Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott may be the third A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery, but it can be read on its own. Addie Greyborne donates an 1843 first edition of A Christmas by Charles Dickens to the Christmas Charity Auction put on by the local hospital foundation. She takes the appraisal to her meeting with coordinator, Teresa Lang. Teresa is not in her office and neither is the rare book in its locked case. Addie finds Teresa dead at the bottom of the steps with alcohol on her breath. Addie believes it is murder since the book disappeared at the same time, but Police Chief Marc Chandler must deal with facts. Addie, of course, quickly begins investigating despite being warned off by Marc. I like the town of Greyborne Harbor and the descriptions of the shops including Addie’s Beyond the Page. It sounds like a cozy small town where gossip spreads rapidly. The Christmas decorations along with the snow enhanced the Christmas feeling. The one problem I have with this story is Addie Greyborne. I do not care for her the way she treated the two love interests. Both Simon and Marc are interested in Addie. She seems to be toying with them. I just do not like the way the two love interests are being handled. I also did not appreciate how she treated Jonathan Hemingway (her almost father-in-law). She should get all the facts before making assumptions. I know part of it is her grief over the lost fiancé, but Addie would not want to be on the receiving end of that type of treatment. I do like Serena, who owns the tea shop, and Addie’s assistant, Paige Stringer. The mystery was complex, and I liked how the deed was done. There are red herrings to distract the reader. It will depend on your sleuthing level on whether you solve this one completely before the reveal. Personally, I would have liked a surprising twist. I could have done without Addie being constantly told to stay out of the investigation (it gets tiresome after the third time). I like the book references and the wonderful descriptions of the rare books. I enjoyed the happy ending and I hope to see a different Addie in the next A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery. Murder in the First Edition is an enticing cozy mystery with a treasured tome, an inconvenient in-law, a bothersome blizzard, a vexed friend, and Christmas chaos.

Author: Lauren Elliott



Series: Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery book 3



Chapters:



Pages: 320



Genre: Cozy Mystery



Rating: 3 stars



Publisher: Kensington



Murder in the First Ediition is the 3rd book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore series by Lauren Elliott and it is the Christmas season in Greyborne Harbor. And a first editon copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is stolen from the scene of a murder and Addie feels like she must help the police find the book.

As the third book in a series it is a standalone mystery but the characters develop over the three books. So it is best to read the books in order. But in the midst of a murder investigation you do find a town preparing for Christmas making this one a Christmas cozy.



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.

I’m quite new to this cozy mystery genre, but I think I’m into it. This story is great around Christmas time. The Christmas surroundings and the bookstore fit perfectly as being cozy. The mystery part, a rare book being stolen and the murder, was fun to solve. Although I’ve watched a great amount of mystery-solving movies and shows, I’m still quite clueless to solving mysteries (which honestly keeps it fun watching and reading them). This book did a good job in steering me in a certain direction, and I fell for it.

To make the cute Christmas mystery completely, there was the love triangle. Addie has two love interests, and has to figure out who she actually wants to go for. The switch between the mystery-solving and romance worked out smoothly. Though Addie only slipped and was caught miraculously by a good-looking guy about three, which was just too cheesy for me.

Throughout the book, the disappearance of the special edition is pushed aside, bringing the focus more to the murder. I wished the story would have kept the lost rare book more central. Therefore I found the story losing pace halfway through and I lost interest because of that. There must be a reason there’s a book reference in the title.

Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott is about Addie Greyborne who is preparing for the holidays at her bookstore in seaside New England. Addie finds Teresa Lang, the woman in charge of an auction to benefit the new pediatric wing, dead in her office. The very valuable book which was to be auctioned to pay for the new wing was missing. Therefore, a lot of money and hope for the sick children is gone. Addie decides to investigate as one of the people to last see Teresa was Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fiancé. I enjoyed this book very much. Well thought out plot with good strong characters. I was sorry the book ended!

Murder in the First Edition is a delightful cozy. The characters are well developed and interesting and the story is light and fun. I recommend it

Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott is the third book 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 a standalone or in any order. However, one would get to know the characters better reading the series in order with some character development carrying over book to book.

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 had been 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 investigating yet another murder when she had tried to donate a rare book to a charity auction and the organizer is found dead and Addie’s book is missing.

Having followed the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries from the beginning I think honestly my rating has dropped each time. The series had a little bit of a romantic suspense vibe to it with Addie being flirty with local law but now it’s moving into love triangle territory so that is frustrating since the characters aren’t my normally quirky cozy variety so I had enjoyed the slight twist to the romantic genre. Along with that though I felt the mystery seemed to get a little buried in the middle and started to lose my interest making the story drag some.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Let me start by saying that I am loving this series, BUT....Addie needs to make a choice.  I realize that making a choice means moving on and the holidays are a difficult  time, full of memories  of what was and dreams of what could have been. Her mysterious almost father in law doesn't help things with his unexpected  arrival. Of course neither does a murder compounded by the loss of a rare 1st edition Christmas Carol, by Dickens that was to be auctioned at a charity benefit for the hospital. So many loose and crazy threads in this one. Almost like there are multiple plots, multiple suspects, and multiple issues, both life threatening and heart wrenching. Addie needs the support of her friends if she is going to figure this one out, support and a little of that Christmas spirit. Not a fan of multiple leading men suffice to say, I agree with Serena that a choice needs to be made before someone else makes it for her. Team Simon.

Princess Fuzzypants here: As the holidays approach, Allie’s shop is going great guns. When a blast from the past in the form of her deceased fiancé’s father whisks into her shop and her life, not only is he bringing many unresolved emotions but it seems he may be at the heart of a murder and the disappearance of a First Edition Christmas Carole that Allie was donating to a fundraiser for the local hospital. Since Allie discovered both the victim and the missing book, she is deeply involved in the mystery. But what, if anything, does her fiancé’s father have to do with both crimes. All she knows is she suspects he is a fraud.
Allie also has a not inconsequential problem of two very eligible and dishy men who would like more. She is attracted to both but has yet to put the ghost of her dead fiancé to bed. It is almost as bad a skating rink as the roads around town thanks to a severe blizzard that is keeping all entire cast of characters trapped.
The story has mobsters, black markets, secrets and intrigues galore. I’ve become fond of Allie and her cohorts and enjoyed this adventure greatly. I must confess I did suss out the villains pretty early but it didn’t harm my pleasure. I give four purrs and two paws up.

A cozy mystery set in Greyborne Harbor, bookshop owner Addie donates a first edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to the local hospital charity auction. When the charity organizer suddenly dies and the book disappears, Addie immediately suspects murder and is determined to find out who did it and why.

The book is set in a small town during Christmas time which gives a cozy feel to the novel. The plot draws you in early on and I found myself interested in what happened to Teresa, the charity organizer. However, I did find the writing distracting and as the story progressed, the mystery became more and more convoluted to the point where I became uninterested. I do think fans of the series will enjoy it and it’s very festive for this time of year. However for me, unfortunately, it lost my interest at about the halfway point.

Thanks to the Kensington and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

“Murder in the First Edition” is a novel with a lot of potential that never quite develops that potential. The storyline revolves around an accident that turns out to be murder, and the theft of a valuable copy of A Christmas Carol. The plot seemed confusing and hard to follow at times, and character relationships were convoluted. When I started to read this book, I felt as if I was walking into the middle of a movie. The author seemed to assume that readers had read all the previous books in the series and were familiar with the characters and their relationships to each other.

The idea of the main character (Addie) having two beaus (Simon and Marc) reminded me of another mystery series. I found Addie to be annoying throughout the book. Her nasty attitude and habit of throwing or kicking things made her dislikeable, as well as her childish and silly fits of laughing with her friend Serena. I also have a difficult time dealing with people who constantly put themselves in danger as they act against the law enforcement officers to investigate crimes on their own. I thought this book would never end, because once the crime was solved and the perpetrators captured, the story continued on for several more chapters. The author seemed unable to figure out how to end the story, and of course set the plot up to lead into more books to follow. This was the first in this series that I read, and not sure I want to read any more. The best thing about the book was the cover art.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

My third visit to Greyborne Harbor was the best. I felt more connected to the characters and the story moved along nicely.

The Beyond The Page Bookstore Mysteries feel like a meatier read than other cozies. I appreciate the fact they are everything a cozy should be: gorgeous covers, clean of foul language, no sex scenes and set in a cute town.

I’ve read a lot of negative reviews about the main character Addie. Most feel she is playing with Simon and Marc’s emotions and I see where they are coming from but I don’t agree. I believe she is still in mourning for David and isn’t sure how to move forward. She’s trying but finds it even harder with David’s father in town. We get the feeling that Addie is ready to move on more than ever by the end.

I look forward to continuing this series.

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

Addie Greyborne is excited about the upcoming charity auction for the hospital. She is donating an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, valued at over $60.000.00. When she goes to drop off the paperwork, she finds the woman in charge of the event missing. As she leaves, she finds her body at the bottom of the stairs, dead. Where is the valuable book? Was this an accident or a murder? Addie is convinced that the woman's death is connected to the missing book and she is unable to keep her nose out of the investigation. With the help of her best friend, Serena she tries to put clues together and of course, eventually puts herself in danger.

I have been enjoying this series and liked this book. The Christmas season, even with a winter storm, makes this a good seasonal read. I did find Addie a bit annoying in this story. She is waffling between Mark and Simon and was rather rude to them throughout this story. I do like her best friend, Serena, and was happy to see her playing a larger role in this story. Throw in Johnathan, the father of her dead fiance and you find out a bit more about Addie's past. The plot is complex, which held my interest well. This is a well-written story with a lot of great characters. The mystery was well done with a lot of red herrings that had me changing my mind about what was going on several times. The reveal was very well done and had me sitting up to follow along. I will read more in this series as this series makes me think and entertains at the same time.

This book hit everything that I look for in a cozy. I enjoyed it and look forward to more in this series. I would recommend it. It's a quick, light, fun read.

