My Series-ous Reading looks for love and Murder in the Paperback Parlor

With such late winter chills arriving just before a new spring season, it’s very fitting that my second session of Triple Play themed Series-ous Reading tied into Valentine’s Day so nicely.

Ellery Adams’ Murder in the Paperback Parlor brings us back to Storyton Hall, the delightful book themed retreat(and secret location of a hidden library of wonders) run by Jane Steward, who is hoping that her newest literary event is less dangerous than her prior one was.

The hotel decides to have a Romance week just in time for Valentine’s Day with such fun activities as a Regency styled ballroom danceand a male cover model contest. The main draw, however, is a panel of popular romance writers with the headliner being Rosemund York, best known for her Venus Dares novels that have an independent matchmaker as her leading lady.

 Things seem to be going well for the most part until Jane is awakened one night by the news that Rosemund has been discovered dead upon the grounds. The author’s demise was due to poison and sadly, there are quite a few suspects to choose from amongst their guests.

Those potential killers include a reporter who was seen arguing with Rosemund the day before her death, a rival writer named Georgia Dupree that openly detested Rosemund‘a bestseller status and Maria Stone, a fervent fan that became angry with Rosemund’s upcoming new book .

In fact, many of the fans attending had been given copies of Rosemund’s departure from her previous work called Eros Rising, which featured a very alpha male lead that infuriated them all. The list of suspects grew vey long from that indeed!:

If that wasn’t enough on her plate, Jane was considering having a bit of romance with Edwin, her best friend Eloise’s mysterious brother who seemed to be settling down with a new restaurant in town.

Unfortunately, Jane was warned by her family and friendly book protectors (aka The Finns) that Edwin’s motives for courting her might not be honorable. Turns out Edwin is a international book thief who is known for stealing rare editions for select clients.

His key tactic is staying awhile near his bookish targets and gaining the trust of locals in order to make his heist all the more successful.

 As the new Guardian of the secret library that her family has looked after for generations, Jane is torn between her duty and her possible heart’s desire. It’s a dance that she struggles to resist but even on the ballroom floor, manages to watch her step:

The Book Retreat series is a nice blend of cozy mystery with the spice of a spy novel and a generous dose of book lore.

Jane is a fully rounded character who even with her work(secret and public) responsibilities and being the widowed mom of two rambunctious boys(Fitz and Hem, who are really nice kids), does make some time for herself and her book club buddies called The Cover Girls for a little fun. 

Also, the staff at Storyton Hall has a combo of Downton Abbey and James Bond’s band of spy equipment suppliers which is  nifty to say the least!

My stay at Storyton Hall will draw to a close soon as my next Series-ous Reading selection is Murder in the Secret Garden , which ties in the classic children’s book by Frances Hodgeson Burnett into the mystery mix. Granted, I may renew my visit on my own but for now, this third time should prove to be charming enough: