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Annie's Attic Mysteries #22
A Spicy Secret
Alice MacFarlane is known far and wide for her baking skills, but her mojo has suddenly gone missing. It all started with the discovery of a jarful of recipes beneath the floor of the carriage house that she calls home. Alice, ever the adventurer, decides to give the recipes a try.
The results have been mixed at best. The first dish was downright repulsive, and now Gwendolyn Palmer, one of Alice's friends from the Hook and Needle Club, is in the ICU--and Alice can't help but believe that her latest dish from the mysterious recipes may be to blame.
Alice's home shares a scenic hillside vista with Grey Gables, the stately Victorian home owned by Annie Dawson, Alice's best friend. Annie--a transplant from Texas to Stony Point, Maine--inherited Grey Gables from her late grandmother, Elizabeth Holden.
Now Annie must help Alice find out where the recipes came from, and if there is some kind of dark secret associated with them.
At the same time, the Hook and Needle Club has taken on a gargantuan task--to provide handmade blankets for each resident of an orphanage in Haiti. The work must be completed in time for a mission trip led by Reverend Roy Wallace, pastor of the Stony Point Community Church. "Blanket Haiti" is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the club, known for its charitable works.
But the project is complicated by the illness of Gwen--and Alice's fear that she is somehow to blame. With the help of their Hook and Needle Club comrades, Alice and Annie set out to discover the truth behind the mysterious spicy secret.
The results have been mixed at best. The first dish was downright repulsive, and now Gwendolyn Palmer, one of Alice's friends from the Hook and Needle Club, is in the ICU--and Alice can't help but believe that her latest dish from the mysterious recipes may be to blame.
Alice's home shares a scenic hillside vista with Grey Gables, the stately Victorian home owned by Annie Dawson, Alice's best friend. Annie--a transplant from Texas to Stony Point, Maine--inherited Grey Gables from her late grandmother, Elizabeth Holden.
Now Annie must help Alice find out where the recipes came from, and if there is some kind of dark secret associated with them.
At the same time, the Hook and Needle Club has taken on a gargantuan task--to provide handmade blankets for each resident of an orphanage in Haiti. The work must be completed in time for a mission trip led by Reverend Roy Wallace, pastor of the Stony Point Community Church. "Blanket Haiti" is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the club, known for its charitable works.
But the project is complicated by the illness of Gwen--and Alice's fear that she is somehow to blame. With the help of their Hook and Needle Club comrades, Alice and Annie set out to discover the truth behind the mysterious spicy secret.
239 pages, Hardcover
First published December 6, 2012
1 person is currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
D. Savannah George
3 books30 followersD. Savannah George has been writing since she could hold a pen (or crayon, she can't remember which), and has published several short stories and a number of poems. She's always been an avid reader, and likes to say she plays well with words.
She is a disabled #InvisibleIllnessWarrior and #ChronicIllnessAdvocate, fighting a number of debilitating, chronic conditions, which combined cause never-ending severe pain and severe fatigue.
She lives with her husband, three cats and a turtle in Georgia.
She is a disabled #InvisibleIllnessWarrior and #ChronicIllnessAdvocate, fighting a number of debilitating, chronic conditions, which combined cause never-ending severe pain and severe fatigue.
She lives with her husband, three cats and a turtle in Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 22, 2018
Another enjoyable mystery in this series.
November 19, 2018
Most of the book was sort of slow moving and making the reader question what was the mystery and who / what the mystery was about. They finally got around to all the secrets at the end of the book and finding out what happened to the people and the restraunt, all the while focusing on the haiti project that the new teen knitting group sort of started . This one certainly wasn't a favorite in the series of mine and took me longer to read because l didn't want to pick it up as much as some of the others in this series.
October 27, 2021
Winter in Stony Point, Maine. The book begins right after New Years. All the holiday excitement is over, the winter is cold, Maine does have beautiful winters, but cold, very cold.
The pastor of the Stony Point Community Church, Reverend Roy Wallace, has spoken to the head of an orphanage in Haiti, Father Bruno, and has promised to sent 120 blankets, not heavy ones, Haiti gets chilly in the evenings, not real cold. The Hook and Needle Club is getting involved, and is trying to get everyone in town who can knit and crochet to make blankets. A teenage group is getting involved, using the Stitch In Time Store to knit and crochet blankets, ladies in the senior home are making blankets. The name of the project is Blanket Haiti. The task of making all these blankets is hard, some bought blankets, but the group met their goal with more than promised.
Alice is in the process of buying the carriage house she has rented for a long time and is delighted. She finds a jar of recipes and other old cooking tools. She tries the recipes one by one. The first is terrible, the second and third excellent, others so and so, the rest unreadable. Alice is trying to find out who hid the jar and old tools under a board. The articles have been there for a long time.
Club member Gwendolyn Palmer is in the hospital terribly ill. Could Alice recipes have made her so sick? Another member, Kate Stevens is excellent working on patterns. Mary Beth encourages her to publish one or more books on her patterns. Kate is feeling sad, her baby, Vanessa, is growing up fast, talented, artistic, creating. But still her mom's baby.
Spring is arriving, the ice and snow is melting. Ian and Annie are getting serious, everything in Stony Point is going well. Much is going on in this pretty little town on Maine's coast. Mayor Ian tried to make a blanket, but quickly gave it up.
The pastor of the Stony Point Community Church, Reverend Roy Wallace, has spoken to the head of an orphanage in Haiti, Father Bruno, and has promised to sent 120 blankets, not heavy ones, Haiti gets chilly in the evenings, not real cold. The Hook and Needle Club is getting involved, and is trying to get everyone in town who can knit and crochet to make blankets. A teenage group is getting involved, using the Stitch In Time Store to knit and crochet blankets, ladies in the senior home are making blankets. The name of the project is Blanket Haiti. The task of making all these blankets is hard, some bought blankets, but the group met their goal with more than promised.
Alice is in the process of buying the carriage house she has rented for a long time and is delighted. She finds a jar of recipes and other old cooking tools. She tries the recipes one by one. The first is terrible, the second and third excellent, others so and so, the rest unreadable. Alice is trying to find out who hid the jar and old tools under a board. The articles have been there for a long time.
Club member Gwendolyn Palmer is in the hospital terribly ill. Could Alice recipes have made her so sick? Another member, Kate Stevens is excellent working on patterns. Mary Beth encourages her to publish one or more books on her patterns. Kate is feeling sad, her baby, Vanessa, is growing up fast, talented, artistic, creating. But still her mom's baby.
Spring is arriving, the ice and snow is melting. Ian and Annie are getting serious, everything in Stony Point is going well. Much is going on in this pretty little town on Maine's coast. Mayor Ian tried to make a blanket, but quickly gave it up.
December 19, 2017
My rating: 3.5/ 5 stars
I actually enjoyed the non-mystery story of the charity crochet project and the minimal (but finally something) movement of Ian and Annie's relationship more so than the primary mystery of this book. The mystery itself almost seemed like a forced add-on compared to the rest of the story. I didn't enjoy the way some of the characters were portrayed in this story though (Alice and Annie in particular were getting on my nerves a bit; Kate's sudden confidence while a refreshing change for her, was a bit out of character and not really addressed).
I actually enjoyed the non-mystery story of the charity crochet project and the minimal (but finally something) movement of Ian and Annie's relationship more so than the primary mystery of this book. The mystery itself almost seemed like a forced add-on compared to the rest of the story. I didn't enjoy the way some of the characters were portrayed in this story though (Alice and Annie in particular were getting on my nerves a bit; Kate's sudden confidence while a refreshing change for her, was a bit out of character and not really addressed).
December 2, 2024
This book moved at a different pace than the others and it was a welcome change. The mystery was more of an afterthought with very little progress being made until the end. The plot focused more on the service project that the group undertakes to collect blankets for an orphanage in Haiti. Kate if featured more in this book than the others so her character gets a chance to shine. Other characters are introduced and some who play a minor role in the series are also appearing again. A great way to spend a very cold,snowy afternoon.
July 31, 2017
Another enjoyable read from Annie's Attic series. The thing about these books is they are very plausible. Nothing is " out there". The characters go about their everyday lives and we get to know them. They just happen to be a little quirky and have mysteries to solve. It is all very believable . And quite an accomplishment because thirty books are written by multiple authors. They are a nice quick read. And it's fun to see what is going on in their lives.
December 9, 2018
This is my least favorite of the book series. I would have liked more adventures with Alice & Annie, but the others in the book seemed to develop into more of the story. It played out a little more cheesy than usual and less dwelling on the actual mystery. !'ll probably still read more of this series.
April 14, 2018
Book # 22 in the Annie's Attic Mysteries has been read. This mystery was not found in Grey Gables, but in the house called The Carriage House that Alice resides. I find it very interesting that Alice is getting more involved in solving the mysteries.
October 5, 2019
This story was very slow moving. I enjoyed reading about the club members making blankets for charity since I do that too but the mystery part was sort of 2nd to that and wasn't very interesting to me.
August 26, 2025
This Mystery is less about the Spicy Secret and more about the wonderful project the Hook and Needle club have. Kate's church is doing a mission trip to Hatti and the club committees to making 120 blankets for the orphans.
September 22, 2018
They did leave out a main character in this book. It makes me wonder what happened to the new lady that worked at the Cup and Saucer. Other than that, I like these mysteries.
December 18, 2022
Loved it
September 22, 2025
I love each book in this wonderful series. They take me away from the stress of my everyday life.
October 16, 2025
I love this series. Another sweet mystery.
January 8, 2013
Although this book is in a series, don't let that deter you from reading this thoroughly enjoyable read. The author does a wonderful job of describing the characters, making them come alive. Alice and Annie are best friends and live in Stony Point, Maine. The story begins with a mystery--Annie and Alice found several items under the floorboard of Alice's home. One of the items is a jar of recipes. Being an adventurer and an avid baker, Alice tries some of the recipes with mixed reviews. At the center of this book is the Hook and Needle Club. The members not only try to help solve the mystery but also work on a charitable project, "Blanket Haiti". Their goal along with community is making blankets for the members of an orphanage that will be delivered by the local church during its mission trip. Will the group make its goal? Who put the recipes there and why? You will love finding out the answers by visiting this quaint town through the eyes of the author. Her voice is on-point in all the conversations especially in the ones that include the teenage daughter of one of the club's members. So grab a hot cocoa (coffee, or tea) and visit Stony Point. You will not be disappointed by D. Savannah George's debut novel. 5+ stars
November 20, 2020
I always enjoy my visits to Stony Point, Maine and catching up with the members of the Hook and Needle Club and finding out what mystery they are currently attempting to solve. Wholesome reading, but very enjoyable!
October 1, 2016
What a wonderful little cozy read. I pick this and another of this series up at a second hand store and so glad I did. This story was a mystery because of the items they find in the floor of Annie's attic home. Family secrets and history are revealed in this terrific story.
December 7, 2016
Excellent mystery. This book inspired me to do more donating to worthy causes. I do not knit or crochet as fast as these people but I can at least attempt to get some projects done. One of the best books in this series so far.
April 27, 2013
Alice is going to buy the carriage house that she is living in and wants to do some updating.l She finds a jar with some recipes in it under a floor board and we have a new mystery!
August 9, 2013
Almost gave up on this one, predictable, strangely written, a little dull. A quick story.
April 8, 2017
This is a quick and quaint read. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. The mystery took a bit of a back burner, and the main story line seemed to focus on a town quilting blankets. While that's not horrible and the reason for them making blankets is very nice and uplifting, I don't know if I actually would qualify this book as a mystery. So if you are looking for a heartwarming story with a pinch of mystery than this story is for you.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews