Author: Ellery Adams
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN#: 9781496726476
Kensington Cozies
304 Pages
$27.00; $13.77 Amazon
April 25, 2023
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Nora escaped her past a decade ago. So it feels like a visit from another world when Kelly Walsh -- the woman her ex-husband left her for -- walks through the front door of Miracle Books along with her son, a sweet, serious boy with a talent for origami. Kelly hasn't come to gloat, though. As it turns out, she's been dumped, too. She's also terribly ill, and all she wants from Nora is forgiveness.
Shockingly, however, the woman who's been the victim of so much misfortune is about to become a murder victim. Who would do such a thing? Certainly not Nora. But that doesn't stop the gossip and suspection -- especially after Kelly's sister-in-law claims that she saw the two women arguing.
In seeking justice for Kelly, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society joins forces with the sheriff's department, but they've barely begun their probe when life throws another wrench. After serving a fifteen-year sentence, Estella's father returns to Miracle Springs. And when his past comes back to haunt him, it might be more than the four friends can handle.
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Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, has finally achieved peace in her life. After finding out her husband of ten years was cheating on her, she had a devastating accident that left her with scars both physical and emotional. Some she's never been able to put away permanently. But her best friends -- June, Estella, and Hester -- all have scars of their own, and it's a daily battle for the foursome to believe that life can give them something to offer.
When a woman enters Nora's bookstore, she has a young son who seems focused only on the books with origami. Kelly Walsh states that she's just moved to town and her son doesn't interact with people very well. Nora has empathy for the young man, and promises to order more books for the boy.
Then Estella's dad is being released, and she's worried about what he can find as a job, wanting to keep him from going back. But that's not all: Nora eventually finds out her ex-husband is in town, and she plans to avoid him at all cost...
After discovering that Kelly is the woman who broke up her marriage, she wants nothing to do with her. But it's an early morning visit from the police that wake her up, telling her Kelly is dead. Only later does Nora discover that Kelly was murdered, and a witness insists that shortly before the murder, she saw Nora arguing with the woman.
Now Nora is a suspect in the murder, and her beau Sheriff Grant McCabe needs to stay away from her during the investigation, although he doesn't believe a word of it. Can her friends help her stay out of jail? If not, Nora might just spend her days and nights in solitary...
This is the sixth book in the series, and perhaps the best of the lot. I've come to care for these four women who still carry the scars of their early lives and have come to depend upon one another for their strength. Each one has a secret that haunts them, and together they form a force of nature. Now Nora is in trouble, and they won't stand by idly while she's in trouble.
But finding the murderer isn't easy: it would be easier to find a coyote in the wilderness, or so it seems. There is more at stake than just Nora's life, and they need to find the core of what it is. The subplot of Estella's father Gus becomes part of the story, and Nora learns that All Is Not As It Appears. When she starts to put the pieces together, what she discovers stuns her; it could change everything, and she wonders if her perceptions are correct.
There were parts of this book that brought tears to my eyes. I emphasized with Nora in so many places, and my heart ached for her pain. Sometimes outer scars can't truly give the story of those that remain inside us, and Nora is an example of that. Her decision to carry those outer scars truly shows her character.
Each one of these books is unique. It tells its own story within stories, and each one touches me. When I find these books, nothing will stop me from reading them. I even bypass cooking dinner to read these (and my husband knows it so orders takeout -- luckily, he understands my love of the series). These are women I would love to meet, and I would love to reside in this town. But it is the compassion, warmth, and kindness of four damaged women that touches me the most.
All in all between her friends, Nora sees that the truth is right in front of her. And in the end, it comes together with each piece layering upon the other; until you can see the final picture. It is a marvelous addition to the story and its peoples, and I cannot wait until the next is written. Highly recommended.
I received an advance copy from the Publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Ellery Adams's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/ellery-adams/
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