annieb123's Review of A Margin for Murder (Bookstore Mystery, #8)

by Lauren Elliott

In the riveting new mystery from the USA Today bestselling author, a murder and a missing first edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses send rare bookstore owner Addie Greyborne on an investigation to challenge even the most distinguished of bibliophiles…

Addie leaves her Greyborne Harbor bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios, in the capable hands of her assistant while she travels to the neighboring town of Pen Hollow to attend a book sale at a library that is closing due to lack of funding. But the real find is a bookmobile bus, which she’s excited to refit as a traveling bookstore to hit all the summer festivals. The bookmobile also holds a surprising treasure: several classic first editions and an early edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses.

But before the bookmobile can be delivered to Addie, a fatal car crash occurs. When an autopsy reveals poison in the victim’s system and the first editions go missing, it’s up to Addie to determine what would drive someone to murder. If she’s not careful, however, she may be the next one to be dead on arrival . . .

“Plenty of specialized knowledge, local color, and romance.”— Kirkus

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Margin for Murder is the 8th cozy bookshop mystery by Lauren Elliott. Released 26th April 2022 by Kensington, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, as are the earlier books in the series.

All of the mysteries in this series are self contained and as such work well enough as standalones. The characters' interrelationships have developed over the course of the books, so there will be some missing backstory, but the author is adept at giving the necessary information, so readers who choose to pick up this one first won't likely experience any problems with keeping the story straight.

For lovers of very light bookstore cozies with romance/drama, it's a good fit.The author is adept and prolific and the book is peppered with background info about bookselling, books, and general insider knowledge about the writing and publishing industry.

All in all, it's a diverting and readable cozy mystery with a whimsical ensemble cast. Some of the plot setups and developments are a bit over the top, but I strongly suspect that's a big part of why bookshop cozies are wildly popular. A strong suspension of disbelief is required. The language and content are chaste and perfectly safe for commute or work reading.

Four stars. The author is a talented and capable storyteller, and almost everyone loves bookstore cozies.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

15 December, 2022: Started reading

15 December, 2022: Finished reading

15 December, 2022: Reviewed