Haunted Houses and Cruise Ships and Mayhem
This episode of Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries is so exciting! It may not stand alone as well as prior episodes, but the author tries to tie in the past without being boring. This story starts with a haunted house full of books and treasures. It is a bit eerie and lends itself to all sorts of weird happenings. The story is very good. There is a locked door murder and the discovery of some great first editions. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

After Addie Greyborne helps Charlotte McAdams complete the audit of a roomful of rare editions for an estate sale, Charlotte is found dead, locked inside that very room, the library, the next day.

Addie becomes the primary person of interest in Charlotte’s death until Dr. Simon Emerson uses the fitness tracking data from her watch to provide an alibi, and a thorough search reveals a secret chamber off the library.

With no shortage of suspects and lots of red herrings, the author weaves an elaborate and captivating story that unfolds at a steady pace. Proof of Murder is a smart entry in the Beyond the Page Bookstore series.

Really Marc? Did you really need to arrest Addie for the murder of a book appraiser? Fans of this series know that Addie, who has a bookstore, also has a nose for murder. This time out, she's hoping for a valuable Sherlock Holmes when the appraiser is murdered and books stolen from a creepy old mansion. Oh, and the murder scene was locked from the inside. Marc, the chief of police, has been a love interest but now, well he's involved with an FBI agent. Luckily, Addie's other special friend, Simon is steadfast and he, along with her friends, help get her out of hot water and solve the mystery. There are some good twists, the dialogue is sprightly and the characters well drawn. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones- this will be fine as a standalone because Elliot gives you enough info to know who's who etc (but not too much for fans- which I admit to being). It's a fun cozy read.

Bookshop owner falls into middle of a police investigation.
Addie, heads to an estate sale in search of antique books. While there she gets roped into helping assess a collection of books.
This leads to being a suspect herself.
A great cozy read

This is the 4th installment of the Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery series. Addie Greyborne has been in town for about two years and her bookstore Beyond the Page which sells rare books and knickknacks is going well. The town of Greyborne Harbor is becoming a stop on a small cruise ship stop and everyone is expecting an influx of tourists. Addie thinks she needs more inventory and when an old Victorian is having an estate sale she is hoping she can pick up some rare and used books she can sell in her shop. Her best friends Serena and Paige tell her to stay away from Hill House because it is haunted. Addie does not believe in ghosts and what could happen. When she gets there she runs into an old friend from her days in Boston Blake who is running the estate sale as well as her cousin Kalea who she has not seen in ten years. The frazzled appraiser Charlotte is behind and Addie offers to help and drags her cousin Kalea into helping her. They discover several rare and first edition Sherlock Holmes books including a proof copy that is estimated to be worth over $150,000. The next day when Addie arrives for the auction, the library door is locked and when the door is pried open Charlotte is dead with a horror stricken look on her face. A locked door murder. Addie is concerned when Marc (chief of police and former boyfriend) arrives and is cold and brings along an FBI agent Ryley who appears to be his new girlfriend. After she has been left waiting she keeps trying to point out that books are missing and then Ryley makes it clear she is a suspect and Mark is downright mean and supports her. Addie is stunned and when she is talking to Serena (Marc’s sister) her best friend when Marc and Ryley have a warrant to search the tea shop to find poison or herbs that could have been put in the tea. Addie is so upset about Marc’s cruel behavior and she runs into Catherine and she gives her such good advice and we get a clear view that Marc was never the one for Addie. Addie is later arrested and Marc’s treatment of her was just so mean and made me mad and how he let this Ryley take the lead and be so dismissive of her. Addie handles herself so well and later when Marc goes to talk to her she properly put him in his place that if they were friends he would not have acted that way. Addie is determined to clear herself and her reputation. Simon helps clear her name because of her fitness watch but Ryley refuses to let up. Addie does not let up and is so clever in how she solved the crime. Love that her and her business neighbor Martha are now friendly and how connected Addie is to all her friends Serena, Catherine and Paige. Looks like her cousin maybe staying in town. Ryley the FBI agent is joining the police department and that should be interesting in the future as she clearly wants to be with Marc and does not like Addie. I think this is one of the best in the series.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Great plot and character development. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this book. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

A smart and fast paced mystery with all the elements of a classic and spooky whodunnit. I love the relationship building and the cast of fun and quirky characters that surround Addie as she tries to unravel the next set of creepy crimes happening around her.

