This wonderful series has magic, friendship, heart, books and a fantastic group of women, a group I would love to have as my friends. Each carries a secret and, together, they have bonded to aid other women with secrets. Knitting warm fuzzy socks, baking with that extra little something or, like Nora, the owner of the Miracle Books bookstore, finding the perfect books for whatever is troubling you.
Love is in the air with Valentine's Day not far away. When Nora is asked by a friend to help him set the stage for his proposal to his love, Hester, Nora is glad to help. As Hester loves the book Little Women, that gives her the theme. Soon the joy of the proposal is dimmed when Nora finds all of her store copies of The Scarlet Letter viciously damaged. On the surface it looks like simple vandalism but the women of the Secret, Book & Scone Society as they have named themselves, know Hester's secret. Long ago she gave her baby up for adoption and it haunts her. That past may have come to town. Hester hasn't shared her secret with the man she loves.
The mystery has Nora and her friends trying to connect Hester's secret and the dead man found just outside of town. If anybody can find the answers and catch the killer, these strong women can do it. They are quite a team. Add to the well plotted mystery with plenty of twists and red herrings to keep you glued to the page is the lovely setting of Miracle Springs, NC. Put it all together and you have a series that will become one of your favorites, earning it a permanent spot on your "must be read" list. As for the usual question of can it be read as a stand alone, I will say no. It is best read in order so the full impact of each woman's secret is revealed in order and why they are such special women.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Someone has it in for Hester at a time in her life when everything should be happy. Nora has agreed to help Sheriff's Deputy Andrews propose to Hester but things go sideways when Nora and her employee Sheldon discover that copies of the Scarlett Letter have been defaced. And then there's a murder. I like this series for the clever way Adams weaves in books as well as for the characters. Sheldon, a new employee at the book store, is coping with chronic illness and I'm looking forward to more with him. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read that will be fine as a standalone.

Nora can think of nothing better on a snowy winter day than to curl up with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa. But when a body is found on a hiking trail, and the police find a rare book – and little else – on the body, the women of the Secret, Book and Scone Society take it upon themselves to figure out the connection.

Book #5 in this series is just as good as the previous four, perhaps even better. The town of Miracle Springs sound like a place I'd like to visit, although I didn't realize that North Carolina gets as much snow as was described in this book. I like the recurring characters, and have enjoyed watching relationships change and develop over the course of the series. I especially like the way the ladies of the Secret, Book and Scone Society work *with the police and share their finds rather than acting on them themselves.

It was hard to figure out the identity of the murderer, and I was on the right track as far as the motive, but didn't have it quite right, although the explanation made sense and pulled together a lot of loose ends. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

A wonderful entry in the series. I believe it is my favorite so far.

The book centers on Nora and her friends as they prepare of Valentine's Day, an engagement and work to discover a mystery. Books play a huge part and how they connect.

Who is the person found murdered? How does the book found connect to him? Why were books damaged and why do they relate to person in the group?

All this and more goes on as we learn more of the ladies and their history. They prove friends are important and second chances in life.

A special shoutout to Sheldon who really makes me smile as he supplies support, help and deals with his own illness.

Fans of the series will love this one

Ellery Adams' Secret, Book, and Scone Society Mysteries are among the best cozy mysteries I've read. The four women in the books are strong women who own their own businesses, support each other, and their community. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society books are auto buys for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington for my review copy of this book.

"The Vanishing Type” the 5th instalment in the "The Secret, Book & Scone Society" Mystery series by Ellery Adams. This book can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend you read in order to get the full background. Bookstore owner Nora Pennington and the rest of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society must solve a murder as cold as the winter.

I really enjoyed visiting Miracle Springs again and catching up with old friends. I like how each of the four women have their own unique quality that they bring to the table as well as how they are right there to help each other out and the sense of community. I have said this before I also like how Ms. Adams portrays Sheldon chronic pain issues with respect and dignity.

This book centres around Hester and a trauma from her past that only the society members know about. With her engagement it has floated to the surface and has a story of its own woven in with the murder.

I highly recommend this series to all my mystery loving friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is book 5 in the series, and a welcome addition, as it lets us in more on the side characters, Nora's friends. Obviously it is focusing on Hester and how he damaged books seem to relate to her, but it also
showcases how the other characters react and why, allowing for a better reader feel for the group of friends. It's a decent cozy mystery with a couple of twists that keep you reading straight thru! And it's an interesting look at how assumptions can be damaging in more ways than one!

This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

His bride-to-be, Hester, loves Little Women, and Nora sets to work arranging a special screening at the town’s new movie theater. But right before the deputy pops the question, Nora makes an unsettling discovery—someone has mutilated all her store’s copies of The Scarlet Letter, slicing angrily into the pages wherever Hester Prynne’s name is mentioned.

The coincidence disturbs Nora, who’s one of the few in Miracle Springs who knows that Hester gave up a baby for adoption many years ago. Her family heaped shame on her, and Hester still feels so guilty that she hasn’t even told her future husband. But when a dead man is found on a hiking trail just outside town, carrying a rare book, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society unearth a connection to Hester’s past. Someone is intent on bringing the past to light, and it’s not just Hester’s relationship at stake, but her life. . .

In this book we see Nora hard at work again making the bookstore a success and boy is it ever. Along with her book club team they work hard to solve the murder and crimes that keep happening. Nora focuses in on the books for the clues that they provide and the damage done to then sadden Nora. With the clues in place from the old books that were written years ago she seems to connect the dots. With her and the Sheriff's relationship progressing to a good point you see them working together more often and together they make a great team. There is no surprise when the deputy and Hester get engaged and the story moves toward her and she learns a fact that has bothered her for years. In the end the killer came out of nowhere and it really got me because I never seen it coming. With all that happen all the little clues and seeds that get planted in this book I can't wait for the next one.

This is the next book in this series. We catch up with Nora and all her book friends. She has a new love interest too.
It has a good mystery, full of some twists I didn’t expect.
Definitely recommend this book and series.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. I love that it is centered around friends and books. Ellery Adams has a writing style that I like as well, and I always keep watching for any of her books. In this one there's a possible new romance, an engagement, a murder mystery, and of course, books. This book could be read as a stand alone, but you would miss out on the backstories of the ladies in the Secret, Book, & Scone Society and a great deal of the history of the character's relationships. The things I enjoyed most about this book were the Valentine's Day plans (especially the Blind Date Book Bash), the planning of the proposal, Sheldon's window dressing, the book references, and the friendship of the women. OK, yeah, I pretty much liked everything. Entertainment Weekly called this series "a love letter to reading" and I very much agree.

Thanks to Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on April 26, 2022.

The cover of this book is charming, featuring a full bookcase and cozy chair. It's very inviting and is the fifth book in the "Secret, Book, and Scone Society" series. Having not read any of the previous books, I have no idea what the "secret" is! The story revolves around the Miracle Books bookstore in a small North Carolina town and its owner, Nora Pennington. The three other members of the "Society" book club, Hester, Estella and June, also feature prominently. As the story opens, Hester, who owns the local bakery, is going to be proposed to by her long-time boyfriend Deputy Jasper Andrews. The other ladies are aware of this and help Jasper to plan the perfect (very public) proposal. Of course, Hester is hiding a secret from her past, so she can't be happy and enjoy the moment. At the same time, an unidentified body has turned up in the woods, and someone has been defacing books in the bookstore in a manner that seems threatening to Hester. While it seems Hester's past might have finally caught up with her, the members of the society work to keep her safe and unravel the mystery of who may be out to get her. The story featured nice aspects such as many scenes surrounding the books, the bookstore, everyone enjoying delicious baked goods, and friendship, there were some aspects of the story that I didn't enjoy. Everyone comes to Nora to ask for suggestions for gifts, and her first question is always, "What sort of books does the person like to read?" Naturally, the gift-giver, whether a family member or recent romantic interest, is able to give an in-depth overview of the categories and genres that the person enjoys. I've been married for 30 years and my husband would just give a blank look in response to that question! The women in the story also never refer to the love interests of the others by name or even "your husband/boyfriend" but always by "your man." That seems a bit . . . awkward? Strange? Also, Nora can't just be putting up a display in the store or recommending a book, every time this happens (and it happens frequently) there is a long list of books and authors included. While that might be interesting in another context, it seemed to bring any action in the story into an abrupt halt. Also, I read an advanced reader's copy of the book, so I hope these were just errors that will fixed before the final version is released, but there were several occasions near the end of the book when the Sheriff (Nora's "man") said things he couldn't possibly know, or contradicted himself (in one sentence saying he didn't know something, and a few sentences later saying he'd been researching that for a while). There are also quite a few convoluted family trees explained that lost me every time. So while the mystery was interesting, the story itself was not my cup of tea!

Top of my list of favorite cozy series, it actually transcends the genre with its fully developed characters and passion for books. Nora Pennington, bookshop owner extraordinaire, has created a family with other talented and loving women who are as flawed with tragic backstories as is she.

After a request from Hester's boyfriend for ideas for how to propose in a manner worthy of Hester, she enlists the aid of the other clise fridnds for ideas. But the discovery of a number of copies of the Scarlet Letter with the name Hester mutilated cause her wariness and concern.

Each book in the series is a love letter to books and their healing powers with a reading list provided at the end. For booklovers, a paean to friendship and healing. Don't miss this series and it's worth starting at book one to see the nuanced way the chsracters evolve.

I love these four women! I feel like I'm among old friends when I read this series. This book focuses on Hester. When an unknown man is killed and a book found in his pocket Nora begins to unravel an old mystery around Hester. There are plot twists and red herrings along the way, but eventually, with the sheriff's help the mystery is solved. Well written and makes you long for cozy gatherings with friends.

I was given a copy of this book on net galley for review.

I've read this series from the book one and they just keep getting better. The relationships are maturing and continuing to evolve. I like the setting of Miracle Springs and so wish that I could spend some time in Nora's bookstore.

The mystery was intriguing with twists and turns. Even though I was sure that I had figured everything out, after reading some more, I began to question my thought process. I stayed up way later than normal to finish this one.

I love that Hester's friends always stand with her and are there to help. If you mysteries with a touch of romance, you can't go wrong with this one.

Another good mystery with twists.
Love all the characters that add to story.
This story is about Heather and a secret she is keeping that she has tell her fiance .
Good story,drama,twists,suspense, mystery and sweet romance.
Enjoyed reading.
Voluntarily reviewed.

The fifth book in this series picks up in a way that definitely would allow for a new reader to jump into the series here. This continues to not be my favorite of Adams’ series but this book is a solid 4 stars and one I enjoyed more than others. There are loads of good book recommendations and the female friendships really shine. Nora’s slow burn budding romance is a nice addition that doesn’t overwhelm the plot line. Looking forward to seeing where that goes in future installments.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story within a story, and I loved it.

Nora Pennington spends her days in her Miracle Springs Book Shop and her evenings with her good friends. Her three best friends make up the Secret, Book, and Scone Society. When one has a problem or a joy, they all share in it.

Hester and Deputy Andrews are finally engaged. The town is sharing their joy, but her three best friends share Hester's anxiety. She needs to share her past with her future husband. Before she has a chance to do that, a man is murdered in their small town. His identity and the rare book he has in his pocket add to Hester's story. A second murder, an attempted murder and the mysterious appearance of more rare books create a mystery only Nora and her friends can solve.

Nora Pennington of Miracle Springs Books is asked by her friend Deputy Andrews to help him plan a proposal for her friend Hester. Things get complicated when Nora finds several copies of the Scarlet Letter mutilated with Hester Prynne's name gouged out. Are the two events related or is something else going on?

The story in this book is so craftily woven with the numerous characters and multiple book references that this reader was afraid to put the book down, frightened that I would lose the trail and never figure my way out of the story to the satisfactory conclusion.

It was great!

Ellery Adams never disappoints with this series. This was superbly well written and very intense. So many things going on in this story and with these characters. I love how close they have become and how they look out for one another. Look forward to the next chapter with Nora and the gang.