Favorite author, Ellie Alexander is bringing us a great new series, A Secret Bookcase Mystery. In A Body in the Bookstore, the first book in the series, Ms. Alexander introduces us to Anne Murray and the lovely team she works with. Anne graduated from college with a degree in criminology, but the murder of her roommate and best friend changed everything. Years later, Anne is still working in the bookstore and the whole town is thrilled with the mystery festival she instigated, until that is, murder comes to roost again. Anne refuses to allow the arrival of not so good college acquaintances to ruin the festival but when the secret bookcase room becomes the site of a murder, she fears the festival will be destroyed and those not-so-much college friends are among the prime suspects.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read and review this excellent beginning to a new series by the awesome Ellie Alexander, A Secret Bookcase. The Body in the Bookstore does not disappoint even the high expectations of this Ellie Alexander fan.

#NetGalley #StromPublishing #ASecretBookcaseMystery #EllieAlexander

This new series started off with a satisfying mystery. Annie organized a mystery book festival to drum up business for the struggling bookstore she worked at. Things were going well when a body was discovered in the secret bookcase in the store. There were plenty of suspects including some of Annie's visiting old fellow college classmates and local residents.

I liked Annie who is determined to change the fortunes of the struggling bookstore she was working in. She didn't just watch the shop descend into bankruptcy. She also was dealing with the trauma of the murder of her best friend in college. That had shaped a lot of her life for the past decade or so as she continued to try and solve the unsolved case. That wasn't wrapped up in this book and I'm sure will continue to be an element in future stories.

Some of the other characters seemed a little flat but I'm sure they can be fleshed out as the series continues. I don't know if I like the love interest. We will see how that develops over the next books.

Overall, a solid mystery with the elements most look for in a cozy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Another delightful read from Ellie Alexander!

First of all, can we talk about the setting of the bookshop? An old, large house with each room a different theme? And a bookcase leading to an actual secret room? Yes, please!!

Secondly, I love the idea of a book festival and while I would have loved more of a description of what went into planning it, I loved hearing about the different activities put on for the Mystery Fest.

Unfortunately, I'm giving this only 3 stars because, while the story was intriguing, I found a lot of the dialogue to be stilted and formal. This is something I've noticed in her other books but I'm able to look past it because the characters are all so much fun.

All in all, a fun read and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one in the series!

I'm giving an honest review of this book in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley/Storm Publishing.

First, I have to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me a chance to read this book.

I give it 4,5⭐

I can start by saying: Oh my God!
This is such a tribute to murder mysteries! So many Easter eggs, it made me feel so happy I found out loads of them!! And also the direct references to Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and their characters - lovely!!

A Mystery Fest! Who even comes up with such a genius idea like that?!
The plot is quite intricate and the writing is solid! I can only put flaws in it in the ending conversation between Annie and Dr. Caldwell, which doesn't seem natural, but otherwise is very rich!

The best way to tell you my opinion of the book is by saying I've set up my email to receive updates on new books by the author and I immediately went to buy this book and the next and will be waiting for them to arrive home!

The writing is engrossing and the book is engaging. The characters are warm, lovely and mysterious. The setting is enchanting and there is an unsolved murder mystery. I love the small town setting and the description of town , book shop interior and setting. There were several twists. This was a cosy read.

Annie is an event manager and she owns a bookstore called The Secret Bookcase. Leafy Redwood Grove town is her life now. While her friend’s murder mystery still bothers her. She is trying to find clues leading to it. But soon something unfortunate happens to that bothers her even more. During the town's inaugural Mystery Fest, Kayla’s body is found and somehow she sees the connection between two mysteries. The book ended on cliffhanger

Many Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

The Body in the Bookstore is the first book in a new series. The Secret Bookcase Mystery starts off with our main character, Annie Murray, reviewing her personal files on something she hasn't been able to let go of for a decade. The murder of her college BFF, Scarlet.

As Annie is dragged away from her thoughts by her coworker, Fletcher, for an author's reading event at the bookstore, The Secret Bookcase, she starts to realize things don't look all that great for their place of employment. With the drop in physical book sales, the stores' days may be numbered and Annie knows that something needs to be done to make the store a success again. She gets an idea while talking to the author at the reading. After discussing her idea with Fletcher and their boss, Hal, they all become excited about getting the entire town involved in the three day event of a mystery-themed festival!

And what an exciting event it is!! Things were going even better than Annie ever imagined... Until she discovers a body in the stores' hidden bookcase... The many suspects in this murder include not only people she currently knows from around town but also from her college days. As Annie pieces together the puzzle of the hidden bookcase murder, she can't help but think of Scarlets' murder all those years ago..

This is a fantastic story and I was pulled right into the mystery along with Annie! I absolutely love the setting of the bookstore, which is not just any bookstore, this store is actually an old house with each room themed to display the titles. I found the characters to be well written and relatable and the mystery kept me guessing right up to the very end. I am already excited to read the second book in this series!

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the opportunity to read the ARC of #TheBodyintheBookstore.

A very fun and heartfelt cozy mystery. The characters are fleshed out and not two-dimensional, which got me invested in their stories.
The mystery was intriguing and caught my attention, because there was so much going on. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is the first book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. It revolves around our main character, Anne Murray, who is a former criminology student who currently works in a mystery bookstore in the little town of Red Grove, CA. She has been the general manager of the store for the last eight years. As the years have gone by, she has watched the store she loves become less and less profitable. She knows that if things don't get better, the owner, Hal, will have to close. She can't let that happen, and while speaking to an author who is scheduled to do a reading at her store, she comes up with the idea of creating a Mystery Festival weekend, where readers can come and meet authors, and solve a mystery created by Annie during the three-day extravaganza. Everything is going swimmingly during the festival until Annie finds one of her former college acquaintances dead in the secret bookcase in her shop. How did the victim get there, and who killed her? These are the questions that Annie is determined to find the answers to before the real life murder mystery possibly ruins her last chance to save her beloved bookstore.

I loved this book! Annie Murray is a wonderful character. She is smart, compassionate, and determined. She has a great group of friends who are fun and care about her and the town they live in. The mystery was well-paced. I love the setting, The story and the main character were a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to read the next one. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of #TheBodyintheBookstore.

I really, really liked this book. A cozy mystery about a book fest with multiple mysteries included? Yes please!!

Annie Murray lives in the small town of Redwood Grove, CA and works at the Secret Bookcase. The store is unfortunately not doing well and Annie conjures up the idea of a mystery fest to attract readers into town with multiple events that boosts tourism dollars and hopefully rekindles people's love of reading. What she doesn't count on is a real murder inside the literal Secret Bookcase. Not only did this happen in her beloved bookstore but the victim is one of her college classmates. Though she wasn't close with this person and actually seems to have active dislike for her, Annie still feels responsible and puts her criminology degree to use by trying to help solve the murder.

This is a unique spin on the cozy genre because while Annie is a bookseller, she actually has a background in investigation and planned to open a PI agency after graduation. Yes in usual cozy fashion it's a small close knit town but I adored all the bookish references and wish this mystery fest was a real thing. It sounds grand and exciting (minus the real dead body).

I am very excited to read the next book in the series. I found myself looking forward to having time to pick this book up again and eagerly read it on my breaks at work and during my lunch.

A very big thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cute new cozy mystery series based in an Agatha Christie themed bookstore, and a town where everyone gets involved pretty much for any theme.

I loved the unique setting and cast of characters in this book. The main character left the career path she was on when her close friend was murdered and years later the murderer has not been found. When a body shows up in the bookstore she works at, it is time to figure out what happened. Setting the book during a festival also added to uniqueness of this new series.

I am a huge fan of her bake shop mystery series so I was so pumped to receive an arc for one set in a bookstore! I love her writing style and the characters she creates! These are fun easy reads!

I absolutely loved this book!! This is definitely one of my new favorite series! So well written, especially for fans of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes stories!

Bravo to Ellie Alexander for this newest cozy series set in Redwood Grove, California. The setting is fantastic. Annie Murray is working at The Secret Bookcase when she comes up with an idea to have a book festival. She invites most of the town's businesses to be a part of the mystery-themed book festival with hopes that it will bring more people into the town and also bring a financial boost to these small businesses.

