I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Stewart, manager of Storyton Inn and guardian of a mass treasure of important books, is hosting a book collector's convention. However, when a skeleton turns up, then a community member winds up dead, it is obvious that something more sinister is afoot. Jane and her group must solve the mystery before what matters most is threatened - her sons.

I have to admit - this is not my favorite Ellery Adams series. I love the Secret, Book and Scone Society and adore the Charmed Pie Society series, but this one just falls flat for me. It always seems a little pretentious to me. I will admit that the ending does leave me wondering what is going to happen in the next in the series, but probably not enough to actually read it.

Ellery Adams is one of my favorite authors and this series is fantastic. This series is about books and mysteries brought to you with Southern Charm, an old library, a secret society and murders.

The book is filled with twists and mysteries but also with love and friendship. I recommend this series to fans of the late, great Dame Agatha as well as your modern day cozy fan.

I did not finish this book. I could not get into the story or interested in the characters. Sadly enough not for me.

A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

This book is a lot of fun for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, books with books as the setting, and a fun mystery to solve. I enjoyed reading this, it was just the type of relaxing brain candy I was looking for.

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is known to be a dream destination for book lovers … and it’s also in danger of becoming known as a place where real-life murder mysteries occur. Jane Steward, manager of the hall, has enough on her hands organising the rare book conference that is currently taking place; the last thing she needs is the discovery of an old skeleton and the remains of an unknown book. Unfortunately, solving the historical (murder?) mystery has to take a backseat when one of the conference attendees is found murdered. Could the two deaths be linked? It’s up to Jane and the Fins to find out.

Murder in the Locked Library is the fourth instalment in the Book Retreat Mysteries series and, as there’s a fair bit of detailed backstory/bespoke mythology, it would probably be a good idea to start with the first book in the series (Murder in the Mystery Suite). Saying that, the central murder mystery in the book does represent a standalone story, it’s just that there are a lot of extra details (the Fins, Jane’s role as the Guardian of Storyton Hall) that may well seem puzzling if this is the first book in the series that you tackle.

Having Jane tackle both a historical death (and, of course, the associated book-related mystery) and a modern killing works really well. It’s interesting to see how her investigations into both deaths develop and how events from the past and present may be linked. Lots of Jane’s old friends – the Cover Girls and the Fins – help her out and it’s nice to see the gang back together again. There are a fair number of dodgy and suspicious characters too, which means there are plenty of suspects in the modern killing.

I enjoyed reading the information about rare books. Fitzgerald and Hemingway are my favorite characters. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Really solid mystery with a an unusual story line. Made me wish the author would set a book in the future where we get to see Fitz and Hem as men and how they deal with their Storyton duties.

The reason I don't give this 5 stars is that I don't really connect with Jane and the other characters. The camaraderie just doesn't gel for me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Murder in the Locked Library is the fourth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series by Ellery Adams. My preference is to read a series from the beginning, but I have jumped into this series at this juncture. While not an ideal situation, the author has done a reasonable job of providing the required background to begin at this point.

We begin the story as a Rare Book conference is getting underway at Storyton Hall, Virginia. Simultaneously, Storyton Hall is undergoing renovations – a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman – a pet project of Jane Steward – the manager of Storyton Hall is breaking ground.

Sinclair is quite the character. He is Storyton Hall’s head librarian. He has many things to teach Jane’s young twins Hemingway and Fitzgerald. One also gets the impression that he is a very multi-talented individual… way beyond what meets the eye. I enjoyed Sinclair right from the beginning. His teachings to the boys with respect as to how to show respect to books was perfect:

“What else have I taught you about the proper treatment of books?”

“To make sure our hands are clean before touching a book,” Hem said.

“I was going to say that.” Fitz frowned, but quickly brightened again. “You also said never fold the corner of a page to mark our place. Civilized people use bookmarks.”

Sinclair’s stern expression morphed into a smile.

“Correct on both counts. Scrub those hands until I can see pink skin and I’ll tell you about this book. It holds a secret.”

Another interesting staff member is Mr. Butterworth – the butler. He is also a conductor., leading the Storyton Chamber Orchestra. When Butterworth told Jane about the first death, the wording was certainly interesting:

“…Butterworth, please. Please tell me that there hasn’t been a terrible accident.”

“An accident? On the cause of death, I couldn’t say.” Butterworth put a steadying hand on Jane’s shoulder. “But we do have a Rip Van Winkle.”

“A Rip Van Winkle was the code for a Storyton Hall guest who had expired on the premises.

“Not again!” Jane cried.

In the midst of the conference, Jane must figure out who the dead person was, having the bones discovered of a long ago death, as the spa renovation was getting underway. Of course, things are not simple (naturally). Subsequently, a current guest at Storyton Hall dies under suspicious circumstances.

I loved the passage where Jane was on the road with Sterling and Lachlan (two of the Fins) and they had to stop suddenly for a buck…the writing was such that I felt as if I was there myself. I quite enjoyed the descriptive writings such as this passage, or when the characters were discussing books reverently.

The buck, unperturbed, turned to stare at them. At that moment, the moon emerged from behind the clouds and the magnificent animal was bathed in a radiant white light. Jane’s breath caught in her throat. To her, the deer had transformed into the mystical stag as described in the Harry Potter novels, or The Hobbit. It stood completely still, its proud head held high, as if its massive antlers were made of air.

There is a lot going on with the story – for example: trying to figure out multiple murders (are they related or not)? What is going on with Jane’s boyfriend, Edwin? And getting to know the Cover Girls was priceless (and they do have some good sleuthing skills) along with the Fins.

One final quote which I found poignant:

“Faulkner said that ‘you cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.’

I have certainly enjoyed this mystery. Albeit, at times it seemed to drag a bit during the first half of the book, but I am happy to report that in the second half of the book the pace picked up and kept my interest until the end. In fact, so much so that I had a hard time putting it down from then on. Unfortunately, there are parts of the story which probably would make more sense if I had started the series from the beginning.

I must admit – I was not able to figure out ‘whodunit’ – which is one thing I do look for in a good cozy mystery – not being able to figure out who until they are revealed. So mission accomplished J

I hope to read this series from the beginning to see what backstory have missed in hopes of enjoying these characters even more. As well, the story was left with a mystery as well…leading into the next book….yeah!

I also am looking forward to reading more books in another series of Ellery Adams that I am following: ‘A Supper Club Mystery Series’.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Adams wrote an excellently fun mystery novel here. I loved the combination of secret societies, book loving scenes, and murder mystery all in one. A fast, enjoyable read that makes me want to dig up her other works and learn the backstory to this novel.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 4th book in the Book Retreat Mysteries Series. The setting is the Storyton Hall, Va. Jane Steward is the manager of the resort, but she is also the guardian of the secret library. The other main characters are her sons, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, her aunt and uncle, the Fins, and the Cover girls. While not reading the previous 3 books did not make this story impossible to understand, there was not as much backstory related to the Fins, the Cover Girls, and the secret library as I would have liked. I have not decided if I will go back and read the three previous books. I enjoyed this book, but the secret library and her long-missing boyfriend the Templar who must steal books in a Robin Hood kind of way just did not do it for me. I am not saying I won't give her next book a chance or that I won't go back and read the previous three. I am just saying right now I have so many books to read, they will be placed a bit lower on my TBR list. I want to give this a higher rating, but the lack of backstory only allows me to give it a 3-star rating. I have read many other cozy mysteries which were able to give the information so for this omission, I have to knock off a star.

Storyton Hall remains one of my favorite fictional places, along with the town that supports it. What a book lover's dream! I liked the idea of some sort of historical mystery intertwining with the current rare book conference attendees. Jane's twins are as fun as always, but I wonder how long they can keep their secrets! Great writing, I hope there will be another.

Murder in the Locked Library is about Storyton Hall. Once the kids are back in school, Jane Steward focuses on the latest attraction in the resort. But when breaking ground to start the foundation, a collection of bones and a book are found. Ellery Adams does a good job of combining the past and the present. This book contains a lot of books, history and mystery. A must read. Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I love visiting Storyton Hall. The characters and the ongoing plot of being a guardian of a secret library are interesting. Jane is raising two boys in her family home. The family home has been turned into a book themed retreat for booklovers of all types (professionals, book clubs, etc.). The family and co-workers (Finns) are there to protect the knowledge that could be dangerous if it was widely known. Everyone is highly trained for their own protection. In this book an skeleton has been found and an old book was buried with him. The mystery is to find out who he was. In the process another murder is committed and Jane's boyfriend has gone missing.


I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Title:Murder in the Locked Library

Author: Ellery Adams

Pg: 289

Series: Book Retreat Mysteries

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 3.5 stars

Murder in a locked Library is the fourth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries. Jane Steward is finally settling into her role as guardian and managing Storyton Hall. It's easier now that her sons are Fitz and Hem are back in school. Plans are going through with building a spa on to Storyton Hall when a body is found. Since no one knows how old the body is a forensic archaeologist is called into to investigate. But then a murder happens in the Henry James library and Jane has to determine if the two events are connected.

As this is the fourth book in the series it is hard to go into much detail without giving away any information of plots to the previous novels. The Book Retreat Mysteries is one cozy mystery series that is best to read in order, and the first book is Murder in the Mystery Suite. This series is perfect for book lovers and anyone who loves a good cozy mystery.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This is the 4th book in the series, but I had No problems following along. I really like our heroine Jane who owns Storyton Hall, a book lover’s retreat. When an addition to the manor is started, a skeleton was found buried with an old book. Jane gets some expert help from a forensic archeologist, and members of a book collectors conference that is occurring shortly after the remains are discovered. Just as Jame learns a secret to unlock the book’s mystery, one of the book experts dies attempting to help Jane. I enjoyed this book and wish Storyton Hall was real. This was good as a stand-alone, but I am looking forward to reading the first books in the series. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Murder in the Locked Library is the fourth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series, and while this was the first book I had read in this series, I am definitely familiar with her work through such series as Books By The Bay Mysteries and Novel Idea Mysteries, all of which I've liked. I don't know why it took me so long to read one of the mysteries in this series but I am so glad that I did, and I will definitely go back and read the three earlier novels.

Jane Steward is the owner of Storyton Hall and is the main character in this series. She's also the Guardian of a secret library hidden away in the depths of the hall, a library that must be protected at all costs, and to which other groups are constantly searching and trying to steal. It actually sounds a bit like the Librarians or the Magicians without all the time traveling and magic, although you never know if something like that could show up, just not in this one. I also couldn't get the image of fairy tales out of my head and once I went down that route all I could picture was the show Once Upon a Time; after that I started expecting characters to change into something else, and not be who they were.

The story revolves around an old book discovered in Storyton's gardens and since I'm a book lover, the whole back story to its provenance was quite intriguing, so much so that I almost forgot this was a cozy mystery. When the death occurred, it kind of threw me for a loop as I was so caught up in the book's story as well as what was happening at the inn with the book conference; the descriptions of the food and the decorations just made me want to head there and partake. The overall pace of the novel was quite good, with a lot of twists and turns interspersed with action that made you want to keep reading and keep turning the pages. There were a lot of suspects, but it wasn't so overwhelming that you felt lost; there were just enough so that some red herrings were thrown in for good measure to try and trip you up. There is also an interesting side story that is going to lead into the next book and I am intrigued about that as well.

Murder in the Locked Library was a fun read with a lot of intriguing and quirky characters. I really liked the setting to the story and was thinking it would be a great place to visit if it were real. And while I hadn't read a previous novel in this series, it didn't affect my understanding of the Hall or any of the characters in this book, although I will go back just to get a bit more background information that would be in those books. Plus I always like a book where I didn't correctly guess the murderer or the motive. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series when it is released.

"Welcome to Storyton Hall, Virginia, where book lovers travel from near and far to enjoy the singular comforts of the Agatha Christie Tea Room, where they can discuss the merits of their favorite authors no matter how deadly the topic...

With her twins, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, back in school, Jane Steward can finally focus on her work again—managing Storyton Hall, and breaking ground on the resort’s latest attraction: a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman. But when the earth is dug up to start laying the spa’s foundation, something else comes to the surface—a collection of unusual bones and the ragged remnants of a very old book. The attendees of the Rare Book Conference are eager to assist Jane with this unexpected historical mystery—until a visitor meets an untimely end in the Henry James Library. As the questions—and suspects—start stacking up, Jane will have to uncover a killer before more unhappy endings ensue..."

A book retreat themed cozy? YAS!

Murder in the Locked Library, by Ellery Adams. Imagine visiting a resort where everything is centered around books; massive libraries where people come from near and far come to absorb the ambience. Storyton Hall is just that place. I love books about books and this one is exceptional--so ethereal in the beginning with just the right amount of tension in the end. Rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Storyton Hall is in an idyllic Virginia town and it’s something out of a book lover’s dream. Devoted to readers of all sorts, it provides a retreat for anyone who loves books and loves to read. The manager of Storyton Hall is Jane Steward who is also the guardian of a very secret and very rare book collection. She is aided by the Fins – a small group of devoted staff. During an excavation for a new spa a skeleton and a rare book are discovered. Soon this is followed by the murder of a guest attending a rare book conference.

Murder in the Locked Library is the fourth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series. Unfortunately, I have not read the previous books and that made it somewhat difficult to catch up and figure out the book’s premise. There are many characters in the story and it is obvious that they have been introduced in earlier books. But, even though I was at a bit of a disadvantage in this respect, I still enjoyed their interactions and the relationships they have developed.

The story itself is obviously somewhat fantastical and as it progresses it becomes more and more like a super heroes story. Even so, I found it to be a pleasant mystery with some interesting characters. Now I would like to go back to the beginning and get a proper introduction to Jane Steward, the Fins and the citizens of Storyton Village. For most readers, I believe it would be wise to read the series in the order it has been written.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.