Book Review: Murder in the Secret Garden by Ellery Adams

There is a hidden garden bordering the grounds of Jane Steward’s book-themed resort—a garden filled with beautiful but deadly plants such as mandrake and nightshade. Tucked away behind ivy-covered walls and accessible only through a single locked door, as described in the pages of Frances Hodges Burnett's classic novel, the garden is of special interest to Jane’s current group of guests, The Medieval Herbalists. But when one of them turns up dead, Jane must discover whether a member of the group has come to Storyton Hall to celebrate their passion for plant lore or to implement a particularly cruel means for murder.

With thousands of books at her disposal, Jane believes she has the proper materials to solve this deadly problem. If she’s wrong, however, she may lose something far more precious than the contents of Storyton’s secret library...[summary via Amazon]

I love reading books about books. Cozy mysteries that feature a strong book theme are my absolute favourite. For this reason, and so many others, the Book Retreat Mysteries are one of my favourites. They have an interesting mystery to solve, but there is also the story behind the "Fins", the organization that protect and preserve the secret library within Storyton Hall. Both of these storylines entwine together to create a delightful read, with each book being even more memorable than the previous one.

In Murder in the Secret Garden Jane Steward and her twin sons, Hem and Fitz, are caught up in the delight of the rubber duck race. The rubber duck race is the idea of the new Storyton Outfitters owners and the boys delight in being able to purchase a duck to race. Things turn deadly when one of the Medieval Herbalist turns up dead. 

I love the twists and turns of the mystery. Just when I thought I had it solved, it twisted around and left me clueless. Beyond the mystery, I absolutely love the concept of the Fins, the secret organization that protect the secret library. Add in the handsome, rogue Edwin Alcott, who is known as "The Thief" and you have a delightful story that will please even the pickiest reader!

Being a twin mom to boys, another reason I love this series is the inclusion of Fitz and Hem. These delightful, albeit mischievous, boys really bring this story alive. With their aversion to clean baths and their love of literature, I always enjoy hearing what they're up to and what they are reading. This time they're immersed in Harry Potter, and I loved all the Harry Potter references, and how they adapt everyday chores into Harry Potter-isms.

Murder in the Secret Garden is a delight to all bibliophiles, and if you're not reading this series yet you should be. Pick up book one, Murder in the Mystery Suite, and immerse yourself in this well-crafted book-themed cozy mystery series.