With a Fire and Ice festival planned to extend the holiday season into January, this Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery instalment is full of energy. Come to Massachusetts, where snow, good humour and books are all to be found.  Greyborne Harbor is busy with plans and decorations. A PAGE MARKED FOR MURDER threatens to put a stop to celebrations.   

First, a lady of a certain age falls off a ladder while hanging flags. Gloria MacBride, volunteer event co-ordinator, lands in the snow and has to be taken to hospital. Addie Greyborne, her friend and owner of the local bookstore, agrees to care for Gloria’s small dog. This sparks a chain of events which escalate in seriousness. Fetching doggy items from Gloria’s house, Addie notices a first edition of The Secret Garden. Most of us would not, in our full senses, kill for a book, not even a rare or beloved book. But this book could be sold to collectors, so it takes on the semblance of a treasure for someone unknown. Before too long a man lies dead.  

Addie thought she already had her hands full. She’s decorating her store window to match the fascinating ice-carving contest, and finding book titles with either fire or ice to entice visitors. All the usual winter issues arise, besides which, one of her good friends is expecting a baby any day. She barely has time to dog-sit even so well behaved a little dog as Pippi the Yorkipoo, and now people expect her to help track down a murderer and a missing book. What’s a lady to do?

This is a packed story which explores the town and personal relationships, the nature of trust and avarice. Addie seems to be growing into her detecting status. She remains kind and only wants to help those she cares about, not to be nosey or outsmart police. I was impressed by the way she took such good care of the little lonely dog, and enjoyed Pippi’s company. However, the general dilemma of the cosy mystery author remains; if the sleuth stays working in her store, the clues must come to her, while if she goes sleuthing outdoors, she needs a capable assistant and not too much trade. This is the fifth tale exploring Greyborne Harbor so mystery fans who have read the earlier books may like to catch up with friends. Lauren Elliott has woven a few strange situations into A PAGE MARKED FOR MURDER, which may strike a chill into your heart with its wintry setting.

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