Murder by Page One by Olivia Matthews

Introduction

Murder by Page One is the first book in the Peach Coast Library Mysteries series by Olivia Matthews. I’m not all that familiar with the South (I was born and raised in Pennsylvania) so it was fun to read about the residents in this small, southern town. Marvey may be a recent transplant from Brooklyn but she manages to get involved. She also manages to get on peoples nerves by investigating. Keep reading for more info!

About the Book

Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a quirky small town in Georgia. When she’s not at the library organizing events for readers, she’s handcrafting book-themed jewelry and looking after her cranky cat. At times, her new life in the South still feels strange…and that’s before the discovery of the dead body in the bookstore.

After one of her friends becomes a suspect, Marvey sets out to solve the murder mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist? (from Amazon.com)

My Thoughts

This was a great cozy mystery because it was an interesting mystery, but it also had a lot of humor. Marvey was so unintentionally funny. I loved how no matter who she met or what the situation was, she was always asking people if they had a library card!

So funny. She really takes her job as a librarian seriously!

But Marvey wasn’t the only delightful character. I loved reading about Jo, the bookstore owner. And then there was their friend Spence, editor of the local newspaper and maybe the most courteous man in town? Idk. But it was nice to read about such a nice, southern gentleman.

I’m obviously a book lover and so I enjoyed reading about the Peach Coast library and Jo’s bookstore. Although Marvey did a good job investigating the murder to try to clear Jo’s name, she wasn’t the smoothest detective. It was funny how no matter who she talked to or what questions she asked, she was always getting told to stay out of it and let the police do their jobs.

Sigh. If only the cops were doing a better job of investigating.

There was a cute pet character in this story. Phoenix is Marvey’s cat. It made me sad that he wasn’t feeling well for a majority of the story. I’m hoping there are more books in this series and that he’s featured in them.

Overall, I thought this was a fun story and I liked reading about the small town of Peach Coast. Marvey has a fun job and a great crew that she works with. I also enjoyed some of the phone conversations she had with her parents and her brother. It added to the story to hear their perspectives as Marvey filled them in about the murder mystery going on in her new town. If you like bookish cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out!

P.S. There’s a recipe for peach cobbler at the end of the book if you enjoy fruit desserts, so make sure to check that out.