A Bookseller's Who Dunnit
This is a wonderful, cozy murder mystery. This book is filled with crimes and victims and suspects. The story has some good twists and a climactic ending. It's a very good story. I have read the prior books in this series. This book stands alone well. While it will enhance the story for you, it is not necessary to read these books in order. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Addie Greyborne is back for book three in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series by Lauren Elliott. Addie donates a valuable book to a local charity auction. When Addie discovers the organizer of the event is dead and the donated book is missing, she investigates to discover who could be behind the murder and theft.

I've read the first book in this series, Murder by the Book, but haven't yet read the second book, Prologue to Murder. As with most series, this one is probably best read in order. This third book can be read as a standalone though.

I enjoy Addie's book store and the small town atmosphere. This is one of my favorite settings for a cozy mystery. The fact that the mystery revolves around a missing book only adds to my enjoyment. The mystery involves Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and proves to be a valuable item for the local charity auction. Addie uses her knowledge of books to find the book thief.

The mystery is a standalone from the previous books, but Addie's personal story continues. In this book, she is reunited with someone from her past - her late fiancé's father. She doesn't really trust him, and this plays a big part of the story. Plus, Addie has a couple of local men interested in her, but she's having a hard time moving on and starting a new romance.

A delightful cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book, and plan to go back and read book 2 in the series. This is a cozy mystery series I look forward to keeping up with. Good for fans of cozies who enjoy bookish themes set in a small town.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my top 3 favorite new cozy series ! I love this series and this book is the "definitive" cozy mystery. This series has it all and is such fun ! I have read the previous in series and highly recommend the series for all who enjoy mysteries and cozy mysteries. Thank you to the author and to the publisher for the advance reading copy. My review opinion is my own. The setting is a wonderful bookstore in coastal New England that is a new business and popular within the small town.

This is the 3rd book in the "A Beyond The Page Bookstore Mystery: series. The previous in series I highly recommend are "Murder By The Book" and "Prologue to Murder". This can be read as a stand alone . This third installment is even better then the previous in series and my favorite of the series to date.

This next in series has a festive winter theme as we return to coastal New England and all the charming beauty of a New England winter time. The author has beautifully described the feeling of a New England winter so the reader feels the snow and picturesque setting throughout this book.

Addie is preparing her donation for a charity auction of a 1843 copy of A Christmas Carol. Its sure to bring a great price with all proceeds donated to the new pediatric wing at the local hospital. She has had the book authenticated to assure a large price for the auction. Its the most anticipated auction item and the town is excited about auction of the book. When the women in charge of the auction is not in her office Addie finds her body and the book is missing. Addie is sure that the missing book is somehow connected to the murder.

Addie is a savvy investigator and she is determined to conduct her own investigation as she has in previous books. She forges ahead beyond even with the police chief and her love interest Simon ask her not to be involved. She also wants to find the book immediately so the auction can go on. She has a wonderful sense of finding abstract clues and suspects that lead to a well crafted sleuth. As the sleuth progresses she shares information with the police chief even though their romance has faded on her part and he finds himself rejected by her much to his chagrin. She is still grieving for her dead fiance and tells him so. One important part of this book is how Addie is moving on from her grief until her fiance's Father shows up in town who is a womanizer. and opens up old animosities she had for him as a Father.

I love how Addie takes charge of what she wants and she wants to solve this murder. She does not suffer fools and is a take charge protagonist. I find her very likable and I love that she has a backbone and does not follow along with what men tell her to do. (Addie is a very empowered woman!) She is her own person and very independent which is why she is a favorite protagonist of mine. I love her smart habit of creating a "crime and suspect board" that she shares with those close to her to sound out ideas about possible suspects. She works out suspects with her best friend Serena who is a faithful friend to Addie and is honest about her opinions as well as always willing to investigate with Addie.

As a Nor’easter bears down and Addie is stranded at her house with Simon, clues emerge about Jonathan’s suspicious past as well as his possible ties to the murder victim. He seems to be proving her right until her suspicions take her in other directions in the investigation. The sleuth takes delightful twist and turns that kept me guessing to the shocking conclusion. I did not see the ending and this avid mystery reader is thrilled that I did not figure out the ending.
I love the likable characters, Addie, Selena, Paige her employee as well as Marc and Simon . I enjoyed the interaction with her nemesis Martha who seems to be remarkably less contentious with Addie. I enjoy how the author writes so realistically of the setting and New England in winter time. The sleuth was very well crafted and one of the best mysteries I have read this year. Very well done to the author ! I look forward to the next in series . 5 stars for this excellent mystery.

I've enjoyed this newer series from its beginning, and this installment is no exception. I think it's especially good, because it takes place at Christmas. I have to admit that Addie gets on my last nerve sometimes, but that's just part of her charm. She's like a big kid sometimes, but has a heart of gold and would do anything for those that she loves. She makes me dizzy with going back and forth between which guy she likes, and I usually end up just as confused as she is, but I will say that I'm still Team Marc ;) I'm just going to have to be more patient I guess! I loved that her almost father-in-law was included in this book, Jonathan Hemingway. He's a mysterious older guy with a real eye for the ladies who makes me think of a cross between DiNozzo Sr. and Richard Castle's father. Who wouldn't fall for his charm? Addie's friend Catherine definitely fell for him. I hope we get to see more of him!

I'd had an idea of who the killer was, but it was fun to see it play out. The showdown was a little bit nail biting, but Addie seemed to be somewhat in control when Marc and the officers showed up. I loved the comparison to A Christmas Carol (which was the featured book in this story) that Serena gave Addie's life. At the end, she finally saw what her young friend and a wise older friend were trying to tell her earlier. The ending was super festive and sweet. I'm pretty sure I know who she's leaning toward and hope that she stays leaning that way!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Addie Greyborne is excited about the upcoming charity auction. She has an 1843 edition of Dickens' A Christmas Carol to add to the auction. Appraised at five figures, the book should raise a lot of money to help build the pediatric wing at the hospital! But things quickly get complicated....not only does the father of her former fiance show up in town causing problems, but the coordinator of the auction is murdered. And....the Dickens book is stolen! Once again, Addie finds herself doing some amateur sleuthing to get to the bottom of this latest killing.

I enjoyed this latest installment in this series. Murder in the First Edition is the 3rd book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries. Each book brings a bit more character development for Addie. She's still dealing with the ghosts of her past. I hope the deceased fiance plot angle wraps up and the series moves on.....after 3 books, I'm growing just a bit tired of the dead fiance thing. And it seems a love triangle type situation is building....cozies use that angle a bit too much. I hope it doesn't become a main plot point. But other than those two little twinges of cozy concern for this series, I enjoy each book! Addie is an interesting main character and there are plenty of quirky side characters to keep the books interesting. The mystery progressed at a nice pace with plenty of suspects and twists to keep my attention. This mystery was a bit more complex than the first two in the series -- very entertaining!

I can't wait for the next book in this series! Luckily, it isn't too long of a wait. Book #4, Proof of Murder, is set to come out in April 2020!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

The hospital’s charity auction for the new pediatric wing is coming up, and Addison “Addie” Greyborne has donated a Charles Dickens book worth quite a bit of money. Addie should be excited, as she’s also celebrating that her bookstore, Beyond the Page, has been open for just over a year. However, Christmas brings memories of her family and fiancé, all of whom have passed. To make matters worse, her former fiancé’s father, Jonathan Hemingway, has shown up and Addie distrusts everything about Jonathan and his womanizing behavior. Now, a woman associated with Jonathan is dead, and the Charles Dickens book is missing. Was it murder? And if so, who killed her?

MURDER IN THE FIRST EDITION is the third book in the <i>Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery</i> series and the mystery reads easily as a standalone. However, there is a bit of a love triangle developing along with some past relationship issues that are further explored in the first two books in the series. Lauren Elliott does an excellent job at filling new readers in on the back history so they can jump right into the story line, but some readers may prefer to read the first two books to see the development of the characters and relationships more.

I was a little worried when I read the first book in this series that Lauren Elliott wasn’t going to give Addie time to truly grieve and brush over the death of her fiancé. I’m glad to see that Lauren Elliott is allowing us to see the grieving process, including the impact that the holidays can have on a person dealing with a death. The story isn’t mired in grief, however, as we also see Addie learning to make her way with new friends and family.
Any book that features a bookstore is bound to appeal to me, but MURDER IN THE FIRST EDITION adds another tempting factor by including a Charles Dickens book in the story line. Christmas can be both beautiful and heartbreaking, depending on a person’s situation in life and Lauren Elliott offers us the perfect picture of both. The mystery is intriguing, albeit a bit convoluted, but the ending is quite satisfying. I can’t wait to read the next installment of the <i>Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery</i> series and see what Lauren Elliott has in store for us!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

A snow storm, a charity auction, and a newly reappeared almost father-in-law would be enough to complicate most people's life but Addie- well Addie has more to deal with ! Addie's had a tough time since she moved back to Greyborne Harbor so let's hope that her donation of copy of Dickens A Christmas Carol will raise lots of money. That's not gonna happen though because Addie finds the body of Teresa, who was in charge, but not the book. Yikes. This cozy has more than most going on. Addie's got two love interests (Marc and Simon- you'll find yourself rooting for one over the other) for starters. For another, there's lot of twists on the way to answers to the dual mystery of who killed Teresa and who took the book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you didn't read the first books in the series as Elliott provides enough info to catch you up (but not too much for fans). I'm looking forward to the next one.

I have really been enjoying this series. I’ve read every book in the series so far and they keep getting better. The way the author describes the town makes me want to live there and get to know the towns people. I love Addie and the rest of the gang. The characters are very believable and helps draw you into the story. The best part is that the author always keeps me guessing who the culprit is right up until the end!

It's almost Christmas and Addie is feeling at home in her new town. She is donating a copy of A Christmas Carol to the hospital auction, which has been appraised for $60,000. When she brings in the papers for the book, she discovers the woman in charge of the auction dead and her book missing. Her almost father-in-law appears in town and has just had lunch with this woman and Addie suspects him, along with a long cast of characters. Together with her friends, and Marc, she begins to investigate. There are some surprises along the way and an interesting ending. This is a great addition to the series and I look forward to more. Good plotting and character development. A good read!

Murder in the First Edition is a good mystery with interesting characters. The storyline is interesting and well developed.

Addie Greyborne is happy to donate an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol for the hospital's charity auction to help build the new pediatric wing. But her cheery spirit is dampened when Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fiancé David suddenly arrives in town. Jonathan, true to his womanizing ways, quickly runs off for a lunchtime date with the auction chair Teresa Lang. When Addie goes to deliver the book appraiser's authenticity certificate to Teresa, she finds the book has gone missing from the protective case and she stumbles upon Teresa's dead body in the hospital stairwell.

Addie's immediate suspicions fall upon Jonathan but other possible suspects in the book theft and murder start appearing on her brainstorming crime board. With the help and hindrance of police chief Marc Chandler and Dr. Simon Emerson, Addie is determined to find the culprits.

This was a better read than the first two books in the series. Addie's stubborn nature and indecision about her romantic feelings for both Marc and Simon make her a feisty protagonist.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Addie Greyborne has given a valuable 1843 edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to the Christmas auction for the hospital. She goes to the hospital to give them the report about the book she has just received from her friend at the Boston Public Library. She finds her fundraiser friend Teresa dead at the foot of the stairs. And, the locked case which had held her book was empty with the key in the lock in Teresa's office. She also finds two cups in the waste basket, on with lipstick on the edge. It isn't clear in the beginning whether Teresa's death was an accident or murder, but Addie is pretty sure it's murder since the book is missing.

Jonathan, David's father is in town, and Addie is suspicious of him. She also is suspicious of Teresa's assistant, Patrick, and his assistant, Crystal. Addie and Serena make a crime board where they try to connect various suspects. They get warned to stop looking both by Marc and by someone writing on their crime board, but that doesn't slow Addie down in her detecting. Addie is still having trouble deciding whether she wants Simon or Marc. Meanwhile, a huge winter storm comes through town, and the fundraiser is postponed.

As usual, there is a very exciting ending when Addie gets too close to the murderer and he knows she has figured out what's happened.

Christmas is coming to the charming New England seaside village of Greyborne Harbor. Addie Greyborne, protagonist and proprietress of Beyond the Page Bookstore has donated a valuable 1843 edition of Dickens', "A Christmas Carol" to the hospital foundation for their holiday gala auction. When she visits Teresa, the gala's coordinator, she finds the book missing and subsequently, Teresa's dead body. There's a bit of alcohol on Teresa's breath but was this really an accident or was foul play involved? Regardless of all the warnings she receives from her ex-beau Chief of Police, Marc Chandler, and Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her deceased fiancé, David, Addie cannot seem to keep her nose out of the investigation. She does, after all, have a vested interest in the whereabouts of the book she has donated.

This third book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series is charming and well written. Author Lauren Elliott, has deftly crafted a whodunit with twists, turns and many a red herring. The frigid nor'easter storm which howled out of the pages was fierce and beautifully devised such that it gave me shivers. The snowball fights were a nice touch of comic relief. As much as I wanted to, I did not love Addie's character. She's willful yet indecisive and can dangle the emotions of friends at the end of a stick. The supporting cast is, frankly, much more charming and I loved their interaction with one another as well as their grace with Addie. I look forward to reading other stories by this author and of a more mature Addie within this series.

I am grateful to Kensington Publishing for having provided a free ecopy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

A terrific addition to a delightful series. A clever mystery and a love triangle. Not too surprised at the culprit(s). Hoping for a romantic decision in the next book. Not a fan of dragging two men along. Ready for one to be a friend and the other more involved. I do look forward to reading the next one.

Addie Greyborne is donating an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol for a charity auction. However, when she goes to drop off the paperwork, she finds the woman in charge of the event dead and the valuable book missing. Addie is convinced that the woman's death is connected to the missing book and with the help of her best friend, Serena and her two love interests, Simon and Marc, she sets out to uncover the truth. I liked this book. The beautiful Christmas setting , coupled with a winter storm makes this a perfect read for December. However, I didn't care too much for the main character, Addie. She came across as a bit arrogant and seemed to enjoy playing with the emotions of her two love interests. I really liked her best friend, Serena, and was more interested in her than I was, Addie. The plot is complex, well developed and the author provides plenty of red herrings. The pacing is slow in the beginning but once the story picked up halfway through, it did manage to keep me guessing until the end. The premise of the fourth book sounds really interesting so I will be giving the series another try. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

It is really unfortunate that Addie is such an unlikable lead in this series. 👀 The writing, pace, and mystery were all very good in this book. 👍 The small town setting is charming. ❄ It was suitably festive. 🎄 The secondary characters are great.👤👤👤 I quite like both Simon and Marc. 👤👤 However, I don't understand why either of them would be interested in Addie. 😠 Like I mentioned above, she is honestly one of the most obnoxious leads I have ever run across in a cozy mystery series. 🔪 And that is saying something because "cozies" are known for annoying and unlikable lead characters. 😂 Honestly, a small part of me thinks David staged his own death to get out of having to marry her. 😂

That said, I doubt three books into a series the author will change the way she writes Addie, so I'll have to mull over if I can get over my dislike for her enough to continue on with this series. 👀

I just couldn't get past the writing style here. For instance, there seemed to be a million ways to smile--they formed on lips, tickled the corners of a mouth, graced lips, touched the corners of a mouth. Honestly, it felt like a book written using AI. It was all very stilted and weird feeling, and the writing style was so distracting that I couldn't actually read the book.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder in the first edition by Lauren Elliott
I enjoyed this series and especially this story included Christmas and snow.
Good plot ,strong storyline , entertaining characters including the snooping Addie gets up to.
In the next book hopefully Addie will make her mind up with Simon and Marc the love interest it’s getting old .
They don’t deserve to be kept hanging on .
Saying all that it is a very good book and that won’t put me off of read her next book.
Many thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for advance copy for my honest review.

Addie is donating an 1843 edition of 'A Christmas Carol' to an auction to benefit the pediatric wing of Greyborne Harbor Hospital when murder ensues and the book goes missing. Complicating the entire situation is a severe storm and the appearance of her deceased fiance's father Jonathan Hemingway. There is excessive angst with Abbie's view of him, as well as uncomfortable pain in her relationships with Simon and Marc. That being said the mystery is engaging and suspenseful and is interspersed with warm moments with Serena and Martha. I look forward to resolution in future offerings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is the third in the Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery series by Lauren Eliott and follows much the same type of activities as those earlier in the series that have Addie, protagonist, determined to find the murderer. In this book, Addie has donated a valuable rare book to a charity auction and discovers almost at the beginning that the book is missing and the chairperson and organizations coordinator has been murdered. To add to Addie’s activities, the father of her deceased fiance has shown up in town, triggering old suspicions and resentments on Addie’s part. He has never been fully forthcoming about his activities and his life, and Addie pus all her pieces of information together and determines he is the prime suspect in the murder.
Addie’s lif is further complicated by being torn between two handsome men, both of whom have expressed an interest in her. First there’s Simon, a doctor who was introduced in the last book, and second Marc, the town sheriff. Unfortunately, a slip of the tongue on Addie’s part during an intimate kiss with Marc in the last book has put a strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, Simon is pursuing her in a charming manner.
Addie’s best friend, Serena, who also happens to be Marc’s sister, is helping her try to unravel the mystery and perhaps find the missing book. Meanwhile, Addie keeps receiving threats that if she continues trying to solve the murder, she will be sorry. Add to that the dropping in and out of her almost father-in-law, and his suggestion that she back off from the investigation since it may prove to be too dangerous, and Addie’s resolve is strengthened, not diminished.
This is another fun, light cozy that is a combination of mystery and romance. The book moves at a steady pace and there are sufficient clues and red herrings to make it entertaining. The real murderer isn’t difficult to figure out, nor is the hinted mystery of Addie’s almost father-in-law. It’s an easy book to pick up for a few minutes read, put down, then pick back up again when you have a bit more time. It would be an excellent book for an airplane read or to take to an office where you anticipate a wait because it is easy to read and follow while being entertaining at the same time.
Addie does come across as a bit younger than she is written to be. Having had a serious relationship with a man for over five years as well as being a college graduate, it might be expected that she could juggle romance a bit easier than she does. Her angst and confusion between the two men seems more typical of a teenager or young 20 year old than a more mature woman.
This is an entertaining series, in part because the secondary characters are well written and are evolving along with Addie. I look forward to learning how she proceeds with her next adventure. My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.