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Annie's Attic Mysteries #8
Boxed in
Think outside of the box- that's what Annie Dawson must do when she discovers a mysterious birchbark box in the attic of Grey Gables, the home bequeathed to her by her grandmother, Betsy Holden. The old box, exquisitely carved by an American Indian artist, contains a beaded ceremonial regalia collar and an obscure verse:
"Sister Otter, water dancing
Sun splashes over circles you draw.
If love took you to desert dry,
Where would you dance?"
Annie knows of no American Indian connection to her family in the region around Stony Point, the quaint New England fishing village on Maine's rugged coastline where the mystery unfolds. But this very personal glimpse into Passamaquoddy life is somehow threaded through Annie's family history. She is driven to find the connection.
"Sister Otter, water dancing
Sun splashes over circles you draw.
If love took you to desert dry,
Where would you dance?"
Annie knows of no American Indian connection to her family in the region around Stony Point, the quaint New England fishing village on Maine's rugged coastline where the mystery unfolds. But this very personal glimpse into Passamaquoddy life is somehow threaded through Annie's family history. She is driven to find the connection.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
221 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
6 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 19, 2014
This was not my favorite of the Annie's Attic mystery series. In fact, the mystery was rather dinky and pitiful. Annie had just returned to Stony Point, Maine to the house she inherited from her grandmother Betsy Holden after returning to Texas briefly for her daughter LeeAnn and son-in-law Herb's 5 year old twins' birthday. Since LeeAnn and Herb plan to bring little Joanna and John to spend Thanksgiving with Annie during their school break (they just began kindergarten), Annie is eager to get the house in order for active children. While working in the attic, she finds a native American box and jewelry as well as a poem. Since Betsy and her husband were not Native Americans, why are these things in their attic?
The story had none of the excitement of other books in the series. Annie just has the items looked at by a museum curator but no one tries to steal them, no one breaks in, no one stalks her, nothing. The only drama was when Gwen Palmer (part of the Hook and Needle Club) and her banker husband seem to be angry at Annie and he comes by and throws a hissy fit without explaining what the problem was. Yawn.
The story had none of the excitement of other books in the series. Annie just has the items looked at by a museum curator but no one tries to steal them, no one breaks in, no one stalks her, nothing. The only drama was when Gwen Palmer (part of the Hook and Needle Club) and her banker husband seem to be angry at Annie and he comes by and throws a hissy fit without explaining what the problem was. Yawn.
August 11, 2016
I may be reading this series out of order, but I enjoyed this one.
November 11, 2015
I love this series but this one was not as exciting as the others I have read. The premise of the series is that Annie, who has moved from Texas to her grandmother's old house in Maine, finds items in the attic that lead her into mystery. In this one the finding of some Native American items leads her in a new direction.
October 22, 2017
Simple read, not much Depth. Annie inherited Grey Gables from her Grandma, who was a great needle worker. Belongs to Stitch & Hook club. Found box made by Passamaquoddy Indian at turn of century in attic of Grams house. The Hook & Needle Club solved the mystery of who it belonged to.
October 15, 2017
A little slow going but it is a nice clean story of real people, friends, family and a touch of mystery and clean romance thrown in. I loved the descriptions of the craft items the Hook and Needle Club of Stony Point Maine, make for a fund raiser.
October 24, 2015
Wasn't too pleased with this story
February 5, 2016
Not the best one of this series. I don't understand why the person who this mystery is about got so upset. She should have been happy not upset in my opinion.
July 1, 2017
A nice relaxing read. However not much of a mystery. Too cosy .
December 14, 2017
I bought this book and The Map In The Attic and Rag Doll In The Attic at a library sale. I'd never heard of this series and only knew of this publishing company because I'd seen their magazines around; Good Old Days, Quilter's World, etc.
The story is that Annie used to spend quality time at her grandmother's house while her parents were away doing their missionary work. Now she has inherited that house and while cleaning she finds a box, a beaded collar, and a poem that apparently did not originally belong to her grandmother. She shares the find with her craft group and then sets out to discover who created them and how they came to be in her grandmother's attic.
It's a pleasant read but it's not a murder mystery. As a matter of fact, there is hardly any mystery at all and Annie hardly does any sleuthing. There is nothing in the book that will set your pulse racing. We follow Annie as she cleans the attic, rearranges her book shelves, visits the museum, and makes her grandmother's rose hip jelly. The most excitement is when Annie goes on a whale watch and suddenly remembers that her camera can take a short video. The only tension in the book is a very short misunderstanding that seemed manufactured. I am still going to give Booked In 3 stars because it's not actually bad.
The physical book itself is of superior quality with a heavy matte-finish dust jacket and a sewn-in ribbon bookmark which worked great when I fell asleep reading the book. When I finish reading it, perhaps I will donate it to someone who is not looking for excitement.
Extra note: In "About the Author" it says "Over the years she has pursued a variety of handicrafts, such as cross-stitch, quilling, ceramics, and basket weaving." If I were a writer for this publisher, what could I say I'd done? I'm no crafter but I could fake it on paper. Over the years I've done a few crafts: sewing in 4-H, embroidery, knitting (1/2 a scarf), 5 ceramics classes, I got a beading loom kit for my birthday once, made about 50 mosaic ashtrays and the tile back-splash in my kitchen, 2 paint-by-number canvases, and let's not forget 3 barn quilts.
The story is that Annie used to spend quality time at her grandmother's house while her parents were away doing their missionary work. Now she has inherited that house and while cleaning she finds a box, a beaded collar, and a poem that apparently did not originally belong to her grandmother. She shares the find with her craft group and then sets out to discover who created them and how they came to be in her grandmother's attic.
It's a pleasant read but it's not a murder mystery. As a matter of fact, there is hardly any mystery at all and Annie hardly does any sleuthing. There is nothing in the book that will set your pulse racing. We follow Annie as she cleans the attic, rearranges her book shelves, visits the museum, and makes her grandmother's rose hip jelly. The most excitement is when Annie goes on a whale watch and suddenly remembers that her camera can take a short video. The only tension in the book is a very short misunderstanding that seemed manufactured. I am still going to give Booked In 3 stars because it's not actually bad.
The physical book itself is of superior quality with a heavy matte-finish dust jacket and a sewn-in ribbon bookmark which worked great when I fell asleep reading the book. When I finish reading it, perhaps I will donate it to someone who is not looking for excitement.
Extra note: In "About the Author" it says "Over the years she has pursued a variety of handicrafts, such as cross-stitch, quilling, ceramics, and basket weaving." If I were a writer for this publisher, what could I say I'd done? I'm no crafter but I could fake it on paper. Over the years I've done a few crafts: sewing in 4-H, embroidery, knitting (1/2 a scarf), 5 ceramics classes, I got a beading loom kit for my birthday once, made about 50 mosaic ashtrays and the tile back-splash in my kitchen, 2 paint-by-number canvases, and let's not forget 3 barn quilts.
April 29, 2024
3.5/5⭐️
Not going to lie… this Annie’s Attic was a bit too dull for me. I am not asking for Annie and her friends to be in danger every book, because frankly that is not realistic and a bit over the top. Yet this book just felt like a story of Annie’s day to day life. The “mystery” was not really a mystery in my opinion, and once the finally interesting thing regarding it happened, it was also a dead giveaway of what the most likely outcome/story was going to be. So the mystery aspect was just not there for me, and considering this is a cozy mystery, that was a bit of a let down.
However, I will say the plot was unique and interesting in itself. I also felt like this author did a really fantastic job and depicting all of the Hook and Needle Club members, and Ian. It was fun to see Annie having such a good time with all her friends, and the little peaks at a potential love interest with Ian was really adorable. From the beginning Annie has said she may never be ready for another relationship. (If I had to guess Ian and her will end up eventually), but this author did a really fantastic job and not jumping the gun and just showing a small and quick spark between the two without Annie disregarding her late husband.
So all in all I felt like this story was more for the character growth/development and not so much about an interesting or thrilling mystery. I’m more here for the mystery, but I can appreciate the attention to the characters!
Not going to lie… this Annie’s Attic was a bit too dull for me. I am not asking for Annie and her friends to be in danger every book, because frankly that is not realistic and a bit over the top. Yet this book just felt like a story of Annie’s day to day life. The “mystery” was not really a mystery in my opinion, and once the finally interesting thing regarding it happened, it was also a dead giveaway of what the most likely outcome/story was going to be. So the mystery aspect was just not there for me, and considering this is a cozy mystery, that was a bit of a let down.
However, I will say the plot was unique and interesting in itself. I also felt like this author did a really fantastic job and depicting all of the Hook and Needle Club members, and Ian. It was fun to see Annie having such a good time with all her friends, and the little peaks at a potential love interest with Ian was really adorable. From the beginning Annie has said she may never be ready for another relationship. (If I had to guess Ian and her will end up eventually), but this author did a really fantastic job and not jumping the gun and just showing a small and quick spark between the two without Annie disregarding her late husband.
So all in all I felt like this story was more for the character growth/development and not so much about an interesting or thrilling mystery. I’m more here for the mystery, but I can appreciate the attention to the characters!
September 8, 2011
Love it when there is a mystery.
Annie finds things in her attic and tries to figure out who it belongs to.
She is trying to prepare for her daughter and family to come to visit her. She wants to make rose-hip jelly as she and her grandma had. She moves the bakers rack from the attic to the kitchen to put the canned food on. She finds items which throws her back to her younger days of being with her grandma and grandpa.
She finds a piece of a poem and wonders who did it. She goes to the craft club to find out what they know since she is new to the area.
I love how she gets someone upset at her. She is so funny.
I like this book and this series.
Annie finds things in her attic and tries to figure out who it belongs to.
She is trying to prepare for her daughter and family to come to visit her. She wants to make rose-hip jelly as she and her grandma had. She moves the bakers rack from the attic to the kitchen to put the canned food on. She finds items which throws her back to her younger days of being with her grandma and grandpa.
She finds a piece of a poem and wonders who did it. She goes to the craft club to find out what they know since she is new to the area.
I love how she gets someone upset at her. She is so funny.
I like this book and this series.
May 14, 2020
Loved it. This is the eight book of the Annie's attic mystery series and could be read as a stand alone. A cozy that is a murder free mystery. Annie of grey gables finds a birchbox with beautiful Indian piece and poem inside the box on a shelf in her attic. Which in a roundabout ways lead Annie, the stitch club and this reader to find out about Maine native american Passamaquoddy. I liked how down to earth this is. I hope I can read more of this series.
October 28, 2012
Once again, Annie Dawson is attempting to clean out the attic of Grey Gables when she finds a wooden box containing Native American items. Annie's quest is to find out what the items are, what they represent, and who they belong to. The adventure is on!
June 8, 2016
Part of the Annie’s Attic Mystery series, author Kelly focuses on American Indians and their heritage through tracing the ownership of a carved box. Through the story, she explores how perceptions and misunderstandings can lead to secrets and lost relatives.
November 22, 2017
This was book # 8. This was a very interesting story. The authors certainly explore a lot of families in this area of Maine. Whoever came up with the concepts of each novel did a great job. I am excited to read book #9.
August 22, 2011
Love these Annie series. Can't wait to see what Annie finds in the attic next and also to see where her and Ian relationship goes.
September 10, 2012
The box and beaded necklace in Annie's grandmother's attic lead to her fellow Hook and Stitch member finding out some lost ancestry.
October 16, 2012
Annie's Attic Mysteries......one of my favorites
Read
October 10, 2014Another Great Annies Attic Mystery
November 2, 2016
Love those Annie mysteries! This one shows the creative juices of the hook and needle club plus some history of Maine Indians. Very interesting.
August 31, 2017
I think this is my favorite Annie's Attic Mystery so far. Even though it was a quick read, the characters have depth and the whole path to solving the mystery is very believable.
October 23, 2020
This is escapist, not serious literature. The Hook and Ladder group is planning to donate different types of sewing, knitting and crocheting to the day of Harvest on the Harbor. These articles will be sold to donate money to different charities. The ladies have decided on the Native American as their motif. All the sewing, crocheting and other hand made crafts will be about Native American handicrafts. The group has a booth as does so many other groups.
The book goes into much of the materials used in making these beautiful hand made articles. There are so many different fabrics and colors that can be used. The ladies are working hard and planning what to work on to donate. This type of fabrics, threads, colors and sewing is an art form.
The book begins when Annie comes home from visiting her daughter and family in Texas. She has a very spoiled cat named Boots to welcome home, also her best friend Alice.
Anna's daughter, husband and five year old twins, Joanna and John will be coming for Thanksgiving. She begins to work on her home, rearranging everything that would be dangerous to active five year olds. In the attic she accidentally knocks down a beautiful little box. It might be Native American. Inside she finds is a poem and beautiful worked beaded collars. Annie wonders about all this. She is determined and will not stop until she finds out what she needs to know.
There are trips to Bar Harbor to the Native American museum, trips to the reservation. Annie meets Cecil, a Native American, a new friend. There is a trip on a lobster boat to go whale watching. The time is set in early autumn, beautiful in New England.
The book goes into much of the materials used in making these beautiful hand made articles. There are so many different fabrics and colors that can be used. The ladies are working hard and planning what to work on to donate. This type of fabrics, threads, colors and sewing is an art form.
The book begins when Annie comes home from visiting her daughter and family in Texas. She has a very spoiled cat named Boots to welcome home, also her best friend Alice.
Anna's daughter, husband and five year old twins, Joanna and John will be coming for Thanksgiving. She begins to work on her home, rearranging everything that would be dangerous to active five year olds. In the attic she accidentally knocks down a beautiful little box. It might be Native American. Inside she finds is a poem and beautiful worked beaded collars. Annie wonders about all this. She is determined and will not stop until she finds out what she needs to know.
There are trips to Bar Harbor to the Native American museum, trips to the reservation. Annie meets Cecil, a Native American, a new friend. There is a trip on a lobster boat to go whale watching. The time is set in early autumn, beautiful in New England.
May 21, 2021
Really good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2022
never a dull moment once a mystery item appears
August 3, 2023
I like these books because of the light mystery with no thrill factor. I also love that the stories normally always have a healing factor for the victims by items found in the attic.
December 18, 2022
Love this set of books. Enjoyed
January 24, 2016
Nice short cozy story... Great for being snowed in!
April 2, 2017
I thought this book was slow moving at first and the goofiness of Annie and Alice seemed uncharacteristically juvenile but more into the story it got more interesting. I looked up a lot of the details about the American Indians mentioned and found them to be true and not fiction. I enjoyed reading about Tomah Joseph and looking at pictures of his actual birch bark boxes. There are even some on ebay. The places they traveled to are also real places in Maine and I was surprised to realize that even Stony Point is a real place. I ended up liking this book more than most of the others because of these details but also because the story was different than the usual. The stories can seem very redundant, all starting with Annie finding something in the attic, but this one seemed different from the beginning.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews