This was a great cozy mystery because it was an interesting mystery, but it also had a lot of humor. Marvey was so unintentionally funny. I loved how no matter who she met or what the situation was, she was always asking people if they had a library card!

So funny. She really takes her job as a librarian seriously!

But Marvey wasn't the only delightful character. I loved reading about Jo, the bookstore owner. And then there was their friend Spence, editor of the local newspaper and maybe the most courteous man in town? Idk. But it was nice to read about such a nice, southern gentleman.

I'm obviously a book lover and so I enjoyed reading about the Peach Coast library and Jo's bookstore. Although Marvey did a good job investigating the murder to try to clear Jo's name, she wasn't the smoothest detective. It was funny how no matter who she talked to or what questions she asked, she was always getting told to stay out of it and let the police do their jobs.

Sigh. If only the cops were doing a better job of investigating.

There was a cute pet character in this story. Phoenix is Marvey's cat. It made me sad that he wasn't feeling well for a majority of the story. I'm hoping there are more books in this series and that he's featured in them.

Overall, I thought this was a fun story and I liked reading about the small town of Peach Coast. Marvey has a fun job and a great crew that she works with. I also enjoyed some of the phone conversations she had with her parents and her brother. It added to the story to hear their perspectives as Marvey filled them in about the murder mystery going on in her new town. If you like bookish cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new cozy mystery series set in Georgia. Southern manners and characters abound. It was a bit tricky to keep them all straight. I love the town and adore the library and all its librarians. The mystery is okay - not graphic. The love interest remains to be seen.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

A dead author
Featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Library Journal, and others, Patricia Sargeant, a best-selling, award-winning author, writes mysteries as Olivia Matthews and romance under her own name. She is presenting "Murder by Page One", a mystery novel in the "Peach Coast Library Mystery" series, published by Hallmark Publishing.
Librarian Marcella Harris (Marvey), director of community engagement with the Peach Coast Library in Peach Coast. Georgia, visits the independent book store "To Be Read" which is owned by her new friend Jolene Gomez (Jo) in order to assist at the book signing by multiple authors. Fiona Lyle-Haye, one of the local authors wants to get her books out of storage herself, but when she does not show up for quite some time Marvey, Jo, and Spence Holt go looking for her only to find her dead. Soon Marvey has to fight to clear Jo's name and keep her out of prison. But will she also find the murderer?
This was the first book by this author which I read and I am looking forward to other books by her. I appreciated the engaging and well-developed story-line of this mystery with its likeable and believable characters. I highly recommend this book to readers who love easy to read mysterie. As a special treat the book offers a Hallmark Original Recipe for "Classic Peach Cobbler."
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#MurderByPageOne #Netgalley

This is a nice start to a new cozy mystery series, featuring a feisty young (28) librarian. Marvella Harris (“Marvey”) has relocated from New York City (Brooklyn, specifically) to a small town near Georgia’s coast, to be the Director of Community Engagement for the Peach Coast Public Library. So she’s now a big fish in a small pond instead of a little fish in a big pond.

The story was enjoyable and kept me guessing for a while, but the style of writing had me rolling my eyes. Do we really need to know that her couch is seafoam green and that she’s wearing a navy T-shirt and sapphire shorts? Or that she was wearing a grass-green linen blouse with cream cotton pants? A bit less description of non-essential things would have gone a long way in improving the flow of the book.

I couldn’t decide if it was charming or annoying that she asked everyone she was introduced to: “Do you have a library card?” I’m a big fan of libraries and this had me rolling my eyes as well. And while I sympathized with Marvella having to adjust to the slower pace of life and conversation versus what she was used to, did she really need to have nearly every colorful phrase “translated”?

On the plus side, I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters, Marvey’s attachment to the family she left behind in Brooklyn, and her devotion to her cat, Phoenix, who is having trouble adjusting to their move.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I’m quite late to it. I bounced between the ARC and the published audiobook, courtesy of my public library. The narrator, Janina Edwards, did a good job with the various voices and accents.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Great murder mystery. Cozy and perfect for a fall night read.

Can I say I was disappointed when there was no murder by page one of this book? Well I was. The book was kind of corny and predictable. I must couldn’t even finish it.

Olivia Matthews was a new to me author, but no more, she has a place on my author to be read pile! I loved loved Murder by Page One,

Marvey moved to Peach Coast about 4 months ago. Her cat is not adjusting well. Her cat, Phoenix, keeps moving all of his stuff over near the door. She is really worried about him.

Now her and her friends, Jo and Spence, are going to a book signing at Jo's store. Fiona, one of the writers, hasn't come out to set up for the signing yet. Apparently she is still in the storage room. After waiting a while for her to show up they went in the storage room and found her murdered.

This was a really good read, I enjoyed the book. I read it almost in one setting. I think you will enjoy it too.

Enjoyed the location, love a good library related mystery, and the cast of characters. Marvella Harris has recently moved from New York to a small town in Georgia. Moving from a fast paced environment to a southern home town leads to some entertaining situations. While attending a local book signing event, an attending author is found murdered and Marvella's friend, Jo, is suspected of the murder. Marvella and Spencer, local golden boy and editor of the town newspaper, work with Jo to uncover who really committed the murder. As the group gets closer to learning the truth the danger increases. This is an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Release Date: August 10 2021

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Marvey is leaving Brooklyn and moving to Peach Coast Georgia. She doesn’t expect for her first author signing to be deadly, but that’s exactly what happened when the author showed up dead. Marvey must find the killer in order to keep one of her friends out of prison!

This is the first in a new series by hallmark. If you read any of my other reviews, you know I love hallmark but I was disappointed by this one. It was almost boring. The idea was good but I was annoyed by Marvey. I didn’t hate this book but I also didn’t love it. So my final decision is try it for yourself!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#murderbypageone #bookstagram #cozymysteryseries #netgalleyreads #hallmark

This reminds me a lot of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries (a librarian who solves crimes in a small town, hello!) but I always enjoy a good mystery. I enjoyed Marvey the Brooklyn transplant as the lead and I hope there will be more to come for her. This was a quick and enjoyable read.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her books. Happy reading

Marvella Harris, or Marvey, is a southern transplant from New York. She's the new Director of Community Engagement at the library. Her hobbies include book-themed jewelry and bowing to her cat's every whim. She has two good friends, Jolene Gomez and Spencer Holt. Jolene owns To Be Read, the local bookstore. When Marvey finds a body in Jolene's place of business and Jolene is the prime suspect, Marvey adds another hobby to her list.

I really enjoyed this first in a new series cozy mystery. The book had a well-thought out plot, interesting characters, and was engaging. I was pulled in from the first time I read about the book. The book is full of character development and I fell like I knew each person and would be right at home in Peach Coast, Georgia.

The author really set the stage for what is going to be a spectacular new cozy mystery series.

As a librarian, I love booked theme cozies but I often have a problem suspending belief for librarian featured novels as I know the reality all too well. So I had a bit of a problem with the premise as it is very unlikely a Brooklyn born and raised librarian would move to a small town in Georgia for a job. That said, I did like the main character overall and the setting was quintessential small town. This book is definitely a win for lovers of Hallmark movies.

Book one in the Peach Coast Library Mystery series and it was wonderful! Love anything by Hallmark Publishing!

Murder by page one was right up my alley. I work in a library, love Hallmark Mystery & love cozy mysteries so to have them all balled up into one story was fabulous. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I’m very ambivalent about this one. I need more character development, I need more character interaction, which sounds strange in a cozy, but if you read this you’ll understand.

It’s an odd thing, I liked the story, but there were holes, there were issues. It was one of those books that would start pulling you in, then all of a sudden you would realize if you just wanted more in a certain part, or maybe it’s just me.

I would definitely read the author again, because there were definitely things that were extremely well done, but at the end of the book I still felt disconnected.

This was a fun read and did indeed give off the essence of a Hallmark film. I was drawn in by the cover, but the plot itself was just as enticing. I love the fact that Marvey makes bookish jewelry in her free time, too—what a unique plot point.

the main character in this book, Marvella Harris, has moved to Peach Coast, Georgia to be the new Director of Community Engagement at the library. The locals are a bit standoffish and her lack of understanding of the local expressions has her feeling that she is in a foreign country and requires a translated. Another new resident, Jolene Gomez, the bookstore owner, is holding a book signing for local authors. When one of the authors is found stabbed to death in the storage room, Jolene is the chief suspect and Marvy promises her new friend to find out who the real murderer is.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It didn't seem to have a definite direction. It rambled at times and the characters were missing s sense of reality.