A Victim at Valentine's

In what has quickly become one of my favorite cozy mystery series, this fifth book, a Valentine's themed mystery, does not disappoint. In fact, it's my favorite book so far. I could not put it down.

Here, Annie Murray and her bookstore friends hold a matchmaking weekend event at the bookstore but also end up having to figure out whodunnit.

I absolutely love the characters in the book and the small town California setting. The plots are creative and I'm not usually right about whodunnit, though I was this time.

Very highly recommended to cozy mystery fans.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Annie Murray, the event planner at the Secret Bookcase in Redwood Grove, is approached by the town's own benefactor, George Richards, who is also one of her favorite customers. George's most recent investment has inspired him to propose an introduction between Annie and Aaliyah Kingston, the owner of Storybook Romances—an idea Annie is happy to consider. George and Aaliyah have already had a preliminary conversation about bookish matchmaking events in Redwood Grove. After all, what could be better in February than a matchmaking business owner, a matchmaker, and a bookstore event planner?

I love the author's writing that creates such vivid imagery as the book is read. Every aspect, from the setting to the characters, the dialogue, the show more red herrings of the mystery, and the developments of the case, is crafted with care. This cozy is filled with heartwarming and intriguing details at every turn of the page. It's a true treat for fans of the genre. May I also say that if I ever owned a bookstore, I'd want to use the A Secret Bookcase Mystery series as the basis for events?

Before you dive in, be sure not to skip the Dedication—there's a special nod to some remarkable feathered friends who inspired the story, and you just might spot a few kindred spirits as you read.

Reviewer's Note: While each book stands comfortably on its own, reading the series in order allows readers to more fully appreciate the evolving marketing approaches at the Secret Bookcase, the unfolding of Annie's work on a longstanding unsolved mystery, and lets readers notice the sparkles of romance beginning for Annie and enjoy the unfolding relationships that make the community so compelling. show less

bookscoffeebrews Book Review: A Victim at Valentine‘s
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Ellie Alexander @ellie_alexander
Publisher: Storm Publishing @stormbooks_co
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC

Love is in the air, and so is a hint of crazy, because
what's a good love story without a few looney tunes?
Renowned matchmaker Aaliyah Kingston brings her
extraordinary gift for connection to Redwood Grove,
inspiring hope and romance in all who participate.
However, tragedy unexpectedly crashes the party,
because what's a good love story without a little
drama? Aaliyah collaborates with local philanthropist
George Richards and Annie, Fletcher, and Hal to create
an unforgettable weekend, sponsoring a spectacular
event designed to help her clients discover show more love,
hosted at Redwood Grove’s beloved bookstore,
because books and love go hand in hand, duh. The
weekend-long celebration features a thrilling
scavenger hunt, an exquisite dinner, an exhilarating
hike, and numerous other activities carefully crafted for
potential couples to forge meaningful connections, or
at the very least, have a few good laughs. However,
the weekend takes a devastating turn when a lifeless
body is discovered in the garden, prompting Annie to
utilize her exceptional detective skills to unravel the
mystery. The vivid descriptions of the setting are
nothing short of enchanting, and by enchanting.
Regardless of the gloomy weather outside, this
enthralling tale will whisk you away to a charming
world, where love and mystery await. The characters
are relatable, endearing, and genuine, making it an
absolute delight to witness their growth, evolution, and
blossoming relationships. As the attendees of the
matchmaking event indulge in romance, the ongoing
Scarlet death subplot masterfully weaves in subtle
hints, piquing curiosity and leaving readers eagerly
anticipating the next installment, because cliffhangers
are the worst, don't even get me started. This is a
perfect, uplifting Valentine’s Day read for those who
adore mysteries, and by perfect, I mean it's a great
excuse to eat an entire box of chocolates by yourself,
no judgments. The Queen of the cozy mystery has
done it again!

#valentinesday #cozymystery #books #bookstagram show less

This is yet another excellent story in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. As the title states, it takes place around Valentine's Day, and bookstore worker, Annie Murray, is happily planning a matchmaking event at the wonderful bookstore where she works in Redwood Grove, California. The matchmaking will be not only of the Blind Date with a Good Book variety but also made by a talented matchmaker, Aaliyah, who runs her own company, Storybook Romances, and matches individuals who complete a profile survey. One of Annie's favorite customers, local philanthropist, George Richards, sets Annie and the bookstore up with Aaliyah. The matchmaking is scheduled to take place over several days at the bookstore and other venues show more across Redwood Grove and everyone seems to be very excited about the prospect of finding love. Annie's fellow bookstore manager, Fletcher, is the only person who is dead set against being set up with anyone since he had terrible luck with a blind date in his past. The only other person with no interest in being set up is another of Annie's favorite customers, Gertrude, a sixty-something-year-old woman whose love of her life died before they were set to be married when she was in her twenties. At the opening event, there is a commotion caused by a woman claiming to be a psychic who is concerned for one of the people present. She claims that there will be a death and she is soon proven correct ... but is she just making this claim because she is the killer? The story has so many twists and turns, interesting subplots, wonderful regular characters, and interesting new characters that you won't want to put the book down until you finish it and find out the identity of the killer and their motive. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. show less

A Victim at Valentine’s in the 5th in the Secret Bookcase series by Ellie Alexander. In this outing, the main character, Annie, is putting together a matchmaking weekend event at the fabulous bookstore that she runs with her close friend, Fletcher. They are also close to launching the detective agency that they will run out of the store. Plus, there is the murder of her best friend from college that has been a running thread throughout the series.
This series has all of the proper cozy elements: amazing food and drink, a stunning setting in a cute town near the Pacific Ocean, likable characters who are generally supportive of each other and are developing further over time, an adorable pet. decent but not impossible to solve show more mysteries, and an in with the local police that allows information to pass freely.
But, and I can’t put my finger on just why, this series just doesn’t resonate with me in the same way that the author’s bakeshop mysteries do. Admittedly, I have only read a couple of the Secret Bookcase books, and I liked this one more than #2 in the series but think it may be the best friend backstory that puts me off. For something that seems to have impeded Annie’s life in such a big way, there doesn’t seem to be much progress with it, and she doesn’t seem to make it a priority.
Still, this book, which can be read as a standalone, will likely appeal to a lot of cozy readers. Overall, it is well written and a fun setting to spend some time in.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARK. show less

contemporary, California, bookseller, small-business, small-town, friends, friendship, amateur-sleuth, palmistry, matchmaking, investigation, local-law-enforcement, lies, secrets, cozy-mystery, criminologist, dishonest-people, suspicion, murder*****

Former criminology student/bookseller Annie Murray is having a sales event involving a famed matchmaker. But things go rather spectacularly wrong and trying to untangle the lies/liars from simple bystanders is a monumental task complicated by events from the past. Good read.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected e-galley from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Feb 10, 2025
#AVictimAtValentines #SecretBookcaseMysteriesBk5 @StormPublishing #NetGalley @goodreads show more @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #CozyMystery #MurderOfCrows #Murder #Matchmaker show less