The Secret, Book & Scone Society

This affecting series launch from Adams (Breach of Crust and four other Charmed Pie Shoppe mysteries) provides all the best elements of a traditional mystery. Nora Pennington, a former librarian who’s scarred inside and out by a tragic incident in her past, has come to the resort town of Miracle Springs, N.C., to begin anew as the owner of Miracle Books, located in a converted railway station. Nora has an uncanny ability to help her patrons solve their problems by recommending the perfect books for them to read. A chance encounter on a park bench prompts Nora to invite troubled Neil Parrish to the store, but Neil turns up dead on the railroad tracks before he can take her up on the offer. The death is ruled a suicide, but Nora suspects murder, so she and three other women form the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to try and discover the truth about Neil’s death—and perhaps to form a bond of trust strong enough to let them share their own painful secrets. Well-drawn characters complement a plot with an intriguing twist or two. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary Agency. (Nov.)