I was excited to read this new cozy mystery series by Ellie Alexander because I have enjoyed her books in the past. Anytime a cozy has a bookstore premise I am excited to read. Annie Murray works in a bookstore called The Secret Bookcase that is struggling to stay afloat. She decides to get more foot traffic in the store by hosting a Mystery Fest event with the help of the whole town. The stores and restaurants in town all participated and have book and murdered themed drinks and specials at their stores. It’s a huge success until a dead body is found in the bookstore.

I thought this was a fun book themed cozy mystery. I enjoy Ellie Alexander’s writing and this was written well. I enjoyed the characters and the setting for the story. I loved how the bookstore had nods to Agatha Christie and highlighted a love for mystery novels. I would recommend this to people who love cozy mysteries, reading about bookstores, books, or want a fast paced mystery to read. I will be starting book two soon!

Thank you Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eight years ago, Annie Murray's best friend, Scarlett, was murdered just before they were to graduate college in criminology. Annie left criminology and came to Redwood Grove to work at the Secret Bookcase bookstore for Hal Christie. The bookstore is slowly dying and the rest of the town is not doing much better. Annie and her co-worker, Fletcher, come up with a plan for a mystery festival and get almost all of the town's businesses involved.
When the festival begins, Annie is shocked to see three of her former classmates there. She had tried to avoid Kayla and her roommate Monica as well as her boyfriend Seth during school. Kayla, she discovers, is a cousin of Justin at a local bar. Monica is representing a new author, Eli Ledger, who is doing a reading from his yet-to-be published work. Kayla is seen in a heated argument with Caroline who has a store in town.
Kayla is found stabbed in the bookstore during the festival in the Secret Bookcase where the clues to the Scavenger Hunt are placed. Annie's former professor, Dr. Caldwell is investigating. Annie is able to provide her with several clues, one of which endangers herself and leads to the unveiling of the murderer.
This is a great new series from an enjoyable author. Ms. Alexander's Bakeshop mysteries and her Sloane Kraus mysteries are great and this promises to be just as good.

"The Body in the Bookstore" marks the exciting debut of Ellie Alexander's latest cozy mystery series, featuring an engaging new sleuth, Annie Murray. Known for her skillful weaving of intrigue and charm, Alexander delivers a compelling first installment that is sure to delight fans of the genre.

Annie Murray, a former criminology student turned bookstore owner, finds herself at the center of a chilling mystery when a body is discovered behind the shelves of her beloved bookstore. The timing couldn't be worse, as Annie has just organized a mystery-themed book festival in hopes of revitalizing her struggling business. The victim turns out to be an old college acquaintance, thrusting Annie into a whirlwind of past connections and present dangers.

Alexander's portrayal of Annie is both refreshing and relatable. Her background in criminology adds depth to her character, making her a believable and resourceful amateur detective. The personal stakes are high for Annie, as she navigates the complexities of reuniting with old classmates while trying to solve the murder. This dynamic provides a rich backdrop for the unfolding mystery, and Annie's past, including the unresolved murder of her best friend, adds an intriguing layer of suspense that promises to develop throughout the series.

The setting of the bookstore is a bibliophile's dream. Alexander creates a cozy, atmospheric environment that draws readers into the story. The book festival, with its literary enthusiasm and eccentric attendees, adds a delightful touch, making the murder's occurrence even more shocking and impactful.

What stands out in "The Body in the Bookstore" is the seamless blend of past and present mysteries. Annie's personal history, particularly the unsolved murder of her best friend, hints at a deeper, overarching narrative that will keep readers hooked for future installments. The interplay between the cold case and the current murder investigation is handled deftly, ensuring that readers are invested in both storylines.

Ellie Alexander's writing shines with her usual warmth and wit, making "The Body in the Bookstore" a page-turner. The pacing is well-balanced, maintaining a steady rhythm that keeps the reader engaged without feeling rushed.

Fans of cozy mysteries, especially those with a penchant for books about books, will find much to love in this novel. Ellie Alexander has once again proven herself as the queen of cozy mysteries.

***** 5/5

Thank you to the author and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is a delightful, fast-paced Cozy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Cozies are excellent reads with less explicit sex and language found in many books of similar genres. Annie Murray is single, in her mid-thirties, a lover of crime fiction and has been a book seller and event coordinator at the Secret Bookcase in Redwood Grove, California for eight years. Annie loves her community, her job and Hal the owner of the book store. Business has been slow and Annie and her workmate, Fletcher Hughes are concerned that Hal might sell their beloved, beautiful and unique store. To save the store, Annie and Fletcher come up with the idea of a weekend Mystery Fest involving the entire community, authors, local restaurants and pubs and of course readers. Annie wrote an immersive mystery for the event revolving around a lost heirloom belonging to the Wentworth's, a wealthy family credited with the founding of Redwood Grove. Clues were to be distributed at various participating venues and were designed to lead participants on a scavenger hunt. All was going famously until one of the participants was found dead in the store's sitting room. That's all I'm sharing, but hold onto your seat from then on. The victim is a person from Annie's past, and others she hasn't seen in years also happen to be at the event. Coincidence? There are no dearth of suspects, I was completely engaged with the well-crafted storyline, and relished every page until the last. Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Elkie Alexander for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Body in the Bookstore. My review reflects my honest opinion- I really lliked the book very much.