The excitement is electric as the guests pour into this small town. Everything is going well and the sales in the bookstore are off the charts. However, when a body is found behind the bookcase, the mystery festival becomes a real mystery to be solved.

When Annie's former criminology professor (who is now a detective) comes to the scene of the crime, Annie knows she has to help investigate. The suspects are numerous, and the red herrings are all over the place.

This cast of characters are special and quirky, each with their own special gifts. The Secret Bookcase sounded like a place that I could hide away in for an entire day as long as I had a book to read. This was definitely not your average bookstore. It is quite special. The mystery was very well-written and the author did a great job of fooling me with each clue. The killer could literally have been anyone. I like a good cozy mystery that keeps me guessing!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a fun book and good summer read. Characters are likeable and plot is interesting. You won’t guess who done it b

I knew I was going to love this series because I love the author’s Bakeshop Mystery series. I loved the idea for a mystery festival. It was like I got to experience the Ashland Mystery Fest through Redwood Grove. The mystery of her murdered best friend, Scarlet, from college instantly drew me in. It’s like two mysteries in one book. One of the mysteries is ongoing so it keeps you wanting to know more.
 
The characters are wonderful. I cannot wait to see how they develop along with any potential relationships. Dr. Caldwell is a great addition. She is methodical and includes Annie in the investigation. She reminds me of The Professor from the Bakeshop series. I would love to see those two investigate a mystery together. I have not decided how I feel about Liam just yet. I cannot forget about Professor Plum, the cat that used to be Scarlet’s.

First, in a new series, this book made me want to travel to Redwood Grove for the mystery book festival and try to open the secret staircase. The main character, Annie, clearly has been through significant trauma having had her best friend from college murdered and the case unsolved. Her continued sense of guilt causes her to both want to push people away and cling to those who accept her. The assorted characters visiting for the festival are mostly hard to like which makes it difficult to determine who is just unlikeable and who might be a murderer. The new murder victim is the most unlikeable to there is a long list of potential suspects. Annie’s internal conflicts with friendship extend to who she sees as enemies and who she views as potential romantic partners. She swings back and forth from despising someone and believing they could be capable of great harm to feeling bad for them and having empathy for their potential difficulties in life. The unexpected arrival of her former crime professor, who now works for the police, brings the mystery of her best friend's murder back to the forefront after a decade of trying to bring her life back to a sense of normalcy. Now Annie will have to decide if she wants to revisit her past.

I read through chapter 10 before I had to call it quits. I just couldn't connect to the characters or story.
Almost every chapter she had to talk about her friend Scarlet and what had happened.
The crime didn't even take place til chapter 9 which was annoying to me for a cozy mystery.
I've loved other stuff by this author but this just want doing it for me.

Ellie Alexander has once again demonstrated her mastery of the cozy mystery genre with her latest work. This new series is a delightful addition to her repertoire, and I am thrilled to see it unfold. The charming small-town setting is vividly brought to life, and the protagonist is both engaging and intriguing. Placing a bookstore at the heart of the mystery is a brilliant tribute to readers and literary enthusiasts alike.

Alexander's ability to weave an intricate and suspenseful plot kept me guessing until the very end. The cast of quirky and entertaining characters added depth and enjoyment to the story. I eagerly anticipate the next installment and look forward to seeing where Alexander will take her readers next.

This a good cosy mystery.
Annie works at The Secret Bookcase and as it hasn't been doing well lately, she comes up with a plan to help the bookstore.
With the help of other local businesses Annie and Fletcher organize a real-life mystery, with clues being hidden inside the bookstore.
When the mystery is underway, a body is found in the bookstore and Annie really wants to help find the killer.
We get a bit of an insight into Annie's past as she talks about her friend Scarlet who was killed while they were at college. I think this story will develop as the series progresses.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a free copy of, The Body in the Bookstore. by Ellie Alexander, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book one of the, A Secret Bookcase Mystery series. Annie Murray is a book shop owner, but funds are tight, and she decides to have a mystery themed festival, bud an old friend is found murdered! Will Annie be able to solve a murder and save her business? I delighted in this book, such a fun cozy mystery.