Dedication to Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #9)

by Lauren Elliott

Overview

A first edition of The Velveteen Rabbit provides bookshop owner Addie Greyborne a telling clue to a cold case in her family’s past . . .

Wedding bells are about to ring again in Greyborne Harbor, and as Addie slips into her white dress her thoughts are focused on a bright future with Dr. Simon Emerson. But a discovery in her attic leads her to startling revelations about the past. As the owner of Beyond the Page Books and Curios and a lifelong bibliophile, Addie is delighted to find a rare collection of classic children’s books gathering dust in a secret room beneath the rafters, including a first edition of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. To her surprise, a handwritten inscription on the title page provides a clue to unraveling a complex mystery in Addie’s family . . .

But that’s only the first surprise in a series of shocking twists that will turn Addie’s vision of where her life is going and where she’s come from upside down—including a suspicious death in the present that suggests foul play.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496735140
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	04/25/2023
Series:	Beyond the Page Bookstore Series , #9
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Lauren Elliott is the USA Today bestselling author of the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series. She grew up devouring Nancy Drew, graduated to Agatha Christie, and then began writing her own mysteries, as well as bringing her passion for storytelling to careers in professional theater and journalism. She can be found online at LaurenElliottAuthor.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries


“Literary allusions, like to Daphne du Maurier’s Mrs. Danvers, abound, Tony’s late grandmother’s mansion was built during the Gilded Age, the poison that killed Luella “may” have been discussed at the local garden club—A Margin for Murder really does have it all. A delightfully dogged heroine and an enjoyable cast of characters make this another winner for Lauren Elliot.” —Criminal Element on A Margin for Murder

“Plenty of specialized knowledge, local color, and romance.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Margin for Murder

“Her highly organized approach to sleuthing will be a hit with cozy fans who like a strong emphasis on the puzzle.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Page Marked for Murder
 
"This lighthearted, wintertime mystery [is] the perfect story to pair with hot cocoa and a night spent curled up on the sofa." —FIRST for Women on Murder in the First Edition
 
“With a quirky heroine, a lovely setting and a literary crime, this is a story that will intrigue cozy readers.” —The Parkersburg News & Sentinel on Prologue to Murder

“The plot twists bring surprises and an ever-changing suspect list that kept me on my toes…I highly recommend this novel, and this series!” —TheOpenBookSociety.com on Murder in the First Edition
 
“A well-delineated cast of characters and plenty of information about rare books enhance the story.” —Booklist on Under the Cover of Murder

From the Publisher

2023-03-28
A shocking surprise disrupts a bookseller’s wedding.

Standing at the altar waiting for the minister to pronounce you and your groom man and wife probably isn’t anyone’s preferred time or place to learn that the man you're about to wed is still married to someone else. But Addie Greyborne did have to recognize, however grudgingly, that Valerie Price’s eleventh-hour announcement that Simon Emerson was still legally married to Valerie’s niece, Laurel Hill, saved her from entering unknowingly into a bigamous union. Still, Addie’s gratitude does not extend to mourning Valerie’s death days later. Not does it extend, at first, to using her considerable sleuthing skills to solve Valerie’s murder. Taking time off from her store, Beyond the Page Books and Curios in Greyborne Harbor, Massachusetts, Addie spends her days grieving the loss of Simon and prowling the house her great-aunt Anita left her for mementos of her benefactor. When she finds an unworn wedding dress in the attic among all the boxes of books, she decides that’s the puzzle she wants to probe. It isn’t until her good friend Marc, a detective on the local police force, asks for her help that she admits she might be able to handle two investigations at once. Working out two simultaneous puzzles teaches Addie a lot about herself and proves to be just the tonic she needs to cope with the shock of a lifetime.

Detection as therapy, while not exactly new, proves highly effective.

Kirkus Reviews