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Reviews for
Flowers For Her Grave
Oh how I wish
this book was
the beginning of
a new series for
the author!
You'll love the
story AND
characters! Wow,
this story had
more twists and
turns than the
Smokey Mountain
Highway! And
like the
Highway, it's a
VERY pleasant
experience! I
finished the
book in 2
sittings and was
shocked I had
not read any of
the author's
books before!
Her sense of
mystery and
characters is
amazing! If you
live in a small
town, you will
recognize how
local gossip can
fuel rumors and
assumptions, and
even change how
history is
remembered,
until someone
rips the
proverbial
bandaid off the
wound! By
changing the
narrators
around, we get
to know both
main characters
very well, and
care that they
find the
solution in the
end! Highly
recommended!
Nicole at Bless
Their Hearts Mom
*
One of my
favorite
pastimes on a
cold and cloudy
Sunday afternoon
is to curl up in
front of a fire
and luxuriate in
the characters
and plot of a
good mystery. As
soon as I
started reading
Jean Sheldon's
book this past
weekend, I knew
I had hit the
jackpot. With
her direct,
concise language
and gift for
storytelling,
Sheldon weaves
an engaging tale
of page-turning
intrigue that
kept my interest
from the first
sentence to the
last. The author
does an
admirable job of
bringing her
characters to
life and
exposing them in
all their
small-town
glory. If you're
looking for a
satisfying,
old-fashioned
who-done-it and
one hell of a
good ride, get
this book. Then
curl up next to
a nice warm fire
and have the
time of your
life.
nwhank
*
A twenty
year old
mystery has
its own way
of coming to
show itself
once more,
nothing
stays hidden
for long.
Mrs.
Vandenberg
the last
remaining
member of
the family,
has just
passed away.
Will the
truth come
out of who
killed her
husband, or
kidnapped
her
daughter?
Was her
daughter
alive or
dead as
well?
Raccoon
Grove was
always a
crime-free
town, until
20 years
ago. This
book is a
great read,
as it shows
family
relationships,
and how easy
terrible
things can
happen
without
anyone
intending
for it.
Throughout
this book,
little odd
things
occur, which
makes this
book more
interesting
to read. The
tension and
the danger.
Journals are
kept that
give
evidence to
the mystery
only to be
stolen
recently
from the
home of the
writer. Will
they ever be
found?
If you like
murder or
mysteries
then this is
the book for
you. I
recommend it
to anyone
who likes
mysteries.
Donna
McGuire
Review The
Book
*
After reading
the back cover,
I opened the
book and thought
I would read a
few minutes to
learn about the
characters.
Well, I read for
an hour and a
half and dinner
was late! Jean
created
characters that
came alive for
me . . . I could
almost hear
their voices as
I visualized
Kate and Tracy .
. . She also
nailed small
town culture . .
. enough quirks
to be memorable,
yet the
underlying
humanity of the
citizens made
Raccoon Grove
seem a desirable
place to live.
Jean clearly has
a gift for
weaving a story
that helps the
reader
experience the
feelings of her
characters, both
the likable ones
as well as the
unlovely and
fearful ones. As
the mystery was
solved and the
book ended, I
felt as if I had
lost two fun
friends . . .
and I have a
much greater
appreciation of
life in a small
town. Good work,
Jean.......
Write more! Ruby
Allen, Editor,
The Girl on the
Bridge by
Ken Reger
*
Follow a
thrilling map to
murder, one
flower at a
time…
Read it Because:
1. You love a
page turning
mystery and
flower arranging
on a lazy summer
day.
2. You’ll feel
like Sherlock
Holmes
reincarnated as
an aging beauty
queen and a
sassy gossip
columnist.
3. You’re
prepared to keep
your mom’s
Kindle for two
days longer than
agreed upon so
you can finish
the story. Jaime
Mathis
The Independent
Authors' Review
*
This was an
unexpectedly
terrific book. I
loved the
characters, the
plot, the
writing, the
setting. I
bought it due to
the "unsolved
disappearance of
a child 20 years
ago" Marianne
hook, and found
it excellent. I
hope Ms. Sheldon
plans to write
more about
Raccoon Grove.
Marianne's
review
*
This
cleverly written murder/mystery
story is quite unique, and
guaranteed to have you on the edge
of your seat—and at times falling
off it with laughter! I can
thoroughly recommend anyone who owns
an e-reader to place this one on top
of their list. It's a joy to read
from beginning to end, and you will
be captivated by the escapades of
the two women sleuths, who, although
their paths are often fraught with
danger, with a mix of fun, refuse to
give up until they have solved the
murder that's dominated their small
town far too long. There is a very
unexpected ending to this story, but
you will have to read it to find
out.
Louisa Middleton-Blake author,
Daydreams, Moonbeams, and Wings over
the Common
(Wales, UK)
*
Loved this mystery by Jean Sheldon.
Her sleuths, Tracy and Kate, are a
pair of witty and intrepid
characters who want to know who
killed Jack Vandenberg and what
happened to his five-year-old
daughter. Clues and cliff hangers
kept me up past my bedtime. Tracy
and Kate's investigation of this
unsolved case has disturbed someone.
Anonymous letters and a trashed
newspaper office are only the tip of
the iceberg. Add another murder, a
house fire, and missing diaries, and
you have some of what's roiling this
small town.
Alice Lynn,
author Wrenn and Volunteer for Glory
*
There
are things never spoken of for a
good reason. "Flowers for Her Grave"
tells the story of a small town's
long held secret, a murder twenty
years ago. The murder revives
interest in the dark secret, as many
people have different theories of
what happened all those years ago.
As two sleuths want to find the
truth once and for all, their
travels may lead to them joining the
dead body they are trying to
investigate. A fun and fast paced
small town mystery, "Flowers for Her
Grave" is a fine read and very much
recommended.
Midwest Book Review Small Press
Bookwatch
*
This
was an absolutely fun book. I had
the time of my life reading it and
could hardly put it down! Here are
two women different than night and
day who are best of friends. When
clues start popping up, they decide
to look into a 20-year-old mystery
and try to find out who murdered one
of the town’s citizens. They are
also curious as to what happened to
the man’s 5-year-old daughter that
same night. To top it off, a
stranger arrives claiming to be the
only living relative of the estate
and he wants his fair share.
A
great read that will keep you
guessing "whodunit!" Be sure to add
this one to your reading list.
You’ll love it!
LuAnn Reading Frenzy
*
A
twenty-year-old mystery is about to come
to life again, stirring up old doubts,
old fears and, perhaps, old memories. On
this, the twentieth anniversary of a
murder and a disappearance, the Gazette,
this small town's local paper, has run a
story revisiting the long ago unsolved
crime. Louise Vandenberg, the only
surviving member of the family has just
passed away. She chased the mystery for
years, writing every clue into diaries,
did she have the answer to who killed
her husband and what happened to her
daughter? Who killed Jack? Was
five-year-old Kimberley kidnapped? Is
she alive or dead?
The little
town of Raccoon Grove was stunned by
this crime in their usually crime-free
community, but twenty years is a long
time and memories fade. David and Tracy
run the paper, and Tracy definitely has
an inquiring mind. When two unsigned
letters arrive at the paper, one
purporting to know who killed Jack, and
another simply saying Kimberly is alive
in Chicago, and giving a phone number,
her clue-sniffing persona takes over.
Tracy and Kate are best friends, so
sleuthing together does not deter them.
This is
also a tale of renewal, family
relationships, growth and confidence,
and how terrible things can happen
without intent. Kate, never with faith
in herself, lived in an empty shell most
of her life until she discovered her
love of flowers and her skill with
arrangements. Jean Sheldon is an expert
at description, and no less so in this
book. Her description of the flower
gardens is so beautiful it is possible
to picture them in the reader's mind.
I'm sure if I didn't suffer from lack of
smell, I would even have smelled them.
Her gardens have given Kate a feeling of
worthiness she has never known before
and made her stronger.
Jack
Vandenberg was "the" attorney many women
chose to obtain divorces, for his
compassion, understanding, and as a very
good divorce lawyer. We meet several
quirky characters in this book, many
ex-husbands firmly ensconced in their
bar stools. Some husbands blamed Jack
for the breakups of their marriages and
convinced themselves their wives were
having an affair with him. Kate's
ex-husband Dirk was one of these. Was it
possible that a disgruntled ex-husband
had done the deed?
Tracy and
Kate begin with old files from the
Gazette and an interview with Ben,
ex-police chief, who soon turns up dead
raising even more questions. Coincidence
or accident? There are enough dead ends,
false leads, threats, and pretenders to
keep the reader guessing. Sara Collins
as Kimberley's best friend spent many
years treated for depression after the
disappearance, but with 20 years behind
her and an excellent therapist, she is
doing very well, even with the
inevitable gaps in her memory. When Kate
takes her on as assistant in her gardens
and mentors her, her health improves
dramatically, but Sara is unable to go
near pink roses. Is there a connection?
Throughout
the book, odd incidents happen. The
tension mounts bringing with it danger
for our protagonists. In their haste to
stall off more crises, some errors in
judgment occur, but a reality check
makes up for those slips. Uncertain
memories sometimes steer them in wrong
directions as the townspeople try to
remember who was where, and when. The
most crucial evidence is expected to
show up in Louise's journals, but a
break-in at the Vandenberg house has
resulted in the disappearance of the
most recent ones. Can they ever be
found? Will they be destroyed? When
Tracy and Kate find themselves as
targets, they become more determined to
find the culprit.
Ms.
Sheldon has a wonderful sense of
history, mystery, and the flaws of
mankind. She has written several
stand-alone books, and though mysteries,
they are entirely unique. They all pique
the reader's interest. Each is carefully
researched, presented, and keeps us
reading. She is sharp as a tack in
nailing her diverse mysteries, always
with a touch of humor. My thanks to the
author for keeping me entertained and
guessing! Another great mystery by Jean
Sheldon, who will shock you by the end
of this book.
*
WOW This is a great
story. Everything
lines up and comes
to a conclusion the
reader can follow.
The character
development is
smooth and
believable. This
murder mystery
describes what true
love for your child
can develop into.
Linda Stefanyk
The book left me
speechless. Never
ever would I have
thought that was the
way it was going to
turn out. There were
so many could be
suspects. It was
refreshing to read a
book with down to
earth common
characters, added
plus that they were
in their 60's. The
ending was great,
everything was
figured out and
topped off with a
laugh about the
overdue books!
Lesli
*
For a murder
mystery to
succeed, the
plot must leave
the reader in
suspense about
who committed
the crime to the
end of the
story. Beyond
the plot,
compelling
characters go a
long way to add
to the reader's
overall
satisfaction.
Jean Sheldon
provides both a
satisfying plot
and interesting
characters in
her latest work,
Flowers for
Her Grave.
In the small
town of Raccoon
Grove, a
terrible crime
is committed
that leaves one
prominent man
dead and his
young daughter
missing. On the
20th anniversary
of the crime,
the local
newspaper runs
an article on
the still
unsolved crime,
and interest is
piqued once
again. The paper
receives two
anonymous
letters. The
writer of the
first letter
claims to know
the identity of
the perpetrator,
while the writer
of the second
professes to
know the
whereabouts of
the long-missing
daughter. At the
same time, the
wife and mother
of the victims
dies, and a man
claiming to be a
relative arrives
in town to claim
his inheritance.
Curiosity
aroused, Tracy,
the local gossip
columnist, and
Kate, her
florist friend,
set out to
investigate.
Through these
two aging baby
boomers, the
reader meets a
host of
characters, each
with a
suspicious
connection to
the crime and
victims.
Furthermore,
trouble stalks
these sleuths as
they seek to
question the
ex-sheriff just
before he dies
in an accident,
become trapped
in a burning
building, and
become the
target of a
vandal and a
sniper.
Sheldon has
written a strong
plot that will
leave most
guessing until
the final
chapters. Her
cast of
characters makes
it almost
impossible to
discern how all
of the pieces of
the mystery fit
together.
Sheldon also
provides enough
clever twists to
make the reader
question any
assumptions.
Tracy and Kate
are delightful
main characters.
These are not
sweet, little
old ladies in
the vein of Miss
Marple. Tracy is
a middle-aged
woman with a
sense of style,
a flirtatious
relationship
with her
husband, a few
well-placed cuss
words, and a
spunky demeanor.
Kate, by
comparison, is a
quiet beauty
both inside and
out, who is just
hitting her
stride with her
business and
family in middle
age...this is
an entertaining
and enjoyable
mystery.
Portland Book
Review
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