Epilogue to a Christmas Murder is a charming and festive addition to the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries series by Lauren Elliott. Addie Greyborne’s generous gift of a first edition of The Gift of the Magi to a charity fundraiser for the lighthouse museum is stolen, along with the other donations, but the discovery of a body on the rocks outside the lighthouse overshadows the theft.

Addie has returned home to Massachusetts from England, but is finding it difficult to fit in after everyone around her is moving on with their lives. She tries to return to business as usual at her bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios, where she helps her friend Paige rein in her controlling mother, and generously donates The Gift of the Magi to the Lighthouse Museum’s Twelve Days of Christmas charity. The donation of the signed O.  Henry book is hand-delivered, to her surprise, by the handsome Inspector Noah Parker, whom she met while in England.

A snowstorm causes a delay in departure for Noah and a delay in the delivery of her donation. Addie arrives at the museum, finding a strange man dressed as an elf sorting through the donations. Thinking he is a volunteer, she leaves the book with him and goes in search of the museum director, Deanna, to let her know it was delivered, mentioning seeing the elf. At Deanna’s alarm regarding the mysterious elf, they hurriedly return to the museum to find that everything is gone without a trace.

The next day, Addie’s friend arrives at the bookstore, excited to give her the latest gossip. Addie assumes it is about the theft, but is surprised to learn that a body was found on the rocks outside the lighthouse. When the murder victim is named, Noah is brought into the investigation in an official capacity. And when a close friend becomes the prime suspect in the murder, Addie is drawn into the investigation herself, determined to uncover the truth.

This mystery kept me at a loss until the end, which I enjoyed. Nothing is worse than figuring out the killer early on and waiting for the main character to catch up. The secondary romance storyline with Noah adds a spark of romantic tension, but thankfully never overshadows the core mystery. Even as the eleventh book in the series, I didn’t feel lost; the characters are well-established, but new readers can easily jump in and enjoy.

With a snowy setting, literary nods, and just a hint of romance, Epilogue to a Christmas Murder is a delightful winter read perfect for cozying up with a warm drink and a blanket. Fans of classic cozy mysteries will find plenty to enjoy here.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Cozies, the author, Lauren Elliot, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.