Marvey Harris has recently relocated to Peach Coast, Georgia, to take a job in the local library. Among her new friends is Jo Gomez. Jo owns the local bookstore, and this Saturday, Marvey is at the store to support Jo, who is hosting a book signing for the local authors group. When one of the authors fails to return from the storeroom, Jo and Marvey find her dead body on the floor. With the police looking at Jo, Marvey steps in to figure out what really happened. Can she find the killer?

This may be the first in the series, but I already feel right at home. Peach Coast sounds like a great town, and I love Marvey, Jo, and Spence, the third member of their trio. We never meet the victim alive, but I liked how well we got to know her as the story progressed. The rest of the cast could be a little better defined, but I’m sure that will come as the series progresses and they get more page time. The story starts quickly, but the pacing does slow a little in the middle. Still, the climax is logical and suspenseful. There’s a recipe for peach cobbler at the end. While not a culinary cozy, you’ll definitely be craving it by the time the book is over. I’m looking forward to returning to Peach Coast soon.

If you like Hallmark mysteries, you’ll enjoy Murder by Page One. Join Marvey and her new friends as they try to figure out whodunnit and clear their friend, Jo’s name. Someone killed the author, Fiona Lyle-Hayes, in Jo’s bookstore, and the police are certain she did it.

Along the way, you get a front-row seat to Marvey adjusting to small town life in Georgia after moving from Brooklyn. The book is very descriptive and spends a lot of time world building. Possibly to set up the future books in the series to be less descriptive. I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. (See my rating scale below.)

Thank you to Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating Scale:
NOTE: Five stars are rare. Three to four stars are most common.
5 - Great moving book/story that will stay with me for years. 
4 - Good book/story that was enjoyable.
3 - Okay book/story. Pleasant to read. Didn’t mind reading it. 
2 - Not a good book/story. Regret taking the time to read or listen to it.
1 - An abhorrent book/story. (none given so far)

MURDER BY PAGE ONE is the first book in the PEACH COAST LIBRARY MYSTERY series and I can’t wait to return to the small town of Peach Coast, Georgia. The hominess and southern gentility were center stage and made me feel like I was there. Getting to know the residents, the businesses, and the lay of the land was comforting. This cozy mystery had amateur sleuths trying to get justice for bookstore owner, Jo, where a murder was committed. All fingers point to Jo, but should they?

Marvey, the recently transplanted New Yorker, works at the library. She and her cat are both homesick but she seems to be making friends and settling in. Spence, is her partner in crime in trying to solve the mystery but is he hoping for more? He grew up there and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the local newspaper that is owned by his family along with other businesses in town. Who holds a grudge against Fiona, the newly published author who is murdered before the book signing? There’s a lot of small-town drama, sides being chosen, and not a lot of action by the local police.

There is a depth to the characters and we get to know the townspeople a little at a time. There’s a nice flow to the story and a lot of twists and turns as fingers keep getting pointed at various residents. There are secrets, accusations, friends and family, lots of Southern speak and phrases I had never heard before, good food, get-togethers, gossip, clues, suspects, truths, and lies. There is nice closure with a surprise twist at the end. The recipe for peach cobbler, which was an important part of the story, is at the back of the book. It’s a nice addition and the recipe seems so easy, I might have to give it a try.

Ms. Matthews is the mystery pen name of Patricia Sargeant. Both are new to me authors and I plan to add some of their books to my TBR pile.

Murder by Page One is the first book in the Peach Coast Library Mystery series by Olivia Matthews.

This is a solid start to a new series.

Marvey recently moved to Georgia from Brooklyn and is adjusting to life in the South.
I liked the realistic reactions when the body was found. I would expect it to be traumatic. I also liked how Marvey and Pence discussed that they had no idea about how to investigate a murder. I moved to NC and things like having the door opened for you are real southern things that take time to get used to.

It was an enjoyable story with good characters and I look forward to the next story.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series. It almost reads like a second, as the characters have relationships and back story that it seems like the reader should already know. It was a bit repetitive and slow-moving for me. I struggled to stay interested. But it is well-written and the setting is certainly cozy and inviting. I would try any additional books in the series.

I’ve watched a lot of Hallmark Movies & Mysteries so it only seems fitting to actually read one. I haven’t read many cozy mysteries but from my limited reading experience and vast TV watching experience they all typically tend to go somewhat the same way. Woman who owns a business or works in a library somehow gets involved in solving a murder. Whatever her specialty is somehow involves very good observation and deductive reasoning skills. Is friends with a cop, PI or reporter. Doesn’t actually want to get involved but is left no choice for reasons. Lives in a small town. There’s always a method... and then there is madness...

Marvey is fairly new in the small town of Peach Coast, Georgia. When the opportunity to make more of her library career is presented she relocates from New York. Her best friend and local bookshop owner Jo Gomez hosts a book event and ends up a suspect when one of the authors ends up dead of course Marvey has to help. The police don’t seems to be looking at anyone with an actual motive. And it seems the dead woman had more people that disliked her than actually liked her. She was rude, very private and a homewrecker, nobody seems like they even miss her. But why would anyone kill her? Was she every really the woman everybody thought her to be? Is the truth buried in the pages of her book?

Marvey puts all her librarian research skills to work along with her newspaper editor friend and with the help of the other wed who seem to know a little bit of everything and she tried to solve the case and keep her friend from paying for a crime she did not commit.

Marvey only wants to prove her friend is innocent she’s no detective. At least that’s what she keeps telling herself. But someone does not want her sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong. A series of increasingly dangerous situations proves that someone is watching and thinks she’s getting too close to finding something out. But what? There’s a lot of misdirect to keep you guessing but I guessed the who before the why became apparent.

It was a good story and I would very much like to see this as a movie. The only part that I really didn’t like was all the annoying blah blah blah about the cat, sorry I like animals and all but it was excessive. My first book by the author but I look forward to reading more of this series even with all the annoying cat details.

After the first couple of chapters, I was ready to put this book down. The characters did not appeal to me, the oversimplistic approach grated on me, and the feel of – let’s throw a cat in here to catch the sympathy of the readers was off-putting.

Marvey, and if she had a last name, I have forgotten it, moved from Brooklyn, New York to Peach Coast, Georgia, to take over as a librarian tasked with developing readership and community involvement. When a body is discovered and her friend Jo, which once again, I didn’t think Marvey had been in town long enough to have such close ties that she was willing to put her life on the line for, is under suspicion. Marvey and the son (how they met was never fleshed out) of a local wealthy family and newspaper owner, join forces and talents to save the day and find the true murderer.

As a Hallmark publication, I am wondering if the plan is to turn this book into a Hallmark Movie and Mystery series. If so, haven’t we already had a few too many librarian sleuths in the cozy genre? Granted, there are a few old standards that might charm a Hallmark audience, but overall, this book did not appeal to me.

MURDER BY PAGE ONE by Olivia Matthews
The First Peach Coast Library Mystery

Librarian Marvey Harris may be a transplant to Georgia from New York City, but even she knows when someone says "bless her heart" it's not a good thing. Attending a book signing with local man-about-town Spence Holt, Marvey is happy to support her new best friend, Jo, who happens to own the bookstore. While the other authors are setting up, new author and the recipient of those "bless her hearts" is conspicuously out of sight, preparing her own books in the back storage room. Fed up with the woman, Jo goes to hurry her up, with Marvey and Spence tagging along. Instead of a showboating author, however, they find a dead one. While the deputies have Jo in their sights for the murder, Marvey knows she's innocent. Marvey, along with Spence and her fellow librarians, plans to provide the deputies with better suspects. Will their assistance be accepted, or will a killer put a stop to their snooping?

With a spunky protagonist, a close knit group of friends and co-workers, a charming locale, and a darn good mystery, there's a lot to like about the debut Peach Coast Library Mystery. Marvey is smart, determined, caring, and a dedicated librarian. Her Brooklyn fish out of water works well and seeing her acclimate to small town Southern living is amusing. I love the fact that she is creating a dictionary of Southern sayings. I also smile at her catch phrase, "Do you have a library card?"

I had one major issue with the book, however. The victim was killed in the back storage room of a bookstore, but the killer would have had to pass everyone in the bookstore as there was only one entrance. That could never happen. Not the killer walking past everyone, but the fact that a store would only have one means of entry. Talk about a fire code violation! There was an easy solution as well, simply have the back door alarmed or somehow blocked. Despite the inner building code officer inside me shaking her head in disbelief, I was able to continue on and really enjoy the rest of the story.

MURDER BY PAGE ONE is a charming debut mystery that promotes friendship and libraries. I can't wait to return to Peach Coast for some scrumptious peach cobbler and Marvey's next mystery.

After accepting the position of director of community engagement for the Peach Coast Library, librarian Marvella (Marvey) Harris trades the hectic pace of Brooklyn, New York for the laid-back lifestyle of Peach Coast, Georgia. Over the past four months, she has made a small circle of loyal friends and savvy co-workers, and discovers her librarian research skills are very effective for investigating the murder her new best friend Jo has been accused of.

When local author Fiona Lyle-Hayes is found in a pool of blood at To Be Read Bookstore before she is to sign copies of her debut novel, the police zero in on the store's owner, Jo Gomez as their main suspect. Jo and Fiona had had a minor disagreement shortly before the event began, but it hardly rose to the level of such a drastic conclusion. Still, the police are intent on quickly closing the case against Jo on the flimsiest of evidence.

Putting her best library research skills to the test, Marvey is determined to find out who framed her friend Jo for the crime and why Fiona was killed. Is this a case of revenge, jealousy, or rivalry--or something else? As Marvey asks questions and gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in the line of danger. She experiences several minor, though unusual accidents that leave her wondering if she can reveal the identity of the killer before becoming a victim herself.

Set in a quaint small Southern town, Murder By Page One introduces a spunky sleuth and a community that takes pride in its traditions, gossip, library, bookstore, and coffee shop. Protagonist Marvey is friendly, talented, and resourceful; and the cast of Peach Coast residents she interacts with is a good balance of quirky, eccentric, and contemporary folks And when she's not recommending books to patrons, planning and hosting library events, and increasing the library's reach by signing up more townspeople for library cards, Marvey is learning the local customs and phrases.

The plot features a pleasing mix of red herrings and unexpected developments, and the setting includes the type of establishments; namely, a bookstore and library, that enthralls cozy mystery lovers. The cultural clash between Marvey's direct approach to matters and the more subtle style of the town's residents adds an entertaining aspect to the story. All of these features make Murder By Page One a delightful start to the Peach Coast Library mystery series and a welcome addition to the cozy mystery genre.

This was a wonderful, cozy read. The main character, Marvey, is a young librarian with a sweet tooth and a dogged determination to ask all the right questions.

I especially enjoyed that this cozy mystery didn’t start with a main character who is down on her luck or heartbroken. Marvey has moved from NYC for all the right reasons and is establishing herself in the south quite nicely. I am very excited to see what future installments of this series offers.

Marvey "Do You Have A Library Card" Harris moves to Peach Coast, Georgia to be the Director of Community Engagement because she felt stymied in her job as librarian in NYC, she wanted an opportunity to put her library ideas and ideals in motion at a micro-level. Marvey has been in Peach Coast for a few months and has made a really good friend in fellow newcomer and bookshop owner Jo Gomez is one, but when a local author ends up dead at her book signing, Jo is the prime suspect in the case since, as the owner, she knows the ends and outs of the To Be Read bookstore. To help her friend Marvey must use her research and outreach skills to investigate this murder before the book is closed on Jo's freedom.

Murder by Page one is a decent cozy which I suspect would make a better Hallmark movie. What worked for me, I enjoyed the library politics, the passion Marvey had for her job, Marvey's multicultural friendships, and the storyline about her cat Phoenix. What did not work for me is another cozy mystery featuring a Black character, that seems multicultural on the surface, but is basically a few Black and brown people in a majority white town. I love diversity and multiculturalism in books, however cozy and quaint small towns do exist that are not majority white, even if white people do live there. I am unsure why I got a vivid description the all of the white side characters, but a prominent Black characters were referred to as having "sienna skin", I do not even remember reading a vivid decsription of Marvey and her Black family, they could have been purple, yet I knew white characters had shiny red hair and bright green eyes. Hopefully publishing companies will start to get serious about representation, and give readers real diversity in cozy mysteries. Yet with some crucial tweeks The Peach Coast Library mystery series has the potential to be a really good series, I look forward to the next installment, hopefully more people of color will have moved to Peach Coast.

Marvey is a librarian from Brooklyn who now works in Georgia. She is quirky and delightful. But when her friend becomes the prime suspect in a murder, Marvey uses all her knowledge of research and crime procedurals to prove her innocence.
If you like the Hallmark Mysteries series, this is a book for you!
I can't wait to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Murder By Page One (A Peach Coast Library Mystery #1) by Olivia Matthews
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: March 23, 2021

Murder By Page One is the first book in the new "A Peach Coast Library Mystery" series from Hallmark Publishing by Olivia Matthews! This cozy mystery is set in small town, Peach Coast, Georgia and has a book-ish theme!

New York librarian, Marvella "Marvey" Harris moves from Brooklyn to Peach Coast, Georgia, for a new job (and better opportunity) at the local library. Marvey's best friend in Georgia is Jo Goumaz, who runs the local book shop! I love the book connection setting up this friendship!

