Medals In The Attic

Annie's Attic Mysteries #2

by Cathy Elliott

From anniesmysteries.com: "Every visit to the spacious attic of Grey Gables is a new adventure of discovery … as is the case one rainy afternoon when Annie and Boots (Gram’s irascible cat) once again start exploring the treasures hidden in dusty boxes and trunks. This time — at the bottom of a box in the corner — Annie finds a pair of service medals from World War II in perfect condition inside a beautiful hand-carved wooden case with a glass top.

This is very curious because her grandfather’s medals are on display in the living room downstairs … so who could these spectacular medals belong to? And why have they been hidden away in the attic for years?"

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

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Author and speaker Cathy Elliott nourishes her night-owl habit by creating cozy mysteries and more on her trusty laptop in Anderson, California. Like the protagonist in her new mystery, Cathy is an avid quilter. Besides collecting (too much) cool fabric, she also enjoys hunting for antique treasures.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Was flying thru the chapters. Really enjoyed the characters Annie and April. Loved the names of the business. The name of the town is so inviting and really gave an image to a small town in Maine. Really look forward to reading more of this series.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series.....they are a very quick read, but I love them. There is a mystery involved, but it's not a dead body or a murder. This woman inherited her grandmother's house and as she finds things, the mystery is who is the person in the picture or who does this item belong to. As she digs, she learns more and more about her grandmother and herself, and she comes across some pretty cool antiques. Very pleasant way to spend an afternoon/evening. If you are looking for high drama, fast action or blood and guts, don't bother. If you'd like just a nice story about a widow, reconnecting with an old friend, making new friends and delving into the treasures in her grandmother's attic then this series is for you.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book. I enjoyed the story. It’s cozy. I can’t wait to move on to the next book.

[Rhonda Ewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read. The series is an easy read and great for back porch reading.

[Josephine Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grandma's attic. This is another book by another writer. This book is about good, decent, kind folks, most of them anyway.

Annie's husband hasn't been dead very long, she misses him terrible. Then she finds out her much loved grandmother has died and left her beautiful, old Victorian home on a small town along Maine's coast. Annie dries up to Maine. This book is about another of Annie's finds in the attic.

Annie meets up with her best friend, Alice, divorced, no children. The two go back to being best friends. Annie is working on her old house, trying to make her home modern without losing the old Victorian look. She is having a hard time wondering how to make it work. She has a good workman, Wally, one of the best.

Annie's daughter, Leanne, wants her mother to return to Texas, her two grandchildren, five year old twins, John and Joanna, miss their grandmother, Leanne worries about her mother living up north alone. Annie has met many friends, joined a group she likes very much, the Hook and Needle Club. The ladies working making many knitted and crocheted articles plus more. The ladies have donated much of their work to the church that needs a new roof. Annie goes to auction at the church to see how money is made.

Annie finds, in her attic, a box containing a Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart. Who does this belong to? Annie becomes a detective, find out who the war hero is. Alice helps Annie. Why are the medals hidden in the attic?

This book is a fun read, the characters like to go to the Cup and Saucer, there is much about good food, the ladies like to eat, gossip and make beautiful objects from materials. The ladies are good at all three of this.

One lady gets angry at Annie for a time. Which causes Annie to feel like a stranger among them. New lady in town among natives growing up in Stony Point. Annie has a very spoiled cat, Boots.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently this was the 2nd book, but I didn't feel like I missed much. Annie and her friend Alice are in the attic of her deceased grandmothers house, looking for something to donate to a local auction. They find a box with some medals in it, (Purple Heart and Medal of Honor) and Annie is sure it did not belong to her grandad so why is it in the attic? They decide to find out who they belong to and return them to the rightful owner.

There is a lot of talk about crocheting and cross stitching. Year ago, I used to crochet a lot and got several magazines from a place called Annie's Attic. Wonder if there is a connection or she just made up the name.

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie has been working through boxes in her grandmother's attic. With the community auction coming up soon she is searching for the right items to donate. During her search she comes upon a box of medals, one obviously a Purple Heart, the other she is not sure. What's weird is her grandfather's medals are already on display downstairs. So...who do these belong to and why are they in her grandmother's attic?

