Secret, Book, & Scone Society #7
The Little Lost Library is the seventh book in Ellery Adam’s Secret, Book, & Scone Society series. The books follow Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books Bookstore in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. One of her more eccentric clients is an elderly town resident, Lucille Wynter. Lucille never leaves her house, never lets anyone inside, is always excited for a new book, and is always ready for tea and a chat with Nora. Unfortunately, one day the book delivery turns dark when Nora finds Lucille dead at the bottom of her stairs, amongst a hoard of books that would overwhelm even the most dedicated bibliophile. Despite the overwhelming mountains of books, Nora feels that it wasn’t the horde that ended up causing Lucille’s death, but she’s puzzled as to who could have motive to kill an elderly agoraphobic woman who seemed to live for the written word? Her children provide a bit of insight when they arrive, believing that something of value is in the house. Her daughter specifically seems to think that Nora knows exactly what that something is and where to find it.
Nora starts off being content to let the investigation take place without her, but a little gift Lucille left for her beckons her to return to the Wynter house. To really get a good look around, she needs to help sort through the horde. So many books destined for the dump due to neglect hurts, but she also feels confident that she is on the right track as she explores and looks about for clues. However, her new found obsession with the Wynter house is starting to affect other aspects of her life. She isn’t spending as much time at her book store, her friends notice it’s becoming everything she talks about, and soon the Secret, Book, and Scone Society is helping her to look into the mystery of the mansion as well. Her boyfriend and police chief Grant MaCabe is working hard in his own right to solve the mystery. For this particular adventure, Nora is electing to not pull him into the mystery loop. At least not yet. Not until she has anything really substantial to tell him. Finding justice for this poor misunderstood bibliophile drives Nora forward, even when things become surprisingly dangerous. Her efforts are not wasted, and she does manage to uncover many Wynter house secrets, and find a treasure as well.
Ellery Adams’ The Little Lost Library has something for everyone. There are rich interpersonal relationships, daily and relatable struggles, and two different mysteries in one. Trying to solve little riddles and clues in the house was a fun and engaging way to get Nora to investigate. I loved all the little surprises that came along every time she solved one. There is also a character index at the start of the book, one of my favorite things, especially if I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the other books in the series yet. Longtime readers will enjoy The Little Lost Library and new readers won’t have any problems following the story or engaging with the characters. I suggest it for anyone who enjoys a murder mystery with fun clue and puzzle elements to it. It does have some emotional scenes, but Ellery Adams manages to bring everything to a conclusion that will please readers. – Carla Schantz