Jane Steward’s resort is hopping—not only is Peppermint Press’s conference in full swing, there are also lots of families staying on the premises, bringing their kids to events like a scavenger hunt through the Fairy Tale Forest.
Then a woman dressed like Little Red Riding Hood is found dead from a plot device straight out of a fairy tale—with a rare and valuable copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales in her basket. Not long after, a second victim is killed, with yet another treasure—a volume by Hans Christian Andersen worth thousands of dollars—nearby. It looks like a big bad wolf may be lurking among the guests, and Jane can’t just wait for a handsome prince to come to the rescue . . .[summary via Amazon]
Ellery Adams is the voice of cozy mysteries and she's crafted some of the best mysteries on the shelves today. She's at it again with Murder in the Storybook Cottage, delivering a beautiful, magical story that will have readers craving to re-read books from our childhood.
Storyton Hall is hosting a publisher's conference for Peppermint Press, publishers of children's books, and Jane Steward is looking forward to a week of fun and frivolity. However, when she discovers a stranger's body in her new Storybook Cottage, plans change and Jane must devote her time to finding out who the stranger is and who killed her.
I've been a long-time reader of Ellery Adams' books. Whether she is weaving actual magic (like the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries) or the magic that comes from being curled up with a good book (like the Book Retreat Mysteries), I've always felt like real magic comes off each page of her stories. They wrap me up like the hug from a best friend, and make me feel like everything is right with the world. This is exactly how I felt reading Murder in the Storybook Cottage.
The story centres around children's books, both modern and older books. While reading the story I was able to think about how much the stories have changed over the decades. The Brothers Grimm stories were quite dark, but still very much read and loved today. As a mom to twin boys myself, I read a lot of children's books with them, and I loved seeing Ellery Adams mention many of our favourites - including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I loved that the mystery involved fairy tales of times gone past, and it was interesting to see how the mystery was weaved into the Grimm's Fairy Tales. Along with the mystery, the readers get a look into life at Storyton Hall, and all that encompasses the children's activities that they are holding, to celebrate children's fiction. Both storylines we weaved together, and that pace was frantic, as Jane and her friends try to find a killer before they strike again!
With the current situation in the world, Murder in the Storybook Cottage is a well-timed, much needed dose of magic. The kind of magic that doesn't come from a wand, but from reading a good book, escaping the world and adding one of those "happy moments" to our lives. I can't recommend this book (and the Book Retreat Mysteries) enough. Pick up a copy today. I guarantee you that it will be the best book you read this year!
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