Proof of Murder

Lauren Elliott

Apr 2020 · A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Book 4 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

Bookshop owner Addie Greyborne must solve a locked-room murder in a supposedly haunted mansion to recover a priceless Sherlock Holmes original . . .
 
The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions—even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
 
But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate's private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it's a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She's certain the death and the robbery are connected—but who, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It's up to Addie to find the key to the crime—before she's the next one cornered by a killer . . .
 
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Ratings and reviews

Proof of Murder is the fourth in this series, but I can happily say if one has not read any of the others, one will not feel as if they are lost. The author does a good job of making sure the reader knows the characters well enough to be able to follow along with the plot. The plot revolves around murder of a woman insurance appraiser who was inside a locked room, with the windows pretty much sealed. Addie Greybourne and her cousin were one of the last ones in the room, and Addie is also one who had been appraising some rare books; one such book was worth around a hundred and fifty thousand dollars...a rare Sherlock Holmes story. Addie is shocked to find she is on the short list for the theft of some of the rare books, and even more shocked that the one accusing her is her former boyfriend. As Addie searches for clues to help clear her name, she is also faced with the fact that the mansion that was the site of the thefts may also be haunted. Local legends has her doubting her skepticism; especially when she believes she herself has seen a ghost. The story had some tension, and red herrings that had me pushing towards the end with both anticipation, and dread, not sure if I wanted to know what happens next, but also anxious to find out who did it. My emotions were taken for an exciting ride as I read this book, turning each page with heart pumping exhilaration. I have to admit to also feeling some pretty strong feelings towards her former boyfriend, and they were not the positive kind. But, that says something about the writing by this author that she could produce such feelings from me towards a fictional character. I also really enjoyed the main character, and her new boyfriend, and look forward to a future book that continues the relationship. I do not know how the previous books portrayed them, but then, I guess I will just have to research that in the previous novels. I will probably be spending some of my book money on this author’s three other books in the series. In the meantime, I recommend this book for those who are cozy mystery fans as it has all the right elements. It has good strong characters, especially the female protagonist, and a mystery that has you guessing, but also realizing you had all the clues once the final reveal is there.

About the author

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