The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams

Entertainment Weekly hails the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams as “a love letter to reading,” and in this fifth installment, bookshop owner, bibliotherapist, and occasional sleuth Nora Pennington must enlist the help of her brilliant, brassy librarian friend Bobbie to unravel the connection between The Scarlet Letter, an obscure 19th century writer, and a dead hiker… Bookstore owner Nora Pennington and the rest of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society must solve a murder as cold as the winter wind in a new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. While January snow falls outside in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, Nora Pennington is encouraging customers to cozy up indoors with a good book. Even though the shop and her bibliotherapy sessions keep Nora busy during the day, her nights are a little too quiet—until Deputy Andrews pulls Nora into the sci-fi section and asks her to help him plan a wedding proposal. His bride-to-be, Hester, loves Little Women, and Nora sets to work arranging a special screening at the town’s new movie theater. But right before the deputy pops the question, Nora makes an unsettling discovery—someone has mutilated all her store’s copies of The Scarlet Letter, slicing angrily into the pages wherever Hester Prynne’s name is mentioned. The coincidence disturbs Nora, who’s one of the few in Miracle Springs who knows that Hester gave up a baby for adoption many years ago. When a dead man is found on a hiking trail just outside town, carrying a rare book, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society unearth a connection to Hester’s past. Someone is intent on bringing the past to light, and it’s not just Hester’s relationship at stake, but her life . . .

I've been reading consistently this month but somehow I'm not feeling too good and that's definitely been affecting what I'm reading. So I thought something comforting would be the right pick and what can be more comforting than this lovely new installment in my favorite cozy mystery series.

I know I've mentioned this many times but I have to say again, I so wish Miracle Springs was a really town, Miracle Books and Gingerbread House existed, and I could go there for a vacation. Even though a HP reference right on the first page irritated me, I continued reading but I do wish that the author would discontinue its usage. The writing is light and soothing right from the get go, even though we get some bad vibes at times just like our main character Nora. I also liked how the author managed to connect little plot points from the first book here and give little hints throughout before the final reveal. There were actually quite a few mysteries to solve here and I could only guess one, but the way the characters deduced the clues was quite fun. As usual there were many book recommendations given all through the story, and it's always fun when I've read most of them and can see why Nora is making those recommendations.

My highlight of this book was definitely seeing the friendship of Nora and Sheriff McCabe turning into something more. They've always seemed sweet together but it was never the right time for them before, but I'm glad they can finally try. Their interactions are lovely and they are very understanding and supportive of each other. Hester and Andrews's relationship is put through the wringer in this one and I can only hope they'll be able to move forward without any resentments. There were quite a few new characters (alive and dead) that we get to know about and everyone was quite interesting. As usual, the book club meetings made me jealous that I didn't have a girl gang like this who could meet up every week and gush over books. There was also a Blind Date Book Bash which felt like a dream and how I wished I could be transported into the pages.

In the end, what new can I say which I haven't already in my reviews of the previous installments. If you like strong female friendships, delicate relationships, cozy mysteries, an absolutely amazing book store and a mouthwatering bakery, then you can't miss this series. It always makes my day.

Happy book birthday plus a day to Ellery Adams! Y'all may remember, this book made my Can't-Wait Wednesday list (more about that on my blog, https://www.theplainspokenpen.com) a couple of months back. And now it's here! It's here! And it is GLORIOUS.

Nora and Sheldon are busy planning their Blind Date Book Bash when Deputy Jasper Andrews asks Nora to help him create a special moment for him to propose to his beloved Hester. Nora comes up with a great idea – Jasper can pop the question at a special movie screening of Little Women, Hester's favorite. But when Nora finds that the name “Hester” has been obliterated from all of Miracle Books' copies of The Scarlet Letter, she's concerned that Hester may be in danger. That concern only grows when she learns that the dead man found outside of town has a connection with Hester.

Y'all, this book Has. It. All. We've got romance with Jasper and Hester, and we also see Nora and the ever delightful Sheriff Grant McCabe growing closer. Jasper and Hester are sweet and all, but I just adore the interactions between Nora and Grant. Please, please, please let there be a wedding for them at some point in the series!

We've got tension. Is Hester in danger? From whom? We've got mystery. Who is the dead man? Why was there a rare vintage book in his coat pocket, and why do other books in that same rare series keep turning up around Miracle Springs?

And most of all, we've got the love of books and story and the wonderful friendships among Nora, Hester, June, and Estella. These ladies are each other's cheering section and biggest support, and they aren't afraid to have the hard conversations if it's called for. Those are the kinds of friendships we could all do with more of. It would be a delight to get to join them for book club!

There are other little treats woven throughout the story. I appreciate how Nora works with Sheldon to keep him working even when his health issues are giving him trouble. When he needs time to rest and recover, she gives it to him, no fuss, no muss. When he's feeling well and strong, there's work for him at Miracle Books. All workplaces should be as understanding with physical or mental ailments. The vintage book angle was also fascinating, and I liked that it allowed us to see more of Nora's dear friend Roberta. She's an occasional character, but a fun one!

I loved this book, just as I have all the others in the series. We got a fair bit of backstory on Hester and why she's been estranged from her family, and I enjoyed that. I like getting to know the main characters better as the series goes along. I also didn't see the big reveal on any of the threads of the mystery coming right away. I had inklings, but I didn't figure it all out before the end. It tickles me when a mystery can keep me at least a little bit in the dark!

This should surprise exactly no one who's read along with me on my blog or read my reviews here, but I give The Vanishing Type five ginormous book-lovin' stars. I will gladly be a part of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society for as long as Ellery Adams keeps the series alive. If you're a lover of mystery and story and wonderful characters, run get yourself this book. Don't wait. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books. All opinions here are my own, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.