A review by reader_cheryl
The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams
4.0
Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books, and her co-worker and friend Sheldon Vega have just finished setting up a new display in the front window. Pizza is on the menu for supper and Nora is ready to eat. But Sheldon has discovered some damaged books.
On closer inspection, Nora realizes someone has seriously damaged every copy of The Scarlet Letter that is in the shop. The first name of the main character, Hester, is obliterated, but the last name, Prynne, is intact. Is it a coded message for Nora’s friend, Hester?
Then a body turns up. It’s a male, not local, and no one knows who he is. In his pocket is a copy of an old book. Miss Delphinium was published in 1918. It’s an obscure book; Nora has never heard of the author. The book itself is in bad shape. Neither the title or the book’s author, Elmer Freeman, give any hint to the dead man’s identity. A second book, Miss Daffodil, written by the same author and obviously part of a series that included Miss Delphinium is left in Hester’s bakery. Research about the author reveals more books in the series, none of them particularly valuable and none of them well-known. Nora’s research leads to more questions and few answers. Sheriff McCabe is stumped as well. Who is leaving the books? What message are they supposed to send?
Will more bodies turn up before the mystery is solved?
Thoughts on The Vanishing Type
I’ve read all the books in this series, and The Vanishing Type is by far the strongest book of the series. Question after question leads a reader deeper into several simultaneous mysteries. The characters are solid, three-dimensional fictional people that have formed deep and solid friendships over the series.
Copy provided by #Netgalley
#BetweentheChaptersbookclub
On closer inspection, Nora realizes someone has seriously damaged every copy of The Scarlet Letter that is in the shop. The first name of the main character, Hester, is obliterated, but the last name, Prynne, is intact. Is it a coded message for Nora’s friend, Hester?
Then a body turns up. It’s a male, not local, and no one knows who he is. In his pocket is a copy of an old book. Miss Delphinium was published in 1918. It’s an obscure book; Nora has never heard of the author. The book itself is in bad shape. Neither the title or the book’s author, Elmer Freeman, give any hint to the dead man’s identity. A second book, Miss Daffodil, written by the same author and obviously part of a series that included Miss Delphinium is left in Hester’s bakery. Research about the author reveals more books in the series, none of them particularly valuable and none of them well-known. Nora’s research leads to more questions and few answers. Sheriff McCabe is stumped as well. Who is leaving the books? What message are they supposed to send?
Will more bodies turn up before the mystery is solved?
Thoughts on The Vanishing Type
I’ve read all the books in this series, and The Vanishing Type is by far the strongest book of the series. Question after question leads a reader deeper into several simultaneous mysteries. The characters are solid, three-dimensional fictional people that have formed deep and solid friendships over the series.
Copy provided by #Netgalley
#BetweentheChaptersbookclub