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Mysteries of Blackberry Valley #1
Where There's Smoke
Hannah Prentiss has barely opened the doors of the Hot Spot, her new restaurant in Blackberry Valley's old firehouse, when she receives a lukewarm review from a local food critic. She's determined to prove him wrong―and to prove to herself that she has what it takes to run a successful business.
But then Hannah hears about a fire in the home of her friend, Miriam Spencer. She doesn't hesitate to reach out and help, along with other members of her church's women's group. During the cleanup process, Hannah discovers a secret compartment under the scorched floorboards of Miriam's living room.
Inside is an exquisite ruby brooch that Miriam and her son claim to know nothing about. But there's evidence that somebody in Blackberry Valley does. As Hannah works to discover the origin of the brooch, she finds secrets that have been buried at least as long as it has. But what will be the cost of revealing them?
But then Hannah hears about a fire in the home of her friend, Miriam Spencer. She doesn't hesitate to reach out and help, along with other members of her church's women's group. During the cleanup process, Hannah discovers a secret compartment under the scorched floorboards of Miriam's living room.
Inside is an exquisite ruby brooch that Miriam and her son claim to know nothing about. But there's evidence that somebody in Blackberry Valley does. As Hannah works to discover the origin of the brooch, she finds secrets that have been buried at least as long as it has. But what will be the cost of revealing them?
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 3, 2025
98 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Laura Bradford
58 books882 followersAka Elizabeth Lynn Casey.
While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend's house nearly forty years ago, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil.
Those early attempts at the craft had her writing and illustrating stories for young children. Wise beyond her years, Laura saved her first writing attempt in a hand decorated shoe box (complete with sparkly stickers) and moved on to her next idea. Her second book—O’Casey’s Wish—was so utterly brilliant, she sent it off to a well-known New York publishing house at the tender age of ten, confident she was on the verge of becoming the next Don Freeman (Corduroy) or Shel Silverstein (Giving Tree).
Months later, she received her first form letter rejection.
While she wasn’t of the mindset to save that first crushing blow for posterity, Laura did save the original copy of this particular literary masterpiece in the event the letter was a mistake.
Desperate to prove her flexibility as a writer, Laura soon found herself dabbling in jokes (for her Girl Scout troop’s newsletter), stories of angst (a somewhat autobiographical look at her teenage years), movie reviews (for the Xavier University Newswire), and countless news and feature articles (for newspapers in CT, SC, TN, and MO).
It wasn’t until Laura was home raising children of her own though, that she was finally able to dust off that rainy day dream and bring it back to its original form—writing fiction. Today, she is a bestselling mystery author with Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin Publishing), and an award winning romance author with Harlequin American. She lives in New York with her family.
Oh, and if you meet Laura at a book event in the future, ask her about O’Casey’s Wish. It tends to travel with her everywhere she goes.
While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend's house nearly forty years ago, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil.
Those early attempts at the craft had her writing and illustrating stories for young children. Wise beyond her years, Laura saved her first writing attempt in a hand decorated shoe box (complete with sparkly stickers) and moved on to her next idea. Her second book—O’Casey’s Wish—was so utterly brilliant, she sent it off to a well-known New York publishing house at the tender age of ten, confident she was on the verge of becoming the next Don Freeman (Corduroy) or Shel Silverstein (Giving Tree).
Months later, she received her first form letter rejection.
While she wasn’t of the mindset to save that first crushing blow for posterity, Laura did save the original copy of this particular literary masterpiece in the event the letter was a mistake.
Desperate to prove her flexibility as a writer, Laura soon found herself dabbling in jokes (for her Girl Scout troop’s newsletter), stories of angst (a somewhat autobiographical look at her teenage years), movie reviews (for the Xavier University Newswire), and countless news and feature articles (for newspapers in CT, SC, TN, and MO).
It wasn’t until Laura was home raising children of her own though, that she was finally able to dust off that rainy day dream and bring it back to its original form—writing fiction. Today, she is a bestselling mystery author with Berkley Prime Crime (Penguin Publishing), and an award winning romance author with Harlequin American. She lives in New York with her family.
Oh, and if you meet Laura at a book event in the future, ask her about O’Casey’s Wish. It tends to travel with her everywhere she goes.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 1, 2025
4 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Cozy Mystery (no murder)
About this book:
“Hannah Prentiss has barely opened the doors of the Hot Spot, her new restaurant in Blackberry Valley's old firehouse, when she receives a lukewarm review from a local food critic. She's determined to prove him wrong―and to prove to herself that she has what it takes to run a successful business.
But then Hannah hears about a fire in the home of her friend, Miriam Spencer. She doesn't hesitate to reach out and help, along with other members of her church's women's group. During the cleanup process, Hannah discovers a secret compartment under the scorched floorboards of Miriam's living room.
Inside is an exquisite ruby brooch that Miriam and her son claim to know nothing about. But there's evidence that somebody in Blackberry Valley does. As Hannah works to discover the origin of the brooch, she finds secrets that have been buried at least as long as it has. But what will be the cost of revealing them?”
Series: Book #1 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series.
Spiritual Content- A Scripture is mentioned and quoted; A prayer; Church going; Mentions of God & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising and thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, services, & church groups; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of a Christmas pageant; A mention of streaming a church service;
*Note: The phrase "for heaven’s sake" is said once; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of fate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘oh my word’; Some eye rolling; Some grief (Hannah for her late mother); All about & many mentions of stolen items, stealing, & thieves; All about & many mentions of fires, damage, how they can start, and possible arson; Mentions of deaths (including from a sickness and a car accident) & grief (including Hannah for her late mother & a young boy for his mother); Mentions of intruders; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of smoking & cigarettes;
*Note: Mentions of books, authors, & fictional characters (including a couple of quotes; ‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Little House’ by Virginia Lee Burton, Sherlock Homes, Hercule Poirot, Batman, & Nancy Drew); Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of a group & song (the Dixie Cups); A mention of an actor (Warren Beatty); A mention of a brand name (Henley).
Sexual Content- Seeing a married couple kiss (no details); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Reading a journal with entries about the writer falling in love; Hannah says she’s too busy with the restaurant to even think about dating when her dad asks her about it (twice); Mentions of dates, dating, cute/handsome guys, crushes, & flirting; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of girls swooning over an actor.
-Hannah Prentiss, age 35
P.O.V. of Hannah
260 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Like every beginning book of a Guideposts cozy mystery series, this first book has a lot of characters we’re introduced to as the world of this book. So I definitely made use of the search feature in my Kindle while reading this book and recommend doing that as well if you need help keeping everyone straight!
I really liked our main character, Hannah, even if she felt a bit too much like a Hallmark armchair sleuth at times, haha! Some of her questioning and actions reminded me of those movies, which wasn’t my favorite, but I did like her overall.
There’s already the start of a potential light romance and I’m really excited to see where it goes as the series continues.
I do think the culprit of the mystery was a wee bit obvious, but as an avid mystery reader, it’s rare for an ending to take me by surprise. All in all, I enjoyed the start to this new series!
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.
About this book:
“Hannah Prentiss has barely opened the doors of the Hot Spot, her new restaurant in Blackberry Valley's old firehouse, when she receives a lukewarm review from a local food critic. She's determined to prove him wrong―and to prove to herself that she has what it takes to run a successful business.
But then Hannah hears about a fire in the home of her friend, Miriam Spencer. She doesn't hesitate to reach out and help, along with other members of her church's women's group. During the cleanup process, Hannah discovers a secret compartment under the scorched floorboards of Miriam's living room.
Inside is an exquisite ruby brooch that Miriam and her son claim to know nothing about. But there's evidence that somebody in Blackberry Valley does. As Hannah works to discover the origin of the brooch, she finds secrets that have been buried at least as long as it has. But what will be the cost of revealing them?”
Series: Book #1 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series.
Spiritual Content- A Scripture is mentioned and quoted; A prayer; Church going; Mentions of God & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising and thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, services, & church groups; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of a Christmas pageant; A mention of streaming a church service;
*Note: The phrase "for heaven’s sake" is said once; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of fate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘oh my word’; Some eye rolling; Some grief (Hannah for her late mother); All about & many mentions of stolen items, stealing, & thieves; All about & many mentions of fires, damage, how they can start, and possible arson; Mentions of deaths (including from a sickness and a car accident) & grief (including Hannah for her late mother & a young boy for his mother); Mentions of intruders; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of smoking & cigarettes;
*Note: Mentions of books, authors, & fictional characters (including a couple of quotes; ‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Little House’ by Virginia Lee Burton, Sherlock Homes, Hercule Poirot, Batman, & Nancy Drew); Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of a group & song (the Dixie Cups); A mention of an actor (Warren Beatty); A mention of a brand name (Henley).
Sexual Content- Seeing a married couple kiss (no details); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Reading a journal with entries about the writer falling in love; Hannah says she’s too busy with the restaurant to even think about dating when her dad asks her about it (twice); Mentions of dates, dating, cute/handsome guys, crushes, & flirting; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of girls swooning over an actor.
-Hannah Prentiss, age 35
P.O.V. of Hannah
260 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Like every beginning book of a Guideposts cozy mystery series, this first book has a lot of characters we’re introduced to as the world of this book. So I definitely made use of the search feature in my Kindle while reading this book and recommend doing that as well if you need help keeping everyone straight!
I really liked our main character, Hannah, even if she felt a bit too much like a Hallmark armchair sleuth at times, haha! Some of her questioning and actions reminded me of those movies, which wasn’t my favorite, but I did like her overall.
There’s already the start of a potential light romance and I’m really excited to see where it goes as the series continues.
I do think the culprit of the mystery was a wee bit obvious, but as an avid mystery reader, it’s rare for an ending to take me by surprise. All in all, I enjoyed the start to this new series!
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.
June 2, 2025
This is really a lovely start to a new series. I could picture Blackberry Valley immediately with all its small town charm. Hannah is a wonderful MC with warmth, depth, and intelligent determination. I love the whole idea of a restaurant in an old fire station, of course I once lived in an old one room schoolhouse, as well as the fact that Hannah had obviously done her homework and actually knows how to run her business. When she joins her fellow church ladies to help a neighbor who recently had a small house fire, she makes a startling discovery, a ruby broach hidden away under the floorboards. When she makes a connection and realizes the broach is the one stolen from a friend's grandmother over 60 years ago, can she figure out what happened and how the broach came to be hidden away? This is a nice story about community at its best. I will be interested to see how this series continues to develop as I am now invested in Hannah, her restaurant and staff, as well as her family and friends.
September 30, 2025
What a good cozy read!!! I had no idea this was Christian, but I was so happy when it turned out to be! I enjoyed this book a lot! The beginning is a bit slow, but the rest makes up for it lol
Plus, there were so many twists and turns that had me IN IT for hours at a time!
I would’ve read it faster if I wasn’t so busy 😂
5 ⭐️!
Plus, there were so many twists and turns that had me IN IT for hours at a time!
I would’ve read it faster if I wasn’t so busy 😂
5 ⭐️!
September 10, 2025
Good start to another Guideposts Cozy series I know I will enjoy. I like the cast of characters for this one and the small town, restaurant setting for the series. The mystery was interesting with a bit of a surprise ending. Enjoyed
August 18, 2025
Readers of Guideposts fiction publications will enjoy WHERE THERE’S SMOKE by Laura Bradford. Hannah Prentiss returns home after living in the big city to open her own restaurant. It’s a delightful way to meet the town’s residents and a delicious way to begin a series.
If you want your inspirational read to have a mystery to solve, hint at romance with small town setting, then get comfy on your couch with the first in A BLACKBERRY VALLEY MYSTERY series.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
If you want your inspirational read to have a mystery to solve, hint at romance with small town setting, then get comfy on your couch with the first in A BLACKBERRY VALLEY MYSTERY series.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
May 26, 2025
I wouldn’t normally have read this book since I don’t really care for a strong religious thread in my cozy mysteries but I haven’t been disappointed by anything I’ve read by Laura Bradford and this book was no exception. I liked the characters, especially Hannah and Lacey. Although the religious element was present it didn’t overwhelm the story. And it was nice to read a mystery that didn’t revolve around a murder.
June 23, 2025
BlackBerry Valley Book 1
Hannah has opened a restaurant in her hometown in the old firehouse called The Hot Spot. There is a mystery surrounding a house fire in town. Though it's an accident an odd thing occurred a ruby brooch was found under the floorboards of the house. Hannah begins to investigate the history of the house. Love the characters of this delightful Christian mystery.
Hannah has opened a restaurant in her hometown in the old firehouse called The Hot Spot. There is a mystery surrounding a house fire in town. Though it's an accident an odd thing occurred a ruby brooch was found under the floorboards of the house. Hannah begins to investigate the history of the house. Love the characters of this delightful Christian mystery.
July 5, 2025
Excellent!
Like all of the other books I have read by Laura Bradford, I found myself trying to read slow, so I could make it last. And I failed. It pulled me in immediately and I didn’t want to stop until I had finished it. Hannah immediately felt like a long lost friend, and the town immediately became someplace that I would like to visit. It was an amazing book and I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
Like all of the other books I have read by Laura Bradford, I found myself trying to read slow, so I could make it last. And I failed. It pulled me in immediately and I didn’t want to stop until I had finished it. Hannah immediately felt like a long lost friend, and the town immediately became someplace that I would like to visit. It was an amazing book and I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
July 30, 2025
Goodness, I adored this book! I went into it not knowing too much about it, but thinking it would be fun to read a book where the main character’s name was Hannah and I’m so glad I did! The dialogue was fantastic, and I loved the restaurant element, the baby goats, the Christian faith content, and the mystery element was intriguing. The ending I didn’t see coming at all! Also, Liam seems like such a cool guy! Can’t wait to read book 2 in the series!
July 30, 2025
After reading the fourth book in this series, I decided to go back and start at the beginning. I really enjoyed book 1, and plan to continue reading the series as it's available. The characters are great, and the pacing of the mystery is just right. The dual timelines are handled a little differently that in some similar books, but still adds to the overall plot line.
December 1, 2025
Unsure
Love this author, but not sure how I feel about this book. I'll give the second book a try. I'm hoping this series will grow on me.
The mystery was interesting especially since it didn't involve murder. It was fun to "meet" new characters and a new town. I just didn't feel the mystery kept my interest.
Love this author, but not sure how I feel about this book. I'll give the second book a try. I'm hoping this series will grow on me.
The mystery was interesting especially since it didn't involve murder. It was fun to "meet" new characters and a new town. I just didn't feel the mystery kept my interest.
June 10, 2025
I liked this book for the most part but the ending seemed a little abrupt. However, since it's part of a series, that could have been on purpose. If you like mysteries without a lot of blood and gore you'll like this one.
June 10, 2025
I enjoyed this book, although it is not a murder mystery. The mystery here settles on a thing and the why and how of it. Although it was different from what I expected, this was a good book, extablishing the characters and community for the series.
July 25, 2025
3.75 stars.
An adorable and clean way to pass the time. This cozy was murder free which was also appreciated. The mystery aspect was a little light for my preferences, but I guess that went hand in hand with the murder free deal. :)
An adorable and clean way to pass the time. This cozy was murder free which was also appreciated. The mystery aspect was a little light for my preferences, but I guess that went hand in hand with the murder free deal. :)
January 12, 2026
This is the first book in A Blackberry Valley Mystery series. I loved the family connection, and I love the characters and can’t wait to visit them again in the next book! The mystery definitely surprised me when solved! Did not see that coming! Definitely deserved all five stars!
June 2, 2025
This book kept me engaged with out getting too suspenseful. It almost like a treasure hunt in some places. I will be reading more by this author.
July 21, 2025
Great book
This book was well written with a fun plot to try to untangle as I went along. I look forward to reading other books from this author.
This book was well written with a fun plot to try to untangle as I went along. I look forward to reading other books from this author.
August 24, 2025
cute and heartwarming, nice short summer read
December 4, 2025
Great book!
December 21, 2025
Great story line. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews