A New Chapter

Secrets of Mary's Bookshop #1

by Kristin Eckhardt

2012 Guideposts hardcover, Kristin Eckhardt (Tea is for Treasure). Mary Fisher's dream has come true. She's about to open Mary's Mystery Bookshop in her beloved hometown of Ivy Bay on beautiful Cape Cod. But weeks before the grand opening, her shop is broken into and torn apart. Mary is stunned to discover that the only thing missing was an old, dusty photograph of the storefront. Who would have taken it, and why? With the help of her sister, a childhood friend, and decades of reading mystery novels, Mary searches for answers.- Google Books

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Christian, Fiction, Books About Books, Cozy

396 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Kristin Eckhardt
aka
Kristin Gabriel

Kristin Eckhardt is the author of more than thirty-five books, including fourteen for Guideposts. She's won two national awards for her writing, and her first book was made into a TV movie. She and her husband have three children and live in central Nebraska. Kristin enjoys baking, reading and spending time with her family.

Reviews

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Widow Mary Fisher has moved to Ivy Bay, Massachusetts just off Cape Cod to live with her widowed sister, Betty and open a mystery book shop. As she is busy remodeling the store she purchased, a break in occurs but the only thing taken was an old picture of the front of the store with her uncle and an unknown woman. This sets her off on a journey to find the picture and the reason it was stolen.

This is the first book in the Secrets of Mary's Bookshop written by various Christian authors for Guideposts. This book especially appealed to me because I love all things books and mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I loved the relationship between Mary and her sister. The cozy feel of Ivy Bay was filled with a delightful cast of characters and the typical small town gossip. Digging into past family history also caught this genealogy addict's attention. A touch of romance between Mary and Henry her childhood friend during summers spent in Ivy Bay will be fun to watch grow. A wonderful start to what appears to be a good cozy mystery series.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little whodunit, with a great cast of characters.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Chapter is an easy, enjoyable read but it was pretty slow-paced. However, I really liked the characters and can't wait to read the next book!

[M.L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read! A little slow to start, but I stuck to it, and by the time it hooked me, I couldn't put it down! This one goes under the title of stayed-up-all-night-to-see-whodunit book. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a cozy bookshop mystery set in beautiful Cape Cod!

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is starting over after her husband's death and is opening a mystery Bookshop in Ivy Bay. Before she can even have a grand opening someone has broken in and stolen, of all things, an old photo of the shop from back in it's older days. Why would someone want that particular photo? Mary is determined to find out and sets out on a mystery quest to do just that.

I'm pretty new to Guideposts cozy mysteries. I saw this cover and saw it had my favorite setting .. a bookshop ... and had to snag it. It's not a typical cozy I'm used to reading in that there is no murder or inherent evil afoot 😂 but I loved that with this one.

There is a mystery to solve. Small town characters that are realistic and genuine and a MC I adore. ❤️ There are so many sub-genres for Cozies that I doubt I'll ever get bored.

[April Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new series I will enjoy reading. The main character and I have something in common: we both love Miss Marple mysteries.

Mary has moved in with her sister and plans to open a mystery book store (her dream). But she encounters her own real-life mystery when someone breaks into the store and now a picture is missing. So now she has to find clues as to who is in the old photo and is her uncle involved?
305 pages

[Olde American Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. ”

📚☕ Finally! A cute (old-fashioned), true cozy mystery series. And when I say cozy, it's because it's low-stakes mysteries in a cozy little Cape Cod town!

Granted, the plot in this first book in the series was a little slow to get started, with an older main character, but it was sweet, and picked up quickly!

Mary Fisher and her cat Gus have just moved back to her quaint little hometown to fulfill a dream she and her late husband had of opening a bookshop. Before she can be “open for business,” the shop is broken into.

Why would someone ransack the place and ignore the merchandise and high-dollar equipment to only steal a wall photo of Mary’s deceased uncle?

This seemingly idyllic little town isn’t feeling so perfect. It was fun to follow the clues. I was not successful in choosing the correct culprit.

Kudos to Guidepost for creating a clean, quaint mystery series. I’m ready for book #2!

No profanity. Super light romance (more like friendship at this point).

