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Tearoom Mysteries #5
Burning Secrets
As Jan prepares for a group tea one autumn afternoon, she glances out the window and sees a plume of smoke arising from one of Macy Atherton’s Green Glade cottages! Macy’s desperate plea for Jan’s and Elaine’s help is followed by the appearance of Deputy Sheffield, who seems intent on questioning their sometimes difficult neighbor and customer. Arson? With Macy as the prime suspect? But not everything is as it appears. As Jan and Elaine follow the trail of clues, they uncover a much deeper mystery, with ties even to World War II. Meanwhile, Jan’s daughter, Tara, reaches an exciting milestone with her jewelry business and Elaine discovers some enticing information about the family that owned the mysterious sapphire ring they found. But how did it end up in the tearoom’s walls?
- GenresCozy Mystery
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2016
19 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 21, 2020
I really enjoyed Burning Secrets because the author took the two main characters, Jan Blake and Elaine Cook onto places I'd rather not have seen them go. This cozy mystery series, Tea room Mysteries, I call mild cozy mysteries and by that I mean no murder or finding someone dead. At least so far in the first five books. Mysteries are usually about a theft or fire or something of that nature that the two sleuths cousins try to get to the bottom of. This one had me twisting my hands and on the edge of my seat a time or two , which is what I think makes for a great reading experience..
Macy Atherton comes to Jan and Elaine for help when one of her cottages on her lake front vacation property, Green Glade Cottages, catches fire. She fears she will be charged for arson due to the fact that this isn't the first fire she's had. The fire is ruled as faulty electrical wiring but as the cousins check out the burnt cottage Macy notices a vase she had on the fireplace mantel is missing. She claims the vase isn't worth much in value but has family history from the war years. But is this vase just a dust collector or does it have a history that Macy knows nothing about? Why would someone steal it ?
Burning Secrets is the fifth book in the Tea Room Mysteries put out by Guideposts Publishing. Readers that enjoy Christian Fiction or Clean Read will enjoy this entire series. I thought that, so far this is the best book of the series.
I borrowed a hard cover copy from The Brown County Ohio Public Library. A review was not requested. All opinions shared here are my own.
Macy Atherton comes to Jan and Elaine for help when one of her cottages on her lake front vacation property, Green Glade Cottages, catches fire. She fears she will be charged for arson due to the fact that this isn't the first fire she's had. The fire is ruled as faulty electrical wiring but as the cousins check out the burnt cottage Macy notices a vase she had on the fireplace mantel is missing. She claims the vase isn't worth much in value but has family history from the war years. But is this vase just a dust collector or does it have a history that Macy knows nothing about? Why would someone steal it ?
Burning Secrets is the fifth book in the Tea Room Mysteries put out by Guideposts Publishing. Readers that enjoy Christian Fiction or Clean Read will enjoy this entire series. I thought that, so far this is the best book of the series.
I borrowed a hard cover copy from The Brown County Ohio Public Library. A review was not requested. All opinions shared here are my own.
November 16, 2020
About this book:
“As Jan prepares for a group tea one autumn afternoon, she glances out the window and sees a plume of smoke arising from one of Macy Atherton’s Green Glade cottages! Macy’s desperate plea for Jan’s and Elaine’s help is followed by the appearance of Deputy Sheffield, who seems intent on questioning their sometimes difficult neighbor and customer. Arson? With Macy as the prime suspect? But not everything is as it appears. As Jan and Elaine follow the trail of clues, they uncover a much deeper mystery, with ties even to World War II. Meanwhile, Jan’s daughter, Tara, reaches an exciting milestone with her jewelry business and Elaine discovers some enticing information about the family that owned the mysterious sapphire ring they found. But how did it end up in the tearoom’s walls?”
Series: Book #5 in the “Tearoom Mysteries” series. Review of Book #1, Here!, #2 Here!, #3 Here, and #4 Here!
Spiritual Content- A Scripture is read; Mentions of God; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & a pastor; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of Jewish families; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of Bibles & Bible reading.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three forms of ‘biddy’; A bit of eye rolling; All about mentions of thieves, thefts, & stealing; All about mentions of fires, a crime, criminals, & a possible arsonist; Mentions of arrests & a fight at a tavern; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of wars & deaths; A couple mentions of violence; A mention of gambling & drinking; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a tattoo;
*Note: mentions of singers/bands, & songs; A few mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of TV show characters.
Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches & Nearness A bit of noticing & blushes; Mentions of relationships, dates, attraction, & the loss of a spouse; A little bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Jan Blake
-Elaine Cook
P.O.V. switches between them
307 pages
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Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
While this wasn’t the most fascinating mystery, I did find the historical parts to be interesting. It was a light, easy read.
