Cracking the Code

Secrets of the Blue Hill Library Book #11

by Emily Thomas

Anne and Wendy are preparing for a new adult literacy class when Ben races inside the library to tell his mother that their dog, Hershey, has found a package on the porch. Anne chases Hershey around the yard until she is finally able to retrieve it and discovers an envelope with several thousand dollars of cash inside! Wendy is convinced the money is an answer to prayer - the library's elevator is in severe need of repair - but Anne doesn't feel right using the cash it if wasn't meant for them. There is a cryptic note in the envelope, but no signature or other identifying information. Where did all of this money come from? Who does it belong to?

Meanwhile, the literacy program is off to a good start, but Wendy is hoping for one more student: the father of one of Liddie's classmates, who is unable to read stories to his daughter. Can Wendy and Anne find a way to encourage him to come to the class without embarrassing him?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Cozy Mystery

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Emily Thomas was born in London, and has lived there most of her life – except between the ages of 13 and 18 when she lived in Maldon in Essex on board a Thames Sailing Barge, with her family of seven assorted siblings and stepsiblings and two warring cats. Emily also works as an editor of many different kinds of books, including children’s and young adult fiction. She now lives in Brixton, with no pets and a lot of books.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Anne and Wendy are preparing for a new adult literacy class when Ben races inside the library to tell his mother that their dog, Hershey, has found a package on the porch. Anne chases Hershey around the yard until she is finally able to retrieve it and discovers an envelope with several thousand dollars of cash inside! Wendy is convinced the money is an answer to prayer - the library's elevator is in severe need of repair - but Anne doesn't feel right using the cash it if wasn't meant for them. There is a cryptic note in the envelope, but no signature or other identifying information. Where did all of this money come from? Who does it belong to?
Meanwhile, the literacy program is off to a good start, but Wendy is hoping for one more student: the father of one of Liddie's classmates, who is unable to read stories to his daughter. Can Wendy and Anne find a way to encourage him to come to the class without embarrassing him?”


Series: Book #11 in the “Secrets of the Blue Hilly Library” series. Reviews of #1 Here, #2 Here, #3 Here, #5 Here, #6 Here, #7 Here, #8 Here, #9 Here, and #10 Here! (The fourth book has not been reviewed yet.)


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are read, remembered, & mentioned; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & sermons; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of God & faiths; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, services, & sermons; Mentions of a devotional; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of Jews & a rabbi; A few mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of hymns; A mention of a mission trip; A mention of missionaries.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: eight forms of ‘dumb’; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Mentions of jail, beatings, & pain (during World War II, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of wars, nuclear/bomb scares, & a bomb shelter; Mentions of criminals, crimes, & stealing/robberies; Mentions of a con-man & scams; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of a wives & husbands leaving their families; A few mentions of a fire; A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of winning the lottery; A couple mentions of eye rolling; A mention of a death in the military; A mention of a divorce;
*Note: Mentions of car brands; A mention of an actress.


Sexual Content- Mentions of dating & boyfriends; A couple mentions of a flirt; A couple mentions of crushes.

-Anne Gibson, age 34
P.O.V. of Anne
269 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
I personally think that this is one of the best in this series so far. Not only was the mystery very interesting, I found myself laughing at different points over different characters. Overall, it was a very fun read and I personally would love to visit this library! ;)


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne and her friend Wendy are starting an adult literacy class when Anne’s son finds a torn package in his dog’s mouth filled with money.Thousands of dollars, Anne would like to use it to help repair the library’s elevator so she can pass inspection but has to figure out where the money came from. Anne also finds a fallout shelter under the garage with everything the same as it was in the early 1960’s. She also finds a big secret her aunt had. Even though these books are written by different authors they keep the story lines the same.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, that is probably one of my favorite books in the Secrets of the Blue Hill Library. It really had my attention from beginning and end. Constant mystery, and it summed up really well. I am looking forward to the next book.

[Jacquie Stricklind · Rating 5 out of 5]

A large envelope with over $18,000 is left on the library porch with a note in it. Anne tries to find out who the money belongs too even though she could use the money to fix the elevator in the library. Also, she finds that there is a bomb shelter under the garage, where there is a book of codes. Was Aunt Edie a spy during the war? Meanwhile, Anne is trying to get a literacy program started at the library while also trying to find the warranty papers on the elevator. Very suspenseful book!

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn, Central patron, July 2018, 5 stars:

Another great Guideposts book...found it on sale and wish I cold find more! A mystery involving money, not a dead person, although the library is a recent acquisition from the death of an aunt, and a great deal of money is mysteriously donated just before another elderly member of the community passes away. Loved it!

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book in the series Anne is the type of sleuth I like. She is smart and uses logic to solve the mystery at hand. She researches and thinks things through. She also has help from her friends. This plot was interesting and kept your attention to the end.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading these mysteries, and getting to know various characters while the heroine tries to figure it out. Clean story, good characters.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another wonderful book in the Secrets of the Blue Hill Library Series. I will be so sad when they are done, but I have quite a few to go thank goodness!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read in the Secrets of The Blue Hill Library series. This one highlighted the literacy program the library starts & the mystery it uncovers.

[Ruth]

Anne's dog, Hershey, finds an envelope with money and a message in it; her son,Ben, lets her know that the dog has it. As Anne is trying to get the money back, it is pouring rain and she loses some of it. Did someone know her great-aunt and send her the money and not know she had passed away and what does the note mean?

In the meantime, a bomb shelter is found on the property. Anne has to figure out why it is there and what to do with it. And she also has to figure out how to get the elevator in the library fixed.

This book is for anyone that loves mysteries, books written by Christians, chick books or serials.

It can be read by anyone.