This is an intriguing cozy mystery.  The storyline had lots of twists and turns and kept me reading to see what would happen next.  I liked the bookshop setting.  The characters’ personalities fit the story.  The length was just right and the ending did not seem rushed.I liked this author’s writing style and would be interested in reading more mysteries written by her.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Lauren Elliott has started the Beyond the Page Bookstore mysteries with Murder by the Book.  Addie Greyborne retired from the Boston Public Library rare books department to her great aunt's mansion in a New England town.
As she opens the Beyond the Page bookstore she mourns the lose of her fiance and father in suspicious circumstances;  home and store invasions and the town's suspicions of outsiders plague her and then the bodies start to drop.  Why?  Lots of suspects.  Surprising twists and turns.

Combine the term cozy mystery with romantic suspense and you have a pretty good description of this book. Addie comes to town because she inherits her aunt’s house. She has lost her father and fiancé in the last year. She opens a used book store. Right away she makes friends and enemies. Her shop and house are broken into, the department store owner is killed and her aunt’s lawyer is murdered. Addie helps Mark, the police chief, to put puzzle pieces together as to what is going on.
I really enjoyed this story. The book nearly got 4 stars because of the juvenile behavior of Serena, Addie’s new friend and Matk’s sister, regarding Addie and Mark starting to like each other at the beginning and middle of the book. Serena is better toward the end so I let it go and reveled in the artistry of the storyline. The author skillfully weaves together a large number of characters and story from Addie’s past and present to bring together this mystery

Likable characters, familiar theme, nice backdrop and familiar plot twists. An easy cozy to enjoy whenever you want to cuddle up with good story that's like an old friend.

very enjoyable cozy mystery!

Loved the theme of the book as well as the plot!

Excellent read for winter nights next to the fireplace! :)

Addie’s happy future is no longer in the big city of Boston. Her fiancé has been murdered and her father was killed in a car accident. Receiving an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt that she did not know, Addie packs up her life and painful memories and moves to a quiet, small town in New England.  But Addie soon finds that all is not peaceful in this seaside town. Her bookstore and home is vandalized and the towns people are not as welcoming as she had hoped. “ Murder by the Book” is a fast moving book with some interesting twists.

I was pulled into this story from the beginning and it kept me interested to the end. Addie Grey has background working with rare books with the Boston Public Library and even worked in London for six months in a work exchange at the British Museum. She moved to Greyborne Harbor after her aunt died leaving her Greyborne Manor, her aunt's large estate. Addie has recently lost her boyfriend David, who was murdered and her father to a car accident so she has no family. With her love of rare books and antiquities, she opened a bookstore, Beyond the Page, selling rare books and collectibles. Her first day starts off badly when someone tries to run her down in a black sedan, her shop is broken into and later, her home is broken into. She quickly makes friends with the owner of SerenaTEA, a tea shop next door, Serena, who calls her brother, Chief of Police, Marc, to the scene. This is fast paced and it becomes obvious that someone thinks that Addie has something of value that they want. She doesn't have a clue what that would be but the culprits won't let anyone get in their way as murders start happening and someone in a black sedan follows her around even sitting outside her home. The mystery goes deeper than anyone thought, is far-reaching and bigger than one would expect. Thankfully, she has Serena and Marc to help her get through all the stressful events. This is a great whodunit, first in the series, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.

I really tried to like this book but i couldn't. There were too many things thrown in at once that I could not feel any connection to the characters. The Story itself, without all the extra dialogues, addie's lip biting & the stereotypical mysteries was interesting. 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This new series was a really fun read, there was a lot more suspense in this book than most cozies; it all began at the very beginning of chapter one, when Addie is almost run over by a speeding car. It gets very interesting from then on and doesn't slow down...Addie is part of her brand new town's past (or is she?), plus secrets, strangers, a possible romance and more make for a great and quick read - you won't want to put this one down. The only thing missing was a pet - maybe in book 2. 4.9 stars. 

I voluntarily reviewed this book on Netgalley. #netgalley #murderbythebook #laurenelliott

Not only did Addie inherit her aunts house in a little seaside town, but she bought a bookstore there as well to start her life over. Little does she know that trouble will follow her.
When things start happening around her and people start dying she starts sleuthing with the help of her friends. 
I liked this story line and the characters involved with this story.  I look forward to reading more in this series.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Murder by the Book

by Lauren Elliott

If you are looking for an interesting cozy mystery with lots of crimes and suspects, you will find it in Lauren Elliott’s Murder by the Book. Addison Greyborne, with a background as a researcher of rare books, inherits her aunt’s huge house and large collection of books. Some of the residents of the small town where she decides to open a bookshop are not particularly welcoming, but she finds a friend in Serena who owns the tea shop next to Addie’s bookstore and in Serena’s brother Marc, the police chief.

Addie believes her research skills are similar to those needed for a murder investigation, so when Selena is arrested for murder, Addie decides to get involved. Although I enjoyed the story, there are parts of it that just don’t seem plausible. Addie personally, her shop, and her home are targeted numerous times without anyone being able to identify the mischief makers or their motives—although mysterious vehicles are seen many times. There are also several deaths tied into the plot and a number of suspicious newcomers to the small town that no one suspects until it is too late. The storyline contains too many characters dealing in rare books one way or another for that not to be the motive. Secret compartments, a fun device, abound. Unfortunately that device is overused as is the irritating tendency for other characters to tuck a strand of hair behind Addie’s ear. Serena also overplays her interest in Addie and Marc’s relationship while she is still under suspicion for murder.  In addition, I have to wonder at the number of customers the bookstore maintains day after day and at the ease with which both Addie and Selena can leave their shops unattended or closed any time they feel like it. On the positive side, there are gems of information about rare books tucked into the pages of this cozy. So, recommended? Yes. A terrific cozy? No, but since this is the first in the series, I am willing to give it another try when the next one is published.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #1 in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series

Publication:   October 30, 2018—Kensington Press

I wanted to like this cozy mystery much more than I did.  Overloaded with bland dialogue and overstuffed with tired mystery elements (secret stairs, hidden drawers, all too convenient character revelations), “Murder by the Book” is a lacklustre read.  

Within the first few pages were introduced to a multitude of characters, a whodunnit break-in, and tragic backstory involving an accidental parental death.  Too much is thrown at the reader into short a time causing a lack of familiarity with or genuine care  for our main character Addie.

One of my first forays into the genre of cfozy mysteries, I was left wanting more from start to finish.  

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by the Book is an enjoyable and slightly puzzling read. It is certainly worth recommending to die-hard cozy mystery readers and fans of series including Lorna Barrett's "A Booktown Mystery Series."

What an over the top, drama laden book!  The main character, Addie, is a case study in a number of psychological issues including co-dependency.  She is whiny, clingy and imposing on people who she hasn’t known for 5 minutes.  Overshare does not appear to be a word in her vocabulary – but it certainly needs to be.  The supposition of the story is that Addie has been in town long enough to completely make over a business property and set up a store, yet she knows no one in town – no one.  It takes place in a town where no crime ever happens, but suddenly everyone is sneaky, evil, out to get Addie and – way beyond belief.  And only goes downhill FAST from there!

This was a painful read.  I would suggest rethinking how real people actually function in the world.  This book sure isn’t it. The story is unbelievable on the whole to the point of being incredibly annoying.

Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott is the debut novel in A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery.  Addie Greyborne has had a rough year with the murder of her fiancé and the death of her father.  Thanks to an inheritance from her great aunt, Anita Greyborne, Addie has relocated to Greyborne Harbor and is ready to open Beyond the Page Books & Curios.  Opening day begins by Addie almost getting run over by a black sedan.  After opening the bookshop, she meets Serena Chandler who owns SerenaTEA next door.  The day spirals out of control when someone uses a distraction to steal a 1961 copy of Alice in Wonderland.  Late that night, Addie awakens to a noise and finds that someone has broken into her home.  Several of the rooms have been ransacked but Addie has no clue what the thieves are after.  When her shop suffers another break in, the local shop owners are less than pleased with Addie.  The next day there is a commotion outside Fielding’s Department Store involving Serena.  She has been arrested for murdering Blain Fielding.  Addie uses her keen eye for detail and sleuthing skills from tracking down rare books and artwork to expose the guilty party behind this nefarious plot.  Can Addie clear Serena of the murder charges?  Come along for the investigation in Murder by the Book.

Murder by the Book is a book full of action.  It starts off with a bang with a car almost running down Addie.  Addie has lost her fiancé, father and a great aunt in one year.  She leaves her job at the Boston Public Library to start over in Greyborne Harbor.  In her new home, Greyborne Manor she discovers numerous books which gives her the idea to open a used bookstore.  Then someone starts breaking into her home and shop.  We are left wondering what the thieves are trying to locate.  Then there is the murder and slowly more details are revealed.  The mystery is complex yet simple at the same time.  There are hidden rooms, rare books, a secret staircase, a black sedan, and unknown thieves.  Some details/clues are provided as the story progresses, but others come to light just before the reveal with the remainder explained at the end.  I would have liked more clues interspersed throughout the book to allow a reader to play sleuth along with Addie (the best part of a mystery is solving it).  Most readers, though, will have no problem identifying the guilty party.  Addie quickly becomes friends with Serena and her new employee, Paige.  I thought the relationships developed too quickly.  It seems Serena became Addie’s instant friend and she trusts Paige despite her disagreeable mother.  For some reason, the bakery owner, Martha has taken a disliking to Addie.  We are not given Martha’s last name, the name of her establishment or why she dislikes Addie.  Actually, very little information is provided on Greyborne Harbor.  Addie has been in town three months and seems to have met no one.  A prequel to the series would have been beneficial or the author should have started the series with Addie receiving her inheritance.  I loved the description of Addie’s Queen Anne Victorian.  It sounds beautiful inside and out (period details with antique furnishing including a desk with hidden compartments).  I would like to know more about Addie (her growing up years).  I appreciated her enthusiasm for books and knowledge of rare books. I hope the author lets the romance build slowly between Addie and Marc especially since Addie is not over her fiancé.  I enjoyed reading Murder by the Book.  It captured and held my interest which few books have done recently.  My rating for Murder by the Book is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it).  I thought it was a delightful beginning to A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, and I look forward to reading Prologue to Murder.

I could not get in to the meat of the story. The talking was stiff and it did not seem natural. The actual mystery also seemed contrived.

Welcome to author Lauren Elliott and this fabulous new cozy series.  
Murder By The Book is the first book in the new "Beyond The Page Bookstore" mystery series. 
This is a great start to a long series with all the right elements of the perfect cozy mystery. .

In this first in series we meet our protagonist  Addie Greybourne who has moved to a small charming New England town to run a bookstore after discovering a large number of rare books.  Addie has suffered to great deaths , one her long time boyfriend she was set to marry and her Father.  She has inherited a lot of money from  a relative in this town she did not know and used it to move to her new home and start her bookstore. She is ready to start over.  Her family has a history here so she is excited to find some roots and start over. 

After her shop opens some in town do not want her there. She does make some friends and her store is doing well on its first day.  When  a murder occurs Addie jumps in to defend the person arrested who she is sure is innocent. She is a loyal friend and proves to be a apt detective while investigating. 

I loved this first in series. it sets the stage for further books in the series as Addie develops her life in this new town and makes friends. The charcters are strong and all add to the story. The setting is charming and I look forward to further books in this series..  I enjoyed the sleuth and the clues the author gave were surprising and I did not figure out the suspect. All in all a perfect start to a cozy series. Thank you to the author , publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this first in series. .Its always a thrill to welcome a new cozy series ! 
Very well done to the author.

Thank you NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review 

Murder by the Book starts with a common theme ~ heroine who suffers tragedy starting over ~ with rare books. I love the rare books approach and Addison is already jumping into new relationships. The story is a bit rough at times but worth reading.

November 11. 2018 
DID NOT FINISH
Stopped at 20% [Read some of the end and it was just so ludicrous I am so glad I didn't waste my time].
ZERO STARS!!!! 

First, I am glad that I got this as a NetGalley ARC and that I didn't actually pay money for it. 
Second, I am VERY glad that the audiobook was on Hoopla so I didn't pay money for that either [because I would so be returning it if I had paid good money for this]. 
Third, I realize I am going to be in the minority here [considering all the 4 and 5 star reviews I am seeing. Clearly we are not reading the same book]. 

The things I didn't like about this book:
1. The main character. CAN anyone be stupider? I find it hard to believe that she ever lived in a big city. Ever. She is careless, overly-naive [to the point of being stupid] and has the "poor me, WHY is this happening to me" kind of attitude. She grated on my last nerve. When two women CLEARLY run a con on her to get her keys, she is so clueless about it I wanted to both scream and bang my head against my desk. Someone one like that NEVER worked and lived in a big city like Boston or London. Sigh. 

2. Freaking romance. Again. Seriously? The main character and the cop/police chief/detective. This story-line arc is getting seriously old and I sure wish authors would figure that out. P L E A S E. 

3. The even ditzier "best friend" [who she meets and two seconds later they are best friends like they  have known each other their whole lives, even though someone is breaking into her shop and trying to run her down, she immediately believes that it CANNOT be this girl blah blah blah]. I actually like Serena better than Addie, but still. 

4. The fact that almost everyone in this town has a GINORMOUS chip on their freaking shoulders and they are all just mean. Plain and simple, they are a very mean bunch. And they do not care who they hurt with their words and actions. I am not sure why Addie would even want to stay there to be honest, because they are horrible. Their snide remarks, harsh criticism and just plain meanness was a huge turnoff from the beginning and just continued to be as I read on. 

5. The ending/reveal. Because I read ahead. No. Just no. SO glad I didn't waste my time for THAT. Puh-LEESE!!!!

What I liked about this book: 
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. <insert crickets>

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You get the picture. 
I will not be reading the next one in the series [there is a spoiler chapter at the end and it is clearly more of exactly the same as was in this book. EXACTLY. Pass. Pass. P A S S. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott is the 1st book in Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, and an enjoyable start.  Addie Greyborne was a librarian at the Boston Public Library, working with rare books.  After her fiance was murdered, and her father was killed in a car accident Addie was ready to move to a small town in New England where she inherited a mansion, Greyborne Manor, from her great aunt.  With all the books left in her aunt's home she was able to open her own bookstore.  Addie makes quick friends with Serena, who owns a tea shop next door, while the women who owns the bakery on the other side dislikes both women.  When a store owner is murdered, Serena is the main suspect, and Addie is determined to help her new friend.  I enjoyed this cute book, with all the twists and turns, and I can not wait for the next book in the series.  If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book.  

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.