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

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

3.5

 3.5 Stars

One Liner: Entertaining!

Anne Murray is almost the co-owner of the Secret Bookcase Bookshop and is hopeful about her future. It’s Valentine's Day, and the bookstore is ready to celebrate lovers. When local philanthropist, George, asks Anne to host an event for a matchmaking company, she is excited.  

The D-day arrives and brings crowds as well a mystery package and a death. Anne now has to solve a murder instead of spending the day on a dinner date with Liam. And what about the case that has been haunting her for years? 

The story comes in Anne’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts:

This is the fourth book in the series and may not work that well as a standalone. The overarching plot takes more space in the previous book and this one, so having some prior knowledge about the story will help. 

Since is this an easy cozy series (yeah, I came up with a new subgenre), the mystery is pretty straightforward despite the presence of multiple suspects. 

The characters are quite interesting, and the descriptions of the setting are beautiful to read. The pacing is great too (nothing like a short mystery with a quick pace). I like the growth in the main characters. It’s subtle but there. 

There’s a slight development in the personal/ love track, which is nice to see. We meet the side characters again. I do wonder if 90% of Indians have arranged marriages, that too in 2025? I think not! 

And oh, there’s a bit of danger in this one. As the MC gets closer to the truth, the threats seem to be increasing. Makes sense, right? 

I have to mention the crows here, especially Jekyll and Hyde. Flecther’s idea certainly has merit (even if it is not entirely legal, lol). In fact, a Telugu comedy movie has a similar scene. 

To summarize, A Victim at Valentine's is a quick and light read with a murder in a romantic bookish setting. The next book will be the last in the series, so I’m curious to know how the main case (the overarching mystery) will be solved. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #AVictimAtValentines