Once again, Annie Murray is helping the police to solve a mysterious death of a local resident who had invested in businesses and supported other causes. The death occurs while the bookstore (where Annie works) is having a Valentine's Day matchmaker event. In addition to the mystery aspect of this story, romance continues to bloom between Annie and Liam, a local pub owner. I enjoyed this book, though thought it was a tad less complex than the first book in the series. I do look forward to the next one in the series, to see what happens with Annie's new detective agency and with her and Liam. A nice cozy read!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This was a cosy, easy read.

I enjoyed the characters and whilst predictable it was fun in the book shop setting.

I will look out for more books in the series.

Thanks for the arc.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

It never ceases to amaze me how entrenched in the lives of the residents of the small town of Redwood Grove I have become while reading the new series “A Secret Bookcase Mystery” by Ellie Alexander. Each book in the series advances the character development as well as provide the reader with a new murder mystery to solve in every story. Additionally, we get ever closer to having the main protagonist, Annie, get closer to the truth about her best friend Scarlet’s death… and who caused it… and maybe even why!

Given the name of the book, A Victim at Valentine’s, one can surmise that there might be a “love” theme to this book, and there is ☺. Annie Murray (part owner of the Secret Bookcase bookshop) and the gang at the bookshop are partnering with a professional matchmaker (Storybook Romances) to provide a romance themed weekend. A weekend, I might add, that sounds like a lot of fun. Well, until George Richards (Redwood Grove’s largest benefactor), business advisor and potential investor of Storybook Romances ends up dead. With a murder to solve, Annie’s efforts to pursue the investigation into who murdered her best friend Scarlet are put on hold temporarily… or are they? Some interesting turn of events do push Annie ever closer to finding out who did murder Scarlet – and this puts Annie is some danger of her own.

As stated previously, the character development seems seamless from one book in the series to the next. Every story arc progresses and provides the reader with just the right amount of development while also leaving the reader wanting to learn more about each character…and the mystery surrounding Scarlet’s death. We get to see Annie sift threw the clues and suspects to come to a conclusion as to who the murderer is. I did not definitively know who the culprit was until the end – which I have said before – is just the way I like my cozy mysteries.

In this book, we get the added bonus of watching Fletcher Hughes (Annie’s colleague and soon to be co-owner of the bookstore) pursue a new love interest. This surprised Annie -> seeing Fletcher flirt! And of course, Annie’s relationship with Liam is still progressing organically. Nice to see Annie having someone close to her that will look out after her and provide her with love and support as she still is working through the trauma of Scarlet’s death, even all these years later.

I love the cover art for this series but I must say, I especially liked this books cover art. I liked the fact that the crows, Jekyll and Hyde, are on the cover – as they do play a role in this book.

This fifth book in the “A Secret Bookcase Mystery” series is a true winner in my mind. It encompasses all that I hope a cozy mystery will be. A mystery to solve, many options as to “whodunit” and a clever amateur sleuth. Let’s not forget a great location (and a bookstore certainly is in my view ☺). I will anxiously await the next installment of the series. So I suggest grabbing your beverage of choice, sit down in a comfy spot and set aside numerous hours (well – at least for me) to immerse yourself in a truly delightful cozy mystery by Ellie Alexander!

I cannot wait until the next installment of A Secret Bookcase Mystery is released!!!

This may be the of the coziest cozy mystery series ongoing at the moment. There's a small town with a big community feel and more than few festivals and events, there's an Agatha Christie themed bookstore in an old house complete with a secret bookshelf with a dash of found family, and an amateur sleuth with a cat named Professor Plum - and of course a shockingly high crime rate.

I liked that Annie studied criminology and that she and Fletcher are in the process of starting a PI business. That makes the crime solving make sense a bit more than when it's just a nosy resident (not that I'm anti-nosy resident). This was an interesting mystery. The victim is someone that everyone likes but things didn't seem quite right in the days before the murder. Just what secrets were floating about and who hated the victim enough to commit murder.

I really enjoyed this one and loved spending time in the bookstore with Annie, Fletcher, Pri, Liam, and the rest of the cast of characters. The mystery kept me engaged and reading and I enjoyed trying to figure out all the secrets. This is a series best read in order as there are a few story arcs that involve multiple books.

We are back in Redwood Grove with Annie .
It will soon be Valentine’s Day and Annie has some love inspired ideas for the bookshop, she is approached by a professional matchmaker to hold an event in the bookshop.
The event is a hit with the locals until a respected member of the community is found dead .
Annie has a number of suspects in her sights but can she help Dr Caldwell find the culprit ?
An enjoyable easy read , although I did find the investigation into the murder of Annie’s best friend is dragging on .
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing .

the latest installment in the Hidden Staircase did not disappoint. I did not guess the culprit in George's murder. Wow that was a nice twist.

Hopefully soon, we get to the bottom of Scarlett's mystery as it's been dragging too long. Over it.

I'm such a fan of this series, and with each installment I wonder how the next one will be different as so much happens in each. In this one, Annie is back at the Secret Bookstore, hosting an event for Valentine's Day, when someone dies in front of the store early one morning. As Annie assists Dr. Caldwell with the investigation, she deduces how the victim died and who the killer is...but the reason is an unexpected twist. There is also a major development in Annie's search for what happened to her friend Scarlet, and it comes from the most unexpected source.

This is one of those series where the books move quickly and the plot progresses at a rapid pace - something I appreciate, but a part of me wishes the books were a little longer so we could get more time with Annie and Liam, and Annie and Pri.

This is the fifth in the series, and while I haven’t read them all, I have read more than a few of Ellie Alexander’s novels, to be familiar with her style. The murder of crows, however, is a relatively new element with Ellie. I enjoyed the crows and how they tried to stop Annie from finding George. I also liked how Fletcher knew some facts about them.

As for the mystery, I went down a different track at first, but still believed the killer was involved. I just didn’t believe them to be a killer. I am more than ready for Annie to solve her friend’s murder as well. That just feels like a long-drawn out situation.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved this book, valentines day, bookshop coffee and trying to solve scarlett's murder. I didnt know it was part of a larger series but it can be read as a standalone. It's a good fun, twisty story and cant wait to read the rest.

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Did you have a cozy night in or go out on the town? Or not celebrate at all? My husband and I went out for dinner.

Annie Murray is celebrating Valentine’s Day at the Secret Bookshop by putting together a matchmaking event. Annie’s friend Scarlett was murdered in the past and she is still trying to put together the clues to solve her death. When someone else is murdered at the bookstore, Annie helps investigate who the killer could be in their small town. Will they find the killer before they strike again?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This was a perfect cozy read for Valentine’s Day. I loved how there was a slight romance with Annie and Liam and the event that was put together for the holiday. The murder was tied in with the holiday as well.

• This is the fifth book in the A Secret Bookcase Mystery series. I read it as a standalone, but I feel like it would have been even better if I had read the first books in the series.

• I enjoyed that the bookstore was an Agatha Christie themed bookstore.

• There were many red herrings in the mystery which made it fun as Annie put together the pieces to find the killer.

Overall, A Victim at Valentine’s Day by Ellie Alexander was a perfect cozy mystery for the holiday.

've been enjoying this series, I mean you can't go wrong with a series taking place in a bookshop with lots of mentions of a coffee shop.
The theme of Valentines Day was great, and I could vividly visualize the lovely decorations and the scrumptious dinner in the fun matchmaking event.
Fast paced with a collection of characters with pretty even tempers but can you really trust them to be who they seem to be.
Though this is a series this can easily be read as a standalone. I enjoyed our main character and seeing how her relationship is developing along with everyone else's this Love Weekend as the matchmaking is in full force.
Small town charm is in abundance with our main character once again getting right in there helping to solve the crime. Not too heavy of a mystery this time with a nice blend of romance, intrigue, small town charm and friendships.
Sorry to see this is the next to last book in this series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Alexander knows how to write a fun mystery. I believe this series is wrapping up soon, so she’s pulling a lot of the threads related to the overarching mystery (Scarlett’s murder) and getting them ready to come together. Alexander does a good job balancing the larger arc with the individual book mystery. I will say that this mystery didn’t quite have the same level of twists as I expected. I guessed some things earlier than normal. However, it was still lots of fun and perfectly timed for the season.

A lovely addition to this series! I loved the individual mystery of this book and the developments in the overarching plot. That ending really got me! Lots of amazing Valentine's moments and themes throughout the entire book.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I'll also include this in my reading wrap up for the month!

A Victim At Valentine’s is a fun and mysterious read. I have loved this whole series and I am sad to see that there’s only one more book! This is a fast paced read and so much fun with the holiday theme.

I love seeing the progression of Annie and Liam’s relationship. I love the setting - bookshop, coffee shop, small town. I really enjoyed the mystery of this book and I was honestly surprised by the ending. I can’t wait to see what the conclusion to the mystery of Annie’s best friend’s death will be.

I have shared this review on Amazon, Storygraph

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I just finished reading A Victim at Valentine's. As in the previous Annie Murray books, people who love books participate in an event organized by Annie, Fletcher, Hal and the people who gravitate around the Secret Bookstore. Annie helps Dr. Caldwell solve a murder that took place during the couple's matching, organized by Aaliyah. It is interesting that during the investigations, Annie also gets important information on Scarlet's murder.

A Victim at Valentine’s by Ellie Alexander takes us back to the Secret Bookcase, which Annie and Fletcher are in the process of buying from their boss and the owner, Hal. His good friend, George, had put them in touch with a match maker, Aaliyah, in whose business he had invested some money and they were putting together a Valentine’s weekend event. She had an excellent track record, with almost 100% success and she felt sure she would meet that goal for this event. It was going to be fun: bookish scavenger hunt, a hike, meals together. Even their customer, Gertrude, who had never married as she lost fiance quite young, had signed up to attend. The event did seem to be a roaring success and people began pairing up almost immediately.

Things fell apart when Annie arrived early the next morning and found George sitting on a bench in the garden, dead. This is a fun series: Annie is a well-written character who grows with each book. She is haunted by an investigation for a college class that had gone wrong and resulted in the death of her best friend, Scarlett. She was still investigating as was Dr Caldwell, her mentor and the local chief of police. Elspeth, a very odd woman who claimed to be a medium had predicted there would be a death, oddly correct. As one can tell, the characters are varied and interesting. Fortunately Annie could keep more than one ball in the air at at time. The mystery was good, although despite the fact I figured it out, I had the motive quite wrong. Good book.

I was invited to read A Victim at Valentine’s by Storm Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StormPublishing #EllieAlexander #AVictimAtValentines

This is book 5 in the Secret Bookcase Mysteries series. Annie has finally decided to run the store and open a detective agency within the store, thereby having the best of both worlds. She can also continue to consult with the local police, if needed. A weekend event over Valentine's Day combines romance and books and ends in murder. Of course, Annie is involved in the investigation. She is also getting closer to her fella and local pub owner. I continue to enjoy this group of friends and hope the series continues for a long time. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC.

This is the fifth book in the Secret Bookcase Mysteries series. I haven't read any of the previous books, but didn't feel like I was missing any major information as the relevant information is provided within this book, so it could be read as a standalone if you wanted. However, if you want a full understanding of how the characters have reached the point they are at the series should be read in order.

This book was good. It was cosy and easy to read. The characters were fairly likeable. However, it was quite predictable. I think I was hoping for more mystery and suspense.

This is the first book I have read in the series, though I own all of them, and I really enjoyed it. Annie is a great character and I love the bookstore setting. Now I need to go back and read the rest of the series!

Didn’t realise it was book 5 in a series.

It’s set in a small village around Valentine’s Day.. The main character discovers a body on the grounds of the bookstore. She dives into solving the mystery with the help of some friends. Even though I hadn’t read the first 4, I liked the main characters.

I enjoyed reading it, but didn’t understand a few things as obviously, the characters build up and speak about the past, through the series. Will definitely be reading the first 4 books in this cozy mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing for the arc.