In the first book in the A Secret Bookcase Mystery series, readers meet Annie Murray. A bookseller in Redwood Grove, a small Northern California town, the mystery-themed book festival seems to have done the trick, revitalizing local businesses and placing the town back on the tourist map. However, when three of Annie’s college acquaintances unexpectedly show up at the festival -- and one of them winds up dead behind the shelves of the bookstore -- the festival may have become a little too real for the town. With her former criminology professor now the chief detective on the case, Annie must help unmask a murder to protect the town and ensure the festival’s success before the list of suspects grows too long. A fantastically charming setting with a vibrant local community, readers will fall in love with Redwood Grove and its quirky, unique inhabitants. Annie is an interesting heroine with an established yet mysterious backstory (the unsolved death of her friend Scarlet back in college) and, unlike some other fictional detectives, the skills to solve such a case. A strong start to a new series, readers will definitely enjoy working with Annie on various mysteries and exploring life in Redwood Grove as the town becomes a new stop for mystery fans -- real and fictional.

An exciting start to a new cozy mystery series by Alexander. The first three book are being released quickly and will get you hooked on this fun series.

I absolutely loved this book! It was very intriguing, and you really got to know the characters. I honestly want to read the next book so I find out what happened to Scarlet.

I'm sorry to say I could not finish this book. I started it several different times and just could not get into the writing style.

The Body in the Bookstore is a terrific start to a promising new cozy mystery series. The story is very interesting, especially since there's two mysteries involved. One is the plot of the book, while the other is a mystery that'll be ongoing in the series. I thought the murder mystery was very clever. The big reveal was kind of surprising to me as I didn't really suspect them at all. The reason for the murder was quite shocking as well. I've already bought the second book in this series as I can't wait to see what happens next for Annie and all the supporting characters.

The setting for this book really makes up for a lot. This novel takes place in a quaint mystery-themed bookshop, tucked away in a small town that has not yet caught up with the trend of 'first Fridays'; small business promo events and street festivals that many small towns use to draw people to their interesting local shops. Our main character is a bit touchy and quick to dismiss people, so forging alliances with other business owners is tricky for her, and she is always, to a fault, obsessed over feeling guilty over her friend's death. It takes forever to find out what happened that she is feeling guilty about, but she agonizes over this misadventure for many pages,. The storytelling, when it is not being interrupted by the main character's litany of guilt, is pretty much alternating between info-dumps of backstories and dialogue that doesn't really equal anything actually happening. Stuff does happen, but mostly off-screen, with the characters talking about it or reacting. So, yeah this writing style was really not for me. Still, it was a cute setting and not a bad story.

Ellie Alexander kicks off the Book A Secret Bookcase Mystery series with the delightful cozy mystery The Body in the Bookstore.

Bookseller Annie Murray's excitement about her mystery-themed book festival quickly turns to horror when a body is found hidden behind the shelves, and the victim is an old college acquaintance.

To protect the small town of Redwood Gove, and to keep everyone enjoying the festival Annie starts an investigation with the help of her friends. She created a suspect list, which continues to grow. This list includes a local boutique owner, a jealous previous classmate and one of ex-boyfriends - which pulls Annie deeper into the mystery.

Annie’s criminology background and her friendship with the detective make her a credible and effective sleuth. The story also weaves in an unsolved murder of Annie’s best friend, adding another layer of intrigue.

Redwood Grove is beautifully depicted, creating a cozy yet suspenseful setting. The budding romances add a touch of charm without overshadowing the main plot.

Overall, *The Body in the Bookstore* is an engaging start to a promising cozy mystery series. Readers will be eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing a copy of this eARC.

In this new cozy series by Ellie Alexander we follow Annie Murray who is a bookseller at The Secret Bookcase. A mystery themed bookstore in a small Northern California town. To help put the bookstore and town on the map Annie, along with her friends, decided to host a weekend long mystery festival that is a mystery readers dream. All is going according to plan until Annie finds the body of a college acquaintance behind a secret bookcase in the store.

This this was a great first installment to a new cozy series. I am a fan of Ellie Alexander and cannot wait to continue on with the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early arc of this story. As always, all opinions are my own

I thought The Body in the Bookstore was a pretty good start to this new series. I really enjoy reading cozy mysteries, and I thought this one was pretty good. I look forward to seeing how this series continues.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC! All opinions are my own,

This is a solid start to a new series. Annie is an interesting character, although it took a little while to get invested. I’m sure her fixation on her college friend’s murder will be relevant to the larger story arc Alexander has planned, but it was distracting at the beginning. I did get a chuckle about the mystery book festival - going with write what you know. I’m interested to see how this series evolves.

This is the first in the new Secret Bookcase series. Annie Murray works at the Secret Bookcase (bookstore specializing in mystery) in Redwood Grove in Northern California and although she loves her job she is haunted by her past and worried the bookstore is going to close. Annie has lived in Redwood Grove for the past eight years, she accepted a job from Hal the owner after college as opposed to using her criminology degree. Annie is still struggling with the death of her best friend Scarlett in college and still is trying to solve her murder. In an effort to save the bookstore, Annie puts together a festival to bring mystery lovers to them. Annie along with Fletcher her co-worker, Hal and all the major businesses in town all work together and have the festival goers solve a mystery by leaving clues all over town. On the first night of the festival, Annie is shocked when some of her former classmates from college were in attendance. When one of those classmates is later found dead in the bookstore, Annie does what she can to keep the festival on track and help solve the murder. The police detective turns out to be Annie’s former college professor Dr. Caldwell and Annie was always one of her favorite students so she actively seeks her assistance. The story moves well and there are lots of possible suspects. I enjoy Annie’s relationship with her friend Pri as well as Fletcher and her boss Hal. Annie also has a potential love interest with Liam the owner of the pub who doesn’t like mysteries and there banter makes it obvious the two are destined to get together. This was an enjoyable read and I really like Annie and all the characters. Looking forward to the next in the series.

I read the 2nd book in this series first so there a some references in the 2nd book that happens in this book. This book is ok. I found myself frustrated about all the references to Scarlets murder yet nothing is done to investigate it. There’s a lot of college angst in the book which I found unappealing. #TheBodyintheBookstore #NetGalley

When The Secret Bookcase, the bookstore Annie Murray works for, may have to close due to declining sales, she comes up with the idea for a mystery festival. Most businesses are quickly on board and tickets sell out quickly. Annie is surprised when several of her old classmates from university show up especially when it seems there is a great deal of antagonism among them. When the body of one classmate is discovered in the secret room of the store and a friend becomes the main suspect, Annie, who studied criminology at uni, is pleased that her favourite professor, Dr Caldwell, is part of the investigative team. She is even more pleased when Dr Caldwell seeks her help. But it becomes clear very fast that the victim had a lot of enemies not only among her old classmates but among the town people and someone seems willing to do anything to keep the murder from being solved.

There is something especially enjoyable about cozy mysteries set in bookstores or libraries and The Body in the Bookcase, the first book in a new cozy mystery series, A Secret Bookcase Mystery by Ellie Alexander, is no exception. The characters are well-drawn and Annie, the main protagonist, is smart, resourceful, and likeable. If I have an quibble, it would be that the perpetrator was a bit too obvious but there was enough going on that it had little effect on my enjoyment. Overall, a fun read and I look forward to Annie's future adventures in the Secret Bookcase bookstore.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

I wasn't expecting to be so obsessed with this series and author, but I am so glad I found this book. I was only halfway through when I requested the ARC for the next book, 'Murder at the Movies.'

This book brought back nostalgic memories of reading in my school's library during lunch breaks while everyone else was playing. I would be tucked into a small corner, reading Nancy Drew or another cozy mystery, lost in the world of the characters and away from the chaos and responsibilities of the outside world. This was exactly how I felt while reading this book. I am so excited to read the other installments in this series!!

Thank you, Net Galley and Storm Publishing, for a copy of this arc.

I love the idea of a cozy mystery series in a bookstore, how perfect! The cover of this novel is great, as well! Annie was a great main character, and brought a lot of joy to this book. I haven't read any of Ellie Alexander's work prior to this, and I am excited to dive in! Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fantastic, well written who Dunnit with such likeable characters. I flew through this book.

Book lovers know the singular joy of browsing the shelves of a bookstore. So many worlds await exploration! And, no matter how one is feeling, there's a book to fit the mood. Book lovers also know the singular sadness of seeing bookstores struggle or close. It feels like the loss of a friend or a safe place where we can dream and discover. That is the possibility book seller Annie faces at The Secret Bookcase, a mystery-themed independent bookstore in Northern California.

Annie enlists the entire town's help (well, just about!) in creating and hosting a mystery lovers festival that promises to bring readers and revenue to Redwood Grove. However, when readers praise the professionalism of the actor playing the role of a dead body, Annie knows something is terribly wrong.

As a former criminology student, Annie is perfectly placed to help figure out what happened, especially when she learns that her former professor is the lead detective on the case. But given that the victim and suspects are former college classmates whom Annie hasn't seen in nearly ten years, she can't help but wonder if the events are tied to the tragic death of her best friend just before graduation. While Annie helps find the killer of the body in the bookstore, readers will need to keep reading this new cozy series to uncover the events surrounding her best friend's murder.

I've been a faithful reader of many of Ellie Alexander's cozy mysteries, and it's fun to meet a new cast of characters in The Secret Bookcase Mystery series. Her signature style shines in this book--a well-conceived plot, strong friendships, and a vivid canvas that I wish I could step right into.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for making this series debut available in exchange for my honest opinions.

The the first in a new cozy mystery series centered around Annie, a bookseller in a small town. To help drum up business, she comes up with a murder mystery festival. Things take a turn though when an actual murder occurs. Annie sets out to find the culprit before it ruins the festival.

I really enjoyed this debut! I thought the characters were good, and there were some hints of deeper backstory that we will continue to get with Annie. It did feel like it wrapped up really quickly - there was not really a big climactic scene like in many cozies. Besides that, a really good debut! I’m looking forward to more mysteries with Annie.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect cosy crime for a summer read, I read it in a day and enjoyed it. The town is portrayed as picturesque and has that charm of American small towns and you can really buy in to the characters. The thread of the murder of Scarlet haunts Annie and gives a thread of continuity to the books.

I absolutely love this new series by Ellie! Her writing always brings the pages to life, you feel like you are there with all the characters. I can't recommend her enough! Every series she writes is just amazing! If she writes it I will read it.