Scrapbook of Secrets: Mystery Review #2

Last blog post, I reviewed Laura Crum's "Barnstorming," which was lots of fun to read. Today I will review "Scrapbook of Secrets" another fun, mystery read from Mollie Cox Bryan, a writer friend who lives in Virginia. The two books couldn't be different. "Barnstorming" was written by a California, horse gal, and California and horses play huge parts in the mystery. "Scrapbook of Secrets" is written by a Virginia journalist and mom of two girls, and her own life and the fictional middle-class Virginia neighborhood of Cumberland Creek, play huge parts in the mystery. The main characters, Vera and Annie, must decide if the 'suicide' of a fellow-scrapbooker was in fact a suicide or murder. There are many twists and turns along the way!

As I was reading, I was drawn into the characters and town of Cumberland Creek. Because I know Mollie fairly well, it was hard to keep separate her life and the lives of the people in the story. That was part of the charm of the book. The goings-on of families with real problems is at the heart of the mystery. Vera deals with her aging mother, a ballet business, being pregnant and balancing dreams of an old love and the love of her husband. Annie deals with two young boys, a husband who travels and the tough act of juggling family and career.

I don't know anything about scrapbooking, but anyone who crafts will enjoy the aspects of the art. The mystery moves along nicely; this is a "cozy" so violence and psychopaths are kept to a minimum. However, because Cumberland Creek is a "Mayberry" kind of town, the violence that lurks around the corner of the coffee shop can be all too real.

To find more about the book and Mollie, go to her website www.molliecoxbryan.com. "Scrapbook of Secrets" is in paperback and Kindle editions and can easily be found on Amazon and other online bookstores.
Next time it rains or you need a break, enjoy a good mystery!