A Holiday Homicide by Ellie Alexander Narrator: Ellen Quay
Series: Secret Bookcase Mystery #4
Published by Dreamscape Media on December 10, 2024
Source: Purchased
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Length: 6 hrs 33 mins
Pages: 267
Format: Audiobook
Purchase at Bookshop.org or Audible
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Annie Murray's festive plans at the Secret Bookcase are thrown into disarray when a celebrity baker drops dead during a gingerbread-baking competition...
As whispers of foul play swirl like snowflakes, Annie soon finds herself tangled in a web of secrets, small-town rivalry, and long-buried mysteries.
With pub-owner and new love Liam by her side and the help of her loyal bookstore colleagues, Annie sets out to solve Redwood Grove’s latest murder mystery. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more she discovers that the baking community isn’t as sweet as it seems…
Can Annie unwrap the truth before the killer strikes again? Or will this be one Christmas she won't live to remember?
Grab yourself a Christmas cookie and lose yourself in this delightfully twisty murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
This time around the Secret Bookcase bookstore is hosting a gingerbread house competition, with celebrity host, baking influencer Lily. Really, what could be more Christmassy than a decorate bookstore and gingerbread? The event is going well, with only a bit of minor drama, until Annie finds Lily’s dead body. Of course she’s been murdered, and Annie decides to start investigating, assuming the woman was poisoned. At least the local police detective/ Annie’s mentor appreciates her efforts and insights. This is a series where the main character and the authorities work well together.
I like Annie. She’s smart and has made a couple life decisions that have been weighing on her for a book or two. This is the fourth in the series and does pick up strands from the previous installments. I’m not sure how I feel about her love interest, Liam, yet. I think he’s supposed to be sweet and caring, but he totally overreacted a time or two. Turns out he had reason, but not based on the information he knew. The bookstore is fabulous! I wish I could visit and stop for a coffee at Pri, Annie’s best friend’s, coffee shop.
The killer was a bit obvious, even with a couple red herrings and potential suspects thrown in. We’ve also got an overarching mystery surrounding the murder of Scarlet, Annie’s best friend, years ago. Annie gets a potential break through here, but I’m not a big fan of the plotline. I really like each cozy mystery to be self-contained.
I listened to this on audio, as I do so many of the books I read. The narrator was good. She kept the tone light and distinguished the characters well.
About Ellie Alexander
Cozy mystery author, Ellie Alexander, is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing a multitude of pastry and other recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, or hard at work on the next book in one of her cozy mystery series, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges: