I've read the first three books in the Secret Bookcase series in fairly rapid succession and I have absolutely fallen in love with this series.

Annie works at the bookstore and, as a criminology major in college and former student of Dr. Caldwell, the lead investigator in the town, Annie helps out in solving the mysteries. Lots of great recurring characters, including Annie's best friend Pri, along with Liam and Penny.

Here, once again, there's murder at a planned event, this time a fundraiser to help restore the Wentworth Farmhouse, which Penny just bought.

A fun but clever cozy mystery series.

Highly recommended!!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

‘Murder wasn’t supposed to be on the menu.’

A locked house mystery set at the spookiest time of the year. What can be better? The burgeoning romances between Annie and Liam and Pri and Penny, of course. Secret staircases, hidden treasure and a cast full of entertaining character round out this fun third installment in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. So much fun! ( )

The events coordinator at the Secret Bookcase, Annie Murray, has organized a murder mystery-themed dinner party at the newly renovated historic Wentworth farmhouse. The property has garnered enduring rumors of secret passageways concealing a fabled fortune in gems and gold, attracting widespread interest and leading to sold-out tickets. Annie was introduced to the new owner, Penny Shurr, through her friend Priya (Pri) Kapoor. Costly renovations have caused Penny's depleted savings, and significant improvements are still needed on the property's exterior, including the orchards, vineyards, and farming equipment. The women have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the upcoming dinner party and fundraising auction for experiences in Redwood Grove.

It's another irresistible visit to a small town in Northern California. A mystery-themed bookstore hints at a unique architectural element called the Secret Bookcase, along with an owner's genealogy that could link to an ancestry connection to Agatha Christie. As a fellow enthusiast of mysteries and small-town events, I find these elements particularly engaging. This time, there are two events before Halloween: an offsite fundraising dinner party on an eerie and stormy night, adding to the atmosphere with links to the town's history, and a children's story time celebration at the bookstore. The author's descriptive writing not only creates vivid images of delectable menus for dinner and story time refreshments but also infuses friendship and romance in the characters' lives that sparkle with humor, respect, and looking out for one another. What history and/or mystery buff can resist an investigation that might finally answer rumors from the 1800s?

Reviewer’s Note: The author’s website shares:

"This series is a love letter to the mysteries that shaped me and is inspired by the real-life Mystery Festival we launched in Ashland, OR in 2023."

You can be assured that this reader plans to visit Redwood Grove for the next event! I hope you will too!

Thank you to Ellie Alexander, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel. ( )

greed, real-estate, California, friends, friendship, amateur-sleuth, fund-raisers, small-business, small-town, bookseller, local-law-enforcement, unpleasant-victims, unpleasant-suspect, murder, investigation, romance, mysteries, missing-persons****

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater and Dinner Detective Suppers are supposed to be fun with actors holding the plot together and the paid guests enjoying themselves. But nobody is supposed to be actually murdered! The characters from the first two books are back with a new villain and a whole new collection of plot twists and red herrings.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
#SecretBookcaseMysteriesBk3 #CozyMystery Pub Date Sep 30, 2024 ( )