Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review THE BODY IN THE BOOKSTORE by Ellie Alexander.

Loved the Character names, especially Annie Murray because of the similarities to the Canadian singer Anne Murray. I loved Hal the bookstore owner. Pri was the only Non White character in the whole story. Everyone else seemed to be White. No other minorities . No one with any form of disability, though I suspect Fletcher has some hearing loss, which would explain his Strong Dislike for the Phone. I had a hard time rating because at first I thought it was a 3 star read for many reasons then I saw how the characters and plotting were written. Very descriptive.

Only problem was the Cliffhanger.

Highly recommended for fans of Cliffhangers.

Full Disclosure: I am NOT a fan of Cliffhangers.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓.

A new series by one of my favorite cozy mystery authors AND she was dropping book two on the same day?? My reading went into overtime, and I still wasn't satisfied. I need book three now, please!

With all the atmosphere, warmth, and depth that she pours into all of her series, THE BODY IN THE BOOKSTORE grabbed my attention right away. Too often cozies are left out of the mystery genre, denounced as being cutesy "palate cleansers.' The author shatters that stereotype by introducing MC Annie Murphy, who was on the precipice of a life as criminologist. But when her best friend was murdered while investigating a lead on a cold case they were assigned as a final exam, she abandoned those dreams.

She's now a bookseller in a charming small town in California in a bookshop that caters to mysteries. But the store is off the beaten path and is in dire need of a cash infusion before the owner is forced to close its doors. What starts as a wild idea--the whole town participating in a mystery festival--is soon happening thanks to Annie, but when some visitors praise the lifelike body behind the hidden bookcase, Annie knows that wasn't part of her plan.

This was a delightful beginning to a series that I'm already in love with. The characters were so fleshed out, and the exploration of grief and moving on without someone you love was so well done. Watch for this book and A MURDER AT THE MOVIES on June 19 from Storm Publishing.

What a wonderful, exciting book. A cosy mystery that keeps the pages turning until the end. Can’t wait for the next instalment of the series. A talented writer who keeps you guessing until the end.

Small town American bookshop themed cosy with a bunch of likeable characters and an astute investigator. I’m already looking forward to the next one which will hopefully solve a murder from the past.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is the 1st instalment in "A Secret Bookcase Mystery" series. This series will definitely be on my must read list. Behind the shelves of The Secret Bookcase, where the sun slants through the windows onto rows of classic crime novels, a body lies...

I’m a huge fan of Ellie Alexander's mysteries, so I was thrilled to dive into her new series. The charming setting of Redwood Grove, complete with a mystery bookstore, immediately captivated me. This cleverly crafted tale masterfully weaves together two intriguing mysteries: the murder of Annie's college classmate and the cold case of her best friend Scarlet's murder, which I suspect will be a recurring thread throughout the series. With the aid of her old criminology professor-turned-detective, can Annie unmask the murderer before they turn her festival into a real-life whodunit?

The plot is engaging, and the characters are well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this series debut and highly recommend it to all my fellow cozy mystery lovers - I can't wait to see what's in store for Annie and Redwood Grove I’m book two.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Storm Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

The Body in the Bookstore, the first book in Ellie Alexander’s A Secret Bookcase Cozy Mystery series, introduces readers to Annie Murray, a one-time criminology student, who abandoned her career goals after the murder of her best friend, and took a job working at a bookstore. She has come to love working at the bookstore but it is struggling financially and she decides to throw a mystery-themed book festival to bring visitors to town. The festival succeeds beyond her wildest dreams and she is thrilled – until a body is discovered hidden in a secret bookcase. Her old criminology professor is the detective on the case and she asks Annie for her help – but this murder will bring up more than a few bad memories for Annie. Can she handle those memories and help solve the case?

