Book Summary and Reviews of A Novel Murder by E. C. Nevin

A Novel Murder by E. C. Nevin

A Novel Murder

A Mystery

by E. C. Nevin

  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Published:
  • Jun 2025, 368 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Welcome to the Killer Lines Crime Fiction Festival, the place for star writers of the genre to meet their adoring fans. But be careful—this year the murders aren't just on the page.

In the quaint English town of Hoslewit, the biggest names in crime writing have congregated to celebrate all things bookish and murderous. Author Jane Hepburn is determined to make her time at the Killer Lines festival worthwhile. This is her chance to change her fortunes and make her fictional Detective Baker a household name. And if she has to resort to sneaking into the book tent after hours to rearrange some books so hers are front and center, so be it.

But when Jane encounters the dead body of renowned (and reviled) literary agent Carrie Marks, the festival takes on a decidedly different tone. Joined by Carrie's newest client, debut novelist Natasha Martez, and the agency's hapless intern, Daniel Thurston, Jane decides to put her fictional sleuthing skills to use in the real world—she's going to solve the murder. But the list of suspects is long: seemingly everyone at the festival has a motive to kill Carrie, and the more Jane and her new friends investigate, the closer they come to a dangerous truth—one that's stranger than fiction.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"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." —Publishers Weekly

"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." —Kirkus Reviews

"With its cozy bookish setting and mystery-writer protagonist, this will be a hit with fans of Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood." —Library Journal

"E.C. Nevin transports readers to a lethal literary festival in, A Novel Murder... . E.C. Nevin is a pseudonym for a former publishing professional who worked with crime novels and thrillers. That knowledge shapes A Novel Murder, where every character is connected to the literary industry in some way. Nevin threads humor throughout the novel, too, creating a winning combination in this debut cozy mystery." —BookPage

"A fun and well plotted murder mystery with a hugely engaging author amateur sleuth, Jane Hepburn. A great debut by E. C Nevin." —C. L. Miller, USA Today bestselling author of The Antique Hunter's Guide To Murder

"Wickedly funny modern cosy with so many twists you'll get whiplash." —Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

This information about A Novel Murder was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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More Information

E. C Nevin. is a pseudonym for an ex–publishing professional. E.C. worked for large trade publishers focusing on crime/thriller publishing and established brands.

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