Annie Murray serves double-duty as a bookseller and an events coordinator. When yet another murder happens in the little town of Redwood Grove where she lives, her former criminology professor, the lead detective on the case, has extended Annie a job in the field. This is not her first offer and likely won’t be the last, especially as she has proved more than adept as a perfect amateur detective. More importantly, armed with a criminology degree, she would be perfect for such a position.

But, the matter at hand is on her mind. Who killed the person who was known as the pillar of the community? While Annie digs for answers, she finds that there is definitely a bevy of suspects. All the while, Annie can’t stop thinking of the murder of her best friend ten years previously, and would love to solve that cold case as well.

While Annie’s personal life is filled with love and happiness, particularly her growing relationship with Liam, her determination to find the killer takes precedence. Amidst the chaos, a touch of romance blossoms as Valentine’s Day approaches, and a matchmaking event is planned.

Although I binge read this wonderful cozy mystery series, actually all as audiobooks narrated by the very talented Ellen Quay, these titles could work quite well as standalone novels. But, I am keen on continuity, and love the atmosphere and sense of community that this series offers.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I primarily listened to the audiobook of “A Victim at Valentines,” expertly narrated by Ellen Quay, though I did read sections of the ebook as well. At just over 6 hours, this is a quick read that pulls you right back into the world of Annie and friends back at the Secret Bookcase store. Book five in the series picks up a few months after the last book and leaves you simultaneously wanting to visit Redwood Grove to spend time in the Agatha Christie themed Mystery Book store and questioning the seemingly high murder rates in what feels like a cosy small community. That said I really enjoy this series and would definitely visit both the town and store (though I would keep an eye out for suspicious characters). The main characters and their relationships really make this series feel warm and cosy as though you’ve come home to visit old friends that you’re eager to catch up with. I really like the match-making event that was being hosted by the community and have to say this kind of event would be a hit for a lot of single book geeks. While each of the books in the series has a separate, stand-alone mystery, I particularly enjoy the mystery of Scarlet’s death which has been a unifying thread throughout. This book will have a large portion of that mystery resolved though there are a number of loose ends that will carry over into the next book.

I have to say I love the addition of Jekyll and Hyde, the two crows which Fletcher has been feeding and training. They add both a spooky and a fun aspect to the story which I really enjoyed. I’m also looking forward to Fletcher and Annie’s detective agency being fully realized. I thoroughly enjoy Ellie Alexander’s easy writing style. I’m loving #thesecretbookcaseseries.

A Victim at Valentine's, the fifth book in A Secret Bookcase Mystery Series once again has the murdered victim. This time he is found on the Teccace to the door of the bookstore. You can count on Ellie Alexander to have eccentric characters who may all have motives for the murder. You can also count on Annie Murray to get to the bottom of it, finding the killer along with their motive.

This Valentine Matchmaking Event is interesting. Plus, Annie has done a wonderful job planning it. Too bad it has an unexpected real murder of a beloved community member. Of course, everyone and everything is not exactly as it seems, but it is not an easy solution. I followed the clues along with Annie. I do enjoy this series especially when it stays focused on the problem and solution.

I really enjoy this series. Annie is a great detective and her new venture with Fletcher sounds like the opportunity for a lot more stories. This is the 5the book in A Secret Bookcase Mystery and did not disappoint. A Valentine's matchmaking weekend at the book shop, a death and lots more detail into the death of Annie's friend Scarlet makes a quick weekend read. I can't wait to find out more details about Scarlet and what happened to her, I had read that this will be in the next book and that it might be the last in the series. I hope not, I could read this series for along time!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Traditional Format (digital).

In the cozy town of Redwood Grove, Annie Murray’s Valentine’s Day plans take a sinister turn when a beloved pillar of the local community is found dead at her Agatha Christie-inspired bookshop.

A Victim at Valentine's is the 5th book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. I haven't read any of the previous books but I do feel this serves well as a stand alone novel. I assume that a reader would have more insight into the characters having read the previous books in the series but this didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book for me.

Cozy mysteries aren't a genre I typically read but after reading this book it won't be my last. I give this one 4/5 hearts for Valentine's Day.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.

As with every book in this series, this book is a winner!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I can’t wait for the next one!!

I'll be really sad when this series wraps up with the next book since these are some of the most awesome characters I've come across in cozy mysteries. They've all got the best chemistry among them.

