In the fourth in a beguiling cozy mystery series featuring a librarian-turned-bookseller with a penchant for bibliotherapy and a sideline in solving crime, the only hope is that Nora can be a heroine herself and lead the Secret, Book, and Scone Society in a successful investigation--before more bodies turn up and the secrets from Celeste's past come back to haunt them all. all.
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In the fourth in a beguiling cozy mystery series featuring a librarian-turned-bookseller with a penchant for bibliotherapy and a sideline in solving crime, the only hope is that Nora can be a heroine herself and lead the Secret, Book, and Scone Society in a successful investigation--before more bodies turn up and the secrets from Celeste's past come back to haunt them all. all.
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Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $4.00, good condition, Sold by Poquette's Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dewitt, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: A Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $4.90, very good condition, Sold by ABUYWISEPRODUCT rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Laguna Woods, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 304 p. A Secret, Book and Scone Society Novel, 4. Audience: General/trade. Clean book, tight spine, great dust jacket, possibly read only once
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $5.10, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $5.97, like new condition, Sold by spellbound rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from McKeesport, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $6.39, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $6.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: a Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Ink and Shadows: A Witty & Page-Turning Southern Cozy to cart. $8.50, new condition, Sold by K. S. Ryan rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Baltimore, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2021 by Kensington Cozies.
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New in new dust jacket. Signed by author. SIGNED by Adams. New. Fine with small indentation at base of spine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 304 p. A Secret, Book and Scone Society Novel, 4. Audience: General/trade.
Nora, the owner of Miracle Books, tries to heal people's woes with a unique set of books she personally selects for them.
Hester runs the Gingerbread House bakery. Customers tell her a little bit about their lives and what brought them to Miracle Springs. Then she bakes them up a "comfort scone".
June works at the hot springs spa where people come to rejuvenate themselves.
Estella is a beautician who tries to help her clients find their true selves.
The latest amazing window display at Miracle Books highlights a group of fictional heroines and their stories that are perfect for Halloween. While many find the display fantastic a small group of women taunting family values have found the display offensive and plan to protest and boycott the store and make sure others do the same. It is not just Nora's shop feeling the group's ire. They are also targeting Red Bird Gallery and Gifts, and Soothe, a new shop that has just opened selling CBD oil products. Nora is livid and calls for a Secret, Book, and Scone Society meeting to find ways to thwart the "Women of Lasting Values Society's efforts.
Meanwhile, Celeste Leopold and her daughter Bren are busy getting everything in Soothe the way they want it, hoping to draw in plenty of customers that can be helped by their products. Bren does not seem to be happy with their move to Miracle Springs though.
Later at the Farm to Table Festival Nora and her friends notice Bren sitting with a man they don't recognize. After an altercation, the man takes off. Nora tries to talk to Bren and lets her know that she was there if Bren ever needs to talk. But before Bren can take her up on the offer Nora finds the young woman dead near her home and a very old page from a book filled with strange symbols and drawings under her doormat. The death is ruled accidental but Nora knows there is much more to the story. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society has a new case and they believe their key to finding the killer is in Bren and her mother's past.
Ellery Adams is a treasure and so are her characters. The women of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society are so cleverly crafted. They all have their strengths and huge hearts supporting each other through thick and thin but also reaching out to help others in need.
In Ink and Shadows, they take Celeste under their wings as she deals with the death of her daughter. Helping out in her shop, bringing her dinner, and staying to share time with her. They also use their sleuthing techniques to try to find out who killed Bren and why. While these women have special "gifts", they are so real, genuine, compassionate, and empathic even when they are facing their own drama. I quickly became invested in their lives while reading the first book in this series and with each subsequent book they draw me in even more.
I just have to say also that Sheldon is an excellent addition to this series. He is a perfect fit among this strong group of women. He is dealing with his own trials every day but fights to live his life to the fullest.
The mysteries included in this fourth book of the series were so interesting and intriguing. I really found myself caught up by the book page with the symbols and the mysterious book it came from along with Celeste and Bren's life before coming to Miracle Springs. The book was very well-plotted with several surprises. I enjoyed the way so many members of the community were involved in the story. I was cheering when Nora got help with the family values group from some unexpected people and the way their ideas changed the landscape of many people's thoughts.
Ms. Adams continues to feature some hot-button topics in her stories. I loved a scene where bullying was discussed. Nora continues to deal with the aftermath of her fire and that took a big step within these pages too, I hate to mention other topics because I don't want to give too much of the story away.
The author drops a lot of diverse book titles throughout these books and she thoughtfully includes a full list at the end of the book. I always find myself highlighting several while I am reading to investigate later. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are often very thought-provoking as well.
There was also one passage voiced by June that I would love to make into a poster:
"To me getting lucky is reading something so magical that I'm put under the book's spell. That book owns me. I can't think of anything else until I finish it. And I can't think about anything else for days afterward. And the next book I read is doomed. It can't take the place of the magic book. But I keep reading. I keep reading because I know that feeling will come along again."
I totally agree with June.
Because of the theme of the series and the subjects presented I know a lot of research goes into each book so the length of time between each book release is very understandable. This book originally came out while I was dealing with my cancer treatments and I didn't get to read it until now. The good thing about that is I only have to wait about a month before The Vanishing Type is released and I am so happy about that. Stay tuned I will be sharing my thoughts about that one soon.
Note: book does include some explicit language.
Kristina
Feb 26, 2021
A clever cozy mystery!
Ink and Shadows by Ellery Adams is the 4th A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel. This is my favorite book in the series. It contains developed characters that are realistic. Nora came to Miracle Springs, North Carlina for a fresh start after she was severely burned. Nora has a knack for picking out the books that people need at that moment in time. I enjoy the paranormal element with Nora�s pinkie finger tingling when something is amiss. Sheldon Vega is a favorite of mine. He is a kind, creative man who suffers from chronic pain. Ellery Adams manages to convey how chronic pain affects his life (and how painful it can be). I like how understanding Nora is of Sheldon�s pain and that he cannot always make it to work. The whodunit was interesting with some unique elements. It is one that plays out which disappointed me (I love solving the crimes in the book before the reveal). It is a complex mystery that touches on some dark topics (grimoires, dark magic, cults). This book would be great to read during the month of October (it will get you in the mood for Halloween). I love the book references sprinkled throughout the story. I especially loved that my favorite childhood series was mentioned (other girls wanted to be Nancy Drew, I wanted to be Cherry Ames). I especially liked the window displays that Nora and Sheldon created. They are magical and unique. While I know the Women of Lasting Values is fictional, there are (unfortunately) groups like it in the real world who object to books for one reason or another. I like how this issue was addressed in the story. I did object to the foul language in the story. There is only a small amount, but I would rather it not be included. Nora and Jed have some romantic issues. I am not a fan of the Nora and Jed pairing. I would love to see Nora end up with Sheriff McGabe. I liked how close Nora and Grant became in this book (I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will become a couple). We did get to learn more about Nora�s past and meet an old friend. She was a great addition. Ink and Shadows can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged in the other books in this intriguing cozy mystery series. Ink and Shadows is a clever cozy mystery with dazzling displays, bonanza of books, a disturbing death, a controlling collective, a pagan page, and fine friends.
