Penny is hosting a murder mystery at her partially restored farmhouse. Annie has written the play and planned the activities. But the evening turns out to be a dark and stormy night with a storm blowing in and creating havoc at a dinner party that was already doomed by some of the guests. I love the characters in this series and enjoyed this book.

The third book in this series shifts the setting to a dinner party murder mystery night, that turns out to host a real murder!

Returning to Redwood Grove feels like returning home, especially after three books. But I found myself not as engaged with this book, and I think it's because The Secret Bookcase bookshop plays less of a role. I still enjoy protagonist Annie and her best friend, Pri, but I wanted more of Fletcher and Hal. While I am happy that each book presents a different setting for the mysteries, I am hoping for more of a connection to the bookshop in each book.

One of the best things in this book is the treasure hunt theme in the mystery. I loved that, but also wanted more from it. A possible missing fortune - how exciting is that in a mystery! But it felt almost forgotten about until towards the end. But is the treasure still out there, waiting to be discovered? Who knows? Maybe it will pop up again! The second thing I adored in this book is the cosy elements. And that's why I read cosy mysteries. The community, the friendships, the recurring and support characters. They are the things that make cosies what they are. And in this series, we have regulars and new characters popping up in each book. The new characters in this book are fascinating. I wonder if we'll see some in future books. I hope so. Ophelia and Jeff come to mind, and I'm thinking Patrick may be lurking in the background in a future book. It says a lot about a cosy series when readers start wondering what characters may get up to next.

The overarching mystery about Scarlett is only briefly mentioned, which I thought disappointing. After three books, I thought we'd be given more information on it by now. It does make me curious if the author has that part of the story planned out yet. It's a big part of Annie's development in the series. It deserves more than a sentence or two in each book. But there is something that may lead into book four. I hope it does and I hope it progresses the mystery.

This remains an entertaining series and one I highly recommend. It's a small town setting with real small town vibes. And I hope the small town feel remains for many more books to come.

Death at the Dinner Party is a fun cozy mystery set in a small town in California. The action starts at a murder mystery dinner party, where (of course!) a real murder takes place and our intrepid main character and her friends try to figure out who did it. I enoyed the setting and the interesting characters, the fun bookshop, coffee shop, and restaurants. As #3 in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series, it stands alone pretty well, although I think I'd have a better sense of the characters and their backstories if I'd read the first two. There's also an ongoing storyline about another friend who was killed, as well as a cold case that Annie and the deceased friend were working on, and I'd like to read the other books to find out more about those. Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance digital copy!

Another lovely cosy mystery from this author. I very much enjoy this series, the characters and setting are perfect. A very good plot again too, I had no idea who the murderer was.

This is the first Ellie Alexander book that I have read. I love cozies and was excited to read it after reading the description. A one room mystery, a fuzzy feline, and a murder happening while a murder mystery dinner fundraiser is going on sounded like a perfect cozy read. While Ms. Alexander was very successful in crafting a cozy feel to the book, I could only give it 3 stars. Let me tell you why.
The characters were a little flat with no genuine personalities. Liam- Don’t get me started about him. He is argumentative and annoying, and didn’t do anything to redeem himself as a love interest. I mean, why guys like that are written as love interests boggle my mind because any parent out there would warn their daughters against dating a guy like that! The pacing was great at the beginning but then slowed due to unnecessary explanations. I felt like I was being told a lot of things instead of being shown in different ways.
On the other hand there are a lot of cute things about the story, but not enough to raise the star level above an average three.
Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy so I can give my honest, voluntary review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. It publishes September 30, 2024.
Annie is back with another mystery on her hands! I really enjoyed the premise of this one and the "Clue" vibes! I liked learning more about their town and more character development between the cast members. I did feel like this book was a little rushed, but there's a lot to pack into 270-some pages! I did not see that end coming though! I was on the edge of my seat!

This is book #3 in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series from our favorite bakeshop mystery author. Annie is organizing an event to help her friend, Penny, raise funds to save the historic farmhouse she has been restoring. Annie comes up with the cool idea to have a mystery dinner party along the lines of the game of Clue with wonderful food and actors. I love this concept. The dinner included such dishes as deadly chocolate mousse and bloody berry tart for dessert. This just added to the mood. The dinner party comes to a screeching halt when there is a real murder.

This is a good cozy mystery series, and this book provided all of the things I love about a cozy mystery with twists, turns, red herrings and intrigue. Annie is the one you want in your corner when you have been accused of a crime, as she will work hard to solve the mystery. This is not my favorite of the series so far, but it is still a good book. We are still left hanging about Scarlett's murder. I look forward to reading book #4.

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

The murder victim is such a bully that there are suspects and motives galore. There are a lot of misdirects, some obvious "why did they do that?" shenanigans, and enough clues for the reader to figure out what's going on. And even though I guessed the killer pretty early, the reveal was still satisfying. I also love the hidden passageways and potential treasure hunt - it added a bit of intrigue to the whole dinner party.

Annie continues to shine, both as a bookstore event planner, but also as an amateur criminologist. The long-running mystery of what happened to her best friend and Annie's investigation into that tragedy continues and I like how that is a driving factor in a lot of how Annie behaves. It will be interesting to see what choices she makes in the future, especially with both of her mentors, bookstore owner Hal, and investigating detective Dr. Caldwell, offering her different future paths.

While this book can be read on its own, the series is definitely much more enjoyable read in order, especially to see the relationships between all the characters develop.

The Secret Books Mysteries have quickly become one of my favourite cozy mystery series - I can't believe that the first book only came out this year and we're already on book 3 (Book 4 comes out before the end of the year!)

* Thank you to the publisher, Storm Publishing, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

Annie Murray is helping her friend Pri, and her girlfriend Penny, throw a murder mystery dinner fundraiser to help with repairs/renovations at the fledgling vineyard that Penny has purchased. Suddenly Curtis, a grouchy neighbor who seems to have disagreements with just about everyone, suddenly appears poisoned and the murder mystery dinner becomes real. Annie works at the Secret Bookcase Bookstore but was previously a stellar criminology student of Dr. Caldwell who is in charge of the local detective unit at the police department. Annie jumps into help solve the murder when it looks like Penny might become one of the prime suspects.

This is the first one of this series I have read, although it is the third book. I think I would have enjoyed it more and understood the characters if I had read one or both of the previous books. That being said, it can still be read as a standalone. It just took me a bit to warm up to the characters, but then I really enjoyed them and their relationships. The author writes well rounded characters that you can feel for them and root for them. I also enjoyed the murder at the murder mystery dinner that also has a storm brewing outside setting. I think one of my favorite scenes was actually the Children's Halloween event at the bookstore with Cruella De Vil and Jasper reading to the kids.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery that will leave you looking forward to the next one in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity read this ARC and leave my honest review.

‘Murder wasn’t supposed to be on the menu.’

A locked house mystery set at the spookiest time of the year. What can be better? The burgeoning romances between Annie and Liam and Pri and Penny, of course. Secret staircases, hidden treasure and a cast full of entertaining character round out this fun third installment in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. So much fun!

‘Murder wasn’t supposed to be on the menu.’

A locked house mystery set at the spookiest time of the year. What can be better? The burgeoning romances between Annie and Liam and Pri and Penny, of course. Secret staircases, hidden treasure and a cast full of entertaining character round out this fun third installment in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. So much fun!

Annie Murray, of the Secret Bookcase Bookstore, is hosting a fundraiser mystery dinner for Penny Shurr, Annie's best friend, Pri's girlriend. Penny had recently bought the Wentworth Farm and begun renovations, and, of course, the work has greatly eaten into her savings. Annie has written the script, Liam Donovan, Annie's maybe boyfriend was catering, and the Redwood Curtain Players, led by Ophelia Timmons, provides actors for the victim and to move the story along.
The Wentworths were a wealthy founding family of Redwood Grove who had a number of mysteries surrounding them, not least of which was the lost treasure.
The evening begins with fireworks among the guests, most of whom quarrel with Curtis Wright who wants to buy Penny's farm.
Everything is going well with wonderful food and wine until Curtis collapses from apparent poisoning. The lights go out from a storm and the police and ambulance are delayed by downed trees.
Annie, who has a degree in criminology, takes charge of the investigation until someone in authority can get there. Some of the guests are less than cooperative, notably, Patrick Zimmerman, a local developer and Trishelle Wilder who grew up in Redwood Grove, but had been away for quite a while, and the actor, Jeff, who had history with Curtis.
Annie, Pri, Liam, and Penny work through the odd relationships and clues and of course figure out how and why and the who shows up and nearly does for Annie and Pri. In the end, Liam gets to be the hero, the culprit is unmasked, but the treasure is found and lost again and is still a local legend for tourists to treasure hunt.
It is great to see how the characters are developing in this series. The story arc of the murder of Annie's friend Scarlett is still in play and the will-she-won't-she go back to criminology or stay at the bookstore with her great boss, Hal and co-worker Fletcher Hughes.
Can't wait to see how her relationship with Liam will progress.

Another non stop action story from Ellie Alexander.. Getting to know the main characters very well now and they are meeting expectations every time. This one had a nice pensive conclusion with a look forward to the next adventure.

Another sweet Agatha Christie type story which I admit I really like. Yes there is a cheesy element but if you reread the original Christie novels they would appear cheesy too. Nothing wrong with a bit of cheese. We meet again the inhabitants of a small town whose lives are disrupted by a murder. The ensuing pages are the reader following the trail of clues and discovering whodunnit! A cosy read.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book in this delightful series set in a charming small-town bookstore with welcoming characters. Vivid imagery makes the place picturesque, and I wish the bookstore were real. However, in this one, the action is off-site for most of the book, so we get to see more of the town.

Annie is a plausible sleuth due to her degree in criminology and close ties to her former professor, who is now in law enforcement. She's got a few cases under her belt, and I hope she will continue to gain more confidence in her investigations. I enjoy the supporting characters, from Annie's best friend Pri, her love interest Liam, and the staff at the bookstore. The bookstore owner claims a relationship with Agatha Christie, and much of the store is Christie-themed, which is a fun touch. Did I mention I wish this bookstore were real? The mystery is interesting, and even though I did guess the culprit, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story. I hope we learn a bit more about the mysterious death of Annie's college roommate, Scarlet, in future books, as that overarching mystery intrigues me. A very cozy, quick reading whodunnit!

Thank you to Storm Books and Netgalley for the gifted review copy!

I am happy to report that this series continues to be charming and fun. However, I docked it a star because even the protagonist and her BFF point out that investigating strange noises in a creepy house is a bad idea and they do it anyway!

Ms. Alexander compares the dinner party to the movie Clue and I agree that is an extremely apt comparison. It's too bad it was ruined by a real murder instead of a mystery one. I would have liked to see Annie's plot unravel further before the festivities were brought to a halt. Plenty of red herrings are offered but this is one time when Murphy's law applies (not explaining further, so no spoilers!!).

Redwood Grove continues to be a charming cozy setting for these mysteries. The closeknit townsfolk and quirky shop names make the reader want to keep retuning to Redwood Grove to find out what new festive bookish event Annie will come up with next. I am delighted the next book in the series is a holiday one. I'll be first in line to read it!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

A new cozy mystery series.
Annie host a mystery dinner at a historical farmhouse when Curtis the fame bully of the town died was it her food or murder,
Great characters with drama,suspense,twists.
Can Annie solve the mystery before someone else gets hurt including herself.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Ellie Alexander’s stories pull you in like a warm hug bringing you home. Book three in ‘The Secret Bookcase’ series, “Death at the Dinner Party” has a closed door, Agatha Christie murder mystery vibe (or a rousing game of Clue) that takes readers into the lives of her characters who are having a murder mystery dinner party in a house filled with questions, rumored lost treasure, and intrigue. This story showcases Annie taking more of a lead in the investigation as she tries to piece together everything that happened leading up to the murder. While I would have liked to see more of Fletcher and Hal, I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how this may end up affecting Annie’s future plans.

As always, Ellie Alexander doesn’t disappoint, breathing life into her main cast of characters, namely Annie, Pri, Penny, Liam, Hal, Fletcher, and Dr. Caldwell, despite the deaths that keep happening around them. I enjoyed that the burgeoning romance between Liam and Annie is progressing with lots of potential for the two to grow together and separately. Each book so far has involved the cold case that led to her friend Scarlet’s murder back in university. I like that this mystery weaves its way through each book and am intrigued by the leads Annie has gained as she works for justice for her best friend. I’m really looking forward to more clues and progress in future books. I am enjoying this series a lot and can’t wait for book four, “A Holiday Homicide” which will be out in November!

Thank you NetGalley and @stormbooks_co for the ebook. #deathatthedinnerparty is out on September 29, just in time for a spooky Halloween read!

#elliealexander #secretbookcase #cozymystery #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendation #fyp #mysterybooks #bookgeek #booknerd #netgalley #stormpublishing #femaleauthor #femalewriter Ellie Alexander

Loved it! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to find out who did it. A must read for all Agatha Christie lovers who enjoy a well written mystery novel.