I really enjoyed this book. Some new series take a book or two to really get going but this book drew me in from the start and I quickly got to know and like the characters. Annie is a great main character – still dealing with the death of her best friend (truthfully I found this to be a bit heavy handed at times), good at criminology but equally good at working at the bookstore. The other characters are equally well done including Hal, the owner of the bookstore, her coworker Fletcher, her best friend Pri, her old criminology professor, and her prickly relationship with Liam Donovan (readers will know where their relationship is going but it’s fun to watch it unfold). The mystery-themed book convention is equally well done – I wish it was real so I could attend it! The mystery is well done with plenty of suspects – I did figure out who the killer was but not the reason for the murder. All in all, a nicely done first book in what looks to be a fun series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Isn’t Secret Bookcase just the coolest name for a mystery bookshop? Just like this author’s other cozy mysteries, this one pulled me in with some awesome characters and wouldn’t let go as the mystery unfolded and suspects pretty much lined the walls. Pri made such an amazing bestie for Annie who’d lost her college bestie eight years ago and had driven herself crazy since the case went cold, so I have a feeling that’ll be the side mystery thread that’s ongoing for however long.

But the main murder was all solved and wrapped up nicely at the end. I loved how Annie and Pri made a good sleuthing team. We met a character that I absolutely couldn’t stand in the beginning but toward the end maybe there’s a heart underneath all that snark. It’ll be interesting to find out. Luckily I’ve got the second book as an ARC to start now since both books release the same day.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Storm Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Such a beautifully written cozy mystery that was an absolute joy to read. I seriously couldn’t put it down and am now getting ready to read the second one.

I really enjoyed this new series from Ellie Alexander. Annie Murray works at the Secret Bookcase. A beautiful old mystery bookstore. Because of modern influences readership is way down. She and her colleague come up with a plan to save the store from closing by having the town host a mystery themed book festival. The festival is a huge hit. The local businesses are in the black and grateful. Everything is going smoothly until at one of the author readings Annie recognizes an old classmate mate from college, Kayla. Kayla makes a disturbance and is drunk before noon. She causes other issues about town and Annie soon discovers her dead body in the actual secret bookcase in the bookstore. Using her background in criminal justice she helps the police solve the murder.

I am a huge fan of Ellie Alexander's cozy mystery series. I have read most of her books and was so excited when I was approved to read the ARC of this book.

In true Ellie Alexander fashion she introduces you to this picturesque little town that I immediately want to travel to and a mystery bookstore. I loved the background of the event that is happening, that felt very real and bookish. I really enjoyed the backstory that is starting to build about Annie's best friend that was murdered - I'm very excited to see how that will progress through this series. Each character felt very unique and fleshed out and they all had a true purpose to the story. All of Ellie Alexander's stories feel very well thought out and purposeful - this one even more so.

This story in particular felt like a great start and the mystery kept me very engaged through the end of the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. It publishes June 19, 2024.
Yet another fun first novel in a new series of cozies from Ellie Alexander! I've read several of her books, and this one checks out as another great book in her lineup. I loved Annie's background in criminology, and I found the background mystery to be very promising to continue on in the series.

This was a really good start to a new series. It has a great cast of characters and a nice little mystery.
I was pretty much hooked from page one. I really wanted to go to the book festival too.
I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

The Body in the Bookstore is the first book in the Secret Bookcase mystery series by Ellie Alexander. Annie Murray works at the Secret Bookcase in Redwood Grove as a bookseller and event coordinator.

After the failure of an author event, Annie and her coworker Fletcher present the idea of an immersive mystery festival to their boss, Hal Christie, who believes he is the grandson of Agatha Christie. The bookstore would be the focal point and local stores and restaurants would benefit from tourists in town. As I read about this festival, it made me wonder if the mystery festival in Ashland, Oregon is anything like this.

I really liked this book and Ms. Alexander’s description of this Agatha Christie themed bookstore made me wish there were one in my town with its different areas/themes. Annie’s coworker Fletcher is fun in his obsession with Sherlock Holmes. Her good friend Pri, who works at Cryptic Coffee, is full of fun and great ideas. Let’s not forget the hunk, Liam, who owns Stags Head pub, which he decorates with paper stag heads (why?). These characters are what made the book such fun to read and I enjoyed them so much.

Three former college mates come to town for the festival and the most obnoxious one of them ends up dead in Annie’s bookstore. Why was she in the secret room and who could have killed her? There are many suspects as she offended everyone she came into contact with. I had wondered about the person who ended up as the killer, and the motive is not your standard motive.

