My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Addie Greyborne finds herself dead smack in the middle of a gossip column when a "Miss Newsy" points the finger at her after the town's librarian, June Winslow, disappears after a book club meeting. Shockingly, soon after Ms. Winslow is found dead. It is actually a blessing that Addie is involved with the police chief, Marc, or else she just might be in more hot water than she already is.

The gossip has hurt her and her business. Meanwhile a reporter breezes into town. This reporter seems dead set on creating problems for Addie right from the outset. Addie really wants two things: to find Ms. Winslow's murderer, and for business to pick back up. Her skills as a keen researcher come in handy as never before.

Addie begins digging deep and clues lead her to a book June once published. However, the deeper she digs, the more danger she finds herself into. Before moving to the small town, Addie worked for the Boston Public Library and was an exceptional researcher. It is these very skills that will help her now.

I read the first book in this series, Murder by the Book, and enjoyed it a bit better. This read was pleasant, but there were some conflicts that I felt got in the way of the story. Nonetheless, I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Murder in the First Edition, when it is released in September.

Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott is the second installment of the cozy Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. Each book of this series contains it’s own mystery to solve so they could be read as standalones or out of order. However, one would get to know the characters better reading the series in order.

In the first book of this series, Murder by the Book, readers were introduced to Addison Greyborne who had returned to her hometown, a small New England town that had been named for her ancestors back in Colonial times. Addie was still recovering from the murder of her finace, her father dying in a tragic accident and then had found out a long lost aunt had also died but left her whole estate to Addie.

Addie’s inheritance had given her the opportunity to start over and continue to work with books after leaving her job at the Boston Public Library. With her aunt having so many rare books in her collection and the funds to open a shop Addie decided to open Beyond the Page bookstore despite not everyone in town being overly welcoming. And now Addie finds herself in the middle of her second murder mystery when she is accused of the crime by the town gossip.

This series really has a bit of a romantic suspense vibe to it although it’s mostly a cozy with Addie having a relationship formed with the local lawman, Marc. What puts it more towards a cozy though is Addie doing most of the crime solving putting Marc in with the incompetent cozy police category. The characters have been likable enough although this time around we may be headed into love triangle territory, bleh. I also found the mystery to be decent and in the end would give book two 3 1/2 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott is the latest A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery. Addie Greyborne owns Beyond the Page-Books & Curios in Greyborne Harbor where she has recently settled after an inheritance from her aunt. Addie is hoping trade will pick up in the shop now that the last murder has been solved and it was proven that Addie was not involved. Unfortunately, Greyborne Harbor Daily News has a new writer for the Miss Newsy column who seems to be targeting Addie. Miss Newsy states that Addie might know something about the disappearance of local librarian, June Winslow who failed to return home after a book club meeting. Crickets can be heard inside Addie’s deserted bookstore. June is soon found at the bottom of the stairs inside a utility shed at the park near the library. Addie may not have known June Winslow, but she has a vested interest in finding her killer. She is hoping to get helpful intel from Marc Chandler, the chief of police whom Addie is dating. But then Addie sees Marc with an attractive blonde clinging to his arm. When a gift wrapped dead rat is left on Addie’s doorstep, it is obvious someone is not happy with Addie’s sleuthing. She soon discovers that June’s death may relate to her book on the history of the town. Addie learns that pirates were prevalent in the area along with old caves and a network of tunnels. What had June stumbled upon that led to her death? Can Addie clear her name, or will she be the next person to disappear?

Prologue to Murder is the second book in A Beyond the Page Mystery series. I would suggest reading Murder by the Book before embarking on this new tale. Addie is hoping her new life will get back on track after the last murder. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be in the cards for Addie. She has her newcomer status working against her plus her last name. It does not help to be the subject of gossip in the Miss Newsy column. Martha, the bakery owner, still dislikes Addie. It was nice to finally learn why Martha does not like Addie. Serena and Addie have some friendship issues thanks to the returning Lacey Davenport. Lacey is a catty woman who is out for herself (I really could not stand this character). I appreciate that Addie and Serena communicated with each other to work out the issues. It was nice to see Serena grow as an individual. We also get to know more about Paige, Addie’s part-time shop assistant. We are introduced to Dr. Simon Emerson who becomes Marc’s rival for Addie’s affections (I hope the author rectifies this matter quickly). I could have done with less romance in this book. I prefer the focus to remain on the mystery and for romance to play out in the background over the course of the series. The mystery was the best part of the book. Pirates, hidden tunnels, a missing manuscript and buried treasure are all part of the mystery in Prologue to Murder. It was nice that the mystery was multifaceted. Addie’s murder board is back to help her keep track of the various suspects and sort through the clues to identify the guilty party. Marc needs to learn that Addie is going to investigate and quit asking her to promise not to look into the crimes (she will just find a creative workaround or end up lying to him). One of the phrases from Prologue to Murder that stuck with me is “sometimes we have to face the demons from our past to make them vanish completely”. Prologue to Murder will have you singing sea shanties and hankering for rum with its buried treasure, secret tunnels, pirates, a missing manuscript and a dead body.

