This is book # 3 in the Books By the Bay cozy mystery series featuring Olivia Limoges, her dog Haviland, and a group of writers who meet regularly to discuss their works in progress.

Olivia’s friend Harris Williams has just found the perfect house; built in the 1930s the house was moved to its new location to make way for a development. Olivia is surprised to learn that a famous author, Nick Plumley, is in town and also interested in the same house. After Harris moves in and begins renovations, he discovers a valuable painting hidden in a staircase. Could this be a reason for Plumley’s interest? Before Olivia can ask him, Plumley is murdered.

Well, there is much to be unpacked in this story. There’s the history of the nearby prisoner of war camp that housed Germans during WW2, and an escape from that camp that resulted in a guard being killed. The painting Harris uncovers seems to have a connection to the POWs.

There’s also the subplot of Olivia’s and police chief Rawlings nascent relationship. Can they put their pasts behind them and form an adult attachment? One thing I like about this series is how Adams slowly gives out the backstory of the characters, letting readers get to know Olivia, her extended family, and the residents of Oyster Bay over the course of the series. ( )

I really like Ellery Adams and I love the characters in this series. I will go back to #1 and start at the beginning. ( )

First off, I need to state that part of the blurb is incorrect. Olivia, who never shows much emotion anyway, isn't thrilled about Plumley. She barely even knows who he is. Secondly, he never stops by the writer's group at all. I just wanted to make that clear, since I didn't want anyone to think that I'd missed something in my review.

Olivia Limoges is a very rich woman who was raised by her grandmother after her father disappeared at sea and her mother was killed in a freak accident. Inasmuch, she never has been able to become close to anyone, and when the widowed Chief Rawlings tried once, she pushed him away. But things have been changing for her -- she learned from an anonymous letter that she had a half-brother living nearby, and she's opening a new restaurant and has convinced him and his family to move to Oyster Bay with the lure of him being the head chef. They've been settling in, but with his wife Kim heavily pregnant, his daughter Caitlyn, and he being as standoffish as Olivia herself, it's going to take some time for their relationship to grow.

She's also helping her friend and fellow co-writer Harris Williams in his search for a home. He's fallen in love with a bungalow that needs plenty of work but he wants it. When she discovers that Nick Plumley is also about to make an offer on the home, she insists that her realtor get the papers signed ASAP because she's worried Plumley will offer more and take it from Harris. When everything is done and they've helped Harris move, she wonders what it is that fascinates Plumley so much about the house. Then she discovers that he offers to read Harris's manuscript and help him, and she becomes even more suspicious. But it doesn't stop there...

When Harris discovers an old watercolor in the stairs of his home, he gives it to Olivia to get it appraised. She finds that it was painted by a German prisoner of war who had once lived in an American prison camp with others, Heinrich Kamler. Digging into the man's life, she learns that he allegedly stabbed a prison guard and escaped with another prisoner named Ziegler. But this is only the beginning. When Olivia starts digging for answers, she finds that Plumley knew more about the watercolor than was said, and that his ties might be just as close as those of someone she's known for a long time. Someone who's been right in front of her, living their own lie...

I have to say that I wasn't truly impressed with the first two books in the series, thinking that Olivia seemed more than standoffish; she seemed downright cold. In this book, she's far more likable of a character and has more empathy toward others. Her relationship with her friends is steadily growing, along with those of her family members. She does things that are totally selfless, and it made me like her even more.

When she starts looking into the murder of the prison guard and the life of Kamler, what she finds is that he's totally different from a man who would have murdered someone else, and she also sees that there's more about him she didn't know; that he fell in love with a young American, and she now starts to look into the girl's life, bringing the story to life. It's both interesting and sad, and I loved reading every minute of it.

When we get closer to the end, we finally realize who the killer is at the same time as Olivia. Her sadness about the situation is apparent, yet it gives hope that another life may be saved from despair in the long run. It's a very good story with a very good ending, and hope of something better in the future. Recommended. ( )

Cozy mysteries with more depth and heart than normal. Love this series! ( )

I generally love cozies but I had so much trouble getting myself to read this one. I am giving up on page 50. I don't like the main character. She is too cold for my liking. She is rich, with two restaurants and plenty of businesses. She reminds me of someone that I know who had a bad childhood but never connects with people. I am ashamed of myself, I should be more tolerant but when I read this book, it is like forcing myself through the pages. I love the location and would love to visit that area but it strains my patience to not like Olivia Limoges and have the book progress so slowly. ( )

Ellery Adam's just gets better and better, The Last Word is my favorite by far. In this, the third in series, Olivia has brought her half-brother and his family to Oyster Bay. As if dealing with a recently discovered brother isn't enough, Olivia's also opening another restaurant and a famous author wants to attend the writer's group she belongs to. But before the meeting the author is killed and because he was so interested in the group, or rather in one of the group member's, Harris' home, Olivia feels she has to investigate. Once again I didn't know who the killer was until the end. Ms. Adams has got the pace down keeping us engaged but still connecting to the characters. Can't wait till the next book. ( )

Ellery Adam's just gets better and better, The Last Word is my favorite by far. In this, the third in series, Olivia has brought her half-brother and his family to Oyster Bay. As if dealing with a recently discovered brother isn't enough, Olivia's also opening another restaurant and a famous author wants to attend the writer's group she belongs to. But before the meeting the author is killed and because he was so interested in the group, or rather in one of the group member's, Harris' home, Olivia feels she has to investigate. Once again I didn't know who the killer was until the end. Ms. Adams has got the pace down keeping us engaged but still connecting to the characters. Can't wait till the next book. ( )

Ellery Adam's just gets better and better, The Last Word is my favorite by far. In this, the third in series, Olivia has brought her half-brother and his family to Oyster Bay. As if dealing with a recently discovered brother isn't enough, Olivia's also opening another restaurant and a famous author wants to attend the writer's group she belongs to. But before the meeting the author is killed and because he was so interested in the group, or rather in one of the group member's, Harris' home, Olivia feels she has to investigate. Once again I didn't know who the killer was until the end. Ms. Adams has got the pace down keeping us engaged but still connecting to the characters. Can't wait till the next book. ( )

Ellery Adam's just gets better and better, The Last Word is my favorite by far. In this, the third in series, Olivia has brought her half-brother and his family to Oyster Bay. As if dealing with a recently discovered brother isn't enough, Olivia's also opening another restaurant and a famous author wants to attend the writer's group she belongs to. But before the meeting the author is killed and because he was so interested in the group, or rather in one of the group member's, Harris' home, Olivia feels she has to investigate. Once again I didn't know who the killer was until the end. Ms. Adams has got the pace down keeping us engaged but still connecting to the characters. Can't wait till the next book. ( )

Olivia Limoges has a lot on her plate - the opening of a new restaurant, helping her newly-discovered brother and his family get settled in their new home, and working on her own novel but she squeezes in an assist to her fellow writer-wannabe, Harris, to find a house to buy. When Harris settles on an old fixer-upper, Olivia makes sure that he is the new owner by pushing through the sale before a famous writer can get it.

But the discoveries that are made as the renovations begin, add a new dark twist by revealing the history of a longtime member of the community.

When the famous author is found dead literally eating his own words, Olivia works with Chief Rawlings to find out why.

I really like this series and Ellery Adams is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy writers. Looking forward to the next one VERY soon! ( )

The Last Word is the third in the Books By The Bay Mystery series, and in my opinion the best one.

Olivia has a full plate these days, what with her trying to help Harris find his dream house, working with Laurel and her personal problem and the opening of a new restaurant to be run by her half brother. Then the famous author Nick Plumley takes up residence in Oyster Bay. It is thought he has moved here to work on his sequel to his award winning book. It seems that he wants the same house that Harris wants. Then Harris finds painting hidden in the house and it is learned that it was done by a POW in WWII camp that was located not far from Oyster Bay.

As the story unfolds, Olivia's concerned with the birth of her nephew who has to have emergency surgery and this gives her time to think about why Plumley just has to have the same house Harris. Upon returning to Oyster Bay, Olivia decides to visit Plumley and take the painting to show him. But, arriving at the house where he is living she finds that he has been killed.

Olivia in researching the history at the camp soon learns that two of the prisoners had broken out of the camp and killed one of the guards in the process. These prisoners had had some freedoms while interned at the camp and one had struck up a friendship with a young girl in Oyster Bay.

Now it is up Olivia to unravel the history of the paintings, understand just which of the prisoners had killed the guard and to finally tie it back to the murder of Plumley.

Another wonderful story from Oyster Bay. All the interesting characters from the previous books are back to help Olivia to solve the mystery.

Looing forward to the next book of Oyster Bay, Written in Stone. Which will be ut around September or so. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2014/07/review-last-word-by-ellery-adams.html ( )

In Adams’ mystery novel, Olivia and the Bayside Book Writers are once again on the case. When bestselling author Nick Plumley arrives in town thinking about putting down roots, everyone is excited. But after the author stops by for one of the writer’s meetings, everyone is perplexed that he appears more interested in checking out the digs rather than discussing his work. Prompted by curiosity, Olivia stops by his bungalow one day unannounced only to find him very dead. She can conclude only one thing—something in his past caught up to him.

Another strong addition to the A Books by the Bay Mystery series. ( )

The Last Word is the third in the Books By The Bay Mystery series, and in my opinion the best one.

Olivia has a full plate these days, what with her trying to help Harris find his dream house, working with Laurel and her personal problem and the opening of a new restaurant to be run by her half brother. Then the famous author Nick Plumley takes up residence in Oyster Bay. It is thought he has moved here to work on his sequel to his award winning book. It seems that he wants the same house that Harris wants. Then Harris finds painting hidden in the house and it is learned that it was done by a POW in WWII camp that was located not far from Oyster Bay.

As the story unfolds, Olivia's concerned with the birth of her nephew who has to have emergency surgery and this gives her time to think about why Plumley just has to have the same house Harris. Upon returning to Oyster Bay, Olivia decides to visit Plumley and take the painting to show him. But, arriving at the house where he is living she finds that he has been killed.

Olivia in researching the history at the camp soon learns that two of the prisoners had broken out of the camp and killed one of the guards in the process. These prisoners had had some freedoms while interned at the camp and one had struck up a friendship with a young girl in Oyster Bay.

Now it is up Olivia to unravel the history of the paintings, understand just which of the prisoners had killed the guard and to finally tie it back to the murder of Plumley.

Another wonderful story from Oyster Bay. All the interesting characters from the previous books are back to help Olivia to solve the mystery.

Looing forward to the next book of Oyster Bay, Written in Stone. Which will be ut around September or so. ( )

This is my favorite book of the Books by the Bay Series, and probably one of my favorite "cozy" mysteries ever. Interesting character development of already-smart characters, a coastal North Carolina setting, plus a little North Carolina history thrown in, made this a book I hated to see come to an end this afternoon!

One of the things I really like about this book is that none of the characters come across as nosy. I've been noticing the nosiness trait in mysteries lately, but not in this book. Refreshing, really. ( )

The Books by the Bay series just keeps getting better and better. In "The Last Word" the author group that contains all of Olivia's closest friends get involved with a famous author, an author who wrote about the POW camp in North Carolina, not all that far from their home. When said author turns up dead Olivia and friends are determined to find out who killed him, and why.

With lots of red herrings, a very expensive and famous painting, and plenty of personal twists and turns this story packs a whole lot of emotion into the mystery.

Now, really looking forward to the next book. ( )

First Line: "All houses have secrets."

Olivia Limoges has hired her half-brother and his wife to manage her newest restaurant in Oyster Bay, North Carolina. Opening day is just a few days away, last minute details are piling up, and the last thing she needs is to be drawn into a flap over a famous author moving to town. But drawn in she is when the author seems to be very interested in the house that friend and fellow Books by the Bay Writers group member Harris Williams is determined to buy.

At first it seems that bestselling author Nick Plumley is merely interested in the house and its history because of the new book he's writing. But when he turns up dead, Olivia has to think that there's more to his interest than meets the eye. And if Plumley was interested in the house, does that mean that new homeowner Harris is in danger with a killer on the loose?

Of all the cozy mystery series that I read, this is one of my very favorites. The character of Olivia Limoges just grabs me by the heart and takes off running. Aside from some superficial differences like money, looks, and age, I could almost believe that Olivia is based upon me because so many of our emotional reactions to people and things are the same. From Olivia's feeling like an outsider to her reaction to children to her judging people based on their reactions to her dog, I "get" this woman, and once I'm this emotionally involved in a book it's almost impossible for me not to devour it as quickly as possible.

Yes, the plot is an interesting one, and I loved the tie-in with the actual World War II prisoner of war camp in nearby New Bern. Adams' sense of misdirection was marvelous, and I was kept guessing clear through to the end. But as any connoisseur of cozies knows, it's not the plot that keeps us coming back for more, it's the cast of characters. The spirit of friendship and support that flows through Olivia and her writers group is wonderful, and although each member has flaws, none is from Central Casting. There's no requisite busybody, femme fatale, or bumbling police officer amongst them, and each character gets his or her moment to shine and to develop. What an absolute treat!

In the mood for a cozy that not only will keep you guessing but will give you several new fictional friends? I heartily recommend Ellery Adams' Books by the Bay series. ( )

This was a very solid mystery by Adams, involving Olivia and her writing friends as they explore another death in Oyster Bay. But what I found most interesting was the inclusion of the historical aspect of the story, involving the incarceration of Nazi POW's in North Carolina during WWII. I have come to enjoy many of the characters in the Books by the Bay series and can only hope that the slight softening of Olivia's character continues. ( )

Olivia’s life is pretty full right now. She’s got the opening of her new restaurant, to be run by her new-found brother and sister-in-law, the impending birth of her nephew, helping Harris find the home of his dreams, trying to figure out just what is going on with Laurel, and finally dealing with her feelings for Chief Rawlings. On top of all of that, she also needs to find time to work on her book.

Booker Prize-winning author Nick Plumely arrives in town, with everyone thinking he is there to write a sequel to his best-selling book about a murder and escape at the New Bern Prison camp, located near Oyster Bay. When he shows a great deal of interest in the house Harris wants to buy, Olivia works her magic, guaranteeing that Harris buys the house. To the delight of the Bayside book writers, Nick agrees to attend their next meeting at Harris’s new house. But it appears that he is more interested in the house itself, and what it may hide, than what anyone has written.

Then Nick is found dead, and the piece he is looking for is found. Now they must figure out if this piece was valuable only to Nick, or if it means just as much to someone else - someone who wouldn’t think twice about killing again. And can Olivia, her constant companion Captain Havilland, and the rest of the Bayside book writers solve the mystery before it’s too late?

Ellery Adams is at her best in The Last Word, the third book in the Books by the Bay series (see A Killer Plot & A Deadly Cliché). Ellery possesses the incredible talent of not only keeping the books each of the Bayside book writers are writing moving forward, but of writing an amazing story as well. It’s been such a joy to see the progress Olivia has made from being a rich, closed-off recluse to now having and sustaining wonderful relationships. Ellery has done a remarkable job of retelling a part of history that many aren’t familiar with and making the reader feel as if they were experiencing it first-hand. The reader is 100% completely drawn into the story. I had such a visceral experience when reading this book; I could actually feel the wind on my face, taste the salt of the ocean on my lips, and hear the waves crash upon the beach. The Last Word made me laugh, made me think, made me smile, and made me cry. The Last Word – in one word – AMAZING! ( )

Olivia Limoges and her fellow members of the Bayside Book Writers club are initially excited when Booker Prize winning author Nick Plumley comes to Oyster Bay. But their initial enthusiasm is tampered down a bit when Nick seems far too interested in Harris Williams’ new house. Nick seems to think there is something hidden there but he is murdered before Olivia and gang can find out what he was looking for. When Harris does find something that might turn out to be very valuable, Olivia soon realizes that he too might be in danger. She works to find out who the killer is but little does she realize how much her investigation will cost her.

“The Last Word” is a well written, at times moving, at times humorous, and at times tense mystery. It is the third and perhaps best book in Ellery Adams’ Books by the Bay mystery series. The characters grow stronger with each book, especially Olivia who started as a bit of a cold, somewhat unlikable character and has grown into a sympathetic character who isn’t as cold as she thinks she is. The addition of family members she didn’t even know existed have softened Olivia’s character and Adams is slowly revealing bits about Olivia’s childhood that make her actions even easier to understand. Adding to Olivia’s character is her relationship with the Bayside Book Writers club members – she has grown very fond of them and cares what happens to them (I like the Millay/Harris storyline; Laurel’s character wears on me at times although she seems to get a grip on her self towards the end of this book). And I can’t forget Olivia’s dog Captain Havilland who in many ways is her best friend. The mystery itself is well plotted with more than a few red herrings and some major surprises (there are some incredibly tense moments towards the end which Adams handles so deftly the reader feels like they are part of the action). Without giving anything away, I have to say the identity of the killer and the motive behind the killing is one of the saddest I’ve come across in a mystery and the end of the novel lingered with me long after I finished reading it.

“The Last Word” is another excellent mystery by Ellery Adams. ( )

This is the third book in this mystery series. The characterizations and setting is well done as well as the plot of the book. Since this is a newer series, I suggest that you start from the beginning. ( )