A Victim at Valentine’s by Ellie Alexander is a delightful addition to the Secret Bookcase Mystery series, blending romance, intrigue, and small-town charm. This fifth installment brings readers back to Redwood Grove, where Annie Murray, co-owner of the Secret Bookcase bookstore, finds herself hosting a Valentine’s matchmaking event that takes a deadly turn.

The story opens with a buzz of excitement as the matchmaking event, inspired by the theme of love and mystery, is set to begin. But when George Richards, a beloved local philanthropist, is found dead the morning after the event’s opening night, Annie’s sleuthing skills are put to the test once more. As she delves into the lives of event participants and townsfolk, Annie uncovers secrets, rivalries, and motives, all while juggling her responsibilities as a new business owner and amateur detective.

Alexander excels at creating a cozy atmosphere, painting a vivid picture of the charming Redwood Grove and the bustling Secret Bookcase. The Valentine’s Day theme adds a festive touch, and the descriptions of the bookstore’s events, food, and decor bring the setting to life. The addition of a quirky psychic and a pair of mischievous crows adds humor and intrigue to the mix.

The mystery itself is engaging, with a well-paced plot and an array of suspects. While some seasoned mystery readers might piece together the clues before the final reveal, the journey is still enjoyable, thanks to Annie’s relatable character and her endearing relationships with friends like Fletcher and Liam. The ongoing subplot about the unsolved murder of Annie’s best friend, Scarlet, continues to provide depth and a compelling thread that ties the series together.

This book works well as a standalone, but fans of the series will appreciate how it builds on established character dynamics and the overarching storyline. The balance between the murder investigation and the lighter moments of romance and community makes this an entertaining read.

A Victim at Valentine’s is a cozy mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie-inspired tales, charming bookshop settings, and strong, determined heroines. It’s a warm, engaging read that will leave you eager for the series’ next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this Valentine-themed mystery.

Thank you netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

I love this cozy series. Annie, Fletcher, Hal, Pri, Liam are at it again. How many murders can happen in such a small town? I loved the addition of the crows in this book. Such underrated, intelligent creatures. Annie of course figures things out, and ends up in trouble.

This is book 5 and sounds like the next one will be the last. I am looking forward to getting Scarlet's murder solved but sad to be leaving Redwood Grove.

5 🌟

This cozy was very predictable. An elderly gentleman is killed in the bookstore’s garden and Annie jumps in to solve the mystery. Not too hard to figure out who it was even with a couple red herrings.
Also some tantalizing clues on the years old murder of Annie’s best friend. More to come in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. A Victim at Valentine's is the fifth book in the A Secret Bookcase Mystery by Ellie Alexander. This book is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone and you would only be missing the background on the parts about Scarlett. I do highly recommend reading the entire series. This book is a cozy mystery with some romance. This book does give us some more on Annie and Donovan. These books give two mysteries each time, we get the individual mystery for each book and the continuing mystery with Scarlett. I am sad there is only one more book left in this series. I did not want to put this book down once I started it. I cannot wait to read the next book.

When George, an upstanding member of the Redwood Grove community, is murdered, Annie works with her former college instructor, who is now a detective in town, to unravel the murder. Annie carefully sorts through the townspeople gathered for a Valentine's Day celebration and chooses a few possible suspects.
Annie's search leads her back to the tragedy of her best friend Sarah’s death years before. Annie has never stopped looking for her killer, and she now finds that Geoge's death may be linked to Sarah's and that the killer is lurking around town amongst the crowd celebrating Valentine's Day.
When Annie suddenly realizes that she is being watched, she steps up her search for the killer before she becomes the next victim.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of A VICTIM AT VALENTINE’S (Book 5 of the Secret Bookcase Mystery series) by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. Annie Murray is hosting another event at the bookshop she and her fellow clerk are in the process of purchasing; it’s a Valentine’s mystery date with a mystery book and a mystery match planned in conjunction with a local dating agency. When one of the participants and part-owner of the dating agency is found dead in the garden on the second morning of the event, Annie exercises her old and new investigative skills to investigate the event participants and staff for every possible motive, opportunity, and means. Whoo! That’s a lot of work on top of her attempts to make headway into solving her friend’s murder, as well. Good Luck, Annie!

