Nora, Hester, Estella and Joan, four women, with their own scars and secrets, come together to help a man who could no longer help himself. The mystery of what has and what is about to happen in Miracle Springs, North Carolina is not nearly as interesting as the secrets that have come to define these women. The women’s stories are teased out while the mystery unfolds. Clever, but not highly sophisticated nor remotely believable. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant read for a stormy Sunday afternoon.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC

Fans of Ellery Adams' other book-centric series (notably Books by the Bay, about aspiring writers, and especially the Book Retreat series) will appreciate how biblio-centric this premise is. Nora, after a tragic accident that left her with noticeable burn scars, has moved to a small North Carolina mountain town and opened a bookshop that promises "bibliotherapy". Nora sends her troubled customers away with stacks of personally selected books that make them feel better about their problems.

However, the idyllic Miracle Springs is threatened by a new housing development and the high-powered businesspeople driving it. They're in league with a sexist sheriff (who hates women at a cartoony level) and a local real estate agent. When Nora's newest potential customer never makes it to the bookstore after being run over by a train, she teams up with the bakery owner, the hair stylist regarded as the town tramp, and a spa worker to find out what really happened. They bond over past secrets, finally sharing their histories with sympathetic others.

Fans of traditional cozies may not find the level of trauma the characters have experienced comfortable. I didn't, particularly since back stories about child abuse and broken homes were dropped in to explain how these four women valued being able to trust other people again when building these friendships. But it's all authorial dictate, without many grounds for the opening-up in the story. It felt manipulative to me, an artificial device to make our detectives more sympathetic and to drive readers to complete the story to find out what their secrets were.

Narration and dialogue can be clunky, as well. I do enjoy the settings Adams comes up with, with her perfect little towns and the emphasis on books and treats (such as Hester's "comfort scones"), but the level of character torture here was too much for me.

Miracle Springs, North Carolina is the setting of this novel. A small town known as a place of healing. Natural springs and spa is part of the healing that takes place. But as the story unfolds, the local shopkeepers also have some healing powers of their own.
Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, intends to assist a visiting businessman who appears to be struggling with some inner turmoil. Nora first sends him to the local bakery, Gingerbread House, to get his “comfort” scone that are individually made by the bakery based on her instinct of what will bring comforting memories to the person. After getting his scone, he is to come to Nora to give him books that will help ease his specific pains. Nora finds herself waiting for him to return, but he never arrives. Instead he is found on the train tracks, dead, by the incoming train.
The death is deemed to be a suicide by the local police, but Nora and a small group of women, including the Gingerbread House baker, a woman from the local spa and the owner of the local hair salon. All have a secret from their past that they have come to Miracle Springs to forget and start over.
The mystery expands as the 4 women investigate the local building development that the businessman and his associates were associated with. The group forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society as part of their investigations, and a type of therapy, as each woman starts to trust and share their history with the group.
Not a huge, twisting, mystery. But I found the story of the characters, the setting, and the author’s writing were all quite good. Definitely an enjoyable read! Looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Kensington Books for the ARC.

This cosy mystery follows the rules of that genre but does so with enough charm that it’s sure to become many people's favourite.

The book sets up a series starring four women who have moved to Miracle Springs, a small North Carolina town which promises its residents and visitors peace along with physical and mental remedial treatment.

The women strike up a friendship when a man they’d all met, albeit briefly, is found dead. Deciding the man’s death is not a suicide but murder, they form the society of the title and work together to solve the case.

All women get to reveal their secrets which have drawn them to Miracle Springs, but Nora, the owner of Miracle Springs’s bookstore, is easily the most interesting and fully fleshed out of the four. Nora is scarred, inside and out, having being burnt in a car accident; the details of which are finally revealed towards the end of the book.

Like all cosy mystery heroines, Nora has a ‘special power’. No ridiculous paranormal skills though; Nora’s skill is choosing books as therapy for her customers. I really enjoyed this more unusual and realistic but heartwarming talent. In addition to the books Nora recommends, Adams adds many more literary references throughout the novel. Beware, you might end up adding way too many books to your TBR pile whilst reading.

The mystery/murder plot itself was okay, but I would complain that the villains of the piece were quite one-dimensional and stereotypical despite the one small twist at the end in this department. While speaking of the ending -- it offers us a new mystery to tempt the reader into seeking out the next book in the series, just as you'd imagine it should.

There is also a touch of romance which I expect might be explored further in the subsequent books in the series.

All in all this was a strong debut of the characters and Miracle Springs. Recommended if you’re looking for an introduction to cosy mysteries and/or a new series.

4 out of 5

Another delightful cozy mystery from Ellery Adams. In a small town known as a calm, healing, vacation destination, four vastly different women become friends and must solve a murder. Each is guarding secrets from the past, and must depend upon the others to overcome these dark shadows. Full of literary quotes and nostalgic paperbacks, This new series off to a promising start.

This is the first book in a brand new mystery series by Ellery Adams. The author does an outstanding job of character development. The members of this secret society have all had problems in their past that caused them to have trust issues. After coming together, they slowly open up about the things that traumatized them, and become very close friends. They also have a mystery to solve when a stranger they have all met is pushed in front of a train, and when one of their own is suspected of murder in a second suspicious death.

I loved the details of Nora’s bookstore and her home in a train car. I also enjoyed the stories of the comfort scones made by Hester. (There’s almost a bit of magic in eating one!) The cats that follow June around add a bit of whimsy, and Esther, the girl some women would hate because she appears to be a loose woman, elicits a sense of compassion when you find out about her history. These four, make up all the characters who are in the group.

The book does contain curse words and sexual situations/comments. Since I thought this was a cozy mystery, I wasn’t very happy about that; however, I did think the book was well written.

I didn’t realize it when I started reading this book that it was the first in a new mystery series. After finishing
"The Secret, Book, and Scone Society" I know that this is one series that I look forward to reading more of.

The four main characters are each women with a secret in their past that haunts them. However, as they get together to solve the mystery involving the death of a visitor to their town of Miracle Springs, they find that their newfound bonds of friendship help them accept themselves as they are and to look beyond their pasts. Additionally, together they face danger and threats to their lives as they strive to figure out what’s going on with a new housing development and their suspicions about the developers’ connections to the two murders in their peaceful community. There are also the beginnings of romance in some of their lives and I look forward to seeing whether these romantic interests pan out in future books in this series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and Kensington books in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I liked the main character and supporting characters and the friendship that they formed. I also liked the theme of forgiveness and fresh starts. The mystery moved along at a good pace. I did not like the name-dropping of books during the bibliotherapy scenes, and there's some really bad dialogue, which is an unfortunate characteristic of most Ellery Adams books.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was a bit more serious or darker than most cozy mysteries that I usually read. I think I wouldn't even classify this as a "cozy" mystery but more a just regular type mystery with a slightly cozy touch. In any case, I will say that one of my favorite things about this book was all the book and author mentions and the quotes. It was a bibliophile's dream and made for an excellent reading experience. Not to mention all the yummy sounding scones. I was a bit disappointed that the author didn't include any recipes. I think that would have been a nice bonus and would have made the book that much better.

I found it to be well written and paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. I loved the interactions between the four women. I enjoyed learning their secrets and seeing their friendship grow. I loved the small town setting. The Gingerbread House and the personal scones. The bookstore and Nora's bibliotherapy. The caboose cottage. The book had a bit of a magical realism feel to it that I loved.

My only issue I did have with this one was I just didn't connect with Nora. I am not sure why because Nora is the central character, but I just found her lacking in emotions or personality. She came off a bit flat and if I am honest, a bit cold and standoffish. And perhaps that is precisely how she was meant to be written, but as I said, it left me feeling detached from her character. On top of that when we finally get to her secret at the end it had the unfortunate effect of disconnecting me further when I had just started to warm up to her. I think it wouldn't have bothered me as much if it hadn't included other people. But of course, these are characters not meant to be perfect. All four have flaws and are living with the repercussions of their actions so although her secret bothered me it may not bother others as much.

Overall though like I said above I did enjoy this one quite a bit and I look forward to heading back to Miracle Springs, North Carolina and seeing what these ladies will be getting up to next. There also seems to be some potential romances in the air, and I hope the author plans on building on those storylines as well. This gets a solid two thumbs up from yours truly.

Ellery Adams is my favorite cozy mystery author, and I was so excited to start this new series. The Secret, Book and Scone Society is a fantastic addition to the genre. It features all of the necessary components of a great cozy mystery series- a charming setting with a unique pull, a town full of interesting characters, a deepening crime with plenty of suspects and turns- and it's all done with Ellery Adams's skillful style. I think this book takes at least one particular risk that most books in the genre don't ( <spoiler>The main character reveals at the end of the book that the secret she is keeping and the cause of her scarring is due to an action on her part that readers might take issue with</spoiler> ), but I think it is worthy as the author created some interesting characters with more depth than readers might find in the typical cozy mystery, particularly in the series debut. A great series starter with a lot of potential!

On one hand this is a typical small town mystery populated by the bookstore in the old train station, the local bakery, a hairdresser and a spa. The women who inhabit these businesses are, in some ways, also typical. They care about their jobs and the people around them. They are part of the community. When a housing development starts on the outskirts of town, half the people think it will be great for the town and the rest see it as an eyesore. Then the first murder occurs but the sheriff says it was just a tragic accident of a visitor to their quiet little town. Nora, owner of the bookstore, is certain it was not an accident and digs deeper. Nora has a knack for connecting the right book with the right reader to help them heal. She needs healing herself and in the course of investigating, she connects with Hester, Estelle and June, three women who also have secrets. Those secrets become the glue that joins them together. When Estelle is arrested for the second murder, Nora, June and Hester are determined to find the real killer. In the process, they share their secrets and begin to heal.
This mystery has many levels and a whole lot of heart. These are four women who I would love to know, to have as friends. When I got to the last paragraph I knew there was no doubt I would be first in line for the next in the series. I want to know more.

Miracle Springs, North Carolina is a small town that is known to be a place of healing. Not only is there a natural hot springs and renowned spa available but many of the shopkeepers in town have their own signature way of healing visitors. Nora Pennington is one of those shopkeepers being the owner of Miracle Books where she considers herself a bit of a bibliotherapist being able to talk with a customer and since which book would help them with their own problems.

When Nora meets a man that seems to be a bit troubled she senses that he could really use a bit of her brand of therapy but first she insists he go over to the Gingerbread House bakery and order one of the comfort scones made by the bakery’s owner who also bakes a personal scone after hearing someone’s story. But after getting his scone and before returning to the book store that same man ends up in front of the incoming train in what appears to be a suicide.

Nora immediately questions the death, sure she didn’t know the man well or hardly at all really but in the moments she’d talked with him she saw a bit of hope in his eyes and knew that there was more to this story than suicide. Gathering with her fellow lady shopkeepers they form the Secret, Book, and Scone Society and dive right into finding out more about the death and the secrets of their small town.

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams is the first book in the new cozy Miracle Springs, North Carolina mystery series. Picking this one up it becomes immediately apparent that Ms. Adams had to be an avid reader herself since the main character in the story is a book store owner and the book is full of literary quotes and references to many different types of titles all fitting certain situations. As a book lover myself this was a major positive that had me enjoying this one right away.

Also, the theme of a town dedicated to healing was also quite apparent as you get to know the ladies in the story. All of them have their own past that they are trying to overcome and share their secrets to each other during the book making this one quite the touching and emotional story. Each have such a different background to the story but it easily apparent why they are drawn to one another.

As for the mystery side of this cozy I found that it wasn’t quite as twisty that I was necessarily guessing all throughout. But with that being said the setting and characters certainly carry this book enough to make it quite a good one as I awaited the details to the conclusion of the story and just how everything had come about. Definitely a solid start to this series overall and would be interested in seeing how it continued now that we know the story behind these characters.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A story about female friendship, secrets, being hurted and healing. And a mystery as well. This is not the typical cozy mystery, it's darker and sometimes the mystery plot takes the backseat.
Friendship and healing matters as much as finding the culprit. It made me cry sometimes as I was able to recognize myself in some small details.
It is strongly advised if you want a mystery with some food for thought.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher

The Secret, Book and Scone Society is a riveting mystery of not just who was responsible for several murders in Miracle Springs NC but also the mystery of the members of the society and what made them who they are now. Nora, a bibliotherapist, is not just scarred physically but also emotionally. Hester, a phenomenal baker, has hidden secrets along with June, the spa attendant at the springs, and Estella the local hair stylist. These 4 ladies join together to find justice for a stranger who had come to their town to right a wrong.

This is an absolutely tremendous mystery weaving the character's personal stories in among the clues to the murders of two partners in a land development company. The mystery was crisp and tense while the characters could visibly been seen to grow and emerge from their frightened withdrawn starts like butterflies from a cocoon strong and determined to find justice for the victims as well as themselves...

This is the first book that I have read by Ellery Adams and I truly enjoyed it. The protagonist, Nora, is a bookseller who believes that there is a book that is just right for each customer's particular emotional state; the notion that one could get meaningful suggestions from a bookseller was lovely in this day of internet sales. I enjoyed the many literary references and the back stories of the protagonists. There are also hints of romance. If you like cozies, I would recommend this book highly.

I enjoyed this story about a group of friends with very different life experiences who come together to solve a murder. As a bibliophile, the idea of books as therapy was a great concept, and it was fun to see what Nora picked for each person she tried to help, and understand why she thought those stories would add something to that person's life that they were missing or needed to hear. A few parts of the book dragged a bit, but the last third was fast-paced and I would probably read more in this series.

When you start looking up Mala beads after reading a book you know you just finished a book that won’t be forgotten. 5 stars is not enough for this wonderful book!

A unique cozy in that solving the murder is less important, and less interesting, than the relationship between the four women who come together to do so. I'd love to visit a town like Miracle Springs. It might seem a tad saccharine on the surface what with all the sensitive touches at the spa, custom made scones, and specially chosen books but gosh- wouldn't it be nice to have someone know what you need even if you don't? Nora has a way of prying out secrets so that she can help people as opposed to using those secrets against them. Nora, Hester, Estelle, and June all have issues but they all care about one another. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd not read Adams before but I'm going to look for her again. This is a good one.

Strangers come to Miracle Springs, NC, looking for a solution to their problems. Nora's talent is matching books to her customers, based on their stories. When a man fails to keep his appointment with Nora, she is stunned to learn that he has been found dead on the railroad tracks in town. To figure out what happened, a group of women form the Secret, Book and Scone Society. While they untangle the clues, they also learn to trust one another, and to begin to move on from their own backstories.

Ellery Adams is the author of several cozy mystery series. I have read and enjoyed the books from two of her series and have the other on my list to read soon. When I saw this new series that involves books, scones and a touch of "magic," I had high hopes for this first of the series, and I was not disappointed. The writing is detailed without getting bogged down in the details, the characters are far from perfect, and I enjoyed getting to know them better as the book progressed. It was hard to put the book down, and I'm eager to read the next book in this series to learn where Nora and the rest go from here.

This book is one huge example of why you should show not tell. Very early on the society forms and create a strong friendship. Where did this strong bond get created from? No idea. We're just told that Nora feels like she can trust them even though she doesn't trust easily.

I didn't understand the murderer's motivation. In a way it made sense but not how he went about it.

At least Nora has an interesting backstory.