A great start to a new series. As a fan of Alexander's bakeshop mysteries, I was as delighted to see she's begun a new series. While Annie Murray is a bit unsettling initially, for reasons that emerge quickly, I found myself liking not just Annie but the entire cast of probably regulars, including Annie's cat, Professor Plum. Pri (Priya Kapoor) sounds like she'll be an excellent sleuthing buddy and bookshop owner Hal seems to be a sweetie. I hope we hear much more about his possible Agatha Christie connection. Fletcher, Annie's co-worked, is obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, not a bad thing when you work for a mystery focused bookshop, and, hmm, something tells me Liam Donovan will be playing a much more important role as the series goes along. I liked them all and, quite frankly, even felt some sympathy for the suspects, most of them having ample reasons to want to see ultimate victim, Kayla, dead. Trust me, though Annie even found some sympathy for her, showing Annie's heart, you won't miss her much.
That's about as much as I'm going to say about the plot itself. Old school ties, friendships, relationships, and expectations all play a role, as do secrets. Toss in Annie leading the town to create a mystery themed book festival that utilizes some fun sounding activities, a cold case mystery that consumes Annie, and the unexpected reappearance of a college professor she admired greatly, and it's an interesting mix. And, to think, it all really started with a poorly attended book signing at The Secret Bookcase, Hal's book shop where both Annie and Fletcher work. Needless to say, you'll pick up lots of book talk but I found the learned discussions of not just the defense of cozy mysteries in general but the buried bits of investigative "rules" that Annie was able to call up from her college days. She'd once dreamed of being a private investigator.... until....well, read the book. You'll discovered lots of background for not just Annie but many of those involved, both suspects and the "good guys". It's all quite fascinating and I not only liked the various characters but found myself thinking about the book long after I'd put it down for the night, always a good sign that I'm hooked.
Bottom line, it's a intriguing mystery, one bringing the past and present together in a sense. I liked the characters, even if I was fearful poor Annie was going to freak out more than once given her years of feeling guilty for a friend's death. She never used her degree in criminology but is delighted to discover how much she remembers. She proves an excellent organizer, too, and seems to have the ability to bring people together, not to mention deal with arrogance from those who'd doubt her. Then, there's Liam. Annie isn't looking for a relationship but, well, it may just find her anyway, not to mention others. The California setting sounds lovely and the town sounds like one we could spend hours window shopping in, not to mention finding "must have" items to buy or stopping by Liam's place for a drink. And, I bet you'll wind up wanting to go try to find that special book that opens up the hidden reading room. Thanks #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for introducing me to Annie and Redwood Grove. I'm already looking forward to seeing what's up next for Annie and her circle of friends, especially after that teaser of an ending.
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