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A Body at the Book Fair is the sixth and final novel in the Secret Bookcase mystery series. as always, Ellie Alexander leads readers down several paths in trying to solve a new case. Annie and Fletcher are attending a book fare, where a murder suddenly changes the tone of this book gathering, giving Annie and Fletcher a new case to solve. As if this new murder was not enough to keep them busy, Annie hopes to solve her friend Scarlett's murder from 10 years prior.

The murder at the book fare takes place during a demonstration for a VR headset. Of course, there are several suspects. As Annie and Fletcher try to help the police detective solves this murder, readers learn a great deal about publishers, editors, and the creation of a best seller. Annie's plan to solve Scarlett's murder also works out, with the help of friends Liam and Pri and a local police detective. Readers who were sad at the end of this series, will also get a surprise in the conclusion.

I do recommend, A Body at the Book Fair. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review, which is included here.

4 stars

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This is the conclusion of the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone but I recommended you read them in order to get the full character development and background of the major players.

There are two mysteries here: who killed app developer in front of an audience of book sellers and authors and who killed Scarlet, the arc between all the books in the series.

I found both mysteries compelling and entertaining. I like how Annie, Fletcher, and their cohorts solve both mysteries. The epilogue was also insightful.

I highly recommend the final book in the series. Netgalley gave me an advanced ecopy of the book and these are my opinions. I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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SPOILER ALERT!
Annie Murray and her friend, co-worker and detective partner, Fletcher Hughes are attending a book fair in Santa Clara. While they are there, they are planning a risky attempt to retrieve the proof of wrong doing at Silicon Summit Partners hidden by her best friend Scarlet who was murdered a decade ago.
At the first panel of the fair, a very annoying panel member, Fox Andrews, dies by a malfunction of the "revolutionary" device he was promoting. It seems that the device was rewired to cause the explosion. Many of the panel members had motives. Fox was stealing their ideas, images and technology. There was tell-all author, Serena Highbourn. Then there was elderly bookshop owner, Laurel Deters. Victor Moore with a competing device. As well as, Theodore Calodin who sells comic books.
Annie and Fletcher, joined by Annie's boyfriend, Liam Donovan and her best friend, Pri manage to solve the murder of Fox, while carrying out their plan to get into Silicon Summit offices. Annie gets her interview with Logan Ashford and convinces him to hire her. She sneaks into the heavily guarded building that night with Liam. They find the proof, but are apprehended by Lance and his group of mercenaries before they can get out. While he is bragging about killing Scarlet and other crimes and telling them that he will kill them too, Annie is recording. Fortunately, Fletcher and Pri have called the police (Who are grateful for their help finding Fox's killer.) and are rescued.
I have enjoyed this series a lot and was sad that this was the last book, but then, I heard that Annie and the gang have a spin-off series coming soon!
It has been a pleasure to see the characters develop over the series.

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Annie Murray has been consumed for the last ten years over the murder of her best friend Scarlet. And finally she has what she believes is information that will prove the man she suspected of the crime is guilty. She just has to find the last piece of evidence which she is sure she can with her close friends' help. Annie and her business partner Fletcher are going to a book fair that is located right near the business owned by her suspect. Also helping her is her boyfriend Liam and her best friend Pri. What she doesn't expect is for one of the presenters at the book fair to be murdered. Since Annie and Fletcher have just received their PI licenses, they are able to assist the police in this murder as well as working their plan to catch the man who killed Scarlet all those years ago. But nothing goes without some clinches and detours.

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While at a booksellers' convention, Annie witnesses the death of a panelist. Plenty of suspects and red herrings. Annie also finally solves the murder of her college best friend, Scarlet. Interested to see where this series goes since the overarching plot has been resolved. Looking forward to more adventures with Annie and her pals. 4.5

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I loved returning to the charming town of Redwood Grove and the Secret Bookcase bookstore. In this instalment Annie and Fletcher head to Santa Clara for their annual book fair, which also happens to be where Silicon Summit Partners is located. With her fellow bookseller and crime-fighting partner Fletcher playing Watson to her Holmes, can Annie catch the killer before they strike again? And will it distract her from her mission to finally bring her best friend Scarlet’s murderer to justice?

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns and I didn’t completely guess whodunnit until Annie did..
Overall, I'm thoroughly invested in Annie and the Novel Detectives I’m excited to see where the author takes these endearing characters next!

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends!

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Storm Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

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Anne does her thing in the final instalment of the Secret Bookstore Mysteries. Yet another winner. Easy read and the perfect book to relax with. You do not have to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one.

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"A Body at the Book Fair (A Secret Bookcase Mystery #6)" by Ellie Alexander is the last book of this particular series set. However, don't fear, there is a spin off series coming now that Annie and Fletcher have their private detective business up and running. Also, the conclusion of what happened to Charlotte. I wont say more on those lines as it would be spoilers.

Annie and her crew are headed to a Silicon Valley Book Convention . While there, Annie plans to do some in person investigating of her main suspect in the death of her college best friend. Too bad a mysterious death jolts to the forefront of their attention at the convention. Luckily that's pretty quickly investigated and figured out. A bit more quickly than I could really say there was enough clues for the number of suspects. Just enough clues to make it plausible for any potential reveal scene but not enough really to eliminate or point to any particular suspect.

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I've really enjoyed the Secret Bookcase series overall, and am always happy to catch up with the gang. My one complaint about this is that I felt like both storylines were a little rushed. The main mystery in this novel wrapped up super quickly without much fanfare to make room for the conclusion of Scarlett's story - but that also felt like it didn't have as much depth as I might have hoped after a six book arc. Still looking forward to reading more about Annie's adventures in the new Novel Detectives series! I also loved the nod to Torte included in this novel!

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A Body at the Book Fair is an amazing title. It conjures all sorts of memories of book fairs in elementary school. And the book fair that Annie and Fletcher attend in Santa Cruz sounds like a dream come true. The mystery that is part of the book fair is really interesting. And I was really drawn to finding out how it would turn out.
I wish more could have been given to that mystery. This is the last book of this series, and the background thread that has run through the whole series had to be tied up. Annie’s friend Scarlet died ten years ago. Annie finally has the information necessary to go after the responsible party.
I know that this part of the story needed to happen for closure in the series, but it actually detracted from my enjoyment of this book. I set aside the book multiple times when this area was raised.
The wrap up in the epilogue is great.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Secret Bookcase mysteries. I do wish that this final book could have been a celebration of the bookstore and the book fair. That would have pushed it to five stars for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

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I just couldn't get into this book but for others it's worth the read. This was a great series and there's a few surprises at the end. I hope you'll enjoy this book. Don't let my review determine your reading experience. I enjoyed all the others in this series and so will you.

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I just finished A Body at the Book Fair, and honestly, I had such a fun time reading it. Annie is one of those characters you immediately root for—smart, determined, and just the right mix of nosy and brave. Her love for Agatha Christie and her bookstore, the Secret Bookcase, makes this series feel like a cozy hug for any mystery lover.

The book fair setting was perfect—full of quirky authors, rivalries, and just enough chaos to make a murder feel right at home. When a fellow book industry insider turns up dead, Annie can’t help but dive into the case, even while quietly pursuing answers about her best friend Scarlet’s death from ten years ago. I loved how the two mysteries were layered without getting muddled. It kept things interesting and added some real emotional stakes.

The banter between Annie and Fletcher is one of the highlights of the book. Their friendship and crime-solving chemistry are so natural, and Fletcher’s dry wit balances Annie’s intensity perfectly. I also appreciated that the suspects weren’t one-dimensional—it kept me guessing right up to the reveal.

I’m giving it four stars instead of five because the pacing lagged just a bit in the middle, and a few characters at the book fair blurred together for me. But overall, it’s clever, warm, and well-plotted—everything I want in a cozy mystery.

