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Peggy Beldon
44 Cranberry Point
Cedar Cove, Washington
Dear Reader,
I love living in Cedar Cove, but things haven't been the same since a man died at our bed-and-breakfast. Turns out his name was Max Russell, and my husband, Bob, had known him briefly in Vietnam. We still don't have any idea why he came here or-most important of all-who killed him. Because it now appears that he was poisoned. I sure hope somebody figures it out soon!
Not that we're providing the only news in Cedar Cove these days. I heard that Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman are getting married. And Maryellen's mom, Grace, has more than her share of interested men! The question is: Which one is she going to choose? Olivia-I guess it's Olivia Griffin now-is back from her honeymoon, and her mother, Charlotte, seems to have a man in her life, too. I'm not sure Olivia's pleased....
There's lots of other gossip I could tell you. Come by for a cup of tea and one of my blueberry muffins and we'll talk.
Peggy
In this installment of her "Cedar Cove" series, Macomber again brings listeners into the world of a small town in the Pacific Northwest. A murder occurs at Peggy Beldon's B&B, with implications that directly impact her and her husband, Bob. Other subplots add to the novel's depth and give it a bit of a soap opera feel. Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman plan to get married, Olivia Griffin returns from her honeymoon, and her mother, Charlotte, has a boyfriend, something Olivia finds difficult to absorb. The town almost becomes a character as well. Narrator Sandra Burr has worked on local, regional, and national television; her voice lends a sensuous, slightly smoky feel to the story. Each CD begins and ends with an appropriate announcement indicating the number of each CD in the book, thus avoiding mix-ups. Recommended for public libraries with a commitment to light or women's fiction with little explicit content. [The prolific Macomber won the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance novel.-Ed.]
—David Faucheux
The years went on and the rejection letters piled up. Her family was living on a shoestring budget, and Debbie was beginning to think that her dreams of being a novelist might never be fulfilled. She began writing for magazines to earn some extra money, and she eventually saved up enough to attend a romance writer's conference with three hundred other aspiring novelists. The organizers of the conference picked ten manuscripts to review in a group critique session. Debbie was thrilled to learn that her manuscript would be one of the novels discussed.
Her excitement quickly faded when an editor from Harlequin tore her manuscript to pieces in front of the crowded room, evoking peals of laughter from the assembled writers. Afterwards, Macomber approached the editor and asked her what she could do to improve her novel. "Throw it away," the editor suggested.
Many writers would have given up right then and there, but not Macomber. The deeply religious Macomber took a lesson from Job and gathered strength from adversity. She returned home and mailed one last manuscript to Silhouette, a publisher of romance novels. "It cost $10 to mail it off," Macomber told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2000. "My husband was out of work at this time, in Alaska, trying to find a job. The children and I were living on his $250-a-week unemployment, and I can't tell you what $10 was to us at that time."
It turned out to be the best $10 Macomber ever spent. In 1984, Silhouette published her novel, Heartsong. (Incidentally, although Heartsong was Macomber's first sale, she actually published another book, Starlight, before Heartsong went to print.) Heartsong went on to become the first romance novel to ever be reviewed in Publishers Weekly, and Macomber was finally on her way.
Today, Macomber is one of the most widely read authors in America. A regular on the New York Times bestseller charts, she is best known for her Cedar Cove novels, a heartwarming story sequence set in a small town in Washington state, and for her Knitting Books series, featuring a group of women who patronize a Seattle yarn store. In addition, her backlist of early romances, including several contemporary Westerns, has been reissued with great success.
Macomber has made a successful transition from conventional romance to the somewhat more flexible genre known as "women's fiction." "I was at a point in my life where I found it difficult to identify with a 25-year-old heroine," Macomber said in an interview with ContemporaryRomanceWriters.com. "I found that I wanted to write more about the friendships women share with each other." To judge from her avid, ever-increasing fan base, Debbie's readers heartily approve.
