Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery from Hallmark Publishing

Olivia Matthews

Mar 2021 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

If you love Hallmark mystery movies,
you’ll love this cozy mystery
with humor, intrigue, and a librarian amateur sleuth.



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?

This first in series cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Classic Peach Cobbler.

Ratings and reviews

cozy-mystery, librarian, bookseller, small-business, small-town, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, author, friendship**** The former Brooklyn librarian, the ditzy bookstore owner, and the body of the author meet in the bookshop. The characters and relationships are engaging, the story moves along at a steady pace with diverting twists and red herrings. I thought it was an entertaining, fun easy read. Janina Edwards is an excellent voice actor and great to listen to. I requested and received a free temporary audio copy from Hallmark Publishing and Dreamscape Media via NetGalley. Thank you!

Murder By Page One by Olivia Matthews is the debut of A Peach Coast Library Mystery series. Marvey Harris along with her cat, Phoenix has relocated to Peach Coast, Georgia where she is the library’s new Director of Community Engagement. Jo Gomez owns To Be Read which is hosting a book signing of Coastal Fiction Writers. Marvey is attending the signing with Spencer Holt, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Peach Coast Crier. The event is starting, and Jo is worried that one of the author’s Fiona Lyle-Hayes is not in place. The trio go to the backroom where Fiona was unpacking her books to find her dead. Jo becomes the prime suspect of Deputy Jed Whatley which has her unnerved. Jo asks Marvey to help prove her innocence. Marvey with help from her friend’s sets out to discover who wanted Fiona permanently removed from circulation. I enjoyed reading Murder By Page One. I thought Murder By Page One was well-written with steady pacing. The author took the time to introduce Marvella Harris along with a variety of secondary characters. I look forward to getting to know Marvey and her friends better as the series progresses. I enjoyed the descriptions of Peach Coast with its quaint shops and a library housed in a former bus depot. The story is full of quaint southernisms. The one that had me laughing the most was “Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit.” Gossip runs rampant in Peach Coast. As with most rumors, there is only a grain of truth in them. Peach cobbler was another recurring theme. The townspeople seem to consume it in great quantities. The whodunit had several suspects, misdirection, and good clues. I was able to identify the guilty party early, but I did not know why this person had committed the deed. This is what kept me turning the pages. Marvey needs to build the library’s patron list. As she meets new people, she asks them, “Do you have a library card?” I like how the questions unnerves some people. You can tell that Marvey loves her job. I look forward to reading the next A Peach Coast Library Mystery. Murder By Page One is a charming new cozy mystery with rampant rumors, a departed author, a meddling mother, a determined deputy, and a sleuthing librarian.

About the author

Patricia Sargeant is a national best-selling, award-winning author. She writes romance as Patricia Sargeant and mysteries as Olivia Matthews. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews.

Patricia was drawn to write romance because she believes in the Power of Love as the greatest motivation. Her mysteries put ordinary people in extraordinary situations to have them find the Hero Inside.

For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.