Another good, solid mystery from Ellery Adams. It’s a little darker than her other series, but a very good read with believable characters and an involving mystery.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This has got to be one of the best cozy series that I have ever read, hands down. I have a hard time with it even being classified as a cozy because it just doesn't feel like your typical cozy - the real life element of it, the non-snoopiness of the 4 main characters, the love and compassion that is shown - so many aspects of this make it so different than your average cozy mystery.

Nora, Hester, June and Estella are just fantastic characters; I love them all - for their quirkiness, for their gifts, for their love and compassion and for their willingness to share the secrets that still form who they are at their very cores in a time when sharing such things usually results in being stabbed in the back worse than you first were. Their willingness to continue to trust each other and build on that friendship is so fantastic and at times made me very sad, which seems like a crazy emotion right? Makes me sad that this cannot happen more in real life. I have 1 friend I trust beyond words and several friends that I truly enjoy, but to have three friends who will do anything for you? That is a rare gift indeed and if you have that, make sure you do everything in your power to not lose it. It is so precious.

This story centers around a young girl who finds refuge in Nora's bookstore and the becomes an assistant to Hester while she [clearly] heals from whatever trauma she is running from. As the women shelter her and work with her and as her secrets start to come out, it will take all four of the women and their gifts to get through all that happens. Throw in several murders and some very unsavory people and you have an excellent story. A very excellent story.

I will tell you to be prepared to have strong emotions while reading this; I cried a lot. I felt these people's pain. I commiserated with their issues. I felt what they were feeling because I have dealt with some of these very things in my own life. And the quotes at the beginning of each chapter alone were enough to often bring me to tears. This is a very real book and I had serious tears and book hangover at the end. You will not be sorry if you take the time to read this; I promise you that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE WHISPERED WORD (late November, Kensington) by Ellery Adams is a current favorite that I am recommending. I have written about this series, the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, previously and continue to enjoy Adams' numerous references to other books and authors, plus the strong bond and support which is developing between its four female protagonists, all of whom have experienced serious setbacks in their lives. In this offering, a young girl, Abilene Tyler, appears and needs help, too. Shy and secretive, she is soon decorating, baking, and even evaluating jewelry at a new business in town. Should they trust her? What was her connection to Amanda Frye, a recently deceased customer? And was that death a suicide or homicide? At Miracle Books, Nora dabbles in bibliotherapy, saying "the unique and magical nature of books is their ability to grant us temporary escape from our reality while also providing ways to cope with that reality when we're forced to return to it."

Each chapter of THE WHISPERED WORD begins with a relevant quote, like these: "Great books help you understand and they help you feel understood" (from John Green) or the amusing "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it" (from P.J. O’Rourke). For more suspense-filled ideas, check out the many other mystery reviews on this blog and the various mystery awards, such as the Edgar or Agatha.

Links in live post:
https://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2017/10/tell-tale-by-jeffrey-archer-and-more.html
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Awards/index.html

This is the second of a great new series by Ellery Adams.
I love the characters and the story which kept me reading far past my bedtime.
Thanks, Ellery!

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

Not simply just a mystery, this novel has a beautifully written romantic element that also features themes of loyal friendship, female empowerment, charity, and healing. Although not a standalone, this book can be read on its own without the prior book of the series because of well developed characters and plot. Fans of the mystery and women's fiction genres will love this book.

This second and latest installment in the Secret, Book and Scone Society isn't just an excellent mystery, it's a story of women and their strong friendships. The four friends in the Society, including Nora, the bookstore owner, do kindnesses for people, a Secret Kindness, and, in particular, aim to help Abilene Tyler, who appears at the bookstore looking badly-nourished, wearing ill-fitting clothes, visibly bruised, and unwilling to speak of her past life.

As is true with most mysteries, there are murders but, for me, what sets this series apart is the friendships among the women of the Secret, Book and Scone Society. Here's hoping there are many, many more books to come in this terrific, feel-good series. Highly recommended!!

This is the second in this new series. Nora is the owner of Miracle Books and believes with all of her warm heart that there is a book for everything and the right ones can bring healing of the heart and mind.

The core group has all had their share of horrific challenges and rather than sit home and feel sorry for themselves, they have joined Nora in the Secret,Book,and Scone Society to do for others. They each have a story and we haven't heard about all of them yet, but I already love these women.

When Nora finds a slip of a girl in a hospital gown sleeping in her store she and the group try to help but the girl who calls herself Abilene isn't ready to share her story. Obviously terrified and abused, the group does what they can, each using their own talents to draw her out. 

When one of the towns not so favorite older ladies is found by the group while delivering nice baskets of things to those in need face down in the pond dead, Nora and the ladies are ready to solve a mystery. 
At the same time as a new business comes to town and another person is helped into the afterlife they aren't sure if Abilene is a victim or a killer. Either way they won't stop until they find out.

I love these characters. Women who with just a nudge and a lot of hope have become the hero of their own lives. Now I'm going to see if there really is a Miracle Springs because the pastries alone are worth moving!

Well Done on this new series!

Netgalley/ November 27th 2018 by Kensington

In the beginning of this second book of the series it is brought to Nora's attention that she has a young woman hiding away in her shop, her first instinct is that she doesn't have it in her to help anyone but in the end she can't just throw the girl out. She doesn't know much about the girl, she doesn't seem to want to tell her story but Nora takes away a few clues from what she is wearing and also from her skittish actions. In the end Nora is willing to give the girl some time to tell her story and hopes that the secret society will be able to help. When Nora finds one of her customers dead of an apparent suicide she takes in clues that lead her to believe that something else may have happened to the woman. While looking into the woman's death Nora realizes that Abilene, the young woman they are trying to help, might know something about the death. Things heat up a bit between the ladies when they have a difference of opinion on how to deal with Abilene and what she may know. Follow the ladies as they search for answers and hope to help a young woman in the process. I love this series so much!!! Nora is such a wonderful character who knows and sees her own flaws and has learned how to live with them peacefully. As much as she would like to hide from the world life has a way of pushing her out of that comfort zone which shows the strength that she carries inside. I've always looked to books for comfort even at a young age so it's a great feeling to see a part of yourself played out in such a wonderfully strong character. I think most people will be able to relate with one of the women in some form or another. That's the great thing about a book, it can show you a part of yourself you may have never seen before or just didn't recognize until that moment, reading those words. This is such a beautiful series that brings a variety of emotions out if its reader leaving them fulfilled in the end and excited for what is to come. The interaction between the women brings to mind those moments that make life worth living, we could all use friendships like theirs. This book wasn't just a mystery for me, it was also a guide to a better way of living, a teacher on what real friendships look like and a library of healing. I look forward to seeing what direction the characters lead the author to in the next book.

This was a fun cozy mystery set in Miracle Springs, North Carolina! I love the beautiful cover and I think that's one of the reasons I chose this one; that and the fact that I'm a sucker for cozy mysteries! Four of the small town's businesswoment/shopkeepers form the Secret, Book & Scone Society - Nora, Estella, June and Hester. They are four close friends who support each other and have already solved at least one mystery together (it's not really described in the book, but since this is #2 in the series you know there was a first).

This mystery involves a young teen, Abilene, who needs help and a murder that happened around the time of her arrival in town. My heart went out to Abilene who had a heartbreaking story.

The Society's members are strong women who support each other and their community. They are interesting characters - especially Nora who owns the bookstore and is scarred by fire. The theme of healing runs throughout the book.

Thanks to Ellery Adams and Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Nora and the other members of the Secret, Book and Scone Society enjoy helping both visitors and residents of Miracle Springs, but Nora's latest find, a young lady who calls herself Abilene, isn't willing to share much about herself. When not one but two deaths occur, the Society members have to determine if Abilene is a suspect or another target.

This is the second book in Ellery Adams' latest series, and I liked it as much as I did the first book. I'm enjoying getting to know the town of Miracle Springs and the people who call it home. I would like to spend a day or two there, visiting all the shops, but especially Nora's bookshop. I'd love to see which book/s she recommends for me! The mystery is a good one, and the book itself invokes feelings in the reader in a way not many other cozy mysteries do. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series.

I will post this review on GoodReads on/around November 27, when the book is released. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, and the chance to start a new series by a new-to-me author.

The second installment in Ellery Adams' Secret, Book and Scone Society is every bit as satisfying, if not more so, than the first. Ms. Adams has given us another series featuring a strong woman protag, and a quite literate and compelling story. Thumbs up and Five stars!

A delightful second installment in a series (but don't worry of you didn't read the first one) that defies genre characterization. Set in Miracle, North Carolina (I know, I know) it's really about four women, led by bookshop owner Nora, who help others through trauma and to find their best selves. In this case, Nora finds a frightened, starved, barely dressed young woman who says her name is Abilene. Hester, the baker, gives her a part time job, and then she moves to an apartment over a second hand shop that's just opened in town. Her story is a mystery and it reels out slowly. The murders which happen early on in the story were less interesting that Abilene's tale and that you won't know til near the end. Nora's a damaged woman who is rebuilding her life- she's got her store, she's got a love interest (and maybe a second one as well), and she's got her friends. I want a friend like her. I'd also like Hester to make me a comfort scone (there are no recipes with this.) Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a very good read.

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Adams series but the Secret, Book and Scone Society books are really something special. Nora and the Society are simply trying to do a good deed in secret for those in need when they once again get wrapped up in murder. Now in addition to navigating tricky romances, dealing with their own difficult pasts and trying to lean more about the strange girl who appeared one night, they must find a murderer. This series is a true testament to the love of books and reading while the mystery keeps the pages turning. Each of the characters are well developed and will touch your heart. I feel like they are often speaking directly to me. I hope this series keep entertaining and spreading the magic of Miracle Springs for a long time to come.

The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams is the second book of the cozy Secret, Book, & Scone Society mystery series. While the characters were introduced in the first book each book does contain it’s own mystery to be solved so it would be possible to understand without having read the first although some character development will be missing by skipping ahead.

The Secret, Book, & Scone Society mystery series takes place in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, 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.

Nora and three other shopkeepers, Hester, June and Estella, have teamed up to form the Secret, Book, & Scone Society and when a young girl, Abilene, crosses their paths the ladies know it’s up to them to help her heal. However, shortly after Abilene comes into their lives the body of a local woman is found it comes to question if Abilene had anything to do with the murder so Nora and the rest of the ladies do what they can to find out the truth.

The Secret, Book, and Scone Society series is as much of a cozy mystery read as it is an emotional one. The setting of Miracle Springs gives a whole cast of characters with their own emotional story to tell. But along with the healing theme of the books readers will also be pleased with the bookstore setting and mentions of all kinds of book titles and quotes infused in the stories. Tie all of this up around a mystery to be solved and it’s certainly a unique series to follow.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This second book in the series is even better than the first one. We know why the Secrets, Books and Scones Society was formed and are getting to know Nora (Miracle Books) and her friends, Estella, June (spa) and Hester (bakery). All 4 have gone through some sort of hardship and have come out stronger. They work together to solve the mystery in the book(s) and have become stronger women by working together. In this book, a young woman (Abilene) has mysteriously shown up in Nora's bookstore and they try to help Abilene, while at the same time find out if she has a connection to the woman that was murdered just after Abilene showed up.

A very solid read and a good mystery. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital ARC from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful, as always! Nora Pennington reminds me, in some ways, of Olivia Limognes from another series by Ellery Adams, the Books by the Bay series.

The Whispered Word is a perfect title for this book.

The relevance to books was show cased in Whispered Word. I enjoyed the mystery, but really loved the references to various books and the bookstore.

I really love this series. The first book was good and the second one did not disappoint. The characters are like friends. I,wish there was a town like this where you could go to recharge. Love the storyline and the author's writing style. I highly recommend this book.

I read the first book in this series, The Secret, Book, & Scone Society, and really liked it. I've been waiting for the second one to come out. I was a little disappointed with the first few chapters. I missed the warmth and caring so evident in the first book. However, Nora, Estella, June and Hester overcome some difficulties associated with their respective pasts and become even more closely bonded.. A young woman harboring many of the same secrets as the members of the society first divides, then unites the group as they attempt to help her heal.

We learn more about the other residents of Miracle Springs and see how they are coming together to deal with the fallout from the events in the first book. These characters become more three dimensional and interesting, as opposed to the background role they played in the first book.

If you're a book lover and fond of strong women "doing the best they can", this series is for you! I can't wait for the next one to come out.
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