I enjoy this series for the book-centric items it contains, but in reality, if there was a place such as Storyton Hall and someone was murdered at every retreat it offered, how long would people keep patronizing it?

Sometimes I wish cozy mystery writers would realize there are other mysteries besides investigating a murder.

In this book, we get to learn more about Edwin Alcott--who he is and what he does.

The main part of the book deals with the death of Kira Grace (one of the Medieval Herbalists) and then later the death of Andrew Green. Learning about plants was interesting. ( )

Work with me here for a minute: imagine a Clive Cussler novel in all it's rip-roaring, unbelievable adventuring; now try to imagine opening a Dirk Pitt novel and finding a pretty decently written romance. All the Dirk Pitt silliness is there, but really, it's a romance.

...

That's how I feel about this book. Ellery Adams writes cozy mysteries - and this is a cozy mystery, but she has the imagination of a fantasy writer - and the story is definitely fantastical. Now, I know she's not the first to mix the two things; there's a whole sub-sub genre for cozy paranormals. But this one, for some reason I can't put my finger on, feels weirder than the rest. Like someone's trying to wear plaid and polka dots together.

Jane is the manager of a book retreat resort in Virginia that sounds divine: a place to go where no electronic devices are allowed, full tea is served every day and there might be more libraries than rooms. But she's also the caretaker of a hidden library; one that holds treasures unknown to the public, like Shakespeare's missing play, or an unknown copy of Gutenberg's bible. And the library is magically able to hold much more than it should be able to. Jane and her staff are part of some ancient secret society tasked with being the caretaker of these books and doing whatever is necessary to save and preserve them.

Then there's her love interest - a man she finds out is a thief called The Templar. But is he? As this is the 3rd book in the series, she finally finds out what's what with him and it's as out-there as her backstory.

But across the top of all of this is a very mundane, run-of-the-mill, murder mystery with very real, mundane suspects. The mystery is good; although not book related, it is related to gardening and a medieval herbal group who is staying at the resort.

As I write this, I think what makes the story feel weird is that there are two very distinct layers here and they're like oil and water - they don't interact with each other at all. This fantastical secret library and it's secret societies have nothing whatsoever to do with the mystery or the people involved in it.

So, it's good, but it's sorta weird. I'll read the next one though; maybe it will homogenise the mystery and the fantasy a bit better. ( )

I found this to be the best of the series so far.
Character List

Main Character: Jane Stewart, Storyton Hall Book Resort Manager, Virginia

Ellery Adams - Murder in the Secret Garden (Book Retreat Mysteries #3)

STORYTON HALL Our Staff Is Here To Serve You
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Resort Manager—Jane Steward mother
Hemingway “Hem” Steward, son
Fitzgerald Steward, son
Aunt Octavia
Uncle Aloysius - A Southern gentleman of impeccable principles and a kindly demeanor,
Butler—Mr. Butterworth
Head Librarian—Mr. Sinclair - Tae Kwon Do instructor
Head Chauffeur—Mr. Sterling
Head of Recreation—Mr. Lachlan post-traumatic stress, likes Eloise
Head of Housekeeping—Mrs. Pimpernel
Head Cook—Mrs. Hubbard

Select Merchants of Storyton Village
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Run for Cover Bookshop—Eloise Alcott Janes's best friend member Book Club
Daily Bread Café—Edwin Alcott - trying to prove that he's not a book thief
Cheshire Cat Pub—Bob and Betty Carmichael
The Canvas Creamery—Phoebe Doyle
La Grande Dame Clothing Boutique—Mabel Wimberly members of the Cover Girls, book club Jane held
Tresses Hair Salon—Violet Osborne
The Pickled Pig Market—the Hogg brothers
Geppetto’s Toy Shop—Barnaby Nicholas
The Potter’s Shed—Tom Green
Storyton Outfitters— Phil and Sandi Hughes, rubber duck race Mr. Hughes is former military. He was an environmental science officer

Eugenia Pratt, members of the Cover Girls, book club Jane held

The Medieval Herbalists herbalists to put on a small medieval fair on Sunday afternoon
-----------------------
Vivian Ash - restores historic gardens for a living
Hannah Billingsley - group secretary, restores antique art. limping
Victoria Billingsley looked like a Parisian runway model bride to be sister
Carson groom
Kira Grace -Free spirit by nature, photographer by trade, lifeless corpse
Tammy Kota friends with Mrs. Hubbard, late fifties with sun-speckled skin & laugh lines
Claude Mason president of The Medieval Herbalists, resemblance to Benjamin Franklin
Sandi Hughes owner Storyton Outfitters
Constance Meredith Actress, gave off a nasty odor, THE POISON PRINCESS
Nico He’s in the perfume business. and Michelle Scannavini, chemist
Nico and Constance tryst (Kira Grace photo)













( )

Another interesting Ellery Adams book. A little bit too chaste for me but interesting nonetheless. ( )

This is the third in the series and while you don't have to read the other two books in order to understand what's happening in this story I'm going to see you really need to read the first two books before reading this. Why? Because they that good.

This story involves Medieval Herbalists, duck races and a hot, returning/prospective boyfriend. Between raising two boys, running a bed-and-breakfast/hotel/get-away; and solving murder will she have the time or the energy to devote to having a man in her life or be able to solve the mystery of who killed one of her guests.

I loved this story. Jane, the main character is smart, intelligent, strong and compassionate. And Edwin, the love interest is also strong and intelligent. I think it's wonderful that both can be strong people without one being more dominant.

I just finished this book and already I want to read the next in the series and thinking Ms. Adams needs to write faster! ( )