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Mysteries of Blackberry Valley #5
Out of the Depths
While Hannah Prentiss’s cousin, Ryder, is exploring the local underground caves not far from Blackberry
Valley, he stumbles on a cold case. Inside a remote cave, Ryder finds a backpack filled with personal items that once belonged to their great-uncle. Uncle Chuck was last seen entering the dangerous cave, with its many narrow passages and sharp drops, and there has been no trace of him since.
However, the items uncovered now indicate that their great-uncle walked out of this cave very much alive all those years ago, so where did he go? The more Hannah digs into Uncle Chuck’s disappearance, the less things add up. Can Hannah solve this decades-old mystery and give her family peace of mind?About the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley Series
Welcome to the Hot Spot…where the food is fresh and the mysteries are delicious!
After years away, Hannah Prentiss finally returns home to the charming village of Blackberry Valley. She transforms a former firehouse into the Hot Spot—a warm and welcoming place for townsfolk and travelers alike to enjoy meals made with fresh ingredients from local Kentucky farms. But running a new restaurant, reconnecting with loved ones, and forging new friendships around every corner aren’t the only things Hannah is doing these days. When mysteries start cropping up, she finds that solving them is just as satisfying as fulfilling her culinary dreams!
What you’ll love about Blackberry Valley
The cozy charm and heartfelt connections of small-town life Faithful characters and the warmth of a close-knit communityClean, wholesome stories Intriguing mysteries that give you hours of reading pleasureWith warmth, humor, and a menu full of intrigue, Blackberry Valley Mysteries are the perfect way to let go of the stress and worries of the day and curl up in your favorite chair for hours of page-turning delight.
Valley, he stumbles on a cold case. Inside a remote cave, Ryder finds a backpack filled with personal items that once belonged to their great-uncle. Uncle Chuck was last seen entering the dangerous cave, with its many narrow passages and sharp drops, and there has been no trace of him since.
However, the items uncovered now indicate that their great-uncle walked out of this cave very much alive all those years ago, so where did he go? The more Hannah digs into Uncle Chuck’s disappearance, the less things add up. Can Hannah solve this decades-old mystery and give her family peace of mind?About the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley Series
Welcome to the Hot Spot…where the food is fresh and the mysteries are delicious!
After years away, Hannah Prentiss finally returns home to the charming village of Blackberry Valley. She transforms a former firehouse into the Hot Spot—a warm and welcoming place for townsfolk and travelers alike to enjoy meals made with fresh ingredients from local Kentucky farms. But running a new restaurant, reconnecting with loved ones, and forging new friendships around every corner aren’t the only things Hannah is doing these days. When mysteries start cropping up, she finds that solving them is just as satisfying as fulfilling her culinary dreams!
What you’ll love about Blackberry Valley
The cozy charm and heartfelt connections of small-town life Faithful characters and the warmth of a close-knit communityClean, wholesome stories Intriguing mysteries that give you hours of reading pleasureWith warmth, humor, and a menu full of intrigue, Blackberry Valley Mysteries are the perfect way to let go of the stress and worries of the day and curl up in your favorite chair for hours of page-turning delight.
- GenresMysteryChristian Fiction
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2025
26 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 5, 2026
3 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Cozy Mystery
About this book:
“While Hannah Prentiss’s cousin, Ryder, is exploring the local underground caves not far from Blackberry Valley, he stumbles on a cold case. Inside a remote cave, Ryder finds a backpack filled with personal items that once belonged to their great-uncle. Uncle Chuck was last seen entering the dangerous cave, with its many narrow passages and sharp drops, and there has been no trace of him since.
However, the items uncovered now indicate that their great-uncle walked out of this cave very much alive all those years ago, so where did he go? The more Hannah digs into Uncle Chuck’s disappearance, the less things add up. Can Hannah solve this decades-old mystery and give her family peace of mind?”
Series: Book #5 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4!
Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are read, mentioned, & thought over; Morning Bible/Devotional reading; Church going; Singing a hymn; Mentions of God, trusting Him, His plan, & fear; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, & services; Mentions of hymns; A few mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of books of the Bible; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of thanking the Lord; A mention of appreciating God’s creation; A mention of devotional reading; A mention of Christian music;
*Note: Mentions of luck; A mention of a woman coming across as a “long-suffering saint” because of her husband.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’ and two forms of ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Hannah goes to a concert at a place that has a bar (but she only drinks soda); All about & many mentions of cave-ins, people being trapped and/or killed in caves, & possible accidents; All about & many mentions of a man who left his family (*Spoilers* ); Many mentions of gambling, betting (horse races), addictions, & losing a lot of money (which put major strain on a marriage); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah and her father for their mother/wife & someone else dying from lung cancer); Mentions of the mob/mafia; Mentions of bars & drinking (including underage drinking); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of fires; A few mentions of divorces/separations (including Hannah thinking that would have been a better option than what the man did); A couple mentions of war & a man never being the same after; A couple mentions of crimes & crime scenes; A couple mentions of a possible break-in & stolen items; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of the possibility of murder; A mention of tattoos;
*Note: Hannah recalls hearing about gambling being an addiction that’s like an illness rather than a “conscious choice”; A side character quotes the cruel words from a teacher & struggles with confidence in himself because of it (Hannah tries to encourage him); A quote from Nelson Mandela at the beginning; Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of brand names (Corelle); A couple mentions of ADHD; A mention of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Sexual Content- Some touches, embraces, & imagining both (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing & racing hearts (barely-above-not-detailed); Flirting; Hannah’s best friend teases her about wanting to know if a guy is a good kisser; Hannah has set boundaries with her father about conversations about her dating life (regarding that she doesn’t have time to date someone right now); Mentions of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy & the couple getting married (including mentions of the man not being emotionally or mentally ready for being a husband and father and it taking a major toll on their marriage, her parents wanting them to get married, his parents believing that he got himself into the situation and it was his punishment (which someone else disagrees with viewing the child as a consequence rather than a blessing), the woman having doubts before the marriage, the man leaving his wife and child so they can have a better life without him, & the son knowing they only got married because of him with mixed feelings about it); Mentions of girlfriends/boyfriends, dates, & dating; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of crushes & lovesick puppy eyes; A few mentions of kisses, kissing, & good kissers; A mention of a married couple kissing; A mention of a woman being called a “chick”;
*Note: A couple mentions of possible bigamy (but not actually).
-Hannah Prentiss
P.O.V. of Hannah
247 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
This book was truly a case of “it’s me, not you [the book]”. I had a really hard time being interested in this story, but I think that’s because I’ve never been in a cave or anything like that, so it just doesn’t keep my attention. Those familiar with caving and/or interested in it would probably enjoy this book more. As awful as this might sound, I also didn’t really care about the mystery of the assumed-dead-but-actually-possible-alive great uncle of Hannah’s. But again, I think that’s just me.
I did like the light romance and cute almost-flirting scenes towards the end between Hannah and a certain firefighter, though.
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:
“While Hannah Prentiss’s cousin, Ryder, is exploring the local underground caves not far from Blackberry Valley, he stumbles on a cold case. Inside a remote cave, Ryder finds a backpack filled with personal items that once belonged to their great-uncle. Uncle Chuck was last seen entering the dangerous cave, with its many narrow passages and sharp drops, and there has been no trace of him since.
However, the items uncovered now indicate that their great-uncle walked out of this cave very much alive all those years ago, so where did he go? The more Hannah digs into Uncle Chuck’s disappearance, the less things add up. Can Hannah solve this decades-old mystery and give her family peace of mind?”
Series: Book #5 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, and Book #4!
Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are read, mentioned, & thought over; Morning Bible/Devotional reading; Church going; Singing a hymn; Mentions of God, trusting Him, His plan, & fear; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, & services; Mentions of hymns; A few mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of books of the Bible; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of thanking the Lord; A mention of appreciating God’s creation; A mention of devotional reading; A mention of Christian music;
*Note: Mentions of luck; A mention of a woman coming across as a “long-suffering saint” because of her husband.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’ and two forms of ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Hannah goes to a concert at a place that has a bar (but she only drinks soda); All about & many mentions of cave-ins, people being trapped and/or killed in caves, & possible accidents; All about & many mentions of a man who left his family (*Spoilers* ); Many mentions of gambling, betting (horse races), addictions, & losing a lot of money (which put major strain on a marriage); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah and her father for their mother/wife & someone else dying from lung cancer); Mentions of the mob/mafia; Mentions of bars & drinking (including underage drinking); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of fires; A few mentions of divorces/separations (including Hannah thinking that would have been a better option than what the man did); A couple mentions of war & a man never being the same after; A couple mentions of crimes & crime scenes; A couple mentions of a possible break-in & stolen items; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of the possibility of murder; A mention of tattoos;
*Note: Hannah recalls hearing about gambling being an addiction that’s like an illness rather than a “conscious choice”; A side character quotes the cruel words from a teacher & struggles with confidence in himself because of it (Hannah tries to encourage him); A quote from Nelson Mandela at the beginning; Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of brand names (Corelle); A couple mentions of ADHD; A mention of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Sexual Content- Some touches, embraces, & imagining both (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing & racing hearts (barely-above-not-detailed); Flirting; Hannah’s best friend teases her about wanting to know if a guy is a good kisser; Hannah has set boundaries with her father about conversations about her dating life (regarding that she doesn’t have time to date someone right now); Mentions of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy & the couple getting married (including mentions of the man not being emotionally or mentally ready for being a husband and father and it taking a major toll on their marriage, her parents wanting them to get married, his parents believing that he got himself into the situation and it was his punishment (which someone else disagrees with viewing the child as a consequence rather than a blessing), the woman having doubts before the marriage, the man leaving his wife and child so they can have a better life without him, & the son knowing they only got married because of him with mixed feelings about it); Mentions of girlfriends/boyfriends, dates, & dating; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of crushes & lovesick puppy eyes; A few mentions of kisses, kissing, & good kissers; A mention of a married couple kissing; A mention of a woman being called a “chick”;
*Note: A couple mentions of possible bigamy (but not actually).
-Hannah Prentiss
P.O.V. of Hannah
247 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
This book was truly a case of “it’s me, not you [the book]”. I had a really hard time being interested in this story, but I think that’s because I’ve never been in a cave or anything like that, so it just doesn’t keep my attention. Those familiar with caving and/or interested in it would probably enjoy this book more. As awful as this might sound, I also didn’t really care about the mystery of the assumed-dead-but-actually-possible-alive great uncle of Hannah’s. But again, I think that’s just me.
I did like the light romance and cute almost-flirting scenes towards the end between Hannah and a certain firefighter, though.
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.
September 9, 2025
This had many elements that I enjoyed from previous installments: the sweet small town vibe (not the mean, gossipy one), lovely cast of friends and family members, and a cute budding romance between the heroine and the swoon worthy fire chief. I also like the light touch of Christian belief that stays on the easy to read side of preachy. However, the mystery aspect of this story wasn't my favourite. It was plodding and had a bumbling flavour. And the ending was too realistic for me; I like a firm close to the chapter. LOL. However, I did enjoy the development in other areas. Teehee.
August 10, 2025
Another good addition to this series. I continue to be amazed at how well the multiple authors are doing at keeping up the continuity from book to book. This one has some good stuff about self-worth, fear, bravery, and to keep trying even if failure happens. The mystery is a good one. There's not really a dual time-line, but there's plenty of hunting at the library for information about what happened some 60 years before. I enjoyed the book, and am ready for the next one!
October 4, 2025
This series from Guideposts is good for taking you away from the news and giving you a little to think about when it comes to how we live our lives. Mental health via reading breaks are good.
December 19, 2025
Great book!
January 27, 2026
Very gripping storyline. I enjoyed Hannah's method of figuring out what happened.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews