Really well written mystery. I was engaged from the very beginning and had no idea how the story would end. Great character development and plot development. I think fans of the mystery genre should definitely have a look at this author.

Compelling new installment in the Secret Book & Scone Society.
Nora is plunged in the midst of a mystery when a reclusive elderly client is found dead in her historic home.. The victim was a hoarder and Nora unravels the secrets hidden beneath the neglected and crowded rooms.
Nora’s friendship group is still a source of strength and support, and her relationship with the police chief continues to grow.
To say this was a grown up version of Nancy Drew’s “The Hidden Staircase” is a compliment!
Ms. Adam’s is a master of blending mystery with psychological insights.
Enjoy a visit to Miracle Springs, where mysteries and good food abound.

Nora has been delivering books to Lucille. Lucille is a recluse so Nora is shocked when she gets inside. She shares tea and conversation with her. One day Lucille doesn’t answer her door and Nora calls her only to hear her ask for help.

Nora is shocked when she finds her dead inside. She discovers that Lucille was a hoarder and that she left her a book and a note.

Nora is following the clues to find to find out the truth.

I have enjoyed this whole series. She does an excellent job of describing the inside of a hoarders house so you can clearly visualize it in your mind. This family was full of secrets which made for a salacious read.

North-Carolina, small-business, small-town, recluse, bookseller, local-law-enforcement, suspense, secrets, amateur-sleuth, series, cozy-mystery, relationships, family-drama, family-dynamics, inheritance, hoarding, arson, murder, investigations, baker, mansion, tiny-house, contemporary, embezzling, friends, friendship, mental-health-issues, mental-health-awareness, addiction, unputdownable, unpleasant-police-officer, family-by-choice, family-history*****

The elderly recluse has lived in her family home in Miracle Springs all of her days. At one of her regular visit to the woman Nora (owner of the Miracle Bookshop) finds her body at the base of the stairs and is overwhelmed by the olfactory and visual evidence that she had been a hoarder for much of her life. She is also given the first clues to what might be termed a scavenger hunt.
There is a lot to be learned about the main character and her gathered family in the town as well as the disturbing things brought to light by pursuing the clues.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Oct 22, 2024
#TheLittleLostLibrary #NetGalley #SecretBookAndSconeSocietyBk7
#ElleryAdams

𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆.

Ellery Adams has created some of my all-time favorite cozy series. Every time a new installment of this series becomes available, I know that the setting will be familiar, the environment will be warm, and I will learn something valuable about myself.

Bookstore owner Nora Pennington is making book deliveries to Lucille Wynter, an elderly agoraphobe who lives in a crumbling Gothic mansion on the outskirts of town. Lucille has been relegated to the title of the town eccentric, and the only people to knock on her door besides Nora are neighborhood kids on Halloween night, fueled by dares from their peers.

When Lucille doesn't answer the door for her scheduled delivery, Nora begins to worry. She finally decides to force her way again, and she's shocked by what she finds. First, there are mountains of books everywhere, and secondly, Lucille is lying dead at the foot of the stairs. Nora feels certain that the woman's hoarding didn't cause her death, especially after she finds a letter that Lucille left behind.

Nora delves deeper into this mystery than she usually does, and I believe that she was motivated by guilt. She mentioned several times that while she did her due diligence with her deliveries, she never really tried to get to know Lucille, telling herself that she was wasting her time. This really spoke to me because I am guilty of doing the same. Through no fault of our own, we're all so busy, pulled in so many different directions, that we are often immune to the suffering right in front of us. There were several sub-plots that also spoke to me, particularly Nora's bookstore thief. I thought about this book for a long time after closing its pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the early copy. At the time this review was written, this title is expected to release October 22, 2024.

I enjoy this series and this entry did not disappoint! Miracle Bookshop and its proprietor are magical with her ability to recommend books that minister to her patrons and explicitly match their need even when they don't know themselves. Nora is also an amateur sleuth, always curious and seems to be right in the middle of all the curious things that happen in Miracle Springs. Her involvement in crimes is helped by the fact that she is now dating the sheriff. Nora sets out to deliver some books to Lucille Wynter, a recluse, who lives in Wynter House (the rumored Haunted house of Miracle Springs.) Lucille never lets anyone in the house, so Nora sits in the boot room and waits for Lucille to come out. This time she doesn't come out and after some time has passed Nora calls her on the phone. She can hear the phone ringing in the house and when it is finally answered she hears a faint voice say "help me" and then "too late". Nora kicks in the door and rushes in to a horrible smell and a hoarders den but finally finds Lucille. Lucille appears to have fallen down the stairs, but she is dead. As Nora is leaving the scene one of the deputies hands her a bag with her name on it supposing it is the payment for the books Nora brought for Lucille. Once in her truck she find a tiny book and a letter from Lucille. The miniature book is a children's book with riddles about Wynter House. Nora can't resist a scavenger hunt that the riddles appear to be but she keeps it a secret in hopes of gaining access to the house. When the sheriff declares Lucille's death a murder, a whole other mystery unfolds- one that may even put Nora's life in danger.
This is an excellent read!!!!

#TheLittleLostLibrary #NetGalley may be my favorite book of 2024!
There is nothing better than picking up a book that makes you feel like you've reunited with favorite friends.
The story, the mystery, and the characters stand out in this book, and I could not put it down until I was done.
Lucille's story tugged at my heart, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

There’s something that sets the entries into the Secret Book and Scone Society series a cut above other fine cozy series. Is it Ellery Adam’s superb prose? Possibly. Or is it the finely drawn characters and their compelling back stories? Maybe. It could be the clever murders and their never obvious solutions. All of these elements and more are present in the newest book, The Little Lost Library. Highly recommended!

This particular series is one of my favorites of Ellery Adams. Main character Nora Pennington, having a rough past she’s overcome, can understand and emphasize with others in the same situation. As owner of Miracle Books she delivers old books to Lucille, a recluse in her spooky old house. On one delivery she hears Lucille calling for help but by the time she breaks in it’s too late, Lucille is dead. First deemed an accident evidence soon shows murder and it doesn’t help when her estranged children show up.

I have loved every series I have read by Ellery Adam’s. The characters, the settings and their back stories. Nora has been delivering books to a recluse for years. On this visit she doesn’t come to the door in their agreed time limit so Nora calls. Once the phone is finally answered all she hears is the word help. Upon finding Lucille at the bottom of the steps, she’s on the hunt for the killer. Using the book that was left to her, she searches for the hidden treasure using the clues in the book.
Goodreads

The Little Lost Library by E. Adams, published by Kensington Publishing is a Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel.
This is my first book by this author and in this series and girllll, what a beautiful read that was. A cozy mystery that gives all the feels and had me guessing til the last chapter.
Blurb: Nora Pennington helps her bookstore customers find healing through the perfect book—while solving the town’s real-life murders with the help of her Secret, Book, and Scone Society members. Just a touch of magical realism and strong, female-driven stories are winning this series raves from readers and fans of Kate Carlisle and Lorna Barrett. When an elderly Miracle Springs resident, Lucille Wynter, arranges for Nora to deliver an order of books to her creepy, crumbling Southern Gothic mansion on the outskirts of town, Nora doesn’t expect to be invited in. An agoraphobic, Lucille doesn’t leave Wynter House. Nor does she invite anyone inside. But when Lucille doesn’t come to the door to collect her books, Nora begins to worry. Forcing her way into Lucille’s dilapidated home, Nora is shocked to find rooms packed to the ceiling with decaying books and a lifeless Lucille at the foot of her stairs. After reading a note left behind by Lucille, Nora wonders if her death was an accident. Did Lucille fall or was she pushed by someone seeking a valuable item hidden within Wynter House? Lucille’s children are clearly confident the house contains something of value, because they hire Nora to sift through the piles of books. As she digs, Nora can’t shake the feeling that hoarding didn’t cause Lucille’s fall. Soon, Nora’s interest with Lucille’s collection is cause for concern amongst her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society—she’s even neglecting her bookshop. Then, Nora does find something valuable deep inside Wynter House—a revelation about Lucille’s past . . . and a secret worth a small fortune. But there’s someone who’d do anything to keep the truth hidden amid the tomes. The odds against them are stacked as high as the books, but it’s up to Nora and her friends to track down a villain with a literary lean before Wynter House’s lost library claims another victim.

So many thanks to NeGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams. I have been a huge Ellery Adams fan for many years. Her Secret, Book, and Scone Society series may be my all-time favorite, and this entry in the series was my favorite so far. There is much to love here - the strong, loving friendship of the four main women characters, the supporting characters, the bookstore, yummy treats to enjoy with coffee, and the authors and books so generously mentioned. Well done!