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Mysteries of Blackberry Valley #4
A Likely Story
A Likely Story is the fourth book in the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley fiction series.
All of Blackberry Valley is buzzing when a novel hits the shelves featuring their very own town! Hannah Prentiss isn’t the only one who quickly snatches up a copy and sits down to read…nor is she the only one who is shocked to realize that this novel isn’t mere fiction. It uses the real names of real families from the area—and apparently digs up the real dirt of those families from years gone by.
When the end of the book mentions a treasure buried somewhere in town, everyone is determined to find the author and demand answers. As Hannah and her friends piece together the mystery of long-forgotten town secrets, she’ll learn more about the ancestor she is named after, her great-grandmother Hannah Jane.
Could learning about her family’s past be the key to unlocking the truth behind the author’s identity and the so-called treasure?
All of Blackberry Valley is buzzing when a novel hits the shelves featuring their very own town! Hannah Prentiss isn’t the only one who quickly snatches up a copy and sits down to read…nor is she the only one who is shocked to realize that this novel isn’t mere fiction. It uses the real names of real families from the area—and apparently digs up the real dirt of those families from years gone by.
When the end of the book mentions a treasure buried somewhere in town, everyone is determined to find the author and demand answers. As Hannah and her friends piece together the mystery of long-forgotten town secrets, she’ll learn more about the ancestor she is named after, her great-grandmother Hannah Jane.
Could learning about her family’s past be the key to unlocking the truth behind the author’s identity and the so-called treasure?
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2025
48 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Roseanna M. White
62 books3,872 followersRoseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. She and her family make their home in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
see also Roseanna White
see also Roseanna White
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 25, 2025
3.5 stars, personally. ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Cozy Mystery (with mentions of a fictional murder in a book)
About this book:
“All of Blackberry Valley is buzzing when a novel hits the shelves featuring their very own town! Hannah Prentiss isn’t the only one who quickly snatches up a copy and sits down to read…nor is she the only one who is shocked to realize that this novel isn’t mere fiction. It uses the real names of real families from the area—and apparently digs up the real dirt of those families from years gone by.
When the end of the book mentions a treasure buried somewhere in town, everyone is determined to find the author and demand answers. As Hannah and her friends piece together the mystery of long-forgotten town secrets, she’ll learn more about the ancestor she is named after, her great-grandmother Hannah Jane.
Could learning about her family’s past be the key to unlocking the truth behind the author’s identity and the so-called treasure?”
Series: Book #4 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, and Book #3!
Spiritual Content- Romans 12:14-16 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are referenced & remembered; A couple Prayers; A couple talks about God; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, church groups, services, sermons, & pastors/reverends; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A mention of hymns;
*Note: Religious phrases such as ‘heaven knew’ is said twice; A mention of Santa.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: A ‘dumb’, two ‘stupid’s, and two ‘idiot’s; Some sarcasm & eye rolling; Mentions of a murder in a story, the body being found, & the murderer (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grief (including for parents); Mentions of crimes, criminals, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of fires & a couple barely making it out alive; Mentions of gambling & a woman who has a gambling addiction (*Spoilers* ); Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of mental asylums & their often horrible conditions; A couple mentions of deaths from a car crash; A couple mentions of World War II; A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of being threatened; A couple mentions of smoking; A mention of a near miscarriage; A mention of a woman being abandoned as a child and raised in a home for orphans; A mention of embezzlers; A mention of shop-lifting;
*Note: In the historical time period, Annabeth feels like others are belittling her, but tries to correct herself that it’s her own insecurities bothering her; Mentions of people with deformities being ostracized & some believing Annabeth’s shouldn’t have been allowed to have children (because of their “issues”; Her father had a large birthmark on his face and her mother was deaf; She refers to herself as being the daughter of the town’s pariahs and recalls her father being accused of being a thief); Mentions of sanitoriums, signs of OCD like chapped hands from overwashing and picking at one’s hands, & OCD sometimes having “the potential to carry a genetic component”; Mentions of medication and therapy that helped others with OCD and ADHD; Mentions of Norman Rockwell illustrations; A few mentions of prejudice & the possibility of parents being against their son’s girlfriend due to her social standing; A mention of a car brand.
Sexual Content- Some hand holding, butterflies, nearness, smelling, & noticing (all in the historical time period; barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Hannah says she has no time for a relationship; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating/courting; Mentions of handsome and cute guys; Mentions of crushes & blushes; A mention of a woman being caught kissing a man who wasn’t her fiancé; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions (historical time period);
*Note: A couple mentions of butting into a conversation.
- Hannah Prentiss
P.O.V. of Hannah
Mostly contemporary, but also seven chapters from 1936
244 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
Both the third and fourth book in this series was different than the first two books of the series so far because of the almost dual-time period elements. I actually didn’t like the 1930s part at first because I couldn’t tell if this was suppose to be the actual history of the area or if it was from the fictional book that was just published that Hannah and others are reading in the current time. However, as the book continued (and we find out it’s the actual history, not the fictional story), I definitely got more interested in the historical time period--more than even the contemporary setting!
I do want to note that all of the other Guidepost mysteries I’ve read (in this series and a handful of other series) usually do not have to do with murder—they are just good ol’ mysteries—but this one did have elements/mentions of a murder because of the book the woman in the 1930s (the dual-time period parts) is writing. So, if you are sensitive to that kind of content, you might pass on this book. I don’t think you would miss anything major from this book if you did skip it, there would probably just be a few references to events in future books, but nothing really major happens. The murder mentions are not detailed (we’re not even told how the woman was murdered), but there is a few mentions of someone finding the body in a ditch.
As another note, there were some mentions and a few conversations about “mental illnesses” like OCD and being in a sanitorium along with also a few conversations about a woman’s gambling addiction. These parts brought down the light-hearted style that I often expect from these mysteries, but they weren’t super heavy which I was thankful for.
There were a few parts that had repeated information close together or Hannah saying odd things (like “app” instead of “appetizer”), but it wasn’t too distracting. I enjoyed Hannah and Lacy’s best friend banter and their teasing, it made me laugh a few times and added to the story. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it was still a decent one.
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:
“All of Blackberry Valley is buzzing when a novel hits the shelves featuring their very own town! Hannah Prentiss isn’t the only one who quickly snatches up a copy and sits down to read…nor is she the only one who is shocked to realize that this novel isn’t mere fiction. It uses the real names of real families from the area—and apparently digs up the real dirt of those families from years gone by.
When the end of the book mentions a treasure buried somewhere in town, everyone is determined to find the author and demand answers. As Hannah and her friends piece together the mystery of long-forgotten town secrets, she’ll learn more about the ancestor she is named after, her great-grandmother Hannah Jane.
Could learning about her family’s past be the key to unlocking the truth behind the author’s identity and the so-called treasure?”
Series: Book #4 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, and Book #3!
Spiritual Content- Romans 12:14-16 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are referenced & remembered; A couple Prayers; A couple talks about God; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, church groups, services, sermons, & pastors/reverends; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A mention of hymns;
*Note: Religious phrases such as ‘heaven knew’ is said twice; A mention of Santa.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: A ‘dumb’, two ‘stupid’s, and two ‘idiot’s; Some sarcasm & eye rolling; Mentions of a murder in a story, the body being found, & the murderer (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths & grief (including for parents); Mentions of crimes, criminals, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of fires & a couple barely making it out alive; Mentions of gambling & a woman who has a gambling addiction (*Spoilers* ); Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of mental asylums & their often horrible conditions; A couple mentions of deaths from a car crash; A couple mentions of World War II; A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of being threatened; A couple mentions of smoking; A mention of a near miscarriage; A mention of a woman being abandoned as a child and raised in a home for orphans; A mention of embezzlers; A mention of shop-lifting;
*Note: In the historical time period, Annabeth feels like others are belittling her, but tries to correct herself that it’s her own insecurities bothering her; Mentions of people with deformities being ostracized & some believing Annabeth’s shouldn’t have been allowed to have children (because of their “issues”; Her father had a large birthmark on his face and her mother was deaf; She refers to herself as being the daughter of the town’s pariahs and recalls her father being accused of being a thief); Mentions of sanitoriums, signs of OCD like chapped hands from overwashing and picking at one’s hands, & OCD sometimes having “the potential to carry a genetic component”; Mentions of medication and therapy that helped others with OCD and ADHD; Mentions of Norman Rockwell illustrations; A few mentions of prejudice & the possibility of parents being against their son’s girlfriend due to her social standing; A mention of a car brand.
Sexual Content- Some hand holding, butterflies, nearness, smelling, & noticing (all in the historical time period; barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Hannah says she has no time for a relationship; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating/courting; Mentions of handsome and cute guys; Mentions of crushes & blushes; A mention of a woman being caught kissing a man who wasn’t her fiancé; Light love, falling in love, & the emotions (historical time period);
*Note: A couple mentions of butting into a conversation.
- Hannah Prentiss
P.O.V. of Hannah
Mostly contemporary, but also seven chapters from 1936
244 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
Both the third and fourth book in this series was different than the first two books of the series so far because of the almost dual-time period elements. I actually didn’t like the 1930s part at first because I couldn’t tell if this was suppose to be the actual history of the area or if it was from the fictional book that was just published that Hannah and others are reading in the current time. However, as the book continued (and we find out it’s the actual history, not the fictional story), I definitely got more interested in the historical time period--more than even the contemporary setting!
I do want to note that all of the other Guidepost mysteries I’ve read (in this series and a handful of other series) usually do not have to do with murder—they are just good ol’ mysteries—but this one did have elements/mentions of a murder because of the book the woman in the 1930s (the dual-time period parts) is writing. So, if you are sensitive to that kind of content, you might pass on this book. I don’t think you would miss anything major from this book if you did skip it, there would probably just be a few references to events in future books, but nothing really major happens. The murder mentions are not detailed (we’re not even told how the woman was murdered), but there is a few mentions of someone finding the body in a ditch.
As another note, there were some mentions and a few conversations about “mental illnesses” like OCD and being in a sanitorium along with also a few conversations about a woman’s gambling addiction. These parts brought down the light-hearted style that I often expect from these mysteries, but they weren’t super heavy which I was thankful for.
There were a few parts that had repeated information close together or Hannah saying odd things (like “app” instead of “appetizer”), but it wasn’t too distracting. I enjoyed Hannah and Lacy’s best friend banter and their teasing, it made me laugh a few times and added to the story. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it was still a decent one.
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.
August 8, 2025
There was a surprising amount of depth in this delightful, feel-good mystery. I enjoyed the dual timeline aspect and themes of community and kindness. This is an easy read with no angst but enough suspense to keep me eagerly reading as I tried to figure out who wrote the story that got the whole town talking. This novel is part of a series, but I read it as a stand-alone. I would imagine reading the earlier books of the series would add some additional insight into some of the main characters, but the book functions fine on its own.
September 1, 2025
This is a story within a story. A new book has hit the shelves in Blackberry Valley, and all the town’s residents are captivated by it. The novel is a mystery set in their town nearly a hundred years ago. And it names names and dishes up some decidedly unsavory stories. All the townsfolk, Hannah Prentiss included, are eager to discover who really wrote the book under a pen name. They all know it has to be a resident of the town: this person knows too much about the town to be a stranger. Did the author really mean to tell so many secrets? And what about the treasure mentioned in the story? Was it ever found? More importantly, will the people ever find out who the author is? This novel deals with both time periods equally well. Both periods have engaging characters and interesting storylines. There is a mystery in both storylines. And while Christian beliefs are evident in the novel, they are seamlessly and thoughtfully woven into the story. There is a twist at the conclusion of the story that is not exactly a twist, but is rather a delightful surprise. It’s a well-written novel, intriguing and entertaining.
July 29, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The dual timelines are handled perfectly so that the reader learns new information about the people in the town and the mysteries from each in turn, with great pacing of suspense. The characters are wonderful. Themes of friendship, kindness, and realizing we never know a person's whole story are illustrated in many different relationships and situations.
July 28, 2025
Awesome book
This book is truly awesome! I did not figure out who did it which is always a plus and the motives were so honest and loving that it is well worth the read. I love these God inspiring books.
This book is truly awesome! I did not figure out who did it which is always a plus and the motives were so honest and loving that it is well worth the read. I love these God inspiring books.
September 12, 2025
I like this mystery series because there's no blood and gore, little to no swearing, and the characters aren't out to hurt anyone. Nice to have something to read before you sleep that doesn't keep you awake.
August 6, 2025
3.5 stars.
This was sweet and sappy, but it didn't stop me from wanting to live in a town like Blackberry Valley. :)
This was sweet and sappy, but it didn't stop me from wanting to live in a town like Blackberry Valley. :)
October 12, 2025
This was my favorite in this series to date. It had a rich depth of inspiration and reflections. I really enjoyed it.
December 1, 2025
Another encouraging read by Roseanna and Guideposts. Annabeth’s realizations would make us all happier!
December 11, 2025
I loved this book.
January 19, 2026
I loved it!
January 30, 2026
Lived this touching story.
December 18, 2025
Roseanna M. White is one of my favorite authors and this book has so for been my favorite of this series. A fun story to follow and well written. I baked the Apple Cider Snickerdoodle recipe from the back of the book (with a little help from another similar recipe found online). They were okay, but not very apple-ey. It's been a nice, clean series to read during some cold winter days indoors.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews