The Body in the Bookstore is the first book in Ellie Alexander’s Secret Bookcase Mysteries. I had read a few of the books further on in the series as advanced reader copies to review, so I thought I would go back and get the story from the beginning. I have to say that Alexander has done a great job making the series accessible, even if you pick it up in the middle. After reading this, I realized that most of the backstory to the characters I knew already. Still, it was a fun, cozy mystery to read, and I’m glad I did.

Annie Murray is determined to make a success of a mystery-themed book festival she has set up as a promotional event for the bookstore at which she is employed. The Secret Bookcase is in the town of Redwood Grove and has been faltering as of late. With all of the changes in getting books into the hands of readers, Annie is trying to devise new ways to get people into the shop. She plans to involve the entire town in her Mystery Festival. The exception is Liam, a local bar owner who is skeptical and refuses to participate.

All is going well with Mystery Fest until Annie’s college friend, Kayla, turns up dead in one of the secret rooms in the old mansion that houses the bookstore. Annie and Kayla weren’t that close, but it shook her to her core since she is still reeling from the death of her college best friend, Scarlet. Scarlet’s death is what pushed Annie away from a career in her major, which was forensics and investigating. Yet, with Kayla’s death, it seems she is being drawn back in that direction.

Getting to know Annie from the beginning, I could see how she is a caretaker. When you become her friend, she feels an obligation to you. She blames herself for Scarlet’s death, and now another acquaintance turns up dead in the bookstore she manages. To make matters worse, one of the main suspects seems to be one of the closest friends she’s made since arriving in Redwood Grove, Priya. Annie feels she has no choice but to try to find out the truth and put the universe back in order.

As with other books in this series, despite it being about a murder, I found it to be a light read. The mystery has the feel of an episode of Scooby-Doo. Annie and Fletcher, a fellow employee at The Secret Bookcase, have an affinity for mystery novels, and Fletcher idolizes Sherlock Holmes. He’s something of a superfan, but it also makes him a good investigating partner for Annie. The two together are quirky, but it works.

There was just enough of the backstory to Annie and Liam here that I understood some things from the later books better. There’s acrimony and misunderstandings. Annie sees Liam’s skepticism as a personal insult, while Liam is seasoned enough not to want to commit to something that could be an abject failure. I could tell he’d been burned in the past, although it’s not stated outright. However, he’s never encountered someone with Annie’s determination before.

The Body in the Bookstore is not a deep mystery. It’s light and easy to read, making it a great summer read. I can’t say that it’s particularly humorous, although there were times I smiled while reading it. It’s also not really a thriller because I didn’t feel invested in the characters or the murder. Since I’d read two of the later books in the series, I knew who was still going to be on the canvas. I do recommend it for a bit of light, fun reading.