Mystery Reads: Book Retreat Mystery series by Ellery Adams

“There were books everywhere. Hundreds of books. Thousands of books. There were books of every size, shape, and color. They lined the walls from floor to ceiling, standing straight and rigid as soldiers on the polished mahogany shelves, the gilt lettering on their worn spines glinting in the soft light, the scent of supple leather and aging paper filling the air.”
― Ellery Adams, Murder in the Mystery Suite

When searching for a new-to-me cozy mystery, I discovered Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat Mystery series. The first in this series, Murder in the Mystery Suite, published in 2014, is an introduction to Jane Steward and Storyton Hall, a storybook resort owned by her family. This was an absolutely beautiful ode to book lovers and the stories that define their lives.

Storyton Hall is a storybook resort tucked in the rolling hills of rural western Virginia. Resort manager Jane Steward is tasked with keeping the resort and its staff happy and its guests eager to come back for additional stays. Determined to boost Storyton Hall’s bookings, Jane decides to host a Murder and Mayhem week. Fans of all things mystery will gather together for role-playing, fantasy, games, and parties. During one of the first events, a scavenger hunt, Jane is surprised to find so many of the guests incredibly invested in winning the prize, a valuable book (but Jane doesn’t think it’s quite as valuable as some of the guests are making it out to be). Her suspicions are proved false when death befalls the winner of the scavenger hunt. Did he die of natural causes? Or is one of Jane’s guests a murderer?

This series introduction is full of delightfully quirky characters, beautiful surroundings, and oh so many book recommendations. Murder in the Mystery Suite has turned the traditional cozy mystery into a more modern version that could become a favorite for years to come.

This title is also available in large print.

Book Retreat Mystery series

  1. Murder in the Mystery Suite (2014)
  2. Murder in the Paperback Parlor (2015)
  3. Murder in the Secret Garden (2016)
  4. Murder in the Locked Library (2018)
  5. Murder in the Reading Room (2019)
  6. Murder in the Storybook Cottage (2020)
  7. Murder in the Cookbook Nook (2021)
  8. Murder on the Poet’s Walk (2022)
  9. Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft (2023)

I love you “snow” much

Snow outside makes many people want to cozy up with a loved one. Here’s a few titles that combine romance and snow to make sparks fly! (Descriptions from the publisher)

Snowfall on Lighthouse Lane by JoAnn Ross – The feeling of first love can’t be forgotten between Jolene Wells and Aiden Mannion. Jolene returns to her hometown and Aiden has shed his black-sheep reputation. Despite the secret they left between them all those years ago, snow is starting to fall on their picturesque little town, making anything seem possible … maybe even a second chance at first love.

 

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman – When Sonny Dunes, a SoCal meteorologist whose job is all sunshine and 72-degree days, is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, the only station willing to give the fifty-year-old another shot is her northern Michigan hometown. Sonny throws herself headfirst into covering every small-town winter event to woo a new audience, made more bearable by a handsome widower with optimism to spare.

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis – With a blizzard closing off roads, Noelle Butterby finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there is no such thing as coincidence.

Reasonable Adults by Robin Lefler – After a humiliating post-breakup social media post (#sponsoredbywine), Kate Rigsby loses her marketing job. Craving a reset, Kate flees the big-city life to take a temporary gig at Treetops, a struggling resort stuck in the 1990s. Kate’s office is a bunker, her boss is a nightmare, and at night she shares a freezing hut with her Goldendoodle. Then there’s the sexy, off-limits coworker whose easy smile and lumberjack forearms are distracting Kate from the already near-impossible task of making this snowbound oasis profitable. 

Ever Constant by Tracie Peterson – On the surface, Whitney Powell is happy working with her sled dogs, but her life is full of complications that push her over the edge. When sickness spreads in outlying villages, Dr. Peter Cameron turns to Whitney and her dogs for help navigating the deep snow, and together they discover that sometimes it’s only in weakness you can find strength.

 

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly – When Alexei Lebedev finally comes out to his conservative community, it does not go well. That’s how he ended up on the Pacific Crest Trail, hoping he can figure out a new life plan in the miles it’ll take to walk the famed hike. There he meets charismatic and outgoing Ben Caravalho. No matter how determined Alexei is to hike the trail alone, it seems he and Ben can’t avoid being drawn to each other. Through snow crossings and close calls with coyotes, Alexei inches closer to letting Ben in.