Book 2 in the cozy mystery series. Did like this one overall, but struggled a bit at times to stay invested in the mystery. Tunnels, buried treasure, and books with maps, should be fun, but still... Might just be me and would still recommend this one. Fun series.

I really wanted to like this book. The elements are all there! A great small town, pirates, buried treasure, murder, romance. The pieces of the puzzle were there but it just felt flat to me. The main character Addie is not the most likeable individual. She is clumsy and headstrong, traits that are not bad but when they are constantly thrown out as character development its frustrating as a reader. There also seems to be a love triangle building up in this book. As with many long cozy series, especially Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson series, a love triangle can't go on multiple books. Perhaps I am an anomaly with this opinion, but this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2019; Kensington Books

And, book two really picks up for me! I don't know if it was story, or the introduction of new characters, or even knowing the reoccurring characters a bit more now, but I enjoyed this story a lot more. I am down for the rest of the series, and I will be doing a mini binge as I get the audiobooks. I am not a huge fan of love triangles or squares, and making other people jealous. Yet, it worked with this story and wasn't overly done. I am looking forward to the next book.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

The author has done it again - another winner!

Prologue to Murder was such a great cozy mystery to read. I enjoyed the characters, setting and overall storyline.

In this book, we find gossip columnist Miss Newsy has gone overboard by pointing a finger at a potential suspect - possibly the wrong suspect. You must read it to find out, but do it it's a must-read cozy mystery.

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott is the second installment of the cozy Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. You do not have to read the series in order but I do recommend it.

Miss Newsy, the gossip columnist at the local paper, is stirring up trouble for Addie Greyborne after she accuses Addie of having something to do with local librarian June Winslow going missing. Not everyone is thrilled Addie has moved to town so after June’s body is found in an underground tunnel in town, Addie is accused by the columnist of being involved in June’s death. Determined to once again clear her name, Addie begins looking into June’s death which in a surprising turn of events leads to legends of buried treasure in town.

The story was a good one but at certain points I got very frustrated with Addie and also the way that her friends treat her. Otherwise it was a fun read!

Meet "Miss Newsy" who is all up in your business, but you can't always trust what you read! Librarian June Winslow meets and unfortunate end on her way home from the local book club meeting. Addie is the prime suspect, once again. Thankfully her current beau is none other than the police chief himself.

Time to stir the pot with the appearance of a bombshell reporter form Los Angeles. She's trying her best to complicate things between Addie and her love. Timely enough, June published a book about legends that just may be the key to unravel this whole mystery, before it's too late.

Number two in the series, Prologue to Murder. I enjoyed it, a good read. The story kept a nice pace (though, seemed long at times) and had me guessing until the end. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Wow this sequel was actually pretty good. The writing is a little better here. The chraracters are more interesting. Though at times Marc and Serena were a little frustrating. But I did like Addie more here though. She does go through a lot in this one doesn't she? The history aspect to how it ties to the mystery was also pretty good. Curious about the new characters in this one. Can't wait for the next mystery Addie and co will get into.

I love books about books and small town settings and this series has both.

Addie finds herself in the middle of a murder again but there is a Miss Newsy in town and she is stealing the limelight, as well as Addie's friends. Can Addie clear her name and restore her friendships before its too late?

I adore this series. I can honestly say I wanted to smack some characters around though.

Addie Greystone owns a bookstore in Greystone Harbor. The residents of the town are not enthused by Addie's lineage so when the town librarian is found murdered shortly after visiting the bookstore, word around town has Addie as the villain. At the same time, Addie's new beau, Marc, the chief of police, has been seen with his ex-fiancée. Digging into the activities of the victim, Addie discovers that her past may be the reason for her demise.

The new characters don't really add to the likability of the store. I hope they don't hang around. Love triangles/rectangles aren't really necessary for a good cozy aand detract from the development of the main characters.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Prologue to Murder is the second book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore series by author Lauren Elliott.

While not necessary, I suggest reading book one, Murder by the Book first as this allows the reader to get a sense of who the characters are and their relationships to each other, providing a bit of a foundation.

Addie Greyborne has returned to her home town of Greyborne Harbor and owns and runs Beyond the Page (a book and curio shop). She has also in the past, solved a murder. This installment of the Beyond the Page Bookstore series sees Addie being hounded by the town gossip columnist Miss Newsy when a member of the local book club (the town librarian in fact), June Winslow, goes missing after the latest meeting. Unfortunately for Ms. Winslow, she later on turns up dead.

Marc Chandler, chief of police and Addie’s beau is probably what keeps Addie from being the prime suspect in June’s murder. As with all cozy mysteries, Addie takes it upon herself to investigate in order to find the killer and take away suspicion from herself. We do learn that June’s death may involve a book she penned many, many years ago and pirates. Pirates you say! Yup….and the fun does not stop there as when pirates are involved, there must be hidden treasure!

As Addie tries to unravel the mystery of the missing book and the murder of June, the reader is lead through a thoroughly enjoyable story where there are many potential suspects. Addie efficiently and methodically leads us through the maze of suspects and finally pieces together the culprit. All I must say was that I was stumped as to whodunit – just the way I like my mysteries – at least until the very end.

There is more to this cozy mystery then a murder. We have a bit of romance stuff happening – another reporter has her sights set rekindling her romance with Addie’s beau (don’t you just love a good love triangle). Or, Simon, the town doctor has also caught Addie’s attention. Hmmm – love running amuck.

As well, this reader wondered why, in the book that June wrote, pieces of history have been suppressed. What is the town trying to hide? The story behind the hidden tunnels also contributed to the intrigue in the storyline. I shall say it again, don’t pirates add a bit of mystery to a mystery?

Another plus for me is that I really like the cover art. It just drew me in and made me want to curl up with this good book and read~

I will patiently wait for the next book in the series, Murder in the First Edition.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Addison Greybourne is a mixed bag. She could be viewed as strong with a side of funny, although I found her a bit over-the-top emotionally. Chief of police Marc Chandler is kind-of her boyfriend and she sure gets jealous like there is more there between them. Chief Chandler seems lacking in critical character detection for a cop when it comes to his ex-wife Lacey. Addison's BFF and Marc's sister, Serena Chandler is naive and easily used by Lacey. All of which makes for a tense ride for Addison as she tackles ongoing gossip in the paper and suspicion of her involvement in June Wilson's murder. Lacey, the shallow and conniving complication in Addy's life, is a memorable part of the overall story as the character you love to hate.

Too often novels set at sea side don't feature the beach or ocean much. The use of pirates and local pirate history really cemented the setting into the story. The climactic scene also strongly features the location to great effects as well.

You can't have a pirate or treasure tale without an exciting race to find the treasure. In this case it all becomes part of the killer reveal. It could have been cheesy, but it ends up exciting and well executed.

The pirate lore and lure of treasure was handled quite well and is probably my favorite aspect to this story and brought the entire novel to life. I had a rough time with the personal drama going on and Addison's often juvenile reaction to it all.

Rating: Good - A fun read

Prologue to Murder is the second book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries series by Lauren Elliott. The series centers around Addie Greyborne and her book and curio shop in Greyborne Harbour. I will say that there is a fairly obvious love triangle being set up here, but other than raising an eyebrow at the incredibly obvious setup, I'm really not upset by it. I'm actually quite impressed that, having started out as a fan of option one (no spoilers!), I was so thoroughly pissed off by him at the end that I'm now a solid supporter of option 2!

What I like about this book is that it really does center around Addie's bookish self, and not only does she run her own bookstore, but you get background about her family's love of books, about Addie's background as a researcher, and she actually uses dem badass research skills to solve the mystery!! Researchers and academics for the absolute WIN, hell yes.

Also, pirates.

I do think that the writing could be smoothed out a teensy bit, and I believe (hope) the writing will develop as the author settles into the series and the characters a bit more, but overall I was really pleased with it and will certainly look out for the first book and subsequents books in the series.

Worth the time!

Not sure if I should continue with this series. Not a huge fan of the dreaded love-triangle. Addie isn’t my favorite character.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

We are back for another literary mystery at Beyond the Pages Bookstore. June Winslow’s body is discovered and Addie must solve the murder to clear her own name. Overall, I really enjoy this series. They are light and fun, but the overflow of characters really takes me away from the story. However, it will not deter me from pressing on to book 3!

Book two in the Beyond The Page Bookstore series of mysteries. When the body of a librarian is discovered at the bottom of a staircase, Addie becomes prime suspect. Rumours and gossip abound in the town and Addie is bound to investigate. Entertaining, cosy mystery with a dash of romance.

This is a joint review for the first three books in this series. I actually read paperbacks I got at the library, but I apparently purchased book 1, Murder by the Book, at no cost from Amazon AND I got books 1 and 2 from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Well, I guess that shows that the blurbs really interested me.

The mystery aspect (what crimes happen and why) was fairly interesting and different in all three. What isn't good and makes me give the set of three a 1.5 star rating (just shy of a solid OK) are the characters, specifically Addie and her two beaus. This is a mystery series, there shouldn't be so much focus on her relationships (or lack thereof). The three of them are like middle schoolers instead of professionals in their 30's (though Simon seems the most mature). Addie's issues with the men play way too big a role in the books taking away from the mystery.

I read cozies because of the likable and relatable main characters and sidekicks. This is the second series I've read recently with not so likable characters.

Even some of the mystery elements are off, especially Addie's dealings with her almost father in law in the third book, Murder in the First Edition, are strange.

This is the second outing in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery and it continues the development of the characters and their relationships. This book can be read as a standalone, but the series is only into its third book, so I recommend taking the time to read them in order to get the full backstory of the main characters.

The protagonist, Addie Greyborne, former researcher for Boston Public Library, has returned to Greyborne Harbor after the death of both her father and fiancee. She recently inherited everything from her aunt and took the opportunity to move to the town named after her ancestors and operate a bookstore/collectables. She was befriended by Serena, the store owner next to her store and began a relationship with Serena's brother Marc, the Chief of Police. The mystery in this book deals with the death of the local librarian. She did not return home one evening and her body was found at the bottom of a flight of stairs, determined to be murder. A gossip columnist, known only as "Miss Newsie" points the finger at Addie, saying that she coveted her job due to her failing business. This upsets Addie, so of course, she has to investigate. Throw in the return to town of Marc's ex-fiancee, Lacey Davenport, and several locals who do not like Addie for various reasons she has yet to determine, and Addie is off-kilter trying to figure out what is going on.

I enjoy Addie as the protagonist in this series, but she seems to be very emotional and somewhat snippy in this story. I can see why, as she seems to be a target for whatever reason, but it was a bit unsettling. The author also introduces a new male character that is attracted to Addie, Simon, a doctor and coroner, so you know they will come in contact quite a bit, thus a love triangle that I hope does not carry on too long. The book connection deals with a manuscript that the murdered woman had written and was "forced" to revise as one of the founding families was depicted in an unfavorable light. There were several red herrings and twists in this novel that made it a bit difficult to pinpoint who the murderer was until several of the clues near the end of the story point in the right direction. The book is interesting, but the sudden shifts between attraction and anger between Addie and Marc create some unnecessary tension that distracted me from the mystery. I have read several reviews where the book is referred to as a romantic suspense mystery, more so than a cozy. The plot is well paced and I liked the pirate/buried treasure theme. I enjoyed this story and will continue to read this series.

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

itle: Prologue to Murder



Author: Lauren Elliott



Series: Beyond the page Bookstore Mystery book 2



Chapters: 38



Pages: 304



Genre: Cozy Mystery



Rating: 3 stars



In Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott Addie Greybourne is slowly settling into life in her new town when she finds herself involved in another murder mystery when she is name the prime suspect not by the police but the local gossip columnist for the paper. With this being a sequel you can't give gave away too much without possibly spoiling the first book. This book is just as engaging as the first book. And just like with most small town's in books you have the neighborhood busy body.



This is a typical bookstore owner cozy Addie owns a small bookstore in the town. So this one is great for fans of other bookstore based cozy mysteries. As always I look forward to the next book in the series as well as any other books the author may write in the future.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.