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.

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.

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.

Fantastic wrap up to the series and my favorite

Annie and Fletcher, new proprietors of the Secret Bookcase, leave Redwood Grove to attend a book conference in Santa Clara. But that’s not all. Liam and Priya are coming to help follow up on evidence in the case of Annie’s friend Scarlet’s murder, a lead that just happens to also be in Santa Clara. The newly minted detective (Annie just passed her private detective exam) and her friends get more than they bargained for when one of the speakers at the conference dies on stage during a panel chat.

This book was all kinds of fun. It was a twofer on the mystery front: in addition to the stand alone mystery, the book nicely wraps up the overarching mystery surrounding Scarlet’s death. Both storylines had enough room to breathe, and there were some very lively characters. While it wasn’t in any way a fish out of water story, it was interesting to see how the characters behaved when taken out of their natural habitats. The book fair was a very fun venue for a mystery and a nice change of pace from Redwood Grove. Don’t get me wrong; RG is a favorite fictional place, but I live near Santa Clara and it’s always fun to see stories set in real places near me. The Silicon Valley/high tech flavor was fun too; I recognized a lot of it in my bones, but I’m looking forward to going back to RG in future books.

This is an honest review based on the book provided by NetGalley and Storm.

A Body at the Book Fair by Ellie Alexander offers a charming and cosy mystery set in the delightful town of Redwood Grove. Annie has found solace running her Agatha Christie-themed bookstore, The Secret Bookcase, and is on the verge of launching her own detective agency. Yet, the shadow of her best friend Scarlet’s unsolved murder ten years ago still lingers.

When Annie attends the annual book fair in Santa Clara, she is determined to uncover the truth about Scarlet’s death, convinced the powerful investment firm Silicon Summit Partners is involved. But the plot thickens when a murder occurs right at the fair. The suspect list reads like a who’s who of the literary world — from a celebrity author with a hidden agenda to a rival with a grudge, and even a kindly grandmother chasing her bookstore dream.

With her loyal partner Fletcher by her side as the perfect Watson to her Holmes, Annie races to solve the mystery before another life is lost. This clean, fun-filled cosy mystery is full of clever twists and will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and lighthearted read, perfect for fans of mysteries that feel like a warm hug with a side of suspense.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is yet another terrific installment in the Secret Bookcase series. The usual characters, Annie, Fletcher, Hal, Liam, Pri, and Dr. Caldwell, are all featured and the story is really wonderful. I was a little disappointed by the ending, but I won't state why because I don't like spoilers in reviews. This story revolved around Annie and Fletcher's trip to the California Booksellers Convention and their subsequent plan to get into Silicone Summit Partners to finally find the answers to who killed Annie's best friend, Scarlet. There, of course, ends up being a death at the convention that Annie and Fletcher need to solve ... solving one murder just isn't enough for one book, is it?! The insight into the world of bookselling, publishing, and the book technology industry was quite interesting to read about ... I commend Ellie Alexander for doing research on the wide world of books and bringing it all to her readers in this delightful tale. There is a lot of action, a lot of information, a lot of wonderful food, a lot of coffee, and a lot of suspense in this story ... the only thing that wasn't included is .... What was in the envelope!?! I'm hoping the next book contains that information!

This is the last book in the series, though the ending implies there will be a spinoff series with Annie & Fletcher having their own detective agency. We finally get the answers that Annie has been seeking throughout the entire series regarding what happened to her best friend, Scarlet, and why she was murdered. This happens while on a trip to a book fair, where Annie helps to solve another murder. I found many of Annie’s interactions with police to be far-fetched, while always using her degree in criminology as an excuse for their support of her involvement. I’d say to enjoy this series, you have to have a willing suspension fo disbelief that goes further than most other cozy mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

