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Regarding Anna
Things that happen to you in the past can mold you into someone you’re not.
After recovering from the shock of her parents perishing in a tragic accident, Grace Lindroth discovers clues in their attic that cause her to believe the people she called Mom and Dad her whole life may not have been her real parents.
In her search for the truth, Grace encounters people whose actions cause her to be distrustful of just about everyone, making her mission that much more difficult but heightening her determination to uncover what she believes is essential for her to go on with her life.
After recovering from the shock of her parents perishing in a tragic accident, Grace Lindroth discovers clues in their attic that cause her to believe the people she called Mom and Dad her whole life may not have been her real parents.
In her search for the truth, Grace encounters people whose actions cause her to be distrustful of just about everyone, making her mission that much more difficult but heightening her determination to uncover what she believes is essential for her to go on with her life.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2015
614 people are currently reading
2308 people want to read
About the author
Florence Osmund
12 books109 followersAfter more than three decades of working in a business career, Florence Osmund retired to write books. In the course of writing seven novels, she learned a lot about how to be a successful writer and the publishing industry in general. Her book "How to Write, Publish, and Promote a Novel" is dedicated to helping new authors—offering advice she wishes she had received before starting her first book.
Osmund is a book reviewer for several local, national, and international organizations. She currently resides on a tranquil lake in northern Illinois where she is working on her next novel.
Osmund is a book reviewer for several local, national, and international organizations. She currently resides on a tranquil lake in northern Illinois where she is working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
December 4, 2017
This was another book that was on my list to read for the A to Z Author Challenge – it was for the letter “O” which is one of those letters that I had a hard time finding a book/author that matched. Coming up against the end of the year, this was one of the last few books I had left to complete this challenge and in all honesty, I regretted a bit saving this one until the end, reason being that if this had been earlier on in the year, I would have DNF’ed this book without hesitation. Instead, I forced myself to finish it, as there was no way this late in the game that I was going to start all over again and look for another book, especially with the time crunch this month and the already little time that I have for reading.
As is probably obvious from my rating, I did not like this book at all. Reading the summary, I thought the premise had potential and even after finishing the book, I still think the same, however the problem was in the author’s poor execution of the story. First of all, I had a lot of problems with the writing – I don’t know how else to put this, but the writing came across very “elementary” to me, almost feeling as though a teenager wrote it for a writing class and didn’t do a good job getting it proofread before turning it in. There were a lot of grammar and sentence structure errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc. – a huge distraction for me, as I found myself trying to correct the errors in my mind as I went, which made it hard to concentrate on the story itself. But in the scheme of things, this actually turned out to be a relatively “minor” issue given that the problems with the writing went far beyond merely grammar and spelling mistakes – the inconsistent and overly-simplified style of the writing was a bigger problem that made this a very tedious read for me. There was way too much of what I would characterize as “fluff”—space fillers that had little to nothing to do with the plot, which bogged down the story tremendously. The author spent a lot of time describing things and events that didn’t matter, details that, as the reader, we did not need to know (for example – I’m paraphrasing here but many of the sentences were similar to this: ‘I started the car. It took me 30 minutes to drive to [name of the restaurant]. When I arrived, I sat down and ordered the breakfast special from the menu. It was the best breakfast I had in years. After that, I paid the bill, got back in the car and drove home. Exhausted, I went to bed. The next morning I woke up at 4:15 and started my day’). There’s more though -- the main character in the book, Grace, is a private investigator (I will come back to this part later) and instead of focusing on the main storyline of Grace wanting to find out about her past, the author spent an excessive amount of time describing in detail each of the cases that Grace took on (from names of all the people involved in the cases to the various actions Grace took to “handle” the case for her clients – such as following so-and-so in her car and watching them walk into a hotel, then come out x number of minutes later with someone else, etc.). I would be ok with this type of detail if this were, say, a police procedural or a true “mystery” novel with legitimate cases to solve – but unfortunately, this was not the case at all, as NONE of the cases had anything to do with the main storyline about Grace’s personal quest to find out whether her “hunch” about her identity was true or not. To be honest, I feel like 50% of this book could have been cut and the story would not have been affected in the least. There were also a lot of “coincidences,” things that happened that were just way too contrived, convenient, and I felt like throughout the entire book, I had to suspend disbelief in order to get through the story.
I’ve seen this book classified under “historical fiction” and I can tell you right now that classification is wrong based on the way this book was written. Supposedly, the setting of the story is in the 1960s, with references to an earlier time period for some of the characters (the character mentioned in the title, Anna, her story actually took place in the 1940s), but if you were to tell me that this story actually takes place in 2017, I would absolutely believe it. That’s because the style of the writing was way too modern and most of the word choices did not seem to fit the setting. At one point, I felt like I was reading a YA novel – books that I’m definitely not the target audience for. A few examples: words like “no kidding” (which was so over-used throughout the book that it verged on the point of being annoying), “what the hell,” “crap” (and a bunch of other modern day curse words), “wuss,” “potty break” (which was used to describe a grown man taking a break from his work to use the restroom), etc. – and that’s just scratching the surface! I did not feel a sense of time and place with the story at all, which is obviously a huge problem.
In terms of the characters – well, all I’m going to say is that there was very little character development. A bunch of characters were thrown in throughout the story, but none of them were developed, with many of them being “side” characters that had nothing to do with the main story. Also, the way the author wrote the main character Grace made her utterly unlikeable. From the getgo, I was annoyed with Grace and her unsubstantiated “insistence” that Anna was her mother and her adopted parents had perhaps “kidnapped” her when she was a baby and even though they loved her, she could not shake away the possibility that they were somehow involved in her birth mother’s death – this is the premise that was reiterated throughout the entire story and it seemed that Grace’s main goal throughout the entire narrative was to “confirm” that these “assumptions” were true. What irritated me most about Grace though is that she was a private investigator, a supposedly “smart” woman, but yet everything she did was completely opposite of what someone who had gone to “law enforcement school” as she put it, would actually do. Not only did Grace have no common sense whatsoever, she also had no investigative skills beyond rudimentary level and often ended up in disastrous situations due to her own (self-admitted) stupid and stubborn actions. In fact, at multiple points throughout the story (way more times than needed), Grace would actually comment how bad her investigative skills were (i.e. she repeated every couple pages – ‘so much for having a private investigator license’ or ‘so much for going to law enforcement school’) – it was especially annoying given that the entire narrative was told from Grace’s first person point of view, so the reader had no choice but to endure her constant whining and flip-floppy decision-making.
In the end, after pushing myself to finish this book, I decided to rate it 2 stars. This might sound generous given all the issues I had with this book, but in all fairness, there truly was a legitimate “mystery” in here in terms of Anna’s backstory and there were also a few twists and turns worked in that made that part of the story interesting enough to want to find out what happened to her. In the hands of a more capable writer, I think this would have ended up being a good, intriguing story – unfortunately though, that wasn’t the case here and after about the halfway mark, I skimmed the rest of the way through the book. While this is a book I would not recommend, I seem to be one of the outliers here, as there were some highly rated reviews for this book from other readers so perhaps check those out before deciding.
As is probably obvious from my rating, I did not like this book at all. Reading the summary, I thought the premise had potential and even after finishing the book, I still think the same, however the problem was in the author’s poor execution of the story. First of all, I had a lot of problems with the writing – I don’t know how else to put this, but the writing came across very “elementary” to me, almost feeling as though a teenager wrote it for a writing class and didn’t do a good job getting it proofread before turning it in. There were a lot of grammar and sentence structure errors, misspellings, punctuation errors, etc. – a huge distraction for me, as I found myself trying to correct the errors in my mind as I went, which made it hard to concentrate on the story itself. But in the scheme of things, this actually turned out to be a relatively “minor” issue given that the problems with the writing went far beyond merely grammar and spelling mistakes – the inconsistent and overly-simplified style of the writing was a bigger problem that made this a very tedious read for me. There was way too much of what I would characterize as “fluff”—space fillers that had little to nothing to do with the plot, which bogged down the story tremendously. The author spent a lot of time describing things and events that didn’t matter, details that, as the reader, we did not need to know (for example – I’m paraphrasing here but many of the sentences were similar to this: ‘I started the car. It took me 30 minutes to drive to [name of the restaurant]. When I arrived, I sat down and ordered the breakfast special from the menu. It was the best breakfast I had in years. After that, I paid the bill, got back in the car and drove home. Exhausted, I went to bed. The next morning I woke up at 4:15 and started my day’). There’s more though -- the main character in the book, Grace, is a private investigator (I will come back to this part later) and instead of focusing on the main storyline of Grace wanting to find out about her past, the author spent an excessive amount of time describing in detail each of the cases that Grace took on (from names of all the people involved in the cases to the various actions Grace took to “handle” the case for her clients – such as following so-and-so in her car and watching them walk into a hotel, then come out x number of minutes later with someone else, etc.). I would be ok with this type of detail if this were, say, a police procedural or a true “mystery” novel with legitimate cases to solve – but unfortunately, this was not the case at all, as NONE of the cases had anything to do with the main storyline about Grace’s personal quest to find out whether her “hunch” about her identity was true or not. To be honest, I feel like 50% of this book could have been cut and the story would not have been affected in the least. There were also a lot of “coincidences,” things that happened that were just way too contrived, convenient, and I felt like throughout the entire book, I had to suspend disbelief in order to get through the story.
I’ve seen this book classified under “historical fiction” and I can tell you right now that classification is wrong based on the way this book was written. Supposedly, the setting of the story is in the 1960s, with references to an earlier time period for some of the characters (the character mentioned in the title, Anna, her story actually took place in the 1940s), but if you were to tell me that this story actually takes place in 2017, I would absolutely believe it. That’s because the style of the writing was way too modern and most of the word choices did not seem to fit the setting. At one point, I felt like I was reading a YA novel – books that I’m definitely not the target audience for. A few examples: words like “no kidding” (which was so over-used throughout the book that it verged on the point of being annoying), “what the hell,” “crap” (and a bunch of other modern day curse words), “wuss,” “potty break” (which was used to describe a grown man taking a break from his work to use the restroom), etc. – and that’s just scratching the surface! I did not feel a sense of time and place with the story at all, which is obviously a huge problem.
