UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER by Lauren Elliott

Addie Greyborne’s best friend, Serena Chandler, is getting married to Zach Ludlow! Unfortunately, the wedding itself if off to a rocky start. Serena’s future mother-in-law (and Zach’s stepmom), Veronica, has ignored every single request or desire for Serena’s wedding, turning the wedding plans into a high society occasion. Heck, the setting is even aboard Veronica and Oliver’s yacht! Fortunately, the yacht is still anchored in Greyborne, allowing Serena’s family and friends to fully participate. However, a dead body washes ashore the day of the wedding, while a second body is found the day after. Addie is determined to uncover the murderer, especially when one of the clues involves an Agatha Christie book.

UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER is the 6th book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore series. While the majority of the story is a stand-alone tale, some of the references to past relationships between the characters may have some readers preferring to read the series in order. Lauren Elliott provides all the necessary back history to fully appreciate the story, including the emotional angst involving several former love triangles. The ending has a couple tidbits for readers familiar with the series that will make you both cry and warm your heart at the same time.

One of the highlights of the Beyond the Page Bookstore series is that each book features a different collector book. UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER actually features several, although the Agatha Christie book is the main one mentioned and just happens to be one of the first books I read by Mrs. Christie. I love how Addie digs into the history of books and explains the details about what makes a book a collector’s item and how she distinguishes between a true edition and a fake. The part about books having a distinct smell surprised me a bit but learning new book facts is part of the fun of reading Lauren Elliott’s fabulous series!

I love Addie and her friends, and we got to spend a lot of time with them in UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER. Good thing, too, as Lauren Elliott also introduced us to a whole host of Veronica’s friends and employees and most of them are not the kind of people you want to be trapped on a yacht with for very long! Lauren Elliott throws us all sorts of red herrings, as almost everyone we meet seems capable of murder.

UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER is yet another fun visit with Addie and the other residents of Greyborne Harbor! Lauren Elliott’s engaging characters continue to delight even as they face hardships, danger, and even sorrow at times. I love the twist on books here as we visit the yacht’s library rather than our usual time at Addie’s bookstore, but oh is the visit well worth it! UNDER THE COVER OF MURDER is the perfect cozy mystery read for anyone who loves books!

Bookshop owner and maid of honor Addie Greyborne vows to catch the killer who crashed her best friend’s wedding . . .

It promises to be Greyborne Harbor’s wedding of the year. The impending nuptials of Serena Chandler and Zach Ludlow will take place aboard his family’s luxurious super-yacht, currently moored in the harbor and the talk of the town. But on the day of the wedding, a man’s body washes up on the beach with no ID, only a torn page from a book in his pocket. As owner of Beyond the Page Books and Curios, bibliophile Addie is called in to identify the book, but she cannot.

The morning following the extravagant ceremony, a second body washes ashore and Addie has a sinking feeling that the two deaths are connected. While the guests are held on the yacht as the police investigate, at least Addie can peruse Zach’s father’s rare books library on board. A copy of Agatha Christie’s first Hercule Poirot novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, provides a clue that the killer may still be on the ship—but narrowing down the suspects without becoming the next victim may prove a truly Herculean task . . .