Happy Book Release Day! A few of the new books out today include Murder in the Reading Room by Ellery Adams, Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait, On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher, Emily Gone by Bette Lee Crosby, The Bishop's Daughter by Patricia Johns, Staging is Murder by Grace Topping (I will feature on May 9), Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott, The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart, Terrier Transgressions by Molly Fitz and Knit One, Die Two by Peggy Ehrhart. How many new books will purchase today and add to your TBR pile?
Murder in the Reading Room by Ellery Adams is the fifth novel in A Book Retreat Mystery series. Jane Steward, manager of Storyton Hall, along
with Landon Lachlan are traveling to Asheville, North Carolina to the famous
Biltmore Estate. Jane’s boyfriend, Edwin
Alcott has been missing for two months and she believes he is being held at
Biltmore. Jane’s cover is a participant
in the Luxury Lodging Seminar which will give her access to the grounds and
buildings to search for Edwin. Landon is
befriending the master gardener on the estate to see if he can provide any
useful information while Jane has gotten them a tour of the main building from a
high ranking employee. When Jane and
Landon go to give the master gardener a special gift, they find the kind man
dead in his favorite chair in his superb library. It is thanks to the gardener that the pair
receive a clue that leads them to the underground passage where Edwin is being
held. Unfortunately, Edwin’s captor is
awaiting them, and he has a shocking surprise for Jane. To get Edwin back, Jane will have to search Storyton
Hall for the papers from Ernest Hemingway’s lost suitcase. Will Jane and her protectors be able to defeat
this evil foe? Join Jane on her dangerous
quest in Murder in the Reading Room.
Murder in the Reading Room is a
riveting cozy mystery. I thought the
story was well-written and it moves along at a quick pace. Murder in the Reading Room is the fifth book
in A Book Retreat Mystery series, and it cannot be read alone. This series is best read in order and each
book is better than the previous. Ellery
Adams’ has an engaging writing style, and I was quickly engrossed in Murder in
the Reading Room. Jane Steward is a
widow with two rambunctious boys. She
manages Storyton Hall as well as being the Guardian to the secret library. Jane is lucky to have her aunt and uncle on
the premises as well as her trustworthy and protective staff. The characters are complex and continue to
evolve as the series progresses. The Fins and the Cover Girls are delightful
secondary characters. I like seeing the
relationship between Eloise Alcott and Landon Lachlan progressing. The setting of
Storyton, Virginia is beautiful (especially in the fall). Storyton Hall is a masterpiece and it is
filled with books along with paintings, statutes and other unique items (I want
to move in). The mystery is complex and
multifaceted. I love it when I am
surprised in a mystery, and Murder in the Reading Room has one fabulous and
shocking turn of events. There were
several great phrases in this book, and it was hard to pick my favorite. I ended up choosing “I think a book is like a
good climbing tree. They both yearn to
be touched.” I enjoyed the book
referenced sprinkled throughout the story which included Maisie Dobbs, Anne of
Green Gables and various works by Hemingway.
Murder in the Reading Room is my favorite book in A Book Retreat Mystery series. Murder in the Reading Room is a
captivating cozy mystery that will have you staying up until the wee hours to
finish it.
Kris
The
Avid Reader