If you love small-town charm, bookish settings, and amateur sleuths who don't give up, A Body at the Book Fair is a must-read. Can't wait to see where Annie’s detective agency takes her next!

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This is the only novel by Ellie Alexander that I've read. It was fun and a quick read. I found the storyline interesting but somewhat simplistically written. Because I was missing lots of details from the previous books in the series, I didn't feel the same urgency as the characters in resolving the mystery. The ending was a bit rushed, especially for a book that culminated so many preceding events/titles. The hints of romance felt a bit unsophisticated for the ages of the characters.

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Annie and Fletcher, owners of The Secret Bookcase, are off to a Book Fair excited to be attending author panels and vendors booths to peruse books and gifts for their Bookshop.
But Annie is most excited knowing that she is going to have a chance to finally prove who killed her former best friend Scarlet But neither Annie nor Fletcher could be prepared to also be involved in a murder at the Book Fair. Two murders to solve for these newly minted detectives.
The author gave her readers a nice tie up with the ending of this series and the good news is she’s writing a spin off with Annie and Fletcher as they are opening their own detective agency called Novel Detectives. I look forward to reading the new series. I received an EArc from the Netgalley and Storm Pulishing. This review is my honest opinion.

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Ellie Alexander is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. From the very first page, I was hooked—I couldn’t put this book down until I reached the end! In this latest installment, Annie and Fletcher are one step closer to launching their detective agency, and Annie edges nearer to uncovering the truth behind Scarlett's murder. I love how this series continues to build intrigue while deepening character development. I can’t wait to see what’s next for these sleuths!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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This was a good mystery. Annie is setting up her private detective business with Fletcher. She now has her bookstore and detective agency in one, The Novel Detectives. When attending a book fair, one of the presenters gets murdered. Annie is on the case helping the police, while still trying to find her friend Scarlett's murdered. A good read.

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Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


What a perfect book to end the series with and the perfect beginning for the spin off series. Annie Murray is attending a book convention and is finally going to get justice for her best friend Scarlett. At the book convention there is a murder one that Annie sees while watching a panel for a new Headset that is supposed to bring books to life but instead causes the death of the creator that lots of people want dead. Annie is on the case with the help of Fletcher, Pri, and Liam. Once Annie finds the killer she goes to the offices of the company responsible for Scarlett’s death and finds the evidence that Scarlett left her in a way that only Annie would understand. This book is so cute and a perfect cozy. I will be purchasing this book once it releases and will be eagerly awaiting the spin off series.

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Fitting Conclusion..
The sixth and final entry into the Secret Bookcase Mystery series finds Annie content in her Agatha Christie themed bookstore as well as being on the brink of a new chapter in her life. However, she is still seeking answers in respect of the one unsolved case that haunts her. Will she ever find them and will the new case that falls in her lap distract or assist her quest? Another enjoyable outing with a well crafted cast of characters, a firm sense of place and a solid mystery at its heart. A fitting conclusion to the series.

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LOVED the conclusion to this series! Also thought it was a pretty slick idea for a spin-off to come with the conclusion of one 'chapter' in Annie's life opening up to the 'next chapter' with a new focus series.

I wish a bookstore like Annie's really did exist. Themed rooms? English gardens? Old house? Tea and the trimmings? Happy sigh. Now - that isn't to say A Body at the Book Fair is so tame. No, there's definitely murder! With the obligatory red herrings, which we can't forget. Ms. Alexander planned things out very well so two mysteries are solved concurrently over the course of the story. It's just good writing. Love the relationship between the various characters of Annie's 'team' and her 'found family' after the loss of Scarlett.

I received an ARC; this is my honest review.

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Annie and Fletcher attend a book fair where Annie is in the audience when a tech guy dies on stage. She takes command of the situation until local PD arrives and then teams up with the detective to help solve the murder. She also has plans to confront who she believes killed her best friend, Scarlet.
I've been a fan of this series since book one and am happy to see that this won't be the last that we see of the Redwood Grove PI's.
Thanks NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

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