I love this series. This time the theme of murder was poetry. When one of Storyton’s treasured poems disappears and pages are found on several murder victims, Jane uses her sleuthing skills to unmask the killer in time for her best friends wedding.

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. genealogy, bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Murder on the Poet's Walk by Ellery Adams.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

I’ve only read two of the books in the Book Retreat series, but I have purchased all of the books so that I can go back and read the earlier ones. The characters are well developed and I have grown to love Jane Steward, her partner, Edwin, and her twin sons. If Storyton Hall was a real place, I would be booking a trip there as soon as possible! The description makes it sound like an ideal location for an escape. The murder mystery is handled well and you will find yourself flipping through the pages to discover who is the guilty party. You will be left guessing until the end which makes for a satisfying cozy mystery. I look forward to the next adventure with the crew at Storyton Hall and the delightful people of Storyton, VA.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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A solid addition to Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat series. Overall charming and with plenty of literary references.

See the reviews for other books in this series: Murder in the Mystery Suite, Murder in the Paperback Parlor, and Murder in the Secret Garden.

If you have not yet had the chance to read a cozy mystery by author Ellery Adams, you are missing out. Adams has a unique way of creating cozy mysteries that engage the reader and capture their hearts with the most endearing characters. She has numerous mystery series that I have read over the years, and her books never disappoint. In this eighth installation of the Book Retreat Mystery series, Jane Steward, the owner of Storyton Hall, is hosting a contest to award one poet an employment contract with a new greeting card company. Poets are all over the grounds of Storyton Hall, writing and engaging with each other, and competing to win the grand prize. That is until one of the poets is found dead in a rowboat on one of the property’s lakes staged in death as “The Lady of Shallot.”

Of course, finding the murderer and keeping her guests safe is of the utmost importance to Jane and her team of friends and family, all while making sure the secret collection of books, ancient writings, and papers remains safe. When another guest is discovered murdered in “poetic” circumstances and a missing handwritten poem of Walt Whitman comes to light, Jane pulls the team together to protect the remaining guests and Storyton Hall as best as she can. Will she be able to solve the murder before the guests leave for the weekend or will a killer be allowed to escape justice?

This book was all about character development for the future books in this series: Jane’s best friend, Eloise is about to get married; Jane’s uncle has what appears to be medical events happening that makes him forgetful and foggy-minded; and Jane’s relationship with Edwin seems to be getting serious. I really have come to love this series and the characters really feel like family. I am always eager to return to this series as I know I will never be disappointed. This book was a great addition to this already fantastic series, and I hope that every mystery lover reads this series and enjoys it as much as I do.

Overall Rating: 5+ stars
Author: Ellery Adams

Series: Book Retreat Mystery #8

Publisher: Kensington Cozies

Publication Date: September 27, 2022

Pages: 354

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

Murder on the Poet's Walk is the 8th book in the Book Retreat Mysteries. Jane Steward runs Storyton Hall and loves running various writer retreats. This story has a poet's retreat, as well as competition going on, but all does not go well. First, Jane's uncle is having forgetful spells that has her in passages that she normally wouldn't use. She finds a handwritten copy of a Walt Whitman poem. The next poem she finds is in a rowboat, with a dead body. How did she die? Was it murder? The dead woman was one of the front runners to win the publishing contract, so when the next body is another of the front runners, there are some very frightened guests. Jane has solved her share of cases, so with the help of her staff, she begins her own investigation.

This book can be read as a standalone story, but there is a lot that has happened along the way, and knowing the background, I think you would enjoy this one much more. I love the setting of Storyton Hall. This would be a great place for a reader or writer to vacation. I love all the talk of books and the title dropping throughout the story. The recurring characters are wonderful, including, Jane, her twin sons, her fiancé, Edwin, the Fins, her employees and the Cover Girls (Jane’s friends and book club members). They are smart, likable characters and they all play a part in solving the mystery. The Fins are a Templar Order and are loyal and protective of Jane and her family. I was sad to see her Uncle Aloysius having health problems as he gets older. The mystery is well-paced, with plenty of suspects and surprises to keep you guessing whodunnit and why. The showdown was quite exciting and help came from an unexpected source. I recommend this well-written and plotted book to cozy mystery fans.

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Ellery Adams for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have read this series from the beginning. This is book 8 in this series. You do not have to read all of them to read this one, however some things will not be as impactful, and you may not understand everything because it does reference some of the earlier books.

I really enjoyed this book. I love Ellery Adams writing style and her books about books and book lovers. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and books you will like her books. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a cozy mystery and book references.

This is the 8th installment in the Book Retreat mystery series and I am still amazed how this author keeps the story so fresh and keeps you so engaged with these characters. Jane Steward runs Storyton Hall and she is the guardian of the secret library there. She lives on the grounds with her two young sons Hem and Fitz, her partner Edwin and her aunt and Uncle live in the main house. Jane is looking forward to the upcoming marriage of Edwin’s sister and her best friend Eloise to Lachlan one of the Storyton’s Fins (they help Jane protect the library and its contents). The Hall is hosting a poetry contest run by a greeting card company and one winner will win a six-figure contract to write greeting cards for the company. After one of the first events, Jane finds a piece of paper with a threat and shares with the Fins and suggest they all be on high alert for any trouble. Unfortunately, the next day, Jane finds a “rip van wrinkle” (code word for dead body) in a rowboat on the lake. The body is a woman staying at the hall and a front runner in the contest and she has been posed as “The Lady of Shallot”. Since this is a poem, Jane is convinced this is somehow related to the contest and she and the Fins begin to investigate along side the police. Another contestant is found the next day and Jane is on a time crunch to help figure this out while at the same time being concerned about her Uncle who found the second body and is rushed to the hospital. Throw in a missing transcript from the library and you have a solid mystery that keeps you engaged from beginning to end. Looking forward to the next installment.

Cozy lovers who enjoy Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat series will welcome the eighth installment of the series, Murder on the Poet’s Walk where protagonist Jane Steward, who is the resort manager of a book-themed resort in Virginia called Storyton Hall, is in charge of a conference for poets who are vying for a lucrative contract with a greeting card company. Unfortunately, Jane discovers the body of a woman floating in a small boat, who is identified as the frontrunner in the competition. Jane, an amateur sleuth, begins to investigate with the help of the local police department who knows that Jane has the ability to help them solve the murder. Shortly after the murder, Jane’s twin sons discover another body, and he is identified as the top contender after the first murder. Jane has several friends who are helping her with the mystery, as well as relatives who live at the resort.

While Adams does a good job of developing the main characters, most who are likeable, there are too many, and it isn’t easy to keep track of all of them. It gets even harder as the supporting characters who are guests at the conference are introduced, and while there is some intrigue among them, and there are several who are suspected, it gets to be too much. Adams shows off her knowledge of classic poetry, and of famous authors, it makes the novel drag, and some of the wordy parts (and there are many) get absolutely boring.

The storyline is good, and there are twists and turns; most readers will want Jane, et al to solve the mystery without losing their lives. There are some dangerous scenarios that will keep readers’ interest, and the end and the murderer isn’t discovered until the end.

Fans of Ellery Adams may enjoy this book, although she includes too many literary references that even bore this English major. Adams also writes other series which are personally preferable.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

What happens when lots of poets show up at Storyton Hall? Murder of course. Jane and her crew are in The thick of another mystery. This was a great story, read it in one sitting. I’d highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Love this series and its quirky setting of Storyton Hall with the fairytale setting and keeper of the books and secrets cast of characters — these are like wonderful escapes into the vacation spot I’d love to take — minus the murders of course.

This was just what I needed. I love cozy mysteries and this series is adorable. I love Jane as the main character, and the setting–a book themed resort. The recurring characters are great too, and add to the setting and the story. I wish I could go to a book themed resort and town! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Another good installment in the Book retreat's series and a pleasant visit to Storyton Hall.

2 murders, and a wedding. Jane and the fins have their work cut out. I loved this story, and as always Ellery Adams keeps you guessing who the culprit is. She is the queen of red herrings.

The twins are growing up into wonderful young men, and help their mother bring closure to the case. We also have fun finding secret hiding places in Storyton hall. This story did have a small hiccup for me, and that is with uncle Aloysius. We see him taken to the hospital and signs of memory loss/dementia start to show.

I love the background story of what Storyton Hall is and Jane's role as the guardian.

I just have one comment to make: MORE PLEASE.

Storyton Hall feels a bit more like a fairytale land than the setting for a cozy mystery. In this installment the hall is the setting for people vying for a greeting card contract. When Jane discovers a body and cannot find an artifact, she wonders if she can trust everyone as much as she thought.

This is a different setting from my usual cozy mystery, but I thoroughly enjoy this series. I did not find the mystery in this particular book to be as strong as others. However I could easily have guessed incorrectly. I enjoy the quirky characters and the mystical setting and will gladly return to Storyton Hall for the next book!

This is book 8 in the Book Retreat series and it’s a great addition. Jane and her staff at Storyton Hall are hosting a poetry contest for a greeting card company and now dead bodies are turning up with poems clutched in their dead hands. As always the clues are there, you just need to follow them to enjoy this cute cozy series. I like the way the family is growing older IJane’s twins) and the staff continues to keep the secrets of Storyton away from the public. You can read this book as a stand alone.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

During a poetry contest at Storyton Hall, two people are murdered. They clutch rare and valuable poems stolen from a secret vault, which adds to the mystery. The motive could be a lucrative greeting card contract or something more sinister. Resort manager Jane Steward is determined to discover the murderer and protect her resort and family.
I really like all the book references. From the rooms to the food, Storyton Hall is somewhere I want to stay!
While this book can stand alone, I probably would have made a deeper connection to the characters if I had read previous books in the series.
The secret society piece was confusing and a little annoying. And I didn't care for the alcohol references. But otherwise, the content is pretty tame.
The heroes at the end made my day. I think they should have their own book!

I love how refined the characters in this series are. The story is always well-crafted and the mystery, worthy of investigation.

This series just gets richer and better as it progresses. Ellery Adams has created an entire village of characters that read as real people, real friends that a reader is happy to visit on each return.

Storyton is hosting a poetry contest, providing a bookish, romantic, emotional backdrop. Jane’s boys are growing so quickly, and they play a new role in the plot. The pacing is good, the mystery is well devised, and we are left once again satisfied and still waiting for more.

Thank you to Ellery Adams, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Storyton is always an interesting place to visit. With its long history of protecting valuable literary works, some that are known and others whose very being is shrouded in mystery. Jane, the current Guardian, her two sons, her beau, the staff of the resorts and her very own SAS team, the Fins strive to protect the collection.

The resort is home to an unusual poetic conference where the winner will be awarded a lucrative job writing for a new card company. Competition is fierce but Jane has no idea how fierce until the leading competitor is murdered. She is posed in a very evocative position which only adds more questions to the investigation. There will be a second murder, again with the deceased posed to evoke a literary character. It is quite perplexing.

But when Jane discovers some rare Walt Whitman papers are missing from her collection, she is beyond upset. Are the two murders connected and why were these two people killed. Does the competition have any bearing on them. And who has stolen her precious papers. It all comes together in a tight mystery. But we know that Jane, and her intrepid team, will root out the villain and bring justice to all. I do like this series and wish I could book a vacation at Storyton- without the murders. Five purrs and two paws up.