The Body in the Bookstore
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.
The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander is the beginning of A Secret Bookcase Mysteries. We get to meet Annie Murray, who loves mysteries, along with her best friend, Pri plus Annie’s coworker, Fletcher and her boss, Hal. There are a variety of shop owners too. Annie is intelligent, has an attention for detail, and a passion for books. Annie is a likeable and relatable protagonist. I hope we get to learn more about her as the series progresses. I love the bookstore, the Secret Bookcase. I could spend hours in there searching for books to add to my TBR pile. I love the items added for Mystery Fest (I want one of the old typewriters). Mystery Fest was a clever idea and a great way to save the bookstore. It is an event that I would love to attend (so would any mystery lover).
It was great the way the shop owners of Redwood Grove (well, all but one grump) became involved in the event. The author did a wonderful job of worldbuilding. The mystery was interesting. I like where the victim was found. Annie is an eager sleuth and Pri is happy to assist her. There are clues scattered along the way as well as a red herring or two. The discussions between Annie and Dr. Caldwell were insightful, but they could meander on. I have a feeling that Annie will be working with Dr. Caldwell again in the future. There were repetitive details (the same details repeated two, three, or five times). There was a touch of romance as Annie found herself attracted to a certain pub owner. It had Annie blushing like a teenage girl (and her mind wandering). Annie is told at the end that there is information that may help her solve the murder of her college best friend. We will have to wait for A Murder at the Movies (preview at the end of the book) for more details. The Body in the Bookstore is a charming California cozy with a secret cubby, a killed college acquaintance, a slew of suspects, beatnik storyteller, a bitter ex-boyfriend, a pushy publisher, and a curious criminalist.
The Body in the Bookstore is available from Amazon*. The second book in A Secret Bookcase Mystery is A Murder at the Movies. Thank you for dropping by today. On Tuesday, June 25, I will be featuring The Triplets' Summer Adventure by Laurel Blount. I hope that you have a delightful weekend. I plan on working on the lights on my porch. I have solar lights wrapped around the support posts, but a couple of sets have bit the dust. I am going to change them out for warm white rope lights. I also need to add hooks for my new wind chimes. They are little tasks but it is too hot to do more! I do have a stack of books next to the couch where I can read, relax, and enjoy a cool drink (aka Pepsi). Take care and Happy Reading!
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Avid Reader.
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