4.5 stars

Right out of the gate I knew I would like this cozy mystery; Secret Bookcase Mystery #3 starts off with a murder mystery-themed dinner party gone awry, and if there's one thing I love, it's MURDER. MYSTERY. THEMED. PARTIES. Plus I thoroughly enjoyed author Ellie Alexander's previous literary romp with Annie Murray and her Redwood Grove friends, and this latest offering didn't disappoint.

I'm a simple girl with simple tastes - I like my mysteries cozy, with a smart, fiercely independent female protagonist, and a compelling cast of characters. Alexander knows how to deliver just that, plus I find her writing style to be clear and straightforward without being too saccharine or overly complicated.

Honestly now I'm just sad that I finished the book so quickly; how am I ever going to wait patiently for book #4 to release??

Thanks to NetGalley, author Ellie Alexander, and Storm Publishing for giving me access to a digital advance readers copy of this book for free to read and review. All opinions are my own and provided voluntarily.

Nice easy read, part of a series but can be ready as a standalone. A whodunnit at a dinner party where a murder mystery play is in full swing when a real murder takes place. I don't want to give it away - it's a cosy mysterious fiction with great strong female characters. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

The latest installment in the Secret Bookcase mysteries kicks off with an immersive, Clue-inspired murder mystery dinner. Annie and her friends organize this unique event as a fundraiser for her friend Penny's historic farmhouse renovation. The dinner is attended by many locals, including two men who have been eyeing Penny's farmhouse. The stage is set for an engaging evening, complete with a fake murder. However, just as the big scene is about to unfold, a real murder shatters the illusion! The main suspect? Penny herself. Annie and her friends are now on a mission to unravel the truth and ensure the real killer is brought to justice.

The mystery gets more interesting as we go and brings in the history and culture of the charming town of Redwood Grove and the wealthy Wentworth family, who supposedly left behind a treasure that no one has found. The suspects are all interconnected and have a variety of motives to keep you guessing throughout. Alexander also continues to skillfully weave in the larger mystery that has been unfolding since the first book, the murder of her friend Scarlet in college, and subsequently, the related cold-case murder of a woman named Natalie that Annie and Scarlet were investigating for a school project.

I highly recommend checking out this fantastic cozy series, which brings all the bookish, small-town California vibes with a great cast of characters. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for sending this DRC for review consideration.

This series continues with Annie Murray, who arranges a mystery themed dinner party to help raise funds for her friend Penny. Penny has undertaken the remodeling of the historic Wentworth farmhouse in Redwood Grove. Penny has had some interactions with her cantankerous neighbor, Curtis Wright, who ends up dying at her dinner party.

It was enjoyable to revisit the characters from the previous two books and the details of the food and the people at the party was done really well. I enjoyed the feel of Murder on the Orient Express vibe I got from the story on who could have killed Curtis. There were several people with opportunity. However, I was curious as to why there wasn’t more inspection of the wet floor in the basement because that seemed like it should have been a clue to visit.

I think readers will enjoy the setting of the town as well as the main characters throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really liked how this story progressed and filled out. Good characters and setting. Great ending. Great title.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #DeathAtTheDinnerParty for advanced digital copy.

Ellie Alexander is a prolific storyteller and writes several cute cozy-mystery series. I dipped into this one, the third in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series, and had no trouble jumping in as back info was pretty well covered.
The story was pretty entertaining with interesting characters and lots of candidates for whodunit. I deducted a star because I found it easy to guess the killer by what clue was ignored but otherwise enjoyed the quick read.
The third book in this series shifts the setting to a dinner party murder mystery night, that turns out to host a real murder!

Returning to Redwood Grove feels like returning home, especially after three books. But I found myself not as engaged with this book, and I think it's because The Secret Bookcase bookshop plays less of a role. I still enjoy protagonist Annie and her best friend, Pri, but I wanted more of Fletcher and Hal. While I am happy that each book presents a different setting for the mysteries, I am hoping for more of a connection to the bookshop in each book.
I can’t wait for the next one which is holiday-themed!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book.

EXCERPT: The rustic wrought-iron chandeliers flickered as the wind howled, rattling the thin windows and sending a cold chill through the room like an angry ghost about to unleash its rage.
'We cannot lose power tonight, Annie,' Pri wailed, staring at the tin ceiling as if she expected it to cave in at any minute. She twisted her ponytail around her finger. I recognised her telltale sign of nerves. 'The guests are arriving in less than an hour. What are we going to do if it goes out.'
'Candles,' I replied, motioning to the tapered candles on the table. 'Lots and lots of candles. Didn't Penny say she found a stash in the basement? And if you think about it, you can't get more on the nose than a murder by candlelight. . . '

ABOUT 'DEATH AT THE DINNER PARTY': Annie Murray is excited to host a murder mystery–themed dinner party, but soon the evening takes a deadly turn…

When her friend Penny confesses she’s struggling to finance the restoration of the historic Wentworth farmhouse, Annie is instantly inspired. The beautiful property has stood empty since the 1970s, but rumors still swirl about the eccentric Wentworth family and their hidden fortune. It’s the perfect setting for a spooky, immersive dinner party, and the evening is a roaring success – until neighboring landowner Curtis Wright drops dead at the dining table…

Annie knows she didn’t add arsenic to the entrée, so who messed with her catering, and why? Everyone in the party had some reason to hate renowned bully Curtis – not least Penny, who was under pressure to sell land to him. Annie realizes she’ll need to clear her friend’s name fast. Soon, she’s in deep, uncovering long-buried family secrets, shady business deals and pitch-black hidden passageways.

But as Annie closes in on the truth, the killer is determined to stop her at all costs. Will justice be served in time, or will Annie get a helping of death with dessert…?

MY THOUGHTS: This is my first book by Ellie Alexander, and it won't be my last!

Neighboring landowner Curtis Wright is a curmudgeonly old sod with not many friends, his one redeeming feature being that he sponsored the local performing arts society, so there's not too many people mourning his loss. The problem is, it's not Curtis that was meant to drop dead at dinner. He stole the show from one of the actors at the table, employed for that purpose.

Who wanted Curtis dead, and why? There's no shortage of suspects just like there's no real motive. But Penny, having served Curtis wine just before he died, is the obvious suspect. Pri, Annie's friend, is frantic on Penny's behalf so Annie decides to investigate, hoping to clear up the mystery of the murder before Penny can be arrested.

I did guess the murderer early on - there are clues in the storyline - but this in no way impacted my enjoyment.

I found the story to be an entertaining read. I liked the majority of the characters although Pri's almost constant hysterics were a bit wearing. Will someone pass her the smelling salts, please!

The plot encompasses a search for lost treasure, secret passages, and the heroine and her friend trapped in a decidedly dangerous situation.

There are the beginnings of a romance, but this occurs very late in the book and is a natural progression.

This is the first book in this series that I have read, but I didn't feel in any way disadvantaged by this. Death at the Dinner Party is easily read as a stand-alone. Already I am looking forward to the next in this series.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#DeathattheDinnerParty #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Ellie is a voracious storyteller and a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over thirty published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.

She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.

DISCLSOURE: Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The charming cozy mystery series continues. Murder mystery dinner party has a few surprises. The romance progresses a little bit. Some exciting moments and exciting secret passages. I look forward to reading the next one. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Annie Murray lives in Redwood Grove and she works in an Agatha Christie inspired bookshop.
She has also studied Criminology and is an amateur sleuth, and is never short of a case to investigate.
Annie’s friend is struggling to finance the restoration of her farmhouse and Annie thinks it’s the ideal setting for a murder mystery dinner.
The last thing Annie is expecting is a real murder to take place .
Annie and her friend Pri begin to investigate the death and in turn put themselves in danger .
This is a great cozy mystery and there are plenty of great characters who are developing throughout the series .
There are plenty of twists and turns to make it a perfect cozy read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

Death at the Dinner Party is the third addition to the series featuring bookshop keeper/ sleuth Annie Murray. She is book seller, event organizer extraordinaire but as the series continues her sleuthing skills are growing by leaps and bounds too. A spooky, murder mystery dinner party is just the latest plan of hers to help friends with renovation cost. No way did she plan for a real murder.

A fun cozy read that kept me guessing who the real murder was because I knew it was Annie or her friends. Always a group of eccentric characters to be suspicious of until you solve the mystery along with Annie. Enjoyable even if you have not read the previous books in the series.

As always I'm late but thanks to Netgalley for the ACR.

Ellie Alexander knows exactly what she's doing!

Honestly a 4.5/5 for me. Having read the first two books as well, I have to say that this book's plot progression and pace are much quicker than the other two, which I like.

Deducted the 0.5 only because the midpoint of the book seemed to go for a lot longer. It did feel a bit dragged out. Maybe because there wasn't a strong enough plot (as is with most books that involve a large creepy mansion) to carry on the story.

However, the character growth and story progression of Annie and the rest of her posse from the 1st to the 3rd book is great. I love how they seem to give you warm hugs from inside the book. Every character has a clear throughline which makes them very universal/likeable/relatable. (However, I was not intrigued by the list of suspects in this book. The second book did have a much more interesting list of suspects.)

All in all would definitely recommend THE ENTIRE SERIES not just this beautiful and very cozy book.

I stand by my review of the first book. I still want to leave everything behind in my life and move to a small town and work in a bookstore (and maybe hope to solve a murder just like Annie Murray!)

