3.5 Stars
One Liner: Entertaining!

Anne Murray is almost the co-owner of the Secret Bookcase Bookshop and is hopeful about her future. It’s Valentine's Day, and the bookstore is ready to celebrate lovers. When local philanthropist, George, asks Anne to host an event for a matchmaking company, she is excited.
The D-day arrives and brings crowds as well a mystery package and a death. Anne now has to solve a murder instead of spending the day on a dinner date with Liam. And what about the case that has been haunting her for years?
The story comes in Anne’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
This is the fourth book in the series and may not work that well as a standalone. The overarching plot takes more space in the previous book and this one, so having some prior knowledge about the story will help.
Since is this an easy cozy series (yeah, I came up with a new subgenre), the mystery is pretty straightforward despite the presence of multiple suspects.
The characters are quite interesting, and the descriptions of the setting are beautiful to read. The pacing is great too (nothing like a short mystery with a quick pace). I like the growth in the main characters. It’s subtle but there.
There’s a slight development in the personal/ love track, which is nice to see. We meet the side characters again. I do wonder if 90% of Indians have arranged marriages, that too in 2025? I think not!
And oh, there’s a bit of danger in this one. As the MC gets closer to the truth, the threats seem to be increasing. Makes sense, right?
I have to mention the crows here, especially Jekyll and Hyde. Flecther’s idea certainly has merit (even if it is not entirely legal, lol). In fact, a Telugu comedy movie has a similar scene.

To summarize, A Victim at Valentine's is a quick and light read with a murder in a romantic bookish setting. The next book will be the last in the series, so I’m curious to know how the main case (the overarching mystery) will be solved.
Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I enjoyed this book so much that I didn’t want to put it down. I loved the characters and the bookstore.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book!

I absolutely love this series, this is the 5th installment and I absolutely loved reading it. It’s a delightful addition to the bookcase series.

The story stars with a matchmaking event but when a community philanthropist found dead, our FMC Annie stars investigating. The characters are relatable and Annie’s friends add a good aspect to the story and her investigation.

The cozy atmosphere and the setting is really nice and sucks you into it. The mystery itself is also good, it’s a classic cozy mystery and not too dark but at the same time keeps you guessing.

I loved reading this book and would continue this series. Thank you NetGalley and publisher to provide me with this early copy!

An intriguing who-done-it set on a small, charming... and sometimes quirky town. Love and murder are in the air this Valentine's. And you just might not know who to trust.

I really enjoyed reading A Victim at Valentine’s by Ellie Alexander. It’s a cozy suspense book one that requires a nice comfy chair and peace and quiet. The book contains some twists and turns which makes you really think if you’re on the right path. The ending leaves a reader wondering what will happen next and if they learn more on the mystery of another previous murder. I’m now looking forward to the next installment

Annie Murray is hosting a matchmaking event and there’s a lot of weirdness going on. First, she receives a package from the mysterious Natalie, then George, the local philanthropist, gets oddly involved in strange places. When George turns up dead in the garden, things really get crazy. But how did he die? Was it an accident or something more sinister?

I like this series but it doesn’t have the charm of the Bakeshop series. I don’t care much for Liam and I don’t like how ga-ga Annie has gotten over him in such a short time. The bookstore is wonderful and the fellow main characters are fun and charming. The side characters in this book were all highly sus, which made the killer a bit harder to pin down, though when it all boils down only one character had a real motive. I think the whole murdered-friend thing is about to come to a head, which is good because I think it’s been drawn out perhaps a bit too long.

Overall this series is worth a read, I’d recommend it to anyone interested in bookshop themed cozies.

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

This is another excellent book in the Ellie Alexander series. The same fabulous characters from the first few books are back with some of them in more of a driving position. This time the focus is a death linked to a matchmaking event which has been hosted in the bookshop. Annie is a little bit older and her relationships and her business is more developed than in the previous books and it is great to see her progression alongside her skills at solving the murderers that seemed to happen around her. Liam is once more in action alongside Allie and a little bit of romance adds to the enjoyment of the book. As this is the pen ultimate book in the series the mystery that has always been in the background of these books, the disappearance of her best friend Scarlett, gets a little bit more meat on the bones and set up the final book to be a real treat.

Thank you for allowing me to review this latest book by Ellie Alexander. I have enjoyed the previous books in this series and this one was no exception. I love how the characters are developing and the links to previous stories. Keep it up.
I recommend this book to lovers of Crime fiction particularly not heavyweight reads.

The characters have grown well over the series and this is book 5 in this cosy mystery series, based around valentines!

This is one of my favorite new cozy series, and I am hooked on the characters and the mystery of Scarlet! I love the bookstore setting and all the supporting characters, plus the mysteries keep me guessing. I thought I had this one figured out early on, but I had the same wrong guess as Annie (right person, wrong reason), which kept things interesting!

This fifth installment of Annie Murray and her bookshop involves a Valentine’s matchmaking event. Everyone is a suspect in this death, while clues to the death of Annie’s university friend add and extra frisson of fear. I like that the characters and the bookstore evolve at a good pace from book to book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this DRC.
#AVictimatValentines #NetGalley

This new series from Ellie Alexander keeps getting better! Each book dives more into the characters and I love how much they have grown since the first book in this series. Keep it coming! Highly recommend!

