The Sixth Installment in Secret, Book, and Scone Society series by NYT Bestseling author Ellery Adams is fantastic!
Read This: Paper Cuts, the latest novel in the beloved Secret, Book, and Scone Society series, and I love the women in this book so much I've chosen Paper Cuts as my Galentine's Day feature!
Nora Pennington is a bibliotherapist in quaint Miracle Springs, NC, where people come to partake of the healing hot springs. Nora has escaped her past and built a new life there, and she has a bookstore and loving, supportive friends. However, the woman Nora's husband left her for is about to walk into her store. Kelly is seriously ill and wants to apologize to Nora; their mutual ex has left Kelly and their son. Nora is rocked to her core, and the two have a public scene due to Nora's shock. When Kelly is murdered, suspicion turns to Nora, who must prove her innocence.
Cozy mystery readers are going to love this! I did! It's a very well-written, well-paced, and well-plotted whodunnit, with danger and some mild suspense. Adams always delivers a solid mystery!
And anyone thinking about trying a cozy should pick this one up, too, as it has lots of cross-over appeal. Adams writes inclusive stories with well-rounded characters, and her books touch on weightier topics. For example, one of the characters in this one is re-entering society after serving time in prison. The core friend group's lives, secrets, relationships, and emotional journeys are at the heart of the series and as big a part of the books as the investigations. A few of the scenes were so moving that I teared up, which I was not expecting in a murder mystery, but I am that invested in the characters. Highly recommended and an excellent addition to the series!
Thank you to Ellery Adams and Kensington Press for the gifted ARC!
Publishes April 25, 2023
And Steep: in Honor of Galentine's Day, I'm posting my first tea-based cocktail! Pictured is a green-tea mojito, as mojitos feature in the book—recipe below
Green Tea Mojito
4 oz. Brewed and cooled green tea
6-8 Mint leaves
2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice
1 oz. White Rum
Muddle mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice in a tall glass.
Fill glass with ice and add green tea and rum. Stir gently and garnish with a lime slice and a sprig of mint. Enjoy!
SYNOPSIS:
In the latest in the mystery series hailed as "a love letter to reading" (Entertainment Weekly) from New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams, Nora Pennington helps her bookstore customers find healing through the perfect book—while solving the town's real-life murders with the help of her Secret, Book, and Scone Society members. Just a touch of magical realism and strong, female-driven stories are winning this series raves from readers and fans of Kate Carlisle and Lorna Barrett.
Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is famed for its healing springs. But bookstore owner Nora Pennington has a tendency to land in a different kind of hot water. Though she loves to practice bibliotherapy by finding the perfect books for her customers while listening to their secrets, she also likes to bury her nose in the occasional local crime . . .
Nora escaped her past a decade ago. So it feels like a visit from another world when Kelly Walsh—the woman her ex-husband left her for—walks through the door of Miracle Books along with her son, a sweet, serious boy with a talent for origami. Kelly hasn't come to gloat, though. As it turns out, she's been dumped too. She's also terribly ill, and all she wants from Nora is forgiveness.
Shockingly, however, this woman who's been the victim of so much misfortune is about to become a murder victim. Who would do such a thing? Certainly not Nora, but that doesn't stop the gossip and suspicion—especially after Kelly's brother claims that he saw the two women arguing.
In seeking justice for Kelly, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society joins forces with the sheriff's department, but they've barely begun their probe when life throws another wrench. After serving a twenty-year sentence, Estella's father returns to Miracle Springs. And when his past comes back to haunt him, it might be more than the four friends can handle.
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