Nowhere to be Found

Secrets of the Blue Hill Library Book #1

by Emily Thomas

While converting the Victorian home left by her great-aunt Edie into a library, Anne Gibson stumbles upon a fascinating find. Hidden behind an old star quilt is a tiny sealed-off room with a small writing desk and a faded photograph of Edie in a wedding gown. Anne is certain Aunt Edie never married, so who is the handsome young man with her in the photograph? Could he still hold claim to the house bequeathed to Anne?

As Anne sets out to solve the mystery, she makes delightful new friends and runs into old ones - including a high school sweetheart who might not be happy that the woman who broke his heart is back in town.

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Christian, Adult Fiction

276 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Emily Thomas was born in London, and has lived there most of her life – except between the ages of 13 and 18 when she lived in Maldon in Essex on board a Thames Sailing Barge, with her family of seven assorted siblings and stepsiblings and two warring cats. Emily also works as an editor of many different kinds of books, including children’s and young adult fiction. She now lives in Brixton, with no pets and a lot of books.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“While converting the Victorian home left by her great-aunt Edie into a library, Anne Gibson stumbles upon a fascinating find. Hidden behind an old star quilt is a tiny sealed-off room with a small writing desk and a faded photograph of Edie in a wedding gown. Anne is certain Aunt Edie never married, so who is the handsome young man with her in the photograph? Could he still hold claim to the house bequeathed to Anne?
As Anne sets out to solve the mystery, she makes delightful new friends and runs into old ones - including a high school sweetheart who might not be happy that the woman who broke his heart is back in town.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Secrets of the Blue Library” series.


Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; A couple ‘Praise the Lord’s; Bible reading; Scriptures are read, quoted & remembered; Church going, sermons & hymns; Talks about God, His plan & trusting; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of prayers; Many mentions of churches, church going, a reverend, sermons, & Sunday School; Mentions of God; Mentions of relationships with God & deeps faiths; A few mentions of those in the Bible & lessons on them; A few mentions of Christmas; A few mentions of Easter; A couple mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of a Catholic priest; A mention of a mission trip.


Negative Content- Mentions of blood, a bloody nose & punching someone (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of pain & a broken bone (barley-above-not-detailed); Mentions of divorces; Mentions of gossip; A few mentions of deaths & a car accident; A few mentions of jail.


Sexual Content- A tiny bit of noticing; Mentions of falling/being in love & a romance story/diary; A few mentions of a 93-year-old ladies’ man (just a sweet gentleman. ;) ); A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of touches (barley-above-not-detailed); A mention of a cheek.

-Anne Gibson, age 34
P.O.V. of Anne
265 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star (and a half)
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
This really was such a cute book! Not truly a heavy mystery (no murder at all) and it was so enjoyable. This cover is adorable (cuter in person ;)) and this really was such a nice, relaxing read.


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.

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute mystery! Has a good Christian influence in the plot, with scriptures used throughout.

The story starts with Anne, mother of two (widowed), inheriting her aunt's Victorian house. The only stipulation? She must transform the house into a library for the Blue Hill community. (What perfection!)

Next, Anne stumbles upon a mystery hidden away in the house. A mystery eclipsed by history. A single photograph leads Anne on quite a journey to find the truth.

Meant to be enjoyed by adults, but it's so sweet, I wouldn't mind handing it over to a pre-teen to read.

Can't wait to read more in this series!

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and easy read with a good mystery. Perfect for bedside reading while my mom is in the hospital. Look forward to more stories in this series.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I will be honest and say I didn't expect much from it. My sister-in-law gave it to me and said it was really good. It is a book suitable for just about anyone, as it is based on Christian based principles. I love that it takes place in a big, old Victorian home that is getting ready to be renovated and the bottom floor and part of the second floor are becoming the town library. The house holds a secret, which I can't give away without spoiling the story. I read this book quickly as it kept my interest throughout the whole story.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book of this new-to-me series.

