Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairings found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.
The Tattered Cover
The Secret, Book, and Scone Society
Ellery Adams
Kensington Cozies
If you enjoy slightly edgy cozies with lots of emotion the this is not only a great Halloween read for you but also an awesome series. The Tattered Cover can be read as a stand-alone, but you might enjoy it more if you started at least two books before with Papercuts, just to get the complete book buildup and character arc.
This series is all about second chances, starting with our main character, Nora Pennington. Nora has quite a back story and it is completely fleshed out in Papercuts, but you don't need to know her whole story up front because Ms. Adams does a great job of sharing just enough backstory to keep the reader from being lost but to also make you want to have read the story from the start. But that is not this story, this story starts with a book signing in Nora's bookshop, Miracle Books, located in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. Like any good Halloween themed story, there is also a mystical aspect and a dark and stormy night. There is also a witch, not the usual kind, no, this one comes with a dog since she is a K9 handler for the Sheriff's department. I am not the only one who isn't a fan of Deputy Paula Hollowell, she elicits some serious emotions. Actually, this series is very good at making you feel all the feelings from happy to indignant and everything in-between. Nora's friends Hester, June, and Estella make up the Secret, Book, and Scone Society with her coworker Sheldon, rounding out the merry band of sleuthers.
It is spooky season, Halloween, and this time around there is a murder in the bookstore under unusual circumstances with an interesting group of suspects to keep Nora and her friends busy. In addition to trying to solve the mystery, the group is also planning for Magnolia Salon and Spa owner Estella and Pink Lady Grill owner Jack's new bundle of joy due to arrive any time. Estella and Jack aren't the only ones with changes on the horizon. Nora is looking at making changes regarding the bookstore, and maybe even her living arrangements since her little home is in the process of being rebuilt. Nora is staying with her guy, Sheriff Grant McCabe. McCabe (as Nora often calls him) is a fine man who tries to see the best in people, sometimes he and Nora don't see eye to eye which causes contention and a little bit of reader anxiety.
The story is well laid out, but that is to be expected because Ms. Adams is a master of storytelling with an amazing ability to lay a firm foundation within in story/book that highlights different characters and their stories. Nora's amazing friends, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, each have a story to tell within the pages of the different books. You will not be able to put a single book down and this latest story is no different. This is a great book for armchair sleuthing because the clues are freely given as are suggestions for other great books. Not to worry when it comes to keeping track of Nora's suggestions because you can find them all at the conclusion of the novel. The only thing missing is a few of Hester's recipes from the Gingerbread House Bakery.
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