An Annie's Attic Mysteries series hardcover. The discovery of a set of b/w photograph negatives has sent Annie Dawson searching for answers to why they were secreted away behind the portrait of her grandparents.
Donna Kelly is a mystery writer and freelance journalist. She is also the theater critic for the Ledger, the daily newspaper of Lakeland Florida. She is also the writer-in-residence at Arts Ensemble Education Foundation in Winter Haven.
Since childhood, Donna’s fascination with regional folklore, the stories human minds create to explain what happens in the world, and the quirky history of people around the globe, has generated poems, short stories, and book ideas. The paranormal and spiritual beliefs of mankind kindle her imagination.
In 2012, Donna set out to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming an author. Combining ideas garnered during her 15 year tenure as a newspaper journalist with her love of research and writing, Donna began honing her craft while writing four cozy mysteries for Annie’s Publishing.
Old New York. Welcome to Stony Point, Maine, Annie, Alice, Boots, Ian and the many other residents of the small town located on the Atlantic.
The inhabitants of Stony Point are awaiting the spring, the days are cold, dark and dismal. Annie hears from her family in Texas where the weather is beautiful. She is making her granddaughter's little dog a sweater. Her daughter has sent a CD of jazz which she loves, songs of old jazz, old singers. This music brings her back in time when her parents and grandparents were young.
The book goes back to when Grandfather, Charles Holder, arrived in New York City after getting out of the navy. He tours The Big Apple with a friend, Shooter, a gifted photographer.
Annie is cleaning up her home as always. She decides to have her grandparents' photographs redone, cleaned up. The pictures are old and faded. She finds a man who works on old photographs.
All this will take her on another mystery trip. She will not, Alice says she will. Alice is outgoing and full of mischief. At the moment, Annie is on memory lane.
Then Mary Beth's shop, A Stitch In Time, is being flooded. The long, heavy rain is ruining the roof. Mary Beth and Kate, her assistant, are going to a fiber show in New York City. Mary Beth can't go, she needs to get her roof fixed. Annie and Alice will go with Kate. The three will go to the fiber show, then to the Avant-Garde that her grandfather and friend went to, well know for jazz which Annie loves. The three had some good adventures, some frightening times on this trip.
Annie is depressed. She is having strong feelings for Ian. She feels she is being unfaithful to Wayne. She badly needed this trip, to get away. Kate meets a musician she likes at the Avant-Garde. Will it all work out?
Book #24 in this series is read. Romance was in the air in this book. I really enjoyed learning more about Annie's Grandparents' background. The story brought in the Jazz era in New York City - also World War II and some of the Korean War.
There was a very interesting twist about one of the members of the Hook and Needle Club. I suspected the answer to this mystery in the early pages of the book.
There were 2 mysteries to be solved. Annie, Kate and Alice were able to travel to New York City and there was adventure, romance, and danger lurking there. There was also great "jazz" music to be found in the "Big Apple".
Lots of mysteries appear and solved in this particular Annies Mysteries. Boots goes missing and they think its the same person who ransacked the girls room while in NYC when they stay to find answers of who is the lady in a old photograph in Annies attic. And we find out exactly why Stella and Jason have such a good affectionate relationship
This book takes Annie and several of her friends on journeys out of their comfort zones. A trip to NYC, a new, romance, and a new mystery weave together to create a good read. We also learn some of Stella's history which helps to understand her al ittle better. Annie and Ian are finally growing closer. Enjoy this one
You will really enjoy this book if you enjoy the golden age of Jazz. When the Hook and Needle club are in New York city for a Fiber Craft Show they find some surprising ties to Gray Gables and Stony Point,Main.
Annie was looking for negatives for old photos of her grandparents and found pictures of jazz musicians in her attic. Why did her grandmother have photos/negatives of jazz musicians in with their family photos? that was a mystery. and who was this blond singer.
The mystery leads them to a jazz club in NY, and a near mugging, before we learn the surprising identity of the mysterious blond singer. Along the way, we find romance, love and burglary.
I really enjoyed this book! There is a nice balance of soft mystery, romance, jazz music references, and needlecraft. Very well written and illustrative! I can just see Annie dancing around her house to jazz music by the Greats with her steaming cup of tea and Boots (her cat) weaving in and out of her legs. Quick and enjoyable read! Highly recommended!
While I usually enjoy the twists and turns in a book before the mystery is solved, once in a while I can figure it out at the beginning. I did so in this book, but, still enjoyed the "getting there" as the story went along.
Donna has created a place where you feel welcome, home. The story moves at a good pace and you actually feel you are a part of the town. Characters seem real. This is a great feel good read.