Under The Apple Tree

Whistle Stop Cafe Mysteries #1

by Gabrielle Meyer

What happened to Eleanor?

Through a miraculous turn of events, Debbie buys a fixer-upper craftsman-style home near the historic train depot. When she uncovers an old Victrola and a crate filled with WWII-era memorabilia, she pays a visit to Raymond, the longtime former homeowner. Among the items is a recording of a woman singing, "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" with a handwritten label that says To Ray, With Love, Eleanor. Seeing it brings tears to the WWII veteran's eyes and he pleads with Debbie to help him figure out Eleanor's mysterious disappearance before he returned home from WWII.

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Gabrielle Meyer grew up above a carriage house on a historic estate near the banks of the Mississippi River, imagining real and make-believe stories about the occupants who had lived there. She went on to work for the Minnesota Historical Society and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River, not far from where she grew up, with her husband and four children. By day, she’s a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and non-fiction filled with hope. Learn more about Gabrielle and her writing by visiting www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the series!

[Becka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of what made this a 5-star book for me is the way that Meyer hit the mail on the head telling the history of my hometown, Dennison. I enjoyed both the modern day and historical timelines, which is not typical for me. I’m not a book cryer, but the scene in West Virginia really was emotional!
While Dennison is not quite as idyllic in real life as it is in the book (Unfortunately, our doctors do not make house calls lol), it is a small town with historical importance. So, if you want to spend the night in the Pullman Car B&B at the depot, come and see us!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational cozy mystery about two friends who are opening a cafe in a small town in Ohio. It’s almost a dual timeline story with flashbacks to the busy train depot during WWII and the disappearance of a young woman who promised to wait for her soldier’s return.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dennison, OH

This takes place in the present and the 1940's. There isn't a lot of mystery. There is a lot of romance. I was hoping it would be the opposite. It was a sweet story about lost love and second chances.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Under the Apple Tree is such a sweet cozy mystery!
Many elements of the story were lovable, especially the kind, hardworking main character Debbie and the setting that was easy to envision and get swept up in. The writing style is very simplistic, and the pacing is a tiny bit slow, but I enjoyed it. As someone who spent a large portion of their childhood in a small town, I love all the small-town feels, even if it's a bit unrealistic.

As for the mystery itself, it was low stakes and very much cozy. It centers around a senior member of the community, Ray, and his long-lost love from the WW2 era who seemed to disappear without a trace while he was away. Debbie and her friends investigate the decades old mystery while learning more about the history of the town.
To me, it didn't feel very much like an actual mystery to me, and the solution of her disappearance was a tiny bit frustrating. Clues and information seemed to very conveniently fall in Debbie's lap, which happens in all mysteries to some extent, but it felt a bit too often here.

Overall, I like the characters and setting a lot, so I plan on continuing this series. It's a sweet, cozy treat that's easy to read!

[Katie (kt_readz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun start to a new series that I am going to devour! The mystery of this one immediately grabbed me, and I devoured this story to see how the mystery was going to play out. I enjoyed the WW2 elements and I love the fact that at least some of the series will have mysteries with ties to WW2. This story really reminded me of a long-time favorite song of mine "What Might Have Been" by Little Texas. Really cute story and I can't wait for more of this series.

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Albright returns to her hometown of Dennison, Ohio. With her friend Janet she opens the Whistle Stop Cafe in the old train depot. The depot was one of the canteens that troops passed thru during WWII. Debbie bought Ray Zink's house, Ray served in the war. When Debbie finds an old phonograph it sets off the search to solve a mystery. Gabrielle Meyer wrote Under The Apple Tree in which there are snippets of history and the story of a train depot that served in the war. You'll be introduced to the citizens of Dennison and fall in love with Dennison and it's inhabitants.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does a book ever make you smile at the end and make glad you read it? That's what this book did for me.

I first wanted to read it due to the location of the Dennison train depot. I have never visited but have heard of and hope to see one day. It's a great setting and gives tribute to the Greatest Generation while dealing with modern day life and characters. There's a mystery at play and some genuinely nice people.
I look forward to reading the next book.

[Sheila McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. It begins a series about a former train station and brings you back to when it was a stop off for WWII. This part is the historical part and I learned much about what took place during that time period. There's a lot of good romance in there as well. If you're into reading about the WWII time period, I'd recomment this book.

[Debby Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me crying happy tears. The characters were well developed and the narrative was easy to follow. This book shows how WWII separated so many young people in love, but I liked that the mystery had a satisfying ending. This book is rich in WWII historical detail and I enjoyed learning about a real place, Dennison, Ohio, and the train depot there.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good, Debbie starts a cafe in an old train depot and moves into an old house. She finds letter written during WWII about the depot and a romance. The man she bought the house from has spent his lifetime looking for his lost love and Debbie sets out to find out what happened to her.

[Tarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet romance... a few decades in the making! A wartime fling turned into a lifetime.

I love the dual timelines! And such attention to detail! Quite a bit of historical interest has been added into this book. I'm intrigued to find out what the next book in the series would be like.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the series was very enjoyable. The tie into World War II history was the draw for me. The transitions from the past to the present were smoothly done. The characters introduced to us were a nice blend of ages and personalities. I can't wait for the next one.

[Carla Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this new series!

[Leahna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a bit tired of people constantly having tears in their eyes, but the story was good overall.

[Christine Barth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to have a cozy that wasn't about a dead body. I found the climax scene more sad than romantic but overall I will be reading further in the series.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book... Loved every word

[Mira S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good clean book! Sweet love mystery.

[Karen ReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

WW2 cozy historical fiction centered on the troop trains that stopped at the Salvation Army canteens which were run by volunteers.

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight to read! Anyone who loves history especially the WWII era and the 1940s - 1950s will enjoy this! I loved it!

[Rebecca Kleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book with a mystery to solve. It goes back and forth between being the present and telling a story from the past. There story kept me guessing.

[Rebekah Rogier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely for mystery history lovers. It delves deep into personal experience of WWII while linking to a modern mystery.

[Laura Jean Potter-Bucek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed everything about this book! I love literally everything about this book! I loved the characters and love story!

[Marits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet cozy Christian mystery