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Secrets of Mary's Bookshop #10
By the Book
One night while Mary is working late in her shop, she smells something burning. When she looks out the window, she sees smoke coming from Sweet Susan’s Bakery next door. The fire department arrives in time to stop the flames from spreading to any other buildings, but the bakery is seriously damaged. Even more shocking is the verdict that the fire was started on purpose! While Susan struggles to figure out how she can reopen her business before she goes bankrupt, Mary searches for the arsonist. Was it the woman who wants to open a rival bakery in town? The troubled young man who works at the hardware store and has access to flammable liquids? The firefighter who seems to love fire a little too much? Or, the worst possibility of all, Susan’s husband?
The more Mary investigates, the less she likes what she discovers. Is this a case where it might be better not to know the truth?
The more Mary investigates, the less she likes what she discovers. Is this a case where it might be better not to know the truth?
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Carolyn Greene
42 books7 followersWhen she was in the first grade, Carolyn Greene got hit in the head by a kickball. She was only unconscious for a few minutes, but that was long enough for her to enter a vivid dream featuring herself as the star of an action adventure tale. Carolyn enjoyed the dream so much, she became annoyed when the teacher shook her awake and helped her up off the playground.
In second grade, the comment on her report card read, "Carolyn writes nice stories." Since then, writing fiction has been her way of escaping into an exciting, dramatic dream world. While a young girl, one of her favorite ways of finding that escape was by reading Walter Farley's Black Stallion and Island Stallion books.
After graduating high school, she followed conventional advice and earned a degree in business administration. It seemed the logical thing to do since the want ads never had any listings for professional daydreamers. Drifting from one secretarial position to another, she tried to find job satisfaction, but it eluded her while working at the electric company, a catalog sales center, a juvenile detention center, and a men's maximum-security prison.
It was during a career-planning meeting at the prison where she worked that Carolyn finally acknowledged her heart's true desire: to write a novel. The guards and administrative staff laughed at her aspirations, but the next day a co-worker brought her a grocery bag stuffed full of Harlequin and Silhouette romances and encouraged her to try to write one. Carolyn was hooked by the first chapter of the first book she read, and immediately set out to write her own story using a familiar, though not necessarily romantic, setting.
Fortunately for readers everywhere, Prisoner of Love never sold. But she persevered, and 10 years later her first book was published, under a pseudonym, by Silhouette Romance. Kiss of Bliss, featuring a miniature horse as a comical secondary character, was her tribute to the enjoyment she'd found in Walter Farley's books.
Currently, Carolyn writes full-time in her basement office, the room commonly referred to as the Dungeon. She has a daughter in college and a son in high school. Neither child has expressed an interest in pursuing a writing career, but that's okay since they both manage to provide her with plenty of ideas for stories.
Her husband, a fire chief, also provides plenty of inspiration. In fact, he and Carolyn are a perfect example of "opposites attract." She's the easygoing one, approaching life in a scattered sort of way; he's hard-driven and logical. Her most famous ancestor burned Atlanta during the Civil War; his most famous ancestor — a Richmond, Virginia, fire chief — died in the line of duty just before World War I. As Carolyn often teases her husband, she lights fires and he puts them out.
In her spare time, Carolyn plays with the family's two dogs and two parakeets and watches romantic comedy movies (research, you know). Or she just zones out and stares through the window until someone snaps their fingers and brings her back to the real world.
In second grade, the comment on her report card read, "Carolyn writes nice stories." Since then, writing fiction has been her way of escaping into an exciting, dramatic dream world. While a young girl, one of her favorite ways of finding that escape was by reading Walter Farley's Black Stallion and Island Stallion books.
After graduating high school, she followed conventional advice and earned a degree in business administration. It seemed the logical thing to do since the want ads never had any listings for professional daydreamers. Drifting from one secretarial position to another, she tried to find job satisfaction, but it eluded her while working at the electric company, a catalog sales center, a juvenile detention center, and a men's maximum-security prison.
It was during a career-planning meeting at the prison where she worked that Carolyn finally acknowledged her heart's true desire: to write a novel. The guards and administrative staff laughed at her aspirations, but the next day a co-worker brought her a grocery bag stuffed full of Harlequin and Silhouette romances and encouraged her to try to write one. Carolyn was hooked by the first chapter of the first book she read, and immediately set out to write her own story using a familiar, though not necessarily romantic, setting.
Fortunately for readers everywhere, Prisoner of Love never sold. But she persevered, and 10 years later her first book was published, under a pseudonym, by Silhouette Romance. Kiss of Bliss, featuring a miniature horse as a comical secondary character, was her tribute to the enjoyment she'd found in Walter Farley's books.
Currently, Carolyn writes full-time in her basement office, the room commonly referred to as the Dungeon. She has a daughter in college and a son in high school. Neither child has expressed an interest in pursuing a writing career, but that's okay since they both manage to provide her with plenty of ideas for stories.
Her husband, a fire chief, also provides plenty of inspiration. In fact, he and Carolyn are a perfect example of "opposites attract." She's the easygoing one, approaching life in a scattered sort of way; he's hard-driven and logical. Her most famous ancestor burned Atlanta during the Civil War; his most famous ancestor — a Richmond, Virginia, fire chief — died in the line of duty just before World War I. As Carolyn often teases her husband, she lights fires and he puts them out.
In her spare time, Carolyn plays with the family's two dogs and two parakeets and watches romantic comedy movies (research, you know). Or she just zones out and stares through the window until someone snaps their fingers and brings her back to the real world.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 16, 2020
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
For some reason, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous books in the series. Partially because of the affair mentions or different character’s reactions to other events/conversations, it wasn’t a favorite read but I did enjoy seeing all the faith content and the plot being worked out in a timely fashion by the end of the story. :)
{{Official Content Review to Come.}}
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
For some reason, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous books in the series. Partially because of the affair mentions or different character’s reactions to other events/conversations, it wasn’t a favorite read but I did enjoy seeing all the faith content and the plot being worked out in a timely fashion by the end of the story. :)
{{Official Content Review to Come.}}
March 30, 2018
Rating 3.5
Short, easy to read cozy mystery featuring Mary and her cozy mystery bookshop. This series is nice in that there are no murders in any of the books. This one has Mary investigating the arson that took place in the shop next to hers on Main Street, Susan's Sweet Shop. Is it the angry teenager, the disgruntled customer, the unhappy husband, or the overly excited new firefighter? Or is it someone else completely? This one caught me by surprise as to whom the culprit was. This series always contains a nice spiritual thread.
Short, easy to read cozy mystery featuring Mary and her cozy mystery bookshop. This series is nice in that there are no murders in any of the books. This one has Mary investigating the arson that took place in the shop next to hers on Main Street, Susan's Sweet Shop. Is it the angry teenager, the disgruntled customer, the unhappy husband, or the overly excited new firefighter? Or is it someone else completely? This one caught me by surprise as to whom the culprit was. This series always contains a nice spiritual thread.
August 26, 2018
Mary is working late in her book shop when she smells something burning and sees that it is her friend’s, Susan, bake shop next door. While Susan struggles with no income, her husband is the suspect, there is also a woman who wanted to open a bakery who might have done it. Mary puts together clues and figures out who really did it.
April 27, 2021
This takes place in August and September. The story involves a bakery, a fire, an illness, baseball, and workshops. The workshops cover many different topics. The I enjoyed the mystery but not the illness. I think that could have been left out or done differently. The mystery didn't end the way I thought it would. The oven part was sweet, though.
October 24, 2017
This book was slow to begin with. I had to read several chapters before it started to ebb and flow together. Pretty good story.
June 10, 2015
First book i've read of this series, not realizing ahead of time there are others lol. I enjoy the setting of this book, a charming seaside town with secrets.
June 28, 2023
Mary's friend Susan who owns Sweet Susan's Bakery Shop burns down. The fire was started on purpose. Is Susan's husband, Ryan who may or not be cheating on Susan the one who started the fire? Or is it Carol who complained about the frosting and a cupcake, she ate at the bakery? Or could it be Tyson, Jimmy's nephew who was very abrupt with Susan when she pointed out he gave her the wrong amount of change back when she made a purchase? Later, Mary sees Tyson using a flammable liquid by a shed outside his uncle's store. Also, Mary saw a black car with a man driving and a blonde haired woman in the passenger seat right before the fire started. Was the woman Carol, or the woman, Ryan is supposedly seeing? Read the book to find out who burned the bakery down. And does Susan get to reopen her bakery?
January 23, 2019
Mary was stretched to the limit with this one. Between the bookstore, helping her sister Betty and these learning annexes she's helping with her next door neighbor's bakery catches fire. When the investigation turns up arson, Mary sets out to find the sweet shop hating monster. Faced with multiple suspects Mary begins to question if she can figure this mystery out without losing a friend in the process.
June 5, 2020
Overall this is a fantastic series! The characters are quirky and fun, and relatable. I really enjoy reading book series that are light, funny, and share much needed lessons. Set in an idyllic setting, I can picture it clearly due to the all the details provided. All of the books in the series hold my attention - I don't want to put them down until I know how the mystery ends!
September 22, 2023
Being the first book I read in this series, I missed all the connections to the abundant name-dropping.
Obvious clues led to the arsonist long before the end of the story. Multiple suspects enhanced the plot. Greene's side stories added interest. Reminders to be people of faith abounded. This novel showcased some genuinely good people.
Obvious clues led to the arsonist long before the end of the story. Multiple suspects enhanced the plot. Greene's side stories added interest. Reminders to be people of faith abounded. This novel showcased some genuinely good people.
June 27, 2025
This was my first book to read in the Secrets of Mary's Bookshop series recommended by my local bookshop. I wanted an easy, "fluff", read to zone out with after a long day. This book delivered a cozy mystery, likable characters, and good Christian values. Some of the story line was slow and a little predictable but it checked all my boxes for the type of book I was looking for.
April 28, 2021
Another title could be: "honor your calling" this was on a banner used st Grace church and many people (like me) discovered that "doing God's will--even sitting in an audience being "supportive" can at that time honor him"
November 18, 2018
I enjoy Carolyn Greene's descriptions on everything. Also, the different relationships: Mary & her sister, Tyson's love for his sister, Susan & her husband.
July 9, 2019
Wonderful characters and many suspects to choose from. A great summer read.
October 5, 2020
Great easy read. Good murder mystery
June 28, 2013
#10--No rest for Mary, her detective skills and prayers are needed when the neighboring Sweet Susan's Bakery catches on fire. The Captain even has to arrest the owner's husband when a local teen looks just as guilty.
262 pages
262 pages
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February 2, 2015Once. again Mary solves the mystery.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews