A Limited Edition Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery, #10), by Lauren Elliott

 

Publication May 21, 2024

Addie's temporary move to England has been restorative but hardly uneventful. She's enjoying her time working for Reginald Pressman, of course, at the Second Chance Books and Bindery shop in West Yorkshire. She's made friends and is feeling comfortable there. Yet, she's also fretting about her decision to return home and her own bookshop, Beyond the Page Books. That hasn't been an easy decision for her. She's a bit of a mother hen type and can't help worrying about Jasper's hopeless crush on Hillary, who is set to marry Addie's successful author friend Tony soon. Then there's a growing worry about Reginald's health and finances. Are his rare book buying sprees putting him in financial trouble? There's also the worry hanging over her that while she thinks she's recovered from the shock of discovering only moments before she said "I do" to Simon that he had a child and then felt responsible for trying to help the mother and maybe make a life with her for the child. Addie flew off to England to mend her broken heart and sort out where she was going from there. 

But, sometimes you can't shake ol' habits. Like stumbling over dead bodies. That's when her planned return to the States takes a backseat to her best laid plans. Toss in the little matter of the valuable necklace that has gone missing and a stolen book and, well, it gets complicated. And, that's just the modern day mystery. She's also caught up in trying to help Reginald Pressman find out what happened to his much loved daughter Molly so many years ago. And, whoa, there's a missing necklace involved there, too? And, double whoa, more missing books, lives upended, and family secrets buried deep. Lauren Elliott is a master at creating characters who we will like and find realistic and empathize with. Hearts broken and maybe mended, emotional moments, and friendships, new and old. It's all there, plus, hmm, a very intriguing potential romance....but, Addie's plan is to return home. Isn't it? Maybe....

Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've enjoyed Addie from the beginning and while I thought I'd have trouble embracing her life in England, I felt just as at home with her new surroundings and friends as back home. Now, true, the brief visit by Serena and Paige helped but, hey, Noah Parker was far more interesting. Grin. That's all the hints I'm giving. You won't regret reading this book, not to mention the entire series. I'm psyched to find out where Addie goes, both physically and emotionally, from here. She's had a rough road in the past but, hmm, her like-a-brother love for Marc may have met its romantic British match, so to speak. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing - -#KensingtonCozies for giving me an early peek at Addie's current world and letting me meet all her new friends. What can I say? I'm a sucker for cozies set in England, especially when books and more books are involved.

Dedication to Murder (A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Book 9), by Lauren Elliott

 

Publication April 25, 2023

Wow, I didn't see this coming. I loved that the book started with Addie, already dressed in her wedding gown, stopping at the bookstore to find dog Pippa's favorite stuffed bear, Baxter. It gave a sweet, light feel to the story, one that quickly changed however. Never mind that Simon, the groom-to-be, made her feel like all was right with the world, not to mention believe in Camelot and fairy tales, he's.....already married? And, there's more.

I definitely won't spoil the plot for you but will say that author Lauren Elliott just keeps getting better and better, her stories stronger and stronger, with layers of content and character. Check out her use of rain/raindrops to help convey the mood post wedding fiasco. Also, although bad me, I didn't jot it down at the time, her line comparing Addie's brain fog and inability to shake off the deep emotions dredged up by the wedding failure to dust mites floating in the air as Martha and she set out to clean out her attic as a diversion and, thus, discovers another mystery, stuck with me. Actually, there is more than one mystery to this story, one very old, threads that Elliott skillfully weaves into the plot to bring them all to a satisfactory conclusion at the end. 

Actually, satisfactory might be the wrong term as Addie, despite having regained her equilibrium at the end, is still searching for solid ground to move forward. We're happy for her but curious about what will happen, just as her friends are. And, just as at the beginning, while preoccupied with a jumble of feelings, she worries about dog Pippa's reaction to some of her decisions, too. 

Bottom line, this book (and the entire series) is a winner. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for the wedding invite. I'm already pondering what the future will bring for Addie.

Steeped in Secrets (A Crystals & CuriosiTEAS Mystery), by Lauren Elliott

 

Publication November 20, 2022

Wow. There is so much going on in this intro to a new series that I don't know where to start. I started out simply reading, no notes, but found myself grabbing a pen and paper at one point because there were so many different potential mysteries that I couldn't keep that straight. It speaks to author Lauren Elliott's talent that this only drew me into the story more, determined to figure out who did what, when, where, and why, and how the heck Shayleigh (Shay) Myers was connected to it all. I'm normally not particularly drawn to what I'll call magical or fantasy type stories but this one had me hooked, although I do wish a bit more explanation had been provided upfront regarding Shay's talents. I'm leaning toward that being intentional, however, as Shay herself seemed to be confused as she grappled with her sensory talents and how best to utilize them.

So, what happened to Bridget? Did she drown or was it murder? How or even is her death connected to the dead body found on the greenhouse roof? Why did she leave the business and cottage to Shay anyway? Do we know the real story of what happened to Shay and Jen's parents? How does Spirit know what he, well, seems to sense and know? How is some robbery in Shay's former business place connected? Why is Pierre hanging around? How did the sheriff, Burrows, overlook clues? Could he be the killer? How does Liam fit into the whole picture? Will Shay's magical pouch do it's work? Is Julia, the realtor guilty of anything except for wanting to make a big sale? 

And, oh, "a chara".... enough teasers. "A chara" means "my friend in Gaelic, by the way. There is a great deal to unpack from this book, the first in a new series. I'm already looking forward to the next book, especially after that ominous teaser near the end. Putting it on my MUST read list right now, just as you should be putting this one on your TBR list. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonPress, not to mention #LaurenElliott for the fantastic trip into the suddenly magical life of Shay.