3 Stars

Pro
* Hal
* A set is characters we can enjoy getting to know
* Literary references
* The festival
* Solid start to a new series
Con
* Not a terribly original setting (bookstore, mystery readers). I know of at least two other series that are similar.
* I don’t buy that law enforcement will ask a civilian to assist with the investigation
* Nothing terrible, nothing amazing. An acceptable offering.

Thank you to Ellie Alexander, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Body in the Bookstore is another great book in a new series by Ellie Alexander. I love the characters and can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. Five stars is not enough!!

A new book from Ellie Alexander is always a cause for celebration and this is doubly exciting as it is the start of a new series too. Annie Murray has worked at a cool mystery bookstore since college. After her best friend's murder at graduation, Annie shelved her plans in forensic investigation. However she loves her job and coworkers, but she's fearful the store will have to close unless they can generate more business. They come up with a town wide mystery event weekend and everything comes together. And the plans really come together until a number of college "friends" arrive with their own agendas. Clever mystery and a wonderful array of engaging characters.

Completely unique and fresh, The Body in the Bookstore is a wonderful start to a new series by one of my favorite cozy authors Ellie Alexander. Books, book-lovers, coffee, and crime, what better combination? Annie is such a relatable protagonist, and I love the way she has a criminology background helping her solve the case as well as her friend's murder motivating her to find justice for this new crime. The atmosphere of the book was so cozy and warm and detailed, I felt like I was right at Mystery Fest with Annie. The mystery itself led us to meet several of the town's members, which was a lot of fun, and I so appreciated how twisty the mystery was but how it also led us on a sort of scavenger hunt of discovering the town which was new to me as a reader. I cannot wait for more books in this series!

Loved it! The name of the bookstore is so.cool, and I loved the concept of involving the entire town in a Mystery Book Weekend to help boost sales for all of them! A secret room in the bookstore that falls victim to a crime is just what the story called for! All the names of the drinks, her clothes, it was just a fun read. I did feel for her.when she had to relive part of her past, its hard for anyone e to do that, but she overcame it and became an integral part of the investigation. A great new cozy series!

I am NOT the target demographic for this novel, having very rarely read mysteries or thrillers - cozy or otherwise. But I found myself relishing this book, loving the characters, smiling at the picturesque setting, and scratching my head over the whodunit.

Well crafted, fun, and enjoyable. I might be a cozy mystery convert now.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. The story was unexpected, the setting fir the book shop in an old manor house unusual. Then, the small American town was different. Annie Murray sounds like a clever young woman with much going for her, despite hiding away since University. She is very likeable and has good instincts. The victim was expected, but the reason for the murder was not!
I enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next one.

Annie Murray would do anything to save her beloved workplace. Coming up with the idea of a mystery festival seems to be the answer not only for The Secret Bookcase, but for all of the businesses in Redwood Grove.

As all of the hard work starts to pay off, Annie is shocked to find the body of a former college classmate in her bookstore. Is she next? Is it tied to the murder of her college BFF? So many questions and so many chances to solve the murder…as long as she can stay a step ahead of the murderer.

If you love a good cozy, this is a great one to kick off a new cozy series. If you already are familiar with Ellie Alexander, this is a MUST READ! Ellie Alexander is excellent at what she does and what she does is keep you on the edge of your seat! Looking forward to more in this series…I’m already reading the second book!

The Body in the Bookstore is the first book in a new series (The Secret Bookcase Mysteries) from prolific mystery author Ellie Alexander. I liked the setting, characters, mystery, and writing.

Setting:

This book seems like it was specifically designed for cozy mystery lovers. Each setting is lovingly described in incredible detail. The author makes it easy to picture every cozy setting in the bookstore and the other shops in town by describing artwork, decor, colors, textures, and other elements. The mystery-themed bookstore would be a dream place to hang out. I particularly liked the secret bookcase and the Agatha Christie-themed elements (wallpaper, map, etc.). The whole California community is fun and cozy.

Characters:

The characters are also made for mystery lovers. There is a mystery-loving bookstore clerk with a criminal justice education, the mystery bookstore owner, and the self-proclaimed Sherlock Holmes scholar. One of the characters even makes an impassioned speech about why cozy mysteries are awesome. I liked all of the characters, and I think the protagonist makes a great amateur sleuth.

Mystery:

The mystery was well-plotted, fair, and satisfying.

Writing:

Ellie Alexander has written many cozy mysteries, and it shows. She knows how to craft an engaging plot and a series arc. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

I recommend this book to readers who like Ellie Alexander books and book-themed cozy mystery series.

Thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this new cozy mystery.

Interesting first book in a new cozy mystery series by Ellie Alexander. I enjoyed meeting Annie and all the characters that help her figure out whodunit. And I loved the idea of a whole town taking part in a murder mystery weekend. How fun would that be to attend?

Many thanks to the author, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the main character and the story was perfect for a cozy mystery. I loved the setting of the bookstore and the secret area inside. I thought the reveal of who the killer was a little random but also I am hoping that could tie in to other books in the series. I can't wait to read the next one to see what that information was Dr. Caldwell had on Scarlet's murder.

The first book in the Secret Bookcase mystery series begins with Annie regretting the death of a close friend just before their graduation. Set in Northern California, the story is easy to read and has many British literary references, which appealed. The small-town community has a believable dynamic, and the themes of friendship, mystery, and romance are all in evidence. The murder mystery reminds Annie of the death that haunts her. There are many suspects and false leads. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the well-thought-out mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Ellie Alexander’s The Body in the Bookstore via NetGalley.

Book is about Annie Murray, a bookseller in a small town. The setting in a bookstore reminds me of when I was a kid, enjoying going to the library and volunteering every summer. While reading all the mysteries and thrillers I could find.

In a big fan of Ellie’s books and certainly enjoyed reading this one! It has a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, but the mystery of “who done it” gets resolved and luckily I was able to read the second book in this new series right away.

If you are a fan of Ellie’s work, I definitely recommend you read this new series.

The Body in the Bookstore & A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander (ARC review)- both released on 19th June. @ellie_alexander @netgalley

To say I was pleasantly surprised by these two books would be an understatement. Even though I lean more towards the darker murder mysteries I thoroughly enjoyed both of these books and felt compelled to follow the story to the end.

These two books make up volumes 1 & 2 in a new series "A Secret Bookcase Mystery" by Ellie Alexander and if you enjoy cozy murder mysteries then these books will scratch an itch.

The series follows Annie Murray, a former criminology student now working in a bookstore, as she investigates two cases in Redwood Grove. Fortunately, Annie is a warm protagonist and the people she interacts with are equally as easy to like. While both books are whodunnits there is a strong emphasis on relationships with the side characters featuring heavily.

The mysteries are well written with plenty of intrigue and suspects to keep the momentum up. There is one overarching mystery storyline that will probably make up the backbone for the series but I'm not sure how long that can be drawn out for.

Both books fall to the usual cozy murder mysteries contrivances you come to expect (an amateur sleuth invited into the investigations because of historical ties, overactive imaginations, etc) but none are so great that they cannot be overlooked.

These books are homages to the murder mystery genre and accomplish that task admirably. The inspiration of Agatha Christie is worn on the sleeve and these books are fitting tributes. The mystery genre is continuously alluded to via Easter eggs and direct references. These books truly are love letters to the mystery genre.

If you enjoyed the Saturday afternoon murder mysteries, in particular Murder She Wrote, then you will enjoy these books. I haven't read any other Ellie Alexander books so I cannot attest to differences or similarities to her other books but these two books are worth reading.

Finally, there are some T-Shirts that many readers would love to have (e.g. "I closed my book to be here" and "Punctuation Saves Lives. Let's Eat Kids. Let's Eat, Kids).

The Body in the Bookstore by Cozy author Ellie Alexander is one of those books that begs to be devoured in one sitting. I started reading at midnight and finished at 2:30 am. It was so good I wanted it to never end, but couldn't wait to see whodunnit.

Previous Criminology major turned bookseller Annie Murphy dreams up the idea of a Mystery themed Festival in her new hometown of Redwood Grove, CA to try and boost sales at The Secret Bookcase bookstore. The whole town is enthusiastic about the influx of tourists and cash, but unexpectedly, several of Annie’s college acquaintances end up in town and one of them is murdered. With the help of her friends, and her former professor turned detective, Annie is on the case to discover who the killer is and save the Festival weekend.

There is also a mystery across the series that Annie is trying to solve - the murder of her best friend just days before their college graduation.

I want to live in charming Redwood Grove, and work at The Secret Bookcase mystery bookstore. The bookstore sounds like the most fantastic place - housed in an old English manor type house, with rooms themed after Agatha Christie, there’s even a secret room hidden behind a bookcase!

The amateur sleuth majored in criminology in college, and it makes me wish I could go back (way too many years ago!) to my college days and change my major to the same. Although my English degree is as ingrained in me as my love of all things books.

Cozies are my favorite genre to read, and this series debut encompasses everything I love about the genre: Small towns, close-knit communities, themed storyline, BFF, cats, etc. I found myself thinking about this exciting first book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series long after I’d finished reading it, which is a sure sign that this will be a hit series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for letting me read this fabulous book. I’m thrilled to share my honest opinion of this series-starter.

This book didn't grab my attention as much as I'd hoped it would. I think because I totally disliked the victim I didn't really care what happened to them. Other readers will probably love it but just not for me.

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.

I love Alexander’s Bakeshop and Sloane Krause mysteries, so I was excited for a new series! For me, cozy mysteries are built on likable characters (especially the side characters/ friends that help the sleuth) and an intriguing/ inviting environment, and this series has both in spades. Annie is very likable (and way more qualified than your average cozy sleuth!) but also intriguing with her backstory being teased out slowly (which reminds me of Sloane in Alexander’s other series), and her friends are delightful. I love how supportive Pri is, and the bookstore cast are great. I also want to visit the bookstore in the giant house with rooms themed for different authors— heaven! I already have book 2 queued up and am anticipating book 3 later this year!

This is the first book of a new series for Ellie Alexander. I'm a fan of her other series so I was very pleased to have an opportunity to read this book. It introduces us to Annie Murray, Fletcher, Hal, Pri, Liam and the community of Redwood Grove, This cozy mystery centers around a bookstore and the adventure begins when Annie comes up with the idea to hold a weekend mystery festival. Hal is the owner of the local, independent book store and Annie and Fletcher both work there. They need something to help make sure the bookstore stays open and Hal can continue to own the store they all love. With this mystery festival and the cooperation of most everyone in the small community, they come up with a charming plan for a weekend of sleuthing for avid mystery readers. Unfortunately, a real murder occurs during the weekend and Annie, who holds a criminology degree, ends up trying to solve the mysterious crime with her old professor, now a detective on the Redwood Grove PD, Dr. Caldwell. There are several possible suspects from a couple of locals to a couple old college alumni. The occurrence of the murder and the descriptions of the people are very well done and I really enjoyed reading the story. My only criticism regarding this story was during the finding of the murderer. I felt short-changed in the clues as to whom it was but I did like the conclusion quite a bit. Look forward to the next book from this author.

Great first book for Ellie Alexander’s new cozy mystery series. The Body in the Bookstore introduces us to the adorable town of Redwood Groove where bookseller Annie Murray sets up the first annual mystery-themed book festival and everything is going great until a body is found behind the secret bookcase. What’s even more bizarre is that several festivals attendees are old college classmates of Annie and the lead detective was her favorite college professor. With Annie’s past meeting her present, an old grief becomes more prominent as we slowly learn more about Annie and the citizens of Redwood Groove.

I’m immediately starting the second book, A Murder at the Movies, because I want to know what the detective shared with Annie and see Liam get under her skin more.



Thank you @ellie_alexander @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Ellie Alexander’s The Body in the Bookstore via NetGalley.

The Body in the Bookstore is about Annie Murray, a bookseller at a small, struggling bookshop in her town. She has an idea to bring more revenue to the store and town and it also brings some trouble.

I am a fan of Ellie’s other series and this one was on par for me. I felt like it had a slightly darker vibe to it and I really enjoyed that aspect. Some points in the book felt like it got too busy and didn’t wrap up entirely, but it also didn’t ruin anything for me, either..

The first installment of the series left me with questions and suspicions that I hope will be addressed in future books!