The Secret, Book & Scone Society

September 4, 2017
This affecting series launch from Adams (Breach of Crust and four other Charmed Pie Shoppe mysteries) provides all the best elements of a traditional mystery. Nora Pennington, a former librarian who’s scarred inside and out by a tragic incident in her past, has come to the resort town of Miracle Springs, N.C., to begin anew as the owner of Miracle Books, located in a converted railway station. Nora has an uncanny ability to help her patrons solve their problems by recommending the perfect books for them to read. A chance encounter on a park bench prompts Nora to invite troubled Neil Parrish to the store, but Neil turns up dead on the railroad tracks before he can take her up on the offer. The death is ruled a suicide, but Nora suspects murder, so she and three other women form the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to try and discover the truth about Neil’s death—and perhaps to form a bond of trust strong enough to let them share their own painful secrets. Well-drawn characters complement a plot with an intriguing twist or two. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary Agency.

August 15, 2017
Four women with hidden secrets form a group to combat deceit and solve murders.The ladies of Miracle Springs work in mysterious ways. Former librarian Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, helps people deal with their troubles by recommending specific reading material. Hester Winthrop, owner and baker at the Gingerbread House, creates scones individually tailored to different people's needs. Estella Sadler, owner of Magnolia Salon and Spa, is a high-maintenance gal with a bad reputation with men. Quiet June Dixon works at the Miracle Springs thermal pools. All are haunted by terrible events that continue to cast long shadows. The ladies' passing acquaintance with one another deepens when Neil Parrish, a man who'd chatted with Nora and bought a scone from Hester, falls or is pushed in front of a train. After Sheriff Todd calls them in for interviews because they'd all spoken with the dead man, they confide in each other their suspicions that Parrish was murdered despite the sheriff's ready assumption that his death was suicide. Parrish was one of the partners in Pine Ridge Properties, a new housing development going up near Mineral Springs, and June, who talked to him at the pools, said he seemed to have regrets about the project. Incensed by the way the misogynist sheriff treats them, the ladies form a secret society to investigate. When Nora expresses interest in buying a house in Pine Ridge, she's surprised to learn that she qualifies for a loan from the local bank run by the sheriff's brother. As the ladies investigate, another partner in the suspicious building project is killed, and Estella is arrested for his murder. Now the friends are even more determined to discover the truth. Adams (Peach Pies and Alibis, 2013) kicks off a new series featuring strong women, a touch of romance and mysticism, and both the cunning present-day mystery and the slowly revealed secrets of the intriguing heroines' pasts.

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October 1, 2017

Miracle Springs, NC, bookstore owner Nora Pennington does more than sell books. A librarian-turned-bibliotherapist, she helps people solve their problems by prescribing particular titles, while her friend Hester creates comfort scones, based on the feelings she gets from each person. But before Nora can assist a visiting businessman, the stranger ends up dead, pushed in front of a train. Nora doesn't often trust other people, but knowing she needs to team up to find a killer, she turns to Hester and two other women for help. Together they form the Secret, Book & Scone Society. As they delve into the dead man's dealings, they uncover his connections with a small group of land developers. They also share among themselves the secrets that dragged them into lonely, dark places and eventually brought them to Miracle Springs. The suspense intensifies as the investigation and the story of each woman's life unfolds. VERDICT Adams (Killer Characters) launches an intriguing new mystery series, headed by four spirited amateur sleuths and touched with a hint of magical realism, which celebrates the power of books and women's friendships. Adams's many fans, readers of Sarah Addison Allen, and anyone who loves novels that revolve around books will savor this tasty treat.--LH

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