Lauren Elliott in her Prologue to Murder continues the Beyond the Page Bookstore mysteries. Addie is running her bookstore in the small town Greyborne Harbor when the town librarian June is murdered. The clue may be in June's book about the town pirates. Meanwhile a rival is trying to ruin Addie and take over her boyfriend, the local policeman. Addie has to solve the murder and disentangle her boyfriend from the rival. Pleasant cozy to curl up with.

I have pretty mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I did enjoy it. I like the setting and I am interested in the characters. I also like the mystery set-up: this one centered around the town's history and the pirate lore that accompanies the small coastal town's lineage.

On the other hand, this book--like the first in the series--has a few quirks. For one thing, the character development is awkward. In the first book, for example, the protagonist (Addie) meets a woman who runs the tea shop next door and, within 24 hours, they're best friends. In this entry, that best friend sort of turns on Addie in favor of an old high school friend--and it's rather harsh. But then it's just all okay with very little resolution. In addition, the series needs some further editing. Lots of repetitive lines and gestures, abrupt scene jumps--it just needs a good once-0ver.

Finally, I know some people don't like a formulaic love triangle, but I actually enjoyed the one introduced here. In fact, I prefer the new guy interested in Addie over her initial love interest, but we'll have to see how that goes!

So overall, the series needs some work, mostly in character and overall editing, but it is a fun series and I'll continue to read it.

Addie Greyborne's life has been anything but relaxed since moving to Greyborne Harbor, the village settled by her ancestors hundreds of years earlier. Gossip follows her wherever she goes, aided by the repellent Miss Nosey, the newspaper's anonymous gossip columnist. A rumor starts that Addie is gunning for the town librarian position, which makes her the lead suspect (at least in the old biddies of the town's minds) when the librarian winds up dead at the foot of a flight of stairs. Now Addie must clear her name while figuring out her feelings for the town's chief of police AND the gorgeous new doctor/coroner in town.

Prologue to Murder is the second book detailing the frenzied life of Addie Greyborne, former Boston Public Library researcher, current heiress and bookstore owner. Cozy mysteries are typically pretty sedate, but Addie's life is anything but. The constant break-ins and physical attacks at her house and bookstore should mean the police either have officers permanently stationed at both locations, or that they recommend she hire private security guards. The amount of overtime these officers must be getting from her is a taxpayer's nightmare. Addie isn't as prudish as many cozy heroines, and has good reason for being reluctant to get close to men (fiance's recent death). The antagonist introduced in this book, Lacey, is so snide and vile that it's impossible to understand how anyone could be fooled by her. She's such a villainess that you expect her to find some train tracks to tie Addie to. Also introduced is a new friend/confidant/potential love interest/back door into investigations, Simon, the newly arrived hunky doctor, here to take over from the retiring coroner. Anticipate Addie haranguing Simon for info on crimes as much as she does to Marc, the chief of police and her other potential love interest.

Summary: Addie's life is wildly dramatic, probably too much so for any amount of believability. Men fall all over her and tell her everything she wants to know, after at most a token protest. Also, she should really get a couple of guard dogs.

This was an excellent mystery novel that definitely made me stop and think, with some red herrings thrown in along the way. Absolutely loved it!

Lauren Elliott does a great job setting the mood and atmosphere. I wanted to go and visit the town and bookshop where the story is centered around. The mystery kept me interested right to the very end. I an looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Addie is just settling in and getting ready for the towns Founder's Festival. She is related to the namesake for the town so she hopes to learn more about her ancestors and the area. What Addie didn't expect was to be implicated in the disappearance of the local librarian June Winslow by Miss Newsy the local gossip columnist. In addition her possible romance with Police Chief with Marc is in jeopardy due to Lacey Davenport (Marc's ex-fiance) is back in town and is doing everything to put a wedge in between the two of them and Serena and others in town. June is found dead and suspicions continue to focus on Addie even though there is no reason to implicate her in her death. Marc backs off and becomes downright mean at times to Addie which I did not like. He said he did this to keep safe but I think it went a bit too far. Dr. Simon Emerson is new to town and takes an interest in Addie and soon begins a potential love triangle. I like both of them for Addie. I am shocked it took so long for everyone to realize what a "B" Lacey was and that she was only out for her self but we all know folks like her. Good solid mystery and so much information about pirates, secret tunnels, and treasure. I enjoy this series and the next installment will be an automatic buy for me

Prologue to Murder was better than the first book in this series. I feel like the author has greatly improved in her craft. Addie Greyborne is a much more relatable character in this book than the first one. The mystery is also better and not as easily guessed as the first one. Since the author improved so much, I'm giving this book 4 stars. It's still not quite 5-star material, but she's getting there. I will definitely read the next book in this series to see what happens next.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own.

This was one book that was very hard to put down! There was always something going on that I just had to keep reading to find out. Addie Greyborne had become comfortable with her sort-of boyfriend police chief Marc Chandler who happened to be her bestie Serena's brother when his ex-fiancee showed up in town acting like she wanted to pick up where they'd left off. It was awfully coincidental that Lacey's arrival also had started some awful rumors about Addie floating around town via a gossip column in the paper by a Miss Newsy.

When the body of a local librarian was found, Miss Newsy managed to hint that Addie may have had something to do with that, so of course Addie wasn't going to stand around not defending her name. There was a new handsome guy tossed into the picture in this story too, a doctor who was now the new coroner, and Addie felt herself liking both him and Marc. Despite all their ups and downs, Addie and Marc solved the case, and he had to admit that her gut instincts were correct. I didn't really guess the killer until some clues started pointing that way. There were a lot of great red herrings to be distracted by too. I'm not sure where Addie's love life is headed, but it'll be interesting to see which guy she eventually ends up with. Each one is good for her in their own ways. I enjoyed the preview given at the end of the book for the next book coming out in October.

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

After reading the Blurb, I picked up this book not knowing it was part of the series. This was book 2 of Page Bookstore Mystery. The main character Addie had inherited a bookstore after coming back home.

Some of the townspeople didn't like her and after solving the first murder mystery, she was further disliked. One such person was the newspaper journalist. When librarian June was found dead in the tunnel, fingers were pointed at Addie. She had to solve the murder and prove herself innocent with the help of her boyfriend police chief Marc.

The plot was fun with a lot of twists, the author Lauren Elliott had placed red herrings at strategic points. I liked Addie, she was bold and intelligent. I was not very sure about Marc, he wasn't shown very intelligent. There was a love triangle shown too which I didn't like. The pace was slow, I skim read some parts to get to the bottom of the murder

Overall a good but slow read

Addie Greyborne has returned to her roots in coastal New England. She has inherited Beyond the Page Bookstore and curio shop and employs Paige and is cultivating a relationship with the town Police Chief, Marc. She'd cleared her name in solving the last murder and now June, the town librarian is missing, eventually found murdered and she must clear her name once again after "Miss Newsy" published a nasty rumor about Addie possibly being behind both.

June was found in an underground tunnel that is an integral part of local pirate lore, hidden treasure, and family feuds. The mystery creates an interesting premise and Addie begins sifting clues, chasing down her aunt's old books in the attic as well as finding museums, libraries, and bookstores for details on the intricate set of tunnels. Perhaps pirate treasure would be a motive for the murder of June, who'd possibly found more in her research of the tunnels for her book than the city fathers were comfortable with.

Well, all that part is fun. The twists are fun. But then there are new characters, including Simon--a possible love interest--and Lacy--not fun. The protagonist herself was less than a reliable narrator, caught in contradictions and fabrications, and few of the support characters fared any better, appearing back-biting and sneaky. Marc comes off as being wishy-washy, warning her with one breath of leaving the investigation to him while asking for her thoughts and help with the next. Huh?! Lacy is just plain nasty. Dialogue runs snarky to juvenile.

Bottom Line: While the mystery is a good plot device, the pace is too slow for this reader, and I could not invest in any of the characters. The history is interesting but it just doesn't keep engagement. The antagonist as revealed in the conclusion is not wholly unexpected, although I did like that little bit that Addie does with the pirate shop operator.

This is the second in the series and might well be read as a standalone. I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to read and review. 3.5/5

Small town secrets and some people want them to stay that way. When local librarian is found dead at the foot of a steep staircase, in an area most townspeople didn't even know was there, seeing it as an accident doesn't last long. Turns out she knew a whole lot about the town's history and, if the full manuscript ever was to see the light of day....well somebody wants to prevent that.
Addie is a direct descendant of the founding family, the family that named the town. However solid her lineage may be, she is seen as an outsider and many have made her life difficult. She only left her job as a research librarian when she inherited the family home and bookstore. Running the bookstore suits her just fine. She has made some good friends and has a boyfriend on the police force. Trouble comes calling one morning in the form of a nasty piece in the local newspaper written by Miss Newsy. It's not true but. as it's just gossip, she can't fight back. Once the librarian's death is front and center, she joins forces with the police to put the pieces together and catch a killer and uncover those pesky secrets hidden away. It's a lot to juggle - running her bookstore, investigating a murder in order to protect her reputation and also stop the woman who is bound and determined to come between Addie and her boyfriend.
This series has it all - a lovely small town, East Coast setting, a local bookstore, great characters and a well crafted mystery that had enough suspects, twists and turns to keep me engaged to the end. Now I'm ready to read the next one.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love Lauren Elliott's books. Her characters, for the most part, are people I would love to be friends. The plot kept me guessing - every time I thought I had it, a wrench was thrown into my thinking.

I can't wait for the next book in tne series!

Lauren Elliot has done it again!! I absolutely loved this book, couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for the next book in this series!!

A modern day murder mystery set in a small coastal town in the New England area called Greyborne Harbor. Greyborne Harbor is steep in centuries of history and it was often used as a hiding place for pirates and where supposedly there's buried treasure, as they hideout from British ships.

There are family names that date back to the establishment of this town, with being Addie Greyborne, whose ancestors first settled and named the town. There are other family names and on the surface, this seems to be a peaceful and tranquil little town. Addie is the central character and everything one way or another always seems to come back to her either willingly or unwillingly.

Addie has inherited the family bookstore and home and she's relatively a newcomer, who also becomes the center of attention of Miss Newsy, the local gossip column of the local newspaper. Vicious gossip spreads throughout the town as Miss Newsy continues to write.

This is Lauren Elliott's 2nd Addie Greybrone mystery and ever since she came back, trouble and conflict are soon to envelope this little town. This book starts with an accidental death, which turns out it is murder and Addie is right in the thick of things.

June Winslow, the local librarian is found dead, which turns out to be murder. June had written a book about the town's history, but the Council would approve certain parts of her book. Addie soon discovers that there is a completed unedited manuscript, somewhere to be found. Certain townspeople are set on that manuscript never surfacing.

The story is tight, entertaining and a well constructed story line. All the characters are beautifully depicted and there interactions with one another, soon rises to high tension. They all play pivotal parts throughout the book, some good, some bad. The story stays on track throughout, which is what keeps you from wanting to close the book. This is not a contrived story for the book, but very plausible and you sense and feel the emotions, which the characters endure.

This is my first Addie Greyborne novel and you can easily see yourself in her role as she has to deal with a myriad of problems and her emotions respond to them quite convincingly. I highly recommend this book and you'll feel the same after reading it.

Pirates and maps and murder, oh my! Addie Grayborne is back in her bookshop in her little seaside town. And there's yet another murder to solve, not to mention a vindictive gossip columnist hell bent on ruining Addie's already shaky reputation. This was a great afternoon read, relaxing with this entertaining cozy mystery and a nice late spring breeze. If you're not already a Lauren Elliott fan, you will be after reading this book.

Prologue to Murder is the second book in this series, about Addie Greybourne--who seems to have a knack for finding bodies and mysteries. I enjoyed this book--it had a solid mystery, but don't really like the love triangle aspect. I don't mind a bit of a romance in my cozies, but would prefer them not to be too drama filled. Still, this is a great series and I'm anticipating more!

Rants, Raves, and Thoughts

I had to force myself to put down Middlegame to read this book, as it's release date was sooner. After reading The Hummingbird Dagger and some of Locke and Key, I was in a mix of book hangover and dreading anything that wasn't exactly what I wanted to read. 

Thus, the first few chapters of Prologue to Murder I definitely did not give enough of a fair chance. It is definitely more overt about the cozy mystery tropes it uses, which after reading April Fools, I was quick to roll my eyes at. Addie is clumsy, she's dating the chief of police, she's a bit of an outsider but definitely comes from old money that relates to the town... it is definitely a recipe for a boring cozy mystery book. However, Elliott proved to me quickly that I was being too hard on the book and that she definitely has everything under control. 

This book has a little bit of everything I enjoy with cozy mysteries: a little bit of town history repeating itself, not one but TWO love triangle potentials, backstabbing drama, a death, and a cozy reader. It also does somethings I'm not used to, but greatly appreciated. Usually the "detective" of the story is getting in the way of the local law enforcement, and the reader of the story has to suspend belief that she isn't ruining all the evidence or causing so much liability for the police. This book solved that quickly by having the commissioner ask for Addie to be a consultant for the case. Perfecto! My anxiety level drops a bit. 

I also really like the way the love triangles are handled in this book. Addie might be dating Marc - who knows! But it gets even more complicated when his ex-fiance Lacey shows back up in town. Lacey, who is California gorgeous and definitely out to get Marc back. And, after a weird interaction between Addie and Marc, Lacey might be actually winning. Lucky for Addie, new guy Simon is in town, and also seems to enjoy solving mysteries! 

Final Moments

If you like cozy mysteries, especially ones that have pirate histories, family drama that goes back for decades, and seems to have both tropes of cozy mysteries but also something new for a long time fan, then check out Lauren Elliott's series. I don't think you'll be disappointed.