“Scraps of Paper is a well-constructed mystery with just the right mix of good guys and bad guys, with a sprinkling of oddballs and misfits thrown in. Kathryn Meyer Griffin does a nice job of allowing the friendship of the book’s two main characters to develop as the story progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good who-done-it, set in a picturesque environment with … environment with believable characters. This is the first book in a series the author calls ‘The Spookie Town Mysteries’.” 5 Stars Reviewed by Michael McManus for Readers’ Favorite May 17, 2013 (Second in the series: ALL THINGS SLIP AWAY)
Snippet of NOVELSPOT Review for Scraps of Paper:
“The premise behind this story intrigued me. Old houses have their own history-bad and good. What would you do if, while you were renovating an old house, you found an intriguing mystery, even if it was years old? If you had a chance of solving that mystery, would you? Or would you leave it buried in the past? Would you want someone digging in your past, your tragedies? If someone you loved just disappeared, what would you do?
Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Scraps of Paper is an engaging story of what happens when you go digging into the past and the possible consequences. It also has an underlying story about dealing with what life hands you and finding the strength to move on. Both Frank and Abby are strong characters they have had to deal with the loss of a loved one and to learn to deal with that loss. You find yourself drawn to them and to all the quirky people who live in the little town of Spookie. In the end you want to know what happened in the old house so many years earlier. I’ll be looking forward to more books about this quaint little town.”
Reviewed By Theresa at NOVELSPOT © March 2006 (9 out of 10 rating)
****
Abigail Sutton’s beloved husband walks out one night, doesn’t return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of an earlier crime. It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.
Starting her new life, Abigail moves to a small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.
But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.
Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer. *
**This book is the first of a series. The second and third books, All Things Slip Away and Ghosts Beneath Us, where Abigail and Frank’s sleuthing adventures continue, are also for sale on Amazon.
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This wasn’t what I expected- very entertaining
Great first read mystery of this series. Loved it!
First in a series, I liked so much I’ve purchased them all. Fun reads!
Light easy read to relax with
Loved it. A real page turner.
The Title of this book and the cover had been tempting me for a while. I normally don’t go by those–but it surely made me take a closer look! Am I ever glad I did. I enjoyed this mystery about a mother and her two children who disappeared from the small town of Spookie Town over 30 years before thoroughly!
Abigail moved to this small town to start over. Her husband had gone out one evening and never returned. Two long years later his body was found. She wanted to move to a town like the one where she grew up. Spookie Town fit the bill perfectly. She ended up buying a house where an old spinster had lived and died–a fixer upper. That did not bother her-she was an artist and was really going to try to see if she could go free lance with painting instead of a 9-5 job.
She met several really nice people and several she didn’t really trust–but that is like all small towns. And of course the gossip mill was always in full force. Frank, and ex-police officer from Chicago and she became friends. As she was doing repairs to her new home–she spotted a scrap of paper behind a baseboard and that scrap of paper started a hunt that nearly got her killed!!
I will not say another word because I really want you to read this and see for yourself what a masterpiece of wording and continuity this is. There will be times when you will laugh and times when you go hunting for the tissues. The ending is both bittersweet and happy. I hope that you will go and read this book–the story line will stay with you for a long time as it will me.
I liked the characters and the plot!!! It was a great read!!!
This is so Many things in one. I dont normally read a whole lot of mysteries but this series is has definitely gotten me hooked from the first chapter. I can’t stop reading these books they are awesome and always have on the edge of your seat rapidly flipping through pages to see what happens next.
Life in a small town is always interesting. Everyone knows everyone and what it happening in each person’s life. This book takes you into the lives of all the ‘old’ residents of the town from the perspective of the ‘newbie’. The characters are quirky, funny, and some down right nasty…..but that makes the mystery even better.
It was nice to read a book without foul language and with a feel good ending for a change. Thank you, Ms. Griffith for that!! Looking forward to reading some more of Spooky Town series and might have to check out other books by her too.
I completely enjoyed this book. I recommend, totally worth reading
Scraps of Paper by Kathyrn Meyer Griffith opens with more meaning than is obvious: “Abigail Sutton began driving, with no real destination in mind.” She does, however, find her destiny. With the first chapter, the reader can easily relate to Abigail’s emotional conflict, which ironically carries her to “Spookie, population 558,” where she finds closure. Engulfed in fog, the setting places a significant role in plot and character development. Ms. Griffith expertly weaves the narrative and characterization through the setting. It is more than a who-dunnit. It is a study in human relationships. As a first novel, it can be a stand-alone. However, once you are introduced to Abigail, you may be enticed to read the next novel in the series.
A nice romance with a twist.
An informative first book to get Abigail started in a new town with new friends and new and exciting adventures. I was happy that she connected romantically with Frank at the end of this first mystery. Looking forward to reading new adventures/mysteries with Frank and the town.
Loved it. Great page turner that kept me reading to the very surprising end.
This is my first book by this author. It’s an interesting book with a lot of mystery. I’ll read books by this author again.
Couldn’t put it down.
Brave woman takes on the task of finding out what happened to the people who had lived in the house she has bought in a small town. Enjoyable
A good, light-hearted read in small town USA. I enjoyed meeting all of the characters, and the main story line kept you guessing all the way along.
Loved the mystery. Liked the characters.
I just overall liked it. An unusual mystery.