** “Sometimes, God allows such things so we can find out what we’re made of. Find out how strong our faith is.” **

Cynthia Hickey, Linda Baten Johnson, Teresa Ives Lilly and Marilyn Turk join forces to provide “Secrets Between the Shelves,” a book of four cozy bookshop mysteries.

In “Murder in the Mystery Section” by Cynthia Hickey, when the grand opening of her new bookshop Through the Looking Glass is thwarted by a murder, Amber Swanson is baffled at why and how to keep her new business afloat. But when she meets the victim’s nephew, Brandt, who promises to help her and her plucky grandmother solve the case, more and more deadly events occur.

Will the dynamic trio be able to figure out who is behind the dastardly deeds — or will they end up victims themselves?

Hickey develops some fun characters, as well as reminds us that we are stronger than we believe we are; God opens doors; the impact of secrets; and God is with us through every tribulation.

In Linda Baten Johnson’s “The Secret Passage Bookshop,” as Abby Scott prepares to open her new bookstore, she is attacked and then finds a dead body in her building. Trying to figure out why someone would be after her, and who the victim is, she finds a much darker secret happening in her quaint little town.

The author creates intriguing characters, including a brave little girl named Felicia, and questionable people who all act petty and manipulative toward Abby. Will she be able to determine whom she can trust, and who is not to be trusted? She also reminds us of the importance to care for all God’s children (“Our heavenly Father cared for His children in the most amazing ways”); and that God is constantly watching over and providing for us.

In “By Hook or by Book” by Teresa Ives Lilly, Lily Carter is opening her pirate-themed bookstore By Hook or by Book when bad circumstances visit her shop. As each situation gets more deadly, Lily turns to Officer Dwayne Forgione to help figure out what someone is searching for within her shop, and why.

The author creates intriguing characters, leaving the reader guessing as to who can be trusted and who can’t. She also includes some good themes like the power of prayer for protection and clarity; and we can always speak to God about our worries.

In Marilyn Turk’s “The Missing Chapter,” Kelly Stephens is working on opening her new art supply store. When she visits the neighboring bookstore, a tragedy occurs, which stirs up her investigative tendencies. Can she figure out what happened to the local gym opener, especially since Kelly is new in town?

Turk fills her story with fascinating characters with deep histories and secrets. But she includes several great themes in her story, like the power of forgiveness; what happens when we hold grudges; and knowing when it is time to move forward.

“Secrets Between the Shelves,” which is due out Feb. 1, is a fun book filled with four little cozy mysteries all surrounding the love of books and readings. Three feature newly opened or soon-to-be-opened bookstores and one features an established bookstore with a newly opening art store. They all also remind the reader to never give up on your dreams; and remind us about the possibility of overcoming adversity.

This series of novellas is a fun read for fans of all things literary (with even a nod to Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca,”) mysteries, especially cozy mysteries, as well as stories with plucky female characters.

Five stars out of five.

Barbour Fiction provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Four novellas set in and around bookstores. New shop owners, a murder, an amateur detective, and a touch of romance thrown in. Although each story has similar ties running through them, they were each a unique read and enjoyable read. The stories also touch on trusting God & forgiveness.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

These books were Not 'overly done' christian (angels do not have wings, they're wingless men, btw lol) and i think pretty much Anybody who likes cozies Could enjoy this book. It's not my fave genre but i liked the Bookshop theme and two of the stories especially.
Overall this collection was entertaining. One book was pretty Serious, though, with some heavy issues i would not label Cozy at all; it was quite depressing in fact.
Thank you to Barbour Publishing for this ARC, i do appreciate it :)

This is a nice collection of four short stories. All revolving around bookstores and a murder.
All four are easy to read and will keep you guessing who did it.

If you like cozy mystery books, this one is for you! I really enjoyed how each of the four stories were cozy and comforting, especially when I read this during a winter storm (lol)!

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book for me to review.

A set of cozy mysteries set in book stores. The romance and Christian aspects were woven into the stories, but weren’t too over the top. Cute, easy reads, nothing spectacular but held your attention. I think my favorite story was the one with the Secret Passages bookstore.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy, but the opinions are mine.

Secrets Between the Shelves is 4 short mysteries revolving around bookshops. I enjoyed the first mystery, Murder in the Mystery Section the most. The stories are short, of course, and heavily religious-oriented. The mysteries were quick reads and interesting, each with a different take on the bookshop angle.
Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Secrets Between the Shelves is an anthology of 4 cozy mysteries surrounding book stores. Each story was pretty light in regards to character development, story complexity and how detailed the mystery ended up being. These reads were fairly fast paced, but not for me. I found the lack of character development frustrating, wished that each story was longer and more flushed out. They had interesting premises, but there just wasn't the length each story needed to be fully rounded.

Really enjoyable collection of novellas!

I am pretty new to reading Mysteries that have Christian faith elements within them and honestly this collection made me want to read more. I thought the author's did a great job hooking and keeping my attention and I really loved that the stories were set in bookstores.

For someone like me this was a fantastic way to be introduced to four new authors and I look forward to reading more of their work in the future.

I'll definitely be recommending this book.

Thank you to the authors, Net Galley and Barbour Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Secrets Between the Shelves is a collection of 4 cozy mystery novellas. Each one is set in a bookstore. Each story has fun characters that are trying to solve the mysteries that occur. If you like cozy mysteries, you will enjoy this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review. #secretsbetweentheshelves #netgalley #barbourpublushing

For this book, I went in with your average mystery standards. It surely met the standards of mystery to me! With little snippets of who did it, it was fun to think through who did it!

But I did have a few qualms with this book. First off, the jump to who did it seemed too large. I didn't believe it. Then, there were a few comments made, such as fasting for the day because of eating a donut, that bothered me. Lastly, the use of Christianity seemed too cringey to me. I am all for a Christian mystery, but this one too much at times.

Overall, I wouldn't read this book again, but it could be exactly up others allies! Give it a try!

This is the best book with 4 short mysteries that I have read! I really just liked all of the stories. Of course, I work in a bookstore, so I like stories about bookstores, generally, but to me, this is a pleasant book. I rarely read these books with several short stories, but this one's title caught my attention. :)
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

"Secrets Between the Shelves" is another wonderful Barbour Novella collection! All four stories are well written novellas, just the perfect length to give good murder mysteries with a dose of Christian faith. I liked the bookstore setting in each novella, though the last one had a male love interest as the bookstore owner, rather than the main female character (she owns a small shop catering to local artists). I can't tell you which mystery was my favorite, just that they were all equally great and engaging to me as the reader.

These books all had unique stories set in bookstores, intriguing suspects, a dash of Christian faith elements and some wonderful male romantic interests to lighten up the stories. There were also good friends found for each of the main female characters in each story. They are all set in quaint small towns as well. None of the stories were gruesome and these definitely meet the "cozy mystery" definition.

I highly recommend this collection to readers of Christian Cozy mysteries ages 16+. They are all cleanly written with some having just a bit of kissing. There are murders and danger in each of the four stories but the murders are not descriptive. The stories are not connected in any way other than the bookstore settings in 4 separate towns across the U.S. so this book could be read in 4 parts spread apart if someone wasn't able to read the entire book at once.

Thank you to Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. The book releases 2/1/25.

Secrets Between the Shelves by Cynthia Hickey, Linda Baten Johnson, Teresa Ives Lilly, and Marilyn Turk is a collection of four cozy mystery novellas. Each is unique but carry a common theme - the mysteries happen between the shelves of the bookstore. Amateur sleuths in each novella make the plot line interesting as clues begin to unravel. Fans of Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote and Agatha Christie mysteries will enjoy Secrets Between the Shelves.

Releases Feb 1st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Secrets Between the Selves is a collection of four cozy mysteries all set in a bookshop of some theme. I really loved getting to know these characters, new ships and the authors themselves as these stories were a delight to read and a fun escape! These are Christen stories, so they are “safe and clean” but to tell you the truth, I didn’t really notice a major difference between these and non-Christen cozy mysteries, other then a bible verse or two. I am only mentioning this so that the religious label will not be a determination nor deterrent for some readers.

Murder in the Mystery Section:
As the title suggests, there is a murder in the bookstore of a women who has accused the bookstore owner of stealing one of her stories. There is a list of suspects, motives, and many bookish clues. This was a fun read and really brought me excitement to turn the pages. An enjoyable mystery

The Secret Passage:

A quirky main character, a unique opening chapter and an interesting plot line; this murder mystery was a ride with taking. I found the introduction to the characters like the beginning of a stage play and from there the nonstop verbal talking to be… well read it and find out! Fun characters.

By Hook or By Book:
Pirate themed books store. Do I really need to say more? Yes, okay, how about a murder mystery, a life book reading, a treasure hunt?! Really more?! Nope, you must read this to find out. I am not telling. LOL. Fun story, fun mystery, fun read!

The Missing Chapter:
Romance, vials, and murder. This is the story that was a bit outside the rest. It was colored outside the lines so to speak. It has a lovely romance mixed with the murder mystery and it was just framed and written differently. Still a great story.

Overall, this collection is a great one that introduced me to four new to me authors and some fun new cozy mystery worlds. I would check out a few of these series to continue and would recommend any cozy mystery lover who is looking for a new series to check these out. I liked the different takes on mysteries!

Thank you to Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC, and I am leaving an honest review.

All four stories were cute and enjoyable. I loved the unique bookshop settings and appreciated that the romance part of the story wasn't crazy and forced.

Secrets Between the Shelves is a compilation of four stories that involve bookstores. Each story is unique and has a mystery that needs to be solved. The writers bring their own style to their story and they could be read in any order. The characters are very realistic and have their own issues beyond being sleuths. Each story shows Christian characteristics along with short comings which makes them seem like someone we may know.
I enjoyed each one of the stories.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Secrets Between the Shelves, a collection of four faith based mystery stories that take place in
a bookshop. While all four stories take place in small towns, the stories are very different from one another. This was my first time to read anything from these authors, but I can say that it won't be my last.

Secrets Between the Shelves is a delightful collection of cozy mystery/romance books perfect for a weekend read. These short stories are clean and engaging and give the perfect puzzle solving solution for the mystery loving brain. Since they are short stories you will easily be able to finish one in a nights read. I give this book 5 stars for easy ready and coziness. I received a complimentary reviewers copy of this book.

A wonderful series of mysteries in book shops. Quite inspiring and enjoyable reading. Each having their own details about family and community life.