The bookstore crew is back in action and this time they have to figure out how a murder could have taken place in a locked room before Addie's ex-boyfriend's hotshot new girlfriend sends her up the river for a murder just to get the competition out of the way. A wonderful array of subplots woven throughout the murder plot to keep you entertained and delighted for hours! If you haven't started this series, you absolutely should as this is quickly becoming one of my "can't miss series" to read! Wonderful well rounded characters that seem so real that you can't wait to come back and visit with your old friends soon even if you want to bop one on the head every now and again...that just makes them even more real! It is really intriguing how the author weaves a main character that is a strong, intelligent female and yet vulnerable at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens in the next one!

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Proof of Murder is the most confounding mystery in this series to date! With a literally locked-room mystery and a strong attempt at framing our heroine, there is no end to speculating what really happened. I love the little town New England town of Greyborne Harbor and Addie’s unique bookstore, Beyond the Page. The characters are well-defined, and most are very likable.

Addie Greyborne inherited her aunt’s home in Greyborne Harbor. Leaving her career in appraising rare and vintage books at the Boston Library, she moved and opened Beyond the Page, where she sells new, rare, vintage, and consignment books and various curios and collectibles. Addie’s best friend, Serena, has her tea shop next door. Addie is dating Simon, appreciates her new family in Greyborne Harbor.

Addie is going to the dealer preview for an auction at Hill Road House, where a vast library of vintage and classic books is housed. Her assistant, Paige, and Serena, both try to discourage her from going as the home has been reputed to be haunted for more than 70 years when the last owners died. It has been vacant except for the resident ghost and it is now being auctioned off for back taxes. The auction company is owned by Blake, a good friend of her late father.

Addie overhears a discussion between Blake and Charlotte, the appraiser, about a newly-found bookcase of rare finds. Addie offers to help Charlotte and Blake with the appraisals. She spends the day going through the bookcase, making the exciting discovery of a few highly desirable Sherlock Holmes collectibles. She also has interesting experiences such as feeling as if she is being watched, feeling icy cold spots despite the warm day, and overhearing Charlotte and her assistant discussing more items missing from the auction inventory.

The next day, Addie and Blake try to get into the locked library, but it has been bolted from the inside. When it is pried open, they find Charlotte, with a look of horror frozen on her face, dead In her chair. Blake left to call the police, and Addie looked around the room, as the table of special books looked disturbed. She sees that the special Holmes books are missing, replaced by current-day replicas, and brings it to the attention of the police. Addie didn’t know that Marc, the police chief, had returned from classes at the FBI and a vacation. She and Marc had dated for a short time, but realized she was not ready to make a commitment to him and why. They had unhappy words before he left, and Addie hoped they could be friends when he returned.

Marc has a new friend with him, an FBI agent on leave, Ryley. Ryley seems to be markng him as her territory, and since he invited her to help with the investigation, she is bent on accusing Addie of the theft of the books and, if Charlotte was murdered, her murder as well.

Simon, a physician, the coroner, and the man Addie is happily dating, can only find a heart attack as the appraiser’s cause of death. Ryley claims to be following the evidence and convincing Marc of the same, and Addie is arrested for stealing the very expensive missing books. When she is released temporarily after pointing out items in their crime scene photos that were inconsistent, Addie gets out her crime board to work on who is framing her.

The characters are very well-rounded. Each continues to grow and blossom in their roles. I enjoy seeing how Martha is becoming not only friendly, but funny! Catherine is a favorite as a mother figure and a friend willing to tell Addie what she sees. Simon is a great match for Addie, while I had a very hard time liking Marc this time. Especially with the traumas of recent years for Addie, watching her become a more confident woman is exciting.

Greyborne Harbor is a lovely setting. With interesting history and New England charm and a dash of the mysterious, it is a great tourist town and place to live. Plot twists keep the novel moving, as does the changing list of suspects. There were a couple that I favored but had dismissed the real culprit for lack of motive. While there were a few things I guessed correctly, overall I was quite surprised and satisfied with the outcome! I highly recommend this novel and series!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Cozy mysteries have been my comfort food during these past few months, especially the ones that are in the 4th book and beyond. I can’t visit friends in person, but I can visit them on the page!

