A Novel Murder by E. C. Nevin ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

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.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

June 2025; Knopf; 978-0593803004
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); cozy mystery

A Novel Murder is E. C. Nevin's debut novel. The name is a pseudonym, and the Goodreads bio just says Nevin is an ex-publishing professional. So whether this is truly a first novel, I don't know.

I liked the premise of the novel. Crime fiction writers are at a conference with other publishing people (editors and agents), and when a true crime happens, they all put on their favorite detective hat and try to discover who the murderer is.

There were some fun moments in the novel. As part of the festival, there is an escape room (it's a jail) and a role-playing murder mystery lunch. I really liked these scenes. 

Unfortunately, I never really connected with the characters. I really tried to. I'm usually all about the underdog, and Jane Hepburn is definitely an underdog. We are introduced to her as she is attempting to gain entry into the festival. Apparently, her registration was "lost". Then she runs into her agent's assistant, who will be taking on certain clients to get experience. Their interaction clearly indicates that Jane is on the verge of losing representation. There isn't anything in particular I didn't like, but she also wasn't very memorable.

I thought the plot was a little slow. It just didn't really hold my attention. I think I might be burning out on cozy mysteries - I have read a ton in the past couple of years. 

I looked over a few other reviews, and it is a mixed bag. Some people absolutely loved it, and some were more like me and just lukewarm.

There is nothing indicating that this is the start of a series. There is some room with the ending that makes a series a possibility, but it also works really well as a standalone novel. So many cozy mysteries are part of a series that it is nice to have a decent option for those wanting a standalone novel.

Buy A Novel Murder at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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