This is my second book in a row that I have read that has a librarian/bookish vibe, and I love it! The Vanishing Type is a mystery that centers around the members of the Secret, Book and Scone Society. My favorite quote in the book was the remark made about how we all deserve second chances. When I read it toward the finale, it made me stop and think. We can label people as good or bad, but when we see people as people, we begin to understand how others are led to bad decisions. The book is very detailed and entertaining. As a HUGE coffee lover, I went nuts over all the cute sayings they had on the coffee mugs in the coffee shop that Nora ran. And I loved the personalities of the main characters in the book. You could feel the loyalty and friendship as the plot progressed. There were dark moments, which made you question "who done it", but the ending was very nice! I read this one slowly, as all the details were what made it so INTERESTING! For instance, the artistry on the book cover of the series of books called Lady Artist illustrated by Sadie Strong. The visual of the imagery was similar to Tiffany glass Find a Clue Pictures. The saying that history repeats itself seems to play a part, as well. The book tackles jealousy, greed, adoption, poor upbringing and even love connections. So many themes packaged nicely in a fictional book intended to entertain as much as it informed. ( )

This fifth book in the excellent, "A Secret, Book and Scone Society" cozy mystery series was every bit as good as its predecessors. Yet, as for it being a cozy, it holds a bit more gravitas than others of its genre. The "society" is a small group of women, each dealing with their past and personal brokenness which, in shared friendship, seeks to serve its community well through kindness and generosity. In this installment, one of the society's members appears to be the target of malicious shenanigans and then a dead body adds to the direness of the situation. Add to that the mysterious appearance of antiquarian books in series which harbor secret messages for the books' holder. Where did these books come from and why here? Why now? It's up to the Society to figure it all out, but can they?

The bookish quotes leading into each chapter are fun reminders of books once read and much loved. Each one is carefully chosen in preparation for the chapter's subject matter. The book deals tenderly with pregnancy out of wedlock, the associated shame it held in decades past and the sorrow and loss for the parent and relinquished child. The writing is fine and tenderly crafted. Through the hearts of the well-developed characters, life's lessons are taught in a gentle and informative manner. Author Ellery Adams has yet again given readers a well-written tale with a lot of heart. I eagerly await the society's next mystery-solving tale.

Publication Date: 04/26/2022
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 978-1496726452
No. of pages: 320 ( )

I really like the characters, the bookshop, and the book recommendations. The premise was a bit far fetched for me. Also needs some proofreading. Nora tilted a beer for a sip, not titled the bottle. ( )

As this series develops, we're gradually working through the group's members as each becomes the focus of a murderous situation. At some point, though, the personal drama of the group will become dysfunctional.

This volume focuses on Hester, the presumptively "nice" one who bakes those magic scones. She, like June, will end the story with new family members. There doesn't seem to be quite so much of the magic realism as we saw in the first volume, which is a disappointment. The memory scones, the bibliotherapy, the healing spa, and the benefits of a new do: we need more of that. It allows a glimpse of the fuel that allows these damaged women to grow, bond, and thrive in the face of not only past adversities but ongoing dramas. ( )

Ellery Adams is my favorite cozy mystery writer and the Secret, Book and Scone Society is an excellent series. Set in Miracle Springs, in the mountains of North Carolina, it focuses on Nora Pennington and her friends, women who have come to the town with secrets. They have shared them and then used the pain to extend love and support to others. Their relationships form an important part of the series and they are often involved with others whose secrets are causing them pain and trauma. There can be some darkness in this series because of that underlying theme but I have enjoyed it as much as any of the others.