Whenever I see a new Ellery Adams book, I am giddy with anticipation. And Murder in the Storybook Cottage sure didn't disappoint.

The sixth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries, we get to catch up with Jane, who is the resort owner of Storyton Hall (and Protectoress of a Great (and mostly secret) Treasury of books). Excited to show her Book Club Friends her latest project - a Fairytale Village - a body is discovered. And once again, Jane and everyone at Storyton Hall set out to discover the culprit while protecting the rest of their guests.

Woven into the story are classic Fairy Tales is a twisted tale behind the publishing world of Children's books. And I have to confess, I had no idea who had "done it" so the twists were definitely a great asset to the book.

What brings me back to Adams' work is a combination of plot twists and her characters. Well rounded, engaging, and likable, the characters beg you to come back and visit them again to see how their lives are developing. As well as how their relationships with each other are growing. This ability of Adams' shines in the Book Retreat series.

While this book could be read as a stand alone, you'll enjoy it much more if you read the previous books in the series, especially Murder in the Reading Room (Book 5). And, while the book deals with some dark and twisted characters, it's has been a welcome respite from the world to curl up by the fire place with a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) and get lost in the world of Jane, her family, and her friends.

All around, a great read that always left me on pins and needles waiting for the next installment. Fans of Adams will be thrilled by this book as well as the hint of things to come.

(I graciously received an ARC of this book from the publisher and author via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

A series of fairy tale murders haunts Jane Stewart amidst a children's book festival. Adams puts together a great cast of characters in this novel, as the kindly world of children's publishing turns deadly in a gruesome manner. An enjoyable read as always!

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is the place to be if you are a book lover. You'll want to stay forever!

Jane Seward's resort is a madhouse! With the Peppermint Press' Conference going and so many families staying with their kids enjoying all of the events planned, including the scavenger hunt in the Fairy Tale Forest.

But the good times come to a halt when Little Red Riding Hood is found dead with a rare book in her basket. When the second death occurs it's looking bad for Jane who is wishing for a helpful prince about now.

I so enjoy these characters. I have to admit I was stumped for a long time. And I will definitely be back for the next one!

NetGalley/ April 28th, 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Murder in the Storybook Cottage is one of those cosy mysteries that will bring out the inner child and the love love of children's books. I loved some of the main characters and the somewhat slow pace. The plot was well written too.

4.5 Stars

This is the sixth book in the Book Retreat Mysteries book series by Ellery Adams

If you are a writer (or even if you’re not), this story will bring out your inner children’s book author. All the settings in this are wonderful. And it gives you all those cozy feelings of reading in your little book nook as a kid.

I have read the previous book in this series, so I was a bit familiar with the backstory of who Jane is and what she and her friends are protecting. There wasn’t a ton of backstory given here so if you are interested in all the Templars and priceless book stuff, check out her previous books for all the intel.

I like that Jane changed her mind about her relationship with her main squeeze during all the action in the murder whodunit part of the story. The bodies of a couple of visitors to the cottage were found murdered and Jane had to figure out which of the children’s author guests might have “dun it”.

The story here was a little different since it did not figure into the precious treasure Jane and her friends are protecting. Instead the books, which were priceless, were taken from a different collection. So the whole “book” aspect of the series was still in tact.

In the Eqilogue there is mention of another one of Ellery Adams’s characters possibly making an appearance again. Not sure if that means in this series or a revival of the Books by the Bay series also written by Adams.

I loved how gently the children were treated in this series and how Jane went out of her way to make sure all her guests were safe and her employees were happy. It is a refreshing thing to see in a series.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I was very convinced with the last book in this series that it was the end, and was very excited to find this series was continuing (and the ending of this book nicely sets up more potential stories- what a relief!). Would I love this series as much were it not for the Storyton Hall setting? I don't know, but I do love it so very much, and this will likely continue to be one of the first cozy series I recommend to readers interested in trying the genre. The connection between books and the murder in this one is very interesting, and the author weaves in literary references so well (per usual). With an unexpected killer and a great ending, this was everything I wanted it to be.

This book was wonderful. I love children's books - both words and illustrations. I have always enjoyed reading Grimm's fairy tales and Hans Christian Anderson's stories, and I love how the author intertwines the stories in the murder settings. I need to go back and read the first couple of books, but out of the ones I've read so far, this one is my favorite!

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Apr 28, 2020

Murder in the Storybook Cottage is the sixth book in the series, but actually the first book that I have read in this series although I have read other books by this author. Whom as a child wouldn't want to visit this magical place, I know I would have as a child. Although I hadn't read any of the previous books I had no problem following along with the storyline, yet I am sure I will go back now and read the earlier books. Such a well written book, with an intriguing storyline. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensingston and this is my fair and honest review.

I didn't care for the slow moving plot nor the unsympathetic characters. Seems a bit disjointed.and had a lack of strong character voices.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

This is the sixth Book Retreat Mystery.
Jane Steward and Storyton Hall are hosting a children’s book conference and a family fairytale oriented weekend. First one woman and then a second are found on the grounds murdered with a fairytale angle.
Jane is angry and who can blame her? She had hoped with the telling of some secrets that the untimely deaths at Storyton would stop. Plus she wants a fairytale weekend of love, laughter and joy for the parents and children coming to Storyton.
This may be the most heartbreaking mystery of the series. I am truly grateful the author does not end the book with the solution to the murders. There needs to be hope and light reintroduced following the darkness.
I feel in order for the reader to truly appreciate the nuances of this story the other books are needed. The setting is well explained and if you wanted to read this book alone you could do it. It is just so much better if you have grown with Jane, Fitz, Hem and the Fins.
From the book -“...happy endings weren’t that important. It was the journey they were interested in - the voyage from first page to last.”
While I can understand the idea, I like happy endings or at least a happy-ish ending where there is hope for happy things yet to come. This book does that well. You have to experience all the messy bits first but there are happy things to come for the characters. That is what I ask for from my favorite books.

“Happily ever after wasn’t a huge event. It was a hundred small moments of happiness.” The murder mystery that unfolds in Murder in the Storybook Cottage is wrapped in many small moments of happiness. This 6th book in Ellery Adams “Book Retreat” series is perfect for readers who love fairy tales and children’s stories. There are many scenes vividly described throughout the story, such as lavish tea parties for children and families, costume character events and even an art contest for illustrators that evoke pleasant thoughts in the midst of some not so happy endings for actually quite congenial characters. The mystery is not predictably easy to solve, so you will keep guessing until the end. Murder in the Storybook Cottage is a delightful and refreshing cozy and great addition to the Book Retreat series.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series! It’s a unique setting and has such creative events that surround the mystery! I love the interconnection between the fairytales and the mystery to be solved in this installment in this series! So very creative! Pick them all up! You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC!

I love reading these cozy mysteries & wish that Storyton Hall did actually exist!
The one thing I would have changed in this story, was to add more about the families & their visit to Storybook Village/the Fairy Tale Forest. The part of the story was somewhat of an add-on, in my opinion.
As usual, no idea who the suspects were until it is revealed who committed the murder!
Hoping this series does continue, thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books & Ellery Adams for the preview

Ellery Adams creates locations I want to visit — or maybe live. This one is no exception. Who wouldn’t want to live surrounded by books and stories and people who love both.
Oh, well, there’s the murder issue, but even Rip Van Winkle cannot make these people and this place less appealing.
It’s another good one from one of my favorite authors.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

"I'm British, Miss Jane. The word exotic evokes visions of poisonous snakes, stinging insects, unbearable humidity, and malaria."

This book was a genuine delight and I can't wait for the story to continue!

This is one of my favorite series and has unique setting. I would love to go to attend a book retreat at Storyton Hall! I'm not sure what I'd enjoy the most the people or the food.

These characters are interesting and I love the way their interact with other and how the relationships are continuing to grow.

I was totally engaged with this book from the first few pages and read late into the night because I didn't want to put it down. It's one of those books that you have to know how it ends and then is a little sad that it's over.. I'm already ready for the next book!!

Ellery Adams is the voice of cozy mysteries and she's crafted some of the best mysteries on the shelves today. She's at it again with Murder in the Storybook Cottage, delivering a beautiful, magical story that will have readers craving to re-read books from our childhood.

Storyton Hall is hosting a publisher's conference for Peppermint Press, publishers of children's books, and Jane Steward is looking forward to a week of fun and frivolity. However, when she discovers a stranger's body in her new Storybook Cottage, plans change and Jane must devote her time to finding out who the stranger is and who killed her.

I've been a long-time reader of Ellery Adams' books. Whether she is weaving actual magic (like the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries) or the magic that comes from being curled up with a good book (like the Book Retreat Mysteries), I've always felt like real magic comes off each page of her stories. They wrap me up like the hug from a best friend, and make me feel like everything is right with the world. This is exactly how I felt reading Murder in the Storybook Cottage.

The story centres around children's books, both modern and older books. While reading the story I was able to think about how much the stories have changed over the decades. The Brothers Grimm stories were quite dark, but still very much read and loved today. As a mom to twin boys myself, I read a lot of children's books with them, and I loved seeing Ellery Adams mention many of our favourites - including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I loved that the mystery involved fairy tales of times gone past, and it was interesting to see how the mystery was weaved into the Grimm's Fairy Tales. Along with the mystery, the readers get a look into life at Storyton Hall, and all that encompasses the children's activities that they are holding, to celebrate children's fiction. Both storylines we weaved together, and that pace was frantic, as Jane and her friends try to find a killer before they strike again!

With the current situation in the world, Murder in the Storybook Cottage is a well-timed, much needed dose of magic. The kind of magic that doesn't come from a wand, but from reading a good book, escaping the world and adding one of those "happy moments" to our lives. I can't recommend this book (and the Book Retreat Mysteries) enough. Pick up a copy today. I guarantee you that it will be the best book you read this year!

Storyton Hall is hosting a Children's Book Retreat and preparations include a fairy tale village with Mother Goose's shoe house, the three pigs houses, and more. Sounds like so much fun, right? That is until a young woman dressed like Red Riding Hood is found dead in one of the cottages. Jane Steward, the proprietor, has many secrets of her own but she is determined to discovered who the secret murderer is with the help of her staff of Fins - one of her secrets.

The story was so entertaining and engrossing I was up until 3am because I couldn't put it down. This is one of my favorite series and I look forward to many more with these engaging characaters and mysterious hidden secrets!

I kept putting off reading this book because I didn't want it to be over - I wanted to keep looking forward to it. But a beautiful, peaceful resort setting with likeable characters and a fascinating fairy-tale mystery, love in the air, and BOOKS, make this the perfect thing to read right now. I've read all of this series and this is by far my favorite to date. For a deeper understanding of the plot and characters I'd recommend reading the previous books, but it's complete and interesting enough to stand alone. Storyton Hall is an incredible place and you'll want to live there by the time you finish reading!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advance digital copy. All opinions are my own.

This series has such a unique storyline. I enjoy the characters and the enchanting location. To be a protector of books is so noble.