This mystery was a real puzzler as Annie and her pals tried to figure out who killed the nicest guy in town. And she had a side mystery that may just crack the cold murder case she's worked on since her friend was killed. The showdown was hair raising to say the least but Annie's a survivor and lived to have a super sweet dinner date with her guy Liam at the end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Storm Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Book five opens with Annie excited for the direction the bookshop is taking. Her & co-owner Fletcher will run their detective agency out it & an opportunity to run a match making event has presented itself. Needless to say she’s busy! I loved all the Valentines descriptions.

What I like about this series is between Annie’s background in criminology & her wanting to solve her best friend’s murder from years ago, it has a slightly more serious, more mature vibe. Yet it still remains a cozy, especially due to the bookshop setting. Alexander expertly bridges the two together seamlessly.

This is probably my favorite of the series yet. There was just something about it that flowed really well. We also get some real progress made in the solving of Scarlet’s murder. I can’t wait to see where the series is headed.

💝

Read if you like:
* Cozy Capers series by Maddie Day
* Witch Way Librarian series by Angela M. Sander

I love how each book Ellie Alexander writes is based around a holiday and this one was a great cozy, easy read for Valentine’s Day. Although it was based on that holiday and is a murder mystery, there wasn’t much romance in this story. I at least expected more from Annie and Liam or Pri and her gf. The plot seemed like more of a segway into a bigger story than its own. This is definitely a series you’ll have to read from the beginning to understand what’s going on rather than reading it as a standalone. Overall, I enjoy following Annie and the gang and hopefully they figure out what happened to Scarlet soon!

Annie, along with Fletch and Hal are hosting an event that involves a matchmaker and couples finding love at the bookstore. It is a three-day event and everything is going well and then the local philanthropist, George, is found dead in the garden of the estate that the bookstore is on. George was also a favorite and friend to all, or some it seemed. Who would want him dead? Annie is determined to find out who did this. She has also been given some material related to the death of her roommate that has haunted her since it happened. While this book can be read as a standalone, it's better to read it as series due to the overarching developments into the mystery of Annie's roommate Scarlet's death.

This was a story that I sunk right into. I found it interesting that all the suspects were female. I enjoyed the twist of why George was killed and the idea that people show you the sides of themselves that they want you to see. The who and why behind Scarlet's death is also becoming clearer as we get closer to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this ARC and give my opinion.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ellie Alexander for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Victim at Valentine's coming out February 10, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read several books by this author. I really love cozy mysteries. This is a lovely series. I think this book is perfect for February! Annie is a fun character and she’s still dealing with her past. I love her relationship with Liam. I will definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Book 5 in The Secret Bookcase series did not disappoint. Full of even more cozy mystery, mayhem, motives and of course — a small town murder.

A Victim at Valentine’s may be my favorite Secret Bookcase Mystery thus far! Sprinkled with Valentine’s Day romance, Annie is hosting yet another fun event at the bookstore.

As with the other stories in the series, this is written in a way that can be read as a standalone, but the background storyline between the novels begins to take extra twists and turns in this book. I can’t wait for the last installment in the series!

Thank you, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

A Victim at Valentine's is the 5th book in the series, A Secret Bookcase Mystery by Ellie Alexander and I really enjoyed reading it! This was such an enjoyable read, and the Valentine’s Matchmaking via books and adventures, is a brilliant idea by the way! It should be used at local bookstores in real life. It isn’t where I am but maybe where someone else is.

This cozy mystery caught me from page one. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down and had to even sneak it into bed with me without my dogs knowing (they get jealous). This mystery kept drawing me in, and it was so well written. Annie is the main character in a town of Redwood Grove, and has an excellent eye for detail and started noticing that her Valentines Matchmaking plans take a terrible turn with the discovery of a dead body.

Who did it? There are a few likely people who could have done this. This was my first book by Ellie Alexander and I have to read the other 4, because this one, was truly, amazing! If you enjoy a fast-paced cozy mystery with likable characters, and a great storyline and plot, then you must read this book!

Another fun installment in this series, though I was sad to learn that the next book in the series will be the last.

We return to Redwood Grove and the Secret Bookcase for a Valentine's Day matchmaking event. Here multiple suspect characters emerge, even before the grisly discovery. Annie Murray is gearing up for bookish couples to find love over the Valentine weekend and looking forward to spending the day with her own hunky bar owner, Liam. When the town's favorite resident philanthropist is murdered, there is a surprisingly long list of suspects. While couples cozy up in the Secret Bookcase, Annie wants to solve the crime.

I like the friend group in this book, which is what makes it so enjoyable. It is also the fact that Annie, while a bookseller (and soon to be owner), has the right to ask nosy questions and pry into crimes because of her criminology background. There seems to be nothing awkward at all about her sleuthing, even if her BFF and her boyfriend are not in law enforcement and her sounding boards.

I look forward to the next book and hope if it is truly the last that it brings the series to a satisfactory conclusion.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute cozy mystery set in a small Northern California town. It’s the 4th book in this series and I haven’t read the previous books. Perhaps if I had, this book and its characters would have been more interesting to me. Annie is still removing it from the murder of her best friends 10 years earlier. As she was battling with her overwhelming grief, she found her way to this small town and to a lovely bookstore. She’s made good friends and is dating a handsome pub owner. While holding a cross promotion event with a matchmaking entrepreneur, the towns ultra-wealthy philanthropist is murdered. Annie and her bookstore partner, Fletcher are working on their PI licenses to form a detective business in addition to the bookstore. As the body was found on the bookstore grounds, Annie inserts herself into the investigation and the hunt for the killer begins. Lots of quirky characters and a fun murder investigation which implications to the current case and those from the passed.

Fantastic read! I love going back to Redwood Grove to visit with Annie and her friends. The back stories as well as the mystery in the book keep me coming back for more. I can’t wait to read the next book!

So happy to be back at Redwood Grove with Annie and the gang!

Annie Murray is on a roll, A Secret Bookcase is doing well, she is setting up her private detective agency with her dear friend Fletcher, the Novel Detectives and they are now hosting events at their bookshop. However, their good fortune starts to run out when a psychic named Elspeth Prachett forsees a tragedy striking a beloved member of the community, George Richards. Though George holds some deadly secrets in his closet, it is up to Annie, Hal, Fletcher and Dr. Caldwell to find out who wanted to hurt George and how it is all connected with Annie's friend Scarlet's death and the cold case that started it all.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for another great Secret Bookcase read!

This is the fifth book in A Secret Bookcase Mystery series. I've been following this series and enjoy these cozy mysteries set in the sweet town of Redwood Grove in The Secret Bookcase bookshop.

Description:
In the cozy town of Redwood Grove, Annie Murray’s Valentine’s Day plans take a sinister turn when a beloved pillar of the local community is found dead at her Agatha Christie-inspired bookshop.

As Annie assists the lead detective in unraveling the mystery, she quickly identifies a host of likely suspects – from an oddball psychic, to a professional matchmaker, to a rival bookseller – each with a worryingly plausible motive.

With her keen eye for detail, soon Annie suspects there may be connections to the decade-old tragedy of her best friend’s death, which still haunts her. Putting her own Valentine’s Day plans with the irresistible Liam on hold, Annie must solve the crime – before she ends up on a hot date with a killer.

My Thoughts:
In this book there's a murder that occurs during the span of a match-making event held at the bookshop. There were some clues and several suspects. Annie Murray and her friends Fletcher and Hal try to find the answer to who the murderer could be. Some information also turns up about Annie's friend Scarlet, who had disappeared some time ago. The mystery of what happened to Scarlet has been a common thread throughout the series. This was a fun and satisfying cozy mystery and I enjoyed my time spent reading the book. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Ellie Alexander is a talented author and writes absorbing stories that are easy to read and enjoyable.

Thanks to Storm Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is the fifth book in the Secret Bookcase Mysteries by Ellie Alexander. I found it well-written and plotted.
A town benefactor turns up dead outside of the bookstore. Annie and friends attempt to figure who did it and why.

Annie and Fletcher are in the process of trying to buy the bookstore from their employer. They also plan to open a detective agency that runs out of the bookstore.

I was given an advanced e-copy and these are my opinions.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of A Victim At Valentine’s.

Annie seems to have everything going her way-she is getting ready to own the bookstore she loves, starting her private detective agency, and she has found love with Liam. But when the body of a well loved philanthropist and member of her town turns up dead in front of the bookstore she is shocked. Then they find out he was murdered. The list of suspects starts growing and she realizes he may have had some skeletons in his closet. All while she is working on solving the murder of her friend from years earlier. She does not realize the danger she may be in.

I love this whole series so much. This book was so good! I loved the plot and how we are also learning more about her friend’s murder as the books go on. This whole series is a must read!