Book Review: Murder by Page One
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Olivia Matthews
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Publish Date: March 23, 2021
Format: eBook
★★★☆☆
This book is perfect for those that like: Bookish Talk, Furry Children Named Phoenix, and Grumpy Librarians Who Eat Peach Cobbler for Breakfast
You might not like this book if you aren’t into: North vs. South Debates, Lots of Descriptions of Clothes and Furniture, or the Word "Grunted"
Purchase: Bookshop / Barnes & Noble / Amazon
From Goodreads: Marvey’s a librarian from Brooklyn who makes book-themed jewelry as a hobby, looks after her cranky cat, and supports events for readers and authors. She’s still adjusting to quirky small-town life in Georgia—and that’s before she discovers a dead body in a bookstore.
When her new best friend becomes a suspect, Marvey develops a new hobby: solving a murder mystery. With her talents for research, her knowledge gleaned from crime novels, and a whole lot of determination, she pursues the truth. But even as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?
“I was promised chocolate.”
These are not only the first words of the new mystery, Murder by Page One, by Olivia Matthews but also the first words from our story’s lead, Marvella “Marvey” Harris.
I knew from that very moment that I would die for Marvey.
Relocating from Brooklyn, New York to a small town in Georgia called Peach Coast, Marvey is pretty much thrown into the deep end of the pool by trying to relate not only to her new surroundings but to the Ways of Southern Living. Y’all, I felt her struggle in my bones, lol. Well, mine was the reverse in coming to New England from the South, but I could very much relate to the culture shock of such a big move. I’ll never forget the time I said “Oh FOOT!” at work and my co-workers thought I’d lost my mind. But I digress…
The thing with new mystery series is that they have a lot of heavy lifting to do-- they have to establish a whole new world, introduce you to the lead “detective” and all the recurring characters that might pop up again, give us a murder to solve, all the while balancing that with enough tension and pacing to keep us engaged. It’s...a lot. Not everyone succeeds on the first installment, but y’all, I was ALL-IN on this book from the get-go. The pacing was there, the mystery kept me guessing for most of the story, and I absolutely fell in love with the town and residents of Peach Coast. I already can’t wait for the next in the series. I’m also keeping my eye on Marvey and a certain person named Spencer Holt. Imma need something to ::ahem:: happen there, please and thank you.
Read this on a weekend when you feel like staying in, curled up on the couch. And then let me know what you think about Marvey. And Spencer. And what they should name their children.