The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When the weather turns cold, my thoughts turn to cozy books.  While Ellery Adams’ Secret, Book, and Scone Society novels are murder mysteries, they’re also about as warm and cozy as they come.  Set in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, the stories revolve around four friends:  Nora, who owns a bookshop; Hester, who is a baker; Estella, the hairdresser; and June, who is a manager at the Miracle Springs Spa.  All these women have suffered tragedy and trials, but they band together to uplift one another and form a chosen family.

In The Vanishing Type, Nora is shocked to find that someone has taken a knife to all the copies of A Scarlet Letter. While it could be a high school student unhappy with having to read Hawthorne, somehow this seems a little more personal—especially since the vandalism targets the name Hester.  Nora keeps this to herself as Hester’s personal life is on the upswing: her longtime beau is ready to pop the question, and Nora and the other Society members are helping him to make the moment perfect.

Then a body turns up, and it appears that a secret from Hester’s past may be about to catch up with her.

The coziness of Adams’ series comes not from the delicious-sounding baked goods, delicious coffees and teas, the love of books—authors and titles are name-dropped regularly—but also from the warmth of the women’s friendship.  I like that all the women have overcome hardships in their lives, so that they face difficult times and situations with courage.  It also makes them empathetic toward others.  Adams does a wonderful job with descriptions.  The food sounds wonderful, but in this book I was enchanted by the descriptions of the artwork in some old novels—I could almost see the book covers.  Actually, I also wanted to read the (non-existent) books.  There is an interesting mix of supporting characters, including some romantic interests for the leading ladies but I also like that Adams doesn’t make every relationship a certainty. 

While this is fifth book in the series, it reads well as a standalone.  If you’re in the market for a comforting, feel-good read with resilient women characters, this would be an excellent choice.