To the Tome of Murder

Lauren Elliott

Oct 2021 · A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Book 7 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

Three weeks before Thanksgiving, bookshop owner Addie Greyborne already has a full plate—and a killer on her case . . .
 
Addie’s determined to turn a seemingly ordinary November in coastal Greyborne Harbor into one for the books. The windows of her shop display carefully curated works by American writers, including a rare selection of traditional holiday recipes from the influential 19th-century publication Godey’s Ladies Magazine. And then there’s the town’s Civil War-era themed cooking and baking competition, with a hefty cash prize and free publicity going to the winning dish . . .
 
But when she finds her cousin’s boyfriend murdered, a stunned Addie reluctantly realizes she may be the only person who can blow the cover off a grisly crime. With so many unanswered questions surrounding the victim’s death, Addie must figure out the strange connection between a mysterious vintage briefcase, the disappearance of a first edition copy of Sarah Josepha Hale’s famous nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and a dangerously well-read culprit . . . 
 

Ratings and reviews

To the Tome of Murder by Lauren Elliott is the seventh A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery. I suggest starting with Murder by the Book which will give you Addie Greyborne’s background. I thought To the Tome of Murder contained good writing and the story moved along at a steady tempo. My main problem with the series is Addie Greyborne. She is not the most likeable character nor her cousin, Kalea (I am not a fan of her at all). Addie acts like she is entitled to information on the case from the police and she treats Marc terribly (Police Chief Marc Chandler is lucky to have escaped Addie’s clutches). Addie does not take it well when no one from the force will share details with her. Kalea is a snake in the grass who I would not trust with my boyfriend or husband. I like Addie’s assistant manager, Paige Stringer. She is a friendly woman who does a wonderful job at the bookstore. I enjoyed the Civil War themed cooking competition (very original) and learning more about Sarah Josepha Hale. Sarah was a remarkable woman who has several key accomplishments. The whodunit is straightforward. I found there to be a lack of suspects which made the guilty party stand out. I kept hoping for a twist so I would be surprised. The reveal answers any lingering questions regarding the crime. I would have liked more action in the book to give it a little more pep. I enjoyed the descriptions of Greyborne Harbor. They really bring the scenery alive. To the Tome of Murder will have you craving Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings with the Civil War culinary competition, the slain suitor, a crying cousin, beautiful bookmarks and bookends, an unendurable expert, and a curious crime.

cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, small-business, small-town, bookseller, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, dog**** The series continues to fully engage and has realistic characters but each book has enough clues and references to make it a successful stand alone. Tourist season is about over and Thanksgiving is near when Addie's cousin Callea finds her fiancee's murdered body on the floor of her shop. Callea is a mess and even gets arrested, but Addie doesn't believe it and goes into sleuth mode. More is discovered about the motive and opportunity and a good whodunit is what I've read here. I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you.

An entertaining read.

About the author

Lauren Elliott is the USA Today bestselling author of theCrystals & CuriosiTEAS Mystery series and the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series. She grew up devouring Nancy Drew, graduated to Agatha Christie, and then began writing her own mysteries, as well as bringing her passion for storytelling to careers in professional theater and journalism. She can be found online at LaurenElliottAuthor.com.