The Secret Bookcase Mystery series kicks off wonderfully with this first book in the series. Annie Murray loves her job at The Secret Bookcase bookstore in Redwood Grove, California, but knows that she needs to do something to help drum up more business or she's afraid the store owner, a grandfatherly gentleman, Hal, will be forced to make cutbacks. She comes up with the idea to have a Mystery Festival that would benefit not only the bookstore, but the town of Redwood Grove as a whole. All of the business owners are excited at the prospect, except for Liam, the owner of The Stag's Head pub who Annie is none too fond of in general. Not to be detoured, Annie works with her fellow bookstore employee and friend, Fletcher, who takes the idea and runs with it and they make it bigger and better than she could have imagined. The planning goes well and before they know it, the festival is the next day and they are going through a rundown of all that will transpire. That's when Annie runs into some people she had known in college. Monica and Kayla who were joined at the hip in college until they had a falling out just before graduation and Kayla's former boyfriend, Seth, are all at the business owner's preview the night before the festival begins. Monica is there in her role as editor to one of the up-and-coming authors who signed on to give a brief preview of his soon-to-be-released book of short stories. Kayla is there because she has been creating a new website and marketing plan for one of the local businesses, or so she says when she is sober enough to make sense, but the store owner she is supposedly working for is none too happy to see her. Why Seth is there is a mystery in itself since he and Kayla broke up before their graduation and he definitely isn't the bookish type to be there for the festival. Seeing all of them brings Annie's thoughts back to her last days of college when her best friend, Scarlet, was murdered. Annie is shaken by all the memories flooding in on her but she knows she must somehow put them aside so that she can focus on making the festival a huge success. She manages to do just that ... at least until there is a murder the very first day of the festival and the detective in charge of the investigation is none other than Dr. Caldwell, Annie's college criminology professor. How is Annie going to get through the festival when she not only has the past and her friend Scarlet's still unsolved murder on her mind and another murder to try to help solve all while keeping things running smoothly for the many festivalgoers? Thankfully, she has the help of Fletcher, Hal, and her friend, coffeeshop owner, Priya, to help her not just with the festival, but with trying to solve the murder. You get strong characters, a great storyline, and not one, but two mysteries to read about in this well written book. The recent murder is solved and the past murder is discussed enough that you know it will be an ongoing topic throughout the series, which leaves this reader eager for the next book in the series.
*I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love Ellie Alexander and will jump at the chance to read anything she writes - this new series being no exception! I enjoyed this first installment of the Secret Bookcase Mysteries, although the characters didn't quite grab me as much as some of her other books. I loved the setting and the concept of the mystery weekend, and I especially liked the concept of the overarching mystery that I look forward to unraveling over future books. Can't wait for the next!

I love Ellie Alexander’s writing and will jump at the chance to read anything she writes so I was excited to get this first book in a new series. I enjoyed the story but I’m not sure what exactly it was that didn’t work for me in this one. I loved the setting and the festival seems like something I would love to visit one day. The subplot of Annie’s best friend’s murder is interesting and I’d like to know more about that. I think the characters in this one were just OK. They didn’t leap off the page for me as her other characters do so I never really felt a connection to Annie so maybe that’s where the issue was for me. I will still read the next in the series and hope that she grows on me.

This is a definite must read for all book lovers, and fans of cozy murder mysteries. Any book that’s set in a bookstore, particularly one with eccentric characters, themed rooms and a murder has me hooked.

I loved the enthusiasm of the three main character, Hal, Annie and Fletcher for all things bookish. The idea of a secret bookcase is great - who wouldn’t love one of those. Setting a weekend book festival here just adds to its charm, especially when the majority of the other businesses all come on board with the idea.

Annie is still trying to come to terms with the unsolved murder of her best friend Scarlet, and when a body is found during the festival, it brings it all back to her. I loved the premise of this book, the characters were great, I loved the eccentricity of Hal and Fletcher, and would definitely visit the store and Redwood Grove. A great pace, lots of red herrings and an unexpected ending. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This cozy mystery is a mystery book lovers dream.

Annie is living in small town Northern California at a local mystery bookstore when she comes across the idea to host a mystery fest- full of all the mystery nostalgia you could want.

