Cozy Mystery Blog Tour: Author Guest Post, Review & Giveaway: Murder in the Mystery Suite (A Book Retreat Mystery #1) by Ellery Adams

WHO WOULD RESORT TO MURDER?

Tucked away in the rolling hills of rural western Virginia is the storybook resort of Storyton Hall, catering to book lovers who want to get away from it all. To increase her number of bookings, resort manager Jane Steward has decided to host a Murder and Mayhem week so that fans of the mystery genre can gather together for some role-playing and fantasy crime solving.

But when the winner of the scavenger hunt, Felix Hampden, is found dead in the Mystery Suite, and the valuable book he won as his prize is missing, Jane realizes one of her guests is an actual murderer. Amid a resort full of fake detectives, Jane is bound and determined to find a real-life killer. There’s no room for error as Jane tries to unlock this mystery before another vacancy opens up.

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A Day in the Live of a Storyton Hall Guest

Dear Honored Guest, 

Your journey to Storyton Hall begins at the train station.  The moment you alight from the train car, a man dressed in impeccable blue and gold livery will raise a placard bearing your name.  After collecting your luggage, your chauffeur will lead you to one of Storyton's fleet of vintage Rolls Royce sedans.  It looks like you'll be spending the forty-five minute drive to the resort in the luxurious comfort of a Silver Shadow.  While you gaze out the windows at the tree-covered hills and the endless blue sky, your driver will remind you of Storyton Hall's technology restrictions.  Because the resort caters to readers, we don't want anything to disturb the tranquility of the public areas, so you may only use cell phones, tablets, ereaders, or computers in the privacy of your room.  At first, this might cause you some anxiety, but you'll soon find that it's a boon to be able to leave the cares of your busy life behind for a spell. 

Ah, here comes your first glimpse of Storyton Hall now.  Do you see how magnificent it is?  How its central clock tower reaches toward the hills and its two long wings seem to reach out and out like a pair of arms opening to embrace you?  As for the sweeping expanse of front lawn, you might choose to play croquet on he Lewis Carroll lawn or stroll around back to Milton's Gardents.  But for now, kindly step into the manor's elegant lobby.  Note the high ceilings, brilliant chandeliers, and the numerous groupings of plush chairs and sofas.  But before you continue your tour, Mr. Butterworth, Storyton Hall's butler, would like to offer you a glass of champagne.  All of our guests are greeted in this manner.  Consider the bubbly just the beginning of the delightful surprises you'll discover during your stay.  

Once you've unpacked, perhaps you'd like to check out a book from the Henry James library and then make yourselves comfortable in the Jane Austen Parlor or the Daphne Du Maurier Sunroom.  Or, you could have a bite of lunch at Kipling's Cafe or the Madam Bovary Dining Room.  But don't overindulge, because we serve afternoon tea every day in the Agatha Christie Tea Room.  And believe me, you don't want to pass up Mrs. Hubbard's Victoria sponge, scones served with homemade jam and clotted cream, or her tantalizing tea sandwiches.  

And make sure you have enough energy for this evening.  We're opening the Murder and Mayhem Week here at Storyton Hall with a costume ball.  I hope you're prepared to dress up as your favorite detective.  Of course, I won't be able to tell who's who tonight.  With all the Miss Marples, Hercule Poirots, and the Tommy and Tuppences, a guest could get away with murder and I'd never know it!  

One last word of caution: Storyton Hall is a paradise for readers, but like many old houses, it has its own secrets.  In fact, there's an entire library hidden in a fireproof, temperature-controlled room in the highest turret.  The treasures housed within this room could be called the Eighth Wonder of the World.  So valuable are they, that many a person has come to Storyton Hall bent of stealing them.  If you intend to commit a nefarious act, I must warn you: those of us who live and work here not quite what we seem, and we will stop at nothing to protect our guests, our property, and our secrets.  

Enjoy your stay!
Yours truly, 
James Steward, Guardian of Storyton Hall

Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea.

Ms. Adams has held many jobs including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia.

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I love Ellery Adams.  Every book she writes, she turns in to gold.  In Murder in the Mystery Suite, she introduces us to a whole new world and a brand new, very well-rounded cast of characters.  

The setting is something I'd LOVE to experience.  A resort for book lovers - with everything themed around books, their genres, and so on and so forth.  The story itself reads like an Agatha Christie novel and is fast-paced with twists and turns to keep you guessing.  

For a first book in a series, it's phenomenal.  I couldn't get enough of Storyton Hall and the characters that filled it.  I cannot wait to see what else is in store in the (hopefully many!) books to come.  

Rating: 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All conclusions reached are my own.  

Thanks to the awesome ladies at Penguin, I have 1 paperback copy of Murder in the Mystery Suite by Ellery Adams to give away to one of my lucky readers!  Just enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win, and be sure to keep checking back for more awesome giveaways!

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