Family Secrets

Secrets of Wayfarers Inn #1

by Becky Melby

Welcome to Marietta, Ohio, where the past is never far away and the present invites adventure and intrigue. Bring together three reunited friends, a historic building-turned-inn, and mysteries past and present. Blend in the century-old story of Prudence Willard and her clandestine work with the Underground Railroad, and you'll begin to discover the Secrets of Wayfarers Inn.

Genres: Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Mystery

295 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Wisconsin resident Becky Melby is the author of more than 20 titles, including her latest, Candles in the Rain, plus the Lost Sanctuary Series, four books in the Guideposts cozy mystery series Secrets of Wayfarers Inn, and a novella in A Door County Christmas. Married for 48 years, mother of four, grandmother to sixteen, Becky thrives on writing, reading, camping, rides on the back of a silver Gold Wing, and time with family. Connect with her at www.beckymelby.com or Facebook.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars, personally.

About this book:

“Welcome to Marietta, Ohio, where the past is never far away and the present invites adventure and intrigue. Bring together three reunited friends, a historic building-turned-inn, and mysteries past and present. Blend in the century-old story of Prudence Willard and her clandestine work with the Underground Railroad, and you'll begin to discover the Secrets of Wayfarers Inn.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Secrets of Wayfarers Inn” series.


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are mentioned, read, remembered, referenced, & quoted; Bible reading; Prayers & Blessings over food; Talks about God; Most ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God, gifts, & witnessing; Mentions of praying, prayers, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Bible studies, small groups, & support groups; Mentions of churches, church going, & pastors/reverends; A few mentions of Quakers; A Mentions of Christians; A mention of a hymn; A mention of baptisms; A mention of the Sistine Chapel;
*Note: Many mentions of ghosts (and not believing in them), dead/lost spirits, & places that look haunted; A few mentions of a man humming in a place his believes there to be lost spirits; A few mentions of evil men; A couple mentions of Pandora’s box; A mention of a mug that said “sarcasm is my spiritual gift”.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blah blah blah’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘stupid’s, and ten ‘dumb’; A short elderly woman (under five feet tall) is called a ‘midget’; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Seeing someone have an allergic reaction (peanuts) & helping them (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of wars, slavery, slaves, bounty hunters, & prejudice; Mentions of murders; Mentions of a man’s wife & daughter being killed in a drunk-driving accident; Mentions of injuries & being shot at; Mentions of the mob & organized crime; Mentions of break-ins, jail time, & prisons; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception (in the historical diary parts, Prudence says that “deception was what God had called her to” in regard to the underground railroad); Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of tattoos & piercings; A few mentions of thinking a note is a suicide note; A few mentions of a man losing a hand in an IED explosion; A few mentions of criminals, crimes, & crime scenes; A few mentions of gambling & poker; A few mentions of alcohol, drinking too much, & an AA meeting; A couple mentions of con-artists; A couple mentions of loan sharks; A couple mentions of pipes & smoking; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of drug smugglers; A mention of bootleggers;
*Note: Many mentions of others grieving the loss of a spouse and/or child; Mentions of LuAnn’s father disappearing when she was young; Mentions of old songs, movies, TV shows, actresses, & fictional characters; Mentions of authors, books, & characters; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of brand name products (food & tech); Mentions of social media sites (Pinterest, Facebook, & Twitter); A few mentions of singers (Elvis, the Beatles, and the Piano Guys); A mention of Angie’s List; A mention of Steve Jobs; A mention of a Disney character; A mention of the Broadway play, Hamilton.


Sexual Content- Some Nearness & Smelling; Mentions of a lovers’ triangle featuring a letter from a married woman to another man that she would leave her husband for him, the possible affair, & a man receiving unwanted advances from a married woman; Mentions of LuAnn finding out her first love was actually a married man & the unfaithfulness; Mentions of dates & dating; A few mentions of kisses (most by a married couple); A couple mentions of blushes & a first kiss; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of some salesmen taking off their wedding rings when they meet with female clients; A mention of flirting;
*Note: A couple mentions of a young woman being interested in a man’s muscles; A mention of a curvy figure; A mention of hormonal teenagers.

-LuAnn Sherrill, age 63
P.O.V. of LuAnn
284 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- One Star (and a half)

I really struggled with this book, personally. LuAnn was super cynical towards Brad and while yes, she’s been hurt a few times before (a long time ago), has she treated every man like this since then? And then her “super close” friends are trying to push them together when it’s really obvious she can’t stand him? It was a bit much with that and all her fantasies and going off into historical la-la-land/romanticisms all the time, so I didn’t like her, sadly.

The historical (1850s) diary parts had a lot of “thee”s and “thou”s between a married couple that threw me off when reading, but maybe it’s historically accurate? Hmm. Don’t know about that.
(Also, just a note: You don’t “slam” an EpiPen into a person’s thigh. Which is what LuAnn does to a girl having an allergic reaction.) This was only one of the many things I found unrealistic.

I had the hardest time following the secrets of the different family trees and keeping track of all the people mentioned. I kind of gave up towards the end on keeping everyone straight.

Unfortunately, this first book was a major miss for me. I will try the second book in the series because I own it, but it’s unlikely that I’ll continue past it.


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.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three retired women decide to buy an old inn on the river and Marietta, Ohio. They stumble into a ig family secret about the original owners of the inn. Guided by God they show love and grace to all they encounter.

[Sanderella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book in a series by Guideposts. It was wonderful!! I was intrigues by the mailing that I rec'd from Guideposts, mentioning an old Inn, ghosts, secrets, and the Underground Railroad. So, I ordered it. Once I started reading it, I hated to put it down ~~ but I had cooking, laundry, etc to do too. So, the storyline was 3 retired girlfriends decided to buy an old Inn and turn it into a B & B, soup cafe', and to help ppl with their spiritual needs. There are old secrets that a few present day folks don't want to be found & they try to squelch the ladies chances of buying the Inn. There's a list of suspects who the ladies have listed & are looking into. What a surprise at the end as to who is trying to keep family secrets from being found out. A very good book & not a lot of religious talk.. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Hannah did I love this book!

So, first off I normally choose my books based on age. No, I do not mean the age of the book, I mean the age of the main characters. My norm is to choose characters if they are my age or younger. I have only read a handful of books, in the past decade, where the protagonist(s) was (were) older than me. And while I did enjoy those books very much (Mitford - Father Tim & Cynthia; Miss Read) I still did not make a habit of it.

Then I found this book. This is the coziest of cozy mysteries. Our sleuths, in this case, are all old enough to be my older aunts??? And I loved every minute of it! None of the three bffs were old and feeble. They were fun and spunky. They were very religious. And they were a heck of a lot braver than I am! I was shocked at some of the things they did.

I am so sad to not see more reviews on this wonderful wonderful book. I am ordering the next few books in the series ASAP.

If you are looking for a clean, wholesome cozy mystery, that is easy to read, this is your book (series).

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I've read other Guideposts series before and this first book in the Secrets of Wayfarers Inn did not disappoint. The characters are very relatable and the plot keeps you guessing as to "who done it". I'm looking forward to receiving the next in the series.

[Morgan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely satisfying cozy mystery read! It has all the feels! I love the charming location, the history woven within the contemporary storyline, the unforgettable cast of characters (mainly three retired friends who are the sleuths), and the inspiring spiritual thread of second chances and redemption.

The mystery led me on a merry chase around this Ohio city as I worked along with the sleuths to figure out whodunit. The book has a clever set of twists and an ending I didn't see coming!

Becky Melby has penned a wonderful mystery that you will not want to put down. You'll savor it and want to visit this real life location of Marietta, Ohio!

[Janet Donath · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family is from Morgan County Ohio. As a child I heard of the Underground Railroad going through the area for years. This book gave me an idea of what the family might of been talking about. Such a good plot line. I would never have suspected the culprit(s). Can't wait to read the next installment.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read. Easy to read and very light. The mystery is very mild. The characters are engaging but seemed too similar. They blended together for me. I don't feel this book will stick with me. I wanted more about the underground railroad. I didn't need the semi-romantic sentiment moments. They felt awkward and a bit forced. This book was shown to me by my mother-in-law and I can see why she liked it. The MC is a lot like her in several ways. So this was alright but I feel geared to an older audience (retired age). I want more mystery, a darker edge, more history, or a better lesson learned. It just didn't meet any areas I wanted for it. But it is all a personal thing. It is decently written, can be engaging and even charming at parts.

[Judy Gerlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun little cozy about three retired ladies, who happen to be best friends, and a historic hotel for sale, situated by the river in Marietta, Ohio. LuAnn, Tess and Janice want to buy the place so they can convert it into a Bed and Breakfast, but crazy things keep happening. It seems that someone is trying to scare them off. I enjoyed the history these ladies uncover while exploring the place as well as a host of family secrets they discover. The old journal they find, written by a slave with ties to the Underground Railroad, added a nice touch to the dual narrative. A very informative as well as fun read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 retired friends find a historic hotel for sale and decide to buy and restore it. They learn it had been a stop on the Underground Railroad. They plan to make it a soup cafe and bread and breakfast. This book started out great but it dragged on and on with all problems in actually buying it. Even though it is supposed to be haunted and they see odd things happening they still want to buy it. They find a journal of a female former slave and hope that her writings will help them discover what is going on with the hotel. The book has flashbacks in the form of writings from the book. It did get confusing with all the names, the reasons for the problems seem unclear.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better than anticipated! Though published by Guideposts, there isn't much Bible references. The characters, three retirees who have known each other for decades, purchase an inn in Marietta, OH. The story is set in the present, primarily. Running through the story, however, is the "back story" that is set in the 1850s and involves Prudence Willard who is a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. Mystery (no murder) and believable characters - a quick and easy read.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets a solid 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the setup for this series and the mystery is really good. I like the historical aspects as well as some characters that get introduced in the course of the story that I look forward to seeing more off. Can't wait to read the rest of this series-the good thing is that all the books in this series are already out-now to find the time to read them all! So many books so little time!

[Diane Yonchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERY ENJOYABLE! This is from a new series of Christian cozy mysteries published by Guideposts. What a joy. A fun mystery, well written, well plotted, and a wonderful trio of friends! Well done Becky Melby! A big thank you to Guideposts for a Christ centered mystery!

[Marcie Sextro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the Secrets of the Wayfarers Inn series:

Secrets of the Wayfarers Inn Series Review

Marietta, Ohio, is a town with a long history that includes the Wayfarers Inn building that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Wayfarers Inn has stood empty for many years until the Inn Crowd, Luann, Janice, and Tess, friends from high school, decide to purchase the building and reopen it as a new bed and breakfast.

Each of the ladies now retired is looking forward to a project they can tackle together. But mysterious events begin to happen from the start, and the trio attempt to solve mysteries with the clues from Prudence Willard's diary, Inn cook, and Underground Railroad conductor.

This cozy mystery series from Guideposts is one of my favorites because it involves so much history. The risks and ingenuity of the stationmasters, conductors, and others involved in the Underground Railroad are remarkable. As a reader of this series, you are on several missions with Prudence as she helps several "packages" to freedom.

The long-time friends Luann, Janice, and Tess each have a very distinct personality with strengths and weaknesses that make them very relatable. A stream of staff, guests at the Inn, and townspeople bring adventure and richness to each book.

If you've been looking for a feel-good series to read, check out The Secrets of Wayfarers Inn, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy.

[Debby Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet cozy mystery. A tale of three older ladies attempting to purchase a historic building to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast, and are met with resistance. Each character is well developed and has a distinct personality. Most of the book was from LuAnn's point of view. She had suffered trauma at a young age but had worked through it and grown stronger by the end of the book. The faith elements weren't preachy. They were poignant and brought tears to my eyes. I look forward to reading more from this series.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Guideposts read and it was good but I did wish the three 60 something leads felt a little more warm and cozy and not quite so modern. I also think most of the time the women appeared much younger than their characters portrayed; but the history part of the story and the many descriptions were done very well. The author tried too hard to create the romance plot instead of letting it happen naturally within the series. I loved the hardback without the dustcover! Beautiful.

[Gerry Humes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this probably over a year ago. My memory is a little fuzzy, but the series is excellent. That may have something to do with my having been a History Major and currently a family Genealogist. The story is set in Marietta, Ohio, in a home that started as an Inn next to the Ohio River. Three retired, widowed friends decide to buy it and turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. They discover various mysteries regarding the building's history as part of the Underground Railroad.

[Marta Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a very easy read I found the mysteries in this book engaging. Once I started reading it took me in immediately; I had a tough time putting it down. I did a little historical research. The author did her homework. There is actually an old inn in Marietta, Ohio which the author may have used as her subject. Some details described in my resource matched that of those in this book.

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an AMAZING start to a cozy series! I LOVED EVERY WORD OF IT. There's history, there's drama, there's an old inn just filled with secrets, there's fresh starts in life for three women who need it, and there's a good, warm-hearted friendship between the trio of them. What fun! What fun!

Seriously this is just book 1, of a whole series?! I can hardly wait for the adventure to continue.

[Laura Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for charming me into caring about this series. My grandmother sent me this series and I did not quite know what to make of these books at first but now I see that they are written to inspire hope and compassion in people. A book written for purposes such as that can never be bad.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exciting story! I admit i had great difficulty with this book-#1 because of the "style of the storyline" yet at the same time I kept plugging away due to "historical nature" of it!
This could be a "stand alone" book as well as a series.

[Mary Tufts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess, for its genre, it’s a really good book. It is definitely Christian in nature. It reminds me of books I used to read as a young adult. In fact, it reminds me of books I used to read as a tween. It has a plot. It does have some confusing characterization, but it has a plot.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three long-time friends band together & buy an old house to turn into a Bed & Breakfast/ Soup Restaurant in Marietta, Ohio. This book talks about their adventures.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hit

[Pamela Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got past the first chapter, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Can not wait for second book!!

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good introduction to the series. Should be better as the series goes along.

[Joyce Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good , easy read. A lovely mystery.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of characters were introduced and there are two story lines, the historic and the now. I did find it well-written with a surprise ending.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent new series! Love the three ladies, great story line, and a twist at the end! Can't wait to read more of the series as they come out. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

[Amy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series. I really enjoyed the setting and the mystery. I am looking forward to the next in the series.