Book Review: Murder in the Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Jane Steward is organizing a week of activities for fans of love stories at her book-themed resort. But her Regency readers barely have time to brush up on their Jane Austen before tragedy strikes Storyton Hall. Rosamund York, one of the most celebrated authors in attendance, is killed. 

Rosamund had as many enemies as she did admirers, including envious fellow novelists, a jealous former lover, and dozens of angry fans. It’s up to Jane, with the help of her book club, the Cover Girls, to catalogue the list of suspects and find a heartless killer quickly—before the murderer writes someone else off…[summary via Goodreads]

As a reader, I love books about books! The one cozy mystery that epitomizes this more than any other is Ellery Adams' Book Retreat Mysteries. This series centres around a retreat, where books line the walls, and unknown to the guests Jane Steward is part of a secret organization that protects rare books. It's books, books, and more books! Being a reader that can't ever get enough books, it is easy to see why this is one of my favourite series!

In the second book in this series, Jane and the crew at Storyton Hall are getting ready for a week of regency romance. They are expecting all things romance, and what they aren't expecting is murder. And, murder of one of the most celebrated romance authors at that!! Jane must put her detecting skills to work to uncover the murderer, before they strike again.

I'm not a big regency reader, even though I do love Pride and Prejudice. Having said that, I loved every word of Murder in the Paperback Parlor. The mystery was intriguing, and alongside the mystery the reader learns more about Jane and the books she is served to protect. There are so many layers to this series, and it is the little side plots that are just as interesting, as the main course - i.e. the mystery itself.

I can't get enough of this series! Murder in the Paperback Parlor  was even better than the first book in the series, and I can't wait to dig in to the next book to see what is in store for Jane and the crew at Storyton Hall.