Starred review from August 1, 2024
Adams's seventh "Secret, Book and Scone Society" novel (following Paper Cuts) has Miracle Books owner Nora Pennington embroiled in another mystery when her eccentric and elderly bibliophile client Lucille Wynter turns up dead. What seems to be a tragic accident is actually murder, and Lucille trusted only Nora to solve the riddles to find the lost library, find her murderer and unearth the secrets that have haunted Wynter House for decades. The novel is perfect for series fans or readers who love a quaint cozy full of small-town charm. The writing, characterizations, and intricacy of the narrative allow this book to stand tall with other contemporary mysteries outside the cozy category. With triggering topics of hoarding, addiction, and other types of abuse as thematic elements, this novel exhibits more depth than is often lacking in other cozies. VERDICT Adams's fans and devoted readers of this type of novel will not be disappointed, but there is also enough substance and intrigue to satisfy fans of more hardboiled mysteries. Even non-series readers can jump right in as Nora encounters her latest adventure.--Linsey Milillo
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 15, 2024
A bookseller searches for a hidden treasure trove of books As the owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington occasionally offers shop-at-home services to her customers. In Lucille Wynter's case, she takes it a step further, bringing books to the reclusive woman and sitting with her in her sparsely furnished "boot room," where they share tea and Lorna Doones. When Lucille fails to appear one day, a worried Nora calls her, only to hear a faint "Help me. Please!" from Lucille's landline. Following the instructions her boyfriend, Sheriff Grant McCabe, once gave her for kicking a door in, Nora breaks in, only to find Lucille dead and Wynter House filled floor to ceiling with rotting food, trash, and books, books, books. Lucille has left Nora a letter thanking her for her visits and entrusting her with a special book written by Lucille's father, Hugo Wynter. The volume contains a woodblock engraving of a set of bookshelves and a poem about a little lost library. Each verse contains cryptic clues that Nora hopes will help her figure out how Lucille could have lost a library and perhaps even help Nora find it. Lucille's children, Harper, Beck, and Clem, commission Nora's friend Bea, an antique dealer, to help clear out their mother's house, and Nora uses the time while Bea is decluttering to follow the clues in the poem. In the meantime, McCabe tells her that Lucille wasn't killed in a fall but was strangled. Nora's search for the lost library and her quest to find Lucille's killer intersect, but chance plays as great a role as sleuthing in their solution. The grim ending reveals a sad history that strips all the joy from Nora's efforts. Complex but ultimately unsatisfying.
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November 1, 2024
Nora Pennington, bookstore owner in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, enjoys delivering books to her most eccentric client, the elderly Lucille Wynter. Nora would love to see the inside of Lucille's gothic mansion but only gets as far as the boot room, where the duo have tea. But one day she must force her way in, only to find a murdered Lucille. Almost as unsettling is the fact that Lucille's house is a hoarder's paradise, crammed with books. The investigation is complicated by Lucille's children, whose lives were ruined by a childhood filled with horrific family secrets. Nora wants to find her friend's killer, but she really wants to solve the clues Lucille left her to locate a possibly valuable miniature library hidden somewhere in the jammed morass of garbage, papers, and books. More than many cozies, this checks all the boxes--a strong, engaging mystery, fully realized characters, and just the right amount of sweet treats and readers' advisory. The seventh entry in Adams' Secret, Book, and Scone Society series packs a lot of delicious detail into its murder-filled pages.
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