Read time: 3 minutes
📱📖 Read on Kindle (ARC)
📃 254 pages
⏱ Duration: 4 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Storm Publishing (ARC provided by NetGalley)
Read as an ARC ahead of the January 20, 2026 release
Book Blurb:
When Annie Murray opens a detective agency above her cozy bookstore in Redwood Grove, she doesn’t expect her first client to bring a case so close to home. June Munrow, a local resident, is sure that the supposed drowning of young Kelly Taylor was no accident. Annie and her partner Fletcher dive into Kelly’s tangled past: a story full of secrets, strange connections, and people with more to hide than to tell. As Annie untangles the truth, she’ll need more than her amateur sleuthing instincts to keep the Novel Detectives afloat.
Let’s talk murder:
This is classic Ellie Alexander comfort reading: warm characters, a bookstore setting that feels like a hug, and a mystery that simmers rather than explodes. Annie and Fletcher’s new agency feels like a natural evolution (if you’ve followed their amateur sleuthing adventures before), and the supporting cast adds that delightful small-town quirkiness. The investigation into Kelly’s death keeps you guessing with layered suspects and clever red herrings, though nothing felt wildly unpredictable.
A Very Novel Murder bills itself as the start of the Novel Detectives Mystery series, but it leans heavily on Alexander’s earlier Secret Bookcase series. There were relationship dynamics and backstory moments that felt like inside references I wasn’t entirely clued in on. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely noticeable if you’re new to this world.
What didn’t quite land for me was the emotional hook. The writing is solid and readable, but it never tipped into must-read-the-next-book territory. Overall, it’s a charming, low-stakes whodunit: well-written, consistently engaging, but not one that demands you binge the next installment the minute you turn the last page.
Would I Recommend it?
Yes, with a caveat! If you’ve read The Secret Bookcase series, this will feel like a seamless (and comforting) continuation.
If You Liked This, Try These Too
- Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
A perfect match if you enjoyed the bookish setting and amateur sleuth energy. This one leans hard into literary puzzles and bookstore-adjacent mystery solving. - Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett
Another cozy built around a bookstore and a tight-knit town, with a protagonist who keeps stumbling into trouble whether she wants to or not, very similar vibes to Annie’s new detective life. - Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams
If the appeal here was “books + secrets + slightly eccentric locals,” this one delivers with layered character relationships and a mystery that slowly tightens its grip. - Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates
A great pick for readers who liked the small-town atmosphere and steady pacing. This series blends everyday life with murder investigations in a way that feels comfortably familiar. - The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander
Ideal if you want to explore Annie’s earlier world. This gives helpful context to the relationships and history that subtly carry over into A Very Novel Murder.
Your Thoughts on Spin-Off Sleuthing?
Have you jumped from the Secret Bookcase series straight into this one, or are you starting fresh like I did? Drop your favorite Ellie Alexander series (or any cozy mystery spin-off) in the comments.
Book Links:
Want to purchase this or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider using the sites below. These work with independent bookstores to fulfill your orders. #SupportLocal
- Indiebookstores.ca
- Bookshop.org
- Goodreads | Storybound | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover
- Follow Ellie Alexander for latest on her books via her author page
- Check out more books from Storm Publishing
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