"I'm dyslexic, although they didn't have a word for it when I was in grade school. The teachers said I had 'word blindness.' I've always been a creative speller and never achieved good grades in school. I graduated from high school but didn't have the opportunity to attend college, so I did what young women my age did at the time -- I married. I was a teenager, and Wayne and I (now married nearly 37 years) had four children in five years."
"I'm a yarnaholic. That means I have more yarn stashed away than any one person could possibly use in three or four lifetimes. There's something inspiring about yarn that makes me feel I could never have enough. Often I'll go into my yarn room (yes, room!) and just hold skeins of yarn and dream about projects. It's a comforting thing to do."
"My office walls are covered with autographs of famous writers -- it's what my children call my ‘dead author wall.' I have signatures from Mark Twain, Earnest Hemingway, Jack London, Harriett Beecher Stowe, Pearl Buck, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, to name a few."
"I'm morning person, and rip into the day with a half-mile swim (FYI: a half mile is a whole lot farther in the water than it is on land) at the local pool before I head into the office, arriving before eight. It takes me until nine or ten to read through all of the guest book entries from my web site and the mail before I go upstairs to the turret where I do my writing. Yes, I write in a turret -- is that romantic, or what? I started blogging last September and really enjoy sharing bits and pieces of my life with my readers. Once I'm home for the day, I cook dinner, trying out new recipes. Along with cooking, I also enjoy eating, especially when the meal is accompanied by a glass of good wine. Wayne and I take particular pleasure in sampling eastern Washington State wines (since we were both born and raised in that part of the state).
Peggy uncoiled the garden hose and moved carefully between the rows of leaf lettuce, sweet peas and pole beans. She had a strong practical streak, expressed in her vegetable and herb gardens; she satisfied her craving for beauty with the flower gardens in front. Looking back at the house that always had been her dream, Peggy smiled. She'd grown up in Cedar Cove, graduated from the local high school and married Bob Beldon on his return from Vietnam. The early years had been difficult because of Bob's reliance on alcohol. But then, to her eternal gratitude, he'd discovered Alcoholics Anonymous; it had saved their marriage and quite possibly Bob's life. Until AA, Bob had spent most nights drinking, by himself or with friends. When he drank, he became a different person, no longer the man she'd married. She didn't like to think about that time. Thankfully, her husband had remained sober for twenty-one years.
Walking between the rows, Peggy gently watered the seedlings. Several years earlier, Bob had accepted early retirement and with the severance package, they'd purchased the house on Cranberry Point. Peggy had loved it for as long as she could remember. Situated on a point of land overlooking Sinclair Inlet, the two-story structure, built in the late 1930s, had seemed like a mansion to her. Over the years, it had changed owners a number of times and had started to deteriorate, since no one had cared enough to provide the maintenance it needed. By straining their finances, Bob and Peggy had managed to buy it for a price far below its current market value.
Her husband was a talented handyman and within a few months they were able to hang out a sign for their Bed and Breakfast. Peggy hadn't known how much business to expect, how many guests would be attracted to the Thyme and Tide B and B, as they'd called it. She'd hoped, of course, that they'd make enough to supplement their retirement income - and they had. She was proud of the success they'd achieved. Their traditional home, warm hospitality and her cooking had brought them steady customers and a growing reputation. They'd even been reviewed in a national magazine, which had reserved its highest praise for the food, especially her baking. The reviewer had spent two whole sentences describing her blueberry muffins and homemade fruit cobbler. She had twenty blueberry bushes and eight raspberry canes, and she pampered them lovingly. Each summer she was rewarded with an ample supply for her guests and her family. Life had seemed about as perfect as it could get.
Then the unimaginable happened.
More than a year ago, a stranger had knocked on their door in the middle of a dark, stormy night. If it hadn't been so cliched she might've been amused, but this was no laughing matter. The man had rented a room and then promptly locked himself inside.
A hundred times since, Peggy had regretted not insisting he complete the usual paperwork. It was late, and he'd seemed so tired that they'd simply shown him to his room. They could deal with the necessities in the morning, over breakfast.
But by morning, the stranger was dead.
Ever since, Peggy had felt as if they were caught in some kind of whirlwind, tossed about by forces beyond their control. Bad enough that the man had died in their home, but then they'd learned that he'd carried false identification. Nothing was as it seemed. By the end of that day, after hours with the sheriff and the coroner, there'd been more questions than answers.
She saw Bob pull the riding lawn mower out of the garage. At the sound of the engine, Peggy paused in watering her seedlings, one hand shading her eyes. Even after all these years of marriage, she never grew tired of their life together. They'd survived the bad times with their love intact. And their attraction, too. Bob was tall and had kept his shape, his sandy brown hair neatly trimmed. His arms were already tanned from exposure to the sun. He loved his workshop and she was genuinely impressed by what he could do with a few pieces of oak or pine. She'd fallen in love with Bob Beldon as a teenager and she loved him still.
Now, however, she was worried. She didn't want to think about the dead man, but it was unavoidable, especially after what they'd recently found out. Sheriff Davis had identified their mystery guest as Maxwell Russell. To say Bob was shocked would be putting it mildly. He'd been with Max in Vietnam. Dan Sherman, who was also dead, Bob, Max and another man named Stewart Samuels had belonged to that squadron. They'd gotten lost in a Southeast Asian jungle with tragic results.
Once the identity of the dead man was established, another shocking revelation had come to light. The sheriff, with the help of local private investigator Roy McAfee, had discovered that Max Russell's death was no accident.
He'd been poisoned.
The water bottle he'd carried with him had been laced with odorless, tasteless Rohypnol, commonly known as the "date rape" drug. The dose had been large enough to stop his heart. Maxwell Russell had gone to bed, tired from a long day of travel, and he never woke up.
Bob rode past her on the lawn mower with a quick wave, and Peggy continued to water her garden, but a pang went through her. At this very moment Bob could be in danger, but he seemed content to ignore any risk rather than admit her concerns were legitimate.
As she set aside the hose, Peggy caught sight of Sheriff Davis's patrol car coming down Cranberry Point. She immediately felt the tension between her shoulder blades. She hoped he planned to talk some sense into Bob.
Her husband must have seen the patrol car at the same time Peggy did because he cut the engine and climbed off the lawn mower. Sheriff Troy Davis turned into the driveway, then stepped out of his vehicle. In the beginning, when it looked like Bob might be a suspect in the murder case, Davis wasn't nearly as welcome here as he was now.
The sheriff, who was probably a little heavier than he should be, took a moment to hike up his pants and adjust his gun before heading across the lawn to meet Bob. Unwilling to be left out of the conversation, Peggy shut off the water and hurried across the half-mown grass.
"Peggy." Davis touched the brim of his hat and nodded in her direction. "I was just telling Bob it might be a good idea if the three of us sat down and talked."
Peggy nodded in return, appreciating the fact that he wanted to include her.
Bob led the way to the patio, and Peggy was grateful she'd taken time that morning to sweep it off. The three of them sat at the round pine table Bob had built several years earlier. He'd painted it a deep gray-blue, a color that complemented the white siding. The striped umbrella was up and the patio was awash in sunshine.
"I thought I'd update you on my conversation with Hannah Russell."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 44 Cranberry Point by Debbie Macomber Copyright © 2004 by Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted Sat Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
By accident I picked upone of the cedar cove series books. That was the best "accident" I have ever had!!!
I LOVED that book and immediatly had to go buy all of the rest of them! I highly reccomend reading all of them before the series comes on the Hallmark channel in June 2013.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.period-reader
Posted Tue Nov 22 00:00:00 EST 2011
The Cedar Cove series begins its tale with the usual introduction of characters, character development and good story line. By the time you get to the 4th book in the series, you feel as though you know the characters personally. I fully expected Charlotte to show up on my doorstep with one of her new recipes! You begin to really care about the lives that are intertwined with each other. Although the stories are a little predictable at times and are written with rose tinted glasses, you can't help but feel a little hopeful that life could really be like it is in Cedar Cove. A lovely series and I am now reading the 12th book. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend starting at the first book and reading your way through.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.matildaMM
Posted Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2009
THIS BOOK Is part of a series,I highly recommend you purchase all the books and start reading from the 1st one and go forward. this book is very well written as well as the others. its an effort to put the book down to do other things. it really is THAT interesting. you don't have to imagine the scenes,they are very detailed. its as if you were in the room with the characters and at times gets very exciting. you feel every emotion that they do. its another of her wonderful books. i recommend you read all of her books. you won't regret it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013
GREAT author! I was not a big reader, until now. I picked up one of Debbie's books only because it sounded interesting and now I am hooked! She had me hooked from her first book of this series! As I have said before in my reviews, I lose a lot of sleep because I stay up reading all night! Well worth the read!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LDP23
Posted Fri Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2013
Love The Cedar Cove Series!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2012
I enjoyed this as much if not more than the first 3 in the series
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
I have always enjoyed Debbie Macomber's books and this one was fun to read. Her synopsis of the characters at the beginning of the book make it easier to remember who is who. :-) Keem 'em coming, Debbie.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Watches him.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Sep 11 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I shall remainerino here too.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ReadingMom14
Posted Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2014
Great book - 4th in the Series. Just keeps getting better
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. CD/abridged audio: What a disappointment. Did Ms. Macomber phone this story into her publisher?
First, let me say that I've listened to some of the Blossom Street series out of order and I liked it.
It is flat. The characters are one-dimensional. The plot line of pregnancy overlaps between too many characters. Either they are trying to get pregnant, secretly pregnant, miscarrying, or tricking their husbands to get them pregnant. With the characters having such common names and there being too many characters, the audio becomes too confusing. Evan, Grace, Roy, Peggy....name someone Roxanne or Thor!
I didn't care about the murdered dude. I didn't care if the other guy ever talked to his parents. I didn't care about the stalker. I didn't care about the chick and her old boyfriend. Or the guy cheating on his wife. There were ten other things happening and I can't think of what they are...and I just finished it.
I felt cheated because there are only five discs instead of the usual six. However, by disc four, I couldn't wait for the bland narrative to end. Then on disc five, I was close to the end and wondering if I was missing a disc (?). Nope, the stupid book ends like a Flash Gordon serial! No ending! Unforgivable..
Anonymous
Posted Wed Jan 08 00:00:00 EST 2014
P
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RRPNC
Posted Fri Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2014
Great book and series. Looking forward to the rest in the series. Recommend Very Highly!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2013
Just love the Cedar Cove Series. Start from the beginning, it's so relaxing to read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LMar
Posted Tue Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I'm enjoying this series. I tried watching the tv series on hallmark but was disappointed! But I love the books! I'm on book 6.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A number of Debbie’s books are being released this year in e-book format and audio. I have read a few in the Cedar Cove series, so not reading them in order. These could be standalone books; however, it would be ideal to read in series order as you will find a number of the familiar characters mentioned in the books. Hallmark Channel will feature Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove Series which I plan on checking out.
In 44 Cranberry Point, Olivia, Grace, Jack, Cliff, Bob, Peggy and all the family and friends are back after 311 Pelican Court and the continuation of the murder investigation at the B&B. The book discloses the murder’s identify and more. Pretty predictable, and light reading of small town with colorful characters.
Anonymous
Posted Mon Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Romance, intrigue, adventure make this episode hard to put down. Looking forward to the next adventure in the lives of the residents of Cedar Cove.
LA-TXN
Anonymous
Posted Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2013
Where is my girlfriend?
0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Oct 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Shoots more and more untill she finally gets a hold of her bow and arrows. Twelve golden arrows spurt from the bulls eye. She collects the arrows and relunctanly slings them onto her bavk and takes out her police stylw pistol
0 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Oct 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Same same. Gtg. Bai!!!!!!
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Peggy Beldon
44 Cranberry Point
Cedar Cove, Washington
Dear Reader,
I love living in Cedar Cove, but things haven't been the same since a man died at our bed-and-breakfast. Turns out his name was Max Russell, and my husband, Bob, had known him briefly in Vietnam. We still don't have any idea why he came here or-most important of all-who ...