Epilogue to a Christmas Murder
Beyond the Page Mysteries #11
By Lauren Elliott
ISBN 9781496753342
Author’s website: laurenelliottauthor.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
As bookstore owner Addie Greyborne shares the loving lesson of The Gift of the Magi, the spirit of the season falls prey to a thief and a killer . . .
There’s no place like the seaside Massachusetts town of Greyborne Harbor for the holidays, and there’s no better feeling for Addie than donating to the lighthouse museum’s Twelve Days of Christmas charity fundraiser. Of the dozen books she’ll be offering as prizes from her Beyond the Page Books and Curios shop, the most special volume is a first edition of The Gift of the Magi imported from England—signed by O. Henry! Addie receives an unexpected Christmas bonus when the book is hand delivered by visiting Detective Inspector Noah Parker, whom she met in England, and has been daydreaming about ever since.
But on the night Addie delivers the book to the museum, someone posing as one of Santa’s Little Helpers swipes it—and the rest of the charity gifts. As if the theft wasn’t bad enough, a body is found on the rocks outside the lighthouse, believed to be murdered. Now, it’s up to Addie to connect the clues, find stolen goods, and catch a killer—in order to usher in a Happy New Year . . . (From Goodreads)
Review:
As this is the final cozy mystery in the series, I wanted to savor it, which is difficult in this fast-paced mystery! It is almost Christmas, with the added joy of a friend’s Christmas Day wedding.
A Twelve Days of Christmas fundraiser for the lighthouse museum is scheduled. Stores throughout Greyborne Harbor donated many goods and services for each day’s winning ticket. Addie committed to donating twelve special books. She awaits the arrival of the rare, collectible book from the bookstore she worked at in England during her extended visit.
Addie has been back in town for several months. She went to visit an old school friend who lives in England, who knew of the two recent, significant events that changed the course of her life. Addie loved England and made several new friends. She liked the job she had there, and even helped solve a murder, to the chagrin of the lead detective on the case.
Addie was stunned when Noah, the British detective, entered her bookshop with a parcel for her! He delivered the rare, classic, first edition by O. Henry just in time for the fundraiser. Noah was going to New York City for Christmas, something his late wife had wanted to do. Her murder had destroyed his promise to take her there one day. A snowstorm blew in, however, and the highway to NYC was closed. He got a room at the B&B until the people who reserved it arrived, stuck on the other side of the storm.
Addie drove through the near-whiteout to deliver the books to the lighthouse museum. Deanna, the museum curator, insisted she bring them that day. In the museum lobby, Addie met a short man in an elf suit, working on the gifts. He said Deanna had left early. Addie offered to help him finish the packages. He sent her to a storage room for something. She ran into Trevor, Deanna’s assistant, and they went into the lobby to discover every last one of the gifts, including her books, gone, along with the elf. Deanna, however, was there, and had been in a meeting. Robbed by an elf thief!
The following morning, an unidentified man was found dead, on the rocks at the base of the cliff below the museum. Until the medical examiner saw the body, it was thought he died of natural causes. Later, they learned that he was murdered, and he was Chad Sanders, the extremely abusive ex-husband of Nikki, her assistant and housemate. Nikki is also a cousin of Addie’s best friend, Serena. Nikki became the primary suspect due to the number of calls between their phones, even though Nikki refused to see him.
Nikki is also the cousin of Addie’s ex-boyfriend and police chief, Marc. Because of their familial relationship, Marc was taken off the case. In an unusual twist, at Marc’s suggestion, Noah, as a Detective Inspector, was hired as a consultant to the police department to lead the murder investigation. Addie will do whatever it takes to find the real killer, as will Marc, on “official leave”. Addie, Marc, and Noah worked together on the cases, and Noah withheld confidential information. The mayor was eager for an arrest, even if they had only circumstantial evidence on Nikki. He wanted to be re-elected in the upcoming elections.
The characters are charming and engaging. Every new series release was like visiting old friends. The regulars have grown and changed through the series, and are more than adequately defined.
When Addie returned from England, she found that her closest friends had moved on with their lives, and she couldn’t quite fit in. Her bookstore manager ran it so well in her absence that she feels unnecessary. While much of her focus in this novel is on the crimes, it has also been a retrospective of sorts. Her grief brought me to tears more than once; she is the character I have felt closest to in the series.
There were twists and turns throughout, but one of the worst twists was when the murder weapon was found with Nikki’s prints on it. This mystery, one of Lauren Elliott’s best, was finely plotted and executed. I highly recommend this mystery to those who appreciate well-written cozy mysteries with a dash of possible romance and a delightful New England Christmas setting.