The mystery was well laid out and kept me guessing until the end!

The author has created a wonderful new world, with rich and likable characters! I look forward to future books!

I'm so grateful to Olivia Matthews, Hallmark Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Murder By Page One introduces us to Marvella “Marvey”, a transplant to the south from Brooklyn (New York City). She wanted a chance to expand her librarian influence and so took a job far from home in Peach Coast. I think it’s supposed to be in Georgia.
The town, library and setting are charming. Marvey is a fun character. She goes around asking people she meets if they have a library card, and she doesn’t really get the “easing in” to conversation that people in town view as normal. She often gets straight to the point and then has to back off a little to not give offense.
Even though Peach Coast is a small town they have a bookstore. The owner Jo is one of Marvey’s friends. Her other friend is Spence Holt. Spence runs the newspaper and his family owns and runs many of the businesses in the area.
A book signing at Jo’s bookstore goes awry when one of the authors is found murdered in the storeroom. The town deputies have little experience with murder and suspect Jo even though there are others with better motives.
Marvey investigates in order to supply the deputies with other options. Spence helps. Things get a bit dangerous along the way.
I had an idea who might have committed murder but I wasn’t sure why and it takes until near the very end to put all the pieces together. This book is a great start to what will hopefully become a series or at least a couple of stories because I’d like to return to Peach Coast and get to know Marvey, Spence and Jo better.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

This book was very engaging and was fun to read. It had a good plot as well as interesting characters. I highly recommend it to other cozy mystery readers.

Marvey is a Brooklyn transplant. She lives in Peach Coast, Georgia. When her best friend is accused of murder, Marvey decides to investigate. She still has her yankee ways, blunt and to the point. She has to learn to add a little finesse to her style and she tries to find the killer. The murder victim was celebrating her first mystery at a book signing in town. Is it her step-son, his mother, or someone else responsible for her death.

There are references to books, quotes and such that make this even more fun. The story is easy-to-read and the killer was very sneaky. T

Marvella Harris, "Marvey", has moved from New York city to Peach Coast, Georgia. Her new job at the library has her attending the bookstore, To Be Read that is owned bt her friend Jo. Several authors are there to sign books. One local author, Fiona Lyle-Hayes is also there. When Fiona doesn't come out of the backroom after awhile they go looking for her only to find her bleeding on the floor. Marvey must help find the killer before her friend is accused of the crime. This book is enjoyable but slow at times. Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Murder on Page One
Olivia Matthews
March 23, 2021


Marvella Harris has moved to the small town of Peach Coast, Georgia. It has been quite a change for the new librarian who began her new job in the southeastern town. She left her job and home in New York City. In the city, the library was a bustling place. The building was huge, staff was numerous and the patronage was always countless. In Peach Coast, Marvey was Director of Community Engagement. She is a gal who makes friends easily but doesn’t hold back on speaking her mind. She and book friends are gathered to Jo Gomez’s grand opening of her book store To Be Read. Specially invited were authors with newly published books. They would be setting up tables for chats and sales with customers. Many came for a personal signage of their latest purchase. As the opening time approached, the store was crowded with people waiting to view favorite authors. Along with Jo and Marvey there would be close friends from the library staff and newspaper coverage. One local author, Fiona Lyle-Hayes, had not set up as yet. After her arrival she had headed to the store’s back room to unpack books, incentives, and get all ready for the patronage. With minutes left before the doors were opened Jo and a few friends headed back to help Fiona to get settled. When they arrived they found Fiona on the floor bleeding. She had been murdered.
This special comfort mystery is brought to us by the Hallmark folks. The story revolves around who killed Fiona? Although local police are positive that store owner, Jo Gomez was unhappy with the writer and must have killed her. Her friends are bound to prove them wrong. It is an average but enjoyable read. I can see it becoming one of their movies.
Murder By Page One by Olvia Matthews. It is a Peach Coast Library Mystery. I presume that there may be more to follow in this series. Murder By Page One will be published on March 23, 2021 by Hallmark Publishing. It is fun to read and one that would be enjoyed by library enthusiasts. As Marvey would say, “Do you have a library card?”

Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. I felt like I was an unnamed character in the story.

When reading Murder By Page One, I couldn't help but be delighted by its bookish charm. It contains all the key elements in a good cozy mystery. You have the librarian amateur sleuth, a bookstore owned by a new bestie, and of course a cat. I loved the small-town feel of this story.

I look forward to following this story. I'm excited to see where these characters go. Sign me up for the next installment of Murder By Page One!