Oh it was sale time at Audible and I got about 10 books, one cozy along with two other mysteries and a sci-fi plus five (5!)  nonfiction books.    Omg –  I,  who have been so proud of not having a working TBR pile.  lol  (This made twelve in the new pile because I had one which is probably not going to get read and another which I’m saving.)   But now I’m down to ten  because I read  one. (So now I’ll buy another book which is scheduled. – heh-  I’ll read it right away, though.)

Anyway,   about this book ,  The Secret,  Book and Scone Society –    sometimes,  although rarely,  I’m just in the mood for a nice cozy mystery,  but I’m kind of picky about little to no romance and a good plot.    Monica Ferris and Alexander McCall Smith write great stuff for this,  but not too many others.   Ellery Adams’ Miracle Springs series is okay – but not a series I’ll follow.

*******
The Secret,  Book and Scone Society
by Ellery Adams
2017 / 304 pages
read by Cris Dukehart – 8h 31m
rating  B  /  cozy crime
*******

By the good graces of a bank loan, Nora Pennington has opened a bookstore in Miracle Springs, a small town in North Carolina with a thriving tourist trade due to its reputation for healing waters and a relaxing ambiance.   The scars on her face are from some tragic secret which she keeps close to her heart.

She makes three friends,  also single women with secrets.  Estella,  who is a fairly sharp but very unhappy beautician and lifelong resident of Miracle Springs.  There’s  June,  who works at health/bath spa and Hester,  who owns a bakery where she creates what are called, “comfort scones.”   All four women are book-lovers and all four have mysterious pasts which they keep secret – until their Club.

Nora is a pretty skillful reader of people and gives, or sells,  her customers books tailor- made for their issues – therapy reading.   Hester, too, knows how to make scones to suit her customers’ needs and has a thriving business at the Gingerbread House.   Still,  these are very unhappy women who,  with Nora’s encouragement,  form their “Secret, Book and Scone Society”  dedicated to sharing secrets and helping others.

One lovely day a traveling businessman Nora was getting acquainted with in her shop dies when he lands on a railroad track with a train coming.   It wasn’t a simple fall – it was a shove.    And before long there’s another murder,  this time by poison.  Their friend Estella, who likes making temporary friends with traveling men,  is arrested.    The women think it has to do with the new subdivision being built,  possible real estate and banking fraud.  They set out to investigate the situation to get their friend out of jail.

There is enough romance to turn me off,  but not enough to make me close the book.   It’s cute.  Basically that’s my one word review –  cute.   I’ll likely not read another one – too many other better books out there.