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Bellingwood #13
Unexpected Riches
One of Bellingwood's favorite characters is about to reveal more of her history. Beryl Watson comes from a long line of ... well, interesting personalities, and once Polly finds a body buried in an old family cemetery, those ancestors and their stories are told. We find out how closely tied Beryl is to the founding of Bellingwood and are introduced to her present-day family. The mystery of who was in the cemetery leads to a treasure hunt, while Polly discovers something incredibly fun about the haunted house she and Henry purchased just after Christmas. Her son, Heath, has to face demons from his past while his brother, Hayden, worries over decisions for his future. Life never slows down in this Iowa town and the new coffee shop, Sweet Beans, has become an addiction that is difficult to shake. What could be better for frazzled nerves and high stress than a cup of coffee and something wonderfully sweet to eat? Join the wonderful people in Bellingwood as they look to the past and the future in this latest adventure.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2016
276 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 18, 2017
Anither Winner
I can't wait to dig into the next book. It is so refreshing to find an author who tells a great story without resorting to sex, drugs and the like. All American stories that should be read by everyone.
I can't wait to dig into the next book. It is so refreshing to find an author who tells a great story without resorting to sex, drugs and the like. All American stories that should be read by everyone.
November 13, 2019
Charming as always
Again, I'm clearly a fan of Bellingwood since this is the 13th book of the series but I found this story a bit too contrived, even for Bellingwood!
These books are easy escapism that are mostly dialogue, they'll never win any awards but I don't think they really aim to. There's a large fan base that enjoys the charm and innocence of this series and so the formula repeats itself and appeals to those who love Polly.
In this book though I wasn't enthralled by the main plot. In fact, it was a bit ridiculous. It was nice for Beryl to be the focus when she's usually only there for comedic effect but that's probably my only positive point. The secondary storyline involving Heath, however, was relatable, realistic and emotive. I wish that was the only storyline of this book!
Bellingwood is definitely Marmite, I'm still a lover not a hater. Onto book 14 I go with high hopes.
Again, I'm clearly a fan of Bellingwood since this is the 13th book of the series but I found this story a bit too contrived, even for Bellingwood!
These books are easy escapism that are mostly dialogue, they'll never win any awards but I don't think they really aim to. There's a large fan base that enjoys the charm and innocence of this series and so the formula repeats itself and appeals to those who love Polly.
In this book though I wasn't enthralled by the main plot. In fact, it was a bit ridiculous. It was nice for Beryl to be the focus when she's usually only there for comedic effect but that's probably my only positive point. The secondary storyline involving Heath, however, was relatable, realistic and emotive. I wish that was the only storyline of this book!
Bellingwood is definitely Marmite, I'm still a lover not a hater. Onto book 14 I go with high hopes.
November 18, 2023
Unexpected Riches - Bellingwood series #13 by Diane Greenwood Muir
I love visiting Bellingwood, and on my 13th trip to this wonderful little town, there are some changes being made! A new coffee shop is now open for business as well as a wonderful bakery and there are plans for a quilting shop too! The town has been here for 150 years and that leaves a lot of history to be found here and believe it or not possibly gold too! Want to know if the rumors about the gold are true? And who, if anyone, finds it? Then read the book! 😉
I love visiting Bellingwood, and on my 13th trip to this wonderful little town, there are some changes being made! A new coffee shop is now open for business as well as a wonderful bakery and there are plans for a quilting shop too! The town has been here for 150 years and that leaves a lot of history to be found here and believe it or not possibly gold too! Want to know if the rumors about the gold are true? And who, if anyone, finds it? Then read the book! 😉
June 16, 2023
Uplifting book
It is hard to review the books you are reading when it is the 13th book in a series of 40 some books. Some books I like the main character, Polly. And some books I find her irritating. This book was good in that none of the regulars were acting stupid. I get a little tired of hearing about being a strong independent woman who doesn't need a man to rescue her and by the end of the book they need rescuing.
It is hard to review the books you are reading when it is the 13th book in a series of 40 some books. Some books I like the main character, Polly. And some books I find her irritating. This book was good in that none of the regulars were acting stupid. I get a little tired of hearing about being a strong independent woman who doesn't need a man to rescue her and by the end of the book they need rescuing.
