This book was fantastic, great mystery that kept me glued to the pages! The characters were fun and well done! I can’t wait to read more in this series! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!

Is this the perfect, cozy mystery?
Yeah, I think it is, actually!
A likeable protagonist, an engaging plot and a charming character gallery. I absolutely adored this story!

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander is a lovely mystery that I couldn't put down. This is a wonderful series.
I can't wait to read the next one to see what happens with Annie and Liam.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Ellie Alexander and her storytelling have done it again. This second book, A Murder at the Movies, in Alexander’s new series – A Secret Bookcase Mystery series – is just as engaging as the first book Body in the Bookstore. Well, maybe even more so since I have already become invested in the main characters and the town of Redwood Grove!

Life has settled down in Redwood Grove after the very successful town-wide mystery weekend. And now Annie is approached by an independent filmmaker, Heather Hathaway, hoping to hold a movie premiere for her new movie “Midnight Alibi”. This sparks a mystery film weekend! I loved how the bookstore had Hitchcock themed displays at the movie theatre. And if we know anything, a simple fun filled weekend is bound to contain at least one tragedy. And indeed it does. When the film critic attending the premiere ends up dead, it has everyone wondering – did he fall from the balcony during the premiere by accident or as a result of nefarious means? And of course – Annie must dust off her sleuthing skills and get to the truth – no matter what it takes.

I enjoyed the way Annie methodically worked through her list of potential suspects, disproving and proving various aspects of the case. Naturally, I can’t give too much (or virtually nothing) away so as to leave the mystery to each individual reader. Let me say though that the winding route Annie takes is an enjoyable journey which kept this reader entertained.

Getting to know the townsfolk of Redwood Grove was a real treat. However, without giving away too much, I am embarrassed by assumptions made from reading the first book in the series. Assumptions were made about Pri’s crush on one particular customer – “Double Americano with cold foam”. I do say though that as a reader, I am very happy to finally have been properly introduced to “Double Americano” and all is good. And Pri is ecstatic to have finally spoken to her crush as well – though with a wee bit of shy stumbling to begin with ☺. Can’t wait to see where this brewing love story may lead.

What an interesting (and fun) way to introduce a new series – by releasing the first two books at the same time. It gave this reader a chance to really get invested in the regular characters. And I must say, there are some pretty terrific recurring characters in this series. I cannot wait to see if Annie decides to pursue a career using her Criminology degree (way to go Dr. Caldwell by keeping Annie in the loop and using her superior deductive reasoning skills), will Annie keep pursuing the truth to find who murdered her best friend Scarlet and finally, will the sparks between Liam and Annie lead to romance or just a solid and deep friendship? Can’t wait to read book three in the series (and I hear a fourth is on the horizon as well!).

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, I would like to suggest picking up A Murder at the Movies, this second book in the A Secret Bookcase Mystery series, by Ellie Alexander. Settle down for a read which will keep you guessing as to ‘whodunit’ until the end.

Hollywood is headed to Redwood Grove!After the success of Annie’s Mystery Festival, she gets a call from a Hollywood director looking to for someone to organize a Hitchcock-esque movie premiere. She agrees and the town immediately jumps into help. All is going well until a not so nice Hollywood film critic fall to his death at the premiere…or was he pushed?

I truly love this new series. It was so nice to be able to jump right into the second book. I can’t wait for the third installment! I really really hope to get more of Scarlet’s murder story line. And are we getting a romance between Liam and Annie!?!? Love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the story.

As always all opinions are my own!

This is the second installment in the Secret Bookcase mystery series. Annie Murray is enjoying her success from the recent mystery festival and is shocked when Hollywood director Heather reaches out and asks that she assist in having Redwood Grove host the premier of her movie “Midnight Alibi”. Heather has seen social media posts about the festival that Annie and the town recently had and wants to have the premier and have special events at The Secret Bookcase. Although it is only a couple weeks out, Annie is more than happy to try and bring more business to the bookstore and the town. The first nights dinner turns out to be challenging as the movie people all seems to have secrets and there is a lot of tension between Martin the movie critic and Heather, the director, Cora the lead actress and Sam the producer. The next night at the premier Martin is killed and soon Dr. Caldwell the police detective and Annie’s former college professor is asking for her help in solving the case. This was a fast paced mystery that sees Annie enjoying Liam’s company more and struggling with working with Dr. Caldwell full time. Annie once again solves the murder and at the very end there is a teaser regarding Scarlett’s murder. I really enjoyed this story and am really looking forward to the next in the series.

Yet another AMAZING cozy from Ellie Alexander!!

Annie Murray is at it again as she's helping organize an indie movie premiere in her quaint town of Redwood Grove. Annie quickly learns that Hollywood is cut-throat. Mid-premiere a murder occurs and it seems that *everyone* has a motive!

I highly recommend starting with Body In The Bookstore before reading this one. The character building from the first book made this one even more enjoyable!

These Secret Bookcase books are such easy, cozy reads! Written in a way that I feel like I'm solving the mystery alongside Annie. Her character is so likeable! Absolutely love her interactions with her best friend and new possible love interest. I adore the references to Agatha Christie, Hitchcock, and Sherlock Holmes. Such a fun read for fans of classic who-dun-it locked room mystery

My first impression is that I love the cover of this book! This is a great cozy mystery, the town of Redwood grove sounds like a dream. This story was fast paced, and Annie was a very well written main character. I am looking forward to reading more as this series grows!

This second book was even better than the first one. Annie is still looking into her college friend Scarlett's murder but has to put that on hold when she has another murder almost fall completely into her lap.

This time instead of a festival, Annie and the gang are putting on a film fest at the theatre. They were contacted by a Hollywood director who asked to be able to show their movie on screen since their town looks so much like the town in the film. Well, who's going to say no to that?

Expecting a high time at a glamorous horror movie premiere, Annie and all her friends gather to be the first in the world to see this film. Only it doesn't go as well as expected. And Annie has to help investigate once again.

Annie is a lovely character. She's sweet, kind, thinks of everyone but herself and just wants to make her town a tourist destination. She wants everyone to love it the way she does. She's also super intelligent and because of her training in college, is a bit more interesting to see her investigating than a normal amateur sleuth.

I am enjoying all the books in series so far and looking forward to the third book. I highly recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Ellie Alexander for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and are completely honest.

This series just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait for the next book! First of all, I adore the main character, Annie Murray. It’s so fun to solve the clues alongside her.

I was so close to guessing the killer this time; I couldn't figure out the motive, but I did identify the killer.

This book was a feast for Annie and Liam shippers—I loved all their interactions. The chemistry between them adds an extra layer of excitement to the story!!

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

If you love small town crime books with an hint of Hollywood glam then this book is for you.

This was the perfect palette cleanser. I’ve been in a bit of a rut not enjoying a lot of the books I’ve been reading recently, but this book put me on the right track and it’s just what I needed.

I was sent this book as an eARC, I went into this without reading the first book. While this didn’t affect my experience of the story it was telling. There were elements in the book that I feel I would’ve understood better if I had read the first book first.

Thank you for sending me this book I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to continuing on Annie’s adventure with the third book.

A lovely return to Redwood Grove, with many characters from the first book being further built on and rounded out. The murder is of a universally disliked person which leaves the armchair sleuths amongst readers with a bunch of suspects and red herrings to deal with before the truth will out!
The only downside for me was the somewhat childish relationship between Annie and Liam- the whole "pretend I hate him but really quite fancy him" has worn a bit thin and I would have expected a resolution of the relationship in the early chapters of the book one way or another!
Annie's interactions with the investigators however is very well written and plays on her background in criminology, left behind but perhaps to resurface in book 3?

This time, book seller Annie is helping to organise a big Hollywood movie event in her little cute town. One of the Hollywooders is murdered but there are only 5 or 6 suspects. Not a hard effort to determine the wrong'un. However, neatly written, the twee-ness of the first volume has, thankfully, been toned down, nice characters, enough red herrings as no-one liked the dead person. Annie remains helping the detective and that's a nice relationship - she doesn't interfere as much as in many cosy murders thanks to the detective being her old teacher at 'detective school'. Promise for further stories. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Fans of Ellie Alexander’s Secret Bookcase Mysteries will welcome A Murder at the Movies, where Annie Murray, the protagonist, is excited to plan the premier showing of a Hitchcock inspired movie by producer, Heather Hathaway. Annie loves her job at the bookstore, and she has been successful at planning events in their small town of Redwood Grove that have made the bookstore very successful. After Heather’s arrival, Annie realizes that one of her guests is the infamous film critic, Martin Parker, who is murdered. Annie, along with her boss and co-worker, Fletcher work to find the murderer.

Alexander is a veteran cozy writer and is an excellent storyteller, adding twists and turns and believable scenarios to her novels. She is very skilled at developing her characters, making them seem real. She has even added the obligatory LBGTQ character to follow modern trends (with only 8% of the people being LBGTQ, this is really ridiculous and unnecessary, since most of us want to relate to the characters). Nevertheless, most of the characters are relatable and likeable.

As the story unfolds, several suspects come out, and readers won’t have a clue as to who actually did it. The dénouement has surprises, and readers will want to read quickly to find out just who is guilty. The novel is a quick read and follows all the rules of cozies, so this novel is suitable for all ages. It is fun to read, and readers will want to pick up the other books in the series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I love Ellie Alexander book’s. That said, this isn’t among the best. I thought the middle is a bit weak. I’m not sure why. I’m disappointed that it didn’t investigate Scarlets murder & the cold case she was investigating. It gets right to the end then pops in a tremendous teaser about it, Ugg. I did have a feeling about who the killer is in the murder the book was investigating, based on that very clue. #AMurderattheMovies #NetGalley

I read Books 1 & 2 back to back, so this review is for both. There's lots to like in this new series, including a bookstore setting, likeable main and secondary characters, and good, methodical plotting so that there aren't any loose ends. The premise of having town festivals to keep the bookstore and the town in business isn't a new one--but it's done well here. And having various festivals allows for a new set of criminals, red herrings, and victims with each book. Yay!

I will say that the whole trope of the annoying-but-handsome-guy-whom-I-can't-stand-but-secretly-really-like feels very overdone. It makes Annie seem kind of immature...adolescent. I like Annie's background of having a degree in criminology, and the aftermath of the death of her best friend back in college feels meaningful in both books.

While I'd like less tugging on pigtails (metaphorically speaking), I did enjoy both these books, and I'll keep an eye out for Book 3.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another cozy mystery from Ellie Alexander! A Murder at the Movies was the sequel to The Body in the Bookstore and it did not disappoint! This book takes place once again in Redwood Grove, California with our favorite bookseller Annie Murray. This time Annie bring Redwood their first ever Hitchcock style film festival. When a famous and disliked film critic mysteriously dies at the premier Annie is once again called upon by former professor, Dr. Caldwell to help find the killer. Once again there are several people who have ample motive to end the critics life but who did it in the end? I am happy to say I did not know who the killer was until close to the end of the book. This is another cozy mystery for all you murder mystery fans. I adore Annie and her coworker, Fletcher, and boss, Hal. They make such a dynamic team and have such fun-loving relationships. I love that each book adds a bit more information into the death of Annie’s best friend, Scarlet as well as the ever-growing tension between Annie and bar owner ,Liam. Ellie Alexander has created every mystery book lovers dream town and amazing fun loving characters we all wish were real. I cannot wait to read the next in the series, Death at the Dinner Party.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me an advanced copy of this upcoming new release!

✨A Murder at the Movies✨

I had no clue this was the second book in a series but I'm now away to read the first one.

It has:

☠️Murder Mystery
🌇Small Town Setting
🔬Multiple suspects
📚Set in a Bookstore
💖 Likable FMC
🏡Cozy Vibes

This is a cute, cozy, mystery set in a small town🌇I really enjoyed Ellie's writing style and the way she describes characters and I felt I was able to understand this book without having read the first one in the series🌟✨

The plot:

Annie works in a bookshop she adores and when she receives a call to host a premier in her small town, she takes the opportunity with both hands. When the big weekend arrives, Annie realises she has to deal with the big celebrities and their even bigger 'egos'. A famous movie critic is invited along (to which almost all of the guests invited dislike him) and during the weekend, he is found dead☠️

Annie works together with the community, her old colleagues and local police to find the killer and given there are so many suspects, this proves to be challenging but Annie wants to solve the mystery.
__________

I really enjoyed the plot of this book. It's not my normal genre but it was very refreshing to read something new and exciting and I'm now away to find more books that are similar to this one💖

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the movies is fantastic! After I read the first book in this series I was so glad the second book was already available.

Annie Murray works in a bookstore along with Fletcher and Hal. She has kind of taken on the role of town event planner. A movie director has contacted her and wants her to help be the point of contact for an indie movie premier.

As the movie cast and associates come to town they bring along a lot of drama. A nasty movie reviewer is murder the night of the movie premier. Annie helps solve the murder.

Annie best friend was murder when they were in college. Book 1 begins to tell the story and more of the story is reveal in this book. A definite cliffhanger is revealed on the last page! I can’t wait for the next book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, opinions express in this review are completely my own.

A Murder at the Movies is book 2 in this new series by Ellie Alexander. I have been a big fan of this author and continue to enjoy her writing and her stories. What draws me to cozy mysteries is that they are very character driven. Ms. Alexander has introduced an wonderful new set of characters that resonate with me as a reader from the beginning. In addition to the cast of characters, Ms. Alexander sets this in her traditional small town setting which she does so well. The characters combined with the setting allow her to craft a series and plot that keep the reader engaged and turning pages to find out the identity of the murderer. I also like that in the background there is the mystery about the murder of the protagonists best friend. It is something that simmers in the background but just enough that you want Annie to uncover a clue or make some progress.

This is an enjoyable series so far and fans of this author will certainly be delighted with these books.