The Body in the Bookstore is the first in Ellie Alexander’s newest Secret Bookcase series. The series starts out strong, following out main character, Annie, as she develops a mystery convention in her small town Redwood Grove. Her job at the local bookstore, The Secret Bookcase, makes it more rewarding for her to get together with other local businesses to set up the mystery festival of a lifetime. After a great deal of hard work and planning, Annie is thrilled with the success of the event, until her past catches up with her. Annie finds that old college acquaintances have found their way to her event, leaving her feeling troubled and reliving the trauma of her past. When a body is found during one of the festival activities, Annie takes it into her own hands to discover if there is any link between her past and her present.

As one would expect from a book about a mystery festival, the number of callouts to mystery genre favorites such as Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie provided for a fun way to connect with the story. This was an important addition to the story because it focused a great deal on Scarlett’s backstory and providing the groundwork for a continuation of the story. That level of groundwork can feel tedious to get through, but the connections with favorites of the genre helped. It was a lot to take in while being introduced to so many characters and places at once.

The mystery itself fell victim to the downfalls of many first books in cozy mystery series in that it was forced. There were so many false leads and in the end, when the culprit was found, their motivation lacked the depth or surprise factor that it could have had. By the time Annie found closure within the case, there were so many unanswered questions left, that I struggled to feel satisfied with the ending.

The descriptions of the festival and the activities provided within the town of Redwood Grove were a delight. There were so many events happening that, while it was distracting from the mystery, it sounded like just the place that every mystery reader would want to go in real life. It would be a dream come true to find a whole town that really jumped into a plan like that with so much vigor.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read and a great start to a strong cozy mystery series

3.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was far below the normal writing of the author. The character work was subapr, the writing was poor, plotting was sloppy, and the ending obvious from the beginning. I will NOT be recommending this series nor will I be continuing this series.

This story was great fun. A Murder Mystery Weekend with a real murder! There was an appealing cast of characters and a fast moving narrative. Great conclusion with an opening for a follow on.

I really enjoyed this book!! Such a fun mystery with more in the series to come. I love the way they really focus to support the small town local bookstore vibe. The cliffhanger ending and continued themes through the story left more to come down the road in the next story of the series.
Thank you to Ellie Alexander, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this book.

The Body in the Bookstore is the debut of the A Secret Bookcase Mystery series set in Redwood Grove, California and features Annie Murray. Annie is a criminology graduate whose best friend Scarlet, was murdered investigating a cold case for one of their college courses. Still obsessing over her friends unsolved murder a decade ago, Annie now works as a bookseller and event coordinator at the Secret Bookcase - a unique mystery bookshop set in a English mansion.

The bookshop is set off the beaten path so busy is not always booming. In an effort to boost business for her boss Hal Christie, Annie and coworker Fletcher come up with the idea for a Mystery Fest that will involve all of town businesses. An intriguing mystery will have folks searching town for clues with the first one being hidden in the secret bookcase inside the Secret Bookcase.

The festival is off to a good start until a body is found inside the bookcase. Kayla Mintner is an old college classmate and she and Annie were not friendly. As Annie begins looking into who would have wanted Kayla dead she reconnects with her former college professor turned detective Dr. Caldwell.

A fun debut in an interesting setting. It will be interesting to see how Annie's investigation into Scarlet's murder progresses in the next installment.

I received an advanced copy of The Body in the Bookshelf from NetGalley via Storm Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Book 1 of the secret bookcase series. Fun cozy mystery. Engaging primary characters and colorful secondary characters. A body is found in the bookstore and may disrupt her book festival. Fun read.

The Body in the Bookstore is the first in a brand new series from Ellie Alexander. I am a huge fan of Ellie, so I knew that I would enjoy this one. It wasn't as strong as some of her past books, however, I would still recommend and I plan to continue the series.

I know this is loosely based off of Ellie's actual Mystery Fest in Ashland, and what a fun idea it is!! She writes such a good mystery with fabulous characters.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

The Body in the Bookstore is a wonderful start to a new Mystery Series. . Diverse and engaging characters, wonderful world-building, and an enticing mystery come together for an entertaining escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my free arc of this novel.
I can tell I'm going to be obsessed with this new series by Ellie Alexander. I've read cozies where the characters are beyond over-the-top to the point where they aren't pleasant to read about, and the plot goes beyond the point of my already stretched belief. This book was NOT that. This story introduced a perfectly balanced blend of loveable side characters, a fun and relatable amateur sleuth main character, Annie, and one of the best small towns to read about. I really enjoyed every aspect of this story.
As much as I love the Shakespeare Festival in Alexander's Bakeshop Mystery series, I love the Mystery Festival more! Not to mention, the "enemies" to lovers, slowburn situation that could happen between Annie and Liam is something I'm all in for.

The Body in the Bookstore is the first book in an intriguing new series by Ellie Alexander. The quaint setting and interesting characters made this a charming read.
I loved all the literary and book-themed references and the cosy bookstore setting. When a murder occurred during a mystery-themed festival I was hooked. The victim had plenty of enemies and managed to annoy a lot of people, including Annie, before her death. As Annie had some experience in criminology it seemed only natural that she would feel the urge to investigate for herself. What she discovered about the victim and the motive behind her killing took me completely by surprise.

The secondary, long-time mystery of who killed Annie's best friend has me curious about what she will discover as the series progresses.

I also listened to the audio copy of this book and would recommend it. The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life.

📚 Book Review 📚

Annie Murray works in a struggling bookshop in a town called Redwood Grove. Annie had the idea of creating and managing a mystery weekend in the town to boost revenue. All goes well until an old college friend of Annie’s is found murdered in the bookshop. A real life mystery starts to unfold.

This is a cosy mystery; I liked the characters, although I didn’t feel any affinity with them. Annie as the main character was ok, clearly haunted by the death of her best friend many years earlier which was continually show horned into the story. The description of the bookstore, the town and festival were good; I would have loved to have been at the festival myself!

The identity of the murderer at the end was for me, completely out of the blue and the explanation was a bit flimsy. I will however, read the next book in the series as I’m hoping this story will pick up and we will learn more about Annie.

I’d like to thank Storm Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 19th June 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bookseller Annie Murray is thrilled when the mystery-themed book festival she sets up to revive the dwindling fortunes of her workplace and sanctuary seems poised for success. But events take a shocking turn when a body is discovered hidden behind the shelves, and it’s revealed that the victim is Annie's old college acquaintance.Determined to ensure the festival’s success and save the small town of Redwood Grove from a killer, Annie begins piecing together clues with the help of her friends. But as the list of suspects grows longer – a local boutique-owner, an envious old classmate, a bitter ex-boyfriend – Annie is drawn deeper into the case. With the aid of her old criminology professor-turned-detective, can Annie unmask the murderer before they turn her festival into a real-life whodunit? Fun characters, a lovely small town and a baffling murder. What's not to love? Looking forward to another in this fun new series.

Ellie Alexander is one of my favorite mystery authors, and she never disappoints! This was such a fun cozy and so charming! The twists and turns were so fun, and I cannot wait to read more in this series!

What a great start in this new series! Full of great characters, a twisty plot, and plenty of suspects that will keep you guessing until the end. I was totally surprised by who the murderer turned out to be! Well done! I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Dollycas's Thoughts

In this first Secret Bookcase Mystery, we meet Annie Murray. She and her best friend Scarlet planned to start a detective agency after graduation with their criminal justice degrees. Then Scarlet was murdered. Annie has spent the better part of a decade trying to find her killer. Whenever she opens her laptop and brings up her spreadsheets of information and theories she thinks it will be the day something will jump out at her to move the case forward.

Annie is working at The Secret Bookcase as a bookseller and events manager. The bookstore is a unique shop in a converted manor house with a thrilling crime fiction selection. Business has been slow and she knows to keep the place open it is going to take a major event. She comes up with the idea of a 3-day Mystery Fest that could involve all the local businesses and bring people from far and wide. The town is excited about the festival and most business owners are happy to be involved.

Mystery Fest was off to a great start until a body was discovered in the bookstore. Some customers think it's fake and a prop for the festival, but Annie knows that is not the case. Soon she finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. Can her criminology degree help her book the killer this time? or will it turn into another ice-cold case?

____

I love the theme of this new series from Ellie Alexander. A manor home repurposed into a really cool bookstore complete with themed rooms and a secret bookcase. The author's descriptions made it easy to envision every room and nook. I want to go there now, please.

Annie Murray is a strong, smart, creative protagonist who has found her place in Redwood Grove. The quiet community gives her peace even though Scarlet's death is always on her mind. The bookstore is a huge part of her life and it needed a boost to keep the doors open. She had a great idea and was able to run with it. She is an excellent multitasker and able to juggle everything thrown at her. I love that she adopted Scarlet's tabby cat, Professor Plum. I had a very easy time getting invested in her life.

We also meet her co-worker Fletcher, shop owner Hal, and Annie's friend Priya. Fletcher has "extensive knowledge and adoration" of Sherlock Holmes and has quite a knack for matching the right reader with the right canon followed by a dissertation on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Hal curated the store into a mystery lover's paradise but lately, book signing events were not bringing in people and foot traffic had been way down. Hal is a total Luddite though.  He can barely turn on his phone so he needs help to save his store. Priya is a good friend and is there for Annie no matter what. I enjoyed how all the characters evolved throughout the book leaving room for growth as the series continues.

I found the mysteries in this book very captivating. I found it interesting that Annie's (and Scarlet's) former criminology professor, Dr. Caldwell was the detective in charge of the investigation. She knew Annie would be an excellent person to help her solve the case. Annie was happy to help, as was Pri. There were plenty of clues to follow and a growing list of suspects to investigate. I enjoyed the way everyone worked together to catch the killer.

Scarlet's case is fluid again at the end of this story and the first two chapters of book two, Murder at the Movies are included at the end of the book. They may have enlightened me but I didn't read them. I would never be able to stop at just two chapters. I hope to read and review the whole book soon.

The Body in the Bookstore has given this series a marvelous start. Diverse and engaging characters, wonderful world-building, and an enticing mystery come together for an entertaining escape.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have a confession. I did this backwards. I read the second book in the series first and then realized this was the premiere book. Silly me. The good news is it made very little difference. Most of the important parts that carried over were clear enough in the second book, Murder at the Movies. I liked the characters as much and the relationship between Annie and Dr. Caldwell, which captured me, has it’s first steps in here. The two were student and professor when Annie was doing a criminology degree. Annie now works in the bookstore whilst the good doctor is now the head of police in their small town.

Running into Dr. Caldwell is not the only trip down memory lane for Annie. Three people from her university days show up for the mystery weekend she has organized. They pour salt into open wounds caused by the murder of her best friend on graduation day. When one of them is then murdered, they, amongst others, are suspects in the crime. I will say I figured out the killer almost from the start but it did not detract from a cracking good tale. Since both books are available at the same time, I suggest you read them in order. Or not. Five purrs and two paws up.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is a great cozy mystery story. It is the first book of her new book series A Secret Bookcase Mystery. It keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading from start to finish. It has a lot of shocking and surprising twist throughout the book too. It keeps you guessing too. It is a great, fun, exciting, and unique book too. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I want to thank netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I loved the characters and the plot. Perfect for those who are fans of cozy murder mysteries. Highly recommend! I would read from this author again!

I need to really apologize for this late review. I make sure to write the reviews in time,but unfortunately I really got very busy for the past 2months.
I think this book is a solid 3.75*. I enjoyed the story and the characters but it felt a bit flat. I expected a bit more mystery and danger. It felt like people didn't took the murder that serious, maybe because of the event's theme?
I also low key hoped for a bit more romance :P, hopefully it will a bit more in the next volumes.
Anyway, I think it's cool to read this story in holiday. It was relaxing.