Poisoned Prose (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

Praise for the Books by the Bay Mysteries
    Written in Stone
    “
Written in Stone
is written with skill, as Adams continues to entertain her readers with a clever story and further develop Olivia, one of the most intriguing heroines of the genre and one created by a maturing and empathetic author.”
    —
Richmond Times-Dispatch
    “Well-paced mysteries, interesting back story, and good characters make this a must-read mystery.”
    —
The Mystery Reader
    The Last Word
    “As in the two previous novels in the series, set in Oyster Bay on North Carolina’s southeastern coast, Adams concocts a fine plot; this one finds its roots in World War II. But the real appeal is her sundry and congenial characters, beginning with Olivia herself. Adams’s heroine has erected a steel curtain around her emotions, but
The Last Word
finds her emerging from her shell with confidence, a confidence matched by Adams in this unusual and appealing series.”
    —
Richmond Times-Dispatch
    “I could actually feel the wind on my face, taste the salt of the ocean on my lips, and hear the waves crash upon the beach.
The Last Word
made me laugh, made me think, made me smile, and made me cry.
The Last Word
—in one word—AMAZING!”
    —
The Best Reviews
    “The plot is complex, the narrative drive is strong, and the book is populated with interesting and intelligent people . . . Oyster Bay is the kind of place I’d love to get lost for an afternoon or two.”
    —
The Season
    A Deadly Cliché
    “A very well-written mystery with interesting and surprising characters and a great setting. Readers will feel as if they are in Oyster Bay.”
    —
The Mystery Reader
    “Adams spins a good yarn, but the main attraction of the series is Olivia and her pals, each a person the reader wants to meet again and again.”
    —
Richmond Times-Dispatch
    “This series is one I hope to follow for a long time, full of fast-paced mysteries, budding romances, and good friends. An excellent combination!”
    —
The Romance Readers Connection
    A Killer Plot
    “Ellery Adams’s debut novel,
A Killer Plot
, is not only a great read, but a visceral experience. Olivia Limoges’s investigation into a friend’s murder will have you hearing the waves crash on the North Carolina shore. You might even feel the ocean winds stinging your cheeks. Visit Oyster Bay and you’ll long to return again and again.”
    —Lorna Barrett,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Booktown Mysteries
    “Adams’s plot is indeed killer, her writing would make her the star of any support group, and her characters—especially Olivia and her standard poodle, Captain Haviland—are a diverse, intelligent bunch.
A Killer Plot
is a perfect excuse to go coastal.”
    —
Richmond-Times Dispatch

Berkley Prime Crime titles by Ellery Adams
    Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries
    PIES AND PREJUDICE
    PEACH PIES AND ALIBIS
    Books by the Bay Mysteries
    A KILLER PLOT
    A DEADLY CLICHÉ
    THE LAST WORD
    WRITTEN IN STONE
    POISONED PROSE



THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
    Published by the Penguin Group
    Penguin Group (USA) LLC
    375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

    USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China
    penguin.com
    A Penguin Random House Company
    POISONED PROSE
    A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author
    Copyright © 2013 by Ellery Adams.
    Excerpt from
Pecan Pies and Homicides
by Ellery Adams copyright © 2013 by Ellery Adams.
    Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
    Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
    BERKLEY ® PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
    For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
    a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,
    375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
    eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-59564-0
    PUBLISHING HISTORY
    Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / October 2013

    Cover art by Kimberly Schamber.
    Cover design by Rita Frangie.

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s