In terms of the characters – well, all I’m going to say is that there was very little character development. A bunch of characters were thrown in throughout the story, but none of them were developed, with many of them being “side” characters that had nothing to do with the main story. Also, the way the author wrote the main character Grace made her utterly unlikeable. From the getgo, I was annoyed with Grace and her unsubstantiated “insistence” that Anna was her mother and her adopted parents had perhaps “kidnapped” her when she was a baby and even though they loved her, she could not shake away the possibility that they were somehow involved in her birth mother’s death – this is the premise that was reiterated throughout the entire story and it seemed that Grace’s main goal throughout the entire narrative was to “confirm” that these “assumptions” were true. What irritated me most about Grace though is that she was a private investigator, a supposedly “smart” woman, but yet everything she did was completely opposite of what someone who had gone to “law enforcement school” as she put it, would actually do. Not only did Grace have no common sense whatsoever, she also had no investigative skills beyond rudimentary level and often ended up in disastrous situations due to her own (self-admitted) stupid and stubborn actions. In fact, at multiple points throughout the story (way more times than needed), Grace would actually comment how bad her investigative skills were (i.e. she repeated every couple pages – ‘so much for having a private investigator license’ or ‘so much for going to law enforcement school’) – it was especially annoying given that the entire narrative was told from Grace’s first person point of view, so the reader had no choice but to endure her constant whining and flip-floppy decision-making.
In the end, after pushing myself to finish this book, I decided to rate it 2 stars. This might sound generous given all the issues I had with this book, but in all fairness, there truly was a legitimate “mystery” in here in terms of Anna’s backstory and there were also a few twists and turns worked in that made that part of the story interesting enough to want to find out what happened to her. In the hands of a more capable writer, I think this would have ended up being a good, intriguing story – unfortunately though, that wasn’t the case here and after about the halfway mark, I skimmed the rest of the way through the book. While this is a book I would not recommend, I seem to be one of the outliers here, as there were some highly rated reviews for this book from other readers so perhaps check those out before deciding.
June 22, 2015
One of the least believable private detectives in the history of the genre. I have no training and would like to think that common sense and good instincts would have served me better than this. On the other hand, the mystery she is trying to solve is interestingly drawn enough to keep you reading. Too much stereotyping in all the characters. Even as a light break from serious reading, you can do better than this.
May 8, 2015
The plot was pretty good, but the book just plodded. I kept forgetting that it was set in the mid-60s--something about the speech patterns and language felt too modern, I think. And there were some misspellings, homophone problems, and errors in grammar and syntax. I was interested enough to finish the book, but I wouldn't really recommend it, nor will I look for the author's other works.
March 8, 2016
This is a very good mystery that definitely keeps you reading. Any time I had to stop, I really hated it. I just wanted find out more.
Grace, a young PI, is on the search for clues about her past. She found some stuff after her parents death that led her to believe she isn't who she was raised up believing and maybe neither were her parents. While juggling investigative work for her Private Investigator business she is also on the search for the truth about her past and who she really its. She is a young woman to be admired. She has heart!
This was a really good book. Ive had it stored away on my kindle for a while and am glad I finally got the chance to read it. Its a fast paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Its a story full of secrets and lies. Its also full of hope and the love of family, no matter who that ends of being.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was told and written so well it kept me guessing till the very end. I thought it would get confusing, but it never did. It was definitely a great read from start to finish.....Stormi
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Grace, a young PI, is on the search for clues about her past. She found some stuff after her parents death that led her to believe she isn't who she was raised up believing and maybe neither were her parents. While juggling investigative work for her Private Investigator business she is also on the search for the truth about her past and who she really its. She is a young woman to be admired. She has heart!
This was a really good book. Ive had it stored away on my kindle for a while and am glad I finally got the chance to read it. Its a fast paced mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. Its a story full of secrets and lies. Its also full of hope and the love of family, no matter who that ends of being.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was told and written so well it kept me guessing till the very end. I thought it would get confusing, but it never did. It was definitely a great read from start to finish.....Stormi
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June 24, 2020
What a sweet book with a very sweet narrator. Several offbeat characters. Minnie, a dear, leaves us way too soon also. Gracie is searching for her past, her identity, and runs into Minnie who lives in her childhood home. Very uplifting I thought with a totally satisfying ending.
April 27, 2015
Good mystery! Didn't feel like it was written in the right time period. But interesting. Could have done without the few swear words too.
May 18, 2018
This is another example of a book where the author had a pretty good story in mind, but then f'd it all up with too many pages, too many characters, too many completely irrelevant details, too many scenes that went nowhere and added absolutely nothing to the plot. (I am even tired of hearing myself complain about this, but seriously don't books undergo review and editing anymore?)
