Charlie M. (bookaddicted) -
Helpful Score: 1
This isn't a terrible book but it is also not a great book. There is potential here if the author can pull it together and not try so hard to cram so much into future installments and gives her characters a bit more depth. I found Addie to be somewhat annoying.... in part be cause the author has her being a little immature in ways. I get that in many cozies the protagonist is headstrong and often goes off on their own to investigate. But, Addie argues with the police chief and just pushes her way in....which is also a defect in his character. He practically goes "Awww, shucks, Addie....of course you can come to crime scenes and sure I'll tell you confidential information"....because there is a romantic spark between them. Yet, even that is a point of conflict. One moment Addie is flirty and ready to give in to a kiss and the next she is no, no....I'm not over my deceased fiance.
Too much is wrapped up in this first installment...and it may have been better to let a few things linger for future books. It was almost as if the author felt she had to get every thought and plot point into this book....like using every spice in the cabinet called for or not.
I'll try the next book but if Ms. Elliot doesn't improve on her character development or pacing I can't see myself reading past book two. (To be fair.....she may have needed a better editor)
Too much is wrapped up in this first installment...and it may have been better to let a few things linger for future books. It was almost as if the author felt she had to get every thought and plot point into this book....like using every spice in the cabinet called for or not.
I'll try the next book but if Ms. Elliot doesn't improve on her character development or pacing I can't see myself reading past book two. (To be fair.....she may have needed a better editor)
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 1
Lauren Elliott's first Beyond the Page Bookstore mystery is a promising beginning. Addie Greyborne has been touched with altogether too much tragedy, but she's also been touched with an overdue sprinkling of fairy dust. The great-aunt she never knew was a rich woman, and now Addie can have her dream bookshop and live in an old Victorian house that's filled with first editions and other treasures that provide stock for her store. She's well-qualified to run such a business since she worked in the rare editions department of the Boston Public Library as well as the British Museum in London.
There is an excellent mystery in Murder by the Book: missing keys, Addie's shop and house being broken into, the local merchant being killed, secret panels, secret compartments, secret rooms... It was a pleasure to attempt to figure out what was going on. However, there are some annoying aspects to this book as well.
Murder by the Book tries to do too much for a first book in the series. The mystery is a complex one, and it is overshadowed by all the relationship building Addie does. She becomes immediate best friends with Serena, who owns the tea shop next-door. She hires a stranger off the street on her intuition alone, not even performing the most perfunctory background check. And then there's the budding romance with the local chief of police (who is also Serena's brother). This first book would have been improved if all this relationship stuff had been paired with a less complex mystery. This plot could then have followed in book two.
Other annoyances involve both writing and one particular character. In her writing, too many of Elliott's characters "huff," "puff," tap their toes or cross their arms across their chests and glare at someone. Not only did this make me want to hand everyone an asthma inhaler, I also felt as though I were reading about a group of reality TV divas. And then there's Martha, the crone in the bakery. Everyone tells Addie that Martha is always grumpy and never likes anyone. If she's always that hateful, how can she still be in business? No one ever says that her baking is ambrosia. Even her main complaint against Addie doesn't hold water. However-- if you ever need anyone to arm the villagers with pitchforks and flaming torches for a march on Frankenstein's castle, trust me, Martha is the perfect choice.
Even though Murder by the Book contains an excellent mystery and a likable main character, it is overshadowed by relationships and romance. Since I prefer my mysteries to focus on the mystery and not on the romance, I doubt that I'll continue with this series.
There is an excellent mystery in Murder by the Book: missing keys, Addie's shop and house being broken into, the local merchant being killed, secret panels, secret compartments, secret rooms... It was a pleasure to attempt to figure out what was going on. However, there are some annoying aspects to this book as well.
Murder by the Book tries to do too much for a first book in the series. The mystery is a complex one, and it is overshadowed by all the relationship building Addie does. She becomes immediate best friends with Serena, who owns the tea shop next-door. She hires a stranger off the street on her intuition alone, not even performing the most perfunctory background check. And then there's the budding romance with the local chief of police (who is also Serena's brother). This first book would have been improved if all this relationship stuff had been paired with a less complex mystery. This plot could then have followed in book two.
Other annoyances involve both writing and one particular character. In her writing, too many of Elliott's characters "huff," "puff," tap their toes or cross their arms across their chests and glare at someone. Not only did this make me want to hand everyone an asthma inhaler, I also felt as though I were reading about a group of reality TV divas. And then there's Martha, the crone in the bakery. Everyone tells Addie that Martha is always grumpy and never likes anyone. If she's always that hateful, how can she still be in business? No one ever says that her baking is ambrosia. Even her main complaint against Addie doesn't hold water. However-- if you ever need anyone to arm the villagers with pitchforks and flaming torches for a march on Frankenstein's castle, trust me, Martha is the perfect choice.
Even though Murder by the Book contains an excellent mystery and a likable main character, it is overshadowed by relationships and romance. Since I prefer my mysteries to focus on the mystery and not on the romance, I doubt that I'll continue with this series.
