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Hope Herring #5
Hidden Secrets
This is book 5 in the Hope Herring cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author J.A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy.
It is spring in North Carolina and Hope is planning new gardens for the yard of her century-old house. Teaching at the middle school, working part time in a bakery, and raising her daughter, Cori, leave little time for her to do research on two mysteries. But Hope and her resident ghost keep searching for clues to his hundred-year old murder while she continues to look into the suspicious accident that took her husband’s life.
Hope has one more thing to worry about. Her friend and bakery owner, Edsel, is having the same dream every night where a ghost says she needs to speak to Hope.
Will Hope, with help from Cori and Edsel, get closer to finding the answers they’re looking for before a killer tries to silence them?
It is spring in North Carolina and Hope is planning new gardens for the yard of her century-old house. Teaching at the middle school, working part time in a bakery, and raising her daughter, Cori, leave little time for her to do research on two mysteries. But Hope and her resident ghost keep searching for clues to his hundred-year old murder while she continues to look into the suspicious accident that took her husband’s life.
Hope has one more thing to worry about. Her friend and bakery owner, Edsel, is having the same dream every night where a ghost says she needs to speak to Hope.
Will Hope, with help from Cori and Edsel, get closer to finding the answers they’re looking for before a killer tries to silence them?
- GenresCozy MysteryMystery
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2021
About the author
J.A. Whiting
183 books327 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling Author and Amazon All Star, J A Whiting is the author of over 100 cozy mysteries. She lives with her family in Massachusetts. Whiting loves spending time with family, reading, traveling, cycling, following New England sports teams, exercising, and being outdoors.
For exclusive content and new book announcements please visit www.jawhiting.com and sign up for my mailing list.
Also please "like" my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jawhitingauthor
For exclusive content and new book announcements please visit www.jawhiting.com and sign up for my mailing list.
Also please "like" my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jawhitingauthor
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 26, 2021
2021 bk 110. What I love about these mysteries - the realistic realtionship between mother and daughter - slips in this fifth book. One minute she is treating the daughter as the middle school student, the next as an adult. The continuity is lost in this book. Otherwise the mystery itself was okay. I think the main character is dealing with too many different plot lines at the same time and the main mystery comes to an ending with an abruptness that I'm still not quite sure as to why the murder victim was killed. Just not as well put together as the earlier books in my estimation.
March 31, 2021
by Barbara Kelley
Hidden Secrets is book #5 in A Hope Herring Mystery series by J. A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy. This series is about Hope Herring and her 14-year-old daughter, Cori, who moved from Ohio to North Carolina after the death of their husband and father about a year and a half ago. The story also includes a ghost who was murdered a hundred years ago, as well as Hope's boss from Hope's bakery job, Edsel. Hope tries to solve at least three murders per episode: 1) Who killed Maximillian Johnson, the original owner of the house Hope and Cori moved into a year ago, a hundred years ago?; 2) Was Hope's husband, Doug Herring, actually killed in an accident, or was it murder?; and 3) a mystery or murder separate from the other two.
In this episode, Edsel has been having nightmares for 4 nights in a row, where a woman ghost, of whom Edsel seems to recognize, but cannot see her face, says that she needs to speak to Hope. Then on the 5th night, Edsel fights her next door neighbor dead from a gunshot wound. This dead woman's husband died about a year ago, around the same time that Hope's husband, Doug, died. Christine was researching her own husband's death as though it was murder and not a heart attack, just like Hope is researching her own husband's apparent accident. Were Doug's death and Christine Jones's death related?
Another character enters the series: Luke Donlan, landscaper, with blonde hair and brown eyes, tall, slender, with muscular arms, and in his late 30s to early 40s. In other words, "drop dead gorgeous."
More than one murder occurs in this episode: Christine Jones, who whispers "Doug" when she is near Hope; and a reporter, who had information about Doug's accident and who didn't think it was an accident. When you get to Chapters 20 and 21, be sure to carefully read these, as well as the rest of the book.
I gave this book 5 stars and can hardly wait for book #6 that is supposed to be available on April 15, 2021.
Hidden Secrets is book #5 in A Hope Herring Mystery series by J. A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy. This series is about Hope Herring and her 14-year-old daughter, Cori, who moved from Ohio to North Carolina after the death of their husband and father about a year and a half ago. The story also includes a ghost who was murdered a hundred years ago, as well as Hope's boss from Hope's bakery job, Edsel. Hope tries to solve at least three murders per episode: 1) Who killed Maximillian Johnson, the original owner of the house Hope and Cori moved into a year ago, a hundred years ago?; 2) Was Hope's husband, Doug Herring, actually killed in an accident, or was it murder?; and 3) a mystery or murder separate from the other two.
In this episode, Edsel has been having nightmares for 4 nights in a row, where a woman ghost, of whom Edsel seems to recognize, but cannot see her face, says that she needs to speak to Hope. Then on the 5th night, Edsel fights her next door neighbor dead from a gunshot wound. This dead woman's husband died about a year ago, around the same time that Hope's husband, Doug, died. Christine was researching her own husband's death as though it was murder and not a heart attack, just like Hope is researching her own husband's apparent accident. Were Doug's death and Christine Jones's death related?
Another character enters the series: Luke Donlan, landscaper, with blonde hair and brown eyes, tall, slender, with muscular arms, and in his late 30s to early 40s. In other words, "drop dead gorgeous."
More than one murder occurs in this episode: Christine Jones, who whispers "Doug" when she is near Hope; and a reporter, who had information about Doug's accident and who didn't think it was an accident. When you get to Chapters 20 and 21, be sure to carefully read these, as well as the rest of the book.
I gave this book 5 stars and can hardly wait for book #6 that is supposed to be available on April 15, 2021.
November 12, 2022
Doug
Edsel finds her neighbor murdered, Christine the neighbor was shot so Edsel calls Hope. Edsel keeps hearing Christine's voice telling her to talk to Hope. Hope meets Edsel at Christine's place she calls Derrick, he and more police show up. As Hope walks away s by e hears Christine say "Doug". They talk to people to see if anyone saw or heard anything at Christine's. Cori finds more on Max's case. A Mrs. Kingdom from the historical society gave a presentation at Cori's school. Cori spoke to the woman afterwards to find out if there were any journals, letters or diaries written by or about Veronica Ellison. Cori told her she was interested in anything about Max's time and the history of the house. Good story.
Bun
Edsel finds her neighbor murdered, Christine the neighbor was shot so Edsel calls Hope. Edsel keeps hearing Christine's voice telling her to talk to Hope. Hope meets Edsel at Christine's place she calls Derrick, he and more police show up. As Hope walks away s by e hears Christine say "Doug". They talk to people to see if anyone saw or heard anything at Christine's. Cori finds more on Max's case. A Mrs. Kingdom from the historical society gave a presentation at Cori's school. Cori spoke to the woman afterwards to find out if there were any journals, letters or diaries written by or about Veronica Ellison. Cori told her she was interested in anything about Max's time and the history of the house. Good story.
Bun
April 6, 2021
1 on J A Whiting (& Nell McCarthy's) best & that says a lot!
J A Whiting & Nell McCarthy are excellent writers so saying this was one of their best says a lot! I love the characters, the plot, and the mysteries (1 short - solved, 2 long term - gradually & steadily step-by-step being worked out). The characters are great - there is a lot of depth and "finish work". I really like that the situations are organic - there is no stretching the characters or "throwing in an alien" (something that there is no way makes sense in this story) just to keep the series alive.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with some ghosts thrown in!
J A Whiting & Nell McCarthy are excellent writers so saying this was one of their best says a lot! I love the characters, the plot, and the mysteries (1 short - solved, 2 long term - gradually & steadily step-by-step being worked out). The characters are great - there is a lot of depth and "finish work". I really like that the situations are organic - there is no stretching the characters or "throwing in an alien" (something that there is no way makes sense in this story) just to keep the series alive.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with some ghosts thrown in!
October 23, 2021
I cried
I hoping things will work out between Hope and Luke . I'm glad she's taking that step all be it slowly. I love these mysteries. And yes I started with book 1 they all bet 5+stars from me even though this is the only one I've rated .This book made me extremely happy and I shed tears at the end when she told Luke yes and they're starting out as friends first .Happy reading y'all .
I hoping things will work out between Hope and Luke . I'm glad she's taking that step all be it slowly. I love these mysteries. And yes I started with book 1 they all bet 5+stars from me even though this is the only one I've rated .This book made me extremely happy and I shed tears at the end when she told Luke yes and they're starting out as friends first .Happy reading y'all .
May 17, 2024
This is another very fun story in this series. So many plot lines are put together, with Hope investigating Max’s murder and her husband’s death, plus a new mystery.
And this new one took a while to start off, since Edsel is having dreams of her neighbour asking for Hope, but Hope doesn’t seem to believe it’s possible, and then doesn’t really want to do anything about it. But when she finally starts investigating, it’s a lot of fun.
And this new one took a while to start off, since Edsel is having dreams of her neighbour asking for Hope, but Hope doesn’t seem to believe it’s possible, and then doesn’t really want to do anything about it. But when she finally starts investigating, it’s a lot of fun.
June 9, 2021
Hidden Secrets, Hope Herring Mystery.
Hope’s Bakery boss Edsel has been having the same dream for a few days. She tells Hope that the woman in the dream is asking her to speak to Hope. When she finds out who the woman is and that she’s been dead for a few days both of them realize that she wants Hope to investigate.
Hope’s Bakery boss Edsel has been having the same dream for a few days. She tells Hope that the woman in the dream is asking her to speak to Hope. When she finds out who the woman is and that she’s been dead for a few days both of them realize that she wants Hope to investigate.
March 28, 2021
Love these!
Well written, good characters, and a good story. I love that these are easy to read. Uf you’re looking fir a good mystery, Hope Herring, her daughter Chloe, and their resident ghost, are just the best!
Well written, good characters, and a good story. I love that these are easy to read. Uf you’re looking fir a good mystery, Hope Herring, her daughter Chloe, and their resident ghost, are just the best!
March 29, 2021
Great read
I love this series. The characters are great and so relatable. As a single parent raising a daughter I can see myself in the interaction Hope has with her daughter. I read this in one day. Can't wait till book 6 comes out.
I love this series. The characters are great and so relatable. As a single parent raising a daughter I can see myself in the interaction Hope has with her daughter. I read this in one day. Can't wait till book 6 comes out.
March 31, 2021
Garden read
A nice easy read sitting in the garden. After two mornings working out there, the afternoons spent following Hope and Cory sitting in unseasonably warm end of March weather. Perfect but.....does the story end here?
A nice easy read sitting in the garden. After two mornings working out there, the afternoons spent following Hope and Cory sitting in unseasonably warm end of March weather. Perfect but.....does the story end here?
April 1, 2021
Twist and turns
Loved it as always JA is a fabulous writer along with Neil and they have made a nice little mystery with lots of little twists And some very interesting characters It so must read
Loved it as always JA is a fabulous writer along with Neil and they have made a nice little mystery with lots of little twists And some very interesting characters It so must read
December 18, 2024
Excellent interesting story
A great read . I can't get anything else done because I can't put her books down. Great characters. Very great relationship with mother and child. All mothers wish for this relationship.
A great read . I can't get anything else done because I can't put her books down. Great characters. Very great relationship with mother and child. All mothers wish for this relationship.
November 17, 2025
Hidden secrets
Well, you're back on my tablet every day again and I'm so pleased that you're with me again. I missed reading your novels for a couple of weeks and all is well again. I do thoroughly enjoy reading your wonderful adventures. Bunny
Well, you're back on my tablet every day again and I'm so pleased that you're with me again. I missed reading your novels for a couple of weeks and all is well again. I do thoroughly enjoy reading your wonderful adventures. Bunny
April 3, 2021
Rebel holes and murder.
Hope is buried in work from school, her bakery job, Cori and now a new ghost is trying to talk to her.
Hope is buried in work from school, her bakery job, Cori and now a new ghost is trying to talk to her.
April 8, 2021
This is a great book in the Hope Herring Mystery series by J A Whiting and Nell McCarthy. It has great characters and a small town setting that I love. I can't wait for the next book.
April 21, 2021
Love it! Great story line and characters.
December 30, 2021
This is a well written and developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
February 3, 2023
I have now finished all books in this series and I have enjoyed each and every one! The stories were good as were the characters. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
April 7, 2023
Enjoyable cozy mystery. Loveable cast of characters.
July 6, 2024
Oh wow!
Great main story! And I just love the little side stories that are progressing slowly along the way. And I want to live in a house with Max!!
Great main story! And I just love the little side stories that are progressing slowly along the way. And I want to live in a house with Max!!
October 24, 2026
Very typical story for the series.
May 7, 2021
Hidden Secrets
I am loving the Hope Herring series!! The characters are awesome! Feel like I know them! Thank you so much for all your great reads!
I am loving the Hope Herring series!! The characters are awesome! Feel like I know them! Thank you so much for all your great reads!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews