My new favorite! I love these characters and I already cannot wait until the next installment in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

This fifth installment in The Secret, Book, and Scone Society series was fantastic. Cozy and warm, with a fabulous group of friends, interesting mystery, and quaint little town, it was exactly what I needed to read right now. This series is best read in order to get the full backstory, but it works as a standalone as well. I love this series and can't wait to see what comes next! Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the advance digital copy.

Once again Ellery Adams has created a fresh, interesting mystery in familiar surroundings in this fifth book in her Secret, Book and Scone Society series. While this book stands alone with the mystery being completed within the novel, readers will likely want to read the series in order if they want to have the best understanding of how the characters relate to one another. The society consists of Nora, book shop owner and main character; Estelle, society member and hairdresser; Hester, society member and bakery owner; and June, manager at the local spa.

The novel takes place in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, an idyllic small town noted for its healing spa waters. Nora has opened a book store that is much more than just retail space, it is a tribute to her love of books and their healing power. Over the series, people have come into the store with problems or issues to solve and left with books recommended by Nora which will help them find their best solution. Hester bakes what she calls “comfort scones”and, when someone is in need, she will create a personalized one for them. June knits special socks and Estelle shows people the beauty they have within. These four women give their talents to people when they are having difficulty.

In this novel, it’s Hester who has the difficulty. Each of the members of the society have a secret which is part of what brought them together. They have shared their secrets with one another, but not with the general public. Hester’s secret is having given birth out of wedlock when she was a teenager and forced to give the child up for adoption. After birth, she was sent off to live with an aunt she barely knew and her parents turned their backs on her.

Hester was forced to give her child up for adoption as soon as she was born. Now, just as Hester has found love and is anticipating a lifetime with her longtime boyfriend, it seems her secret is about to be revealed for the entire town to know. Not only is that a problem, since Hester’s boyfriend doesn’t know about her pregnancy, but there are signs popping up all over town that indicate someone has a desire to reveal the secret and hurt Hester in the process. Her name is scraped out of a set of books,”The Scarlet Letter”, Nora has in the shop. Other books, with hidden letters in the design art for the book covers also appear to have been deliberately placed around town, but it is unclear what their part in the mystery is.

In addition to the books, there are murders that have to be investigated. The first one is the murder of a man who is unknown to anyone in the town of Miracle Springs. Then there is an attempt on the life of a delightful young woman who works as a nanny for a local company and has plans for going to art school. Finally, later in the book, another woman is murdered and it appears it was a case of mistaken identity and Hester was the intended victim.

All these things are happening against a backdrop of life as it goes for the society members and their friends. Estelle, who has a relationship with Jack, the local diner owner is having to oversee his treatment in the hospital as he became desperately ill, Hester’s boyfriend finally proposes, June’s son is successful in obtaining a new job, and Nora’s relationship with the town’s sheriff seems to be deepening into something more than friendship.These secondary stories have been developing over the series and while not difficult to understand, the full development of them is better experienced by those who’ve read the books in order.

This series is a delightful combination of a love story of books and an excellent mystery that is well plotted, moves with an excellent pace, and has a satisfying conclusion. In summary, this is a book, and a series, that is enjoyable on many levels, particularly for those readers who like cozy mysteries. Adams is successful in bringing a story that is fresh and engaging while at the same time advancing a series that is developing some well-loved characters. She is a prolific writer, with several series to her credit, but this is the one with which I am most familiar and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.

My thanks to Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy for this review. The opinions here are entirely my own.

Delightful addition to the Secret, Book, And Scone Society mysteries.
Nora Pennington, the owner of Miracle books, is asked for help by Deputy Andrews in planning a surprise proposal for Hester, a member of the Society. Nora collaborates with the other members, Estella and June in the planning. All goes well with the proposal and everyone is pleased. When an unidentified body is discovered and ruled as a murder, everything changes. The man is someone from Hester’s past – a past her fiancé is unaware of. A book was discovered on the body – is it a clue? Why is someone vandalizing copies of The Scarlet Letter? Another murder raises more questions as does a car accident. Will the killer be found before someone else dies?
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

Four women form the heart of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society with secrets no one else knows except them. When Hester accepts Jasper's marriage proposal, her teenage pregnancy and surrendering the baby for adoption become issues.

At the same time, an unidentified man turns up dead at the bottom of the gorge leading into Miracle Springs. When it turns out that the dead man is the father of Hester's baby, matters become complicated. Nora, June, and Estella – the other members of the Society – decide to search for answers to various puzzling clues relating to the developing mystery.

Then, in a startling confrontation, local nanny Lea informs Hester that she is the daughter Hester gave up for adoption. Even more perplexing is the fact that Lea becomes a target for murder.

Ellery Adams concocts a complex and riveting mystery with rich historical context and engaging subplots throughout this captivating tale. Ms. Adams's gift for storytelling shares the truth, and many perspectives all face as life progresses. The Vanishing Type is engaging, entertaining, and thoughtful.

Sometimes, a book series becomes a bit stale with time. However, the Secret, Book and Scone Society series continues to provide excellent stories and add interesting characters. The women who are at the core of the series are each very unique and strong-willed despite their previous hardships. And, I absolutely love the addition of the Sheldon character, who has provided humor and diversity to this series in recent books. In this book, Hester (the baker) seems to be in danger, amid murders and accidents occurring in the town. And the relationship between Nora and the sheriff is heating up--I like this much better than her previous love interest. Love, love, love this series! Can't wait to read the next one!

In this next book of the series Deputy Andrews asks Nora to help plan
his proposal to her friend Hester. Knowing that Hester adores all things Little Women related she comes up with a perfect idea. The night has been planned perfectly but shortly before Nora is supposed to leave for the event she finds a stack of The Scarlet Letter that have been marred. She worries that this incident might have something to do with her friend Hester because she shares a name with the titled character. After the proposal Hester herself begins to worry because she is keeping a secret.
She hasn't even told her friends the whole truth about what she did so many years ago. When a man is found murdered with a rare book in his possession they find a link between Hester and him. Knowing that their friend might be in trouble the ladies begin to investigate. Someone is trying to reveal Hester secret and they will do anything to bring it out in the open, even murder. I love this series because the characters come to life with each new word making them not only relatable but easy to get to know. I appreciate being able to witness a true growth with each woman and seeing how far they have come since the first book. I'm always excited when a new book is released and look forward to taking an emotional journey that the author pulls from me with her words. I can't wait for the next book!

I’ve been reading consistently this month but somehow I’m not feeling too good and that’s definitely been affecting what I’m reading. So I thought something comforting would be the right pick and what can be more comforting than this lovely new installment in my favorite cozy mystery series.

I know I’ve mentioned this many times but I have to say again, I so wish Miracle Springs was a really town, Miracle Books and Gingerbread House existed, and I could go there for a vacation. Even though a HP reference right on the first page irritated me, I continued reading but I do wish that the author would discontinue its usage. The writing is light and soothing right from the get go, even though we get some bad vibes at times just like our main character Nora. I also liked how the author managed to connect little plot points from the first book here and give little hints throughout before the final reveal. There were actually quite a few mysteries to solve here and I could only guess one, but the way the characters deduced the clues was quite fun. As usual there were many book recommendations given all through the story, and it’s always fun when I’ve read most of them and can see why Nora is making those recommendations.

My highlight of this book was definitely seeing the friendship of Nora and Sheriff McCabe turning into something more. They’ve always seemed sweet together but it was never the right time for them before, but I’m glad they can finally try. Their interactions are lovely and they are very understanding and supportive of each other. Hester and Andrews’s relationship is put through the wringer in this one and I can only hope they’ll be able to move forward without any resentments. There were quite a few new characters (alive and dead) that we get to know about and everyone was quite interesting. As usual, the book club meetings made me jealous that I didn’t have a girl gang like this who could meet up every week and gush over books. There was also a Blind Date Book Bash which felt like a dream and how I wished I could be transported into the pages.

In the end, what new can I say which I haven’t already in my reviews of the previous installments. If you like strong female friendships, delicate relationships, cozy mysteries, an absolutely amazing book store and a mouthwatering bakery, then you can’t miss this series. It always makes my day.

This book is a delightful return to Miracle Springs and a welcome reunion with the women who make up the Secret, Book and Scone Society. As they band together to help and support one of their own through a very tough time, Nora, Estella, June and Hester also solve a fascinating mystery which deals with a publishing dynasty, women authors and artists of the Victorian era and long-kept family secrets. Lots of plot twists and turns make for compelling reading. I cannot wait for a return visit and hope this series continues for a long time to come.

