Book Review: Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams

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Murder in the Mystery Suite (Book Retreat Mysteries, #1) by Ellery Adams is the first book in the Book Retreat Mysteries series and is set in western Virginia at a charming resort called Storyton Hall. This unique resort is designed specifically for book lovers who want to escape, unwind, and immerse themselves in their favorite stories. The resort’s manager, Jane Steward, decides to host a themed “Murder and Mayhem Week” inviting mystery enthusiasts to gather, role-play, and solve fictional crimes. However, the event takes a dark turn when one of the guests is found dead in his suite and a valuable prize goes missing. Jane must uncover which guest is responsible for the murder before the retreat is ruined . Before picking up this novel, I had only read one other book in the series. I decided to start from the beginning as part of my New Year’s resolution to finally read books I purchased years ago. I’m so glad I did. Starting with the first installment allowed me to fully appreciat...
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Book Review: Time of the Witch by Mary Downing Hahn

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mary downing hahnWhen I was a kid, I hated reading chapter books because I found most of them boring . . . that was until I discovered two series during the summer between 5th grade and 6th grade . . . Sweet Valley Twins by Francine Paschal and The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. These two series made me an avid reader. Unfortunately, the middle school library didn't have these books in stock, so I started perusing the shelves for something to read when my English class visited the library.

I happened across a book titled The Time of the Witch written by Mary Downing Hahn. The synopsis of the book sounded intriguing, so I decided to check it out. I fell in love with the book, and it is what made me love fiction books about the paranormal . . . witches, vampires, daemons, etc. My love for the book made me check out many of her books from the school library. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot of her books, and the public library by my house had none of her books, so I had to resort to buying them, which isn't a bad thing.

While in Charleston, South Carolina on vacation this past June, a crow flew by and perched on something (I can't remember what it was perching on now) and started squawking, which made me think of The Time of the Witch, which features a crow throughout the book. When I got home from vacation, I had to pull out my old copy of the book and reread it.

It still was just as magical to me as it was in middle school, and the writing still holds up as being well written. I think that even today's kids and tweens could relate to the book, even though there is no mention of more modern items in the book like cell phones. The scenes with the crow still creep me out to this day. This should definitely be on every child's reading list that are between the ages of eight and twelve. I gave The Time of the Witch 5 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:  Laura and her brother are sent to live with their aunt in the country while their parents are in the process of getting a divorce. Desperately wanting her parents reconcile, Laura tells Maude of her wish, not realizing there could be dire consequences.


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