3.5/5 This was a nice cozy mystery read. While I haven't read the other books in the series it was easy to catch up as the author does recap details from the prior books. The characters were all likeable and the two different mysteries going on were interesting. Overall a good read. Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is the last book in the Secret Bookcase series by Ellie Alexander. Although, it is apparently leading into a new series with the same characters, who are now running a bookstore and private detective agency. I mostly enjoyed this book and it was nice to have everything wrapped up in the end, but I have to say this book had some fairly unbelievable things happen in it in order to lead to the conclusion. It felt very unrealistic by the end. I also feel like it if you stripped away the descriptions of food and bookstores/displays there would be very little to this book. If you are a fan of Ellie Alexander you will enjoy this book, but if you are looking for a complicated mystery to solve this might not be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

This was my first introduction to Annie Murray and her world, and honestly, it worked perfectly as a standalone. I was drawn in right away by the setting—there's just something irresistible about a mystery unfolding at a book fair, surrounded by authors, fans, and more than a few secrets. The murder itself was intriguing, but what really surprised me was how layered the story felt, especially with the added thread of Annie investigating her best friend’s cold case. Even without knowing her full backstory, I connected with her quickly—she’s sharp, grounded, and easy to root for. The mix of literary charm and suspense kept the pace moving, and by the end, I wasn’t just satisfied with the mystery—I was curious to go back and read the earlier books. It’s a great entry point if you’re new to the series.

The last book in the series and the first time I've read any! Still, not too hard to understand the background and characters and general a fun, cozy, twisted book. I look forward to starting at book one.

This is the first book I have read in this series, not realizing it was part of a series when I was approved for it on NetGalley. However, this didn’t seem to affect my reading experience. A Body at the Book Fair is a cute, cozy murder mystery. The new tech that was demonstrated at the book fair to enhance readers experience was interesting and something I could see being developed in the future. Some of the clues surrounding the murders seemed to be improbable and the story felt a little rushed, as two murders were being solved in less than 300 pages. Overall, I enjoyed this read and plan to start the series from the beginning at some point in the future.

Rating 3.5/5 stars.

I’m sad the series is over but happy it’s continuing as part of a new series starting in 2026. The final chapter in the series nearly wraps up the mystery of what happened to Scarlet, while Annie also solves another mystery. Now I’m ready for the Novel Detectives.

Annie and Fletcher are attending a book conference down south. They also have plans to find evidence for Scarlet's killer. When Annie is attending one of the panels, a tech guy is killed on stage. Annie & Fletcher help the police investigate.

I really love this series and love following clues with Annie. I love that she has a criminology degree and now is starting a private investigation business. I can't wait to read the new series.

This last book in the Secret Bookcase mystery series does an excellent job of wrapping up the mystery of Annie’s best friend’s murder. As with the other books, the writing is strong and the plot line well thought out. While I was sad to learn that this was the last book, I was glad to see that the characters would be preserved in a new series about the “novel” detectives. If time permits, have a binge weekend and read the series from the beginning. It will be fun! NetGalley was kind enough to provide me with an advance readers copy, but the opinion is my own.

3.5⭐️

A fitting conclusion to The Secret Bookcase series.

Life in Redwood Grove has brought Annie healing, purpose, and the launch of her own detective agency. But the unsolved murder of her best friend Scarlet still casts a long shadow.

When Annie travels to the Santa Clara Book Fair, she's eager to connect with fellow mystery lovers—and secretly investigate Silicon Summit Partners, the powerful firm she suspects played a role in Scarlet’s death. But when a fellow book industry insider is murdered, Annie is drawn into a new case, with a suspect list full of surprises—from a shady celebrity author to a rival bookseller with a grudge.

With Fletcher and friends at her side, can Annie catch the killer before they strike again? All the while finally bringing the truth about Scarlet's murder to light.

The simultaneous cases did work well. However, I thought with Scarlet's murder being the case of Annie's lifetime - and 10 years in the making - it would have been morr prominent. The new case took most of the focus and the close of Scarlet's case felt almost too quick and easy.

As with all the books in this series, I really like the characters. But what I love most is the magical and charming settings. The book fair worked well but I did miss the Secret Bookcase, somewhere I wished was real!

Whilst the pacing of these books is steady, I do find many instances where things are over explained to the readers and for me that makes the stories more over drawn than needed.

Overall these books are a fun and easy read.

Whilst this book does the Secret Bookcase series comes to a close, it's not the end for Annie and the gang as The Novel Detectives (Annie and Fletcher's PI agency) is in the works.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I am a true Ellie Alexander fan. I just love her cozy mysteries, and this book did not fail me. Annie Murray, along with her friend Fletcher work at The Secret Bookcase. Not only do they work at this wonderful mystery theme bookstore, but they are now getting their detective license and launching their own detective agency. One such mystery still haunts Annie to this day that she almost gave up on becoming a detective since this was the idea of both her and her best friend Scarlet. Unfortunately. Scarlet never graduated college so this dream of a detective agency seem to have joy along with Scarlet. Annie could never understand who we’d want to kill her friend.
Along with Fletcher, Liam and Pri They attend the Santa Clara book fair. Here Annie is looking forward to bringing back some new ideas for her bookstore. The book fair she is now close to.Silicon Summit Partners The firm that her friend Scarlet was joining to work for upon her death. Will get the answers she wants to finally close the case on Scarlet’s death and so she can move on and just keep her friend in her heart?
While Annie and friends are at the book fair, it seems that murder just follows them. Up beloved talent in the Field was murdered. The problem with solving this murder is that they’re all quite a few suspects. It seems that this person was not as beloved as people would think he was. So Annie and Fletcher teams up with the police to saw the murder. While she still is trying to close the case on her beloved friend.
This was a great ending for this book series. I just love these characters. They bring so much love and joy to their characters. I wish I couldn’t be able to meet them and go to the bookstore and sit down and have real conversations with them that’s how much I loved the way Ellie brings her characters to life. I hope that the characters of Annie and her friends continue as Annie and Fletcher run the new detective agency. I love these cozy mysteries. I love Ellie Alexander and of course this is a five star review. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Thank you, Ellie Alexander for another great book and I hope you continue writing great stories with great characters.. I will be looking forward to reading the next book in any of Ms. Alexander series.

This was a fast paced book with one murder to solve in the present and one in the past, that is finally solved. Much of the book is centered around the present day murder and the last chapters focused more on the murder of Scarlet, which felt a bit rushed. All and all this book was a nice conclusion to an exciting series. I can't wait to read the next book in the new Novel Detective series!

What an exciting book! There is lots going on, but I couldn’t put the book down. Annie finally gets the answers she’s been looking for. The ending was moving. I’m looking forward to The Novel Detectives!

The final secret bookcase mystery has brought the story full circle. While attending a book convention with her friends, Annie Murray witnesses what can only be a murder as a virtual headset malfunctions, killing the tech engineer in front of the audience. Newly minted as a private detective, Annie along with her partner Fletcher, set out to assist the police in solving the crime. The man was not well liked but who could have killed him, the bookstore owner, the best-selling author, the publisher, or the betrayed tech partner?

Amidst this ongoing convention drama, Annie is also working to infiltrate the company she believes is responsible for Scarlet’s murder and the CEO who runs it. This case is what set Annie on her current path and one that has haunted her since book one. With the help of Fletcher, Pri, and Liam, Annie will need to get the proof she needs to find answers to the cold case once and for all.

I enjoyed this conclusion and was glad everything was wrapped up, but it does feel like the inclusion of two mysteries meant that neither case got the time they deserved. The big reveals seemed to happen almost out of nowhere, and only made sense when the crime was explained after the fact. On the plus side, the author is already planning a new series featuring the Novel Detectives Agency, so I’m hoping to see revival of the writing style and well-thought out mysteries we saw in the earlier books in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy! All opinions are my own.