From an award-winning USA TODAY Bestselling Author…a soulful Southern saga about a perfect family in an imperfect world…
Laura Wilkes has everything a woman could want when she snaps the picture of her five-year-old daughter on the carousel. Each time the carousel comes around Laura snaps another picture, seven in all. This is a day of unforgettable happiness; one of the few Laura has left.
happiness; one of the few Laura has left.
In the months following the stock market crash the family is beset by tragedy. A homicide that goes unpunished. It’s the height of the depression and there are hoards of faceless, nameless men living in train yards and back alleys. The murderer is never caught but the family never gives up hope of finding him.
Now twenty-five years later, Laura’s daughter has fallen in love with a policeman. Jack Mahoney is a rookie with little or no power, but he’s the one, the only one, who can deliver the justice the family has long awaited.
In a heartwarming family saga that stretches across three generations, and brings back Wyattsville’s favorite detective, readers will get to know Jack Mahoney as a young man about to fall in love.
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This is a fabulous book of love, family, tragedy and a murder mystery all rolled in to one.
What more could one ask when reading a book? I read this in a day.
I was snagged into the world of this wonderful family from page one which begins in 1918.
The quote which set the story “Life is made up of good times and bad times; sometimes in equal measures, sometimes unjustly weighted on one side of the scale or the other.”
The life of the Hawthorne family continues, and you must read to see whether the mystery is solved and justice is served after many, many years.
A new favorite book of mine!!
Beyond the Carousel is a great family saga. You will fall in love with the characters, and want to read more about them.
Laura Wilkes has everything a woman could want when she snaps the picture of her five-year-old daughter on the carousel. Each time the carousel comes around Laura snaps another picture, seven in all. This is a day of unforgettable happiness; one of the few Laura has left.
In the months following the stock market crash the family is beset by tragedy. A homicide that goes unpunished. It’s the height of the depression and there are hoards of faceless, nameless men living in train yards and back alleys. The murderer is never caught but the family never gives up hope of finding him.
Now twenty-five years later, Laura’s daughter has fallen in love with a policeman. Jack Mahoney is a rookie with little or no power, but he’s the one, the only one, who can deliver the justice the family has long awaited.
Time changes much, families grow, members are born, members die but the strength of the love in a family is timeless and Betty Lee Crosby’s book “Beyond the Carousel” proves this!
Being abandoned would seem like the worst start to a childhood. What comes from such a lowly act brings change and a new start for one such child, albeit some years later. This new beginning sets the stage for an amazing story of resilience and commitment to family that spans decades.
Crosby touches the heart with her magical way of writing love and southern charm into a story that stays with the reader far beyond the last page turned. Once I picked up the book I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages wanting to keep the story going. It was such a bonuses to the novel reading the thoughts of each character, seeing the inside thinking to the what and whys of each situation occurring in the book.
This beautiful story is one I feel the utmost confidence in saying to all women’s fiction fans to buy a copy of, it will be a cherished novel for many to add to their library!
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Beyond the Carousel” by Bette Lee Crosby, Bent Pine Publishing, 2017
Bette Lee Crosby, the author of “Beyond the Carousel” has written a memorable, and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction Mysteries, Women’s Sagas, Women’s Historical Fiction, and Fiction. Bette Lee Crosby is an amazing storyteller and she vividly writes and describes the events, characters, and settings in her stories. “Beyond the Carousel” is one of the Wyattsville Series, where you might recognize some of the characters as friends, but each story can be read alone. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, and some are flawed. The timeline for this story goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events, and then to the author’s timing of the present.
In this intriguing and intense family saga, the author provides us with the historical background of the times, each leading to an intense and captivating storyline. During the Stock Market Crash, there are traumatic events that occur that show a cause and effect on the story. There begins what will be a senseless act of murder that will be looked at in 25 years later.
I love that Bette Lee Crosby brings this story across three generations of family, and introduces us to some wonderful characters. One of the quotes in the story that centers around a carousel is ” What Goes Around Comes Around”. I highly recommend “Beyond the Carousel for other readers.
This the final book in the Wyattsville series. I recommend reading the entire series, but each book can be read independently. I have now completed this series and this final book ties up the series perfectly! Bette Lee Crosby has great talent in creating characters that the reader cares about. I was transported into the stories and it kept my mind free of the worries of the world going through Covid19. Every generations has its challenges and struggles to deal with. It was nice to escape into the world of this series and know that by the end of the book there will be a solution and the characters will go on to a happy life.
Every story I read by Bette Lee Crosby touches my heart and soul. In Beyond the Carousel, the author tells how a family is affected by a falling stock market and money lost. When times are good and money is plentiful, there seems to be no need for worry. But, when stocks fall and money is gone, worries mount and others are affected, too. A murder changes the lives of everyone in the story, from generation to generation. Just like a carousel goes round and round, so does the justice for the murder. The details and descriptions of each scene and each character transport the reader to the neighborhood and homes of these families. Great story. I needed the tissue box for this one, too. I received a copy of this story from the author and this is my personal opinion.
This story was so entertaining, with interesting characters who made the reader feel that were actually part of the story.
I love all of her work. Can’t wait for the next one.
Really enjoyed the generational theme in this book. The characters were very likable
I really like Betty Lee Crosby’s books, especially the Wyattsville series. I think her characters are well developed, and the plots are intriguing.