My Review
In Orchard Grove, Georgia, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Piper Landry is excited about buying a beautiful, historic building so she can expand her antique business and include a coffee shop and bookstore. Then a friend is found murdered just behind the building, and her life changes. She works to solve the mystery as she juggles time with friends, her aunt, and a new romantic interest, Mike.
I wanted to read Blueprint for Murder because I love cozy mysteries. I am a native Georgian so the North Georgia small town setting was very appealing. The author is a good friend since childhood and I know she is a very talented writer, so I was especially excited to read her new book.
This is the first book in the Orchard Grove mysteries and it is a wonderful start for a new series! Penni does a wonderful job at describing the town, with its seasonal festivals and activities, the townspeople, and day-to-day life in the town. I love a fictional small town that becomes part of the story, and Orchard Grove is one of those towns.
Orchard Grove is a charming town, as seen in descriptions like:
"The following day, Piper stepped outside, breathing in the crisp autumn air as she looked up and down Main Street. Visitors flocked to the mountains for the vibrant fall foliage this time of year. The Apple Festival had broken attendance records, and Piper had made record profits at Hometown Antiques and Décor. Next weekend's Halloween in the Streets was expected to draw more locals than tourists, and soon, the part- timers would return to their cabins, bringing extended family to celebrate Thanksgiving.
But it was Christmas that Piper loved most. She'd already filled half her front windows with holiday decorations - her bestselling items, even in October. With its tight- knit charm, Orchard Grove always pulled out all the stops: lights, parades, and parties that made everyone feel like they belonged." (eBook locations 1790 - 1792).
Piper is a likable protagonist. She is fairly new to town, moving the same time as her Aunt Violet, but she is already well liked and very comfortable in Orchard Grove. As a lifelong antique person, I loved the antique and restoration details in this book. They added to the storytelling and showed Piper's passion for antiques and history.
Aunt Violet, Piper's friend Lucy, and her new love interest, Mike, are all great characters and I enjoyed their interactions with Piper. There is even a lovable older Great Pyrenees dog named Maddie!
The mystery is well done - the mysterious death happens early on and Piper works to eliminate suspects and find out what has happened, sometimes putting herself in a dangerous position along the way.
I am excited about Blueprint for Murder and enthusiastically recommend it for other cozy mystery fans. It will be especially appealing for readers who love southern settings and small town atmosphere (my favorite for cozy mysteries!). I really look forward to the next book in this series.
Book Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F6MJ2969
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232211993-blueprint-for-murder
Author Interview
What inspired you to write Blueprint for Murder?
Since moving to the North Georgia mountains in 2016, I’ve felt a strong pull to write about rural life and the charm of our small town of Ellijay and Blue Ridge. It’s a world apart from the fast-paced Atlanta area where I had spent most of my life. Unfortunately, shortly after relocating, I found myself frequently traveling back and forth to care for my mother, who passed away in 2018, all while managing my business remotely. With so much on my plate, writing had to take a backseat for a while.
During the pandemic, however, I returned to school at Southern New Hampshire University to pursue a degree in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in Fiction Writing. It was during one of my courses, where we were tasked with writing the first and last chapters of a novel, that Blueprint for Murder was born. I completed the book after graduating, and the story reflects both my love for small-town life and my journey back to creative expression.
I mostly write on weekends, since my weekdays are filled with running my music entertainment agency from home. My brain is usually busy juggling tour dates, social media, and radio campaigns. Every now and then, I manage to squeeze in some writing early in the morning or late at night, depending on how cooperative my coffee and calendar are. I’m also always making notes or thinking up new ideas for my characters - whether I’m at my desk, in the car, or outside working around the house.
This is the start of a new series. How far ahead have you planned the upcoming books?
When I first started writing Blueprint for Murder, I naturally began imagining what these characters would be doing during different seasons of the year. Since the first book takes place in October, I quickly started brainstorming ideas for a holiday-themed sequel, All Wrapped Up In A Mystery, and beyond. For instance, the Apple Blossom Festival is mentioned in Blueprint for Murder, and I’ve already started thinking about how a future mystery could take place during that springtime event. Luckily, I am inspired by all our area attractions like orchards, wineries, mountain biking, festivals, and river rafting.
Was there a place that inspired Orchard Grove?
Yes. Orchard Grove is primarily inspired by the North Georgia towns of Ellijay and Blue Ridge. I’ve always loved the mountains, whether in Georgia or Colorado. Over the years, my husband and I have been fortunate to travel frequently for both family vacations and our business trips, exploring many beautiful spots throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains - from North Carolina and Tennessee to South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Those experiences really deepened my fascination with small-town life and the peacefulness of life away from the big city.