It's been a while since I've read more of this series and what a perfect way to return to it. Without realizing it...I ended up with a military style cozy mystery 🪖. Perfect Memorial Day read.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been looking for a series of books about crocheting or knitting. I meet with a knitting group at a local library and this series happened to be on display! I started with book 2 but I don't feel like I'm missing a whole lot. I do plan to go back and read the first book.

Annie is going through her grandmother's attic and comes across some medals from WWII. They are enclosed in a beautiful case and have been well cared for. The mystery comes in when Annie realizes that her grandfather's medals are on display in the living room downstairs. Who do these belong to? It's a mystery that Annie needs to unravel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery about Annie and her friends, along with their crocheting group, The Hook and Needle Club.

[Fawn Pender · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Medals In The Attic" is #2 in the Annie's Attic Mysteries series, and also the second one I read this week. One of the appealing things about this series is that much of the action surrounds a group of ladies who meet weekly at A Stitch in Time and call themselves The Hook and Needle Club. The club ladies (and their rumor mill/sharing stories) complicate Annie's search for the rightful owner of the WWII medals she discovered in her grandmother's attic.

This volume had more male characters in it than the previous one, and the author handled the relationships between the characters with grace.

[Tracy Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful story. i actually sobbed at the end -- it was perfect. It could have been sickly sentimental, but it wasn't. All of the different writers of the Annie's Attic mysteries have a deft hand with words; I've read several of the books in this series now and they've never let me down. This is one of the best series of books I've ever read.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I am reading a book, and begin thinking about other books I would rather read, it is time to quit. That is the way I feel about this series. I nice, quaint, cozy series, but I find myself a bit bored. I won't be finishing up in this series.

[Helen Rosenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second one from a series, although this book carries on from Lady in the Attic it has a twist of it's own.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery.

[Sonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read. Delightful story.

[Mooshka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐️

I just find this series very predictable, which is not my absolute favorite when it comes to reading a mystery. For this book, the author introduced the mystery, then introduced some new characters that kept coming up in the story… so it was pretty clear that it would all wrap back around to involving them since no other characters made an impact on the story.
With that said, it was still written well! This is the definition of a cozy mystery. No distress or crazy drama… just a woman with curiosity and determination! So the predictable nature to the story sort of makes sense since it is an easy cozy read.

I do just have to point out my main gripe… the drama between the main ladies. Like are we back in middle school? These are grown adult woman, you’d think they would be mature enough to speak to one another civilly. It felt a bit silly to me, and really didn’t add to the story IMO. The entire first book was about Annie finding her place and fitting in with this group… and they take all that away in this book?… then Harry was also acting like a child. He was rude and unpleasant, I get he was the antagonist basically but I feel like the things he did regarding the situation was a bit far fetched…

The more I read, the more I am liking the characters and the plots though! I was a bit hesitant after the first book, but I am looking forward to continuing the series!

I will say… these books make me want to try crocheting!!

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Annie Dawson inherited her grandparent's stately Victorian house in Stony Point, Maine. She recently moved there from Texas and is slowly going through the contents - a lifetime of things saved for some reason. She stumbles across a beautifully hand carved box containing military medals, one of them being The Purple Heart. Her grandfather's medals are on display downstairs. These must belong to someone else. Annie enlists the help of her newly found friends who are members of the Hook and Needle Club to solve the mystery and possibly return the medals to their rightful owner. But someone does not want the long kept secret to be revealed. Annie has a close call in which her life was threatened. Once friendly neighbors are suddenly giving Annie the cold shoulder. She really needs to figure out what this is all about as quickly as possible.

[Linda Hainkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is beautiful and this was a quick easy read written on about a middle school reading level. Annie Dawson has inherited her grandmother’s Victorian house in quaint Stony Point, Maine and is cleaning out the attic when she finds 2 military medals in an ornate wooden box. She doesn’t think they belonged to her grandfather as his medals are proudly displayed downstairs. It turns out this is part of a series called Annie’s Attic Mysteries. Each is written by a different author about a different find in the attic. I suppose you would call it a “cozy mystery.”

I won’t be looking for any more from this series. It was just an okay read for me. For one thing I found it hard to pinpoint Annie’s age. She is cleaning out her Grandmother’s house and several people of her Grandmother’s generation still live in the town. And yet she herself has a daughter and 5 year old grandchildren living in Texas. There is lots of bland content about town gossip conducted at the weekly meeting of the Hook and Needle Club, chats with the genial mayor on the street corner, and the yearly town action for charity. Whatever tension there is feels very contrived in this quaint picturesque setting. If you want a completely clean story with a mild mystery this is it. Nothing very interesting beyond that.

[Diana Maculan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the series (haven't read the first) which focuses on Annie Dawson as she solves a mystery which revolves around whose medals has she found in the attic of her Grandma Betsy. Grandpa Charlie Holden served in WWII but his medals (different ones) were proudly displayed in the Victorian home. A Purple Heart and Medal of Honor medal have been secreted away in the attic for years, and Annie is on a mission to find out why. The lovely town of Stoney Point is the backdrop for this pleasant, easy read with friendly and helpful characters to solve the mystery. Heartwarming and touching ending.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a bit of a mystery, but the library placing it in "Crime" is somewhat misleading, as there really isn't any crime committed. I kept hoping for something interesting to happen, but it was very predictable. I do wish authors who don't know the difference between pique, peak, and peek would use another word! (She meant pique, but used peak!)
I won't be bothering to ind any more books by this author, or in this series.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story of love, forgiveness and setting past records straight. When Annie returns to Shady Point, Maine after her beloved grandmother dies she makes a discovery in the attic which is a complete mystery to her. A carved box with military medals and a couple photos. Her grandfather's medals are all on display in the house and his military records do not show that he was a Purple Heart recipient. Wonderful story.

[Ace · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good and quick book to read I recommend for those who want a nice cozy to read in the afternoon that dosnt involve a murder.

The only complaint I have really is how a Kate decided to act like a flipping high school girl and not the grown up she is. Like instead of believing her ex husband words and made their friends turn against Annie she should have ask Annie if what her ex husband said was true but she didn’t like come on

[Linda Klager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is # 2 in the series. These books are easy to read and very entertaining. So glad that our church library has these books available for me to read. I found out they were donated by some of the ladies of our church who are involved in quilting classes. How nice of them to think of our church library.

[Jessica Allred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for a book group, the person who suggested it didn't realize it was the 2nd one in a series.
Honestly, not impressed. Simple storyline, open plot holes that may be tied up in the following books (but I'm not interested in reading more,) and a sudden ending. There are some good visuals, but not enough to have a higher rating.
I can't recommend the book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This caught my eye at the library. So glad that I brought it home and read it; a mystery to be solved, an adult version of Nancy Drew. A quick fun read with relatable characters, quaint setting, and an attic full of memories with some mystery among the attic items. Thanks!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is this book a fast read, it is also a good clean mystery without murder or sex scenes. Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read as stand-alone. I am curious as to whether Annie will stay in Maine or move back to Texas.

[Lori June · Rating 1 out of 5]

Choppy. Sloppy writing. Disjointed story line with danger drama and unresolved assault by a narcissist lying drunk. She forgives him with a simple verbal apology. He deserved incarceration. Too many lies and cover ups.
Disappointed in this one of the Annie’s attic mysteries.

[Ethan Kilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this terrific novel, Annie Dawson is exploring her late grandmothers attic when she finds some WWII service medals. But whose are they? Her grandfather's are displayed downstairs. Are these also his? If not, then whose? And why are they in the attic?
Medals in the Attic is another great read from the Annie's Attic Mysteries series. Although very simple, the story is intriguing, and a certain page turner. I would recommend this book to people ages 12 and up. It is worth noting that some may find the book a bit feminine.
So far in my reading, I have been very pleased with this series. One neat thing to note is that most books are by different authors. This can be a bit confusing, yet the authors manage to make the books flow smoothly. It isn't necessary to read these in chronological order, although it makes it easier to follow the story.
So, to wrap this up, I strongly encourage you to try any book in this series. To be honest, I don't think a majority of people who read this series will like it. I believe it caters mostly to women, say ages 40 or so and up. I just happened to appreciate the books, is all. So, as I would say to anyone, just give it a try. If you don't like it, don't read it, but Medals in the Attic is a great novel.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable reading with likable characters and a light mystery.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice mystery series. Reminds me of Nancy Drew!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the series.