This is the second book I’ve read with the same setting and characters which is like a warm cosy blanket of familiarity. A slight suspension of disbelief is needed if you are to enjoy another murder in this quiet location that involves amateur sleuth/bookseller extraordinaire who is once again front and centre of solving the whodunnit. Thank goodness for her abilities otherwise the police wouldn’t be so capable of neatly wrapping up the murder. I know there’s another book coming but I think I’m going to leave a bit of time between reading this and the next and revert to my usual genre of gruesome graphic murder mysteries.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. It publishes February 10, 2025.
I really enjoyed this installment in the Secret Bookcase series! I loved how ominous it felt, I couldn’t put it down!
I loved how everyone’s personal and professional lives kept moving along, you can see some real character development! I love it!

Another great entry in the secret bookcase cozy mystery series. I enjoyed re-visiting Redwoods Grove and all the characters and see what they are up to. I would recommend reading this series in order because there is an overarching mystery that was introduced in book 1 and continues through the series. We continued to get more clues for that mystery. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

I read A Victim at Valentines as a stand alone book as part of the secret bookcase series. It’s a great book to get you in the mood for the upcoming holiday with a murder mystery spin. It is well written but it is predictable. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I’d be interested at some point to check out the other books in the series.

(About the book) With Valentine’s Day coming up matchmaker Aaliyah partnered with Annie on holding a matchmaking event at the bookstore she works to help people find love. Little do they know someone will die and a mystery surprise will lead Annie to uncovering facts about her best friend’s murder too leaving Annie and her business partner Fletcher to discovery what happened and who did it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the fifth book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. Annie works at a bookshop called The Secret Bookcase in the small town of Redwood Grove. I have read and enjoyed each of the five books.

In A Victim at Valentine's the bookstore is hosting a match making event for Valentine's Day when a well-liked member of the community is found murdered. There are two threads to follow - the above-mentioned murder investigation, and new information coming out about the death of Annie's friend Scarlet.

I very much enjoy this bookshop related series. The characters are well described, the mystery is tricky to solve, and the author keeps coming up with great ideas for promoting book sales in her imaginary shop. I am looking forward to book 6.

(3.75 stars)
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, you definitely should take a look at the Secret Bookcase series by Ellie Alexander. It is filled with interesting recurring characters, from the main female character, Annie Murray, who is the special events coordinator of this mystery-centric bookstore, to her boyfriend/pub owner, Liam, to her bookstore-colleague/detective-partner, Fletcher, to her good friend, coffee shop owner Pri. Each book takes place in a small town in northern California, Redwood Grove. The bookstore itself is almost a character! As always, Ellie Alexander knows how to write a strong mystery story.

This time, the Secret Bookcase bookstore is hosting a Valentine’s-themed event: a matchmaking weekend revolving around books! This makes it perfect for readers who love a seasonal story.

A local philanthropist is found dead and an investigation ensues. (I had trouble guessing the perpetrator!) In addition, there’s progress in a case that has been an overarching theme in each of the previous four books, the murder of Annie’s friend Scarlet, a number of years ago; it looks like we are getting close to the solution at last!

I zoomed through this one, mainly via the audiobook version, which was well narrated by Ellen Quay.

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

This is the fifth book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery Series. I’ve really enjoyed this series, getting to know the characters in Redwood Grove and at the book store. Every time Annie goes for a walk and talks about the beautiful pacific coast I just want to get lost with her. The cold case that started in book 1 busts wide open in this book, with, hopefully, an end in sight. Liam and Annie continue to fall in love. 4 ⭐️ Thank you to @netgalley @ellie_alexander and @stormbooks_co for this eARC. This book comes out February 10.

Can't wait to read the next book in this series! This was a fantastic mystery I couldn't put down! This was a one sitting book!

Another fun mystery in this series. We're back once more to an event at the bookstore, which gives us plenty of time with Hal and Fletcher. A new event, a new mystery. Not to mention some further exciting developments with the cold case mystery. This book packs a lot it and is a compelling read.

There's a dark feel to this mystery as Annie untangles a web of clues and suspects. You'd think a book based around Valentines wouldn't be so dark, but it made it all the more engaging. And the two crows - Jekyll and Hyde! Amazing inclusion in this book. I wish they had of been there for the entire series. I wanted to see more of them. It added something unique on the cosy side.

While each book in this series is a self-contained main mystery, it's best to begin this series from book one, so you see the characters grow and you learn about the cold case. It's well worth it, I promise. I've enjoyed every book in this series so far.

My only concern is that it appears the next book is the final book in the series. I really hope it's not true. It would be a shame, especially with Annie and Fletcher looking to open their own Detective Agency. Maybe we'll have a spin off series based on the new agency?? I can only hope so.

This is my first time reading this author and it's book #5 oops. It does stand alone but I'm interested to see what the previous stories are about. I honestly chose this book for the cover and wasn't disappointed at all.
A small town in California is more like a British village. The folk all seem to know each other and love their town.
Annie runs the local bookstore and also holds a degree in criminology. Circumstances in her life led her to a quieter life.
Although a murder happened right outside her door, she's helping the authorities and there are quite a few suspects.
This was such a charming story and I need to read book #6 to hopefully discover what happened in her past.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. 😊
This was my first read in the series (I didn’t realize it was a series until I started reading, oops), but a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and plot of the book. It was a bit predictable, but I would go back and read the rest in the series. This was not a typical read for me, but I would recommend it to others looking for a quick read!

Fifth book in this series I have read and enjoyed. Looking forward to book six. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

The Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander is a charming and fresh take on the classic cozy mystery. The unique dynamic between the protagonist and the lead detective—who encourages her to help solve the murder—adds a fun twist to the genre. The cast of intriguing suspects and lovable supporting characters makes you feel right at home, and you’ll find yourself rooting for them every step of the way. With a clever plot that keeps you guessing, the unexpected ending will leave you pleasantly surprised. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) A delightful read from start to finish!

The Secret Bookcase is a small crime book shop in Redwood Grove, Northern California. Annie Murray along with Fletcher Hughes work for Hal Christie and are in the process of buying the shop from Hal. Annie is asked by a local benefactor, George Richards, to organise a Valentine's Day event for a small business owner, Aaliyah Kingston - Storybook Romances, a matchmaking business. However, a body turns up outside the book shop and soon, Annie is off and running to investigate the means, motive and opportunity! The story is fast paced, a page turner of a read and all the sub plots come together with a surprising conclusion. Annie also finds some new evidence into her, best friend's death, which looks promising.

The writing was light and engaging. There were a couple of storylines running through, one which was from the previous books and one was the main one that this book was primarily focusing on. Both storylines worked well together and held my interest from the beginning right through to the end.

The description was rich and added something extra to the story. It slowed the story down and made you take a moment to appreciate the surroundings that the story was taking place in.

The chapters were fairly long so you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. The chapters flowed well together and even though there was a lot of information, the way that it was written made sure that you didn't get lost. There was a good pace to the book, created with the perfect balance of description of the surroundings and the characters actions.

The characters were great. I enjoyed following the main character and seeing her work through the different options as to who the murderer was.

The characters close to the main character gave the story a cosy feeling. They were supportive of the main character and their individual relationships were nice to read about. In addition to the main group of characters, there were a number of suspects that I enjoyed watching the main character investigate.

Lastly the settings. I loved the bookshop and the surrounding grounds. They were beautifully described and enhanced the cosy part of the mystery.

Overall a wonderfully described murder mystery. I look forward to reading more books in the series. This was book 5 in the series so I have a few to get through!

3.5 stars

This was another enjoyable read in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series by Ellie Alexander.

Annie Murray is now co-owner of the Agatha Christie inspired bookshop this series surrounds. In this book, taking place around Valentines, the Secret Bookcase is hosting a matchmaking event where a local benefactor turns up dead and Annie helps investigate who the murderer is.

This is probably my least favourite in this series so far. I just wasn't totally gripped by this one and the murderer reveal felt anticlimactic to me. I'm still really enjoying this series overall though with it's cozy small town and lovable characters. I'm excited to see where the next book goes.

I loved the title and the cover, I also thought this cozy mystery was a good read! The setting is apt, a cozy town with a cozy bookshop. Annie is still working on who killed her best friend years ago when a much-respected and beloved bookshop aficionado is killed right outside the bookshop, that is located in a park.

In the fifth book of the series, I could easily figure out who was who even though this was my first meeting with the Secret Bookcase Mysteries. Plausilbe suspects tumble over each other as the story unfolds, and several twists unfold until we finally find out who did it, and everything falls into place.

I look forward to reading the previous and future installments of this very entertaining community. Thanks to Storm Publishing letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I am giving A Victim at Valentines four stars because I enjoyed it a lot.

A Secret Bookcase mystery rises to the top of my TBR. A Victim at Valentine’s is no exception. Annie gets the chance to play matchmaker with books while a matchmaker brings together people at a Valentine’s weekend event.
Annie assists the police when a man dies during the event. There is also movement on the underlying story of Annie’s friend Scarlet. There were a number of good suspects as George had his hands on many pies.
I enjoy the characters in this series.
This was the first time I had listened to a book in this series. The narrator was quite lovely. I also love reading the ebooks.
I happily recommend A Victim at Valentine’s. There is plenty of fun and suspense to this mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Dreamscape Media for the chance to read this story.

Thank you Ellie Alexander ( @ellie_alexander ), Storm Publishing ( @stormbooks_co ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read A Victim at Valentine’s early (publishes February 10, 2025).

The Secret Bookcase is hosting a matchmaking event weekend. Unfortunately, a local benefactor turns up dead on the second day, and Annie helps investigate. Is the murderer a rival bookseller, a psychic, or the matchmaker herself?

Ellie Alexander’s latest installment of The Secret Bookcase Mysteries is a cozy perfection! Matchmaking and murder—what else do you need??

#AVictimatValentines #NetGalley #EllieAlexander #StormPublishing

Unlike most cozy heroines, our protagonist Annie actually trained in criminology. There’s a thread running through all the books where her fellow student, several years ago, was murdered while investigating an unsolved case. I’m not a fan of that aspect, as it mostly leads to Annie monologuing about how much she misses her dear friend every so often. It reminds the reader that murder isn’t a game — which isn’t exactly in keeping with the cozy genre.

Mostly, I love the idea of the bookshop and the various events Annie organizes. (Plus, her business partner is a Sherlockian.) In A Victim at Valentine’s, the special occasion is a matchmaking weekend. Unfortunately, that means not much happening in relationship to the bookshop, sadly. The mystery also feels a little underbaked, with too much going on for everything to get sufficient development.