This is a series I really want to love but I struggle with it. I love the locked room mystery in this book and I enjoyed the new characters. My struggle is with the main character herself. I just find her rude and self centered. I also have trouble with her just rushing into solve the murder without caring about the consequences. Of course that is just my opinion and I'm sure most people will enjoy her immensely.

Proof of Murder is the fourth in this series, but I can happily say if one has not read any of the others, one will not feel as if they are lost. The author does a good job of making sure the reader knows the characters well enough to be able to follow along with the plot.

The plot revolves around murder of a woman insurance appraiser who was inside a locked room, with the windows pretty much sealed. Addie Greybourne and her cousin were one of the last ones in the room, and Addie is also one who had been appraising some rare books; one such book was worth around a hundred and fifty thousand dollars...a rare Sherlock Holmes story.

Addie is shocked to find she is on the short list for the theft of some of the rare books, and even more shocked that the one accusing her is her former boyfriend. As Addie searches for clues to help clear her name, she is also faced with the fact that the mansion that was the site of the thefts may also be haunted. Local legends has her doubting her skepticism; especially when she believes she herself has seen a ghost.

The story had some tension, and red herrings that had me pushing towards the end with both anticipation, and dread, not sure if I wanted to know what happens next, but also anxious to find out who did it. My emotions were taken for an exciting ride as I read this book, turning each page with heart pumping exhilaration. I have to admit to also feeling some pretty strong feelings towards her former boyfriend, and they were not the positive kind. But, that says something about the writing by this author that she could produce such feelings from me towards a fictional character. I also really enjoyed the main character, and her new boyfriend, and look forward to a future book that continues the relationship. I do not know how the previous books portrayed them, but then, I guess I will just have to research that in the previous novels. I will probably be spending some of my book money on this author’s three other books in the series. In the meantime, I recommend this book for those who are cozy mystery fans as it has all the right elements. It has good strong characters, especially the female protagonist, and a mystery that has you guessing, but also realizing you had all the clues once the final reveal is there.

Love this series. it's now one of my favorite and the author is an amazing writer. I recommend this book I couldn't put it down. Read it in basically 1 day.

This is the 4th installment of the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series with bookstore owner Addie Greyborne once again solving a mystery or two. An auction and sale of a vacant, dilapidated and possibly haunted Queen Anne Victorian house and its contents brings Addie to a treasure trove of rare books and the scene of a death Was it murder? Who stole the extremely rare and valuable Arthur Conan Doyle first editions? And how did the thief manage the theft in the locked room. Addie is considered to be the prime suspect in the theft and must search for clues to exonerate herself and find the true culprit.

I have not read the earlier books in the series (but plan to) but I was able to untangle the relationships fairly easily. Am extensive list of characters, the “haunted” house, tension with her ex and his new girlfriend. . .all make for an intriguing story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I haven't read cozy mysteries for several years but I can see I'm going to be reading more, at least of this series. Books and mysteries are an ideal pairing.

A great book, read in one sitting. I’ve read the three previous books so I knew who the main characters were. I like the way the author introduces new, linked, characters to add depth and intrigue to the story. The twists and turns of the plot keep you guessing right up until the end.

Proof of Murder is the fourth book (the first book I have read) in Lauren Elliott's Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. It follows Addie Greyborne a local bookshop owner and ametuer slueth as she helps out with an upcoming book auction at an estate sale. The Hill house is notorious in the town for being haunted and the woman in charge of the auction is spooked by the strange happenings in the home. After discovering a number of extremely valuable books Addie leaves for the night and when she returns in the morning finds the library locked from the inside. After breaking the lock and entering the room they find the appraiser dead and the valuable books missing! Even more unsettling there seems to be no way the culprit could have left the room, was it a ghost? Addie's former flame Marc is investigating the theft along with his new romantic interest and FBI agent, Ryley who immediately suspects Addie as the culprit. Someone seems to be setting her up and she takes it upon herself to clear her name and figure out what really is going on in that spooky house. The mystery was fast paced, fun and although the big reveal did not come as a surprise to me I enjoyed the read very much. I would definitely look for more books from the series.

Addie goes to a hard sale at Hill House (a supposed haunted house) to look for more classics for her bookstore. Serena tries to talk her out of it, but she "must" go. When she gets there she sees her father's friend Blake and he shows her the beautiful library, where she finds Charlotte McAdams, who is appraising the books. Addie offers to help, and her cousin, Kalea, arrives and agrees to help. They find some priceless, old books, including first edition Sherlock Holmes. They update Charlotte's computer while Charlotte is off in another room. The next morning, when Addie arrives at Hill House, she finds the library door locked. Blake gets a handyman to break into the room, and they find Charlotte dead, her computer missing, and the valuable books missing. When the police arrive, it is Marc, who has been away for 3 months, and Agent Ryley Brooks from the FBI. Addie is sure Charlotte's death and the missing books are related. Ryley immediately decides that Addie is the culprit for both murder and theft, and she is arrested.

Addie is released the next day, but is still the prime suspect. Thus, she must solve the crime to prove she is innocent. To do that, she puts herself into some very dangerous situations. She also discovers more than one hidden room in Hill House, which partly explains why people have seen ghosts and how Charlotte was killed in a locked room. The book is very exciting as Addie keeps trying to vindicate herself.

I would like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the fourth in the Beyond the Page book series featuring Addie Greyborne by Lauren Elliott. As in the previous three books, Elliott shows a talent for plotting a mystery with good clues and red herrings. The book features secondary characters who have been introduced in previous books, including Addie’s best friend, Serena, former flame and police chief Marc, and new romantic interest and coroner Simon. She also introduces a new antagonist for Addie, Ryley, an FBI and Marc’s current love interest.
The mystery is a locked room mystery, in an old mansion that is reportedly haunted. Addie is regularly confronted with the supposed haunted aspect of the mansion as she encounters “cold spots and wispy specters out of the corner of her eye. While she doesn’t believe in ghosts, the continued occurrences cause her to question her own skepticism.
Ryley seems to have it in for Addie from their first meeting. She pushes Marc to take Addie in for questioning almost immediately and spends most of her time sending Addie hate looks as well as making statements that indicate she is focused on finding information that will lead to Addie’s arrest and conviction.
While this mystery is well plotted and the investigations done by Addie are fairly well thought out for the most part, this is overshadowed by the quick rush to accuse Addie of the murder and the tension and negative feelings between her, Ryley, and Marc who is apparently allowing Ryley to lead him around by the nose with little or no question. It was difficult to believe that someone who just months ago was asking Addie to marry him could so completely agree with the suspicions put forward by Ryley. The negative tone between Ryley, Addie, and Marc spoiled some of my enjoyment in the book as it seemed overblown and rushed, as if Elliott was trying to manufacture tension to increase the story’s appeal. In addition, some of the back-biting and one-upping that took place between Addie and Ryley felt more like two high-schoolers than adult women who had achieved a measure of success in their life and careers.

In this fourth installment in Lauren Elliott's Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, Addie Greyborne is attending an auction preview at a mansion that is rumored to be haunted. When she arrives, she finds an old family friend in charge of the auction and offers to help his overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, some of which are extremely rare and valuable books. The next morning, the appraiser is found dead and the valuable books are missing. Marc is back in town and is investigating the theft, but he's not alone. He's bought along an FBI agent, who seems to be his new girlfriend. She immediately decides that Addie is the culprit and does everything she can to prove it. Someone seems to have gone to great lengths to frame Addie, and she is determined to clear her name and find the real culprit.

I found this book to be a well-written, delightful, and thoroughly entertaining read. I didn't care much for Addie in Murder in the First Edition, however, I really fell in love with her character in this book. I thought she was witty, smart, headstrong, and I really admired her ability to think outside the box when searching for clues. The mystery was well-crafted, with plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep readers engaged until the last page. I really liked the haunted house theme, and the way the history of the house was woven into the present.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging, the characters interesting, and the setting charming. There are also two new characters that are sure to add intrigue to the story. I look forward to spending more time in Greyborne Harbor with Addie and the gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since the first book in this series, Murder by the Book, I've been absolutely smitten with the characters at Greyborne Harbor, and the mischief they find there! As with all my favourite series, I'm so happy to finally have a new adventure to read...

It's summer in Greyborne Harbor and Addie is looking forward to a book auction at a local mansion. However, things go awry when the insurance appraiser turns up dead. With a new officer in town, determined to pin the crime on Addie, she must go detecting once again and find the real killer.

Part of what makes this such a great series is that provides a real edge-of-your-seat suspense, while still fitting the cozy genre. In Proof of Murder I felt like Addie (and me, as the reader) was racing against the clock trying to solve the mystery. The mystery itself kept me stumped right until the end, and my heart was beating faster, as I was hoping Addie would solve it before she got hurt! It was definitely a thrill a minute.

Obviously I love mysteries. I started my love of mysteries with Miss Marple, but I also love Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock has been a huge part of pop culture, with so many new adaptions, and I liked learning more about his origins. The mystery partly focuses on his first adventure, A Study in Scarlet, and it was a fascinating study.

Proof of Murder is the fourth book in the series, but I feel like I have been reading this series for years. I love how all the characters have grown and developed - not just Addie's love life, but her relationship with fellow business owner, Martha, who is now a lot more friendlier with Addie. The pacing on both the mystery and sub-plots is just stellar, and its part of what I love about the series.

I cannot recommend the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries enough. If you're a fan of vintage mysteries you will love the feel of vintage within modern with Proof of Murder. Add this series to your summer reading pile... you won't be disappointed!

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott is book 4 in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series.

Bookstore owner Addie Greyborne is attending an estate sale in search of rare editions of books to add to her inventory for her shop. Readers are introduced to several returning characters in addition to new ones that add to the intrigue of the story.
What also adds intrigue and mystery is an old rumor that a ghost from Hill Road House where the auction is taking place continues to haunt the house.

I liked all the characters, and they each had distinct personalities and dialogue. I enjoyed learning about auctions and rare books, plus the added mystery of the haunted house was fun.

Addie is written in a realistic and relatable manner. When she investigates the murder to clear her name, she does so with realism, meaning she doesn’t take unnecessary risks or make stupid decisions that put her in jeopardy.

The mystery was engaging. I liked trying to figure out the clues along with Addie. The tension between Addie and Marc clearly comes through the pages.

What I also liked is the addition of new characters. Addie’s cousin, Kalea, makes a brief appearance, but it appears she will be a part of the next book. The addition of Ryley, Marc’s new girlfriend, should also make for an interesting storyline.

Overall, the writing was done well, and the story and mystery were full of twists, turns, and misleading clues to keep me on my toes.

Proof of Murder is a good addition to this series. 
#ProofofMurder #NetGalley

Thank you and the publisher for the ARC for this book.

The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions—even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate's private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it's a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She's certain the death and the robbery are connected—but who could have gotten in to do the deed? It's up to Addie to find the key to the crime as she seems to be the prime suspect!

5 Stars

This is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery series by Lauren Elliott.

Basic premise: It’s a locked door mystery. Addie and her cousin was helping her friend appraise a whole lot of books some of which were extremely expensive. Then they discover the woman dead in the locked room and some of the expensive editions missing. Not to mention her cousin was also on the missing list.

Addie tried to explain about the missing first editions and priceless proof copies of A Study in Scarlet but no one seemed to take her expertise into consideration. It is like she was the main suspect even before they walked in to view the body.

I have to say I was waffling between shocked and boiling mad when Addie’s old flame police chief Marc Chandler went from asking for her hand in marriage in the last book to now whisking away a sultry FBI agent to an Italian holiday. Then he pegged Addie as the main suspect without reservation even though he knew she would never do such a thing. Plus he was letting his new flame lead the investigation which I thought was just crazy.

I have had my issues with Marc’s character in the past so I am glad Addie is forced to put that history behind her and move on with Simon. I only wish Simon was a bit more well drawn so I could fall in love with him. As he is now, he is almost like the ghost of the castle just flitting in and out of scenes with few words or doing interesting things for us to latch onto.

I am kind of disappointed we didn’t get to see Addie and the FBI gal really get to come face to face at the end. I think I needed that bit of closure. We only learn about her actions from Marc’s perspective which really didn’t satisfy me.

Looks like we will have a couple of new characters as we move into book five. I think both the FBI gal and Addie’s cousin will be good foil’s for her to play against.

Even though Marc seems to have moved on romantically, I don’t really buy that for a minute! I feel like he will be waffling big time about his decision to rebuff Addie during this investigation that will have ramifications in future books.

This book really riled me up but I loved it still. Can’t get enough of this series!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out . You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.