August 20, 2020
Bangers and Mash...
...Haggis and Mash. I've had them both, and literally laughed out loud when I read that conversation! I truly feel like I know these folks and, I get so caught up in the storylines,sometimes I lose track of time and what's going on around me. This is the best stress relief I know of!!
...Haggis and Mash. I've had them both, and literally laughed out loud when I read that conversation! I truly feel like I know these folks and, I get so caught up in the storylines,sometimes I lose track of time and what's going on around me. This is the best stress relief I know of!!
July 26, 2020
Polly's friend Beryl
When Polly's friend Beryl 's relative is found murdered and of course we know who found them. Well things get interesting, Beryl is as eccentric as they come. And one of her relatives from out of town is coming. Need we say more.
When Polly's friend Beryl 's relative is found murdered and of course we know who found them. Well things get interesting, Beryl is as eccentric as they come. And one of her relatives from out of town is coming. Need we say more.
December 12, 2022
I just love reading about the adventures of Polly and Henry and the gang. Unexpected trouble lies within this book but is resolved by the end of the book. Can´t wait to read the next one to find what life challenges they will have to face.
February 11, 2024
so comforting
I feel like Bellingwood is my family, too. It’s my bedtime comfort. I find myself thinking about these folks throughout the day. I wish I had some of this “controlled” excitement 👏
I feel like Bellingwood is my family, too. It’s my bedtime comfort. I find myself thinking about these folks throughout the day. I wish I had some of this “controlled” excitement 👏
March 14, 2018
Sweet but bitter
Dear Beryl is hurt by her birth family over and over. The past comes full circle but her friend family calm the heart and heals the wounds. Loved this book.
Dear Beryl is hurt by her birth family over and over. The past comes full circle but her friend family calm the heart and heals the wounds. Loved this book.
February 5, 2019
Bully for you!
Enjoyed this book as I have for all the books in the series but I didn't like the whiny British accent comments!
Enjoyed this book as I have for all the books in the series but I didn't like the whiny British accent comments!
May 30, 2019
Good story
I love learning more about the characters in this series. They feel like family and I am looking forward to more.
I love learning more about the characters in this series. They feel like family and I am looking forward to more.
July 16, 2019
Loved this one! It centered around Beryl who is one of my favorite characters and as always I took a wild ride with the gang on this adventure! Another great one!!
June 23, 2020
Another Great read in the Bellingwood series. Love the story and characters.
July 27, 2020
Another Adventure
Another great book in this series! I’m glad I’m only on book 13 - hopefully the author will always be ahead of me and I can just keep visiting Bellingwood!
Another great book in this series! I’m glad I’m only on book 13 - hopefully the author will always be ahead of me and I can just keep visiting Bellingwood!
January 17, 2022
You know what you are getting with Bellingwood books. This one was a little different from usual with a lot less of the characters showing face. Good enjoyable escapism.
December 11, 2020
Relatives and History
When reading this book I enjoyed learning the background of Bellingwood. It's to bad that some people are so selfish that they even kill to get what they want. I'm glad that Beryl met a relative that admired her and also loved art. What's next?
When reading this book I enjoyed learning the background of Bellingwood. It's to bad that some people are so selfish that they even kill to get what they want. I'm glad that Beryl met a relative that admired her and also loved art. What's next?
July 15, 2019
Bellingwood is growing. Sal's coffee shop, Sweet Beans, is now open, and is proving to be an addiction for Polly and her friends. Sylvie is busier than ever with the bakery. Seems this is just what Bellingwood needed!
Polly and Henry have purchased the old Springer house and are beginning to renovate it. Life is moving right along until Polly discovers a fresh body in the old Carter family plot. One of Beryl's long-lost cousins comes to town to find out why her brother was killed. We find out a whole lot more about Beryl's family and the founding of Bellingwood inthe process of solving this mystery!
More fun from Iowa!
