My Series-ous Reading plants a Murder in the Secret Garden

As spring is finally here, it’s somewhat fitting that the last of the first third of my Triple Play books for this year’s Series-ous Reading challenge has an outdoor theme.

Murder in the Secret Garden is the third title in Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat Mystery series, set at the quaint Storyton Hall where a hidden library is under the protection of Jane Steward and the band of guardians known as the Finns.

While those valuable books are not in danger this time around, Jane finds that she has a lot to contend as the resort is double booked for a wedding and a gathering of plant enthusiasts who call themselves the Medieval Herbalists.

Since one of the Herbalists is attending the wedding, the arrangements aren’t too bad at first. However when one of the flora admirers. a free spirited woman named Kira Grace, is found supposedly drowned during a local event, things start to get rather thorny.

When it’s determined that Kira died from poisoning, Jane suspects one of the Herbalists, a celebrity true crime maven who proudly calls herself “The Poison Princess”. While there’s not much evidence of her direct involvement, she’s not well liked within her group and a little too gleeful about the gruesome death details:

Jane and the Finns soon realize that they must look elsewhere for the killer, particularly when a local hermit aka “The Druid” is discovered to be poisoned as well.

 The secret garden of the title is grown by The Druid in order to provide natural remedies to those who can’t afford regular medicine and research materials for modern medicinal purposes.

 However, his demise occurred not long after the Medieval Herbalists paid an unannounced visit to his private plantings and to find out how his death ties in with Kira’s passing, a few secrets and lies need to be unearthed.

After taking this third trip to Storyton Hall, I have to say that this series is definitely one that grows on you.

Adams is very adapt at creating small communities of characters that feel like folks you’d like to visit and live among on a regular basis.

Having the extra bonus of a secret network of book protectors around to assist in solving the murders that turn up here enhances the various plot points and gives Jane a solid team of hero support to rely on.

Speaking of support, Jane’s love life is fortunately not neglected as suspected book thief Edwin Alcott turns out to be more of an ally than an enemy in that department , making him eligible for a romantic entanglement indeed!

I also like the subtle bookish hints within the stories such as in this entry, two of the supporting characters are reimagined gender swapped versions of the lead from the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic alluded to in the title.

All in all, this trio of Book Retreat mysteries was a fine introduction to this charming corner of Ellery Adam’s literary world that I will return to in the near future:

For my next set of Triple Play reading, I’ll be catching up on Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries starting with book six, Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House.

Our Dear Jane is staying with her naval brother Frank to not only support his wife Mary during her first pregnancy but to help save one of his good friends from the gallows.

Captain Tom Seagrave is accused of unjustly killing a French officer during a boating raid and although Frank would benefit by taking over Seagrave’s ship if convicted, he would prefer to save his friend from death and dishonor.

While Jane is only familiar with the navy from her civilian perspective, the keen eye for human folly that she’s developed over time should be a key part in saving one man and perhaps advancing the other’s career.

As Persuasion is one of my favorite Austen novels, this particular book has quite the hold on my interests indeed and it will be interesting to see any potential Captain Wentworth types appear on this horizon: