In the new Secret, Book, and Scone Society novel from New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams, the rain in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, has been relentless—and a flood of trouble is about to be unleashed . . . As the owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington figures all the wet weather this spring is at least good for business. The local inns are packed with stranded travelers, and … with stranded travelers, and among them Nora finds both new customers and a new friend, the sixtysomething Sheldon, who starts helping out at the store.
Since a little rain never hurt anyone, Nora rides her bike over to the flea market one sodden day and buys a bowl from Danny, a Cherokee potter. It’ll make a great present for Nora’s EMT boyfriend, but the next day, a little rain turns into a lot of rain, and the Miracle River overflows it banks. Amid the wreckage of a collapsed footbridge, a body lies within the churning water.
Nora and the sheriff both doubt the ruling of accidental drowning, and Nora decides it’s time for the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to spring into action. When another body turns up, it becomes clearer that Danny’s death can’t be blamed on a natural disaster. A crucial clue may lie within the stone walls of the Inn of Mist and Roses: a diary, over a century old and spattered with candle wax, that leads Nora and her friends through a maze of intrigue—and onto the trail of a murderer . . .
more
Wow, just wow, this book really hit on so many chords for me. I really love this series, while it has great mysteries, to me it’s strength is it’s characters. They are memorable because they are real people, not perfect but flawed people who nevertheless do their best, and while life has given them some hard knocks it has not hardened their hearts. In this book Nora is haunted by the death of a young man she only met once, something feels off about his accidental death and she also feels so bad for his widow. While this bothers her she is occupied by a busy store, a potential new employee and meeting two older ladies that are redoing a beautiful old inn not far from her store. To add to this all of her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society have something major going on in their worlds.
How this all comes beautifully together is for readers to savor, I especially enjoyed the beautiful and appropriate quotes that begin every chapter. Reading this book was a real treat!!
Brilliant writing!
The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams is the third book of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series. Enjoyable characters, great world building, interesting plot that intertwines the native American folklore into the story. I enjoyed this installment and can’t wait for the next one.
I loved everything about this (other than how sad parts of it were). Brilliant and thoughtful and sensitive and still managed to surprise me. Can’t wait for the next installment!!
“The Book of Candlelight ” the 3rd instalment in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society Mystery series by Ellery Adams. I really enjoy this series, I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this instalment. I like how each of the four women have issues/things from their past that trouble them but it doesn’t stop them from forming a close bond nor being there for each other when needed.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, with two murders to solve. I liked that Native American folklore played into the mystery especially the symbolism of the red bird. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for the next book to come out in January 2021.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I found this installment interesting. I really liked one of the new characters in this book and the building relationships. I always love the books that get mentioned in this series and get excited if I’ve read one or at least heard of it. The banned book part was fun. This is my favorite series by Ellery Adams.
Great book! I love the Secret, Book, and Scone Society members. You can really relate to Nora and her friends and I love how they support each other through good times and bad times. They also each offer a healing aspect to those who need it. I enjoyed the storyline of Danny, the Cherokee man, and the story of the red bird. It was interesting to learn the history of the inn as the new owners were remodeling as well. The killer in this book was a complete surprise and I definitely didn’t see it coming. I look forward to more adventures with these women and seeing the relationships grow for Nora, Hester, and Estella as well as a companionship relationship between June and Sheldon, who was a great addition to this series!!
This book was a great read. The characters were really relatable too. Sheldon Vega has to be my new favorite character. I can relate to him as I suffer from fibromyalgia too. His ideas and his personality are a good fit for the bookstore. He brings a different kind of creative genius to add with Nora’s. Together they make a great team. I also feel like he fits with The Secret Book and Scone Society.
The murder was a terrible thing to happen and I felt sorry for Danny’s wife. Left to raise their baby by herself, but also with the help of her new friends. I foresee her grieving and the. Growing stronger from the blow she was dealt.
I was glad to see that Jed and Nora have seemed to grow closer in this book and I’m really rooting for them!
I can’t wait for the next book in this series. It’s probably my favorite series of Ellery Adams, even though I like them all!
This is a charming story.
Engaging characters.
Puzzling mysteries.
A fabulous bookstore.
Native Americans.
History.
What more do you want?!
In The Book of Candlelight, a Cherokee man named Danny is murdered not long after Nora purchases pottery from him. Further, several of Nora’s friends are the victims of crime, making them question if there is any correlation between that violence and the murder.
I appreciate that the author included a major character with chronic illnesses who was fleshed-out, kind, and imperfect in the way all humans are. Sheldon is a new employee at Nora’s bookstore so he should be in future books as well.
Nora is a survivor of a fire and lives with burn scars from an event that occurred prior to the events in this book. To understand the character backgrounds and motivations of all the recurring main characters (Nora and her three best friends) I think it would be best to read the series in order.
The marginalization of Native American’s in the past was addressed but continuing issues were not. I wish there had been living Native American characters in the story, particularly enrolled Cherokee tribal members, because the story revolves around Danny’s death.
The author did a good job showing the terror racism creates and it’s lasting effects. I was surprised that SPOILER the victim’s son was responsible for the slur; it felt like that made it a family issue rather than a community issue. END SPOILER
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TheBookOfCandlelight #mystery
Nora Pennington is the owner Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. It’s been an extra wet spring but that doesn’t stop Nora from getting out and about. She goes to the flea market and winds up buying a bowl from a man named Cherokee Danny but when it’s cracked after an accident, she goes in search of Danny to see if he can fix it. Sadly, though, she finds his body in the swollen river near Cherokee Rock. Neither she nor the sheriff believe it’s an accident so Nora gets together with her friends from the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to look into things. When the body of a young man is found at the same place, Nora believes the deaths are related.
I love this series and this book is no exception. The book’s well-written with well-rounded and wonderful characters. The mysteries grab your attention and keep you hooked until the end. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
The Book of Candlelight starts off with catastrophic events: heavy rains that blankets the town and dampens spirits, and the unexplained death of a local artist, Danny. Nora’s reaction to this death is palpable – she didn’t know Danny well but she feels his loss deeply. Emboldened by empathy and a desire to offer comfort, she befriends Danny’s widow, Marie, and attempts to help her through the grieving process – something Nora herself is well-acquainted with.
Two newcomers to Miracle Springs, best friends Lou and Patty, are renovating a local inn. During renovation, startling facts come to light: secret passageways hidden within the walls; the damaged diary of the original proprietress, Rose Lattimer, which hints at long-past scandal. As Nora gets to know the newest residents of the community, a picture begins to emerge of a deep connection between the inn, Danny’s death, and secrets the inn has held for many years.
The Secret, Book, and Scone Society friends dig into these secrets and as they do they uncover another murder, and lies among the Lattimer family – lies and pain that follow the descendants of the Lattimer family today.
As each member of the group deals with their individual pains that are surfacing around them, there is also deepening friendship among some new members of the town. Sheldon, a strange and delightful man who joins Nora at Miracle Books and brings a sense of whimsy with him; Lou and Patty, who have deeper ties to the Lattimer inn than they first realized. Marie, who needs the sort of friendship the community of Miracle Springs can offer.
While things started out seemingly bleak for the residents of Miracle Springs, there is also hope. I am reminded our deepest pains can be offset by helping others; Nora and her friends all experience sadness in their individual circumstances but they are uplifted when they work together. And together they stop a serious crime, bring justice to victims, and continue to support each other through their talents.
I was offered an advance copy of this novel for an honest review. This series continues to delight me- I enjoy the trials and the friendship demonstrated among the characters and the writing evokes feelings of visiting with old friends.
The Book Of Candlelight is the third book in the Secret, Book, And Scone Society Mystery series.
Nora, Hester, June, and Estella each have a secret they have shared with the others that have resulted in a bonding of the four ladies. They also have their way of helping people with problems. Nora’s way is she practices bibliotherapy, healing through books, she can pick books that will help people heal.
Miracle Springs has been experiencing Spring rains for a while. Nora needs some shelf enhancers(knick-knacks), since the rains have let up a little, she decides to ride her bike out to a nearby flea market. She soon finds some items that she can use for shelf enhancers. As she is about to leave she sees a bowl, handcrafted by a local Cherokee named Danny, and decides to buy it for her boyfriend, Jed. On her way home, she falls from her bike, breaking many of the items she bought including chipping the bowl. The next day she decides to go again and see if Danny might be able to repair the bowl, but Danny is not there and his wife doesn’t know where he is, saying he left their cabin before she got up. On the way home, Nora stops on a bridge to see how much the river has risen since it started to rain and notices a body in the river which she soon realizes is the body of Danny. The police are calling it accidental, but Nora is sure and sets off to find out if it was.
Also going on in Miracle Springs, Lou has purchased the Mist and Rose house, which had once been in the family for generations, and with the help of her friend, Patty they have set out to refurbish it into a bed and breakfast. One of their first guests is Sheldon Vega. One of the first stops for Sheldon is Nora’s bookstore. Sheldon can brew an amazing cup of Cuban coffee and delicious Cuban sandwiches. Nora decides to hire Sheldon on a trial basis.
Sheldon invites Nora to meet Lou and Patty and as the story goes on it appears that the Mist and Rose just might have some connection to the tragic death of Danny.
This is a wonderful addition to this very interesting series. The characters are all interesting and very believable. I would feel honored to call any of them my friend.
I can’t wait for the next book in this heartwarming series.
Constant rain in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is driving everyone crazy. During a gap in the deluge, Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, takes off on her bicycle to the flea market to find shelf enhancers for her shop. In the process she buys a pot for her boyfriend, Jed. But when she takes a tumble on her bike she puts a crack in the present. The next day she travels to take it back to the man she bought it from, Danny, a Cherokee potter. Unfortunately she finds Danny’s body floating in the river.
So begins the investigation into Danny’s death. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society doesn’t believe Danny’s death is an accidental drowning. They use their skills to track down a killer, using unusual clues, including a fireplace, and a diary from ages gone by.
I make no secret of the fact that I love this series. It’s full of literary references, flawed characters that are very realistic, and mysteries that are elegantly plotted.
The Book of Candlelight is one of those tales that you want to rush through, because you can’t wait to see what happens next. But then again you want to take it slowly so you can savor each word. I love Nora, who unabashedly follows her life as a solitary bookstore owner, while making room for her boyfriend and could it be, an employee.
I enjoyed the introduction of Sheldon Vega, who starts working at the store, and is an intriguing character that added a lot of flavor to the story. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society have become friends, and I enjoy reading a new story from them every year, and I savor the fact that I can go back and reread books to see what clues I missed. In this one, the killers were outside my reading, and it was a surprise to see whodunit. That always makes a book extra fun for me.
Ms. Adams is a masterful storyteller who weaves a tale of secrets, friends, and mystery to perfection. I highly recommend this series to those who love a tale that takes them on a wonderful ride.
I read a digital copy of this book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
I can’t sing the praises of Ellery enough for creating this incredible place for us to escape to – Miracle Springs, with its amazing characters that we learn more and more about with each installment and mysteries to solve in so many variations. This series is growing by leaps and bounds with each book and I just fall deeper in love with it all. I can’t recommend it enough to readers of all genres. There is such a great bond between these women that I admire.
With this book specifically, I loved how the mystery to solve lead to a type of family genealogy mystery as well. I love that it spanned different cultures, historically and current. I also love reading about Nora’s bibliotherapy suggestions for different characters and have a list of books to pick up myself by the time I finished. This series is a must for book lovers of all and when you get to this book in particular, be prepared to not want to put it down until the end!
This is the third book in the series but the first one I’ve read. I was able to follow along but some parts would have made more sense if I’d started with the first book. It’s more of a hybrid cozy mystery and women’s fiction, a little more angsty then I’m used to but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story was complex with twists and turns and seemingly unrelated events coming together nicely at the end. I also learned about bibliotherapy, which I had never heard of before.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.
Ellery Adams is back with her third installment of The Secret, Book, & Scone Society series with The Book of Candlelight and it was worth the wait! Each time I read a book in this series I think it’s my favorite until the next one comes along. The Book of Candlelight did not disappoint. This book is a 5-Star winner for me! In fact, I’d give it 10-stars if I could!
The Secret, Book, & Scone Society are back to unite their town of Miracle Springs, NC after the mysterious death of one of their own. Nora, June, Hester, and Estella offer comfort and support to a young widow while doing what they can to get to the bottom of her husband’s murder.
A young Cherokee artist is found dead during a rainstorm that has been pouring down on their town for days. Nora follows her instincts when she believes it wasn’t an accident. Through her search for a killer, she meets people who are not what they seem, is on hand to discover a centuries-old diary full of secrets, and works to discover who’s terrorizing her friends with messages of hate and vandalism.
Piecing together all the bits of information she finds, Nora with the support of her friends, is able to find justice for a young man gone too soon and give his wife a new sense of purpose.
The Book of Candlelight also introduces a fabulous new character, a stranger turned friend, Sheldon Vega. He brings so much warmth, love, and humor to this group and I hope he’ll be sticking around for the next book.
If you’ve read the first two books in the series, The Secret, Book, & Scone Society, and The Whispered Word, you won’t want to miss this one. If you haven’t read them yet, that’s okay. The Book of Candlelight stands on its own and will inspire you to read the series.
The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams.
Release Date 1.28.2020
The Book of Candlelight on the surface is a small town murder mystery but at its core is about healing, restoring hope, possibility and nurturing unexpected friendships and the human connection.
Unlikely friends, all with a past they would just as well like to forget, Nora, Hester, Estella, and June find themselves sharpening their detective skills and strengthening their friendship while helping to solve the mystery of a body found in Miracle River.
This series is so comforting, like curling up in your favorite blanket, I love to get lost in the aisles of Nora’s bookstore, stop in for a scone in Hester’s bakery, catch up on the gossip at Estella’s salon, or take a nocturnal stroll with June. Ellery Adams characters are down-to-earth and perfectly flawed. I am always looking forward to reading what happens next in Miracle Springs.
Easily read as a stand alone, The Book of Candlelight is the third book in The Secret Book and Scone Society series by author Ellery Adams.
In the latest installment of the A Secret, Book and Scone Society novel, The Book of Candlelight Nora stumbles upon a secret that kills. Spring comes in like a lion and brings torrential rain, death, secrets, and mayhem because sometimes the past will not stay buried, and with new people, old secrets, and the new inn someone wants to be the last one standing. Nora finds a body in the river, June son comes back to punish his mother for a past she could not control, a new friend is found, Estelle business is failing and Hester is fighting for a future with Jasper against the demons of her past. The ladies have their hands full and only each other to stand and help them fight for some secrets will not stay buried.
I have had the privilege to read all three of the Society books and the relationships have gone beyond what you would expect the strong female characters for she writes them not to be in competition but a complement of each other with their strength and weaknesses and allow a real growth in the story-line and character growth. Ellery has written a group of relationships not just of romance but of friendship and companionship similar to what you see in relationships all around you. The strong characters and their each individual complex story lead an enjoyable and complex book that is far bigger than one single character and allows you to see the world of Miracle Springs through multiple lenses, not just one. This is beyond the traditional cozy mystery, it has the depth of traditional fiction and all the mystery and relationships of an Agatha Christie mystery. I felt that her latest villain definitely had read Then There Are None and thought it was a wonderful idea. You will not be disappointed by this reading I do advise to start from the beginning because it will help you understand the background of characters and Miracle Springs but if you can not help yourself you could pick it up and devour this book then grab the other two.
I am loving this series! I just want to crawl into this book and give these folks a big hug and just hang out with them. I love all the different relationships in this story. It’s just like real life. This story line was awesome. The Cherokee references were wonderful and I cannot wait to see what unfolds in future stories. Some new characters were introduced and they are amazing. I think they will be around for the long haul, at least that’s what I’m hoping. I am ready for the next book. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.