Wonderful book quotes to start each chapter. I usually don't pay attention to quotes that start a chapter, but these were all beautiful and so meaningful to the story. So much more than a cozy mystery or charming small English village tale. Nora, Hester, Estella, and June are like the tourists who come to Miracle Springs to be healed, they are also broken. But books and new friendships lead them toward wholeness.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Miracle Springs is a place where lost souls can find peace. Nora is part of that healing process for so many in her book shop but it is not until the death of a stranger who had briefly touched Nora that the true healing process for her could begin. It begins when she reaches out and finds three other damaged women as they attempt to prove the accident was murder. They find kindred spirits.
By letting others in and sharing the pain of their stories, a bond is formed. When one of them is arrested for murder, they decide to investigate themselves rather than leave it to the corrupt law in their town. What they discover is well beyond what they expected and it very nearly costs them their lives.
Nora and her three friends are sympathetic characters. What they have each experienced has not destroyed them so when they form their society, they are all the stronger for the suffering. The story is moving with or without the mystery. But the mystery is a good one. There are some twists and turns mixed with a little bit of whimsy and “magic” added in. It is a highly enjoyable first book of the series.
I can recommend it highly by giving it five purrs and two paws up.

First in the series.

I am a big Ellery Adams fan, so I wanted to love this book. It was a good start to a new series, and I liked it, but I didn't love it. I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Nora. She was quite stand offish at first (for good reason, but still...) and yet intriguing. I wanted to know more about how she ended up in Miracle Springs. I loved the premise that Nora could help people by finding them the right books to read and a scone to eat.

I liked Nora's character growth as she hooked up with 3 other women, all with secrets of their own. They all had to learn to trust as they formed true friendships and solved a murder. It was very emotional and real.

After I got a few chapters in, it was a quick read and I finished it in a day.

But... I think this book tried too hard to be too many things. Is it a cozy? Chick lit? Magical, like a Sarah Addison Allen book? Romance? As a result it felt a little scattered.

That said, I am looking forward to the next book.

Strong female characters, with secrets of their own, come together to solve a murder in their small town. Throw in baked goods and books, and you have the first in a promising mystery series.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read THE SECRET, BOOK & SCONE SOCIETY free for an unbiased review.

This was my first Ellery Adams book, though I'm a fan of cozy mysteries and have been looking forward to reading her work for quite some time. When the chance to read the first book in her newest series came up, I thought it'd be a great introduction to her writing (and I was right). It did take me about 30 pages to really get into it, though. Once I got past that initial hump, I was all in.

The book takes us to Miracle Springs, NC, a somewhat magical town where tourists come for healing of all sorts. The main character, Nora, provides bibliotherapy to her customers, offering book suggestions that will allow them to process the experiences of their past so they can move forward. There's also a bakery called The Gingerbread House that makes comfort scones specific to each customers favorite or most needed memories.

The book opens with a Nora meeting a visiting business man who asks her for her help. She sends him over to the Gingerbread House and tells him to meet her at her bookshop afterward; he never makes it to his second stop, though. Instead, he is found dead on the train tracks in town. While the local police, and his business associates, are quick to claim it was suicide, Nora isn't so sure that's the case. She and three other local women, all of whom have stayed loners along the way, find themselves coming together to figure out what really happened to the business man.

They form the "Secret, Book and Scone Society", each one sharing their dark secret that brought them to Miracle Springs as a way of sharing their trust with the other women.

Cozy Mystery Series basic questions:
Yes, there's a love interest for the main character that we don't really see reach it's full potential, but we know will in future books. The same goes for at least one of her friends.
Yes, the book ends with a believable outline of how/why the murders took place.
Yes, it also ends with a very clear indication that there will be another book (which I cannot wait to read).

My only annoyance, which I'm sure is ridiculous and only an issue to me, is the overuse of the term "shelf enhancers". You didn't notice it before reading this review, but now that it's been pointed out, you'll see it every single time they are in the bookshop. I promise.

Adams' new mystery takes place in a small town, where the residents' secrets are turning deadly. A group of small business owners comes together to solve the murder of a man whose death may lie in a new housing development, only to realize that they will have to offer up their own secrets to find answers and protect themselves from a killer with nothing to lose. Adams does an excellent job creating realistic, three-dimensional characters, and puts just as much effort into creating the environment they live in. I enjoyed this series debut and look forward to reading more in the series.

I was definitely impressed by The Secret Book and Scone Society.  Its central characters are genuine and the development of their friendship is believable - particularly as its first test comes when Nora and the others (Hester, Estella and June) begin their investigation of a suicide they are certain is murder.  I loved the idea of bibliotherapy - healing your issues through books, both fiction and non.  Any reader can tell you that books possess the power to touch and to transform.  That along with Hester’s ability to create personalized scones that bring back pleasant memories give the mystery a touch of magic.  I believe it is the characters and their personal backgrounds and interactions that make this novel stand apart from other cozies.  The villains on the other hand are roughly sketched and obvious from the get go.  It’s less of a whodunnit focusing more on the why and the how - and how to get the proof needed to clear Estella’s name.  I'm very curious to see where Ellery Adams goes from here

The Secret Book and Scone Society is an excellent cosy with an unforgettable set of leads.  As a series debut it shows great promise. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next novel in Ellery Adam’s newest series.

5 / 5

I received a copy of The Secret Book and Scone Society from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

The story is set in Miracle Springs, North Carolina which is a place to heal. With natural hot springs, luxurious spa, soul stirring scones and a miracle bibliotherapy, this town attracts people from around the country. People come, relax and heal themselves before heading back to their lives. Nora owns a bookshop in the town where she ‘prescribes’ books to her clients based on their experiences and needs. When an out-of-town businessman fails to keep his appointment with Nora and then turns up dead, Nora smells something fishy. She enlists the help of her friends to look into the matter.

Nora and her friends are a lovely group of people who help people while each of them try to overcome their past. Being a bookworm, I loved the fact that the protagonist was a bookshop owner which lead to the inclusion of quite a few literary references in the book. It took me a while to actually warm up to Nora, but eventually she did live up to my expectations. I think the way the author has built up her character is quite commendable and her back story helped me sympathize with her. Nora’s friends each have their own back stories (which I am hoping will be explored more in the coming installments) and unique sets of personalities. But what they all have in common is their helping nature. I loved the relationship dynamics portrayed between them. The plot of the book turned out to be more interesting than my initial expectations. For a mystery buff, there were very few surprises for me in the book, but the author has certainly tried to put in quite a few twists and turns.

A good first impression of the first book in the series and I would certainly love to continue reading them as and when they release.

Love the title, and it was quite good for the cozy mystery genre that is popular now.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Strong, but damaged characters solving a mystery set in a town known for its healing properties. This will be an interesting series to follow as I am fan of other books by this author.

I received am ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellery Adams, and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of The Secret, Book & Scone Society. I found this story very enjoyable and will recommend it to friends that love mysteries.

I loved this slightly magical small town mystery! Ellery Adams has added a new style to her already impressive mystery resume. I can't wait for book two.

Ellery Adams initiates The Secret Book &Scone Society of four ladies in a small town who help people with book and scone therapy for their troubles. Soon they are immersed in murder and a real estate scam. All the ladies hide a damaged past. Enjoy this well plotted cosy.

The Secret, Book & Scone Society
The Secret, Book & Scone Society, Book 1
Ellery Adams
Kensington Books, November 2017
ISBN 978-1-4967-1237-0
Hardcover
From the publisher—

Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is a place of healing. Strangers flock here hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. If none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked “comfort” scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That’s Nora’s special talent—prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person’s deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.

When a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, she knows exactly which novels will help. But before he can keep their appointment at Miracle Books, he’s found dead on the train tracks.

Stunned, Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, a group of damaged souls yearning to gain trust and earn redemption by helping others. To join the society, members must divulge their darkest secret—the terrible truth that brought each of them to Miracle Springs in the first place.

Determined to uncover the truth behind the businessman’s demise, the women meet in Nora’s cramped and cozy bookstore to share stories and trade support. And as they untangle a web of corruption, they also discover their own courage, purpose, and a sisterhood that will carry them through every challenge—proving it’s never too late to turn the page and start over . . .

Ellery Adams has to work really hard to write a book I don’t like and that’s not me blowing smoke. I don’t think all of her work is 100% on point but I do find something to like about every single book. Disclaimer: I’ve known the author for years from back when I had my bookstore and she lived in Richmond and, although I haven’t seen or talked to her on far too long, I think of her fondly. Having said that, I truly think Ellery Adams is one of the best cozy writers around.

One of the best things this author does is come up with settings and/or concepts that are a little out of the norm and she’s done it again with this series debut. I quite simply adore a mystery set in or around a bookstore (how could I not, considering my background?) but to put that store in a spa town is just terrific. Better yet, the club Nora puts together is near genius, not only to solve murders and the like but to bond these women together in such a unique fashion. Bibliotherapy at its best.

Nora’s idea is that there are few problems that can’t be remedied by reading the right book—a premise I can truly buy into—and the women she has recruited for the club all need that connection to other people with a common love for books. When you get right down to it, don’t all face-to-face book clubs thrive on reading but, perhaps more importantly, on those personal relationships? And then the icing on the cake here is the chance to be sleuths 😉

Nora, Hester, June and even Estella are unique individuals, all smart women who’ve been damaged in some way but they’re open to healing and they grow to like each other in a perfect evocation of the bonds that women form when they’re very, very lucky. Along the way, they put their heads together to figure out why this man, a visitor in town, has been murdered and why the local law is kind of ignoring it. Before everything comes to a head, these women unearth a corruption they had no idea existed.

Added to the fun of sleuthing, we’re treated, literally, to scrumptious food and beverage, enough so I was really hungry while I was reading! I’m pumped by this series debut and will definitely follow it; in the meantime, it goes on my list of favorite books read in 2017.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2017.

I'm slightly torn on how I feel about this book. The mystery was great, with some surprising moments. The setting was absolutely breathtaking, and I truly felt like I was wandering around town with the characters. My minor issue is that I think the mystery took away from the characters' stories. Because my attention was split between wondering what story would be revealed next and what clue would be found, I felt that I couldn't give the pasts the attention they truly deserved.

Visitors flock to Miracle Springs, North Carolina hoping the natural hot springs, gourmet cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. After getting a freshly made customized “comfort” scone from the nearby Gingerbread House bakery, they head to Miracle Books where they meet owner Nora Pennington who selects a carefully chosen book for them. When a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, she plans to help him but he misses his appointment and is found on the nearby train tracks.

Stunned by the death, Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society with 3 other damaged souls yearning to gain trust and earn redemption by helping others. Each has a dark secret that brought them to Miracle Springs in the first place. The women meet in Nora’s bookstore and they quickly find a web of corruption involving a new luxury housing development that is worth killing for.

This is a strong debut mystery with a cast of intriguing characters.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

There are so many cozy mystery series out there and it's very easy to find similar stories, characters and plots. In this 1st in series book, that is certainly not the case! Lots of unique elements and characters. The story is engaging and the setting is described beautifully by the author. A hint of romance adds to the complexity of the mystery! I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Adams is off to a great start with a new series! She weaves the past and present in a way that is intriguing, easy to follow and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat in suspense wanting to read more! Great, compelling and complex characters with a mystery that has twists and turns. Has a feel good ending in that left me excited for the next in the series!

A simply delightful and easy-to-read mystery set in a small town in western North Carolina. The town, Miracle Springs, has hot springs that are reputed to have healing powers. And some of the residents have other forms of therapy, namely books and scones, for wounded and hurting souls.

Change in the form of a new housing development is coming to the town. But when one of the partners in the building firm says he wants to correct what he has done wrong and turns up dead soon after, a quartet of women start to investigate.

With great writing, wonderful characters that are very real and not too quirky, this is a wonderful page-turner, I could hardly put it down.

I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere of this story, and the characters were interesting, however it felt a bit too much like a mashup between contemporary women's fiction and a cozy mystery instead of a smooth integration of the two genres. It seemed unlikely that women who had ended up on the wrong side of the law would then make the decisions that could get them arrested and potentially have them lose everything for a stranger and someone they just met.