Am I reading the next book? Pfff. Of course, I am!

I've read the first three books in the Secret Bookcase series in fairly rapid succession and I have absolutely fallen in love with this series.

Annie works at the bookstore and, as a criminology major in college and former student of Dr. Caldwell, the lead investigator in the town, Annie helps out in solving the mysteries. Lots of great recurring characters, including Annie's best friend Pri, along with Liam and Penny.

Here, once again, there's murder at a planned event, this time a fundraiser to help restore the Wentworth Farmhouse, which Penny just bought.

A fun but clever cozy mystery series.

Highly recommended!!

How to ruin a murder mystery with a cast of actors and good food! A guest drops dead at the dinner and the race is on as to who, why. Annie is trying to solve this crazy murder and has to deal with actors as well as guest.

An instantly readable cozy murder mystery, that kept me interested right to the end. Annie is a really good character, she has a job she loves at the Secret Bookstore, with a side interest as an amateur sleuth. She has an incident in her past that she is still trying to work through, and a potential love interest in Liam. The town sounds like just the place for book lovers and thrill seekers to visit, and we all need to taste one of barista Priyas creations. The plot involves lost treasure, an old property with a bad luck reputation and an old, disagreeable murder victim. Well written, a good plot and a decent ending. Good fun read. 3 1/2⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The setting (a renovated old house with a mysterious past in the middle of a storm) and premise (actual death at a murder mystery party) were intriguing, but I found Annie quite insufferable in this one (especially in chapter nine). A "degree and training in criminology" does not make you the boss of everyone. And passages like, "What was it with this group? My requests were simple - stay put, don't touch the crime scene, and stick together." sounded petulant and condescending. I pictured her pouting and stamping her foot.

Her constant rehashing of history and overthinking of everything was kind of...boring? Maybe if this was the only one of the series I'd read it wouldn't have bothered me, but having read the first two it had me skipping pages to get to the next lines of dialogue, or the next actual action.

I definitely did not enjoy this one as much as the first two.

4.5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery and I am really enjoying these books!

I am really liking the characters, the setting and the mystery is so well done. These books are easy to follow and I love that each book grows the mystery of what happened to her friend Scarlett.

Annie works at a mystery bookshop and they decide to host a Halloween themed dinner party to raise money to help restore the Wentworth Farmhouse that her friend Penny bought. There is a death by poising at the dinner party which leads to lost treasure, secret tunnels, explosions and quite a few culprits.

I'm loving the romance aspect that is growing and Annie's friendship with her bestie Pre. Can't wait to start the 4th book this month!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm enjoying this series. I love the characters and the setting. How I'd like to find my own small town like this. The mystery kept me guessing.
I hope for more.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. .

What a FUN idea and book! Annie is an incredible detective and her knowledge of criminology is super helpful as she solves twisty murders. I loved the way Alexander wove in the history of the Wentworth house into the story, and the idea of a treasure hunt + a murder + a dinner party was just so much fun to read! I really enjoyed this mystery!

I found Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander really hard to get into, the characters didn't engage me at all. The premise was a good on, who doesn't like a Murder Mystery Dinner with a real corpse, but I just didn't care who done it?

Death at the Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander is a murder mystery with the catch being the murder happened at a murder mystery dinner party. The actual victim was a man no one had any use for; he had even started trouble that evening. Narrowing down the suspects was going to be a problem. Then the electricity went out. They had thought that the stormy night added to the ambiance of the evening, but electricity was going too far. Annie Murray, student of criminology, was there to try to do things properly until the police arrived. That was postponed slightly until they cleared some downed trees. The evening was a fund raiser for the Huntington property which Penny, Pri’s significant other, had bought with an eye to refurbishing. Sadly, she had run out of money before it was all finished, although the house was in pretty good shape. As Dr. Caldwell had taught Annie, she followed procedure as much as she was able. She made notes and started a timeline. Liam Donovan, chef, who had been her nemesis until recently was there to help her and keep her steady.

This is a fun series. Annie works in a bookshop, the like you have never seen: it was in a old house and based on Agatha Christie’s home. Soon she would have to decide whether to remain at the bookstore, go to work with Dr. Caldwell and the police, or start her own private investigation service. She did’t know where her life was going, but that didn’t stop her from doing what she could, wherever she was. She is a terrific character. Her best friend, Priya Kapoor is a barista and baker. She loves making desserts. She was beyond worried that Penny would be accused. In fact, she was in a panic about it so that became another of Annie’s worries: keeping Pri calm. It was a relatively short book but Alexander packed a lot into it. It had all the requisite cozy mystery components, including a crazy person. It was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery.

I was invited to read Death at the Dinner Party by Storm Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StormPublishing#EllieAlexander #DeathAtTheDinnerParty