Ellery Adams is my favorite cozy mystery writer and the Secret, Book and Scone Society is an excellent series. Set in Miracle Springs, in the mountains of North Carolina, it focuses on Nora Pennington and her friends, women who have come to the town with secrets. They have shared them and then used the pain to extend love and support to others. Their relationships form an important part of the series and they are often involved with others whose secrets are causing them pain and trauma. There can be some darkness in this series because of that underlying theme but I have enjoyed it as much as any of the others.

Words cannot express my love for the worlds that Ellery Adams' creates. There hasn't been one book of hers that I haven't devoured. Or one perfectly flawed protagonist that I haven't felt a connection to. This is the fourth book in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society. It is one of the most powerful yet. Powerful women. Magic women. Women of words. ( )

Fourth in the series. This entry lacked the undercurrent of magical realism that makes the earlier volumes "pop", but it still tells a strong story. Some of the subplots are unartfully handled (Nora's refusal to go to help Jed was too quickly smoothed over; the book protestors also fizzled unrealistically), but the through line of the main narrative was nicely done. ( )

4.5 stars! A quick and good mystery read. Cozy mystery Christmas? Why not? ( )

Probably more of a 3.5.

This series has become a source of comfort for the past couple of years, so it felt nice to be back in this world, especially at a time when I wasn’t feeling that good.

Along with the lovely ladies of the Secret, Book and Scone society, we get to briefly meet some new additions to the town of Miracle Springs - ladies who manage to bring some intrigue as well as conflict to the proceedings. While I enjoyed the depiction of fall season and the various festivals that happen in a small town to attract tourists, I sometimes felt that the mystery itself was a bit far fetched. The addition of the conflict with the family values group also felt a bit too much to this story, though it’s not really an uncommon occurrence in many places. But it did make for some interesting conversations about powerful women and the importance of books in giving us access to new worlds. The pacing of the book was as always very fast and I finished it in a single sitting. I also liked the talk about YA fantasy as part of the book recommendations, but it was woefully white which is a disappointment, particularly considering the amount of popular diverse YA we’ve had in the past few years.

In the end, this was a fun addition to a beloved series and definitely a cozy winter read. Definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for something fun in the cozy mystery genre, and while I would suggest to start at the beginning, I think this is one series where most of the books work well as standalones. ( )