Still hung up on her best friends unsolved murder from 10 years ago, Annie can’t just let this murder go unsolved and inserts herself into the case, only to find the suspects are a little too close to home, and there are too many people with a possible motive. In full Nancy Drew fashion, this quick read has readers looking for clues and following Annie’s hunches as she goes.

I may have a soft spot for books about book lovers, but this hit all the right spots.
Ending with a cliffhanger leaving readers craving the next book— Body in the Bookstore should be on every cozy mystery lovers list.

In The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander the Secret Bookcase bookstore owned by Hal Christie is losing money.

Annie, who has worked for the bookstore in Redwood Grove in Northern California as a bookseller and event planner for eight years, comes up with the idea of a Mystery Festival weekend for the town with headquarters at the Secret Bookcase but with events at all the different stores and restaurants and pubs in the small town including the library and the theatre.

Her coworker Fletcher agrees to help in the planning and execution and whatever they dream up including author talks and signings, puzzles to solve with clues hidden around the Village Square and a film fest.

The Mystery Festival starts and is going well until a dead body turns up behind a secret bookcase. The police let the festival continue while they try to find a murderer and since the detective in charge is one of Annie’s former college professors and the deceased one of her former classmates, she’s asked to help.
Will she find the killer before someone else dies? Read this fascinating novel to find out. You’ll definitely be glad you did.

“The Body in the Bookstore” is the first book in Ellie Alexander’s newest mystery series, “Secret Bookstore Mystery,” which focuses on Annie, a bookseller and event planner with criminology degree who is trying to save her book shop by planning a Mystery themed book festival involving the entire community.

A love letter to books and all things bookish, particularly the mystery genre, this series is sure to be a hit. Annie is a relatable, intelligent, thoughtful, dynamic and kind-hearted protagonist with stellar coworkers, Hal and Fletcher, best friend Priya, and the delightful Professor Plum, who I hope makes more appearances in future novels. The Agatha Christie connection is sure to make mystery fans smile with hopes everything turns out for Hal. I also enjoyed the interactions between Dr. Caldwell and Annie and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this crime solving duo.

With quirky characters that you can’t help but love, a large cast of secondary characters to draw on for future mysteries, a potential love interest, a quaint community who pulls together to revive their town, and the unsolved murder of Annie’s college best friend still to be solved, “The Body in the Bookstore” delivers in a big way.

I particularly appreciated the nod towards the real Ashland Mystery Festival which I’d love to attend; which, after reading this book, is on the bucket list!

Thanks @netgalley and @stormbooks_co for the advance digital copy of this book. Available for preorder now and on shelves everywhere on June 18, 2024 along with second book “A Murder at the Movies” (I know - two books in a series released on the same day?!?). Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read book two…

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This was one of my most-anticipated books of 2024! I mean, a cozy mystery series with a bookseller protagonist by one of my favorite authors in the genre?! And it did not disappoint!

I loved the setting of the small town of Redwood Grove! Even though this is the first in a new series, the town and the characters quickly felt like friends. And while we don’t bake treats at Torte or brew beer with Sloan, there’s still an abundance of yummy sounding food and drinks.

The bookshop, The Secret Bookcase, is so delightful, I wish it was real so I could visit! I loved that it’s a mystery-focused shop, because the genre and history is woven into conversations between characters and in the mystery festival that fills the pages. Annie, the protagonist, has a backstory that I feel will continue through future books, which has me already looking forward to the next book!

If you are a cozy mystery reader, enjoyed Ellie Alexander’s other cozies, or are looking to give the genre a try, I highly recommend picking this book up on June 19th!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After losing her best friend, Annie Murray escapes to the idyllic little town of Redwood Grove, California, to work in a mystery-themed bookstore. When she organizes a mystery event to draw tourists to the out-of-the-way village, the party is crashed by several people who went to college with Annie and her deceased friend. Annie isn't really happy to see any of them but someone is even less thrilled than she is. When one of them ends up dead, the suspect list is a mile long. Can Annie use everything she learned in college, all the skills she's since set aside, to help solve the case? Or will this case go as cold as her last?

I'm a big fan of Alexander's Bake Shop series so when I saw this I was excited to read it. The setting of this series is really interesting, quaint little town with lots of local shops and restaurants. I liked the characters, though I definitely don't care for Liam. Annie's cottage sounds lovely but we don't learn much about it. Though I was left wanting more, the book certainly had me intrigued so I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

Anyone who enjoys the Bake Shop series should read this as well. Anyone who reads this and likes it should definitely read the Bake Shop series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Annie has put aside her dream career in criminal justice and is instead working at a local bookstore. The bookstore is struggling, though, and she convinces her employer to back a village-wide mystery festival in an effort to draw more visitors to both the town and their store. When an actual dead body is found in the store, though, Annie must put her investigative skills to work to identify the killer.

I love Ellie Alexander’s other series and was excited to learn that she is working on a new series. I knew she would have created a great group of characters, a fantastic setting and a mystery ready for readers to sink their teeth into, and I got exactly what I expected. The people who will likely make up the recurring characters are fun, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, so they work well together. Annie’s criminal justice training gives her much more insight into solving a murder than most cozy sleuths, and I like that she thinks logically and works with the police rather than going about it on her own.

The murder victim was a visitor to town but was not a stranger, so there were quite a few suspects at first, and the list only seemed to get longer as the investigation began. As more information was uncovered, though, names were crossed off the list until only a few remained. One character seemed a little ‘off’ to me, so I wasn’t surprised when that person was revealed as the culprit, nor at the motive behind the killing.

I have already received an advance copy of the next book in the series, which is scheduled to be released a day after this one, and although I rarely binge-read a series, I can’t wait to start reading it!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book. This book was everything I wanted in a cozy mystery. I immediately wanted to move to this town and spend my days at the Secret Bookcase bookstore. A festival like the one in the book sounds like every book lovers dream. This kept me guessing and engaged the entire time. I really enjoyed my time reading it!

I've been reading Ellie Alexander books for awhile now. I love all her series, especially the Bakeshop Mystery series. This is an awesome new series just as good as the Bakeshop Mystery series! I'm totally jealous of Annie Murray, being able to work in a bookstore. My problem would be reading all the books instead of helping customers! I think this series will have just as many books as the Bakeshop Mystery series and I look forward to each and every one of them, I can't wait to see what Annie solves next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Cute Cozy mystery and it was entertaining, however, I am
not interested in reading sequel. Very scripted and formulaic. Didn’t land with my reading tastes.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book. This is the first book I have read by this author and I love the writing style. This book was a cute whodunit murder mystery. I absolutely loved the main character and her love for the bookstore, the small town and the people in it. This book was a fun light read. It had some twists and turns and I did not see the way it ended coming. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a cozy murder mystery.

I love cozy mysteries, and I enjoyed this one so much! Initially we are introduced to Annie, who works at a bookstore that I think most of us bibliophiles would love to work at. When she comes up with an idea for a Mystery Fest to help the store she works at, the entire town gets involved. What a fun thing to go to! Then, inevitably, there is a body. Suddenly, our little idyllic town becomes one of suspicion and intrigue. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out whodunnit. I highly recommend this book, and I'm already waiting on the next one in this series.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is a delightful blend of mystery, charm, and community spirit, earning a solid four stars for its engaging plot and relatable characters. This cozy mystery is a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a perfect mix of suspense and warmth.

The story centers around bookseller Annie Murray, who is overjoyed when the mystery-themed book festival she organized to rejuvenate her bookstore and the small town of Redwood Grove seems headed for success. However, the event takes a dark turn when a body is discovered hidden behind the shelves, and the victim is revealed to be Annie’s old college acquaintance.

Determined to save the festival and protect her town from further harm, Annie dives into the investigation, piecing together clues with the help of her friends. As the list of suspects grows – including a local boutique-owner, a jealous old classmate, and a bitter ex-boyfriend – Annie finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery. With the assistance of her former criminology professor-turned-detective, she must uncover the murderer before the festival becomes a real-life whodunit.

Ellie Alexander excels in creating a cozy, small-town atmosphere that feels inviting and authentic. The setting of Redwood Grove is vividly depicted, with its quaint shops and tight-knit community adding to the story's charm. The book festival, with its literary theme and enthusiastic participants, serves as an appealing backdrop that will delight book lovers.

Annie Murray is a relatable and endearing protagonist. Her passion for books and determination to save her town are commendable, and her sleuthing skills, combined with her supportive friendships, make her a character to root for. The dynamic between Annie and her old criminology professor adds depth to the narrative, blending professional insight with personal history.

The plot is well-constructed, with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing. Alexander deftly balances the suspense of the murder investigation with the warmth of community interactions, ensuring that the story remains engaging and enjoyable throughout. The suspects are well-developed, each with plausible motives, which keeps the mystery intriguing and the readers on their toes.

However, the pacing occasionally slows, particularly in the middle sections, where some subplots could have been tightened to maintain the story's momentum. Despite this minor flaw, the overall narrative remains compelling, and the resolution is satisfying and well-executed.

In conclusion, The Body in the Bookstore is a charming and engaging cozy mystery that will captivate fans of the genre. Ellie Alexander's skillful storytelling and vivid depiction of small-town life, combined with a relatable protagonist and an intriguing plot, make this a highly enjoyable read. Whether you are a seasoned mystery reader or new to the genre, this book is a delightful addition to your reading list.