym for former Hodder and Stoughton editorial director Eve Hall) debuts with an entertaining whodunit centered on 40-something mystery author Jane Hepburn. Jane has avoided the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival in the English village of Hoslewit for as long as she can remember, scared to mix with her professional peers. This year, though, she's decided to attend in support of her underperforming PI Sandra Baker series. When she sneaks into the book tent in the wee hours with plans to rearrange the display and place her own books front and center, Jane discovers the dead body of hard-charging literary agent Carrie Marks. With the assistance of Carrie's new star client, the unassuming but hugely popular Natasha Martez, and Carrie's struggling intern, Daniel, Jane takes it upon herself to figure out who hated Carrie enough to kill her. The only problem? Plenty of people did. Nevin's premise, while clever, trods familiar ground, but she elevates it with a well-rounded list of suspects and her lovably flawed heroine. Cozy fans will hope this is the start of a new series. Agent: Hannah Todd, Janklow & Nesbit U.K. (June)

A middling English mystery writer turns eager sleuth after discovering the body of her literary agent at a crime fiction festival. Propelled by the recent death of her mother, 42-year-old Jane Hepburn, the shy and awkward 6-foot-tall author of six excellent, if not exactly bestselling, PI Sandra Baker novels, is finally attending the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival in the Cumbrian village of Hoslewit. She hopes to track down her agent and editor, who have not replied to her emails for two months, and to "network her socks off" with the famous crime writers who flock there every year. "These next few days will be the making of her, she has afeeling." Little does Jane realize how much her life will change when she sneaks into the book tent during the off-hours to rearrange the displays to highlight her books. There she finds the body of her agent, the much-feared Carrie Marks, stabbed to death with a large dagger. Dismissed by DI Ramos when she suggests that a book may have been the motive for the murder, a dispirited Jane decides to return home until she runs into Carrie's 22-year-old intern, Daniel Thurston. A fan of her books, Daniel convinces Jane that she, like her fictional sleuth, could solve the crime. If she succeeds, Jane might revive her writing career. The pseudonymous Nevin, a former publishing professional, has written a fun, tongue-in-cheek debut that spoofs the publishing industry and social media's impact (BookTok, anyone?). Although the secondary characters are thinly drawn, Jane is a delight. Readers will root for the lonely sleuth as she makes new friends and develops joyful self-confidence. In some ways, her character arc is more interesting than the mystery's resolution. An appealing cozy star is born. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.