Book 3 of Secret Bookase mystery series. Fun cozy mystery with colorful secondary characters. Primary characters draw you in. Good writing.

In a picturesque village in northern California, there is a stately old mansion on the edge of town. Surrounded by lush English gardens, the mansion is filled to the brim with books, old hardwood floors creaking under your feet as you wander from one cozy nook to another, exploring the shelves. Pick up a new release or find a rare copy of an old favorite and slip into the secret bookcase with your find so you don't have to wait until you get home to start reading. This is Annie Murray's life! OK, so she doesn't get to just wander around the bookstore all day, she actually works there. But she gets to watch other people enjoy themselves, which is almost as good.

In the third Secret Bookcase Mystery, Annie's is helping her friend Pri and Pri's girlfriend Penny host a murder mystery dinner to raise money to complete the renovations on the old Wentworth farm. Unfortunately there are several people who want to purchase the farm from Penny and are trying to make sure the dinner is not a success. When one of those people falls face-first into his soup, there's no telling who might have killed the man who had far more enemies than friends. Can Annie and Pri nail the killer before he strikes again?

Death at the Dinner Party is my favorite of the series so far! I love murder mystery dinners, I love closed-room mysteries, I love old gothic mansions with secret passages and ghostly visitors. This is a perfect fall cozy, complete with dark and stormy nights, hints of Halloween, and lots of pumpkin spice! I can almost smell the woodsmoke and falling leaves.

If you enjoy bookstore mysteries, this is a fun series. If you are looking for mysteries that take place in the fall, look no further! For cozy fans, this is a great series to add to your TBR.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Annie seems to know how to bring in the cash. This time she’s figured out how to help Penny drum up some much needed funds for her farmhouse restoration.

Things are going well until an attendee drops dead…and Penny had a beef with the man. With other suspects also 8n attendance, Annie knows she s got to solve this problem as well. before a killer puts the restoration, and Annie, on the back burner once and for all.

I adore Ellie Alexander’s work and this is her latest cozy series. It’s got a great setting, a strong female protagonist you’re going to love, and Alexander is the queen of the cozy mystery plot. She keeps you guessing until the end when she finally makes the big reveal. Always a good read!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am enjoying this series of books about Annie Murray and the Secret Bookshop. This murder mystery was an easy read. I don't feel that it was as good as the previous two books. The killer was more easily identified. No spoilers, so I don't want to say anymore about the clues.
Anyone picking up this book as their first look at the series needn't worry about not starting with the first. All is explained about the background to the characters and location as necessary.

This is the third book in A Secret Bookcase Mystery by Ellie Alexander. Annie helps Penny and Priya plan a fund raiser for the farmhouse. Unfortunately, it means there will be one or more unpleasant people attending the dinner party. A storm causes a power outage at the venue closely after the death of a guest.

This was an interesting mystery with plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings. I enjoyed each turn during my read.
Annie has a degree in criminology and this helps her preserve evidence and respect procedures while waiting for the police to show up.

I was given an Advanced readers Copy and these are my opinions.

I'm a fan of most of Ellie Alexander's cozies, and this one's no exception. I like Annie and her friends, and I love the locked-room-house-party feel of the book, with its fundraising gala as the scene of the murder. I do feel like the "should I be a detective or a bookstore worker?" thing is getting old kind of quickly. And that Annie and Pri have some serious TSTL moments in the climax of the book. For those reasons, this one's a 3-1/2 stars out of 5 for me. Still an enjoyable escape read, though!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie Alexander’s new Secret Bookcase series is almost as much fun as her Bakeshop mystery books. Her characters are as developed and personable.. In book 3, Annie Murray is enjoying her job at the bookstore but her decision to help her friend Pri’s girlfriend Penny organize a Murder Mystery dinner ends in a real death. Penny looks guilty so Annie, her almost boyfriend Liam and Pri have to figure out the real murderer. As is her habit, Annie puts herself in danger. How she manages to save herself and solve the mystery is quite the ride for the reader. NetGalley was kind enough to send me an electronic advanced copy but the opinion is my own.

Omg who doesn’t t love a new Ellie Alexander Cozy Mystery! She is on of my favorites. Love this. Will give a better review at a later date but definitely 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s.. thank you NetGalley for this opportunity. And Ellie Alexander for writing a fabulous book.

I am familiar with Ellie Alexander through her excellent Bakeshop Mystery series, Death at the Dinner Party didn't work quite as well for me. A fund raising dinner party is the setting. A murder mystery theater production turns into a real murder. There is a strong nod to Clue, although as the investigation expands the characters leave the room. I am not sure cozy mysteries are as much about the mystery as they are about the characters, the setting, the location and the community. I started with book three so I might not be the best judge of the series, I found the characters to be thin, the dialog a bit silly and the action scenes a little heavy handed. I never was completely engaged. One of the pluses is the author is brilliant when writing about food. I wish I had gotten a better picture of Redwood Grove.

It was a dark and stormy night when friends and community members gathered at the Wentworth Estate for a murder mystery dinner fundraiser. Unfortunately, the body guests encountered was not one of an actor playing a role. With a storm raging and some roads impassable--even for police and first responders--bookshop staffer and criminology graduate Annie Murray is on her own at the crime scene. She has the support of her best friend, Pri, Pri's girlfriend and estate owner, Penny, and the caterer-slash-probable-future-boyfriend Liam, but the other guests are on edge, eager to leave, and hesitant to follow Annie's lead.

I felt disappointed when the plot took the narrative off the Wentworth Estate to carry on over subsequent days. I had hoped the entire book would be set and solved in one evening. The pace and atmosphere had been wonderful up until that point. Then, readers were pulled back into poetic and somewhat long-winded descriptions of the scenery in and around the fictional Redwood Grove. As much as I wanted to unmask the murderer and solve the mystery, my once-rapt attention wandered, and I skimmed rather than read the remaining chapters.

I noticed a couple of minor continuity issues in the text, though perhaps they were later fixed after the ARC was released to readers. Overall, I always enjoy Ellie Alexander's small-town cozy mysteries, and I'll be awaiting the next Secret Bookcase story.

Death at the Dinner Party is the third book in the a secret bookcase mystery and it’s a fantastic book.

Annie Murray works in a bookstore along with Fletcher and Hal. She has kind of taken on the role of town event planner. Her friend Penny’s girlfriend recently bought an old farmhouse and the renovation costs are very high. To offset the costs, they are hosting a murder mystery dinner.

Well there is a real murder during the dinner party but a huge storm causes the power to go out and the police are unable to get to the house for a while. It is up to Annie to start the investigation with the help of her love interest, Liam.

I enjoy all of the characters in this series and how we are getting to know them. We are also getting a little bit more of Scarlet’s murder figured out in each book.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Storm Publishing, NetGalley, and author Ellie Alexander for another amazing book in the fantastic Secret Bookcase series. This one follows our intrepid sleuth Annie and her lovely friends right into one of my favorite types of mystery! Her friend Penny is struggling with money issues trying to renovate her new home—an old property that has had rumored treasures hidden on it from the original owners.
Annie decides the best solution is to hold a mystery dinner where guests will have to pay for the chance to win great prizes. However, when a greedy neighbor falls over dead at dinner (not the actor who was supposed to be the victim) things begin to take a dark turn. Even worse, a terrible storm moves in cutting off the power, and no one is allowed to leave until the police can reach them. So just which person at the dinner hated this neighbor so much they wanted to kill them in front of everyone?
This is only the beginning of the problems facing Annie and I admire her moxie at keeping a cool head. She really is the one you want looking out for you when you’re in trouble. If you love Agatha Christie or Janet Evanovich, this book is for you. Five stars all the way.

This is the 3rd in the Secret Bookcase Series. Annie Murray is helping her friend Pri and her friend Penny with a murder mystery at her new home the historic Wentworth property. Since Penny has purchased the property several months ago she has been doing her best to renovate and restore the home to its former glory. The Wentworth property is famous and shrouded in mystery as the family disappeared and there are rumors of hidden passages and treasure on the estate. Penny is trying to finish what she has started but it has been more costly than she anticipated and to generate some money to continue the restoration, Annie and Pri put together a plan for a murder mystery evening. Unfortunately two of the guests who are in attendance are Patrick, a property developer who is trying to purchase the property from Penny dirt cheap and her neighbor Curtis who is also wanting Penny to abandon her plans for the home. Curtis and Patrick are at odds as he wants his property as well so they devise a plan to keep them apart during the evening. So of course, it would not be one of Annie’s events if there wasn’t a real murder as opposed to a staged one. Curtis is the victim and it appears to be a fast acting poison and with the bad weather, emergency services and the police cannot get there immediately. Annie takes charge but not all the guests are willing to cooperate. Liam, Pri and Penny are all willing to help Annie in her investigation but when the power goes out and Patrick leaves Annie is hoping Dr. Caldwell and the police arrive soon. Once the police arrive, Annie gladly turns the investigation over to her mentor Dr. Caldwell but she of course wants Annie’s help with the investigation. Annie has a way of getting information from one of the actors that evening and Pri and Annie head out to Curtis’s house and Penny’s to investigate. Of course they solve the crime but not without getting almost killed. I really enjoy this series. The mystery moves quickly and Annie is so likeable as are all her friends. Her relationship with Liam is moving in the right direction. So excited for the next installment.

As cozy mysteries go this one is all right. I read the first two in the series before reading this so I would be more familiar with the setting and characters which I like. However, I feel like something is lacking and I can’t put my finger on it. I much prefer her Sloan Krause series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity. Review will be posted on Litsy.

I still really like the concept and varied locations for this series. However, I am not really warming to the characters as much as I would like. I'm sure it is because the Bakeshop and Sloan Krause series have me completely spoiled. Both are awesome and continue to keep me coming back for more. Sadly, I don't think this series will bring the same eager anticipation for each new book but I will continue to read them.

The perfect blend of Agatha Christie and the cult-classic 'Clue' movie.

An atmospheric delight that brings us back into the fold of Annie Murray and crew, this time as her friends Pri and Penny host a murder-mystery dinner at a rambling old farmhouse.

As always, Ellie Alexander hits it out of the park with her newest addition to the Secret Bookcase mystery series. As is a hallmark of her books, the food descriptions are mouth-watering and the mystery won't let you go until the last page (especially with the overarching one of the series).

It must be noted that the development of Pri and Penny's relationship is so natural and organic that you will be wishing that all authors could write such well-rounded LGBTQ+ characters who aren't relegated to background decoration.

Although I absolutely adore The Secret Bookcase Store, the first half of the book away from it allowed for Annie to have time to truly reflect on how she wants to move forward in her own life.

This reader for one can't wait until the fourth book in the series is released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Annie again gets to use her considerable and various talents, this time making up a story for a murder mystery dinner to help fundraise.
Great descriptions of a creepy house amid a raging storm lend to the atmosphere of the staged murder turning real. A harrowing climax kept me on the edge of my seat.
I have some questions regarding certain characters that intensify with each book, so I'm curious to see how the author addresses those particular plot points in the future books.
Just a random side note- I want the apple bread recipe!

Thank you to Ellie Alexander and NetGalley for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Death at the Dinner Party is a cozy mystery very reminiscent of the game Clue. I enjoyed trying to play detective along with Annie. This story makes you channel your best Sherlock Holmes. If you enjoy mysteries I recommend you give this one a try.

30 Sep 2024

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH AT THE DINNER PARTY (Book 3 of the Secret Bookcase Mysteries series) by Ellie Alexander in exchange for an honest review. Pri and Penny approach Annie with a problem. Their funds for renovating/restoring Wentworth Manor and Farm have run dry. Two men have made low-ball offers to buy the farm acreage, and they are pressuring Penny to sell. Penny doesn’t want to sell the farm; she wants to revive and run the vineyard. Annie’s solution is to host a costumed murder mystery dinner the weekend before Halloween and to hire the Redwood Curtain Players to perform a loose script written by Annie. However, the event goes amiss when the wrong person drops dead during dinner. Instead of an actor feigning dead, Curtis Wright (retired, mid-seventies, Penny’s neighbor, one of the men attempting to buy Wentworth Farm, and generally unpleasant person) really dies from poisoning. Now, Penny’s a person of interest. In order to save the fundraiser and her friend Penny, Annie must deviate from her script and identify a real killer.

I liked this book and am a fan of Ellie Alexander’s other series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring fundraisers, murder mystery theater, small town intrigue, and Clue-type set-ups.

#DeathattheDinnerParty #NetGalley

Imagine helping to host a fund raisier murder mystery dinner party for 50 guests for the unthinkable to happen…a real murder!
Not only is there the dead body of crotchety old man Curtis that most of the town folk disliked, Annie, Pri and Penny had 50 suspects!
A good setting, great characters and a mysterious fortune make this charming crafted story entertaining and fun. Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy. This review is my personal opinion.