In addition, we live on 18 acres of land in a wildlife preservation area, which has offered its own kind of inspiration. One character in the Orchard Grove series, Hopalong, the injured deer, is based on a real deer who began visiting our property several years ago. When he first appeared, his hoof was in terrible shape (I’ll spare the graphic details), and I called the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division to see if they could help. They explained that they couldn’t intervene and reassured me that deer are incredibly resilient and often recover from injuries like his. I wasn’t convinced at the time, but remarkably, Hopalong did survive and has continued visiting us for about five years now. With permission, we and a few neighbors provide deer feed for him during the winter months, though our neighborhood generally discourages feeding wildlife. He’s become a bit of a legend in our area - and now, in the fictional town of Orchard Grove, too.
Who would play Piper and Mike in a movie or TV adaptation?
My first choice for Piper would be Lily James. She’s portrayed as a smart, relatable, and likable woman in both modern and period settings, like in Cinderella and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. She has that wholesome yet quietly strong energy I see in Piper. Another great choice would be Taylor Cole. She often plays sweet, small-town women in Hallmark movies like A Reason for the Season and Aloha Heart, and I think she’d be a natural fit.
For Mike, I think Matt Lanter, who starred in Pitch Perfect 3, and a time-travel show I enjoyed, Timeless. Turns out Matt also has a Georgia connection. He moved to Georgia when he was eight years old and attended the same high school as my daughter (although not when she was there), and attended the University of Georgia, where two of my three children graduated from.
The antique details in your book are fascinating. Do you have a personal interest in antiques?
Absolutely. I’ve refinished many antique pieces over the years. I love giving old furniture a new life. While Piper isn’t based on me, her love for antiques and the peaceful escape she finds in her workshop are definitely drawn from my own experiences. I even included references to real pieces I own, like an old wardrobe inherited from a great-aunt and a folding mahogany game table that now serves as an entry table, both passed down from my mother.
What do you enjoy reading? Who are some of your favorite authors?
That’s my favorite question! I love sharing book recommendations because I read across a wide range of genres - cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and mystery/spy thrillers.
Some of my recent favorites include The Keeper of Hidden Books and The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. I also loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. I’m drawn to stories with strong women and roots in real history.
As for cozy mysteries, I love relaxing into series where you really get to know the characters. Some of my favorites include The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, the Julia Bird Mysteries by Katie Gayle, the Cat Latimer and Tourist Trap Mysteries by Lynn Cahoon, and Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries by Lauren Elliott.
I’ve had a long-standing love for spy thrillers that dates back to the early 1980s, when I bought The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum while on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach. That book sparked a lifelong interest in the genre. These days, I really enjoy the Slough House series by Mick Herron and The Martini Club by Tess Gerritsen.
When it comes to mystery and thriller series, I highly recommend the DCI Evan Warlow series by Rhys Dylan, which is set in Wales, Matterhorn by Christopher Reich, set across Europe, and the David Wolf series by Jeff Carson, which takes place in the mountains of Colorado. I’m drawn to gripping stories in vivid settings, especially when they feature layered characters and unexpected twists.
Can you tell us more about your upcoming writing projects?
I’m close to finishing the second book in the Orchard Grove Mystery series, All Wrapped Up In A Mystery. After that, I plan to release a WWII historical fiction novel next year. It’s loosely inspired by my family’s stories in a small southern Georgia town. That one requires a great deal of research, so it’s coming along a bit more slowly.
I also have several ideas in the pipeline, including a novel set in Atlanta during the 1960s and 1970s. And I’ve started a children’s book, though it’s on hold for now while I focus on the Orchard Grove series.
Author Bio
Penni Justice is a lifelong book lover and storyteller at heart. An Atlanta native, she now lives in the scenic North Georgia mountains with her husband in a certified wildlife sanctuary. Surrounded by nature and inspired by the charm of a nearby tourist town, Penni crafted her debut cozy mystery, Blueprint for Murder. The beauty of mountain living, along with cherished memories of traveling across the country and hearing true-life stories from family and friends, often spark ideas for her writing.
Her love of books began early, nurtured by frequent trips to the libraries in Atlanta, Decatur, and Tucker, Georgia, where her mother introduced her to the magic of reading. She fell in love with fiction after discovering Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. As the church librarian, her mother also provided a treasure trove of young adult fiction and mysteries that further fueled Penni’s passion.
An avid reader, Penni devours around 60 fiction books each year, favoring cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and spy thrillers. In May 2023, she graduated with honors from Southern New Hampshire University with a B.A. in Creative Writing and English, focusing on fiction writing. Her coursework included numerous workshops that helped her hone her voice and narrative style.
For the past 24 years, Penni has owned and operated a music entertainment agency, specializing in public relations, writing, ghostwriting, and marketing. Alongside her fiction, she is also working on a historical novel set during the 1940s in South Georgia and overseas during World War II.
Penni and her husband are the proud parents of three grown children, a son-in-law, and a daughter-in-law—each of whom inspire her with their humor, intelligence, and love. They are, in her words, “the absolute joys of my life.”
