Well, it’s that time again – time to once again highlight one of the most recommended Cozy Mysteries by you, the site readers. This month I’ll be reading Lauren Elliott‘s Murder By the Book, the first entry in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series. This is a fairly new series, starting in 2018, but already has 10 entries. So it’s definitely a fast-paced release schedule of a modern Cozy series – something I really appreciate considering how many series tend to fizzle out at around 3ish entries!
Anyway… this particular entry starts with Addison (Addie) Greyborne, starting a new chapter in her life, opening her new business – “Beyond the Page-Books & Curios.” As with so many Cozy sleuths, she’s retiring to a small town, (in this case, a small seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor) from a series of disappointments in the big city (in this case, Boston). She’s had a string of deaths in her family – her fiance, killed in what appeared to be a robbery a year ago, her father, killed in a car crash six months ago, and her great-aunt three months ago. This last case was as much a blessing as a curse, as she hadn’t even known she had a great-aunt, but inherited enough money to retire from her job as assistant curator of acquisitions at the Boston Public Library to open up a small bookstore as a semi-retirement.
Unfortunately, her first day opening doesn’t go terribly well either – she almost gets hit by a car, then someone tries to break into the back room with a crowbar, only to be chased off by a neighboring shop owner, then while she’s distracted checking on the damage and cleaning up, some of her books are scattered on the floor, and an apparently low-value copy of Alice in Wonderland stolen. Additionally, the name of the town and Addie’s own last name isn’t a coincidence – the Greybornes founded the town, and most of the residents thought her aunt was the last Greyborne until she showed up for the inheritance, and some seem more welcoming than others. Even some of the more welcoming residents start mentioning things like ‘legacies’ when they learn she’s a Greyborne. When someone breaks into her home, it quickly becomes clear it isn’t a coincidence. When her first friend she made in town – one of her neighboring shopkeepers who helped her get through the string of bizarre occurrences – for the murder of another store owner, she feels that there both might be a connection and that she has to investigate.
As with most modern Cozy series, this one has a theme connected to it – the rather-universal theme that just about any Cozy readers should love, of books. It also has plenty of small-town charm and interactions between the local shopkeepers. If you’re looking for a solid modern Cozy with a light theming of books, then Murder By the Book is a solid choice.
As always, if you want to read more of these brief discussions of some of the more popular Cozy Mystery Series that I’ve written in the past, you can find them at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page.
Corky S says
This is one of my favorite series. I always look forward to the next one and I try not to read it immediately so I have it to look forward to. Would highly recommend the series. Enjoy!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Corky, I’m glad to hear that there are other fans of this series on the site!
Karen Simpson says
I have enjoyed this series more than most…well….books and Sherlock! That aside, the characters change, grow and there is definitely no plot stagnation. The twist in these later books has thrown all of her readers into surprise, which is wonderful for the reader.
I highly encourage this new series and am, myself, really looking forward to the next episodes in Addie’s life.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, I’m glad to hear that the characters manage to change and adapt over time – that can be one of my big complaints about a lot of Cozy series, which tend toward static characters.
Shirley says
I have started the series. I am on book #6.i have found another favorite author. I think you all will enjoy this book.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Shirley, I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying this one!
Ainee Beland says
Hello,
I have finished reading The Rhyme of the Magpie by Marty Wingate, and it was an enjoyable read with a very slow start that picked up after about five chapters; well, it grew on me, and I even ended up rating it a five-star read. It’s weird for me to do that as a reviewer who is not very good. Anyhow, it went as such:
From the publisher—
With her personal life in disarray, Julia Lanchester feels she has no option but to quit her job on her father’s hit BBC Two nature show, A Bird in the Hand. Accepting a tourist management position in Smeaton-under-Lyme, a quaint village in the English countryside, Julia throws herself into her new life, delighting sightseers (and a local member of the gentry) with tales of ancient Romans and pillaging Vikings.
—————-
What did I like about this read?
Julia is a likable woman and she’s making some critical changes in her life. We find by the end of this story, Julia is happy with where she is at; not wanting to return to working for her father, but staying on to make good on what she’d tried to accomplish in this new town with her employer Earl Linus Fotheringill, who rides in town on his bicycle with a helmet. Julia refers to him as his Lordship, but he prefers to go by Linus… ‘none of that now’.
The start was slow, took up speed several long chapters inward, and it got lovelier and lovelier, rounding with the failed “Power to the People” slogan and tactic, sending their Executive Woodcock and his groupies packing. It’s nice to have friends when in need.—Sardinian warbler, even, made a showing, revealing him to the twitchers, and birdwatchers alike.—This was a gem of a read!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ainee, thanks for the review! I’ll have to consider taking a look at one of her series some time.
Hanna says
I just finished reading the book and I thought it was a bit convoluted. The story was interesting and moved at a fast pace but many people kept coming and going. Even the final solution had too many parts, which, unless one is interested in the area of rare books made it for me hard to follow and appreciate
I was taken a back at the beginning, Chapter two, when Addie commented to her new friend that “it helped having a friend who is related to the investigating officer.” How did she know? She is new in town and just met her next door store owner.
I will give the second book in the series a chance, though.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hanna, that did stand out to me too – it almost feels like there is a chapter missing there where she initially speaks with officer about the first odd unusual event.