Kristina A. reviewed Murder by the Book (Beyond the Page Bookstore, Bk 1) on + 1528 more book reviews
Murder by the Book by Lauren Elliott is the debut novel in A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery. Addie Greyborne has had a rough year with the murder of her fiancé and the death of her father. Thanks to an inheritance from her great aunt, Anita Greyborne, Addie has relocated to Greyborne Harbor and is ready to open Beyond the Page Books & Curios. Opening day begins by Addie almost getting run over by a black sedan. After opening the bookshop, she meets Serena Chandler who owns SerenaTEA next door. The day spirals out of control when someone uses a distraction to steal a 1961 copy of Alice in Wonderland. Late that night, Addie awakens to a noise and finds that someone has broken into her home. Several of the rooms have been ransacked but Addie has no clue what the thieves are after. When her shop suffers another break in, the local shop owners are less than pleased with Addie. The next day there is a commotion outside Fielding's Department Store involving Serena. She has been arrested for murdering Blain Fielding. Addie uses her keen eye for detail and sleuthing skills from tracking down rare books and artwork to expose the guilty party behind this nefarious plot. Can Addie clear Serena of the murder charges? Come along for the investigation in Murder by the Book.
Murder by the Book is a book full of action. It starts off with a bang with a car almost running down Addie. Addie has lost her fiancé, father and a great aunt in one year. She leaves her job at the Boston Public Library to start over in Greyborne Harbor. In her new home, Greyborne Manor she discovers numerous books which gives her the idea to open a used bookstore. Then someone starts breaking into her home and shop. We are left wondering what the thieves are trying to locate. Then there is the murder and slowly more details are revealed. The mystery is complex yet simple at the same time. There are hidden rooms, rare books, a secret staircase, a black sedan, and unknown thieves. Some details/clues are provided as the story progresses, but others come to light just before the reveal with the remainder explained at the end. I would have liked more clues interspersed throughout the book to allow a reader to play sleuth along with Addie (the best part of a mystery is solving it). Most readers, though, will have no problem identifying the guilty party. Addie quickly becomes friends with Serena and her new employee, Paige. I thought the relationships developed too quickly. It seems Serena became Addie's instant friend and she trusts Paige despite her disagreeable mother. For some reason, the bakery owner, Martha has taken a disliking to Addie. We are not given Martha's last name, the name of her establishment or why she dislikes Addie. Actually, very little information is provided on Greyborne Harbor. Addie has been in town three months and seems to have met no one. A prequel to the series would have been beneficial or the author should have started the series with Addie receiving her inheritance. I loved the description of Addie's Queen Anne Victorian. It sounds beautiful inside and out (period details with antique furnishing including a desk with hidden compartments). I would like to know more about Addie (her growing up years). I appreciated her enthusiasm for books and knowledge of rare books. I hope the author lets the romance build slowly between Addie and Marc especially since Addie is not over her fiancé. I enjoyed reading Murder by the Book. It captured and held my interest which few books have done recently. My rating for Murder by the Book is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I thought it was a delightful beginning to A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, and I look forward to reading Prologue to Murder.
Murder by the Book is a book full of action. It starts off with a bang with a car almost running down Addie. Addie has lost her fiancé, father and a great aunt in one year. She leaves her job at the Boston Public Library to start over in Greyborne Harbor. In her new home, Greyborne Manor she discovers numerous books which gives her the idea to open a used bookstore. Then someone starts breaking into her home and shop. We are left wondering what the thieves are trying to locate. Then there is the murder and slowly more details are revealed. The mystery is complex yet simple at the same time. There are hidden rooms, rare books, a secret staircase, a black sedan, and unknown thieves. Some details/clues are provided as the story progresses, but others come to light just before the reveal with the remainder explained at the end. I would have liked more clues interspersed throughout the book to allow a reader to play sleuth along with Addie (the best part of a mystery is solving it). Most readers, though, will have no problem identifying the guilty party. Addie quickly becomes friends with Serena and her new employee, Paige. I thought the relationships developed too quickly. It seems Serena became Addie's instant friend and she trusts Paige despite her disagreeable mother. For some reason, the bakery owner, Martha has taken a disliking to Addie. We are not given Martha's last name, the name of her establishment or why she dislikes Addie. Actually, very little information is provided on Greyborne Harbor. Addie has been in town three months and seems to have met no one. A prequel to the series would have been beneficial or the author should have started the series with Addie receiving her inheritance. I loved the description of Addie's Queen Anne Victorian. It sounds beautiful inside and out (period details with antique furnishing including a desk with hidden compartments). I would like to know more about Addie (her growing up years). I appreciated her enthusiasm for books and knowledge of rare books. I hope the author lets the romance build slowly between Addie and Marc especially since Addie is not over her fiancé. I enjoyed reading Murder by the Book. It captured and held my interest which few books have done recently. My rating for Murder by the Book is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I thought it was a delightful beginning to A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, and I look forward to reading Prologue to Murder.
