A Killer Plot by E. C. Nevin review – An excellent follow-up
A wholesome and satisfying mystery
A Killer Plot by E. C. Nevin: Key details
- Publish date: 11 June 2026
- Genre: Cosy crime
- Publisher: Zaffre
- Available formats: Hardback, audio and ebook
- Series/standalone: Book 2 in the Jane Hepburn Mysteries series
- Length: 320 pages
Blurb: Little-known and even lesser-read author, Jane Hepburn, is still recovering from solving the vicious murder at the Killer Lines crime-writing festival when she is dragged into another very bookish murder.
Arriving in London for her friend Natasha’s book launch, she thinks the only thing that could go wrong this time is getting lost on the Tube. But when Jane unexpectedly finds a body in the storage room of a famous Cecil Court bookshop, the celebrations immediately come to a halt. Worse, Jane is now a suspect and Natasha’s career is in jeopardy.
From cosy bookshops and famous publishing houses to slightly more seedy locations, questions are being asked and dark secrets will be revealed. It’s up to Jane and her friends to use their literary sleuthing skills to solve the mystery before the bodies pile up.
The killer has been plotting, and Jane’s name could be next on their list . . .
A Killer Plot by E. C. Nevin: The review
I’ve been so excited to revisit Jane Hepburn and her friends after loving Nevin’s debut, A Novel Murder, last year. Jane is a down-on-her-luck author whose books just aren’t selling. And, for the second time in just a few months, she finds herself discovering a dead body. While the first book was set at the fictional crime fiction festival, Killer Lines, this time the action starts on Cecil Court, the famous bookshop street in London.
It doesn’t take long to get moving, and within a matter of pages there’s already a dead body, with Jane and her pals Natasha and Daniel again ready to sleuth over the clues. The literary theme shines through once more, this time showing more of the darker side of publishing, which is seriously interesting.
The real draw for me is Jane herself – a character I absolutely adored in A Novel Murder. If I’m being honest, her quirky personality doesn’t quite shine through the same here, but she’s still wonderful, and I’ve very much enjoyed spending time with her again. There’s more than just the initial murder to tangle with here, and even though A Killer Plot falls squarely in cosy crime territory, some of the plot points here are pretty dark, and the conclusion will keep you guessing right up until the end. Well, at least, it did me.
Thanks to Eve for another wonderful novel. If you enjoy cosy crime, likeable characters and love the idea of a plot set in the world of publishing, look no further. You should definitely start with A Novel Murder, but A Killer Plot could work as a standalone too.
Is A Killer Plot for you?
- FOR FANS OF: Crime and Publishing
- EXPECT: Wonderfully written characters, a rich tapestry of plot, a dark side of book publishing 👀
- READ IF YOU LIKE: Jeremy Vine, Jo Middleton, Jane Fallon, Miranda (Jane will always be Miranda Hart in my head)
Thank you to @thebookdealer and Zaffre for providing a copy of the book and having me on the tour.
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