A Murder at Midnight by Ellie Alexander Series: Novel Detectives Mystery #4
Published by Storm Publishing on October 13, 2026
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 238
Format: eBook
Add on Goodreads
It’s autumn in Redwood Grove, and Annie and Fletcher have their hands full running the Secret Bookcase and handling their growing caseload at the Novel Detectives.
To add to the excitement, a popular ghost hunter has set his sights on the old English estate to feature on his hit TV show—Sleeping with the Spirits—and is going to record an episode overnight at the bookstore. It seems like a great idea for publicity and a fun way to generate more revenue.
But when the star of the show is found dead, Annie and Fletcher know they’re dealing with something much more alarming than an angry poltergeist.
It’s up to the Novel Detectives to track down the real culprit and put an end to any otherworldly rumors—before someone else gets hurt.
I’ve been reading this series from the beginning and always enjoy them. This time around, Annie and Fletcher have agreed to let a ghost-hunting television show film at the bookstore right before Halloween. Quite honestly, they should have known it was a bad idea. When the crew arrives, the tension is palpable and it’s no surprise when one of them ends up dead.
The mystery was fine. The people working on the show gave you plenty to be suspicious about, with plenty of resentment and old secrets to go around. we have several clues and a couple red herrings. I didn’t love how it was wrapped up, the method the killer used seemed a little unclear or maybe I missed something.
We don’t see as much of the usual friends this time around. The investigation is pretty much centered on the Sleeping with Spirits crew and the town suffers a major storm that same evening, so everyone’s got their own cleaning up to do. I do with the overarching mystery involving Hal just didn’t exist. It doesn’t add much to the books except Annie sometimes feeling guilty.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Annie’s boyfriend, Liam, even if he is gorgeous, supportive, and can cook. He makes a decision in this one that I think was supposed to be romantic, but really rubbed me the wrong way.
I really enjoyed how autumny this one felt, with the flavors and decorations and weather. I’ll be reading the next one, even if it looks like Liam is here to stay.
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: