A review by carolsnotebook
A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander

lighthearted mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 

The Secret Bookcase Mysteries is one of those series with an overarching plot that hasn’t been resolved yet. That is both my least favorite thing about the series and why this one doesn’t work well as a stand-alone. Annie’s best friend, Scarlet, was killed over a decade ago, but Annie has some new information and is working on solving the cold case. I’m just not a fan of those overarching mysteries.

Annie’s works full-time at a bookstore, where part of her job is coordinating events. For Valentine’s Day, the store has teamed up with a matchmaker for a weekend of books and romantic events. Early the morning of the second day, a well-liked member of the community is found dead near the store. While the event continues as planned, Annie is determined to help the local detective, Dr. Caldwell, discover who the killer is.

The mystery is fine. The plot moves along well. We have three potential suspects and a few red herrings, but it’s not too difficult to guess the killer. It’s still fun seeing Annie and her friends get to the solution.

I listened to the audio. It’s an easy book to listen to while walking the dog or doing chores. The narrator’s tone is appropriate to the story and the characters are easy to distinguish. Overall, it’s a fun, light series and I enjoyed the touch of Valentine’s in this one.