Murder in the Reading Room
Jane’s boyfriend is missing, and she thinks she may find him at North Carolina’s historic Biltmore Estate. Officially, she’s there to learn about luxury hotel management, but she’s also prowling around the breathtaking buildings and grounds looking for secret passageways and clues. One of the staff gardeners promises to be helpful, that is, until his body turns up in the reading room of his cottage, a book on his lap.
When she finally locates the kidnapped Edwin, his captor insists that she lead him back to Storyton Hall, convinced that it houses Ernest Hemingway’s lost suitcase, stolen from a Paris train station in 1922. But before they can turn up the treasure, the bell may toll for another victim.
Series: A Book Retreat Mystery – Book #5
Author: Ellery Adams
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Literary
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count:320
Rating: 
The latest addition to Ellery Adams “Book Retreat Mystery” series Murder in the Reading Room from Kensington Books is well-written and filled with action. Ms. Adams is an award-winning author who has a good grasp of the writing process.
Characters in this cozy mystery book vary from young and old, smart, funny, and at times downright evil. The main character, Jane, has a lot on her mind, many unanswered questions, and far too many secrets. When her boyfriend goes missing, she constantly frets until she can find him and bring him home. Soon she adds murder to her list of mysteries to solve.
Readers and lovers of books will be enthralled by the settings of massive mansions and secret libraries. The estate of Biltmore will never cease to amaze and delight audiences of all types. There will never be enough description of this American castle, and if readers have never been to Biltmore, they need to run to see it, especially the library.
Unfortunately, if readers have never read any of the previous volumes in this cozy mystery series, and this would include me, they will be significantly baffled and frustrated with Murder in the Reading Room. The author gives no background for the characters or the central concept of the series. This is difficult for me to say as this author, along with one of her other series, is among my favorites, but I cannot recommend this book to anyone who is reading her work for the first time. If readers are interested in this series, I highly suggest starting with the first book, otherwise prepare to scratch your head in bewilderment, often.
Regrettably, this book cannot stand on its own. It was also not possible for me to become invested in the outcome of the story or empathize with the characters. With all of this said, the book on its own has an original plot for a cozy mystery, which can be hard to come up within a cozy series. It is easy to read, and after a few chapters, readers will begin to understand who the players are and what is happening.
Readers may appreciate other cozy mystery books such as Jenn McKinlay’s http://www.jennmckinlay.com/ “A Library Lover’s Mystery” series https://www.thecozyreview.com/hitting-the-books/ or Allison Brook’s (Marilyn Levinson) https://www.marilynlevinson.com/ series “A Haunted Library Mystery” https://www.thecozyreview.com/read-and-gone/.
About the Author:
Ellery Adams has written over thirty novels and can’t imagine spending a day away from the keyboard. Ms. Adams, a Native New Yorker, has had a lifelong love affair with stories, food, rescue animals, and large bodies of water. When not working on her next novel, she bakes, gardens spoils her three cats, and wastes far too much time on Pinterest. She lives with her husband and two children (aka the Trolls) in central North Carolina.
Literary Agent: Jessica Faust at Book Ends
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