To the Tome of Murder by Lauren Elliott

 To the Tome of Murder

Book Summary

Three weeks before Thanksgiving, bookshop owner Addie Greyborne already has a full plate—and a killer on her case...

Addie’s determined to turn a seemingly ordinary November in coastal Greyborne Harbor into one for the books. The windows of her shop display carefully curated works by American writers, including a rare selection of traditional holiday recipes from the influential 19th-century publication Godey’s Ladies Magazine. And then there’s the town’s Civil War-era themed cooking and baking competition, with a hefty cash prize and free publicity going to the winning dish...

But when she finds her cousin’s boyfriend murdered, a stunned Addie reluctantly realizes she may be the only person who can blow the cover off a grisly crime. With so many unanswered questions surrounding the victim’s death, Addie must figure out the strange connection between a mysterious vintage briefcase, the disappearance of a first edition copy of Sarah Josepha Hale’s famous nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and a dangerously well-read culprit. . .

My Thoughts

Addie Greyborne is preparing the bookshop for Thanksgiving and the upcoming annual Make It and Bake It Food Market cooking and baking competition.  The theme for the competition is authentic Civil War Thanksgiving dinner dishes and desserts.  Addie gets a distressed call from her cousin, Kalea which has her rushing to the dress shop.  Addie finds a crying Kalea and Kalea’s boyfriend, Jared Munroe dead in the dress shop.  Unfortunately, evidence points to Kalea as the guilty party.  Addie has more questions than answers regarding Jared’s death.  Addie needs to work quickly if she is going to prove her cousin’s innocence and unmask the true killer.  

To the Tome of Murder by Lauren Elliott is the seventh A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery.  I suggest starting with Murder by the Book which will give you Addie Greyborne’s background.  I thought To the Tome of Murder contained good writing and the story moved along at a steady tempo.  My main problem with the series is Addie Greyborne.  She is not the most likeable character nor her cousin, Kalea (I am not a fan of her at all). Addie acts like she is entitled to information on the case from the police and she treats Marc terribly (Police Chief Marc Chandler is lucky to have escaped Addie’s clutches).  Addie does not take it well when no one from the force will share details with her.  Kalea is a snake in the grass who I would not trust with my boyfriend or husband.   I like Addie’s assistant manager, Paige Stringer.  She is a friendly woman who does a wonderful job at the bookstore.  I enjoyed the Civil War themed cooking competition (very original) and learning more about Sarah Josepha Hale.  Sarah was a remarkable woman who has several key accomplishments.  The whodunit is straightforward.  I found there to be a lack of suspects which made the guilty party stand out.  I kept hoping for a twist so I would be surprised.  The reveal answers any lingering questions regarding the crime.   I would have liked more action in the book to give it a little more pep.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Greyborne Harbor.  They really bring the scenery alive.  To the Tome of Murder will have you craving Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings with the Civil War culinary competition, the slain suitor, a crying cousin, beautiful bookmarks and bookends, an unendurable expert, and a curious crime.

To the Tome of Murder is available from Amazon* (available through Kindle Unlimited).  The other novels in A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery are Murder by the Book, Prologue to Murder, Murder in the First Edition, Proof of Murder, A Page Marked for Murder, and Under the Cover of Murder.  All the books in this series can be borrowed through Kindle Unlimited.  The next A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery is A Margin for Murder which publishes April 26.  You can follow Lauren Elliott on Amazon to receive updates on her latest releases.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I will return tomorrow with my thoughts on A Deadly Bone to Pick by Peggy Rothschild which releases February 22.  I hope that you have a joyful day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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