If Miracle Springs and Miracle Book Store actually existed I'd move there in a flash! What a fabulous cast of characters. The friendships, love, and sense of community are so strong. This is not a trouble free town by any means and the main characters have all endured serious problems and heartaches. I think this book is the best one yet in the series with romance, mysterious books, and murder.

This is one of my very favorite cozy series. With a main character who's a bookshop owner and a cast of friends who support each other in beautiful examples of female friendships and empowerment, plus mystery plots that are complex and always involve--either centrally or tangentially--book, it's like they were written for me!

I also appreciate the writing. I read cozies for plot and escape more than for literary reading, but I find myself highlighting sentences here and there in this series. Sometimes they're quotations from other people or by characters, and I want to think on those some more. Other times, they're just beautiful words and images, like "The stars pulsed like a smack of bioluminescent jellyfish suspended in a midnight ocean."

In The Vanishing Type, threats, senseless deaths, and past traumas all come together for a nifty mystery. Nora's passion around books and stories infuses every tale in the Secret, Book, & Scone Society series, and I can't wait for the next one!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Pennington has a dreadful secret in her past -- and so do the rest of her friends, all entrepreneurs in the quirky little town of Miracle Springs. With their supportive network of friends, though, all of them are building satisfying new lives for themselves.

In this installment of the series, some of those ancient secrets are threatening the friends' happy futures.

It's a good story, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters are likeable and well developed.

While this is Book 5 in The Secret, Book, and Scone Society, it is written in a stand-alone format. If this is your first book you won’t have trouble following the characters or understanding the backstory. I haven’t read all of the books in this series but was able to jump in and reconnect with the series characters like meeting up with old friends and we never missed a beat.

Love is in air around Nora Pennington’s shop, Miracle Books, in the mountains of North Carolina. This story centers on Hester and her beloved Deputy Jasper Andrews who is planning to propose and asks for Nora’s help. In true friendship form, Nora is joined by Estella, June, and Sheldon to help make the proposal extra special for Hester.

The only distraction is a man’s body is found off a hiking trail and in his pocket is a vintage book with a flower name. We later learn the book has ties to Hester’s past and a secret she’s carried with her for decades. As more vintages books appear in suspicious places and another murder takes places the Secret, Book, and Scone Society members put their heads together to try to piece together how everything fits together and what the connection to Hester is.

Hester worries that if her beloved, Jasper, learns her secret that he won’t want to marry her. Yet more vintage books with flower names continue to show up and the past comes rushing into the present pressing Hester to face hurts she thought she’d kept tightly locked away.

This is a delightful cozy mystery full of strong friendships, a dash of romance, and a good dose of mystery solving and twists.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams is the fifth book in her Secret, Book and Scone Society series. I have read the first four books in this series and loved them. They were all five star reads for me. This one is well-written and the pace is good. The murder mystery and how the main characters get involved and help solve it is good. I got turned off at the very beginning though. I don't feel the author did a good job seguing from Nora Pennington's relationship with the EMT, Jed from the earlier books in the series to changing her friendship with Sheriff Grant McCabe to a more romantic relationship. I read cozy mysteries for the mystery aspect but I also enjoy the romantic relationships that develop in some cozy series. This change was too abrupt for my taste, especially after how established Ms. Adams had Nora's and Jed's relationship in previous books. All of a sudden Jed rides off into the sunset and disappears and, if you go by one of Nora's thoughts during the story, it's as if he was nothing to her. Nora has the thought, "Other than Bobbie, everyone I care about is right here." And Jed is nowhere near there. I guess it was, "Out of sight, out of mind" for sure. Harsh!