Link to review:
Coming Soon
*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.
“As Jan prepares for a group tea one autumn afternoon, she glances out the window and sees a plume of smoke arising from one of Macy Atherton’s Green Glade cottages! Macy’s desperate plea for Jan’s and Elaine’s help is followed by the appearance of Deputy Sheffield, who seems intent on questioning their sometimes difficult neighbor and customer. Arson? With Macy as the prime suspect? But not everything is as it appears. As Jan and Elaine follow the trail of clues, they uncover a much deeper mystery, with ties even to World War II. Meanwhile, Jan’s daughter, Tara, reaches an exciting milestone with her jewelry business and Elaine discovers some enticing information about the family that owned the mysterious sapphire ring they found. But how did it end up in the tearoom’s walls?”
Series: Book #5 in the “Tearoom Mysteries” series. Review of Book #1, Here!, #2 Here!, #3 Here, and #4 Here!
Spiritual Content- A Scripture is read; Mentions of God; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & a pastor; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of Jewish families; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of Bibles & Bible reading.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three forms of ‘biddy’; A bit of eye rolling; All about mentions of thieves, thefts, & stealing; All about mentions of fires, a crime, criminals, & a possible arsonist; Mentions of arrests & a fight at a tavern; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of wars & deaths; A couple mentions of violence; A mention of gambling & drinking; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a tattoo;
*Note: mentions of singers/bands, & songs; A few mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of TV show characters.
Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches & Nearness A bit of noticing & blushes; Mentions of relationships, dates, attraction, & the loss of a spouse; A little bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Jan Blake
-Elaine Cook
P.O.V. switches between them
307 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
While this wasn’t the most fascinating mystery, I did find the historical parts to be interesting. It was a light, easy read.
Link to review:
Coming Soon
*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.
August 31, 2025
Book #5 in the series - So fun to hang out in the autumnal vibe with the cousins-turned-Victorian-teashop-owners-in-Maine trying to solve several low-key mysteries.
Who started the fire in the nearby vacation cottage?
Was it intentional?
Who would do that in such a cozy little town?
Was it their close friend that they thought they knew?
The ladies also get more info about the treasure that they found in the wall of their new place.
Simple, easy reading (so far low-stakes mysteries only) with a lot of Christian faith - part of a 27-book Guideposts series through the seasons.
Who started the fire in the nearby vacation cottage?
Was it intentional?
Who would do that in such a cozy little town?
Was it their close friend that they thought they knew?
The ladies also get more info about the treasure that they found in the wall of their new place.
Simple, easy reading (so far low-stakes mysteries only) with a lot of Christian faith - part of a 27-book Guideposts series through the seasons.
September 4, 2018
Jan looks out and sees one of Macy’s cottages burning.Macy asks Jan and Elaine to help figure out who started the fire. They find that the fire wasn’t started by anyone but a vase is missing and while Macy thinks it just has sentimental value Jan isn’t so sure. On the hunt to find the vase they discover more about their teashop and the continuing story of the ring they found in the wall.
March 28, 2017
"Burning Secrets" is the 5th book in the Tearoom Mysteries series. It was another fun book, although not quite as good as some of the others.
January 12, 2021
A fire has been set in one of Macy Atherton's cottages and thankfully none of her guests were hurt. Macy is a dedicated customer of Tea for Two, a tearoom owned by cousins Jan and Elaine. When Macy appears in their kitchen asking for their sleuthing skills, they can't say no.
While Jan and Elaine are inspecting the aftermath they notice that a vase that has been in Macy's family for a long time has disappeared. Who could have set the fire? And why? Is the missing vase the reason? Does it hold more value than Macy is aware?
Grab a cup of hot tea, a warm blanket and snuggle up to this fun cozy mystery. I love Jan and Elaine and the trouble these "nosy old biddies" get into 🤣🤣🤣 It helps that Jan knows her way around the kitchen and can bake up some appetizing distractions to get some answers. Another favorite cozy series. 💗💗💗
While Jan and Elaine are inspecting the aftermath they notice that a vase that has been in Macy's family for a long time has disappeared. Who could have set the fire? And why? Is the missing vase the reason? Does it hold more value than Macy is aware?
Grab a cup of hot tea, a warm blanket and snuggle up to this fun cozy mystery. I love Jan and Elaine and the trouble these "nosy old biddies" get into 🤣🤣🤣 It helps that Jan knows her way around the kitchen and can bake up some appetizing distractions to get some answers. Another favorite cozy series. 💗💗💗
March 30, 2021
Love these books. Would love to visit the cozy town of Lancaster, Maine. Also have a cup of tea at TEA FOR TWO!! Hopefully I would run into Jan, Elaine or Rose!!
September 1, 2018
This is another fun story in The Tearoom Mysteries by Guideposts. Elaine and Jan are making quite a name for themselves in the little town of Lancaster, Maine--both for their wonderful tearoom and for their mystery solving skills. As this series progresses, more local characters are being introduced, which really gives the reader a more intimate knowledge of the area and its residents. We also are becoming better acquainted with some of the secondary characters. I am really enjoying reading these books in order. If you happen to come across this book and haven't read the previous ones, I think you will still enjoy Burning Secrets, but it will probably send you on a quest to find the other books that you have missed.
November 7, 2019
❄❄❄❄ out of 5 ❄s
#BurningSecrets by #RebeccaAdams
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This is the 5th installment in the #TearoomMysteries published by @guideposts.books and it's wonderful! A perfect #cozymystery.
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Macy Atherton, crotchety customer of the tearoom owned and operated by cousins Jan Blake and Elaine Cook, finds herself smack in the middle of an arson investigation when one of her B&B cottages burns. An heirloom vase goes missing at the same time, giving Jan and Elaine mysteries to solve.
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I say this every time, but it's true. If you love @hallmarkchannel movies, you will adore these books. They all have a very #Christian perspective, which I personally love.
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#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookishness #bookstagram #booklove #bookstagrammer #cozymystery #CentralMaine
#BurningSecrets by #RebeccaAdams
⛄
⛄
⛄
This is the 5th installment in the #TearoomMysteries published by @guideposts.books and it's wonderful! A perfect #cozymystery.
⛄
⛄
⛄
Macy Atherton, crotchety customer of the tearoom owned and operated by cousins Jan Blake and Elaine Cook, finds herself smack in the middle of an arson investigation when one of her B&B cottages burns. An heirloom vase goes missing at the same time, giving Jan and Elaine mysteries to solve.
⛄
⛄
⛄
I say this every time, but it's true. If you love @hallmarkchannel movies, you will adore these books. They all have a very #Christian perspective, which I personally love.
⛄
⛄
⛄
#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookishness #bookstagram #booklove #bookstagrammer #cozymystery #CentralMaine
August 3, 2020
"Burning Secrets" by Rebecca Adams is the fifth book in "The Tearoom MysteriesSeries" books published by Guidepost publications. The book begins with a fire at Macy Atherton's Green Gables Cottages, which are kitchenettes in a Bed and Breakfast set-up. When the fire breaks out, and after the fire is put out, "Marcy rushes to Jan and Elaine's to ask them to investigate the fire at Green Gables that she just had put out by the fire department to clear her name of any wrongdoing in case the fire was arson. Because Macy knows that she has had a previous fire episode, where she received an insurance settlement that paid for Green Gables Cottages, so she is afraid that she could be blamed for it if it is arson."[Paraphrase from page 6-35] This is all in the first three chapters and there are chapters about Tara's jewelry show along with Jan and Elaine's fellow friends turning into more than just friends, but the main theme of the book from chapter four to the end of the book is where is Marcy's vase that is missing and what made it so valuable that it was stolen from Marcy's Cottage. This vase was a vase that was bought and given to Marcy's grandmother during WWII and Marcy never knew it was stolen from a Polish Jewish family and was a Holocaust Artifact.
This is just a synopsis of the book and I would like to applaud the authors and Guidepost in making such an enjoyable Christian mystery series. The series tosses a little bit of history with unusual puzzles that turn out to be enjoyable little mysteries. In my opinion, these books are in the caliber of Erle Stanley Gardner and Lilian Jackson Braun along with Sir Conley Dole.
This is just a synopsis of the book and I would like to applaud the authors and Guidepost in making such an enjoyable Christian mystery series. The series tosses a little bit of history with unusual puzzles that turn out to be enjoyable little mysteries. In my opinion, these books are in the caliber of Erle Stanley Gardner and Lilian Jackson Braun along with Sir Conley Dole.
July 16, 2018
This is the fifth book in The Tearoom Mysteries Series.
It was nice to visit with our friends Jan, Elaine, Rose, and Archie at Tea for Two.
This had the premise to be a great mystery however it did not fulfill it's destiny. It was a good read but not great. We had a new mystery and fire, a few more clues on the ring mystery (continued from book 1), new mystery and fire were solved.
Again I am left wondering if the authors have read the prior books. Truthfully I don't understand how so many editing errors are not caught before printing. This was a struggle for me at times trying to understand what the sentence or paragraph was trying to say. Since my stroke I am a slower reader..reading each word..and at times each sentence more than once to understand it...so when the wrong word is used or there is an editing blunder it throws me.
Not sure how many more books I will read in this series if this continues. Reading is to be enjoyed not a struggle. For now on to Book 6 "O Christmas Tea"....here's hoping
It was nice to visit with our friends Jan, Elaine, Rose, and Archie at Tea for Two.
This had the premise to be a great mystery however it did not fulfill it's destiny. It was a good read but not great. We had a new mystery and fire, a few more clues on the ring mystery (continued from book 1), new mystery and fire were solved.
Again I am left wondering if the authors have read the prior books. Truthfully I don't understand how so many editing errors are not caught before printing. This was a struggle for me at times trying to understand what the sentence or paragraph was trying to say. Since my stroke I am a slower reader..reading each word..and at times each sentence more than once to understand it...so when the wrong word is used or there is an editing blunder it throws me.
Not sure how many more books I will read in this series if this continues. Reading is to be enjoyed not a struggle. For now on to Book 6 "O Christmas Tea"....here's hoping
May 5, 2019
In this adventure, prickly Macy Atherton suffers a fire at one of her rental cottages. Years ago a fire destroyed her rental properties at another location and the insurance paid for Green Glade. So, did she set the fire for the money? She comes to the cousins for help, all the while being the grumpy and painfully rude toad she always is. While Jan and Elaine are checking the burned cottage, they review a photo taken before the fire and discover an old vase is missing. Was the fire started to hide the theft? The cousins stumble and bumble their way into solving another case and Macy actually is tolerable at the end of the tale. But I doubt that will last.
February 8, 2022
"Burning Secrets" by Rebecca Adams. This is fifth in the tearoom series. Jan and Elaine are asked by Macy to help discover who burned down one of her cabins. The mystery truly was about a family vase. Of the first five books, I think this was probably the best. Each one has been written by a different author.
August 3, 2023
This was a fun read! I love the tearoom! Macy demands that Jan and Elaine help her prove she did not set her cottage on fire and the cousins agree since Macy is always sending them customers. When the investigation takes a unique turn the cousins are left with a moral dilemma. Nice twist! This is my favorite book in the series.
June 14, 2024
I enjoy these cozy mysteries a lot, and each one has some underlying theme that makes it more than just an average whodunit. This one dives into antiques and the way that the plunders of wartime pop up from time to time. I found it very interesting, and as always with these Tearoom Mysteries a lot of fun.
July 9, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and getting know more about Macy's character. However, I did notice some continuity issues with the relationship between Jan and Robert. I'm pretty sure they officially became a couple in book #3 or #4. This book does not present Jan and Robert as a couple.
October 30, 2023
3.5 rating. I liked this book better than #4 (only other book I've read in the series).
Was the fire in one of Macy's cottages arson or faulty wiring? Was the family heirloom vase a worthless antique, or did someone still it for its value?
Was the fire in one of Macy's cottages arson or faulty wiring? Was the family heirloom vase a worthless antique, or did someone still it for its value?
May 7, 2017
Another delightful chapter in this series!
November 30, 2018
I give it a 3 1/2 stars it was kinda slow getting to the story and it jumped around a lot. Still enjoyed.
January 2, 2019
A very intriguing read. Get to see another side of Macy.
May 30, 2019
As always, a fun cozy read!
September 3, 2019
I enjoy seeing how the cousins help people and solve mysteries!
September 23, 2019
I loved it! Like I loved all the Tearoom Mysteries. The stories have believable characters, a creative plot, and inspirational moments. Very enjoyable.
September 10, 2020
A fun read, I was worried about Elaine and Nathan but he was there towards the end. Good story!
March 3, 2021
Nicely done-great story to go alongside the mystery! I always appreciate a history lesson such as one wound around a mystery.
January 16, 2022
Took a bit to get into the story, but once I was there I couldn't stop.
April 19, 2022
Great book.
February 29, 2024
I love Guideposts Christian based books! Loved this Tearoom mystery.
September 14, 2025
5 🌟 Completed book Burning Secrets (Tearoom Mysteries, #5).
This was a fabulous little cozy mystery book.
Series worthy
Free on Hoopla
This was a fabulous little cozy mystery book.
Series worthy
Free on Hoopla
April 9, 2023
A fire, and a new clue about the sapphire ring the cousins found in a wall. These books just keep getting better!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews