Jan Fields

Maggie Watson is a forty-something widow living on her own in the same cottage in Bennington, Vermont where she had happily raised her family. Conceivably, she is content to continue living in her picturesque little cottage with her cat Snickers for the rest of her days. However, with the death of her husband three years before and the recent departure of her daughter Emily for college - Maggie is suffering pangs of 'Empty Nest Syndrome'. She is also beginning to recognize that she has show more reached a brand new chapter in the story of her life, and is looking to make some sort of change.

She just wasn't expecting to make that change quite so soon. Maggie is surprised to learn that she has recently inherited some property from her aunt Evelyn. Apparently, her aunt has bequeathed to Maggie a stately nineteenth-century Colonial-style mansion, Sedgwick Manor, as well as the adjacent antique store - Carriage House Antiques - a charming little shop located in the seaside town of Somerset Harbor, Maine. Maggie has always dreamed of owning an antique store and discovering the various different stories that each particular item can tell.

However, she never suspected that some of those stories just might become relevant to her own life. While separating the inventory for the store and going through her aunt's various personal effects, Maggie discovers a photograph of her aunt hidden in the backing of an old mirror. She is astonished by the story apparently being told by this particular photo: because it's an impossible story; one full of mystery, danger and intrigue. Standing beside her aunt in the recent photograph is her Uncle George...a man who died twenty years ago.

Having enlisted the help of the members of the historical society - ladies who all knew Evelyn well - and James Bennett, an historic preservationist and handsome bachelor; Maggie begins her investigation into her aunt's final months. What she subsequently discovers about her Aunt Evelyn, as well as her Uncle George's past is disturbing to her. As her search for clues continues, it quickly becomes abundantly clear to Maggie that she is not the only person looking for answers. Someone desperately wants to know just what Maggie knows...and just how she knows it.

Cryptic messages and warnings are being left inside Sedgwick Manor, personal effects are being rifled through, and a U. S. Marshal arrives in town asking some very unsettling questions. Maggie soon realizes that this mystery is more serious than she first thought - deadly serious. She honestly can't help but wonder if she is ultimately doing the right thing; or should she just forget about everything, sell the property, and escape back to the safety of Vermont. While she believes that this would probably be the most appropriate course of action, Maggie can't forget what her aunt always said: "antiques are filled with stories - secrets just waiting to be discovered."

Maggie finds herself finally understanding what her aunt meant - she definitely wants to satisfy her own curiosity about this particular mystery. Will Maggie be able to make sense of it all before it's too late? And is Somerset Harbor really the best place to start this new chapter in her life?

First of all, let me say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I haven't actually read that many cozy mysteries before, and would like to see where this series will eventually lead. I found the characters to be fairly well-developed and the mystery certainly held my attention all the way through. However, having said that, I have to admit that I became slightly confused by the uneven pacing of the mystery. All in all though, I would definitely give this book a B+! show less

The Christmas season brings the Charles Dickens Society to Castleton Manor for a retreat. It's all things Dickens all the time. Unfortunately one of the main presenters is rude, annoying and handsy. Manor Librarian Faith Newberry puts up with Charles' stupid come-on comments and bad disposition for the sake of her job....but she is a bit surprised that nobody seems to like the man, even the members of the society. The week starts off festive but goes downhill when society members start show more reporting thefts from their rooms. Then it gets worse.....a murder. How much Dickensian drama can one retreat handle?

I enjoy this series.....the characters, the setting, the pets, and the plots. Despite the books being written by several authors, the sweet vibe of this cozy mystery series is present in all the stories I have read so far. The background plots are varied (each retreat has a different theme) and very entertaining. All in all, this series delivers a nice cozy mystery experience each time. The books are sold on a monthly membership basis by Annie's Attic. Luckily, most of the books have been donated to my local library! :) Yay!

I like the fact that guests and staff can bring their pets to the manor. Each book has different authors and retreat guests and their various pets. :) I know an upscale retreat resort would in reality never, ever allow pets, especially in a library.....but it makes for a sweet cozy mystery. :) I love Faith's cat Watson....he has an abundance of cattitude. :)

The hardcover books are high quality and attractive. The cover art is colorful, engaging and cute (as is common with cozy mysteries). The series would look quite nice displayed on bookshelves. But I'm content to borrow them from my local library as I only read mysteries once.

Another enjoyable cozy experience. Moving on...I picked up the next book in the series (An Autographed Mystery) at the library today! Can't wait to find out what Faith and Watson are getting into next! :) show less

Watson is definitely the unsung hero in this tale; it matters not that he is a cat. Sugar Worthington, a renowned chef, is filming her show at Castleton Manor, the mansion where Faith is the librarian. It’s been a stressful week, with all the extra activity, the adoring fans, the added security, and the at-large, would-be murderer. Yes, someone has it in for Sugar, and Faith is about to be caught in the same trap. This cozy mystery is a gentle and quick read. The manner in which readers show more are treated to Watson’s thoughts is delightful. He really is a remarkable cat. The characters are quite real, and the storyline is entertaining and interesting. Half the fun of this series is the interaction between the main characters, and waiting to see how the relationships will develop in future books. show less

A friend (CC) gifted me a number of the books in this series. I have been using them as a distraction from worries recently. This particular one has a Christmas theme, however, the series has had a history of skipping holidays--we'd hear about a Halloween party but then the next book would skip past any mention of Halloween. So even though Faith plans to go home for Christmas, I suspect we won't see a Christmas celebration but that the next book will resume when Faith returns to her job show more after Christmas.

This retreat is a Charles Dickens Society themed event--complete with readings of "A Christmas Carol" and quite a few Dickens quotes. I wasn't bothered by the Dickens quotes though I didn't recognize many of them. I can see where some readers might think they were laid on a bit thick.

I don't know if the story/information about the actress who played Miss Havisham in a movie is true or not.

I did think Faith acted unwisely a few times--going off alone (without anyone else even knowing she was meeting with the person) with someone who was a suspect. I didn't guess who the murderer was before it was revealed. That's often my norm, so your experience may differ. I don't think I'd even considered the person it turned out to be. show less