This was a well written, easy and cosy murder mystery. I will say that although I had my suspicions it had me intrigued and guessing until the very end - it's been a long time since a book has done that.

In the quaint town of Redwood Grove, Annie Murray’s Valentine’s Day plans take a dark and twisted turn when a beloved pillar of the community - and friend to Annie - is found dead outside her Agatha Christie-inspired bookshop, the Secret Bookcase.

Is this a standalone case or does it tie back to the decade-old death of Annie's best friend?

Annie isn't only a bookseller, she is a former criminology student and is in the process of setting up her own PI agency with her friend Fletcher - the Novel Detectives. And she is determined to uncover the truth.

I love the whimsical bookshop, charming town and quirky characters - all of which make it an enjoyable read. Plus, the fact that it weaves in Annie's (and the readers) love of books adds to the charm of the story.

This is the fifth book in the 'A Secret Bookcase' mystery series. It is the penultimate book in the series and leads up to a grand finale well. Unfortunately, I hadn't heard of these books before so this was the first I have read. It did well to weave in the backstory however I feel for the ongoing story, readers would likely benefit from reading all books in the series. That said, I enjoyed it as a standalone. I will now be reading all the others in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Whilst not my usual genre, I was pleasantly surprised by A Victim at Valentines, an easy read with very cosy storytelling.
We see Annie, our headstrong FMC break down an investigation piece by piece, whilst managing to host an event at her gorgeous bookshop and the towns latest criminal act. Her drinks choice is also rather interesting.
What I enjoyed about the book is how descriptive the author was. She has made feel that Redwood Grove could be a real place, in which case I would love to visit but I do feel the weather should always be quintessentially autumnal.
An easy cosy read for those who always win at Cluedo.

I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I want to find out about Scarlett. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

cozy mystery. Read in 2 days could have finished in one but i started it very late at night. Thought I figured it out however I was wrong and happy to be wrong.

Although I guessed the murderer correctly, I didn’t guess the reason. This series works well because there is usually an array of suspects and gradually they get whittled away. It is set in a gorgeous location and the food and friendships are fun. This time things really hotted up at the end, with more information on Scarlet's murder and on Annie's love life. These tantalising snippets have me looking forward to the next book. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

I had not read the other books in this series but believe that they could also be read as stand alone titles. Very engaging, though predictable - I will be going back to read the other books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander is a cosy mystery set in the charming town of Redwood Grove, where Annie Murray’s Valentine’s Day plans are disrupted by the discovery of a murder in her Agatha Christie-inspired bookshop. The victim is a beloved local figure, and as Annie becomes involved in the investigation, she quickly realises there are no shortage of potential suspects. From an eccentric psychic to a professional matchmaker and a rival bookseller, each individual has a motive that seems all too plausible.

As Annie delves deeper into the mystery, her keen observational skills help her uncover a web of secrets, and she begins to suspect that the murder may be linked to a decade-old tragedy—the death of her best friend, Scarlet. This unresolved cold case continues to haunt Annie, and she’s determined to piece together the clues that might finally bring her friend’s killer to justice. With her Valentine’s Day plans with the charming Liam on hold, Annie must navigate a tangled mix of past and present as she races to solve the crime before she becomes the next victim.

The plot of A Victim at Valentine's moves at a steady pace, allowing readers to reflect on the deeper themes of lost friendships, old memories, and the bittersweet emotions that Valentine’s Day can bring. The murder mystery unfolds smoothly, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged. Annie’s ongoing obsession with Scarlet’s unsolved murder adds an emotional depth to the story, seamlessly tying together the past and present as she uncovers the truth. For fans of cosy mysteries with a touch of nostalgia and intrigue, this is a delightful and compelling read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching Redwood Grove. Annie Murray is getting her bookstore A Secret Bookcase ready for Valentine’s Day. Annie Fletcher and Hal got involved with a matchmaker who was matching people up not just for the day but for a weekend. With the help of their friend George, who was a businessman things were up and running until they weren’t. George killed, which throws the whole town of Redwood Grove looking over their shoulders of who might be the killer.
Annie, along with her fellow crime fighters and Dr. Caldwell start looking into the various suspects and what were their ties to George? Things start to happen, especially when the crows start circling and throw in a psychic who predicts when there would be a murder. Does this psychic have something to do with the murder of George, or is she a fake? Will Annie be able to survive the weekend without getting hurt? Will be there to help her get through this? These and many more questions are answered so you should read this book.
I’ve always loved Ellie Alexander’s novel. She is one of the best cozy mystery writers who brings her characters to life and really makes you get involved with the stories. You feel like you’re part of the town of Redwood Grove and that you were actual friends with Annie and the cast of characters. I love reading Eli‘s books and I look forward to many more. these are perfect cozy mysteries to read, especially after you read a very intense novel. They are fast rating, and you fall in love with the characters and their stories.
Thank you, NetGalley Storm Publishing for the ARC. I look forward to more from Ellie Alexander, and with thoroughly love to read and give my feedback on any of her stories. Five stars.