I love a good mystery involving a locked room! You know there can only be so many ways that the mystery can be resolved so it's always interesting to see how an author puts their own twist on it. And with it being a large, old mansion (complete with its own ghost story) you know this one will have some secret hiding places too. The mystery is well done and, while I had no sympathy for the victim (she wasn't very pleasant), there was enough to keep me very interested in finding out whodunnit.

Addie's knowledge, experience and connections makes her a natural amateur sleuth and I can easily believe that she'd be able to solve a real mystery. She's currently one of my favourite cozy mystery sleuths - she's smart, capable, independent, but still flawed enough to make her relatable. Addie is one of the main reasons that I keep coming back to this series - between her and the good solid mystery, this series has been able to hold my interest.

One of the things that I didn't like was the time-jump between Book 3 and 4 in the series. When I first started reading Proof of Murder, I was so confused because the characters kept referring to events that I didn't remember reading about. This happened enough that I had to pull out the previous book and read the ending again to make sure I hadn't missed something. I hadn't. Plus, the events that happened "off the pages, between books" were HUGE events. They get explained a bit better later on in the book (much later) but I didn't enjoy being so confused for so long at the beginning.

I enjoy most of the characters in this series, but the addition of two new characters in this book will make things interesting in the next instalment - especially since I didn't care for either of them.

Also (again, no spoilers) I feel like the "new romance" that is introduced is rushed and seems like it would be a huge conflict of interest, but it's fiction, so it's ok, I guess? *shrug*

The love triangle between Addie, Simon and Marc does get resolved so moving forward things should be much smoother sailing. I definitely think she made the right choice. There were a few "conversations" that happened near the end that made me SO MAD. I wanted to punch the guy (no spoilers). And I'm so happy that Addie reacted the same way I would have. If she had acted different I would have been very disappointed in her. But she didn't. She stays true to her character and reacted exactly how I would have expected her to and I love that.

But honestly, aside from the time jump and some annoying characters, the good FAR outweighs the bad. Addie is still one of my favourite amateur sleuths and I'm looking forward to the next book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series.

*** Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Addie has an overwhelming amount of curiosity that has both helped and hurt her in life and love. You don't need to be familiar with Addie's story to know what is going on in this latest installment. Bookstore owner and book appraiser extraordinaire, Addie knows a rare find when she sees one. Which is true of both men in her life. The Sheriff who never seems to appreciate her knack for knowing who the criminal is on one side and the Doctor who often acts as an enabler or sidekick on her many adventures. She is drawn to both men and both have said that they will wait. At least that's what I thought as of the last book, Murder in the First Edition. It seems that this one picks up several months later with Sheriff Marc coming back to town with a new "friend," a gorgeous FBI friend, who accuses Addie of being suspect #1 in a truly Sherlockian situation. A room locked from the inside, a dead body, books on the floor, and a missing Sherlock Holmes manuscript. We know that Addie didn't do it so why does Marc insist on treating her like public enemy #1. On the plus side is spurns Addie on to solving this mystery which takes place in a mysterious, old, and creepy Victorian home said to be haunted that is the location of an impressive estate sale. So who stole the manuscript and how did they do it and where did Addie's cousin disappear to? Addie and Dr. Simon (team Simon all the way) are busy putting clues together and busting ghosts. Ghosts of the present and ghosts of the past so that Addie can solve this mystery and move on. The character descriptions are so lively that you can't help but remark out loud while reading. Serena is a great friend and Paige is the best shop clerk a person could ever hope for. There is even a little bit of foreshadowing with the introduction of Ryley.

A nice cozy read. There are enough characters in this book to keep you guessing until the last minute as to who the culprit is, but not so many it becomes confusing. I like Addie's gumption and determination to clear her name in the murder, even if she sometimes pushes ahead without thinking. If I had one complaint, that was that I haven't read the previous books and there were multiple references to backstories. It was like walking into the middle of a conversation but no one explained (even a little) who or what they were talking about.
However, I definitely will be looking for more from this author to read!

Rare books, a locked room and a dead body, all the makings of a great mystery.

Addie is smart, witty, has a stubborn streak and is head strong woman who has a fountain of knowledge about rare books. She’s persistent and thinks outside the box. I absolutely loved her. Even when faced with a murder charge the woman kept her head held high and did everything she could to prove her innocence. Even if it did find her in a hot mess a time or two.

Proof of Murder is an entertaining and well written cozy mystery containing all those complexities that a mystery reader enjoys. From the quaint setting, to the personalities of the characters, to a plot that keeps you guessing keeps readers engaged in the story from beginning to end. Lauren Elliott was able to get me hooked on her writing with one book. She is able to spin a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the romance within the story and I loved how the author kept giving us the feels throughout. I also love that we saw a lot of personal growth within the characters of the story. That’s not something you see a lot of in mystery books, but that was very prominent throughout this one. With romance being my primary reading category I love when I see the things that I love from that genre fall into the mysteries that I am learning to love more and more.

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

I loved this book!! Great story!! 1st book I have read by this author!! Might read more of her books!! Received this book from Kensington books from netgally!!

I loved this great mystery. I seriously couldn't put down the book until the story ended. I believed all along that I knew whodunnit, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. I loved the creepiness of the setting. The romantic side plot was sweet. I can't wait to read the next one. I received an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley in exchange for my 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.

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.

This is the 4th book in the "Beyond The Page Bookstore" cozy mystery series by author Lauren Elliott. This is one of my favorite series and I was delighted to received this for review. Thank you to the publisher , the author and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. I have read the prior books in the series and highly recommend this series. This book can be read as a stand alone but every reader will enjoy knowing this series from the beginning. This is a engaging fun cozy mystery series .

We return to the quaint New England town of Greyborne Harbor home to our protagonist Addie. She has inherited a large Queen Anne Victorian from her Aunt. Addie is slowly making the home her own as she sorts through its many belongings including a attic full of books. She owns and manages her bookstore "Beyond The Page" to share her love of books with her new community and support herself. She had a rocky start in her new town with murders occurring and her bookstore disliked by locals but Addie persevered and she has put that all behind her now.

In this next in series Addie is attending a estate sale at a large estate in town to buy books for her inventory. The house is rumored to be haunted . I love the descriptions of the house. Addie is assisting the frantic insurance appraiser with the inventory as she has experience with estate sales of auction items. Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet", She estimates the magazine to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. After she locates and prices the item she finds the appraiser dead behind a locked door and the magazine missing. She is a savvy investigator and has proved to solve murders in the past so she is determined to to solve both the murder and find the stolen item. Addie is tenacious and sure she can solve this crime. When a visiting FBI agent who is the new love interest of her ex blames her for the murder Addie's instincts kick into overdrive to solve this crime and save herself. while ridding herself of her nefarious ex once and for all. She has been blamed for crimes before and knows she has to clear her own name .

I like Addie as a tough smart person who does not suffer fools. .She has good methods for solving crimes and utilizes everyone she can to help her with clues. She is one of my favorite protagonist of the cozy world as she is independent and stands on her own . The sleuth was well crafted to conclusion and I was pleasantly surprised that I did not guess the ending . I love the supporting charcters and how Addie is always a step ahead of others. Brilliant writing ! A very enjoyable addition to this wonderful series that I highly recommend.

This is the 4th book in the Bookstore Mystery Series, but the first I have read from it. This is both a cozy mystery and a classic tale of "how well do we really know those around us". Addie is a plucky character, with a good heart, who only wants for everyone to be happy, as she is now. But human nature being what it is, there are lies all around her, and sorting them out may put her in fatal danger. This is a fun page turner that is a quick read, that will leave you wanting to check out the other 3 books!

In this installment of the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series there is a fascinating closed room mystery that takes place in a mansion that is being sold with the contents being auctioned off. The contents include rare books and there Addie's expertise comes in handy as she helps her father's friend who has the auction contract. There is an excellent mood set with suspense and tension. I have an issue with Addie's relationships with others that confuses me at times. In that way she is not totally likable and I really want to completely like her. The romance issues, with new characters added are uncomfortable. I don't believe it is really resolved. I look forward to more, but this wasn't my favorite in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions express in this review are entirely my own.

Greyborne Harbor bookstore owner Addie Greyborne is excited to preview auction items at an estate sale on Hill Road. Ignoring stories from her friend Serena about the infamous house being haunted, Addie is excited to view an extensive library collection, including a rare proof copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel. Addie is also surprised to see her cousin Kalea Hudson perusing the book collection. Kalea has never shown an interest in antiques or old books, so why is she here at the auction preview? Addie also has a prickly encounter with appraiser Charlotte McAdams until she offers to help her with some last-minute appraisals.

But later, Addie finds Charlotte dead in the library in a locked-room scenario. The valuable proof copy of Doyle's novel has also gone missing, so are the two crimes linked? Addie is determined to find out.

This was another entertaining entry in the Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery series. The mystery plot was solid but the antagonistic interactions between Addie and others was a bit of a turn-off.

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

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.

Proof of Murder is the 4th book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. I enjoy the characters and the setting/backround of the series. It keeps me coming back each time I see a new book!

In this newest mystery, Addie Greybourne is seeking to add to the stock of rare and interesting books for shop, Beyond the Page Books & Curios. Her stock on hand in her rambling, inherited house, Greybourne Manor, is starting to thin out. So, she decides to attend a local auction. Her best friend tries to tell her not to go there -- the house is supposedly haunted and has a rather sinister reputation. But Addie goes....the call of rare and wonderful books is too strong to keep her away. When the dead body of one of the appraisers is discovered in the house, Addie finds herself trailing a killer.

Another great visit to Greyborne Harbor! I love reading about all the awesome books Addie finds and about the house, the town and the lovely side characters. These books are always a nice escape. Very entertaining cozies. I can't wait for the next book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

New England bookstore owner Addie Greyborne leaves her assistant Paige in charge of the store while she pays a visit to Hill Road House for an estate sale preview. She ignores rumors that the house is haunted to attend and ends up putting her rare book expertise to use by helping the unpleasant insurance adjuster appraise some of the books. Addie discovers a hidden gem but when she returns the next day for the sale, the library door is locked from the inside, the insurance adjuster is dead, and the valuable book is missing. When an overzealous member of law enforcement puts Addie in her crosshairs as the prime suspect for theft and murder, Addie must launch her own investigation to find the real killer and stay out of prison.

This book is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore mysteries, but the first I’ve read. Unfortunately this doesn’t appear to be a series that new readers can just jump in and enjoy. There are so many characters, many of whom have complicated backstories that are only touched on in this installment. At first, I tried to keep track of all the various supporting characters but finally gave up in order to get through the story. Things did get better when I focused only on Addie, her current boyfriend Simon, her ex-boyfriend Marc, her assistant Paige, and good friends Serena, and Catherine. That list of characters was more than enough to keep me busy and even with those characters, I didn’t figure out their full history. My favorite character is actually Catherine. She doesn’t play a large role, but I like the kind, soothing advice she gives to Addie.

Addie is able to uncover numerous potential suspects, but her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, a visiting FBI agent who is helping with the investigation, focus only on Addie right from the beginning. Marc had proposed marriage a couple months before but now he believes Addie could commit grand theft and murder. He and the agent are so hostile and unprofessional, it made a large part of the book unpleasant to read. Since I’m new to this author, I don’t know if Marc’s behavior is usual for him or if the negative tone is typical of this series, but it didn’t appeal to me.

The mystery itself is interesting and I like the references to real books at the estate sale and at Addie’s store. Addie has a tendency to act first and think about the consequences later, but she is still a likable main character. She does a great job discovering and putting together clues that the police overlook, and I enjoyed that part of the book. Hill Road House’s ghost story is intriguing and leaves enough teasing tidbits to be interesting even after most of it is explained. Fans of this series may have a completely different opinion of the book. However, as someone new to the series, even though I enjoyed parts of the book, I never fully connected with Addie or the story.

~ Christine

Addison Greyborne has become one of my favorite female sleuths. Proof of Murder is the fourth Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery, and most definitely my favorite. Addie once again finds herself inexplicably compelled to launch her own bit of investigation into a very bizarre locked room murder mystery. It complicates things a bit when she also becomes the main suspect in the eyes of Riley Brookes, a visiting investigator who has set her eyes on Addie’s friend and Chief of Police, Marc Chandler. Proof of Murder is a fast paced and engaging tale full of hauntings, rare books, secrets, and of course, romantic entanglements. Multiple mysteries remain unsolvable until the very end when Addie literally falls into some shocking evidence! Reading this book was a treat and I can’t wait for the next one!