Ellery Adams

This is my second book in a row that I have read that has a librarian/bookish vibe, and I love it! The Vanishing Type is a mystery that centers around the members of the Secret, Book and Scone Society. My favorite quote in the book was the remark made about how we all deserve second chances. When I read it toward the finale, it made me stop and think. We can label people as good or bad, but when we see people as people, we begin to understand how others are led to bad decisions. The book is very detailed and entertaining. As a HUGE coffee lover, I went nuts over all the cute sayings they had on the coffee mugs in the coffee shop that Nora ran. And I loved the personalities of the main characters in the book. You could feel the loyalty and friendship as the plot progressed. There were dark moments, which made you question "who done it", but the ending was very nice! I read this one slowly, as all the details were what made it so INTERESTING! For instance, the artistry on the book cover of the series of books called Lady Artist illustrated by Sadie Strong. The visual of the imagery was similar to Tiffany glass Find a Clue Pictures. The saying that history repeats itself seems to play a part, as well. The book tackles jealousy, greed, adoption, poor upbringing and even love connections. So many themes packaged nicely in a fictional book intended to entertain as much as it informed.… (mere)

Jane Steward is a single mom of twins trying to save her family's literary themed resort, Storyton Hall, from financial disaster. As she learns the ropes of running the fabled resort from her Aunt and Uncle, she's inspired to host a Murder and Mayhem Week for fans of mysteries. Chock full of role-playing and crime solving events, the event is sure to attract mystery lovers from afar. All is fun and games until the lines between fiction and reality become blurred. With a real crime or two to solve in addition to keeping guests happy, Jane quickly realizes there's more to the hospitality business than just booking guest rooms.

The Bottom Line: This is the first book in the Book Retreat Mystery series. It was recommended to me by a fellow mystery buff, and I'm glad she did. With a quick pace, likable characters, and a literary theme, this cozy mystery is an action-packed weekend read with a surprise twist ending that I didn't see coming. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of cozies and literary themed books. I'm looking forward to book #2.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.… (mere)