The only problem I had with the story was the backstory of Scarlet’s death while she and Annie were in college. There seemed to be a lot said about it and how Annie felt guilty because of it, how it has affected her whole life, and how she has closed herself off from being close to people. I don’t know why she blames herself because they both were in the same criminology class investigating a cold case. I do see that this background information is important to future books as Scarlet’s murder is also unsolved and a cold case itself. It will be interesting to see where this goes and I can’t wait to read further stories in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Body in the Bookstore is book number one in the Secret Bookcase Mystery Series by Ellie Alexander. I have loved the other series that Ms. Alexander writes and was looking forward to this new series. Annie is a bookseller in Redwood Grove, a cozy town in California. It is however a sleepy town which needs a boost for all the businesses. Annie plans a mystery themed book festival complete with author panels, mysteries for readers to solve and mystery themed pub crawls. On the first day of the festival, a guest turns up murdered in the bookstore. The detective assigned to the case is Annie’s criminology professor from college. Annie had majored in criminology but the death of her dear friend changed her career path. To add intrigue, the victim went to college with Annie. There are also two other people from her graduating class that “mysteriously” showed up at the festival. In all honesty, I think The Body in the Bookstore starts out slow. But a few chapters in, I was invested in the mystery and anxious to find out what happened.

3.5 stars
Overall, an enjoyable read! I thought the main mystery was compelling and that the red herrings were well done. I loved the setting and the way the author was able to describe such a vivid world. There were some things I didn’t love which brought my rating down a bit. I felt that the author repeated some background info too much. I also felt like we were told Liam was a horrible person, but didn’t see much evidence of that on the page. I’m also conflicted on how to feel about the ongoing mystery in the background, but it does make me want to pick up the second one and give it a try. Looking forward to seeing how these characters and relationships evolve throughout the series.

First off thank you to NetGalley for the free read! #TheBodyintheBookstore #NetGalley

The story started out a little slow, but after a few chapters I quickly got into it! The ending didn’t turn out at all how I thought it would, but I enjoyed it nonetheless! Throughout the entirety of the story I found myself questioning every person wondering, of course, whodunit?? I couldn’t have guessed the outcome at all and am excited to read the 2nd book also thanks to NetGalley!

A delightful first book in a new mystery series. When bookseller Annie Murray plans a mystery weekend to improve the struggling bookshop she works in, little does she realise she'll end up embroiled in murder of an old university nemesis.

'The Body in the Bookstore' was such an easy read with a compelling enough mystery (though a bit clunky in the resolution of 'who dunnit?'. Redwood Grove and its inhabitants - Annie's boss Hal, colleague Fletcher, bestie Priya were all delightful. Annie is still grieving the unsolved murder of her best friend Scarlet and feels responsible becuase Scarlet was chasing a lead from a cold case they were investigating a cold case for their criminology course. There's a bit of an 'enemies to lovers' spark with Liam, owner of one of the town's pubs who hates fiction.

My only quibble with this book is the implausibility of all the coincidences. Why were her old university classmates coming to Redwood Grove? Also her old criminology professor just happens to now be a detective assigned to her town? I wish this was explained better and it’s why I give it three stars. But overall I am drawn to this series and wish Redwood Grove and The Secret Bookcase were real places!

Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh this was so good. A book completely immersed in the mystery genre: a murder in a mystery book store during a mystery festival. It has bookish people, Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes references, a barista bestie, potential enemies to lovers side-story, a budding older generation romance, and a fierce sleuth who dusts off her criminal knowledge from college to solve the murder that happened in her place of work. I can’t wait to read more of the series!

Book 1 in this engrossing series is set in my fav location--a bookstore--with a body found during the store's Mystery Fest. Oh no! Kept me glued to the page as I raced to find out whodunit. A winner!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery novel and its main character, Annie, however I found myself more interested in the festival they were having and the bookstore she worked in than the resolution of the crime itself. (I would love to attend something like that.)

It was distracting how so many people from her past showed up with no real interconnection. I feel like they some of them didn't add to the plot.

Overall, the conclusion of the crime and revelation of the culprit were a bit anticlimactic, but the book was left on a bit of a cliffhanger regarding an old cold case which has me wanting to read the next book in the series.

Thank you Storm Publishing for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.