by Cynthia Chow & Ellie Alexander

This week we have reviews of the first 2 books in Ellie Alexander’s new Secret Bookcase Mystery series–The Body in the Bookstore and A Murder at the Movies, and a fun guest post by Ellie in the form of a letter from her main character. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win copies of both books and links to purchase the book from Amazon.

The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander
Review by Cynthia Chow

Annie Murray’s plans to become a forensic psychologist or criminal profiler ended with the death of her best friend Scarlet. Annie’s never forgiven herself for not discouraging Scarlet from pursuing leads in a cold case, one of the unsolved mysteries assigned to them by their criminology professor. Annie believes that their recklessness led to Scarlet’s murder, and the guilt caused Annie to abandon her dreams and instead accept a job as a bookseller in Redwood Grove, California.

Eight years later Annie is still working for Hal Christie in the Secret Bookcase mystery bookstore, dreaming of ways to help promote the store and increase online business. Her latest inspiration is an attempt to market Redwood Grove as a cozy mystery-themed town, with a Mystery Fest that would involve all of the local businesses. The one holdout is Liam Donavan, the grumpy owner of Stag Head Pub and a man who dismisses cozy mysteries and fiction books in general. His refusal to participate seems to prove wise when a very real murder occurs in the bookstore, with customers finding the body in the secret bookcase room.

Kayla Minter was a mean girl former college classmate of Annie, and Kayla had come to Redwood Grove after her marketing business was hired by a local store. Kayla was accompanied by her friends Seth Turner and Monica Harrison, the latter of whom is an editor for one of the Mystery Fest’s authors. As Annie soon discovers, the relationships between those three college friends was tempestuous to say the least, with both Monica and Kayla having dated and/or broken up with Seth at some point. Annie is both thrilled and unsettled when she discovers that the investigating detective is Annie’s former mentor, since the criminology professor Dr. Caldwell was the one who gave out the assignment that ultimately may have led to Scarlet’s death. With the help of Cryptic Coffee barista Priya Kapoor, Annie finds that she has not forgotten the lessons she learned as a budding criminologist, questioning suspects and continuing their plans for the immersive Mystery Fest.

This first in the series by the prolific author is slightly more somber than her Bakeshop mystery due to Annie’s remorse over her friend and obsession with solving her murder. That doesn’t mean that there still isn’t a tremendous amount of fun, mostly surrounding her coworkers and friends in town. Secret Bookcase owner Hal Christie asserts that he is a secret descendant of Agatha Christie, whose works inspired his bookstore and his passion for her work. Annie and Liam have a hate/love/hate relationship, with him taunting her appreciation of mystery books and refusing to participate in the town events. As Priya observes though, his actions are definitely akin to a 12-year-old boy pulling a girl’s ponytails to get her attention, and as much as Annie wants to focus on her investigation she can’t help but see his handsome appeal. The charming Redwood Grove town and the cozy bookstore with a hidden reading room will have readers envious and eager to revisit for the next installment as Annie continues to pursue her long investigation of the most important case of her life.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander
Review by Cynthia Chow

While Annie Murray is still dealing with the guilt of the unsolved death of her best friend, Annie is doing her best to move on as a bookseller in the Northern California bookstore The Secret Bookcase. After a successful promotional Mystery Fest weekend, the bookstore has been contacted by a movie director who wants their town of Redwood Grove to host a mystery film weekend filled with viewings of classic movies and thrillers. The director Heather Hathaway also intends to have them host the premier of her new film Midnight Alibi, which will be attended not only by the starring cast but also by a notorious movie critic. Martin Parker’s opinions have the power to make or break a film’s success, and Heather wants everything to be perfect for the finicky writer. Unfortunately, Heather’s proclamations that she would be more than happy to have him dead and unable to tank her film make her the primary suspect when Martin Parker is murdered, strangled and then thrown over a balcony during a strobe-light scene of the Midnight Alibi viewing.

Despite her degree in criminology, Annie gave up a career in that field due to the overwhelming guilt and trauma after the murder of fellow student Scarlet. Their professor and Annie’s mentor, Dr. Caldwell, still sees the potential in her former student and is doing her best to lure Annie back. As Redwood Grove’s lead detective, Dr. Caldwell enlists Annie’s aid in investigating and questioning the many suspects who had motives for wanting the unlikable critic dead. Heather’s nemesis and rival filmmaker Izzy arrived as a special guest of Martin Parker, but those also with the motives of needing their movie to succeed include the film’s producer and lead actors. The arrogant critic also made an enemy of Rufus Wells, a movie historian who became furious when Martin dared to touch a canister of one of his priceless film collections. So in order to continue the success of The Secret Bookcase bookstore and ensure the appeal of the tourist destination town, Annie will have to shore up her well-honed investigation skills to find a very crafty killer.

This second in the series has Annie and Dr. Caldwell both dealing with the residual guilt of Scarlet’s death, which they believe was due to a class assignment to investigate a cold case. Annie also has the dilemma of whether to accept Dr. Caldwell’s offer to return to the criminology profession, which Annie had thought she had put behind her. She has come to love the Agatha Christie-themed bookstore and her neighbors in Redwood Grove, even Liam Donavan, the pub owner who delights in teasing her for her love of the fiction books he considers to be trivial. Annie’s friend and barista Priya Kapoor has her own storyline as she finally meets her crush, the Double Americano customer who could be the love of her life.

The mix of a Hollywood movie cast and quirky local residents make this a compelling and very entertaining mystery, and its complex lead heroine shines as she learns to move past her guilt and be open to a new life. A satisfying conclusion leads to a new adventure for Annie, and readers will be looking forward to her next case that may take her to the country of the bookstore’s inspiration.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

To: You, Mystery Lover
From: Annie Murray, The Secret Bookcase, Redwood Grove, California
Subject: Redwood Grove Mystery Fest Ticket Confirmation

Dear Mystery Lover,

Greetings from The Secret Bookcase! I’m Annie Murray, your humble bookseller, and I’m so delighted you’ve decided to veer off the beaten path and join us at our Agatha Christie-inspired bookstore. I’ve officially marked your RSVP as yes for the inaugural Redwood Grove Mystery Festival, and I can’t wait to welcome you to our charming village.

We have a thrilling weekend of whodunnit delights planned, and trust me, you’re in for an unforgettable experience. This is a fully immersive festival, and everyone in Redwood Grove is embracing the spirit—there might even be a suspect or two lurking around the corner.

A few things to note as you prepare for your visit:

· The Welcome Reception kicks off promptly at 7 p.m. on Friday evening at the Grand Hotel. You’ll have the chance to sip on a bloody martini, mingle with fellow mystery lovers, and rub elbows with some of the attending authors. Costumes are encouraged but certainly not required—although my dear colleague, Fletcher Hughes, will be going all out as Sherlock Holmes. He’ll be the one greeting you at the door with your tickets and festival itinerary in hand.
· Author Panels will be held at The Secret Bookcase and the Redwood Grove Library. I urge you to carve out extra time to explore our bookstore. Each room of our English estate is themed after one of the Great Dame of Mystery’s iconic works. You can cozy up in the Sitting Room, modeled after Miss Marple’s cottage in St. Mary Mead, with a hot cup of tea and a freshly baked scone, or dive into the Parlor’s art-deco tribute to Hercule Poirot, where you’ll find an extensive collection of true crime and noir novels. Don’t forget to take a stroll through our sun-drenched terrace and gardens—and, of course, find the secret bookcase that hides a crucial clue to the mystery you’ll be solving around town.
· Throughout the village, you’ll find a killer lineup of events, from interactive mysteries to decadent mystery dinners, murderous mixology at State of Mind Public House, author signings, cozy cooking demos, and so much more. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say…murder will be center stage, albeit fictionally speaking.

We’ve also cooked up a few surprises, but I won’t spoil the fun just yet! Rest assured, every twist and turn has been planned with you, our mystery lover, in mind.

If you have any special accommodations or dietary restrictions, please don’t hesitate to let me know. After all, we want your experience to be deadly good.

Yours in crime,
Annie Murray
The Secret Bookcase
Redwood Grove, California

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win copies of The Body in the Bookstore and A Murder at the Movies, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “secret bookcase” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 28, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

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

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.