Followed by Vignettes Book 5:
1. "Coffee Jitters"
(Eliseo visits Sylvie at the new bakery and wonders why he can't just tell her how he feels about her)
2. "A Handshake Deal"
(Camille asks Elise to move in with her so she can afford to buy a house)
3. "And They Called It Puppy Love"
(Like all seventh graders, Rebecca and Andrew have a complicated relationship)
4. "Choices and Consequences"
(Joss complains that Nate won't help her make decorating choices for the new house)
Polly and Henry have purchased the old Springer house and are beginning to renovate it. Life is moving right along until Polly discovers a fresh body in the old Carter family plot. One of Beryl's long-lost cousins comes to town to find out why her brother was killed. We find out a whole lot more about Beryl's family and the founding of Bellingwood inthe process of solving this mystery!
More fun from Iowa!
Followed by Vignettes Book 5:
1. "Coffee Jitters"
(Eliseo visits Sylvie at the new bakery and wonders why he can't just tell her how he feels about her)
2. "A Handshake Deal"
(Camille asks Elise to move in with her so she can afford to buy a house)
3. "And They Called It Puppy Love"
(Like all seventh graders, Rebecca and Andrew have a complicated relationship)
4. "Choices and Consequences"
(Joss complains that Nate won't help her make decorating choices for the new house)
October 23, 2016
Unexpected Riches; Bellington Book Thirteen is written by Diane Greenwood Muir. This book talks about family both biological and by choice.
Polly had taken Beryl and Rebecca out one day to paint and having nothing to do herself, she set out to look around while she waited for them to finish. She found a small cemetery which belonged to Beryl’ family. She also found a dead man! Once more she had to call Aaron Merritt, the sheriff. They start looking into Berryl’s ancestry to see if they could find a connection to this dead man. What they found was the man was trying to trace the gold once stolen by one of her ancestors.
Heath finds himself in trouble in school with no one to bail him out. He doesn’t trust anyone not to leave him.
This is another great book by Diane Greenwood Muir.
Polly had taken Beryl and Rebecca out one day to paint and having nothing to do herself, she set out to look around while she waited for them to finish. She found a small cemetery which belonged to Beryl’ family. She also found a dead man! Once more she had to call Aaron Merritt, the sheriff. They start looking into Berryl’s ancestry to see if they could find a connection to this dead man. What they found was the man was trying to trace the gold once stolen by one of her ancestors.
Heath finds himself in trouble in school with no one to bail him out. He doesn’t trust anyone not to leave him.
This is another great book by Diane Greenwood Muir.
December 30, 2016
I just have to say how much I am enjoying this series. This particular one was cool in the fact that the story was based on Beryl and her relationship with her family. I gave us a totally different view which I found to be refreshing. Polly of course was still very much present sticking her nose in trying to help and fix everything.
If you have not been read any of these stories I urge you to start with book 1. Bellingwood is a place you just want to go back to again and again.
The mystery and suspense may not be dark but it does not mean that there is not a great story. The characters are endearing and fleshed out. The more you get to know them the more complex they become. I cannot wait to start the next...
If you have not been read any of these stories I urge you to start with book 1. Bellingwood is a place you just want to go back to again and again.
The mystery and suspense may not be dark but it does not mean that there is not a great story. The characters are endearing and fleshed out. The more you get to know them the more complex they become. I cannot wait to start the next...
April 5, 2016
Amazon review Unexpected Riches
I have read every book in the Bellingwood series, including the novellas and I cannot begin to express how great this series is! It has kept me captivated and I wait with impatience for the each next book in the series to come out. This series of books is a wonderful story of a small town about a group of people who become friends and the incredible things that happen to them. The books are funny and sad and just keep you guessing every page you turn! You'll fall in love with the characters and they become like old friends you can't wait to see again!
I have read every book in the Bellingwood series, including the novellas and I cannot begin to express how great this series is! It has kept me captivated and I wait with impatience for the each next book in the series to come out. This series of books is a wonderful story of a small town about a group of people who become friends and the incredible things that happen to them. The books are funny and sad and just keep you guessing every page you turn! You'll fall in love with the characters and they become like old friends you can't wait to see again!
March 27, 2016
As usual Diane Muir has written another great book about Bellingwood.
Polly Giller is a remarkable woman who has changed so many things in and around Bellingwood. This
Book is more about how families become families even without an ounce of blood between them.
Polly as usual finds a body. And from there Beryl is involved and you have to read the rest cause everything else is a spoiler.
Polly Giller is a remarkable woman who has changed so many things in and around Bellingwood. This
Book is more about how families become families even without an ounce of blood between them.
Polly as usual finds a body. And from there Beryl is involved and you have to read the rest cause everything else is a spoiler.
April 13, 2016
Another good story!
I never get tired of reading this series! As soon as I finish one book I start anxiously awaiting for the next. This book gave so much more depth to characters we already love plus added some new ones. I so - so wish Bellingwood was real and I could live there. I think I would love being friends with all these characters. I recommend this series to everyone that loves stories that really make you feel a connection to the characters.
I never get tired of reading this series! As soon as I finish one book I start anxiously awaiting for the next. This book gave so much more depth to characters we already love plus added some new ones. I so - so wish Bellingwood was real and I could live there. I think I would love being friends with all these characters. I recommend this series to everyone that loves stories that really make you feel a connection to the characters.
December 11, 2016
Fabulous Series
I truly enjoyed the entire series. Polly, Henry, Aaron, Lydia, Sylvie, Andy and Beryl. They all keep you guessing. A mystery challenge in every book. Funny and entertaining are the cast of characters.
Please consider producing a cookbook of the recipes that Sylvie, Polly and Lydia make throughout each book. Some sound amazing and readers would enjoy them as well.
I truly enjoyed the entire series. Polly, Henry, Aaron, Lydia, Sylvie, Andy and Beryl. They all keep you guessing. A mystery challenge in every book. Funny and entertaining are the cast of characters.
Please consider producing a cookbook of the recipes that Sylvie, Polly and Lydia make throughout each book. Some sound amazing and readers would enjoy them as well.
January 15, 2017
Loved it, more please :) I found the series right before Christmas 2016 and finished the entire series by the first week in 2017.
I am so happy to find an author I love, but now I have to wait for the next book like the rest of Diane's fans. On the positive side, she appears to be very prolific and the next book will be out in March 2017 (17).
I am so happy to find an author I love, but now I have to wait for the next book like the rest of Diane's fans. On the positive side, she appears to be very prolific and the next book will be out in March 2017 (17).
May 24, 2017
As usual Polly finds a body. But this time in such an unusual place
Life expands for Henry and Polly as Hayden and Heath settle in as sons. And Beryl. Well she finds love and acceptance
A delightful read. Highly recommend any age
Life expands for Henry and Polly as Hayden and Heath settle in as sons. And Beryl. Well she finds love and acceptance
A delightful read. Highly recommend any age
August 28, 2025
I was tempted to skip this book, since the focus was on my least fave character of Beryl, but I am glad that I read it, and realized how much better a writer the author is, and how she has grown since the beginning of the series. The author really has the young characters shine in this book.
April 24, 2016
Best series in a long time
The author really gives you an entire history of the characters and town. There is really never any slow spots in the books. By the end you feel as you're a part of the family.
The author really gives you an entire history of the characters and town. There is really never any slow spots in the books. By the end you feel as you're a part of the family.
June 5, 2016
Love the Bellingwood stories.
The premise of the entire series is wholesome and entertaining. Light reading but with well-handled life situations and problem resolution without being overly sweet or religious.
The premise of the entire series is wholesome and entertaining. Light reading but with well-handled life situations and problem resolution without being overly sweet or religious.
September 13, 2016
Family Trees
Finding our roots, finding new family members, hunting for buried treasure, and of course the dead body Polly can't resist finding. A true look into what makes a family, and learning to deal with family members who don't want to be part of our lives.
Finding our roots, finding new family members, hunting for buried treasure, and of course the dead body Polly can't resist finding. A true look into what makes a family, and learning to deal with family members who don't want to be part of our lives.
November 3, 2016
Wow more fun mystery and they even involved the English Pub where I ate last December when I was in Ames. It's fun to read a good mystery with interesting characters and recognize all the scenery and shops.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews