A Holiday Homicide is the fourth book in the Secret Bookcase mystery series by Ellie Alexander. This title is set during the holiday season and focuses on a gingerbread house contest. The event is being held at the Secret Bookcase where the main character, Annie Murray, is the special events planner.

The small town of Redwood Grove, California is very excited to have a major social media baking influencer, Lily Hawthorne, streaming live from the event. However, the excitement turns disastrous when Annie discovers yet another dead body at the event!

One of the things that I love best about this series, besides the wonderful cast of characters, is the dual mysteries. Not only do we encounter a new murder victim in each story but we also have the cold case of Annie's college BFF, Scarlet's, murder. In this title, Annie has a meeting that has led to the discovery of major information in her investigation about what happened ten years ago. On a more personal level, we also have progress in the relationship between Annie and the local pub owner, Liam.

I was a little disappointed in the ending of this book because I felt that we did not get the exciting conclusion that one comes to expect with this type of mystery. But all in all, I have thoroughly enjoyed the story and I'm looking forward to my next visit with Annie and friends.

Thank you to the author, Storm Publishing, and #NetGalley for allowing me to read #AHolidayHomicide and offer my honest opinion.

“A Holiday Homicide” is the nicely done fourth book in Ellie Alexander’s Secret Bookcase cozy mystery series – I have been hooked on this series from the start. I love everything about this series – starting with main character Annie Murray who, while still mourning the death of her best friend Scarlet, has moved on with her life, working at the Secret Bookcase book store, has a new love interest, and is slowly getting back into solving mysteries. I also love her boyfriend Liam, new best friend Pri, coworker Fletcher, and her book Hal – as well as the bookstore setting. The series has two plotlines – the ongoing one of Annie trying to figure out who killed Scarlet as well as the main mystery in the book – in this book Annie comes closer to solving Scarlet’s murder as well as trying to figure out who killed a celebrity baker during a gingerbread-baking competition. Of the two, in this book I liked the storyline of Scarlet’s killer better – it’s nice to see Annie get closer to finding out who the killer is and finally shutting the door on that chapter of her life. The main mystery was okay but I figured out early on who the killer was and the part where all was revealed felt a little flat and anticlimactic. Because of this, and because of another event that happened in the book but was then dropped with no explanation as to who was behind it, while I did enjoy the book I knocked off a star on my rating.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Book Review: A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

So, I just finished reading A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander, and wow, what a fun ride! This was my first time diving into this series, and I have to say, it won’t be my last.

The story follows Annie Murray, who has big plans for a festive season at her charming little bookstore, the Secret Bookcase. Just as she’s gearing up for a gingerbread-baking competition, disaster strikes when a celebrity baker drops dead right in the middle of the action. Talk about a holiday bummer! The whispers of foul play start swirling around Redwood Grove faster than snowflakes in a blizzard. Annie, with her new love interest Liam and her trusty bookstore crew, jumps headfirst into solving the murder. As they dig deeper, Annie uncovers layers of secrets and rivalries that make the baking community far less sweet than it seems. The suspense builds as she races against time to unravel the mystery before the killer can strike again.

First off, can we talk about how gorgeous the cover is? Seriously, I’m a sucker for a good book cover, and this one is just perfect for the holiday vibe. The writing was so engaging that I found myself completely sucked into the story. It’s definitely cozy mystery material and worked perfectly as a standalone—no need to have read previous books in the series to enjoy this one.

The pacing was spot-on; I never felt like it dragged or rushed. The plot was well thought out, keeping me guessing until the very end. Plus, I absolutely loved the characters! Annie is relatable and likable, and it’s easy to root for her throughout the twists and turns of this festive whodunit.

All in all, A Holiday Homicide is a delightful read that truly captures the essence of the season while keeping you on your toes. I can't wait to dive into the next book in this series—if they’re all this entertaining, I'm in for a treat! If you're looking for a cozy mystery to cozy up with this holiday season, grab yourself a cookie (or two) and get ready for some sleuthing fun!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Ellie Alexander gives us a Holiday Homicide with Annie Murray at the Secret Bookcase when a gingerbread structures contest goes wrong and the influencer who has made the main gingerbread structure ends up dead. Was it the fervent fan? Was it the baker in town? Was it the publicist ? Was it promotional company exec? How did she die? At the same time Annie is thinking about her next career steps in the middle of helping policeman Dr. Caldwell with the case. Short but snappy cozy.

I absolutely enjoyed this book so much. It was a perfect holiday book. I was hooked from the first page, and I couldn't stop reading it! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! The twist was epic, and I enjoyed every minute of this book. I can't wait for more from this author. I highly recommend this one for those whodunit kind of readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Storm Publishing

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🎄 Christmas murder
🎄 books about books ❤️❤️❤️
🎄 small town Christmas festival

I loved the scenery and descriptions in here! It definitely felt like a Christmas book ❤️💚 I really enjoyed the descriptions of all the food that was happening in the book! It made me hungry 😈😈 And of course I love a Christmas festival! I love the descriptions of everything so I can envision that I am actually in the book with the characters.
This was definitely a slower cozy mystery, and I feel like it didn’t hold my attention like many other cozy mysteries do 👎🏻
The characters were just meh for me, I did not love or hate them. I feel like the book was so long and drawn out and then the end was just thrown in there.
I read this one without reading any of the other books in the series, but I think that was totally fine I didn’t feel like I missed any big details or anything like that.

Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander is a delightful \ addition to the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. In this fourth installment, Alexander expertly weaves together cozy charm with a touch of suspense. The plot, set against the festive backdrop of the holiday season, keeps readers engaged with its intriguing mystery, relatable characters, and unexpected twists. The protagonist, along with the supportive cast, adds warmth and depth to the story, making it a perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) With its clever writing and holiday flair, Holiday Homicide is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the series.

A Holiday Homicide is the 4th installment of the Secret Bookcase Mystery Series. Annie is once again busy with a promotion for the Secret Bookcase book store. This time, there is a gingerbread house contest led by a famous baking influencer, Lily Hawthorne. Redwood Grove residents enthusiastically baked gingerbread houses to enter in the contest. Annie is dealing with some things in her personal life. She and Fletcher, another employee at the bookshop, are trying to figure out if they can buy the bookshop from the retiring owner, Hal. Annie also has an offer to join the Redwood Grove police department. Her romance with a local pub owner is heating up. And she still is trying to solve the mystery around her best friend’s murder ten years ago. With all this going on, Annie discovers a body in the bookshop. As she tries to help solve this mystery, all the other aspects of her life are keeping her busy. The characters are well developed. The story is fast paced. Each book is a read alone, but I feel like you get to know more about them in each book. Although this is set at Christmas time, it really isn’t what I would call a Christmas book. In all honesty, I love Ellie Alexander books. She has several series going that I enjoy immensely. I’m thrilled to have gotten an ARC from NetGalley and Storm Publishing. My only problem is waiting for the next book in whichever series Ms. Alexander is working on currently. Love the book!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it a really lovely cozy mystery. I loved that it was dealing with a current murder and a cold case murder too.

I loved the Christmas setting in the Secret Bookcase Series, and the characters were all so lovely, especially Annie’s.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

(3.75 stars)
This fourth book in the Secret Bookcase mystery series is another winner for Ellie Alexander. This one is filled with Christmas atmosphere, and centers around a gingerbread house contest being hosted by the Secret Bookcase bookstore. Once again, we get a lot of local color, with the setting in a northern California town called Redwood Grove. The main character is Annie Murray, who runs the special events for the mystery-centric bookstore. Gingerbread houses have nothing to do with mysteries, but that’s okay, as it’s a great way to drum up interest and business for the store. The gingerbread house contest has attracted a baking influencer named Lily who will be live-streaming from the event. One of the most interesting things about this book was being able to see both the public side of a social media influencer and the behind-the-scenes aspect.

As indicated by the title, there’s a death at the event and there are several suspects. I guessed correctly on the murderer’s identity but not the method. Along with that mystery, there’s progress in the murder case of Annie’s best friend, Scarlet, which has been a topic running through all four of the books in this series. I hope we’ll get more in the next book in the series (I’m assuming there will be at least one more!) There is also progress in Annie’s plans for her future - will she continue to work at the bookstore or follow her first love (she studied criminal justice in college) and join her mentor in an official capacity in the police department? There’s also progress in Annie’s relationship with Liam, the local pub owner.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ellie Alexander has done it again! A Holiday Homicide, book four in the Secret Bookcase Mystery, is the perfect Christmas cozy mystery - celebrity baker, gingerbread house competition, quaintly decorated small town, and a cast of characters we’ve all come to know and love during the last four books. I’m counting the days until the next book.

I love the Secret Bookcase Mystery series! A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander was a short and sweet cozy mystery! I have loved the growth of Annie as a main character over the last four books. In A Holiday Homicide Annie and her crew decide to host a holiday bake off at her bookstore hosted by a famous baking influencer. Unfortunately before the fun filled weekend takes off someone ends up dead! It's up to Ellie and her friends to solve the case. These are great books for a quick mystery or palette cleanser. I'd recommend!

5/5 stars

I devoured this book and this cozy mystery series keeps getting better and better! Returning to charming Redwood Grove in all his small town vibes is very nostalgic and I want to go visit The Secret Bookcase bookstore.

This one was easy to follow, kept me invested and I loved the advancements in Annie's personal life too.

The whodunnit in these books are so good and I keep thinking I'm going to guess the killer but I don't.

I loved all the baking aspects and it was fun to learn about the future of The bookstore.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends and I can’t wait for book 5 to come out!

I'm so glad I live in a world with Ellie Alexander holiday reads - truly a gift to readers! I only started reading cozy mysteries this year but Ellie Alexander is absolutely one of my all time favorite authors. The gingerbread making, Christmas vibes, and of course a mystery are perfect! This one should be read anytime that you need to feel warm and happy.

Loving this series! Such a great holiday mystery to read curled up on the couch. Ellie Alexander is fantastic!! Give me more!!

This series, and Annie in particular, has grown on me. She has become more tolerable now that she has acknowledged her feelings for Liam and isn’t coming up with reasons to hate him. The mystery was well-paced and interesting but where this excelled was in the ongoing investigation into Scarlet’s murder; great strides were made in the cold case and really propelled it further. Looking forward to learning more about that in the next one.

Nothing quite says holiday cheer like homicide. At least for cozy holiday mystery lovers. And Ellie Alexander delivers in the latest Secret Bookcase Mystery where Annie has to solve the murder of a celebrity influencer who dies in the bookstore during a gingerbread competition. Yes, you will find the holiday spirit here with all sorts of activities, decorations and appropriate food but also the dark side of online influencers.

A good solid mystery and some further information about the murder of her friend in college. I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A Holiday Homicide is a delightfully charming, holiday cozy mystery. Annie and her fellow bookstore owners are hosting a gingerbread-baking competition, and a celebrity influencer has agreed to attend. Unfortunately, when the star is discovered murdered among the bookshelves, Annie is thrust into yet another murder investigation. With a new relationship blooming, Annie must balance her love life, her business goals, and her desire to solve this case - all during the hectic holiday season.

A Holiday Homicide is a perfect cozy. I love the bookstore with all of its quirks and secret rooms. The characters in this series are great, and I can't wait to see how Annie and Fletchers' new business partnership develops! This series is interesting because there is both a murder mystery that occurs in each installment and then an overarching murder that Annie has been trying to solve for the past decade. This larger mystery continues to develop from book to book. I am definitely looking forward to Annie's next adventure and can't wait to find out more about Scarlet's murder.

Another awesome cozy by author Ellie Alexander! This cozy has everything a reader wants. Awesome characters, solid mystery plot that flows smoothly and filled with lots of red herrings. Its always a treat to read one of this author's books! Thanks #Netgalley and #Storm for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

I loved being back with Annie and the gang for a holiday book, and one that included a baking competition no less! Great mystery, characters and lots of holiday festivities.