Publication: 17th November 2025 (paperback), 20th January 2026 (eBook) – Storm Publishing
Opening a detective agency above her beloved bookstore seems like the perfect business plan—until Annie Murray’s first case involves a suspicious death right on her doorstep.
June Munrow, an elderly resident of Annie’s home town, Redwood Grove, is convinced that young Kelly Taylor’s recent drowning wasn’t the tragic accident everyone believes it to be. Despite the police ruling, June is determined to prove there’s more to the story and hires the Novel Detectives to uncover the truth.
As Annie delves into Kelly’s life, she discovers a tangled web of secrets involving Kelly’s complicated relationships, a peculiar landlord, and her mysterious roommate. Everyone connected to Kelly seems to be hiding something, and the deeper Annie digs, the more puzzling the case becomes.
With her trademark blend of curiosity and compassion, can Annie piece together the clues and solve her first official case—before she gets into deep water herself?
From what was hinted in the novel and my research online, I discovered that A Very Novel Murder is the first novel in a spin-off series of A Secret Bookcase Mystery series by the same author. The protagonist, Annie Murray, bookseller and private detective, is back in this new series to solve more mysteries in her hometown of Redwood Grove, with the help of her long-time friend and business partner Fletcher and her former mentor, Dr. Caldwell, the lead homicide detective for the Redwood Grove Police Department.
Annie and Fletcher’s investigative company, Novel Detectives, has two cases to solve. One involves the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, an investigation which I am looking forward to reading more in the next books. The other case, which takes more a central stage in the story, is that of the death of a young woman which the police still hasn’t decided if it’s murder, accident, or suicide. Her elderly and quite eccentric neighbour is convinced that the woman was murdered and she wants Annie and Fletcher to prove it.
I really enjoyed this novel and not only because there are a lot of talks about books and also about one of my favourite authors, Agatha Christie. The characters are quite interesting and well-developed: there is some romance in the background as well as close friendships and a sense of community. The mystery was also immersive: a list of suspects, to-kill-for motives, and quite a few twists and surprises. A Very Novel Murder is a well-written, intriguing, and engaging read and I am looking forward to reading more (bookish) mysteries to solve.
A huge thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this immersive novel.
Ellie Alexander is the bestselling author of more than forty cozy mystery novels. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Japanese, reaching readers worldwide. She is the founder of the annual Ashland Mystery Festival and a frequent guest at library programs and author events throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, including the popular Northwest Authors series and independent bookshops across the region.In addition to her fiction, her essays and articles have appeared in publications such as Mystery Scene Magazine, The Oregonian, and Portland Family Magazine. As a writing teacher and coach, she helps aspiring authors shape their stories and navigate the path to publication with clarity and confidence.A proud Pacific Northwest native, Alexander often sets her mystery series against real backdrops from Portland’s hipster neighborhoods to the charming Shakespearean hamlet of Ashland. She now lives in Sunnyvale, California, where she’s been swept away by the stunning coastal communities and sun-drenched small towns, which of course have found their way into her new series.
Book After Book 
This sounds fun
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