I finished the series Tales from Grace Chapel Inn by Guideposts. I started the series with Back Home Again (Tales from Grace Chapel Inn, #1) on May 28, 2011 and finished the last book Christmas Traditions at Grace Chapel Inn (Tales from Grace Chapel Inn, #49) on June 15, 2019. Just over 8 years of reading and I enjoyed each and every one of the 49 books in the series. My daughter and husband bought me 2 books in the Secrets of the Blue Hill Library series for Christmas 2018. However, they bought me books #7 and #8 without knowing it. There were no numbers on the books. They knew I had enjoyed the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn series and was coming to an end of them, and I was sad to be doing so, so they bought me a new series to start. Most of the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn series, luckily, were part of our huge DE library system so I could borrow them. The Secrets of Blue Hill Library are not in our library system at all. Maybe I will recommend them?? They are about a library after all and are wonderful Christian Fiction books. Luckily you can get used, in great condition, books from this series on Amazon. So, I bought myself the first 3 books of the series. I hope to get more as gifts and buy some myself as needed as I progress through the series.

I love the picture of the 3 story Queen Ann Victorian home on the cover of the first book. It draws you right in! Again we have wonderful characters that you would be glad to live with in the little fictional town of Blue Hill in the hills of Pennsylvania, not far from where I grew up, and not far from the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn setting of Acorn Hill. :-) I love the idea of a small library in an old home in a small town. That would be a DREAM job for me.... running it or working in it!

I love the spiritual emphasis of the book and the way their faith is weaved into their lives... just like in real life. It is not just somewhere to go on Sunday is is a person to be relied upon every day of your life.
"She used to have Eric to talk to whenever the kids had problems. Now she was on her own and so concerned about doing or saying the wrong thing. After she prepared for bed, she turned to God for His help, praying softly for several minutes.
She climbed into bed and reached for her Bible instead of Edie's manuscript. Reading some of her favorite passages always gave her comfort. Anne turned to the book of Colossians and began to read out loud from chapter three, starting at verse fifteen.
'Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.' (Colossians 3:15-16, NIV) {This is an error in the book... it is actually verses 15-17, oops!}
A peace settled over her as she read the words again, knowing God had blessed her so richly, and comforted by the knowledge that He would never leave her." pg 89-90

Times at church can be good too. A good pastor giving forth the words of the Lord with Love can be a wonderful support through life.
"Her gaze moved to Reverend Tom, who stood at the pulpit, his deep melodious voice sounding over the speaker system. His sermon today about accepting God's plan in our lives had touched her deeply. There had been times when she'd resisted God's plan or even rebelled against it. But through the years, she'd come to see that his plan did have purpose-even if she didn't always understand it." (pg 116-117)

One other thing I wanted to share was a quote from someone that the author included in her book. I am not sure who this author is or where the quote comes from but I plan on doing some research on that. It is a quote I want heartily agree with and one that I want to live by.
"When they reached the Non-fiction Room on the first floor, Anne pointed out the quotes sh'd chosen to go on the wall. 'This one is my favorite,' she said, pointing to the quote by John Burroughs, which was inscribed on the wall directly in front of them. 'I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.'" (pg 257)

I highly recommend this new series if you are looking for some wonderful, light Christian reading for your summer!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I use these types of books as a in-between read. What I mean by that is when I have been reading a series or a I'm reading a lot of one genre. It's just nice to have a quick sweet read that isn't full of violence or romance to clear your mind of your last read and get you ready for the next one.

I'm giving in explanation for why I read these types of books, in order to let you know why I rated this at a three instead of lower, which is what I might have done if I didn't use this as a in-between book.

Now onto the actual review.
The main character has recently moved back to her small town from the big city and is trying to turn her aunts old house into a library (which was her aunts wish). This seems like an amazing thing to so many of us. One problem though is that her aunt had a secret, one that could make her lose the library and everything that she had left the city for.

Overall I really enjoyed this read. The mystery itself was a nice one and I will admit thought it was going to end different than it did. The people who did know about the mystery refused to talk about it, which while frustrating was also understandable, but made everything seem far more sinister than it needed to be.
There was no romance to speak of (something may be starting between two characters, but it's to early to say). The main characters love for her children was so sweet and just really nice to read. The children themselves were fairly realistic most of the time.
As for the actual library itself being made, it was so interesting to see it happening and some of the process that goes in to making one. While this is a small town library the amount of money, time and effort that went in to making it, and will continue to go into it is truly astounding to me.

Give me a few more weeks and I am sure I will have read the next book in the series.

Had no idea this series was actually by a group of authors working together. Interested to see how this works throughout the series.

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[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been looking for a cozy mystery book forever! I finally found one! I didn't want to put this one down. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a mystery story without a murder. This will definitely be your book! Can't wait to read the next in the series!

[Jamie (The Kansan Reader)]

I don't really want to DNF, but I don't want to pick this up either.

I am 155 pages in and I could not care less. The "mystery" is nothing I care about. There isn't anything that is keeping me engaged. Anne is going through day-by-day activities while trying to figure out her aunt's past. At first, it was something I was looking forward to but there is literally nothing going on. It's just her trying to identify someone.

Again, I hate to DNF, but there is nothing that is keeping me in the story.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable Christian fiction book. Widow Anne inherits a Victorian house with the stipulation that she open part of it as a public library. While redoing the house she finds a secret room with a picture of her aunt in a wedding dress. As far as Anne knows her aunt had never married. No one seems to know who the man is in the picture or that her aunt was married. Adding interest to the story is Anne’s furnishing the library, taking care of her kids and making new friends.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wholesome story, simply written.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The renovations were interesting, and the part of the story that I most liked. I liked the transformation of the house and that it includes a public library. I was expecting there to be some romance, but there were hints of one to come later. The mystery was intriguing, but it was frustrating that one of the characters made things too difficult for the main character. Also, I thought it would have a different ending.

[Kaye Wingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in a series I've never heard of, so had to check them out.
These appear to be more of a Christian mystery series.
I really enjoyed the first book and look forward to reading some of the others.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irresistibly drawn to series that combines creating a library in a renovated house plus a cozy mystery. A wonderful, undemanding read that combines Christian values with a well-paced plot.

Anne, a single mother raising two children, takes on the task of fulfilling her aunt’s bequest to renovate her Victorian house into a town library. In between ordering books, furniture, and dealing with settling her family into her former hometown, Anne discovers her beloved aunt had been hiding a secret all her life and Anne is determined to solve the mystery.

[Flora Camille Lynette Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book and the characters and the laughs and drama and mystery. I came across this series by chance and accident and I am so glad I did can't wait to keep going and diving deeper into the Blue Hill Library Family 💙

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. The pace was extremely slow and the main character shallow. I liked the mystery element, although it could have gone at a much faster pace.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice Christian mystery, but I expected there to be a romantic element based on the plot summary.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 in this cozy series published by Guideposts introduces us to Anne Gibson who is renovating the home that she has inherited from her great aunt Edie into a community library. Anne is a widow with two children and still grieving the death of her husband. While exploring the big old house, she discovers a secret room with a portrait of her great Aunt Edie in a wedding dress with her groom next to her. She embarks on solving the mystery of her aunt’s secret marriage, because to her and the families knowledge, the woman never married.
I enjoyed reading how Anne renovated this beautiful old Queen Anne home into a library and my only complaint is that the mystery of the aunt’s possible marriage moved along pretty slowly. I loved the ending when the library opens to the public and a surprise gift is delivered. Almost choked me up.
* I loved this quote that Anne put on the library wall:
“ I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”
By John Burroughs

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: squeaky clean, not a lot of suspense, some interesting interpersonal development.

Cons: slow, a little dull if you’re used to typical mystery books, and the characters and storyline read as two dimensional. Realized afterwards that pen name Emily Thomas is assigned to a group of authors, so maybe the lack of vibrancy and rich storytelling can be explained by the fact that this world was developed by several authors together.

A few annoying “follow your heart” references that are as trite and opposite to what the Bible actually teaches about the human heart condition as one can get.

Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it to someone looking for a cozy, low suspense, no romance read? Yes.

Will likely grab another book in the series to see if the storyline improves at all.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I really enjoyed that.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book, but just knowing that "Library" was included in the series title, I had a feeling I would love it. And I did.

Anne does exactly what I would do were I gifted a gorgeous Victorian mansion - she makes it into a library. Not only that, she explores every nook and cranny of the house, eventually stumbling upon a mystery that she feels she must solve. Yep, I feel you, girl.

I really enjoyed this book. It was quick (I read the majority in about two hours, which is really fast for me), and felt a lot like a Hallmark movie (without quite so much romance). The kids were adorable, I related to Anne a lot (like I said), and I will definitely be picking up the next one.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Gibson, a widow from New York City, moves back to her hometown of Blue Hill, in Pennsylvania, to turn her great-aunt's house, that she inherited, into a home and library. While renovating the house, she and her high school sweetheart, Alex, find a photograph of her great-aunt in a wedding dress and Annie is certain her aunt did not get married. Anne starts to investigate and meets several people along the way, one of which is Wendy Pyle, who is the mother of seven children.

Anne also has two small children; Liddie, who is five and Ben who is nine. Liddie adjusts better than Ben. Ben finally makes friends with a boy named Ryan and some of Wendy's sons and Liddie makes friends with Wendy's youngest daughters. The kids start school and going to church with their mom and make more friends at both places.

Anyone who likes to read mysteries, chick books, books written in a Christian point of view, and serials should enjoy this book.

This book can be read by anyone.

[Jacquie Stricklind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! Anne Gibson inherits an Victorian house from her Aunt, who asks her to turn part of it into a library which works out well for Anne and her two children, Ben and Liddie. Anne has to have the building renovated to be a library and living quarters, while working in a hidden room, Anne finds a photo of her Aunt that is clearly a wedding photo, she is very surprised because as far as she knew her Aunt had never married, so she tries to find out who the man is in the picture. Meanwhile, she is connecting with people she knew from growing up in Blue Hill and getting her children ready to start a new school. Will Anne find out who the mystery man is? Read the book to find out.

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

Anne Gibson had moved back home to Blue Hill, Pennsylvania. Her Great-Aunt Edie has left her beautiful home to Anne with the requirement that part of the home be turned into a town library. Anne couldn't be more excited.

During the renovations Anne stumbles upon a secret room and the secret it holds ... a wedding photo of her Great-Aunt and a mysterious gentleman. Funny though...her aunt was never married...it was she?

Even though this wasn't the normal cozy-mystery, full of murder and crime, it was still enjoyable. This is more of a cozy-warming-of-the-heart and was fun to read and was a perfect way to spend my Saturday. Definitely looking forward to continuing this series.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got started, I couldn't put it down. This book is simply wonderful start to the series. I enjoy the mystery of a found item and the search for its history. A delightful change from murder and mayhem. The added facts of a family and faith-based mystery series is very appealing. The journey begins with a woman and her children as they begin a new life together in Blue Hill. Tasked with opening a library in her aunt's former home is the basis for the story line. You meet the residents of town and a see the library come to life. A new adventure begins.
A well written first book. I am hooked.

[Sarah A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery about a single mom who inherits a house and money to repurpose it into the town library. Nice twists and nice flowing style. I was a little bit dubious how much sleuthing she’d really get done with her two kids in tow and a library to rebuild but the author found nice excuses for the kids to be elsewhere!

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! Anne gets to do something some of us, myself included only dream of... and that's running her own library! 😊 Along with getting the library operational, Anne's wonderful Aunt left her a mystery (I feel she left the picture and writing for Anne to find). While solving the mystery Anne gets in touch with old friends and meets new ones.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for enjoying a simple every day life mystery. The town is one of those I hope exists somewhere outside of fiction, but I wonder if it's a creation of fiction. However, it's one that I think most wish they could escape to at least for a little while or until the cons started to show themselves. This is a good book for those wanting an enjoyable yet non-stressful read.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, easy Christian mystery with interesting characters. I liked reading about the renovation of an old home into a library. The mystery was interesting, but I thought Mildred could've just told Anne what happened since her aunt was dead. But then Anne wouldn't have met some interesting people. I had actually read several books in this series before this one so it was great reading the first one.

[La Crescent Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Gibson, a widow and mother of two young children, inherits her Great Aunt's house. The house is turned into a library for the town of Blue Hill. Anne helps to solve mysteries that develop.

It's an easy to read cozy mystery series.

~Judy

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowhere to be Found is a sweet small town story above love, friendships and living a full and blessed life despite loss and disappointments. If you like small town stories with a side of mystery, I think you will enjoy this one.