📚 CAUSE FOR PAUSE? No complaints. Super chill pace that increases steadily as it nears the end. Fun! 😀

MY RATING 🌟🌟🌟🌟

There will be an in-depth review of this book (and other reviews & recs) in a June reading wrap up on my ‘Clean Reads’ YouTube channel. 💙

[Deigan Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery! I was a bit surprised to find that the MC, Mary Fisher, was hovering somewhere in her mid to late sixties, and that she wasn't no spring chicken as I had first thought 😉
But other than that, it was really good!

NOTE:
My friend (I'll call her Popcorn 😂) sent this to me to read, and I loved it! 😁

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice clean light mystery

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“Mary Fisher's dream has come true. She's about to open Mary's Mystery Bookshop in her beloved hometown of Ivy Bay on beautiful Cape Cod. But weeks before the grand opening, her shop is broken into and torn apart. Mary is stunned to discover that the only thing missing was an old, dusty photograph of the storefront. Who would have taken it, and why? With the help of her sister, a childhood friend, and decades of reading mystery novels, Mary searches for answers.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop” series.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, remembered, quoted, & talks about; Prayers & thanking God; Church going, singing hymns, & a sermon; Most ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of faiths; Mentions of churches, church events, church going, a pastor & services; Mentions of hymns; Mentions of blessings & feeling blessed; A couple mentions of Sunday school; A couple mentions of stained glass windows with events from the Bible.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’; A bit of sarcasm & eye rolling; All about a break-in and a stolen item; Mentions of husbands who left their families; Mentions of jail, criminal activities, & money laundering; Mentions of vandalism & vandals; Mentions of a fight & a black eye; Mentions of lies, lying & liars; A few mentions of an accident & injuries; A few mentions of pain; A few mentions of a bully & decking him; A couple mentions of a war; A couple mentions of divorces; A couple mentions of gossip; A couple mentions of cigar smoke; A mention of a fire;
*Note: A couple mentions of Boy Scouts.


Sexual Content- A bit of Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wondering if someone had an affair & questioning their faithfulness (it’s revealed they didn’t have an affair); Mentions of dating & girlfriends; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of smelling;
*Note: A mention of a woman’s figure.

-Mary Fisher, age 62
P.O.V. of Mary
290 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars
This was a pretty clean read! I do feel like that Mary was acted out like she was older than what she actually was. Not my favorite Guidepost mystery book (that would go to the Secrets of the Blue Hill Library series), but I did enjoy it. I plan on checking out the rest of the series so see if I’m interesting in the later books. :)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story! I can't wait to read the next book in the series. It was a nice, cozy mystery that was surprisingly suspenseful even though there was no real danger in the book.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start for a series--the mystery is kept till the end.

[Suzanne Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. I will be getting the whole set of 24 books and reading them all. It is very realistic and smooth.

[Nichole Gricius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute mystery. I loved the characters and definitely had me thinking.

[Christine Pia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the fictional town of Ivy Bay, this novel is about Mary Fischer, a 62-year old who is trying to create a new chapter in her a life after her husband's death by building the bookshop they had always dreamed of owning. However, the bookshop was broken into before it even opened for business. The odd thing was that nothing of value was taken, except for an old photograph of the front of the store taken in 1957. Being a lover of mystery and detective stories, Mary sought to find the intruder and while doing so, learns about the dark past of her family and the secrets of the town.
This book combines everything that I love in novels - a serene town, bookshops, libraries, cupcakes, mystery and the unfailing faith and forgiveness of people who believe in the Lord and those who choose to see the goodness in others.

[Kristina Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enough to look forward to part two. The heroine, Mary, decides to open a bookstore dedicated to the mystery novels she loves when her husband dies. The book explores the various changes in her life - losing her husband, starting a new business, moving in with her sister, renewing old friendships - all while solving a mystery and making very weird-sounding ice creams along the way. Throughout the book, the author gives "shout outs" to mystery writers, past and present - which inspired me to seek out and find some new books/authors to embrace and discover. A very good read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting much to wow me, but I wound up really enjoying this mystery. Kristin Eckhardt did a lovely job with her descriptions to really bring the setting and people alive. I guess you'd classify it as a well-written cozy mystery; the mystery part moved along at a good pace, without any obvious giveaways, and although I had guessed the person who broke into Mary's bookshop, I was still a little surprised that I was right, and certainly didn't guess the motive. Overall, a delightful read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the start of a new series from Guideposts books. Mary is opening a bookstore and right before her grand opening the store is broken into but the only thing taken is an old picture on the wall of the building from years ago. Mary has a copy on her computer and blows it up trying to figure out why anyone would steal it. When she finally figures out who is in the picture she has her answer.

[Gretchen Louise]

When widow and mystery novel aficionado Mary Fisher decides to return to Cape Code and open her very own eponymous bookshop, she certainly didn't expect to find a mystery of her own in the quiet coastal village of Ivy Bay. If you’re looking for cozy mysteries set in and around a bookshop, check out Guideposts’ Secrets of Mary’s Bookshop series. I’ve only read A New Chapter by Kristin Eckhardt so far, but there are 24 books in the series, written by a variety of authors. Perfect for those who enjoy retirement-age characters and a gentle Mitford-like feel.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet way to pass a few hours, perhaps too sweet, but that is not something to complain about! I love books and book shops and beaches and mysteries that are not gory so I did enjoy my time in Ivy Bay. I doubt that I will read any more of the series, but I did appreciate this one to add some mellow sweetness to my life.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in June in Massachusetts. The story involves a new shop, a stolen photograph, vandalism, and a old car. The main character, Mary, moves in with her sister. Both have recently become widows. Mary spends the book trying to figure out who stole the photograph and why. There is also a hint of romance and some familial drama.

[Lori Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this book. Great start to a new series. Makes me want to own a bookshop- but without the crime and mystery that was onvolved.

[Deborah Hast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put down at the end!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary has moved back to live with her sister and fulfill a life long dream of owning a bookshop. While she prepares for the opening someone breaks into the shop and takes a non descript picture of Mary's Uncle and a mystery lady. The break in is written off by local law as town visitor teens, but Mary can't let go of the feeling there is more. While her heaven sent handyman, Kip works hard fixing up the shop for opening Mary works on a little family history to discover the desire of stealing a picture of times past, with a ending that leads to forgiveness and growth. Life isn't always what we see in the present, there are many stories to be told of each and every person in our life. Sometimes the past comes back to haunt us and choices must be made to deal with results from past actions. A soft tone of God's love and support fill this book and lead Mary down all the right paths in her life and detective work.
Wonderful lite mystery with reflections of God's love and how it works in our lives.

[Abigail Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying this series: currently reading #3 and already have 4 others in the series on hand. In the midst of the many stresses of life, I can pick up one of these books and disappear into the story. They are light, not heavy, which is what I need when life's chaos abounds, however, the stories are engaging, the mysteries are interesting and so far are different, not run of the mill. The various authors who are writing this series have so far done an excellent job of creating and weaving the various mysteries throughout the story lines. Every time I have thought I had figured out the answer, I was wrong. They keep me guessing until the end. Of course, I've never claimed to be a great mystery solver. A very enjoyable series.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the small town, small community feel this book gives us. The mystery in this book definitely keeps things interesting and the reader guessing. Kristin did an excellent job of feeding the reader little bits of information at a time. Just when I thought I might get bored something new happened.
Mary’s faith is shown throughout the book. She actually was a great example of just praying when you need it, not having to set aside a certain time to do that.
This book might have moved a bit slower than I typically like but overall I really did enjoy this book.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a light read, nothing to heavy, no murders, but still a good mystery. The writer does a good job of painting a picture of the bookshop where the crime is committed and the town itself. She added mystery to the characters as well and it kept me wondering what their secrets were.

This is part of a Guidepost book club and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book #1 in a new series. The storyline was good, but sometimes felt the author put "too much" of the main character Mary's thought processes in discovering the "mystery" --meaning-i was tempted to gloss over that. In other words...too much information!

[Wisegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book that I enjoyed reading. I can't wait until I get the next book in this series from Guideposts. Also, the recipe for homemade ice cream is an added bonus.

[Krista Lackey · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little too cozy. and boring. If she makes great ice cream, why doesn't she make ice cream?!