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A meet-and-greet occasion with favorite authors, social interaction with fellow bibliophiles, and a delightful reenactment and role-playing accompanied by instant book giveaways is book lovers’ dreams come true. But when death is no longer a preserve of fiction to not only the participants but also a renowned author and distinguished guests, then it becomes a nightmarish reality. This is what transpires in the Book Retreat Mysteries series.
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Order of Book Retreat Mysteries Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murder in the Mystery Suite | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Murder in the Paperback Parlor | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Murder in the Secret Garden | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Murder in the Locked Library | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Murder in the Reading Room | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Murder in the Storybook Cottage | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Murder in the Cookbook Nook | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Murder on the Poet's Walk | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft | 2023 | Description / Buy |
For starters, Jane Steward is the portrayed central character in the trilogy named Book Retreat Mysteries series authored by American scribbler Ellery Adams. The first book featuring protagonist Jane Steward was originally published in January 2014, titled Murder in the Mystery Suite; like most books in Ellery Adams’ bibliography, the series of books is shelved under the cozy mystery sub-genre, and thriller and suspense genres.
Meet protagonist Jane Steward. In terms of family life, Steward is a widow and lost her partner while she was still expectant, something which rendered her a single parent of twin brothers named Fitzgerald and Hemingway, both of whom are aged six. Steward, who is a bibliophile and witty, serves as the manager of a storybook resort known as Storyton Hall. Incidentally, this is a family-owned and family-run fictitious facility that is located in Western Virginia. The facility also doubles up as the residence of Steward’s immediate family alongside a great aunt and uncle; there is also supporting staffs such as butlers and librarians who assist her in the business.
The first book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series, Murder in the Mystery Suite, starts by showing the ingenious and unorthodox tactic that Jane Steward adopts to improve the business operations. The market target of the resort, which has a wide array of books, is book lovers, especially those who have a soft spot for mystery books. In a bid to boost the quantity of the bookings and returns, Jane Steward comes up with a week-long book lovers’ exercise dubbed Murder and Mayhem Week. The exercise is all about reading, Steward indulging the guests with treats such as chauffeured Rolls Royce rides and champagne, masquerade ball, role-playing characters, party games such as scavenger hunts, and fantasizing about solving crime.
The tactic backfires and the entertainment ramifications are contrary to Jane Steward’s expectations. The cynosure is the costume ball and the role-playing activities. The winner of the scavenger hunt is crowned and gets a book giveaway. Unfortunately for the winner, he is murdered and the prize taken away. This implies that there were actual killers among the participants. The ensuing story as Steward races against time to nab the perpetrator and nip a subsequent murder in the bud makes the book an out-and-out delightful read.
Best Book Retreat Mysteries series Books
The Book Retreat Mysteries series is a trilogy, implying there is relatively fewer books for juxtaposition. Even then the best two books are; one, Murder in the Mystery Suite, which is the first in the series and has been explained above; and, two, Murder in the Paperback Parlor.
Murder in the Paperback Parlor: The latter is the second book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series and was initially published in 2015. The book is set in the run-up to the Valentine’s Day and Jane Steward is angling for helping book lovers celebrate the season in style. Unfortunately for Storyton Hall in general and Steward in particular, a renowned novelist in attendance is murdered. The novelist was liked and loathed in equal measure. As such, the place is teeming with suspects ranging from chagrined ex-lovers to jealous scribblers to annoyed bibliophiles. Steward teams up with a book club members and start sleuthing, narrowing down the persons of interest.
Other Books You May Like
Readers who enjoyed the Book Retreat Mysteries series also liked the following series of books. The first one is called “League of Literary Ladies” series authored by Kylie Logan. Bea Cartwright and Kate Wilder are the featured protagonists in this quintet. The characters are among a group of ladies adept at unraveling murder mysteries. The second one is named “Chocolate Covered Mystery” series authored by Kathy Aarons. The featured protagonists are Michelle Serrano and Erica Russell in this trilogy; they operate a bookshop-cum-confectionery and team up to unmask murderers in cases where one of them is said to be a person of interest.
The third one is called “Booktown Mystery” series and is penned by Lorna Barrett. Tricia Miles is the featured protagonist and is the proprietor of a mystery bookshop in a fictitious New Hampshire locale teeming with bookshops; she is solving murder mysteries wherein she is implicated, the scene of crime is within her premises, or a sheer urge to do so.
What Is The Next Book in The Book Retreat Mysteries Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Book Retreat Mysteries Series. The newest book is Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft and was released on July, 25th 2023.