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.

This is the second installment of the cozy Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. It isn’t necessary to have read the first book in the series to understand this one, and the mystery stands alone in each book.The plot is well paced and there were a good handful of suspects to choose from and the author does a good job of laying out clues in a way that makes each of them a viable suspect. I would recommend to any cozy mystery lover.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

I liked the second installment in this series much more than the first one. The characters have developed and it is fun to be back in a familiar place where there isn't as much time spent on backstories. I enjoyed this plotline too, and it was a fun way to escape for a while.

Prologue to Murder is such a good example of cozy mysteries. A bookstore owner, mysterious deaths, old flames, this story has everything. Beyond the Page is a great series and a must read for any cozy mystery fanatic.

My personal favorite part was when she visited the Pirate Museum in Salem. I live in the North Shore, and my now husband used to live the street over from the Salem Witch Museum. We spent many hours walking around Salem, I've seen that museum, I know those statues. The entire time she spends traveling through Salem was just so fun to read about a place I really know and spend time in regularly! But that's more of a personal highlight.

Speaking of personal things, I personally got very frustrated with her love interest Marc. Not that he wasn't well written, but that I got frustrated by him as a person. He seems to like Addie, but he just can't seem to look past his own feelings and opinions long enough to care about her in the way a healthy relationship should. I'm afraid he's going to end up being her serious love interest, and boy I hope he doesn't. Either that, or Lauren Elliott is about to blow the pants off me with his character arc...

I thoroughly enjoyed Book 2 of the Beyond the Pages Series, (Prologue to Murder). There were many characters but they all added to the story. It was a good book, especially with the theme of pirates and treasures. The love triangle added spice to the book. Addie had to find the killer before she was forced off the gangplank. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

Addie Greybourne, owner of Beyond the Page Bookstore and recent Boston transplant is once again involved in a murder and this time is might just involve pirate treasure. This time the local paper's gossip "gal" is pointing fingers and causing Addie trouble in connection to a local librarian's death. Seems that the local gossip isn't the only isn't the only trouble brewing. Police Chief Marc's manipulating ex fiancé and reporter Lacey is back in town and Addie just isn't sure what she feels or where she stands, not to mention that Serena, Marc's sister and Addie's new best friend and shop neighbor seems to have been effected by Lacey's machinations as well. However the new local Doc Simon is doing his best to keep her mind elsewhere are the two of them work together to clear Addie's good name, ascertain the real killer, and possibly locate a priceless treasure. Looking forward to see where these possible romantic strings go as the next storyline involves Addie's almost father in law which means she will have to deal with her grief and see if she has room in her heart for someone new.

I really enjoyed this cozy. It was a quick, fun read. I look forward to reading more in this series and would recommend it to others.

This is a very fast paced cozy mystery that I managed to read and finish in a day. The characters introduced were enjoyable and somehow fit within the narrative. Personally, I’m not a fan of love triangles so that element in this book wasn’t my favourite and I think this book can make do without it. The murder mystery itself was suspenseful and kept me hooked till the final reveal. This book is a web of pirates, treasure and ghosts- what more could a person want?

In my opinion, it is not necessary to have read the first one ‘Murder by the Book’ to appreciate the plot of this book. If you enjoy murder mysteries I would definitely recommend this book.

4 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced reader’s copy of ‘Prologue to Murder'
by Lauren Elliott

This was an exciting cozy with pirate lore being a fun angle for the mystery. I enjoyed this book overall and enjoyed it more than the first in this set for sure. There were elements that drove me nuts, mainly the way Addie’s friends treated her for a big chunk of the book. My favorite thing about the story was the pirate stuff, that was fun. Looking forward to the next in this series.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

This is a really solid second installment in the Beyond the Page series. I'm enjoying the series a lot - the characters, setting, and stories are terrific. While you could read this as a stand alone, I'd recommend reading the first book to get a feel for everyone.

Princess Fuzzypants here: There are times when I am reading a book and become so disgusted with the way some of the characters treat other characters that I am tempted to put down the book. As I started this book, the supposed friends of our heroine were so fair weathered when a deplorable and conniving woman returns to town, I was ready to give up. Anyone with a modicum of sense would see through this witch but they seemed to kowtow to her no matter how horribly she treated their friend, our heroine.
I was glad I did not quit as things turned out all right but not before this woman did a rather effective character assassination on Addie. I am not sure what the law is in Massachusetts but she should have had legal recourse. Yes, I do know it is fiction. I just got overwhelmed by the injustice of it.
The book has a good plot. Librarian and author June is found dead in a tunnel. It seems the town is rife with tunnels from its days as a pirate sanctuary. It is not just great tourist fodder but there are some who are convinced there is treasure hidden somewhere and is prepared to kill for it. I knew it wasn’t the awful woman. She would have been too obvious but there were lots and lots of possible candidates, including people close to Addie. What made it more fun was there were a series of mysteries that Addie needed to solve, not just the murder. There was more than one villain to go around.
By the end of the book, I was turning pages with relish and I can give it four purrs and two paws up.

