Publishers Weekly
02/24/2020
In Adams’s delightful third Secret, Book, and Scone Society mystery (after 2018’s The Whispered Word), Nora Pennington, the owner of Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, N.C., spots the body of Cherokee Danny, a potter she met the day before at the local flea market, floating in the town’s river, which recent rains have swollen. Danny evidently drowned, but Nora and Sheriff Grant McCabe suspect foul play. Meanwhile, remodeling by innkeepers Louisa “Lou” Simmons and Patty Meacham turns up more than one secret hiding place in the old inn, including a diary kept by an ancestor of Lou more than a century ago. Drawings in the diary of red birds, besides suggesting a link between the past and the present, offer clues to information worth killing for. When a second body is found, Nora knows a killer is loose and lays a trap Sheriff McCabe reluctantly agrees to participate in. A guest stranded at the inn by the wet weather, the charming Sheldon Vega, provides part-time help at the bookstore and more. Adams has a knack for creating endearingly imperfect characters. Cozy fans will be well satisfied. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Book of Candlelight
“Delightful…Adams has a knack for creating endearingly imperfect characters. Cozy fans will be well satisfied.”- Publishers Weekly
“The third book in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series serves up an appetizing dish for mystery lovers who enjoy books about bookstores, small towns, and female friends.” – Booklist
Praise for Ellery Adams' previous mysteries
The Whispered Word
"A love letter to reading, with sharp characterizations and a smart central mystery."
--Entertainment Weekly
The Secret, Book & Scone Society
“Adams launches an intriguing new mystery series, headed by four spirited amateur sleuths and touched with a hint of magical realism, which celebrates the power of books and women’s friendships. Adams’s many fans, readers of Sarah Addison Allen, and anyone who loves novels that revolve around books will savor this tasty treat.”
—Library Journal (starred review), Pick of the Month
“Adams kicks off a new series featuring strong women, a touch of romance and mysticism, and both the cunning present-day mystery and the slowly revealed secrets of the intriguing heroines’ pasts.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This affecting series launch from Adams provides all the best elements of a traditional mystery. . . . Well-drawn characters complement a plot with an intriguing twist or two.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Adams’ new series blends magical realism, smart women, and small-town quirks to create a cozy mystery that doubles as a love letter to books. Readers will fall in love with Nora’s bookstore therapy and Hester’s comfort scones. Not to mention Estella, June, hunky Jed the paramedic, and Nora’s tiny house-slash-converted-train-caboose . . . a book that mystery fans—and avid readers—won’t want to put down until they have savored every last crumb.”
—RT Book Reviews