As the series progresses, Addie becomes more and more unlikable. The love triangle became old in the last book. Frankly, I don’t understand what either of them see in her. It sure if I will continue this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Really enjoyed reading this book. You just imagined being in the winter all sucked in by the wonderful way it’s written. Great plot. Wondering how it’s going to play out for the characters. Very good

Murder in the First Edition is a solid mystery with a bunch of clues and suspects which made it fun to read, although I had a guess at the murderer. Also, Addie drives me nuts at times due to her indecision about the two love interests (and don't even get me started on the love triangle trope I am pretty sick and tired of).

It is Christmas time in the seaside village of Greyborne Harbor and Addie is busier than ever in her Page Bookstore. When she finds a rare & valuable copy of 1843 edition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol in her attic she decides to donate it to the hospital foundation for their holiday gala auction.

When Addie goes to visit Teresa, the Gala's coordinator things quickly become complicated. When Addie arrives at the hospital with the appraisal certificate she finds the book is missing, and Teresa is dead. The police believe that Teresa merely drank too much and fell to her death, but Addie feels like there is much more going on here, and can't help but get to the bottom of it. After Addie begins her own investigation, she receives several threats but refuses to back down.

I enjoyed the love triangle between Addie, Marc, and Simon in this book. I did not read the first two books so I wasn't sure if this had been going on for quite some time, but it was written as if it has been. I found myself rooting for both men in every scene as neither one is painted as a bad boy. We were also introduced to Jonathan Hemingway, the father of Addie’s late fiancé. Jonathan and Addie have some issues, primarily due to Jonathan’s womanizing ways and Addie still dealing with her own ghosts.

Addie is an interesting protagonist 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 complex and I found myself continuously changing my 'who done it' opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

#MurderInTheFirstEdition #NetGalley

This book was lots of fun! It was so neat to meet Jonathan, Addie's elusive, almost-father-in-law - he has come into town and is suddenly charming Addie's friend, Catherine, and Addie is concerned. Before David was killed he managed to forgive his father for his past, but Addie is still not sure she can trust him.

This cozy goes beyond small-town and is infused with the mob and international intrigue, along with the missing (and extremely valuable) first edition copy of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want Addie to make a decision in the next book about her relationship with Simon and Marc - I'm hoping for Simon! Also, I think Addie needs a pet in her life :)

4.5 stars

I’d reviewed the first in this series in audio, and have the second book to listen to as yet – but I’ve jumped ahead to the third because the premise of this book, a first-edition copy of A Christmas Carol, and the holiday-tinged theme of the story just begged to be read now. And, with the exception of missing a tiny bit in Addie’s romantic life (or confusion as a result of it) the story was easy to get into, the mystery was cleverly plotted out, and there were plenty of characters for Addie’s ‘Miss Marple” persona to peruse. What surprised me most of all was that I had an idea of the culprits from the start – not something that is particularly common for me, and Elliott used the plotting to string out the conclusion and reveal in ways that both delighted me and I found intriguing, even if many were false leads.

But it was the first edition book that caught my attention, and the donation of said book by Addie to the local hospital for a charity auction is the catalyst for the story. The local hospital is planning to expand and improve their pediatric wing, and while many local business donate to this hospital event every year, the inclusion of an authenticated and evaluated rare copy of a Dickens’ book is the star of the event. Of course, when Addie and her bestie Serena go to the hospital to deliver Serena’s contribution and the final appraisal papers, the woman who heads the event is not in – and is later found dead. With the book missing, and Addie’s dead fiancé’s father Jonathan showing up unexpectedly, it’s too much of a consequence. Especially when she sees another ‘book dealer’ – a man known in the trade for some shady transactions.

Oh the twists were fun – and there was plenty of Christmassy feeling moments – from the bookshop being overwhelmed with shoppers, to gingerbread men and tons of snow. But, what kept me from absolutely LOVING this story was the romantic triangle (or square, really) that Addie seemed to struggle with – between her hurt feelings about Marc, her new ‘flirtation” with Simon (who sees her as far more than just a friend) and the fact that she can’t – or won’t – let go of her grief about David. Having Jonathan (David’s father) appear and look much like David, stirring all of her resentments about his absence and apparent ‘disinterest’ in staying in touch regularly – there were more times than not when she felt more like a thirteen year old girl than a grown woman past thirty. But, some resolutions did come about, although there will still be questions about who she’ll finally choose, she managed to get some answers from Jonathan, and perhaps is now ready to move on in time for finding a new start in the new year. Overall – this fits nicely with what I remember of the first book, and she’s not quite so “new’ in town - and I’m hoping that the next books will bring more mystery, more book-centric love, and plenty of answers for Addie in her new life.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aya/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

The mystery in this cozy was extremely good. The reappearance of Addie’s almost father-in-law and the missing book, plus a murder made for a excellent storyline. Then why a 4 star rating, you may ask? Because the romance triangle, angst and drama drove me nuts! It was so over the top it was ridiculous. I sincerely hope that is massively toned down in the next installment. Great mystery but all the relationship drama detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. That being said, I do plan to give the one to one a try.

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