Murder by Page One by Olivia Matthews is the first in a new cozy mystery series.

I always enjoy the cozy mysteries from Hallmark, and Murder by Page One is no exception. I absolutely loved all the book and writing themes running throughout the story, such as librarian, bookstore, newspaper, etc.

I found Marvey extremely relatable. She cares about those she loves, books, and crafting.

I cannot wait to try the peach cobbler recipe at the back of the book.

The narration by Janina Edwards was good. I was not sure about it at first, but it quickly grew on me. She did a great job managing all the different voices, so you knew who was talking.

If you love books with bookish themes, cozy mysteries, and peach cobbler, give Murder by Page One a try.

Also, I think this is one of my favourite covers that Hallmark Publishing has ever done.

I received an eARC and audiobook from Hallmark Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

Murder By Page One was a great audio book. If you like cozy mysteries you will love this book! The characters were immediately likeable and you will enjoy solving the murder right along with them.

A good sweet cozy mystery,enjoyable read.
Like the characters and the twists,turns and maybe a sweet romance
Voluntarily reviewed.
Narration was good.

I love (LOVE) Hallmark. I love the romances, and I've been loving the mysteries even more as of late. The cozy mysteries that Hallmark publishes have been perfect and I have found them to be just the right amount of whodunit mixed in with a fun story. This book, however, didn't grab my attention like the rest of them. I was so excited to listen to a mystery about a librarian who makes book themed jewelry and has a cat - this screams me! However, this book just didn't hit the mark for me, unfortunately. This is the first in a new series, and I haven't decided if I'll give the next books in the series a try.

Super cute cozy mystery. I enjoyed all the characters and the storyline. Nice twists and turns. I listened the audiobook and the narrator was easy to listen to and follow.

An outstanding new cozy mystery to delight and entertain! If you love a good library based mystery then you're in for a treat as this one is outstanding. The main character is a bit of a stand out in her community as she is a transplant from Brooklyn who finds herself navigating the ways of a small and very southern town. She's so far out of her depth that she keeps a running list of sayings with definitions and one of her co-workers acts as a translator at times. The characters are both intriguing and lovable down to the cat! The cast is delightfully diversified that will have you absolutely falling in love with them and the town! I absolutely can't wait for the next book in this series to come out as I am sure that more fun entertainment is just waiting to be had. This book needs to be on your TBR list asap!

I don't read many cozy mysteries, but this one was delightful!

Marvey attends a book signing only to discover one of the authors didn't quite make it to the signing...alive.

I liked the repartee between Marvey and her fellow librarians as well as Spencer, a nice, lightly romantic but not really addition to the story. I also love the incorporation of her cat and the challenges that come with moving to a new city.

I also enjoyed the investigation that Marvey finds herself in and the reasoning behind that. I'm not a huge fan of the vague reasons that the local authorities have for not investigating more fully--it seemed a bit weak to me--but I appreciated that it kept it open for Marvey to 'stick her nose in'.

One other thing that I found difficult to believe is that such a small, seemingly rural town would have such a HUGE library system. I get it, there's need for it in the story so it justifies it (and I liked the setting, I really did) but it just felt so completely...impossible. I live in a very small town and our library has trouble staying open more than 3 days a week at the moment and I don't even know if more than 2-3 people are paid to work there. I highly doubt someone like Marvey would be hired in such a small area to 'boost' the library system in the way she was reported to, all while offering her a 'livable wage'. Just my two cents.

All in all, I liked the charming town with fun and quirky characters, a good murder mystery, and some really nice side adventures that rounded out the plot. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy's.

My rating: 4*

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an audiobook copy of this via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a new series, featuring a librarian who moves from New York City to a small Georgia coastal town.  It takes some adjustment to the different pace and lifestyle there, and her cat is having an even more difficult time with the move.  When attending a book signing at a friend's bookstore, one of the authors is found murdered in the back room.  The friend is implicated in the murder, so the librarian and her friends try to figure out who really did it. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the culture differences between Brooklyn and small-town Georgia, having experience something similar. The characters are interesting, and I especially liked the inclusion of the mysterious cat behavior. I found myself laughing and also emotional about the situation. The story line has enough twists to keep you interested. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

This is a lighthearted cozy mystery that would make a great Hallmark movie series. Marvey is adjusting to life in a small southern town, coming from New York. The town's peaceful facade is shattered when she discoveries a dead body in a bookstore. As suspects come to light, Marvey is determined to uncover the murderer's identity in this humorous and suspenseful whodunnit. The audiobook's narration adds to the suspenseful atmosphere of the first installment of the Peach Coast mystery series. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.

I always enjoy a book about bookworms. Throw in a murder and I'm here for it. Marvey has moved to Peach Coast, Georgia from NYC and is working at the library. At her friend Jo's bookstore during a book signing, one of the authors gets murdered and Jo is the main suspect.
There are several believable suspects all with motive and no good alibis. I usually don't actively try to figure out murder mysteries, I just go with the flow of the book, so it wasn't until the very end right before the reveal that I really knew who did it. I loved how Marvey put everything together and really had the motivation to clear her friend of suspicion.
There was also a small sub plot about Marvey's cat Phoenix who has been acting strangely since their move from NYC. I did think it was a cute sub plot (who doesn't love cats), but it was mentioned a lot and very repetitively before Marvey was able to take her to the vet to find out what was wrong.
If you are a cozy mystery fan, definitely check this one out!

I fell in love with Marvey’s experiential descriptions of southern living! Marvey, librarian, is a transplanted New Yorker to a small town in Georgia and her adjustment is rife with southern colloquialisms. I laughed out loud as she often had to translate expressions and experiences. Add in some sleuthing, or as Marvey says “just asking questions,” against staunch “southern charm” and you are bound to laugh out loud. The plot was intriguing and held my interest. Just when it seemed obvious who the culprit could be, a new twist was revealed. What really brought this book to life though was the narrator and her ability to capture all the southern nuances of language and culture. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my copy of Murder By Page One by Olivia Matthews, Narrated by Janina Edwards in exchange for an honest review. It published March 23, 2021.
What a fun, creative new cozy mystery series! If you're looking to start a new series, consider starting with Murder By Page One! I really enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the detecting. I enjoyed that Marvey did what was right the whole time, rather than listening to peer pressure. I also adore the fact that she is a librarian!
The descriptions of the books and food were always a treat and I feel like I could have a lot of fun hanging out with Marvey, and most of the folks in Peach Coast!
The narration was done very well, and I will definitely look for more books narrated by Janina Edwards!

This is a cozy and capable mystery, enough suspects to keep you guessing without getting confused, a likable "fish out of water" lead still wrapping her head around local culture and customs after moving from New York to Georgia, and a murder that becomes personal in the small town that serves as the backdrop to the story.

That said, not precisely my cup of tea. I generally prefer my mysteries a little darker and mysterious. I think this is best described as a Hallmark mystery movie in book form. I can 100% imagine Candace Cameron Bure or Lacey Chabert leading it, and it follows the same basic plot of every Hallmark mystery movie ever made. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that and there is absolutely an audience for it, I'm just not part of that audience.

This book is perfectly fine, just kind of "meh" for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This lovely cozy mystery was written by Olivia Matthews and published by Hallmark. Murder by Page One is the first in this new series. It features librarian Marvey as the amateur sleuth assisted by newspaper owner and possible romantic interest, Spence. In this mystery, the two of them uncover clues to try to solve the murder of local author Fiona and save their friend and bookstore owner, Jo from being falsely accused of the crime. A good start to the series with an introduction to the small town of Peach Coast including its cute little shops and a close-knit community of characters. Looking forward to the second in this series.

A librarian, a cat, and a cozy mystery. Sign me up. When Marvey’s friend is accused of murder, she steps in and tries to find the real killer to save her friend’s reputation. So reminiscent of a Hallmark Mystery.

Janina Edwards does a great job narrating the audiobook.

If you love cozy mysteries and Hallmark mysteries, you’ll like the first installment in the peach coast library series.

I’m sorry to say that this book is not one for me. To be fair, I am relatively new to the genre of cozy mystery but I feel like I’ve read enough of them by now to have a a feel of what I like in them. Unfortunately, this one was a little too cheesy for my taste. Cheese is what you know you’re getting with a cozy mystery but a good one will be a warm and ‘cozy’ cheesy while carrying mystery to keep you hooked. This one just felt like all cheese to me. I never found myself invested in the story or the characters.

Hallmark movie lovers everywhere will fall in love with the audiobook, Murder By Page One. The plot involves a local bookstore,sweets,local business people and a crafty newcomer to the town. The narrator was a delight to listen to and perfect for emoting the story.

Murder by Page One is a charming start to a mystery series. Honestly, if it gets made into a Hallmark mystery movie, I will be watching! Marvey is a transplant from New York who is now a librarian in small town Peach Coast, Georgia. I love how she asks everyone “do you have a library card?” I also really liked Spence and Jo. It made me laugh when everyone assumes that because Marvey’s from New York, she is tripping over dead bodies everywhere she goes. I loved her cat, Phoenix, and Phoenix’s storyline. The only real complaint I had is that the narrator, while her Southern accent is amazing, doesn’t fit Marvey at all. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and I will continue with it. Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The cozy mystery genre is completely new to me and I must say after this book, I’m sure it won’t be the last of its kind I read.
This book was a light and fun read that was not life changing or anything, but perfect for a cozy lazy weekend. The 4 stars I give it are taking into account that this is meant to be just that. To be the first in a series, I feel like it was a great start: the main character is quirky and likeable, the author did a great job of establishing an image of what the town and its people are like, and the mystery itself turned out not to be as predictable as I thought it would be. The narrator was also great, although her voice didn’t match my mental image of the main character. Overall a a great choice for a fun, easy read.

My first book by the author but not my first time with the narrator both of whom did a good job of bringing the story to life.... In classic cozy mystery fashion Marvey a new librarian in a small Georgia town gets involved in solving a murder after her best friend becomes the main suspect when a murder occurs during an event at her book store. Marvey puts her librarian research and deductive skills to work along with her newspaper editor friend and a few good gossipy fellow librarians to get to the bottom of the case. Who killed Fiona? Why? And why is this whole thing putting Marvey’s life in danger?

It was a pretty good story very Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, I look forward to reading/listening to more in the series.