Bookshop owner Addie Greyborne must solve a locked-room murder in a supposedly haunted mansion to recover a priceless Sherlock Holmes original . . . 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 … 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, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It’s up to Addie to find the key to the crime—before she’s the next one cornered by a killer . . .
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Proof of Murder is the fourth in the series of Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery. Bookstore owner, Addie is going to check out an Estate Sale at Hill Road House even though Serena, her best friend told her all about the ghosts that haunt the Hill House. Addie doesn’t believe in ghosts or does she after finding Charlotte, the appraiser dead in the locked library along with some priceless books missing! Addie just can’t let Marc and his new girlfriend Riley do the investing and leave well enough alone. Addie again gets arrested for a murder she didn’t commit but Riley is convinced she did it because of all the evidence points at Addie. Poor Simon thinks that Addie isn’t over Marc but she is. If only Addie can solve this mystery and prove to Simon that she really is over Marc.
This is one of my favorite bibliomystery series. Addie Grayson has inherited Greybourne Manor and owns a bookstore, Beyond the Page – Books and Curios. Things have not been easy since she arrived in town. Even though she is a descendant of the colonial founding family she has been seen as an outsider. Now she’s more comfortable with her bookstore and needs to do some restocking of old and rare books. When an estate sale is to be held in one of the old mansions in town, she sees it as the perfect chance to buy some books. At the same time, a friends asks her to help out his appraiser valuing the books. Add to that the mansion is reputed to be haunted. Not a problem as far as Addie is concerned. Murder, on the other hand? That really becomes a huge problem when the appraiser is found dead in a locked room and the very valuable copy of A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle is missing. Addie connects the killing and the robbery but never in her wildest imagination did she think that she would be prime suspect number one and be arrested for the killing. Somebody is really out to get Addie thrown in prison, weaving a believable, to some, frame up. Addie better solve this case fast or her new address will be the state pen. Up against Mac and his FBI girlfriend who is certain that Addie is the killer, well, Addie’s life has become very complicated.
Besides being a great mystery, it’s also a locked room puzzle – all the better for this reader. The haunted house is a nice extra dimension to the mystery. There are also plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to have me glued to the page to the last sentence.
love these books
Addie Greyborne owns the Beyond the Page Bookstore in the small, New England town of Greyborne Harbor. The town’s full of grand homes and one of them is having an estate sale. Addie goes to check things out despite rumors that the mansion is haunted and winds up helping the appraiser by sorting through some books. When she returns the next day, she finds the appraiser dead and several valuable missing books. The clues as re soon pointing to her. Can Addie prove her innocence and find the real culprit?
I love this series and this book is a great addition to it. I was pulled in from the beginning and kept captivated until the end. Addie’s sleuthing was fun to follow. The book’s well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you’ll like and others you won’t. The story is intriguing and takes you through a wide range of emotions. I’m really looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliot is a superb example of a cozy mystery. It is my favorite kind of cozy: a bookshop mystery where books and authors are of supreme importance. This bookshop is located in New England (best place for a bookshop) and, along with the entire town, is excited to be the newest stop for a cruise line, which will be dropping anchor once a week. Lots of business for everyone! Addie owns the shop and on this day is attending an estate sale to, hopefully, provide some stock for her shelves. Her best friend, Serena is aghast, as she knows the place is haunted and wants no part of it. Addie kindly blows her off and attends the sale anyway. There she runs into her cousin, Kalea, who she hasn’t seen in ten years. She claims to be hunting for a rare book to gift her gentleman friend. She runs into any old friend, one from her past life, who is running the sale, as well, and it looks to be a good day until she and Kalea get roped into helping catalogue the books recently discovered in another room. What a find: all kinds of first editions and rare books. Too bad the woman supervising is so unpleasant. The bad news is that she returns the next morning to discover a body. It is Charlotte, the woman who had been so unpleasant and more importantly, some of the rare books were gone as was all the cataloguing information. Also, Kalea was nowhere to be found.
This was an intelligent cozy, not that the others are not, but this simply gives off that vibe. The characters are well-rounded and interesting, even minor ones and the plot is quite good. It is more intricate that some and shows the author thought it through before committing it to paper. An interesting character is the real estate agent looking to sell the house once it is empty. Normally ghost stories are swept under the rug, but he plans to publicize this one in hope of generating sales. One of the main characters is the house. It is old and boasts all kinds of interesting architectural features that make it come alive as the story is told. This is a book not to be missed. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of Proof of Murder from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #proofofmurder
Proof Of Murder is book 4 in the Beyond The Page Bookstore series and it is a winner! It has everything I love about cozy mysteries- likable interesting characters, an intriguing cozy mystery, friendship, and some clean romance. This book was hard to put down! Addie owns a book store. There is an estate sale at a local creepy abandoned house that is reported to be haunted. It isn’t a paranormal but it plays around with the idea a little as part of the storyline. Not a big deal. Someone from the estate sale appraisal company ends up dead and Addie finds her and becomes a suspect. Addie’s friend Simon plays a bigger role. Marc her former boyfriend returns from police training and this adds to the storyline. There are a few different things going on which keeps it very interesting! Very enjoyable! I received an advance copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott is book four of this series. This is a great easy to read cozy that has it all, romance, plenty of twists and turns, wonderful setting, and likeable characters.
Book store owner Addie is anxious to go to an estate sale to see what books and treasures she can find, even though the house is rumored to be haunted. When she gets there, she runs into one of her cousins she hasn’t seen for awhile. With Addie’s background being in old books, she is asked to assist in the inventory of the books of the estate. When her cousin jumps at the chance to help out, Addie is excited to have her help. At the end of day one, after finding a first edition worth a pretty penny. they leave and go on their way agreeing to meet early the next morning. Once Addie arrives the next morning, she is surprised to find the library locked from the inside, no cousin, and the main appraiser to be found. Once the door is opened, the appraiser is found dead from what appears to be natural causes but Addie realizes the first edition is missing and so is her cousin. Police Chief Marc is back with a friend who is on leave from the FBI . Once it’s discovered to be a murder, Addie is on the top of the list of suspects. She knows she has to get to the bottom of who is guilty and where is her cousin before she gets put away for the crime.
I could not put this book down and am already ready for the next adventure for Addie!
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kensington Books for an honest opinion.
Addie finds herself helping out an old companion with an Insurance Appraisal for an old haunted estate. Addie ex-boyfriend Chief Marc Chandler shows up at the scene of another murder where Addie finds herself with his new girlfriend Agent Ryley Brookes. Now Addie is the number one suspect and not even Marc is taking her side. As much as she wants to start out of this one she keeps being pulled back in because it is not just murder they toke valuable books.
I am a new fan of Lauren Elliot but I have read all four of the books in four months. I absolutely have fallen for her character Addie. I relate to her on so many levels. I really think it is worth your time and money to pick this up. This is a series you can read them alone but you should read them through starting at Murder By The Book.
What could go wrong at an estate sale. Well……. Addie does seem to have a talent, well several talents. Have you ever gotten in trouble for volunteering to help? How nice that her cousin, who she hasn’t seen in 10 years just shows up. Isn’t that nice? I love stories set in small towns. Do you have a haunted house in your town? We have a few romances going on in this story. Are they normal romances or will there be a twist or two? I loved the story line and a book store is always a plus for me. The characters are great and I enjoyed hanging out with them as the story unfolded. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
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.
This is one of my favorite book-related cozy mystery series! The mysteries are intriguing and hard to solve, the characters are mostly likable as they become better and closer, and the setting of this little New England town is rich with history and mystery. I enjoy learning about the rare and vintage book world.
Addie is a fascinating young woman who has worked both in England and Boston as a rare and vintage book appraiser. Inheriting her aunt’s Victorian in Greyborne Harbor, Massachusetts was a life changer for her. She inherited a fabulous library of first editions and other valuable or exciting books in the home, also. She is dating Simon, the local coroner and a physician.
Addie had been dating the police chief, Marc, but realized she and Marc are simply too different, especially when he didn’t like that she was getting involved in murders that happened around her. Marc’s sister Serena is Addie’s best friend and owner of the nearby custom-blend tea shop. Marc has been out of town for several weeks for some classes at the FBI and on vacation.
Hill Road House has a reputation as being haunted for many years. It has been vacant since the prior owners’ deaths in 1950 and is now going to be sold for back taxes as it has never been claimed by the heir. Against the advice of Serena, Addie goes to the preview day for bidders. She wants to look through the extravagant book collection to see what she might find to sell in her shop.
Due to some late finds for the auction, Addie offers to help the appraiser, Charlotte, with books that had not yet been appraised and tagged. She found some incredible editions of the first Sherlock Holmes novels that Charlotte was surprised to hear were there. The next morning, when Addie returned to Hill Road House for the auction, the library was locked and bolted from the inside. When the auction company owner and handyman finally got into the room, they are stunned to find Charlotte, dead.
Addie notices that the rare Holmes novels are missing, replaced by modern reproductions. She tells Jerry, the police sergeant who arrived first. Not far behind him is Marc, who is quickly joined by a beautiful, professionally dressed woman who seems to know him as more than a business associate. He met Ryley, an FBI agent currently leave, when he was in classes at Quantico, and requested her presence as he investigates a mysterious death. Ryley seems to take an instant distrust of Addie, and before long, Addie is arrested for the theft of the Holmes first editions and possibly the murder of the appraiser.
What a fabulous locked-room mystery! Rumored to be haunted or not, I would have loved to see this house and the library! The mystery had me somewhat stumped. I did figure out a few things here and there, but my suspects weren’t the real whodunit. There were definite surprises throughout, especially with Marc’s feelings that are all over the board. I really enjoyed seeing Simon working through the clues with Addie as she tried to find out who the real bad guy is; they make a great team in many ways. Overall, I love the story and series, and highly recommend it to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries about books, including locked-room mysteries, delightful characters in a New England setting.
Proof Of Murder is the fourth book in the A Beyond The Page Bookstore Mystery series.
This book provides an interesting and enjoyable visit to Greyborne Harbor and its enjoyable residents.
Addie Greyborne learns that a small cruise ship line will be making a stop in Greyborne Harbor and when she hears that the long-vacant Hill Road House is having an auction, she plans on going to hopefully purchase some book for her bookstore. Addie’s clerk, Paige, and her BFF, Serena, both try and convince her to stay away from the house as it is reportedly haunted by ghosts. Addie doesn’t believe in ghosts and heads for the house. When she has signed in she soon finds that a friend from her Boston days, Blake, is handling the sale of the estate sale. She also sees her cousin Kalea who she hasn’t seen in ten years. Kalea tells Addie that she was planning to see her but stopped at the sale first. Next, Addie is introduced to Charlotte McAdams who is busy appraising the estate. Even though Charlotte appears rather cold to Addie, Addie offers, along with Kalea, to help with the appraisal of the books in the library. While appraising the books, Addie comes across a rare and very valuable set of Sherlock Holmes first edition books.
When Addie returns to the house, she finds the library doors locked and seeks out Blake to unlock the door, but it seems that the door has been bolted from the inside. Once an entry has been gained, the body of Charlotte is found. The police are called and Addie is surprised that Marc Chandler, police chief, arrives to investigate. She hasn’t heard from Chandler in two or three months and the last time hadn’t ended well. To make matters worse, he has a very beautiful FBI agent with him. The agent, before long, seems to be going out of her way to pin the murder on Addie. Addie enlists the help of her dear friend, Dr. Simon Emerson, to clear her name find the killer before any more bodies are found.
I always enjoy my visits to Greyborne Harbor, as I can always get a well-written and told story with interesting and well-developed characters. There were enough red-herrings that kept me guessing until the end.
I will be watching for the next book is this interesting series.
4.5 stars
The Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series has quickly become one which I impatiently wait for new installments. PROOF OF MURDER, the fourth book, is perhaps the best yet. What could there possibly be to dislike about a tale of a rare Sherlock Holmes novel, an alleged haunted house with a scandalous history, and a locked room mystery?
Bookstore owner Addie is pleasantly surprised to see her old family friend Blake in charge of the estate auction of one of Greyborne Harbor’s grand old mansions, and she easily volunteers to help the insurance appraiser get through the last remaining rare books before the preview begins. She is also caught off guard to run into her cousin Kaley, whom she has not seen in a decade, at the mansion but welcomes her assistance with the books. The next morning, the appraiser is found dead in the locked library and a very valuable copy of A Study in Scarlett is missing. Addie had a rough breakup with police chief Marc, but he is back from an extended vacation with a new FBI agent girlfriend Ryley in tow, and Addie quickly finds herself the prime suspect. Addie enlists the help of her new beau, and local coroner, Simon to help her get to the bottom of things since it seems that Marc is certainly not on her side.
I really fancy this series and am so glad that author Elliott has, for the most part, resolved the dreaded love triangle between Addie, Simon, and Marc. However, Marc is a real turkey for much of this book, and I get angry with him just thinking about how Ryley is able to manipulate him against Addie. I do not really like Ryley but look forward to seeing how she grows and if she continues to be Addie’s adversary. I also am curious to get to know Kaley better. Addie makes a great amateur sleuth; she is intelligent, practical, and emotionally invested in every mystery she investigates. I also enjoy Simon, who is an all-around good guy, best friend Serena’s role as side-kick, and mother figure Catherine.
The mystery here is solidly executed with plenty of twists and turns, suspects, motives, and red herrings. The locked-room and haunted house themes made the mystery all the more compelling and difficult to figure out. I did not identify the killer until quite late in the book, and I enjoyed the challenge.
PROOF OF MURDER is an entertaining, high quality cozy mystery, and I look forward to many more adventures featuring Addie and her friends. Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this title from the author/Kensington Books and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott is an outstanding mystery and is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Mystery series with the charming Addie Greyborne right smack in the middle of things. This story grabbed hold of me from page one and I was totally captivated all the way to the end. The author is to be commended for the excellent research relating to all the literary classics mentioned in the book. Without giving away any spoilers, the author did a great job in crafting and constructing the characters. This book has all the elements of a good mystery, including suspense, twists and turns, surprises, danger and romance. Readers are going to love this storyline and I can not recommend it highly enough. I received an Advanced Reader Copy and the opinions are solely my own.
This entire series is unputdownable…this book especially. I read in bed until my arms started to hurt. By book 4 I thought I had my mind made up on certain characters but this book made me see red…I was so mad at a character. I can’t wait for the next book (and to stay up again reading way too late).
Addy Greyborne, the owner of Beyond the Page Bookstore, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to rare books. Always looking to add to her collection for her store, she sets off to an estate sale in what has been rumored a haunted house. Is there a bit of paranormal happening in the house or something more sinister?
A wonderful mystery that touches on a bit of Sherlock Holmes, which I love. I found myself completely engaged in the story as Addy tries to figure how the murder happened in the locked library. We are introduced to new characters, both family and a hostile FBI agent, who seems to like Abby as the main suspect. Receiving the cold shoulder from Marc, Abby wonders if this is a new love interest for her boyfriend? Or is it her ex-boyfriend? This brings a new dimension to the story.
This series keeps getting better all the time. I like the twists and turns and the various suspects. The ending caught me completely off guard and all story lines were neatly wrapped up. Thank you to the author and Kensington publications for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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.
I am in love with this series by Lauren Elliott! I think this one may be the best one yet. Greyborne Harbor, the seaside town that this series is set in, has lots of huge, very old mansions. Addie is always looking for rare books for her bookshop and when one of the owners of a mansion has an estate sale which includes books, Addie is excited to get her hands on some of them. She discovers a priceless edition of a book while helping to catalog. Before long, there is a dead person along with the robbery of the rare book. Addie just KNOWS the two have to be connected.
If you have been reading this series, you will love reading about the competition between Marc and Simon for Addie’s affection in this book. I highly recommend this book and his entire series. It is one of the most well written series that I have ever read…the characters are so well written and the seaside location is so well described that you will want to move to the fictitious Greyborne Harbor!
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.
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.