I like this book and the series. I recommend it to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring themed bookshops and special events.

#AVictimatValentines #NetGalley

This is a really good book. I fortunately got picked for an early read and throughly enjoyed it! Cant wait to read the next one.

The characters are believable, it keeps you wanting to figure out who done it, and leaves you wanting to read the next one. Everything a book should do. I would recommend it.

I screamed with joy when I got approved to read this early. And I can’t believe there is only 1 more left in the series.
Annie is one of my favorite characters I’ve read about. She has such a great support system around her and I love the side characters in this series as well.
I don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries but this series is a must read. I find myself trying to figure out the mystery along with Annie while reading.

I am really enjoying this new series by Ellie Alexander. This is the fifth book in the series. This series has been released pretty quickly over this last year. Annie and the crew at the Secret Bookcase have their hands full hosting a Valentine's event at the bookstore. This event features a matchmaker suggested to them by Hal's friend George, a local philanthropist who likes to promote new businesses by women. When Anne finds George dead outside the bookstore on the morning after the first day of the three day event can she and her team aid the Detective in finding out what happened to this man everyone seemed to love? When a little research gives us several suspects, can Annie narrow it down? With she and Fletcher working on their new detective agency and taking over the bookstore, not to mention more information in Scarlet's case, will they find time to get everything handled??? Come along for all our favorite characters and lots of juggled investigations! Thanks to #Netgally, #StormPublishing, and the author for the chance to read this book early. #AVictimatValentine's #ASecretBookcaseMystery #EllieAlexander #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

This book might have been slightly better, but again, I got stuck on something that felt so unrealistic and unlikely that I couldn't get past it. After discussing her best friend's murder throughout the past books and having it be what drives her, Annie puts the file in an unlocked desk, in an unlocked office, during a big event and doesn't even open it to take a peek, and leaves it there overnight! This felt crazy to me, especially after so much emphasis on her "expertise" in criminology, she doesn't think that it's important to hide/lock up papers that are left by someone who faked their own death and might have information about her best friend's murder? The other murder storyline was somewhat predictable with a little bit of a twist. I'm glad that the next book will be the last and am hopeful that we will finally get all the details and explanation about her best friend's murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

A Victim at Valentine’s is book 5 in Ellie Alexander’s Secret Bookcase Mystery series.

Annie Murray is co-owner of the Secret Bookcase bookshop, and studying to become a detective. When a popular local philanthropist is found dead on the grounds the morning after an event at the bookshop, Annie is pulled into the investigation.

This is the first book I read in this series, and although there seems to be a second mystery tying all of the books in the series together, I didn’t have any problem reading this book as a standalone.

There are lots of interesting suspects in this story, from the strange psychic, to the hungover barista in training, and Annie must aid the police in determining who the culprit is, while continuing her investigation into her best friend’s murder.

A Victim at Valentine’s was an interesting read with a good mystery, a sense of community and friendship amongst the main characters, a touch of romance ( after all it is set at Valentine’s Day), and a pair of crows to steal the show.

If you enjoy a good mystery, then give A Victim at Valentine’s a try. I enjoyed it, so will be looking to read more of the series, especially the final book to see who killed Annie’s friend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited for the 5th cosy mystery from the Secret Bookcase book shop. I've been looking forward to this and I'm very lucky to read this E-ARC (in exchange for an honest review) a season early because I've thing that Ellie Alexander is brilliant at is evoking all of the best things about the season she's writing about - I read this over Christmas and now I can't wait for spring!

As it's the fifth book, the characters are developed and distinct The town is beautifully described and really sumptuous. The standout for me once again was the food and drink described, I wish I had such an incredible coffee shop as Cryptic - The red velvet hot chocolate in particular sounded incredible.

The mystery is gentle, you're not attached to either the victim or the murderer, you have enough information to work out, which on this occasion I did.
I also quite enjoyed the mystery which ones throughout the series around Annie's best friend, Scarlett's murder. In the first few books this felt like a bit of a unnecessary add-on, but I really get the senses. The series starts to draw to a close that this is going to come to a head in quite a spectacular way.

You could read this as a standalone if you wanted to and I don't think you'd miss out too much, but if you enjoy the cosy trope then it would be a good idea to start from the beginning and enjoy them all.

Can't wait for the final instalment

I loved this one. The description of Redwood Grove town is cosy, mysterious and a bit atmospheric. Characters are warm yet the death of Annie’s best friend still affects her. The murder is not only connected with the old mystery but also with the bookshop. The unthinkable things turns her life upside down. This is the most cosy and suspenseful book. Loved Fletcher’s character.
Thanks to the Publisher

3.5/5 stars - Protagonist, Annie, is now co-owner of the bookstore, A Secret Bookcase, just in time for Valentine's Day. When one of her community partners is killed, she is once again on the case to help solve the crime. Annie also receives some illuminating news regarding the murder of her best friend, Scarlet. She just might find out the truth and bring justice to her friend after all these years.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was lucky enough to get an advanced readers copy of Ellie Alexander’s latest Secret Bookcase mystery. But, as always, this opinion is my own, . Alexander is a very good writer. She has engaging storylines and adds descriptive prose than makes the reader feel that they are in the book. This adventure is based around a Valentine’s Day matchmaking weekend at the bookstore. While a murder does occur, that does not take away from Cupid’s visit. If you have not yet read this series, take the time now. You will not be disappointed.

I love this series and am always waiting for the next one to come out and this one was a GREAT COZY READ. Annie, the amateur sleuth is amazing as she always figures it out. In this one a friend of everyone, George is the victim and there are several really good suspects.There is also some extra stuff thrown in. Remember this is a bookstore Valentine's match up. I highly recommend this book. I don't do spoilers

First off a big thanks to the publisher Storm Publishing as well as to the author Ellie Alexander and NetGalley for the invite to read and review A Victim at Valentine's , as well as letting me know about this series because it checked everything off in my boxes when it comes to reading .

1: a new to me author
2: a new to me cozy mystery series
3: combines to of my favorite things criminology and books
4: pacing ( was a bit slow but I actually liked it like that ) setting ( 2 of my favoritethings a small town and a bookstore) , and even a little romance ( that didn't take anything away from the story but the pacing of it was just right )
5: characters ( that was easy to love and laugh either with or at )

Another excellent addition to this wonderful series. It's so much fun reconnecting with the characters each time, watching relationships develop and seeing how each character grows. Annie is at it again, helping Dr Caldwell solve the highly unusual murder of a well known person in the community. As usual there are plenty of suspects, twists and turns. And Annie receives more information about Scarlett's case which puts her in danger. I'm looking forward to the next book!
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Ellie Alexander for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

contemporary, California, bookseller, small-business, small-town, friends, friendship, amateur-sleuth, palmistry, matchmaking, investigation, local-law-enforcement, lies, secrets, cozy-mystery, criminologist, dishonest-people, suspicion, murder*****

Former criminology student/bookseller Annie Murray is having a sales event involving a famed matchmaker. But things go rather spectacularly wrong and trying to untangle the lies/liars from simple bystanders is a monumental task complicated by events from the past. Good read.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected e-galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Feb 10, 2025
#AVictimAtValentines #SecretBookcaseMysteriesBk5 @StormPublishing #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #CozyMystery #MurderOfCrows #Murder #Matchmaker

A solid addition to this cozy series. It hits all the marks with pacing, setting, and even a little romance. This mystery was too low stakes for me, even for a cozy. I’m glad to see baby steps in the Scarlet murder plot point. Keep Liam around, but have some showing instead of telling about their developing relationship. Best for fans of the series because we’re getting more into solving Scarlet’s murder, even though this mystery stands alone.