After losing both of her parents in a freak accident, young Grace discovers evidence that they may in fact NOT have been her parents, and that her real mother was murdered. To solve the mystery, she decides to become a private investigator. (As one does in these situations.) That way she will have some way of supporting herself while also working on her own case.
The story was set in the mid-60's because that was really the only way it could work; but there is very little sense of the time except for dutiful, random mentions of significant events from that time unrelated to the plot. Another thing that really annoyed me is that during her interminable investigation, some very dangerous people become convinced that Grace knows the whereabouts of a LOT of money. She is warned repeatedly by concerned friends not to stay by herself in the house, but she says, "I'll be fine." She had no special security system. No gun. No baseball bat or weapon of any kind. No plan whatsoever to be "fine" in the event that someone with bad intentions came after her.
I didn't DNF only because after doing so with several duds in a row I promised myself the next one I would soldier on regardless. And once I finally, finally, dear God finally dragged myself across the finish line, I have to admit the solution to the central mystery was pretty good - I always enjoy a twist that I didn't see coming.
After losing both of her parents in a freak accident, young Grace discovers evidence that they may in fact NOT have been her parents, and that her real mother was murdered. To solve the mystery, she decides to become a private investigator. (As one does in these situations.) That way she will have some way of supporting herself while also working on her own case.
The story was set in the mid-60's because that was really the only way it could work; but there is very little sense of the time except for dutiful, random mentions of significant events from that time unrelated to the plot. Another thing that really annoyed me is that during her interminable investigation, some very dangerous people become convinced that Grace knows the whereabouts of a LOT of money. She is warned repeatedly by concerned friends not to stay by herself in the house, but she says, "I'll be fine." She had no special security system. No gun. No baseball bat or weapon of any kind. No plan whatsoever to be "fine" in the event that someone with bad intentions came after her.
I didn't DNF only because after doing so with several duds in a row I promised myself the next one I would soldier on regardless. And once I finally, finally, dear God finally dragged myself across the finish line, I have to admit the solution to the central mystery was pretty good - I always enjoy a twist that I didn't see coming.
September 26, 2017
The plot was intriguing with all sorts of twists and turns. However, the story seemed drawn out at times... and plodded along.
There were too many characters which became confusing for me.
More atmosphere of the sixties time period could have been conveyed via sensory details, with regards to clothes/furniture/events of the time/speech etc. This would have strengthened the story and made the setting more authentic... just a thought.
I have to say, it WAS a thought-provoking story!
There were too many characters which became confusing for me.
More atmosphere of the sixties time period could have been conveyed via sensory details, with regards to clothes/furniture/events of the time/speech etc. This would have strengthened the story and made the setting more authentic... just a thought.
I have to say, it WAS a thought-provoking story!
May 25, 2015
I was stuck in between wanting to finish this novel to find out the answers yet I didn't want it to end simply because it was a fantastic read.
This is a novel that focuses on Grace's attempts to find out who her real parents are. Yet this is not straightforward.
When I began reading this I naughtily thought 'I know how this is going to end up.' NO!!! This is by far one of the better books I've read along that vein of lost child looking for parents as I NEVER saw the twist coming, which by the way was very clever.
The main character, Grace, is a great character to read, with a great balance of humor and mystery her journey unfolds in a unique way. Her voice is consistent and plausible.
She has one advantage in finding her parents, she is a PI, of sorts, renting office space [if you could call it that] from a man who turns out not only to be corrupt but has ulterior motives towards Grace, and not in a romantic way either.
Grace's investigation into her own family leads her to a fantastic character called MINNIE. I loved, loved, loved her and she brought a brilliant aspect to the whole investigation.
I must admit I was on the fence about one of the characters that wanted to help and was pleased to have my doubts proved wrong. This is testament to the way the author sets up characters and you have to wait and read on if you're proved wrong.
The hilarious set up regarding the three poker guys who stay with her to promote the idea that she is not alone to fend of any danger after an episode of threats was great.
But for me the ending was well worth the wait and very well thought out. I never saw it coming and for a reader that was a rich reward.
Another aspect I loved in the novel is there were secrets rooms, safes in floor, keys, letters and a trunk in the attic. I love all that mystery stuff and it was well used here.
I would highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.
This is a novel that focuses on Grace's attempts to find out who her real parents are. Yet this is not straightforward.
When I began reading this I naughtily thought 'I know how this is going to end up.' NO!!! This is by far one of the better books I've read along that vein of lost child looking for parents as I NEVER saw the twist coming, which by the way was very clever.
The main character, Grace, is a great character to read, with a great balance of humor and mystery her journey unfolds in a unique way. Her voice is consistent and plausible.
She has one advantage in finding her parents, she is a PI, of sorts, renting office space [if you could call it that] from a man who turns out not only to be corrupt but has ulterior motives towards Grace, and not in a romantic way either.
Grace's investigation into her own family leads her to a fantastic character called MINNIE. I loved, loved, loved her and she brought a brilliant aspect to the whole investigation.
I must admit I was on the fence about one of the characters that wanted to help and was pleased to have my doubts proved wrong. This is testament to the way the author sets up characters and you have to wait and read on if you're proved wrong.
The hilarious set up regarding the three poker guys who stay with her to promote the idea that she is not alone to fend of any danger after an episode of threats was great.
But for me the ending was well worth the wait and very well thought out. I never saw it coming and for a reader that was a rich reward.
Another aspect I loved in the novel is there were secrets rooms, safes in floor, keys, letters and a trunk in the attic. I love all that mystery stuff and it was well used here.
I would highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.
May 7, 2015
I never wanted to be a private investigator. After high school, I'd had aspirations of becoming an interior decorator and had even enrolled in classes at Morton Community College. But when my parents died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their home three months before my eighteenth birthday, with no relatives to take me in, I was left to fend for myself. And that was when everything changed.~Excerpt from Regarding Anna
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a book, the author weaving a maze of plot so deep you are right there with the characters? Well, author Florence Osmund gave me that experience.
Grace. the main character, is left on her own after finding her parents dead. Soon after, she discovers clues in the attic which lead her to believe the two people who raised her may not be her parents after all. As a young private investigator, Grace doggedly examines any lead in the case she labels Attic Finds.
Throughout the story, she continues to delve into her confusing past, which leads her to Minnie. This elderly woman is tetchy gem and nearly steals the story with her antics. I adored her. After a rough beginning to their relationship, Grace and Minnie end up working together on the mystery of Grace's past. The camaraderie is endearing, the rapport amusing and the growing relationship is a joy to follow.
The many characters peppered throughout the book are well developed, and vary from snarky to endearing. Despite the number of people, I didn't have trouble keeping track of them. Each of them added a layer, and new revelations into the Attic Find case.
Grace's personal journey to self-discovery and worth, the friendships garnered and the wealth of information she never expected to find ties together nicely...without any loose ends.
I highly recommend this book.
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a book, the author weaving a maze of plot so deep you are right there with the characters? Well, author Florence Osmund gave me that experience.
Grace. the main character, is left on her own after finding her parents dead. Soon after, she discovers clues in the attic which lead her to believe the two people who raised her may not be her parents after all. As a young private investigator, Grace doggedly examines any lead in the case she labels Attic Finds.
Throughout the story, she continues to delve into her confusing past, which leads her to Minnie. This elderly woman is tetchy gem and nearly steals the story with her antics. I adored her. After a rough beginning to their relationship, Grace and Minnie end up working together on the mystery of Grace's past. The camaraderie is endearing, the rapport amusing and the growing relationship is a joy to follow.
The many characters peppered throughout the book are well developed, and vary from snarky to endearing. Despite the number of people, I didn't have trouble keeping track of them. Each of them added a layer, and new revelations into the Attic Find case.
Grace's personal journey to self-discovery and worth, the friendships garnered and the wealth of information she never expected to find ties together nicely...without any loose ends.
I highly recommend this book.
November 15, 2015
I love mysteries that involve adoption, and this is the best I've read so far. I really connected with it. Who's the daddy? Who's the mommy? Who's adopted? Who's not? Who killed Anna and why? Then there's stolen art, the Irish sweepstakes, and more. Some of it is over-the-top,but I don't care. I thought the ending was a bit contrived, but just about all mysteries are. Tying up lose ends can be messy.
June 23, 2016
This was a very interesting book which kept me captivated and interested throughout. I couldn't put it down and felt a real connection to the main character. I kept having to remind myself that it was only a book and that what happened to any characters wouldn't actually effect me.
May 26, 2015
Solid 4 stars
I found this book to be well-written and well thought out. it had several twists and turns that keep the reader interested and guessing.
I found this book to be well-written and well thought out. it had several twists and turns that keep the reader interested and guessing.
February 1, 2018
What an amazing story!
This is a fabulous read that draws you in from the beginning. I can not tell you how many times I gasped in surprise. Florence Osmund is an incredible writer and story teller. It has everything...mystery. Intrigue, love, a bit of danger, and friends found along the way. I loved it!
This is a fabulous read that draws you in from the beginning. I can not tell you how many times I gasped in surprise. Florence Osmund is an incredible writer and story teller. It has everything...mystery. Intrigue, love, a bit of danger, and friends found along the way. I loved it!
June 4, 2017
Interesting premise, some good characters, and the often difficult cost to finding out "the truth" is explored. I enjoyed the book, and the unwinding of the tale.
October 11, 2016
Engaging plot
The main character, orphaned and trying to figure out her true parentage, goes back to the 1940s to uncover many mysteries. This is not the usual bumbling PI mystery, although Grace does have her share of mishaps. As she attempts to untangle her past and that of one of her clients, she learns a lot about herself and learns to trust. I'm not sure all the plot twists were believable and Elmer and Minnie, both key players didn't quite ring true in every scene, but I liked the book and found the writing fairly clean and engaging. Toward the end, in the long dialogue that finally untangles things, I needed a break. I usually fault scenes with too much narration, but I'd have welcomed some here to help me see the scene as well as hear it. I couldn't tell much more about the story line without giving away things that the reader needs to discover for him/herself.
The main character, orphaned and trying to figure out her true parentage, goes back to the 1940s to uncover many mysteries. This is not the usual bumbling PI mystery, although Grace does have her share of mishaps. As she attempts to untangle her past and that of one of her clients, she learns a lot about herself and learns to trust. I'm not sure all the plot twists were believable and Elmer and Minnie, both key players didn't quite ring true in every scene, but I liked the book and found the writing fairly clean and engaging. Toward the end, in the long dialogue that finally untangles things, I needed a break. I usually fault scenes with too much narration, but I'd have welcomed some here to help me see the scene as well as hear it. I couldn't tell much more about the story line without giving away things that the reader needs to discover for him/herself.
August 29, 2017
Ending wasn't what I thought it would be.
I didn't like the ending. It felt as if the author just wanted to end it, and she did...quickly. Blah!
I didn't like the ending. It felt as if the author just wanted to end it, and she did...quickly. Blah!
March 6, 2017
This is an intriguing story, that has twists throughout the story. As the main character unravels details of her past, and becomes aware of people who played important roles in her life, the story remained engaging, and made me wonder what she would discover next. I was not aware that the setting was Chicago in 1965 until I was reading the story, which added flavor to the story for me. The author made reference to locations and people that would be familiar to someone who lived in the area at the time, such as Ray Raynor, Bob Bell (Bozo), and Kiddieland. The main character's childhood home, which played into the story was located in the Austin area, about two blocks from where my grandmother lived at that time, so for me, I was able easily visualize the neighborhood at that time. I also appreciated the fact that the author was accurate with details, such as referring to Stateville Prison being located in Crest Hill, not Joliet. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a compelling story about self-discovery.
April 27, 2015
This book really annoyed me. The main character claimed to have gone to school to be a PI, but was severely lacking. Her character wasn't consistent. One minute she would comment that she knew someone wasn't being honest with her, and the next, she would completely miss the obvious clues that someone was lying.
September 7, 2016
I enjoyed this book. The story of Grace and her life with her parents was very eventful even her job as a PI. I found the story consistent yet captivating and it had something new to offer. A very good read.
The events leading to Grace finding out who are real parents were got her new friends and a family as well as a home. Her interesting life, got people interested in her both in a good and bad way.
Very simple but intriguing story, a good read
The events leading to Grace finding out who are real parents were got her new friends and a family as well as a home. Her interesting life, got people interested in her both in a good and bad way.
Very simple but intriguing story, a good read
April 24, 2015
Good
The book is good, however there are many characters (as the story unfolds), so I found it a little difficult to keep track of everyone.
The book is good, however there are many characters (as the story unfolds), so I found it a little difficult to keep track of everyone.
May 1, 2015
I enjoyed this book. Well written enjoyable story. Lots of twists and turns kept me reading this mystery trying to figure out how all the characters fit together
July 16, 2015
I enjoyed this suspenseful book, but I was confused about the setting at first. The protagonist was likable.The story mostly believable. I would read her other books.
January 22, 2017
An interesting story line. The time period just did not make sense. The main character was likable but clueless.
May 25, 2021
Very convoluted but still very good
It is 1965. Born in 1943, Grace is the only daughter, so she believes, of Adam and Rosa. Her mother is an odd bird...attentive, sometimes nearly smothering one time, distant and preoccupied the next. When Grace is 17, she returns home but there is no sound, the door is unlocked (which is unusual), and itsvery cold even inside the house. Searching for her parents, she enters the basement partway but starts to feel dizzy and nauseated. She runs uo the steps and calls for help, waiting outside trying to catch her breath. Her parents are dead of carbon monixide poisoning from a malfunctioning furnace.
Going through the house-which she is being forced to leave early and against her will-she finds evidence that she may have been adopted. She is able to move in with her best friend Beth's family, otherwise she'd have had nownere to go. They help her through the grief, transition, some rebellion, and she opted to train to be a private investigator so that she could learn how to investigate effectively. She gradually sees them less after Beth elopes and then gets pregnant, but as she gets her license, her business, and starts getting set up, she initially stays with Beth's family. She first responds to an ad offering a sub-lease in an attorney's office. He owns some real estate. He later offers her a furnished place cheap and just above the office, which has a small back room. She is working a missing persons case and doing process serving when she ends up in the wrong area and is helped to safety. Upset because she has to rely on buses, unable to afford a car, her landlord helps her find a car and shares out a man he uses as an escort for rough situations where she pays him on a per case basis. Next, he hires a secretary that she shares, Naomi, and they become friends, though they don't let him know. During this time, she has picked up more work, 8s doing a little better financially, and can consider some small purchases.
Then suddenly, he evicts her from both apartment and office for nonpayment of rent when she has proof she oaid the contracted-upon rents on time, and he tries to take the stuff in her personal case.
Meanwhile, she has befriended the crotchety old woman who lives in the house in which she believes she was born. The relationship is shaky at first, but the old woman has a heart of gold under the rough exterior.
By the time Grace has earned enough money to buy shoes she doesn't have to duct tape together and a few items she needs, then comes back to the eviction, she and Minnie are fast friends. Minnie sends out friends to rescue her since she doesn't have a whole lot, but too much for just a trip or 2 in the car nd no one to watch over what's still in the hallway while she's moving. And so she ends up in the house that she is sure is where she started her life.
Minnie also proves to be a pretty decent, if unofficial, detective, and their relationship reminded me a lot of the relationships I had as a youn woman with some of the feisty older women innthe town where I grew up. The author did a great job with writ8ng up that relationship.
While she is still in the office, she is engaged by a young woman to find her birth mother - the same woman she believes is her own birth mother. In shock, she gives a false name and follows up later, telling her the full story. She and Fern agree to work together finding the truth.
Through all sorts of twists, turns, dirty tricks, threats, break-ins, secret meetings with secretary Naomi, meetings with Fern as they work together, meetings with Fern and a woman who may have ties to their pasts, injuries, explorations, startling findings, and a series of twists and turns that make a corkscrew look like a straight line, they finally figure out the truth.
It is 1965. Born in 1943, Grace is the only daughter, so she believes, of Adam and Rosa. Her mother is an odd bird...attentive, sometimes nearly smothering one time, distant and preoccupied the next. When Grace is 17, she returns home but there is no sound, the door is unlocked (which is unusual), and itsvery cold even inside the house. Searching for her parents, she enters the basement partway but starts to feel dizzy and nauseated. She runs uo the steps and calls for help, waiting outside trying to catch her breath. Her parents are dead of carbon monixide poisoning from a malfunctioning furnace.
Going through the house-which she is being forced to leave early and against her will-she finds evidence that she may have been adopted. She is able to move in with her best friend Beth's family, otherwise she'd have had nownere to go. They help her through the grief, transition, some rebellion, and she opted to train to be a private investigator so that she could learn how to investigate effectively. She gradually sees them less after Beth elopes and then gets pregnant, but as she gets her license, her business, and starts getting set up, she initially stays with Beth's family. She first responds to an ad offering a sub-lease in an attorney's office. He owns some real estate. He later offers her a furnished place cheap and just above the office, which has a small back room. She is working a missing persons case and doing process serving when she ends up in the wrong area and is helped to safety. Upset because she has to rely on buses, unable to afford a car, her landlord helps her find a car and shares out a man he uses as an escort for rough situations where she pays him on a per case basis. Next, he hires a secretary that she shares, Naomi, and they become friends, though they don't let him know. During this time, she has picked up more work, 8s doing a little better financially, and can consider some small purchases.
Then suddenly, he evicts her from both apartment and office for nonpayment of rent when she has proof she oaid the contracted-upon rents on time, and he tries to take the stuff in her personal case.
Meanwhile, she has befriended the crotchety old woman who lives in the house in which she believes she was born. The relationship is shaky at first, but the old woman has a heart of gold under the rough exterior.
By the time Grace has earned enough money to buy shoes she doesn't have to duct tape together and a few items she needs, then comes back to the eviction, she and Minnie are fast friends. Minnie sends out friends to rescue her since she doesn't have a whole lot, but too much for just a trip or 2 in the car nd no one to watch over what's still in the hallway while she's moving. And so she ends up in the house that she is sure is where she started her life.
Minnie also proves to be a pretty decent, if unofficial, detective, and their relationship reminded me a lot of the relationships I had as a youn woman with some of the feisty older women innthe town where I grew up. The author did a great job with writ8ng up that relationship.
While she is still in the office, she is engaged by a young woman to find her birth mother - the same woman she believes is her own birth mother. In shock, she gives a false name and follows up later, telling her the full story. She and Fern agree to work together finding the truth.
Through all sorts of twists, turns, dirty tricks, threats, break-ins, secret meetings with secretary Naomi, meetings with Fern as they work together, meetings with Fern and a woman who may have ties to their pasts, injuries, explorations, startling findings, and a series of twists and turns that make a corkscrew look like a straight line, they finally figure out the truth.
January 8, 2024
Intriguing family mystery
Grace lost her parents to a tragic accident, and it changed the course of her life. Having been orphaned with no family to speak of, and taken in by her best friend's family, Grace clung to what little she was able to salvage from her parent's things. Those meager possessions led Grace to believe her life had been a lie, and so she abandoned her dream of becoming an interior designer and instead became a private investigator. She intended to make a living and simultaneously search for clues in her own mystery. Unfortunately when we meet Grace she's having little luck on either front, but perhaps that's about to change. Hijinks ensue when she enlists help from unlikely sources.
Great storyline, with some hiccups in execution - is a solid 3 stars because I was completely invested in the story while still noticing/ acknowledging the book's flaws. Namely that it all would have worked better if Grace wasn't so adamant about sabotaging her own efforts and didn't leave clues behind so that readers are shouting at her to put two and two together. Plenty of intrigue can be had without pulling back on Grace's abilities. I also had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the 60s, it didn't really give off that vibe. That aside, I liked the rest of the characters (at least those who were meant to be likeable), particularly Naomi and Minnie, and followed the mystery putting clues together as I went. I had most of it figured out before the reveal but there was still a surprise or two.
Grace lost her parents to a tragic accident, and it changed the course of her life. Having been orphaned with no family to speak of, and taken in by her best friend's family, Grace clung to what little she was able to salvage from her parent's things. Those meager possessions led Grace to believe her life had been a lie, and so she abandoned her dream of becoming an interior designer and instead became a private investigator. She intended to make a living and simultaneously search for clues in her own mystery. Unfortunately when we meet Grace she's having little luck on either front, but perhaps that's about to change. Hijinks ensue when she enlists help from unlikely sources.
Great storyline, with some hiccups in execution - is a solid 3 stars because I was completely invested in the story while still noticing/ acknowledging the book's flaws. Namely that it all would have worked better if Grace wasn't so adamant about sabotaging her own efforts and didn't leave clues behind so that readers are shouting at her to put two and two together. Plenty of intrigue can be had without pulling back on Grace's abilities. I also had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the 60s, it didn't really give off that vibe. That aside, I liked the rest of the characters (at least those who were meant to be likeable), particularly Naomi and Minnie, and followed the mystery putting clues together as I went. I had most of it figured out before the reveal but there was still a surprise or two.
May 9, 2017
I just love when free books turn out to be really good! I'm a sucker for any book about solving family mysteries, so I immediately downloaded this with high hopes.
Grace, a young Private Investigator, is juggling several small cases while trying to solve her own personal one. After her parents' deaths four years earlier, she discovered documents and pictures in the attic which led her to believe she was adopted and her birth mother was murdered. Grace meets several interesting characters and follows a dangerous trail to uncover the truth about who she really is, along with the real identity of her adoptive parents and birth mother.
I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and found myself nervous and excited as Grace slowly discovered answers about her past. This story takes place in the 1960s, which I kept forgetting and sometimes felt odd. However, it was fun to be reminded how people went about searching for clues in a world without the Internet! Overall, this is a fun, quick read, full of mystery.
Grace, a young Private Investigator, is juggling several small cases while trying to solve her own personal one. After her parents' deaths four years earlier, she discovered documents and pictures in the attic which led her to believe she was adopted and her birth mother was murdered. Grace meets several interesting characters and follows a dangerous trail to uncover the truth about who she really is, along with the real identity of her adoptive parents and birth mother.
I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and found myself nervous and excited as Grace slowly discovered answers about her past. This story takes place in the 1960s, which I kept forgetting and sometimes felt odd. However, it was fun to be reminded how people went about searching for clues in a world without the Internet! Overall, this is a fun, quick read, full of mystery.
August 21, 2018
This is the story of Grace, a 23 year old PI, who is nearly broke and struggling to make ends meet. She has cases that bring income, but is working on her personal case as well. When she was 14, her parents were killed by carbon monoxide in their home. She had no other family and was rushed out the house as the bank sold it. While collecting things to move, she found papers that indicated that they were not her parents. She stumbles upon information about Anna who was murdered but there is no death certificate, and yet she has reason to believe that Anna was her real mother. Under the guise of PI work on another case, she unravels a tangled web about herself and learns more about Anna. With a lot of twists, this story sucks you in.
While it took a bit to get into, as the plot took a while to take shape, I am glad that I didn't drop the book after the first few chapters. With a host of characters who add to the story, this is a good read. I didn't give it a 4 star rating though because of the slow pace of getting the story going.
While it took a bit to get into, as the plot took a while to take shape, I am glad that I didn't drop the book after the first few chapters. With a host of characters who add to the story, this is a good read. I didn't give it a 4 star rating though because of the slow pace of getting the story going.
May 8, 2017
This book took me awhile to read but I liked it! I agree with many of the reviews that say that there are too many characters and it gets confusing. The "twist" ending was a surprise that I did not see coming and for that I have to give it 3 stars. Oh that and the fact that there was no love interest for ONCE! I liked that it focused solely on the story of this young woman trying to figure out who she is. Another minor complaint I have is the time it is set in (1960s) it doesn't really add to the story and I kept forgetting it because the characters appeared very modern for the most part. Overall I would recommended this book as a good light mystery/women's fiction novel.
May 28, 2017
This novel wasn't bad but I just kept forgetting that it was set in the 60s. I guess that just shows this novel could be set in any time period but I want to see references to time sensitive people, lingo, places, etc if the novel is set in a particular time period. The characters were interesting and well developed and had to keep guessing and put things together many times to solve the mystery of how all the characters and events were related. That helped to hold my interest throughout the novel.
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