Small-town cozy mysteries with a bit of an edge and a hint of magic. You’ll love this series.Welcome to Whispering Pines, Wisconsin. A place for those who don’t belong.Sixteen years after a family feud drove her from the cozy Northwoods village of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, former detective Jayne O’Shea returns to prepare her grandparents’ lake house for sale. Once there, not only does she find … only does she find that the house has been trashed, her dog discovers a dead body in the backyard.
Jayne intends to stay out of it, but when it becomes obvious the sheriff isn’t interested in investigating the death, Jayne can’t stop herself. Her list of suspects grows faster than the plants in the commons’ pentacle garden. Could it be the local Wiccan green witch with her stash of deadly plants? The shopkeeper who slips into trances and foretells death? The visitor determined to practice black magic?
What Jayne knows for sure is that the closer she gets to solving this crime, the more the sheriff wants her to back off. And when a local fortune teller provides a crucial clue, Jayne knows it’s up to her to solve this murder.
The Whispering Pines Mystery Series
Family Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery
Kept Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book Two
Original Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book Three
Hidden Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book Four
Rival Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery, Book Five
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This was the best book I’ve read in a long while. Characters are intriguing, damaged and lovable. Mystery and conflict kept pages turning so fast I wanted to slow down and savor it. It’s one that makes you sad to be done reading it. Going to buy them all.
Lynda Rees, Author
Lyndareesauthor.com
This is a totally unbiased review.
I’m hooked! I absolutely love the setting. The little village of Whispering Pines feels both magical and familiar, along with its mysterious and offbeat inhabitants. I especially love the inner voice of the main character Jayne, who is observant, smart, and always a little bit hungry. She is also curious and tolerant of those who may believe or think differently, which is an important characteristic of an intelligent being who must avoid being blinded by their own beliefs in order to detect the truth and solve a crime. My only complaint is that an overall mystery still lingers at the end of the book, so it does leave a little bit of a cliffhanger. Otherwise, Family Secrets is a perfect cozy mystery with a touch of supernatural, and I look forward to reading the rest of the Whispering Pines mysteries.
I must preface this review in first stating that I absolutely loved this book. The character development is well thought out with Jayne’s family dynamic being something we have all experienced at one point or another in our lives.
This book starts out right away with action after Jayne and Meeka her wonderfully trained furry companion end up finding a body on the grounds of her recently deceased grandparents’ property. That is not the only surprise waiting for her when she arrives with the intent to clean stuff up to sell the homestead. Unfortunately, the sheriff doesn’t seem to inclined to investigate the murder on the grounds so Jayne opts to tackle this mystery on her own, after all it is in her blood as a former detective. As Jayne goes about investigating the murder, she learns certain things about her family history that she never knew. Along the way she meets a cast of unique characters and some opposition to her solving just what happened. Some secrets are not meant to be uncovered is this one of them? Can Jayne figuring out what happened, or will she find herself in trouble herself? This is one book you must read; I know I have already purchased the next few books in the series because I love Whispering Pines!
Family Secrets (A Whispering Pines Mystery) by Shawn McGuire is an amazing murder mystery with lots of drama, suspense, and twists and turns to keep the reader interested from page one to the very end. Jayne has been gone from Whispering Pines for a long time, what will she discover when she goes back? Going back to Whispering Pines is supposed to be relaxing and calming but when she arrives, she discovers a lot of things that make her cap instincts kick in. Will she have what it takes to use those instincts again or will Jayne read and paint while clearing out her grandparents estate? You’ll have to read Family Secrets (A Whispering Pines Mystery) by Shawn McGuire to find out for yourself.
If you enjoy paranormal and mystery than this is a series to read. This book is very well written and has an engaging plot and storyline. Knowing that this is the first book in a series, you expect there to be information overload and unanswered questions, but, McGuire’s smooth writing style does not make it overwhelming.
This is definitely a page turner book, and warning it does end in a cliffhanger; which makes you have to read the next book. There are 10 books in this series and I’m looking forward to reading them all!
Jayne O’Shea is back in Whispering Pines after 16 long years. She was deemed the one in her family to pack up her grandparents home after her grandmother passes. She thinks it will be a quick trip lasting no more than a few days, but that l goes out the window when she discovers that the home has been vandalized. She is also in for a treat and will need to put her detective hat on to do some investigating when her dog finds a corpse on the family property. Who was this girl and who would want to harm her? The local Sherriff doesn’t want her snooping around, but he doesn’t seem at all interested in finding the culprit. Is he covering for someone or in the worst case himself?
This was a captivating book and kept me hooked. The character building and development of the story was great. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of books that end on a cliffhanger, but I am invested in finding out who is behind the murder and any other mysteries Jayne may uncover.
This my first time read by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Characters were original and well developed, and the story itself really drew you in the more you read. It was a true mystery that kept me guessing until the end, and the descriptions were very vivid and and easy to imagine.
Jayne herself was a character who you had to warm up to, and once you got there you started to really like her. When Jayne returns to her old town to sell her grandparents lake house she is in for quite the surprise. The house is trashed and a body is in the back. With little help from the Sheriff she sets out to solve the issue herself, and as she gets closer she finds that someone does not want her to solve it, and things begin to unravel from there.
Cliffhangers are not always bad! When an author writes like this, she can leave me hanging as long as I’m not hanging for years on the next book. Shawn definitely kept my interest in Family Secrets. I’m definitely gonna head into the rest of this series. Great book.
This book grabbed my attention right from the start. A wonderful mystery thriller.
We meet our starring character Jayne as she approaches her late grandparents’ lake home in Whispering Pines. The action and suspense is immediately started from right there.
From small town locals to the social outcasts, this is one giant who done it.
I eagerly await the next book!!!!
Good thriller book. Ends on a cliff hanger. I liked the fantasy parts of the book. Was a fairly easy read. I loved the dog and main character. Made me want to find out what happens next.
Family Secrets: A Whispering Pines Mystery by Shawn McGuire is a fantastic book that is full of twists and turns. I found myself hooked on this book as soon as I started reading. I loved the fact that it wasn’t just a mystery story, there were elements of fantasy in there too. The two combined made for a great story.
I thought Jayne had such brilliant development throughout the book. It really felt like you got to know her character the more you read. As a new author to me I found I really connected with how the author wrote her story. This is a fantastic start to a series and I cannot wait for book 2!
This book was so good!!!
Whispering Pines sounds like a pretty great place to live. Full of misfits who are just looking to be accepted.
Jayne O’Shae is the main character. A former detective who travels to Whispering Pines to get her grandparents house ready to sell. That’s not at all what ends up happening. Upon her arrival, she finds a dead body and no cell service. When she tries to use the landline to call the local police, she finds her grandparents house has been vandalized.
Who was the dead person really? Were they murdered? Are witches and magic real? Did Jayne really come to Whispering Pines to get the house on the market? What else will she find?!
I felt Jayne was relatable and I loved Meeka, her dog. I loved her realistic apprehension towards Wicca and witches but the author did a great job of painting the reality behind those two things. I loved the small town vibe of Whispering Falls mixed with the mystery, drama, and scandal.
I will definitely be reading the 2nd book in this series- Kept Secrets.
Quaint, quirky and a little bit more
This is a very different cozy mystery. The setting is a quaint town with a little bit of bizarre. I felt that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Jayne is likeable and also a bit on the quirky side. There was enough to keep my interest and I still have some unanswered questions – which makes me curious about book 2.
This first book of the Whispering Pine series, I found it intriguing and thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The main character Jane, gets sucked into this murder mystery that I found myself getting lost in it as well. The one thing that I really enjoyed in the narration of the wonderful story is the wiccan references, such as the beliefs and practices. They were woven into the story line and quite intriguing without being overpowering in this suspense. Also…the cliffhanger at the end will keep you reading the next book in the series. I am so glad that I decided to give this one a try!