Read this book! Seriously, it's an amazing book. However, it is the 5th book in the series and you would be missing out on a ton of entertainment and backstory developing the characters and their relationships so I guess I should say, read this series! The characters are so very realistic. They are a group of multi-generational women who have not only become friends, but created a family of sorts for themselves with each other. Each is a flawed human with a unique backstory that helped them become the women that they are today and have bonded over those flaws and become closer because of them. They are very attuned to their community and do their best to look out for it. In this book, it appears that one of their own has become a target although the motive is unclear and how she relates to the unknown John Doe in the county morgue. It is up to the book club ladies to figure it out and save their friend while navigating their own personal issues as they go. This is not your average cozy mystery as you will feel much more connected to the characters who continuously show their intelligence, wit, caring and compassion as well as their strength. Seriously, read this series and in particular this book. It has now become my favorite book in the series!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the fifth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Nora Pennington delights in owning Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. One of her greatest delights is hosting the monthly meeting of the Secret Book & Scone Society. The four members have been supporting each other through all kinds of life events. This book promises a delightful one, with the town deputy, Jasper Andrews, planning to propose to Hester during a special screening at the local movie theater. He enlists the SBSS to help plan the perfect proposal. They’re delighted but Nora’s concerned when she discovers all her store’s back covers of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ have been defaced, except for Hester Prynne’s first name. Does this mean something bad for their dear Hester? Only the members of the Society know that Hester had to give her baby up for adoption; not even Jasper knows the truth. Then Nora and her significant other, Sheriff Grant McCabe, come across a body at the base of a local bridge when they are out hiking. The unknown victim has a book in his pocket and suddenly other books by the same author are appearing. Those books tie into the multiplying mysteries and Nora, June, Estella and Hester resolve to solve everything in hopes of having a happily ever after for Hester and Jasper.
For bibliophiles, the book quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the book references throughout are a delight. The strong, supportive friendships between these women are a joy to read and appreciate. The resolution of the mysteries works well.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read The vanishing type by Ellery Adams. I must say every time I read the latest book in the Secret, book, and scone society series I say BEST ONE EVER! Then I read the next one...and say BEST ONE EVER!!! It isn't even just the story itself; it is the ideas in the story. A bookstore where one can go and find help at a bookstore (bibliotherapy sessions) Women who have been totally hurt by life, start a bookclub, come together as friends, sharing their secrets, become a family. This time the story revolves around Hester (Is Jasper finally going to pop the question???) and also Valentine's day -- a day many people try to ignore. I love the bookstore doing a Valentine's day bash bookclub party! The book title game they came up with was fabulous!!! A mysterious hiker winds up dead, but is it connected to the mutilated copies The scarlet letter at the bookstore? Nora doesn't believe in coincidences.

I highly recommend this series and feel you should read them from the beginning!!!

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society members are back with another mystery to solve. This comes a little closer to home for one of the members. Hester gets engaged but her happiness seems short lived as she’s worried about telling her fiancé her secret she’s been keeping. Meanwhile Nora is feeling a little concerned about a series of events that have been turning up…a dead body of a stranger, books in her store vandalized, and a series of books that keep turning around town seemingly for Nora to find.

Author Ellery Adams has once again crafted a beautiful story about friendship, books, and of course mystery. The characters are each flawed in their own right but this makes them realistic, relatable, and interesting. The mystery is full of red herrings and suspense to keep glue to the book until the mystery is solved. The secondary story or stories are equally as well-written as it takes you on an emotional journey at times they don’t overwhelm the reader with too much going on. The storylines are seamlessly woven together to give the reader a wonderful escape into the town of Miracle Springs, NC and it’s residents.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

It was wonderful to read more about Nora and her close friends. They always have each other's back and try to live their best lives. Sheldon's humor cracks me up and each of the ladies has endearing qualities that make me want to keep reading this series. Adams brings her characters to life by not overdoing them and keeping them real. I can't wait to see what's next up for the Secret, Book & Scone Society!

A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel #5

Welcome to Miracle Springs, NC. The snow is falling, a new year has begun, and Nora Pennington is still inviting people in for a good book and some treats. Nora runs her shop and also does bibliotherapy sessions. So she’s a busy lady. But she always has time for friends so when Deputy Andrews asks Nora to help her plan a surprise wedding proposal for Hester, she knows just what to do.

Right before the question is popped, Nora finds all her copies of The Scarlet Letter have been damaged by an angry someone who has dug out the name Hester on all the pages.

Nora doesn’t think this is a coincidence as she is one of only a few people, fiance’ not included, who know that Hester has a painful secret. The guilt of which is overwhelming. As if that weren’t enough a body of a hiker is found with a rare book in his pocket. Nothing about any of it makes sense. But Hester is spooked.

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society has taken on the case. Trying to find out how the man is connected to Hester. Someone is determined to get Hester’s attention and they are not above killing to get it.

Always a pleasure to read about Nora and the adventures of the Society.

NetGalley/ April 26th, 2022 by Kensington