The Body in the Bookstore (A Secret Bookcase Mystery Book 1)
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An addictively cozy and gripping murder mystery introducing a brand-new amateur sleuth and lovable heroine to the crime scene…
Welcome to The Secret Bookcase, a quirky bookstore in a grand, converted manor house, where the selection of crime fiction is dangerously good. The store has been bookseller and events manager Annie Murray’s sanctuary ever since her dreams of starting a detective agency with her best friend died, literally, when Scarlet was murdered.
Annie has never stopped trying to solve the mystery of her friend’s death, but her quiet life in leafy Redwood Grove, with its warm community of likeminded local business-owners and book-lovers, has provided the solace she needed. Until now.
When a body is discovered in the bookstore during the town’s inaugural Mystery Fest, Anne finds herself catapulted to the centre of a real-life whodunit. Dusting off her criminology degree, Annie is determined to put her sleuthing skills to good use and catch the killer – before it’s too late.
Full of lovable, quirky characters and small-town charm, The Body in the Bookstore serves up an irresistible blend of intrigue for fans of cozy crime, including Lauren Elliott, Merryn Allingham and M.C. Beaton.
Readers absolutely love The Body in the Bookstore:
“Knocked me out of my seat!!! Loved this first book and I am eagerly waiting the next… Five stars hands down.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Kept me glued to the page as I raced to find out whodunit. A winner!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This book was AMAZING! A great start to a new series… I can’t wait to read more!” Reader review,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Absolutely loved this!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and had no idea whodunit until it was revealed… I love a good twist!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Unputdownable cozy mystery!! This was such a fun read, I could not get enough. It felt like a classic Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc mystery. Perfection!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Ellie Alexander has done it AGAIN!! As cozy mysteries go this is one of the coziest… So good I devoured it in one sitting.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What a magnificent read! A perfect cozy mystery.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“ELLIE ALEXANDER HAS A NEW SERIES!!!!! I immediately wanted to hop on a flight to Redwood Grove to take part in the festival and meet Annie, her friends, co-workers, and townspeople. The characters and the setting seemed so real. I’m looking forward to book two…” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A page-turner. Ellie Alexander has once again proven herself as the queen of cozy mysteries.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I have loved every series Ellie has written so far and this one did not disappoint! I truly was hooked and I stayed up way too late because I just needed to finish the book.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I simply loved everything about The Body in the Bookstore. With enough mystery references to make my mystery-loving heart soar, the story runs at a fast pace and leaves readers absolutely enthralled.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m SO happy, this was brilliant! Wonderful and exactly what I want in a cozy.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cozy mystery is a mystery book-lover’s dream… Should be on every cozy mystery-lover’s list.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I love cozy mysteries, and I enjoyed this one so much! I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out whodunit.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Dang, I did not see that ending coming… I couldn’t put the book down, I enjoyed it so much! I had so much fun reading this book. I recommend!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Publisher
What readers are saying about The Body in the Bookstore
Cozy crime for fans of Lauren Elliott, Merryn Allingham, M.C. Beaton and Agatha Christie
More cozy mysteries from Ellie Alexander
Customer Reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
1,391
4.5 out of 5 stars
787
4.4 out of 5 stars
377
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A Secret Bookcase Mystery series
Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5
ASIN : B0D4RV4P8V
Publisher : Storm Publishing (June 19, 2024)
Publication date : June 19, 2024
Language : English
File size : 1790 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 274 pages
Customers say
Customers find the storyline interesting, with lots of twists and turns. They also appreciate the wonderful characters and main female character. Readers describe the book as a great read with a small town setting.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
13 reviews for The Body in the Bookstore (A Secret Bookcase Mystery Book 1)
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Sarah S Erwin –
Great new cozy mystery series!
These are so well done â I could not stop turning the pages, finishing both of them in just a matter of days. The setting is beautiful and felt like true arm-chair travel. Iâm adding Redwood Grove to my list of fictional places Iâd like to visit. I enjoyed how multi-layered each mystery was and the plot twists kept me guessing until the end of each. I admire how thoughtful Annie is as she works to resolve each case and I always love it when a sleuth and a detective work together.While the murder mystery in each book is resolved, the mystery of Annieâs friendâs murder carries through both, and book two has a cliff-hanger that had me gasping in shock!The characters are great â Iâm especially fond of Annieâs Redwood Grove best friend, Pri, and loved the subplot featuring her (no spoilers here!). Thereâs the hint of a possible romance for Annie that Iâm curious to see how it might develop.Highly recommend that mystery lovers get their hands on this seriesâyou wonât regret it!
S. Peterson –
a little disappointed
I purchased this book because I have read others by this author and knew she was an excellent writer.I was a little disappointed in this book in one area–I didn’t feel I got to know the main character or the other “minor” characters. I felt there should have been more of a background on Annie, more of why she was so haunted by her friend’s death. I would like to know more about who Hal, Fletcher, Pri, Liam, Caroline and Doctor Caldwell are. Hopefully, we will learn more in the second book in this series.The small town setting was really good–I felt I got to know the layout of the town and the town “vibe”–what the town was all about.The mystery was good and interesting to follow to the conclusion.I would recommend this book.
Cozy Reviews –
A 5 star debut of a charming new series . Great sleuth and characters
This is the debut book in the charming new cozy series ‘”The Secret Bookcase Mystery Series” by cozy mystery author Ellie Alexander. A 5 star read ! The second book is released as well and is ” A Murder At The Movies.”. The author has gifted her readers with a wonderful new series that captured me from beginning to end. This is a exciting mystery you will not put down until conclusion. I loved the characters, the charming small town and the sleuth. Both books are a 5 star read. Thank you to the author for releasing both books in the series on the same day !We are introduced to a savvy smart protagnist Annie who lives in a fictional small town of Redwood Grove, She works in a failing bookstore named The Secret Bookcase. Hal is the owner and not sure he can keep the bookstore open when Annie has a wonderful idea to hold a town wide “mystery festival”. The festival is a success drawing mystery readers in to follow clues at various businessess to try to solve mysteries. The turn out is unexpected and the bookstore’s involvement is a huge success when a murder occurs. Annie has a criminalogy degree and her favorite professor is now the police detective in town and works with her on the case. They have a unsolved murder in common of Annie’s best friend in college that haunts Annie as she still seeks closure in that case.I loved the charming small town descriptions , the murder mystery festival and the characters. This was a engaging well crafted sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion. I look forward to reading more of this successful series. Well done to the author. ,Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.
Equinemajor –
Awesome as usual
This book was the wonderful start to a new series. You just canât go wrong with a book by this author. Fantastic writing, great characters and a beautiful setting.
Miss.Read.Alot –
Fun cozy mystery starter
3.25 starsThe Body in the Bookstore, by Ellie Alexander, is the first book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. This is an entertaining cozy mystery about an independent mystery bookshop in Northern California, owned by a semi-retired gentlemen who has all but handed the reigns over to Annie, his young protege.This story is set in a relatively remote small town and is struggling to make ends meet. Annie decides that as a means of helping the local economy, and increasing the bookstoreâs revenue, she will host a town wide mystery festival. With plans in place for an extravagant event, she is rather shocked when a few people she went to college with show up at the festival and bring drama and chaos with them. When one of the former classmates is later found dead in her bookstore, this former criminology student begins her own investigation alongside the police. Annie has a tragedy in her recent past that she is trying to cope with, which is brought up quite frequently, and this investigation brings her struggle to light.I really enjoyed the side characters in this story, as well as the main characterâs credentials. There was a lot of speculation, plotting and prodding, but also a number of red herrings, which was quite interesting. The Body in the Bookstore wasnât the most gripping cozy, but I do think itâs a good start to a series and that will become more captivating as the series continues and we grow to know the characters more.
Elizabeth Cantu –
Hand me the next one
Enjoyed reading. Anne is still grieving over her best friend scarlets murder. Currently working at a bookstore that is struggling she comes up with mystery fest to save the store but she wasn’t expecting to get involved in a murder investigation
Hannah Clark –
wonderful
The best of everything when it comes to cozy mysteries. Wonderful characters, a steady plot, and lots of suspects. I absolutely loved it.
Mystery Lover –
Terrific Story!
What a wonderful place to live or visit! Annie’s work to plan a Reading Festival was contagious and amazing. The book was full of well written characters, dialogue and plot development. Great story and well worth your reading time!
Zalewski Valerie –
As I love books, I was immediately attracted to this new series. I was not disappointed. Annie is a warm, intelligent character. The book fest idea was so much fun. I would love to be part of one like that. The mystery was intriguing. What more could a reader ask for!
M.A.SPRIGGS –
A fun and entertaining cosy murder mystery. Annie is looking for a way to save the bookstore she is working at. She comes up with a mystery festival, which the whole town becomes involved in. An actual murder is unexpected. Annie steps up and helps solve the mystery. Highly recommend.
Client Kindle –
I enjoyed this well-crafted cozy mystery with its solid plot, engaging characters, and a setting that I particularly like: a bookstore. I am eager to learn more about Scarlett’s story, so I’m looking forward to the next book!
Dallass –
With quirky characters and an interesting setting, I had fun reading this. A few characters, okay, just Liam, got on my nerves, but I suppose he was meant to be that annoying character. Enjoyed the mystery, and will be picking up the next book in the series.book
Julie –
This is the first book in a new series by Ellie Alexander and it does not disappoint. Thoroughly enjoyed and didnât expect the ending! Starting the second book now.