This book took me a little under 2 weeks to read leisurely, but I could have devoured it in a day had I the time to do so. I’d give it 5 out of 5 stars. The characters are extremely well written, and all the interactions were believable and above all, relatable. The story follows a young woman who blows into town to close- up her grandmother’s estate after being gone since childhood after her passing. She soon realizes there’s more than meets the eye in this quaint little witchy town. As she finds her way through her own issues as well as some odd town dynamics that she comes across, she also meets some great people along the way. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing how the relationships flourish in the coming books. The storyline was believable and doesn’t end exactly the way you’d think it would- which I love. I wasn’t completely oblivious as to how the story would end but the ending was a good one and set future stories up very well. I think this is a series that will continue to get better and better. I’m really looking forward to reading where this storyline goes and what other interesting characters will be brought into the spotlight. Great, easy read that will have you hooked and keep you coming back to see what happens next. I look forward to reading more of your books Shawn McGuire, blessed be!
I truly loved this story. I had a hard time in the beginning to connect with Jayne. Though, as the story moved I really started liking her. She came to close on her grandma’s home after a rough couple of months she was ready for a much needed break. Though, she was met with chaos and a dead body. I adored the mystery with sprinkles of paranormal. The little town full of big secrets just sucks you in and doesn’t let go. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul. I know I am!!
I love a good cliffhanger. This book was an amazing mystery to me. The characters were beautifully developed. I could not put it down. I wanted to find out more. I love how I felt like I was there, like I was right beside the characters and could feel what they felt. I will definitely be finding out what happens next.
I adored this book! I really wanted to meet everyone! Meeka was adorable and I wanted to be her friend. I wanted to have the opportunity to walk around the town and meet all the people, and try the cookies! Tripp made me smile and Morgan intrigued me. The conflict was relatable and I really just generally wanted to find answers for her. I really just wanted to know everybody and be a part of Whispering Pines.
This was is a really interesting read. I loved the mixture of crime and paranormal and how they mixed together to create this unique story.
Jayne has returned to her grandparents house in Whisper Pines. Her job is to clear it out and get it ready the be sold. However that all changes when she finds the home vandalised and the body of a dead young woman outside the property.
Jayne promised herself she wouldn’t get involved in this case but with the local sheriff showing no interest in solving the murder Jayne takes it upon herself to get some answers.
She is then taken down a rabbit hole of Witches, Spells and people who can see when death is coming. As her suspect list keeps growing longer Jayne starts to get warned off this case by the Sheriff. But why? What is the Sheriff trying to hide or cover up?
I could have so much to say on how captivating and amazing this book was in its own way! I was hooked right from the start, and as I read more into it the more I was hooked, trying to plan out who could be the main suspect in all that was happening, but still wondering all in all, if there was more truth than known?
For starters I loved the town, a small town, which seems like such a kind hearted town, but yet filled with dark secrets, and honestly though, how well do you know your neighbors and can you really trust the happy looking ones? The ones that look more not bad intentions, perhaps are the ones you should give your trust to? It all starts off with a murder that randomly happens. From that point on the lead character named Jayne who is there in the town basically for family business, and seriously seemed like she did not want to be back in the town in the first place. Loved her character by the way. She was very skilled as a sleuth and someone who wanted the truth always and no matter what would or could be. As the mystery went further deep I could not help what I truly loved most about this town, and that would be the residents that resided there. Each character was complex, but understandable in their own way. They were unique in the sense I constantly wanted to know more. As I read on, all for the most part came together all in all, that being said though…I loved how it ended, now I need to read the next!
The book gave me all aspects of a supernatural book I truly loved. I really enjoyed the book and how the author underwent with how the plot progressed as well as things that happened as I read on. They very much knew how to keep the reader interested. Seriously this book is a must read!