This is a new series by Ellery Adams, and it's wonderful. It's set in Miracle Springs, a town where people go when they need to change their lives, and it makes you wish such a town existed in real life.
Go to the bookstore, and Nora will give you the exact books you need. Go to the bakery, and Hester will bake you a a custom comfort scone. The spa that June runs will help you leave your cares behind, and Estella's salon will make you beautiful. These women all have secrets and they keep to themselves until circumstances lead them to form the Secret, Book and Scone Society.

A man comes to town and comes to Nora's bookshop. He says he'll return, but he's found dead on the train tracks. His death feels wrong to Nora, and she doesn't think it's an accident. When she starts to look into it, she gets help from her friend Hester, who brings in June and Estella. The four of them form their secret society, based on the fact that each of them has a secret, and that they will all tell it to the others at some point. Their investigation takes them into a corruption and bribery plot and eventually endangers their lives.

Each of the characters is so well described, and their friendship seems so unlikely yet feels so right.
The plot is interesting and the writing is well done and very readable. I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to the future books in this series!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do like a real cozy mystery now and then and Ellery Adam's book did not disappoint, I would say that in many ways she surprised me and delivered more than the normal cozy does.

There are four main characters in this book, 4 women who had a terrible event happen to them or something they did that means that they now live with shame or regret and without having friends. They connect over the death of a man, who had come to Miracle Springs to atone for his sins and make amends for something that he has been involved in, something terrible. He dies before he can do that in what initially looks like suicide.

There is many things to like here: Forming of female friendships, pretty decent representation of a woman living with disfigurement, a woman who to many appears like a "slut" actually being shown as a multi-dimensional person.

A few things that did not work for me where that 4 main characters is just a bit too much for this type of book and so Hester and June kinda melded into one for me and that's the main reason it was an ok read rather than better than ok. There were also too many "potential baddies" and for that reason they were all just a little bland.

All in all though a solid book that I read in a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-ARC copy.

I will first admit this is not my first time reading this author. I like Ellery Adams and have read some of her other books. I was really pleased though with how much I liked this book. I hadn't read her in quite some time and can tell that she has really grown with her writing. Miracle Springs really comes to life with her storytelling. The hot springs, tourists, and lovely bookstore make this series easy to come back to.

I read this in under 24 hours, it was that hard to put down. I loved the characters, and group of women who band together who each have their own scarred past. The mystery was complex and I didn't see the end coming. I love the bibliotherapy aspect...very unique to consider the healing properties of books. I hope this series continues a liing time. Excited to see what other adventures await the group.

This book is so deeply satisfying to read. I love Adams' character development and complex plot lines. Her books are never disappointing and stand apart from other cozy mysteries. The Queen of Cozy has done it again!

This mystery kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end. I look forward to seeing the friendships started in this book develop, and I really want one of those custom scones!

The first in a new series, this book redefines 'cozy mystery' in an interesting way with a refreshing perspective.

From the opening scene the reader's sense of what's going on is challenged and by the end of the first chapter curiosity quickly builds. What's fascinating about this book are several things. First, it is a well developed mystery. Second, the story works on a couple of levels - there's the mystery, there are finely drawn characters and relationships, and then there is the very important role that books play in this adventure. And finally, there are the comfortable roles characters play in typical cozy mysteries that readers always enjoy.

Without revealing specifics that might give away too much, this novel will delight book lovers, challenge and satisfy cozy mystery readers and offer a little different reading experience for readers in general.

Ellery Adams takes a creative risk with this entry and it pays off. The story is a rich, multi-layered experience that is well crafted and a joy to read.

This book was "okay" but I was disappointed. I did enjoy the scone storyline and the bookstore aspect, however I found it quite dark for a cozy. There was too much going on with the secrets to be shared and I found the whodunit was not interesting. Perhaps it wasn't the book for me.

Ellery Adams hits another home run with her newest series featuring The Secret, Book & Scone Society. Four women who try to help visitors in their town in four different ways. A death of a man wanting to make amends for the things he has done bring these ladies together to find out what really happened. Along the way they share their deepest secrets.
Goodreads

A wonderful start to a new cozy series by Ellery Adams. Reminds me a little of her beloved Books By The Bay series, which has now ended.

This was a fabulous read, if I could give it more than five stars I would. I kept putting the book down while I was reading it, not because I couldn't get into it but because I didn't want it to end. It pulled me in and I wanted to stay there and get to know the characters more. I so wanted to visit Miracle Springs and have a custom made scone and then go to Miracle Books and have a session with Nora wondering what books she would choose to help me. In this first book of the series you'll meet an array of characters who will touch your heart and have you wanting to be part of the secret society. I've always loved books and this one gave me a greater respect for the healing powers that they hold. The secrets told varied, but all were revealing moments and gave me a better grasp of who each character truly was not just who they portrayed themselves to be. I learned that true friendship offers a healing balm to those who trust and believe in it. This book wasn't just a mystery but a beginning to some wonderful friendships. I so look forward to seeing what happens next with this group of women and how ready they are to step out of their comfort zones.

People from all around head to Miracle Springs, North Carolina for answers. A scone from the Gingerbread House can tell you what’s wrong with your life and a session with bookstore owner/bibliotherapist Nora can help you find the right path to make your life everything you always wanted it to be. But one day, after a man makes plans to meet Nora after getting his scone, there’s a terrible accident. He’s found dead on the train tracks and Nora and her friends have to wonder if it was an accident, suicide or something more sinister. I loved this book, Nora starting over after a terrible accident, using books to solve the worlds ills (that’s really works) and the quirky characters in this small town where anything is possible