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Mysteries of Blackberry Valley #10
The Cookbook Clue
The Cookbook Clue is the tenth book in the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley fiction series.
While springtime rainstorms and floods keep everyone in Blackberry Valley on alert, Hannah Prentiss is happy to stay warm and dry, joining her women’s church group on a new project. Well-known chef and professor Julia Miller is sourcing family recipes for a new Kentucky-focused cookbook. To Hannah’s surprise, tucked among the pages of her great-great-aunt Mabel’s handwritten cookbook is a reference to a sixty-year-old mystery. In 1965, a tornado struck Blackberry Valley, and the church’s golden altar cross hasn’t been seen since.
Hannah decides to piece together the past and find the missing cross. But her attention is soon diverted to a more pressing issue—Julia’s husband disappears while on a cycling adventure. With a record storm barreling down on Blackberry Valley, can Hannah wade through the clues and find the answers before tragedy strikes?
About the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley
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 cozy charm and heartfelt connections of small-town lifeFaithful characters and the warmth of a close-knit communityClean, wholesome storiesIntriguing 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.
While springtime rainstorms and floods keep everyone in Blackberry Valley on alert, Hannah Prentiss is happy to stay warm and dry, joining her women’s church group on a new project. Well-known chef and professor Julia Miller is sourcing family recipes for a new Kentucky-focused cookbook. To Hannah’s surprise, tucked among the pages of her great-great-aunt Mabel’s handwritten cookbook is a reference to a sixty-year-old mystery. In 1965, a tornado struck Blackberry Valley, and the church’s golden altar cross hasn’t been seen since.
Hannah decides to piece together the past and find the missing cross. But her attention is soon diverted to a more pressing issue—Julia’s husband disappears while on a cycling adventure. With a record storm barreling down on Blackberry Valley, can Hannah wade through the clues and find the answers before tragedy strikes?
About the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley
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 cozy charm and heartfelt connections of small-town lifeFaithful characters and the warmth of a close-knit communityClean, wholesome storiesIntriguing 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.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2025
About the author
Elizabeth Penney
96 books562 followersElizabeth Penney lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. After spending early years in England and France, she grew up in Maine, settings that are reflected in her books.
Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband.
She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.
Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband.
She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 7, 2026
3.5 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Cozy Mystery
About this book:
“While springtime rainstorms and floods keep everyone in Blackberry Valley on alert, Hannah Prentiss is happy to stay warm and dry, joining her women’s church group on a new project. Well-known chef and professor Julia Miller is sourcing family recipes for a new Kentucky-focused cookbook. To Hannah’s surprise, tucked among the pages of her great-great-aunt Mabel’s handwritten cookbook is a reference to a sixty-year-old mystery. In 1965, a tornado struck Blackberry Valley, and the church’s golden altar cross hasn’t been seen since.
Hannah decides to piece together the past and find the missing cross. But her attention is soon diverted to a more pressing issue—Julia’s husband disappears while on a cycling adventure. With a record storm barreling down on Blackberry Valley, can Hannah wade through the clues and find the answers before tragedy strikes?”
Series: Book #10 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, and Book #9!
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 3:5-6 at the beginning and is later quoted; A few Scriptures are read, quoted, remembered, & prayed; Prayers; A man sings part of a hymn; Many mentions of churches, church going, church events, & pastors; Mentions of God, His plans, His grace, & being forgiven; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, devotionals, & witnessing; Mentions of redemptive stories and people finding God after making bad choices prior in life; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of someone in the Bible; A mention of a godly woman; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of being blessed; A mention of sins; A mention of something tasting “heavenly”;
*Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘wimp’; Some eye rolling; Going through a tornado, intense flooding, a near car accident, & helping rescue someone (up to semi-detailed); Finding someone who has passed away (from a heart attack, barely-above-not-detailed); All about & many mentions of stealing, stolen items, thieves/looters, & criminals; Many mentions of tornadoes, flooding, damages, evacuations, missing people, & people being rescued; Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah’s mother from cancer); Mentions of arrests & jails/prisons; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a possible kidnapping; A couple mentions of possible danger with armed men; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of the Civil War; A mention of a murder case; A mention of a car accident; A mention of a fire; A mention of a business being sabotaged (Book #7);
*Note: Mentions of car brands; A mention of a book (‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’).
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses; A married couple shares two kisses (no details); Some touches, embraces, hand holding & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; A mention of a kiss; Love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: As a note for parents of younger readers possibly interested in this series, Hannah and Liam do spend some time alone together in her apartment (on the couch) and talk (nothing sexual happens besides an embrace and her curling up against him; Their ages are 36 and 38, respectively).
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
P.O.V. switches between Hannah & Mabel (in the historical period)
Fifteen scenes set in 1965
276 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 (and a half)
While not my favorite of the series, it was good to see Hannah and her friends again! I’ve lived through a few floods, so it was a little unnerving to read about, but it added a bit of suspense towards the end to an overall calm mystery. I did figure out instantly where the cross was, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
If I could nit-pick one thing, there were quite a few conversations that felt like info-dropping such as the history about a type of food or its ingredients. Because of this, those parts felt like stilted and like a Wikipedia page. It wasn’t completely distracting, but I did notice it a few times.
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 springtime rainstorms and floods keep everyone in Blackberry Valley on alert, Hannah Prentiss is happy to stay warm and dry, joining her women’s church group on a new project. Well-known chef and professor Julia Miller is sourcing family recipes for a new Kentucky-focused cookbook. To Hannah’s surprise, tucked among the pages of her great-great-aunt Mabel’s handwritten cookbook is a reference to a sixty-year-old mystery. In 1965, a tornado struck Blackberry Valley, and the church’s golden altar cross hasn’t been seen since.
Hannah decides to piece together the past and find the missing cross. But her attention is soon diverted to a more pressing issue—Julia’s husband disappears while on a cycling adventure. With a record storm barreling down on Blackberry Valley, can Hannah wade through the clues and find the answers before tragedy strikes?”
Series: Book #10 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, and Book #9!
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 3:5-6 at the beginning and is later quoted; A few Scriptures are read, quoted, remembered, & prayed; Prayers; A man sings part of a hymn; Many mentions of churches, church going, church events, & pastors; Mentions of God, His plans, His grace, & being forgiven; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, devotionals, & witnessing; Mentions of redemptive stories and people finding God after making bad choices prior in life; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of someone in the Bible; A mention of a godly woman; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of being blessed; A mention of sins; A mention of something tasting “heavenly”;
*Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘wimp’; Some eye rolling; Going through a tornado, intense flooding, a near car accident, & helping rescue someone (up to semi-detailed); Finding someone who has passed away (from a heart attack, barely-above-not-detailed); All about & many mentions of stealing, stolen items, thieves/looters, & criminals; Many mentions of tornadoes, flooding, damages, evacuations, missing people, & people being rescued; Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah’s mother from cancer); Mentions of arrests & jails/prisons; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a possible kidnapping; A couple mentions of possible danger with armed men; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of the Civil War; A mention of a murder case; A mention of a car accident; A mention of a fire; A mention of a business being sabotaged (Book #7);
*Note: Mentions of car brands; A mention of a book (‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’).
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses; A married couple shares two kisses (no details); Some touches, embraces, hand holding & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; A mention of a kiss; Love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: As a note for parents of younger readers possibly interested in this series, Hannah and Liam do spend some time alone together in her apartment (on the couch) and talk (nothing sexual happens besides an embrace and her curling up against him; Their ages are 36 and 38, respectively).
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
P.O.V. switches between Hannah & Mabel (in the historical period)
Fifteen scenes set in 1965
276 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 (and a half)
While not my favorite of the series, it was good to see Hannah and her friends again! I’ve lived through a few floods, so it was a little unnerving to read about, but it added a bit of suspense towards the end to an overall calm mystery. I did figure out instantly where the cross was, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
If I could nit-pick one thing, there were quite a few conversations that felt like info-dropping such as the history about a type of food or its ingredients. Because of this, those parts felt like stilted and like a Wikipedia page. It wasn’t completely distracting, but I did notice it a few times.
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.
Review of advance copy
I'm sorry. Although I finished the book, I was quite bored with it and couldn't wait to get it over with. After reading the previous nine books in the series, I didn't want to just quit. There were too many unnecessary details and just not enough oomph to keep me excited about this story. I'm also tired of all the texting these people do--not just in this book, but in most of them. They should just pick up the phone and make a phone call to actually talk to each other.
January 2, 2026
This is another favorite in the Mysteries of Blackberry Valley series. Penny does a great job of mixing the present day and past timelines. The characters are great, and my mouth kept hanging open wanting to try the yummy food that's mentioned! (Don't read it when you're hungry!)
January 20, 2026
3.5 stars.
This was a nice installment to the series, but it's not my favourite. Just personal preference.
This was a nice installment to the series, but it's not my favourite. Just personal preference.
March 25, 2026
The ending was a bit meh for this one. I enjoyed the development of the characters and story for much of the book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews