Death on the Page by Essie Lang is the second book in Castle Bookshop Mystery series.

Having read the first book I found this one to be much of the same sort and I felt that I was rereading the first book.
I really like the setting and I am a fan of the characters. They show promise even though they seem a bit generic. I have expected further development on the personal level but not much happened.
I particularly like the fact that the main protagonist is a level headed and intelligent woman who doesn't rush into danger will willingly accepts the consequences.

I enjoyed the story, it was engaging.
When a well known author gets permission to sleep in a castle to be able to get a feel of the atmosphere for her research about a local man, the unthinkable happens and she is found dead.
Shelby our main character and co-owner of two bookstores overwhelmed by curiosity can't help but investigate.
She is of course warned by the local police not to get involved but she doesn't listen and will set some dangerous things in motion.

I feel that the author needs a chance of venue for the next installment to make it more intriguing and also needs to spice things up on a personal level for the characters.

This cosy mystery has it all, the lovely setting in the Thousand Islands, a bookshop, a castle, and an enigmatic investigation involving true crime writers. It is a fast-paced plot with enough twists and turns and suspects to keep you guessing until the end. It is book 2 in the Castle Bookshop series, but it can be read as a standalone. The author gives enough background info about the previous book to be brought up to date and not feel as though you’re missing out on details.

I couldn’t put the book down and finished it very quickly.

I have not read the first book in this series but after reading Death on the Page I have found the first in the series. It looks like it will be a great cozy series. Death on the Page, the second Castle Bookshop mystery, features a mysterious death of a guest at Blye Castle, and of course the author had just completed a signing at Shelby's castle bookstore. I agree with other reviewers that I would love to find a bookstore like the Castle Bookshop, the location is part of the story. I enjoyed Death on the Page and look forward to reading more in the series.

Shelby Cox is co-owner of two bookstores and she is finishing her first season at the annex store located in a historic castle on Blye Island. She and her aunt Edie arrange to host a true crime author, including book signings at both bookstores. The author, Savannah Page, is spending one night in the castle for research for her next book about the original owner of the castle. The next morning Savannah is found dead in the castle. With this interesting setting, the plot unfolds. The author did a great job of pulling the reader into the setting and characters. Her writing is very picturesque. There were plenty of suspects. Shelby’s character is well developed as are the characters of the other characters. I read the first book in this series by Essie Lang I look forward to future books in the series. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Bayside Books co-owner Shelby Cox is thrilled that true-crime writer Savannah Page has come for two signings at Bayside Books with a night in Blye Castle. Savannah's newest plot idea is to research Joe Cabana, a colorful Prohibition-era mobster who owned the castle until he was found dead in the island Grotto.

When Savannah is found dead the next morning in a secret passage at the bottom of the stairs, Shelby wonders how the killer could have reached the island after hours. Savannah had upset several people including her fiancé Liam Kennelly, and wannabe writers Jenna Dunlop and Rachel Michaels who both claimed that Savannah had stolen their fledgling plot ideas.

This was another enjoyable quick read in the Castle Bookshop mystery series.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I do like this series. The characters are well done and interesting. While the plot of this book isn't very original, the author does a good job of intriguing the reader.

This is book 2 in the Castle bookshop mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone. I picked up this book because it was set in Alexandria , the 1000 Island area and we had visited there in the past. I enjoyed the story and Shelby's acclamation to the island life. She and her aunt have two bookstores and host an author signing. The author ends up dead and the killer isn't about to let Shelby solve the crime. The mystery is well thought out and there are a few twists to throw you off the track. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Murder on the Page is the second book in the Castle Bookshop series; a cozy mystery about authors, books, bookstores and murder. It is uniquely set on the atmospheric Blye Island off the coast of New York in a historic castle with a dark and mysterious past.

Shelby Cox is the co-owner of Thousand Island Bookstore on Blye Island, and as part of the store’s publicity, she decides to host a book signing with the renowned crime writer Savannah Page. In order to gain inspiration for her next story, Savannah will be the first guest to spend the night at Blye Castle in her quest discover more about the original owners mysterious death. Things don’t go quite as planned when the author tragically ends up dead after just one night. Shelby takes it upon herself to investigate the murder and the reader follows her journey clue by clue with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Death on The Page is the second book in the series and though it can be read as a stand-alone, I think the reader would greatly benefit from reading the previous book first in order to gain more background and perspective on the characters. There are quite a few characters in this story and jumping in at book two made it a bit difficult to keep track of everyone. I also felt that the characters were a bit lackluster and I couldn’t quite connect with them. Though this story is definitely descriptive and atmospheric with its castle setting, the plot itself did drag a bit and didn’t entirely capture my attention.

All-in-all, if you are a lover of cozy mysteries and books about bookstores and castles then you should definitely give this one a try, but do yourself a favor and start with book one.

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Castle Bookshop Mystery series by Essie Lang.

Shelby Cox runs two bookshops in Alexandria Bay, New York. One is on an island inside Blye Castle and the other is on the mainland. At the Castle location Shelby has a book signing with popular author Savannah Page. The Heritage Society even allows the author to stay the night inside the facility. A day later they discover the author dead at the bottom of the stairs. Shelby had previously been a book editor and came to the store to help out her friend. Now she has made the position permanent. The author had been researching a local by the name of Joe Cabana who had been murdered in the island decades before.

All sorts of people come out of the woodwork on this one and look like likely suspects. Two different authors accuse Savannah of stealing their story ideas and even her agent had at one time been dating his client. Shelby had her work cut out for her on this one and Police Chief Stone does not appreciate Shelby horny in on her case.

The mystery was well-crafted and all the quirky and charming characters were easy to distinguish from one other. Plus, I think This castle setting will have a slew of possibilities when more secret passages and castle history are uncovered.

This book was quite a roller coaster ride. I couldn't read fast enough to discover the identity of true killer. I look forward to reading all future books in 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 the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this title.

Death on the Page

A Castle Bookshop Mystery

by Essie Lang

Crooked Lane Books

Mystery & Thrillers


Pub Date 10 Mar 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Death on the Page through Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley:


Shelby Cox is a Thousand Island bookstore who finds herself sleuthing the murder of true crime writer who may have been murdered due to digging into a murder case that should have stayed shut.


There are a lot of stories in Thousand Island New York, and Shelby Cox carries them all in her bookstore, lately though the Bayside Books Co-Owner Shelby Cox life is more investigation than it is inventory. True Crime Writer Savannah Page ends two successful nights of book signings with an overnight stay in Blye Castle. Savannah is there to research the murder of Joe Cabana, a Prohibition era mobster who owned the Castle and was found murdered in the Grotto.


Savannah soon becomes a victim of murder herself, when her body turns up the next morning, at a secret passage at the bottom of the stairs. Shelby Cox does not want sleuth another murder, but she can’t help but wonder how the killer could have made it to the Island during the night and she’s not lacking suspects either. Liam Kennelly whose Savannah’s fiancé and who argued with her that night is one of the suspects she has in mind. And there’s Matthew Kessler the towns caretaker who was just cleared of his wives murder.


Can Shelby manage to keep regular store hours, elude the police chief, and gather the clues she needs to solve the murder, without risking her freedom and career?



I give Death on a Page Five out of Five Stars!


Happy Reading

Location, location, location. The setting of this story had me checking a map and dreaming of a vacation. Alexandria Bay sounds like a charming place both in the book and in the real world. Beyond that it was an easy to read mystery with a touch of romance that I enjoyed.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is shaping up to be a really great cozy series! Death on the Page, the second Castle Bookshop mystery, features a mysterious death of a guest at Blye Castle, and of course the author had just completed a signing at Shelby's castle bookstore. This second book in the series has Shelby settling into her new life and relationships in her small town, and she's made connections with some entertaining and interesting characters. Great setting and a solid mystery story made for a great cozy.

Death on the Page by Essie Lang is the 2nd book in the Castle Bookshop Mystery and another great addition. Shelby Cox moved to Alexandria Bay, New York to help her aunt Edie run their bookstore and open Castle bookstore on Blye Island, while Edie recovers from knee replacement surgery. Shelby is busy for getting ready for true crime writer, Savannah Page, to do a signing at the bookstore. Savannah Page is also doing a sleep over at the castle, with only one other person. The next morning the author's body is found dead, and Shelby is determined to find the truth. I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to next book in the series. The description of island is so good, I can image being there with them. If you like cozy mysteries, bookstores and mysterious island, you will enjoy this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I like bookshops and cats in my cozy mysteries and Death on the Page checks both of those boxes. It also features a unique setting of a castle (with secret passages, even) which I enjoyed! Unfortunately the story itself just didn't capture my attention. I didn't feel a connection to the characters and the pacing was a little slow for me. I'm giving it 3 stars because I don't think it's a bad book or poorly written, just not engaging enough to keep my interest.

This is a fun cozy mystery. I really enjoy cozy mysteries and this author is one I would read again. Thank you Essie Lang for this lovely mystery.

Battling Authors and Murder
While this book is part of a series, it stands alone quite well. The plot is very intriguing. There are plenty of moving pieces and suspects. The final reveal is quite surprising. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Shelby and her grandmother, Edie, are thrilled with the success of the books signings from true crime author, Savannah Page, both at the main store in town and at the castle location. When Savannah is found dead the next morning in one of the castles back stairwells, Savannah takes it upon herself to try and find out who was responsible.

I absolutely love the setting of this series, especially the idea of having such a cute bookstore in a castle. Sigh. What a dream job that would be! To be fair, when I got approved for this book from NetGalley and the publisher, I purchased book one and read it first. I feel with all cozies starting at the beginning gives the readers more depth. This installment could be read as a standalone, but I would still recommend starting at the beginning.

The mystery itself was well plotted. There were just enough suspects to keep me guessing without it being overwhelming to follow. I love how Shelby and Zack's relationship is progressing in this book. The story of Shelby's Mom is also dug into a little deeper in this book. I love this side story within the main story. It's like another mystery in a mystery.

I would highly recommend this series and I am anxiously awaiting the next book. .

I was really hoping to love this book but it really was middle of the row for me. The main character was interesting but I had a little trouble connecting with her. I know that with cozy mysteries the lead solving the crime/murder is normally the average joe but this was really a stretch for me. On another note there was a castle and hidden passages so that was fun.

One of the things that I had trouble with through out this book is why Shelby was inserting herself in the situation. She did meet the victim, but only for a few hours and then suddenly she just HAD to figure out who committed the murder. Seriously, that was their only connection. In fact there were a few times where she was asked why she was trying to solve this murder and her response was “I didn’t really know her but”…that really was my question as well through out the book.

The other issue was the pacing of the book. The first half seemed to drag on a bit but the second half did pick up. It kind of seemed like the author finally found herself midway and tried to tie the story together better. There were a few red herrings in the book but the spontaneous confession from the killer was a bit odd. I could see how it was set up, but it kind of felt shoehorned in. Overall the book was interesting at various parts but it just didn’t knock it out of the park for me. Will I try another book by this author? Sure, but I would most likely not continue with this series.

This is the second book in this series, and I can't wait to go back and read book 1 (Trouble on the Books).This is a fun book, with a look at life in a tourist town. Both book shops sound like the places you would love to visit and hangout at, and Shelby is a character you will instantly love. This book is a quick read and perfect for reading by the fire, or while on a trip. It's a simple locked room mystery that merges with some chick lit for a fun read!

This is the second book in the Castle Bookshop Mystery series by Essie Lang. The mystery is complete within the novel and there are some continuing relationships between the characters from the first book in the series. It is not necessary to have read the first book in the series as the author gives enough clues for the reader to understand the relationships between the characters and their current situations.
The book is well written, although the characters come across as more generic than individual including the young protagonist, the wise and individualistic aunt, the unattached best friend, and the maybe boyfriend in a growing relationship along with the gruff police chief who wants nothing more than for the amateurs to leave the investigation to the police. They are all entertaining enough, although there is nothing that makes them stand out as unique in the genre of cozy fiction.
I had hoped to have more atmosphere from the castle that is part of this series. Instead, it is very much in the background, a place where the murder occurs, but there is little in the book to allow the reader to see and feel what being inside the castle is like.
Shelby, the protagonist who is possessed of an overwhelming curiosity, can’t help but become embroiled in the investigation. Despite assuring people she is not getting involved in the investigation, she continues to ask vaious suspects questions about their personal connections to the murder. It is easy to determine who the murderer is, and becomes more of a question of how long Shelby is going to be able to run around questioning people before the murderer steps in and tries to stop her.
If you want a book that is easy to pick up and put down, as well as having characters who feel familiar for the most part, this may be one to consider. It’s an easy to follow, easy to interrupt book for the casual reader.
My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.