This is the second book in the 'Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery' series.

The author, Lauren Elliott, has created some extremely likeable characters in this cozy mystery. I grew rather fond of Addie, the protagonist who I found to be very smart and independent if a little bit stubborn. The plot was well thought out and there was a good number of suspects in the frame. The author laid out clues in a way that made each of them a viable prospect as the perpetrator. I was somewhat surprised at the killer's identity as I fell for some of the red herrings so cleverly set by the author.

The pacing in this novel was good and there was always something happening, so I was certainly never bored! With a very fulfilling ending, "Prologue to Murder" was a fantastic cozy mystery that I highly recommend. Rating: 5 Stars.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed the second book in the series more than the first. I believe it is because I didn’t feel bogged down by background. I got to know Addie and the other characters quite well.

I’m usually not a fan of love triangles but the one between Marc, Simon, and Addie is currently working. Both guys appear to be caring and love Addie to pieces but Addie does need time to fully grieve David. I’d hate for her to make a wrong choice based on rebounding.

A solid mystery with red herrings to keep you guessing until the end.

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

This is book 2 in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series and it's even better than the first book, Murder by the Book. The gossip column, Miss Newsy is still creating problems for newcomber Addie Greyborne. She is settling into small town life in Greyborne Harbor since leaving her job at the Boston Public Library to run her Grandmother's old book shop. Miss Newsy thinks Addie knows about the missing local librarian and the town people are believing what they're reading. Good mystery and some great book buying tips if you're interested in 1st additions and rare books. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Books, pirate legends and murder! What’s not to love in this bookstore-related cozy. Addison Greyborne has settled back in her hometown of Greyborne Harbor and is looking forward to the Founder’s Day celebration. Unfortunately, the local newspaper columnist certainly has it in for Addie, the owner of Beyond the Page Bookstore and Curio Shop which specializes in rare and used books. When the head librarian is reported missing by “Miss Newsy”, she begins to point the finger in Addie’s direction stating that Addie had the most to gain. With Addie’s background in Library Science as well as dealing with rare books, the townspeople begin to have their suspicions about Addie.

I really enjoyed this second installment of this series. As we learn more about Addie (our clever protagonist), we start to see what drives her to solving this murder, as well as, another glimpse at her tragic past. One by one the pieces come together.

Once again, Ms. Elliott sweeps us up in an intriguing plot with numerous suspects. Red herrings abound in this story as you try to figure out who was the suspect that murdered the librarian. I would to thank the author, and NetGalley, and Kensington for the opportunity to review this book.

This is one of my favorite series! I was captured instantly with book #1 and the same thing for book #2. Addie, Serena, and Chief Marc are back. Of course several new characters are introduced, such as the hunky blue eyed doctor Simon.

Addie is on the case to find out who murdered one of the local librarians. She has to deal with fighting her feelings for Marc and possibly Simon, as well as fending off the malicious threats from Lacey (Marc's ex.) Check out this tale of pirates and lost treasures, jealousy, greed, and of course murder.

I cannot wait for book #3 out this fall!

This was a fun and entertaining read and I loved the mood and the setting. I had no clue who the murderer was until the end, due to the red herrings.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't much care for it.

Book 2 in the series.

This series should be fun, but I didn't enjoy this one very much. The townspeople are nasty, the boyfriend is a dope, and throw in a love triangle and it's not at all my thing. It seemed a little slow as well, with too much catty junior high school type crap going on throughout.

I think I am done with this series.

I love me a cozy mystery and am always on the lookout for new ones to checkout. This is the 2nd book in this series, but I had no problem following along with the characters and plot. I was definitely intrigued by the story and pretty engaged throughout. I will say I didn't like some of the characters. I;'m actually not a fan of Serena as I think she is a bit childish which is a personal annoyance to me. I also thought the love triangle was established way too quickly. It added unnecessary drama and felt very rushed.

With all that said, the positives outweighed the negatives to me and I would continue on with the series.