Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft (Book Retreat Mysteries, #9), by Ellery Adams

 Publication Juloy 25, 2023

A multi-layered mystery with well-rounded characters and, oh, my, books and more books. A definite book lover's dream. You don't have to start on book one to grasp the story, it stands alone nicely, but I recommend it. First, because the series is that good and, second, you'll have a far better grasp of who is who and the full meaning behind Storyton Hall and Jane Steward's role there. This go-round, we join Jane and boyfriend Edwin Allcott on vacation at the beach. But, oh, my, this was not the vacation either was expecting. Unfortunately, Jane's unwanted knack of stumbling over dead bodies followed them to the beach.

I won't even attempt to detail the plot other than to say that Jane's role as guardian of Storyton Hall and its priceless book collection plays a role. As with previous books in the series, the characters' lives are interwoven and complex, with past tragedies playing a role. In the process of watching Jane unravel the crime, we do get to indulge in books, book, books. Author names flowed in and out of the story. Of course, the author characters here are fictional but Adams brings them to life nicely. Along the way, you'll even pick up some bits of sea life info, such as what a group of stingrays are called and maybe, given the Steve Irwin tragedy, more than you want to know about their deadly barbs. If you're new to the series, you'll also note that Jane's past experiences have sadly made her mega-efficient at how a facility can best host a police investigation, bewildered guests, and suspects, not to mention a death in the resort garden. Jane would rather not have that knowledge, thank you, and hopes to re-home Storyton's renowned book collection soon.

As to the murder, er, murders, how are they connected? As Jane talks to others, it becomes obvious that Justin St. James, he of the skull called Septimus, had many enemies. What do they all have in common? How does Jane fit into that pattern? How did he die anyway? Did he just keel over on the beach dune? If so, why no tracks? What does a torn out book page have to do with anything? Will the Finns, Jane's group of protectors and assistants, be able to figure it out? But what is the murdered resort worker's connection, if any? Why does Jane plan to send a thank you to someone after her encounter with Trent? How the heck is he connected? Why is Butterworth there?

And, why....oh, nope. Enough teasers. If you love mysteries, books, talking about books and authors, listening in as smart people figure out whodunit, and, well, even romance, this book is for you. Sadly, while Uncle Aloysus' actions near the end give me hope we'll hear more from Storyton Hall, this sounds like the end of a series. I'll miss it although the ending was a lovely, high point to end on. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me along for the ride. Glad Olivia was along, too.