Murder in the Storybook Cottage by Ellery Adams
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

Storyton Hall, Virginia, is a top travel destination for book lovers and the perfect spot for literary events. But as a children’s book publisher hosts a gathering there, some folks aren’t going to live—happier ever after or otherwise . . .

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 .

This wasn’t just your usual cozy mystery. It was your Ellery Adams usual cozy mystery. I don’t think there has ever been a book she’s written that I didn’t enjoy. In this 6th book of the Book Retreat Mystery series, Jane has gone all out to entertain both publishers of children’s books as well as authors who write children’s books. As always Ellery’s description gives you a total picture of Storyton Hall. It’s like a wonderland for the children, but as usual…someone has to be murdered in order to have a cozy mystery. While the murder puts a bit of a damper on the huge party, most of the guests are shielded while Jane and her Finns help the sheriff find the bad guy or girl.

I said I liked everything Ellery Adams has written, and it is the truth. However, in this book, it seemed as if Jane was unusually traumatized at finding a dead body. It sure isn’t like it’s the first time in this series. It just seemed reiterated over and over, how upset she was, how could she manage to look happy, how could she make sure her guests enjoyed themselves. She had to sit and have tea very often to recover. I sound like I’m being facetious here but I’m not. I preferred the occasionally upset, but very strong Jane in the earlier books.

That said, it was a little bump in my enjoyment and I still wouldn’t miss a book.