Mostly Murders

Outsiders flock to Miracle Springs in hopes of being made whole, but how many of its residents are hiding wounds that have never healed?

Book 1 in the Secret, Book, & Scone Society series.

Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, has moved to Miracle Springs to escape a past that has left her scarred, both physically from a dreadful fire, and emotionally from having her life uprooted. Her special talent is to provide emotional healing to others through “bibliotheraphy”, chosing books for her customers that will help them solve their problems or soothe their pains. Meanwhile, Hester Winthrop from the Gingerbread House bakery bakes personalised comfort scones helping people connect with precious memories through their sense of taste.

When a potential customer is found dead not long after talking to Nora and his suspicious death is treated as an accident, she teams up with Hester and two other local women, Estella and June, and forms The Secret, Book & Scone Society in an attempt to seek justice for the deceased.

The Secret, Book & Scone Society is a cozy mystery with a small town murder case to be solved by our amateur sleuth foursome, but it is most of all a book about books and the healing power of friendship and reading. Nora, Hester, Estella and June all carry their own trauma, and it is only by opening up and trusting each other that they can process their pain and move on. It is a story about the importance of reconciling oneself with the past and accepting the present, and about the potential power and influence of overlooked and seemingly unimportant women when they work together towards a greater good.

In many cozy mysteries, the characters and themes are far more important than the actual murder mystery, and this is the case in The Secret, Book & Scone Society as well. If you want an intricate mystery filled with alibis, red herrings, motives and timelines, this isn’t it. But if you love stories about healing, female friendship and second chances in life, you might want to check out this one.

Cozy mystery – Contemporary