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louisekf 's review for:
A Body at the Book Fair
by Ellie Alexander
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Body At The Book Fair is the sixth and final book in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series. Like each of the other books, there’s a separate mystery here plus the conclusion of a mystery that has spanned all six books. Because of that overarching plot, I’d recommend reading the series in order or at least reading the two before this one first.
Annie Murray has a criminology background but has been working at a mystery-themed bookstore in a small town in Northern California for several years. She has been trying to solve the case of the murder of her best friend, Scarlet, for the past ten years and we finally get to see her succeed.
I actually was more interested in the rest of the book. Annie and her co-worker Fletcher are attending a booksellers conference and a death takes place there, during a tech presentation in front of a large audience. There’s a lot of discussion about new book-related technologies (virtual reality and more) and an interesting (to me) discussion about book auctions where publishers vie for the opportunity to publish a particular book with a lot of buzz.
I’ve enjoyed all the main characters in this series: Annie, Fletcher (a Sherlock Holmes aficionado), Priya who runs a coffee shop, and Liam, who runs the local pub. Fletcher and Annie are getting ready to start their own private investigation business, Novel Detectives, and by the end of the book they have all the certifications required to do so. That would be in addition to their roles at the bookstore, apparently. Looks like there’s going to be a spin-off series!
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death