The Secret, Book & Scone Society (A Secret, Book and Scone Society Novel)

The Secret Book And Scone Society is the first book in a wonderful new series by author Ellery Adams. This book is absolutely the best book I have read all year. I was unable to part with it until it was finished and I cried when it ended. This is mystery magic ! . Ellery Adams has a talent for transporting the reader and as you read this book you are transported to Miracle Springs, a place of healing that will touch your heart. Nora has come here to live and run a bookstore called "Miracle Books." She is a "Biblotherapist" ( a admirable vocation for a cozy series protagonist! ) with a innate talent for finding books a person needs when they visit her bookstore. She is also a victim of a fire and has secrets she does not share surrounding her previous life. She is a loner who keeps to herself and happily runs her business. She lives in a renovated train car near her bookstore which was delightful to experience through her eyes. She longs for friendship and a normal life but accepts due to her outward scars and inward trauma she is fine alone. However this is Miracle springs and her life is soon to take a turn with the best miracle of all, friendship. Miracle Springs is also the home to three other independent very damaged women in town. Hester who is a baker of comforting scones that when eaten revel deepest secrets. . Estelle runs the hair salon and June is a manager of a healing waters spa. They are drawn together by a death that occurs in their town that involves Nora and decide to come together to form a fast friendship as they attempt to solve the murder. They agree to share their secrets and in doing so become fast friends and form their secret club, The Secret Book And Scone Society. As they told their individual stories I found myself very touched . These women are people all would hope to have as friends. They are all of us damaged by life. They band together to solve the crime and help each other as their friendship grows. As they begin to investigate they find a terrible underlying crime occurring between the local bank and the Sheriff. They soon join forces and are a unstoppable force against the evil that threatens their lovely town. They are brave, smart and take many risk together to stop the killer. This book will make you believe in the healing power of books. Ms. Adams has well crafted all the right cozy elements with a fantastic mystery and finely tuned conclusion that will leave you breathless and wanting to read the second in series immediately. Throughout the book and at the beginning of each chapter are marvelous book quotes and delicious scones. The town is delightful and the rich details place you in this beautiful village. This is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. I await the next in series and appreciate the ARC by the author which did not influence my review. I read this book cover to cover unable to put it down. At Chapter 3 the author has a quote by Maya Angelou that says "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. " A perfect quote for this book and for The Secret Book And Scone Society. This book is a masterful buildup of suspense, great characterization and a exciting conclusion that make this my favorite book of the year. ,

An unofficial Bibliotherapist, Nora helps those who come into her bookshop find peace and healing through the books she selects for them. Burned and scarred, she knows what it is like to be in their place, and the kindness she was gifted she tries to return in spades. When one of her customers is killed, Nora is certain that his death was not an accident. Together with some of her new friends in town, she is determined to find the truth, and when one of them is blamed for another death, they know the only thing they can do, is prove the corruption in town and find the answers themselves. This is a really good book, on several fronts. First, Ellery Adams has a way with words that is almost poetic at times, and secondly the characters are all very intriguing and portrayed with depth and understanding. Nora is a woman who is attempting a new start. She is quite literally scarred, burned in her relationship and the consequences she suffered were not deserved. Each of her friends is likewise hiding a truth about themselves, and they find a camaraderie in the fact that they share this (hence the secrets in the title). There is a hint of a romance for Nora in this, but her love interest likewise has his secrets, and there is also plenty of action for our heroine. I love the many different books that are recommended for different people throughout the book, as well as the thought provoking quotes that head each chapter. Ultimately this is an enjoyable mystery, that is not-quite-cosy, and that mystery lovers and Ellery Adams fans will enjoy.

I loved this book. It was an easy read and got me back into reading mystery books. It was a great book to read at the pool. My only complaint is that they don’t make a waterproof one, lol. I dropped my book in the pool a few times. 10/10 will be reading again and telling all of my friends and family about it.

I thought this would be an interesting book about a book club, but it turned out to be a very dark story. so I read from different chapters to see it if changed at all. It didn't'. I didn't want to wallow in someone else's tragedy and efforts to cope with it. We all have trials, but these days I want to be uplifted. This book is definitely not that. SAdly I can't return it now because I couldn't it with other books before Christmas and the exchage time has ended. Hard enough to find paperbacks now but to get stuck wit that money gone makes it harder.

Love this book. It inspires you to be a better person because it gives you insight to how people really are and how their past experiences and lessons make them better human beings. Thank you Ellery Adams for such wonderful caring characters.

I began reading this and never went to sleep that night. It's that good. Great pace, strong female characters, great flow and enough of a description to put you there without too much fill that distracts from the storyline but what a pleasant surprise. A book about a book store. My idea of heaven. Now I'm hooked on this little town of Miracle and it's kind, strong, ethical women with natural magic in each.

Love the characters in this book. Cannot wait to start the next on. For all mystery loves this book is for you.

Good twists and turns with this story. Also, a sweet story about making new friends and learning to trust other people.

Von diesem Titel hatte ich mir viel erhofft - mysteriös, düsterer als die üblichen Cozies, und der Anfang las sich auch ganz gut. Leider gleitet das ganze dann irgendwie ab. Finstere Geheimnisse werden aufgedeckt, sind dann aber zum Teil zwar tragisch, aber nur semi-finster. Der geheimnisvolle Super-Buchladen bleibt blass, vor allem traut sich die Autorin - verständlicherweise - nicht wirklich, die Idee, Bücher zur Heilung psychischen Leidens zu vertiefen. So bleibt das ganze schmerzhaft oberflächlich. Der Fall ist extrem schwach, er dient im Grunde nur als Folie, als Vorwand warum die Geschichte überhaupt erzählt wird. Auch sind die Figuren - bis auf den Sanitäter ;) - irgendwie blass. Ich könnte jetzt, wenige Monate später, kaum etwas über die Protagonistin, und praktisch nichts über die Nebenfiguren erzählen. Auch die Welt, der Ort in dem der Cozy spielt, werden kaum greifbar. Als Kriminalroman funktioniert der Band im Grunde nicht, als "Sob Story" oder meinetwegen als Roman über Frauen die sich über ihre Geheimnisse einander annähern dann schon eher. Dem kommt dann aber wiederum die schwache Krimihandlung in die Quere. Die Vorschau auf Band 2, die enthalten ist, zeigt, dass auch dieser sich in erster Linie um das Geheimnis einer - neuen - Stadtbewohnerin dreht, die in der Buchhandlung auftaucht und offensichtlich Hilfe benötigt. Das reizt mich, insbesondere nach Band 1, überhaupt nicht.

Another great book from Ellery Adams, I'll be interested to see how this series plays out. The characters are well fleshed out and it keeps you wanting to find out more about them. Good mystery!

I am a great fan of Ellery Adams, and so was extremely interested when I saw that she had a new series starting. I was not disappointed. I loved this book. The four main characters who make up the Secret,Book & Scone Society are interesting in that they each have a secret from their past which makes them vulnerable and unwilling to reveal much of themselves. As they realise that they share the same problem, they begin to form a frienship and to trust each other. The trust is such that one by one they give up their secret and realise that they are strong enough to face a more clement future. Their club in Miracle Dprings is there to help people like thamselves who have been damaged by life, and each has a special gift to aid the healing. And.....of course there's a murder or two to solve.

I very much enjoyed the secret, book and scone society. It moved along and pace and I found myself wanting to get back to reading it just to know what was happening to the characters. I found the plot interesting and easy to follow. Overall this is an engaging and easy to read book. I will be moving straight to book 2. Thank you

When I heard that Ellery Adams had a new series starting, I had to try the first one. I was not disappointed! This series is a bit different from her others but is intriguing in its own right. The main characters are four women in small-town Miracle Springs. They are all not what they seem, as they are all hiding a secret. They are drawn toward each other by circumstances and gradually reveal their true stories to each other. When a man who had met two of the women is murdered, they spring into action. As amateur sleuths, they unravel the details of a real estate scam and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice. They do things that are slightly illegal that the police department can not do to find the necessary evidence. I was not sure how I would relate to the mystical component of the story but have discovered that it lends an air of mystery. So perhaps I was meant to read these books after all. I enjoyed meeting these strong, yet flawed, women and will eagerly await their further adventures.