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Secret Library #1
Tall Tails Secret Book Club
A mysterious mansion, a suspicious death, and a cat too smart for its own good�
When Laura Lee took the summer job as a housekeeper at the old Thornberry Estate, she knew it was a creepy place, but she had no idea how creepy. Mrs. Fitzwater warned her to keep her mind on her work and her nose in her own business, but one thing after another leads her astray, between the mansion giving up its puzzles as she goes about her work, fun secrets to share with the clever ladies in her book club who are always up for a mystery, and a cat that seems to know more than she does.
The death of a chauffeur just outside the estate gates changes everything and suddenly creepy turns to deadly as Laura Lee finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. When the police seem unable to solve the crime, can Laura Lee and her intrepid club find the killer before the killer finds Laura Lee?
When Laura Lee took the summer job as a housekeeper at the old Thornberry Estate, she knew it was a creepy place, but she had no idea how creepy. Mrs. Fitzwater warned her to keep her mind on her work and her nose in her own business, but one thing after another leads her astray, between the mansion giving up its puzzles as she goes about her work, fun secrets to share with the clever ladies in her book club who are always up for a mystery, and a cat that seems to know more than she does.
The death of a chauffeur just outside the estate gates changes everything and suddenly creepy turns to deadly as Laura Lee finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. When the police seem unable to solve the crime, can Laura Lee and her intrepid club find the killer before the killer finds Laura Lee?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 2020
1,443 people are currently reading
1,660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
June 14, 2021
Laura Lee’s housekeeping job at the old Thornberry Estate was one to tide her over, to earn some money after her mother’s illness. But she wasn’t at all prepared for the sense of dread, the creepy feeling in the old house, and talk of ghosts throughout. Miss Janice, the owner after her husband had died, was a strange one � every single book in the place, including the library, had been burned, banished for good. If she saw her staff with a book they were sacked. She hated cats � none were allowed, but of course there was Hank who lost himself within the walls of the house, turning up unexpectedly � but never near Miss Janice.
Laura Lee joined the rest of the staff in the secret room upstairs and off Marguerite’s room where they discussed the problems of the house, reading the few books they had salvaged, snacking and playing with Hank. When Mark, the chauffer, was killed, the book club members began some of their own investigations. When Laura Lee found something significant, she was sure she had the answers � but did she?
Tall Tails Secret Book Club by CeeCee James is the 1st in the Secret Library series and I quite enjoyed it. Light, entertaining and fun, Laura Lee was a great character and with the members of the household, Marguerite, Cook, Lucy and Mary, among others, and their secret book club, the mystery and ghostly intrigue were eminently readable. Recommended.
Laura Lee joined the rest of the staff in the secret room upstairs and off Marguerite’s room where they discussed the problems of the house, reading the few books they had salvaged, snacking and playing with Hank. When Mark, the chauffer, was killed, the book club members began some of their own investigations. When Laura Lee found something significant, she was sure she had the answers � but did she?
Tall Tails Secret Book Club by CeeCee James is the 1st in the Secret Library series and I quite enjoyed it. Light, entertaining and fun, Laura Lee was a great character and with the members of the household, Marguerite, Cook, Lucy and Mary, among others, and their secret book club, the mystery and ghostly intrigue were eminently readable. Recommended.
January 5, 2021
The ‘secrets� make this cozy a feel-good read! Protagonist, Laura Lee Smith joins the good-hearted staff of Thornberry Manor and is caught in the cobby web of secrets that tightly bind the mansion’s occupants. The widowed owner, Janice Thornberry, seems a few olives short of her martini’s at times, and absolutely despises books. The staff members who love to read; however, outwit her mean attitude by having their ‘secret� book club in a ‘secret� room that one of them discovered. I loved the amazing cat, Hank, who wanders the mansion via ‘secret� passages within the walls. The murder mystery is well-played and very enjoyable as secret after secret is revealed. I highly recommend this debut story in the Secret Library cozy mysteries.
January 12, 2021
A nice mystery. It is a relatively modern setting but has a historic feel to it. The book is well written and edited as I expect from CeeCee James. A very nice flow to the writing and an interesting group of characters. The characters are well written but not in depth. The mystery is similar. It is well written with good clues but it is fairly straight forward without complexity. However, for those times you want an easy read mystery with enough interest to keep you reading, I would recommend this book.
March 18, 2021
This is a very good intro to a new series. I will certainly keep reading the series The author really grabs you, and then your enter that great new vacation place in your mind.
October 24, 2023
A slightly-creepy cozy mystery good for October.
Laura Lee gets a housekeeping/maid job at an old, crumbling southern manor house w/ an intimidating owner. The manor is staffed w/ a large number of employees w/ stereotypical names such as Cook, Butler, Mary the personal maid, and Marguerite the head housekeeper. Multiple mysteries ensue for Laura Lee, including: Why does Miss Janice (the owner) hate books to the point of banning them in the house? Was the house owner's death natural ... or caused? Is there REALLY a ghost, or a more-mundane hidden person? What's up w/ the mysterious gardener? And of course, for a cozy, whodunit for the requisite murder?
This cozy isn't to the level of ones written by Miranda James (Charlie and Diesel), Laura Childs (Tea Shop mysteries), or Kate Carlisle (Bibliophile mysteries), but it was a fun read for my vacation.
Laura Lee gets a housekeeping/maid job at an old, crumbling southern manor house w/ an intimidating owner. The manor is staffed w/ a large number of employees w/ stereotypical names such as Cook, Butler, Mary the personal maid, and Marguerite the head housekeeper. Multiple mysteries ensue for Laura Lee, including: Why does Miss Janice (the owner) hate books to the point of banning them in the house? Was the house owner's death natural ... or caused? Is there REALLY a ghost, or a more-mundane hidden person? What's up w/ the mysterious gardener? And of course, for a cozy, whodunit for the requisite murder?
This cozy isn't to the level of ones written by Miranda James (Charlie and Diesel), Laura Childs (Tea Shop mysteries), or Kate Carlisle (Bibliophile mysteries), but it was a fun read for my vacation.
July 27, 2021
I don’t know where I first heard about this book, but it had all the things that light my fire. An old crumbling mansion, secret passageways and a secret garden, and a cat. What more could you want?
And overall I did enjoy it, but I have to say this one is more cozy than mystery. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I realized that the murder I was expecting already happened earlier in the book but it was just casually mentioned, barely 3 or four sentences marked that it happened. So I spent most of the book wondering where this was all going and it wasn’t until 2/3 through that it all started to come together. Once the pieces started falling into place, the pace picked up and then it was a roller coaster ride to the ending.
I’ll give this one four stars, despite being a little flummoxed until it all started to come together., but the end made up for it. So I would say if you enjoy character driven stories, this might be for you.
Edit: I spent a little time thinking about the book last night after writing this review and came to the realization that I didn't give enough credit to the author for how neatly and subtly the mystery evolved as the book went on. I realized I never did notice when the mystery part of the plot started to "grow" until that last third of the book when all the clues became clearer. So, kudos to the author who managed to keep a well crafted mystery galloping along, weaving it neatly into the MC's narrative as she starts her job.
Also,
And overall I did enjoy it, but I have to say this one is more cozy than mystery. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I realized that the murder I was expecting already happened earlier in the book but it was just casually mentioned, barely 3 or four sentences marked that it happened. So I spent most of the book wondering where this was all going and it wasn’t until 2/3 through that it all started to come together. Once the pieces started falling into place, the pace picked up and then it was a roller coaster ride to the ending.
I’ll give this one four stars, despite being a little flummoxed until it all started to come together., but the end made up for it. So I would say if you enjoy character driven stories, this might be for you.
Edit: I spent a little time thinking about the book last night after writing this review and came to the realization that I didn't give enough credit to the author for how neatly and subtly the mystery evolved as the book went on. I realized I never did notice when the mystery part of the plot started to "grow" until that last third of the book when all the clues became clearer. So, kudos to the author who managed to keep a well crafted mystery galloping along, weaving it neatly into the MC's narrative as she starts her job.
Also,
March 9, 2021
I knew from the first few chapters that I was not really going to enjoy this book, though I did finish it.OK, my cozy mystery. To start with, the chauffeur dies in a car accident � but the car keys are not found in the car and there is a lovely china cup in the glove box and no one can figure out where it came from. Does our heroine think to tell anyone that she saw the chauffeur carry the cup to the car from the kitchen? No. Then, a guest at the dinner party loses her purse. She says there is nothing in it but her cell phone and her lipstick so she goes home and the hostess says they will look for it the next day. Does anyone think of trying to call the cell phone? No. (We never do find out why the purse was taken.) In the meantime our heroine goes up to her room, hears a meow in her closet, opens it to find a cat (there is a secret passage that allows the cat the run of the house) and also notices an envelope on the floor of the closet. Does she pick it up? No. The next day she lets the cat back into the closet This time she does pick up the envelop and feels something inside. What does she do? She puts it unopened back on the floor of the closet!!! And later, when all the help are looking for the missing purse, our heroine finds a set of keys under the couch, does it even occur to her that these might be the missing keys? She is stunned when someone suggests it. Furthermore -- and this IS a spoiler alert of sorts-- the solution to the mystery reveals the murders were committed by someone who never actually appears in the book. We are told only that that character existed and used to live there and has come back to do the deed, I am not sure why. I think she was a blackmailer. I mean, really? Little in the characters' behaviors makes sense at all. I cannot even begin to delineate all the totally ridiculous things in this book. AND YET -- it is #1 in a series. OK, it has a spooky old house with lots of secret rooms and secret passages, it has an intriguing cat, it has a book club (very realistic in that, like my book club, they never talk about books), and a heroine with an overactive imagination. Maybe that's enough for readers looking for a relaxing, fun read. But I'm done with Laura Lee and Hank. I apologize for such a long rant. I am just disgusted with myself for wasting time on this book.
January 29, 2021
I just couldn't get into this book & didn't even finish it.
April 12, 2021
Enjoyed reading this story and seeing the characters.
This is a delightful read. The story and characters are well developed. I enjoyed how picturesque this author describes scenes in the book. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
This is a delightful read. The story and characters are well developed. I enjoyed how picturesque this author describes scenes in the book. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
January 24, 2021
Interesting Story
The twists and turns in this story are better than usual. Sort of a modern day Victorian combination. Easy to read and enjoy! And of course there’s a ginger cat!
The twists and turns in this story are better than usual. Sort of a modern day Victorian combination. Easy to read and enjoy! And of course there’s a ginger cat!
March 2, 2021
I loved all of it
The book was a great easy mystery. The story was straight forward with enough twists to be a mystery. I will read more of Ms James books. I am hoping soon.
The book was a great easy mystery. The story was straight forward with enough twists to be a mystery. I will read more of Ms James books. I am hoping soon.
February 4, 2021
A new job, an old house with lots of secrets, a cranky, demanding mistress, and mysteries to solve with the help of the cat, who knows more than all the rest of the residents. A fun and entertaining cozy read.
January 29, 2021
Wonderful
What a great story. I didn’t want to put the book down. Looking forward to the next book to come out.
What a great story. I didn’t want to put the book down. Looking forward to the next book to come out.
January 2, 2021
Laura Lee is the newest employee at the Thornberry Estate. She was hired as a housekeeper. The owner of the estate, Miss Janice, has a lot of rules in place, such as No Books and No Pets anywhere in the house. There are also certain rooms that are "off limits" as Laura discovers when she is caught in the old library. The library also holds another secret for Laura - Hank, a cat that travels through the house via a secret passageway inside the walls.
Chaos ensues when the housekeepers learn that Mark, the chauffeur, has run off the road and died. One secret / rumor is that old Mr. Thornberry had purchased an expensive Crown and then hid it! But nobody knows where it is hidden. Unknown to Mrs. Thornberry, the housekeepers have a secret room where they keep a collection of books and meet to discuss some of the manor's mysteries.
Where is the missing crown hidden? Was Mark's death an accident or murder? Does the cat hold clues to the manor's many mysteries? Can Laura Lee solve the puzzle of the missing crown and Mark's death?
CeeCee James has a great start to a new mystery series. Can you imagine living in a house where books are prohibited? This story has great characters and realistic situations. There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing clear to the end.
Chaos ensues when the housekeepers learn that Mark, the chauffeur, has run off the road and died. One secret / rumor is that old Mr. Thornberry had purchased an expensive Crown and then hid it! But nobody knows where it is hidden. Unknown to Mrs. Thornberry, the housekeepers have a secret room where they keep a collection of books and meet to discuss some of the manor's mysteries.
Where is the missing crown hidden? Was Mark's death an accident or murder? Does the cat hold clues to the manor's many mysteries? Can Laura Lee solve the puzzle of the missing crown and Mark's death?
CeeCee James has a great start to a new mystery series. Can you imagine living in a house where books are prohibited? This story has great characters and realistic situations. There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing clear to the end.
January 14, 2021
This was...not at all what I expected. It had a very traditional feel to the characters and setting, and the way the mystery unfolded. Reminded me a lot of Candleshoe, in a way. I enjoyed it, but I don't think it's one of the ones that will really stick with me.
June 12, 2022
Ho letto altri libri di questa autrice, che mi sono piaciuti, e la trama di questo mi intrigava, però ho fatto una gran fatica a leggerlo, anche se alla fine è migliorato. Ho già comprato i volumi successivi perché erano in offerta, quindi spero che migliorino...
September 25, 2022
This was okay. I finished it, and it mostly kept me interested. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and I didn't find the mystery especially well constructed. The characters were nice enough and likable.
I don't know that I would go out of my way to read future books in this series, especially as it is only available on Amazon and I don't have a Kindle so I would have to pay for the paper book version.
If you have a Kindle and are looking for something light and fast to read this was a fine book.
I don't know that I would go out of my way to read future books in this series, especially as it is only available on Amazon and I don't have a Kindle so I would have to pay for the paper book version.
If you have a Kindle and are looking for something light and fast to read this was a fine book.
May 22, 2021
Not your formulaic cozy, which is nice. Set in a run down mansion with a lot of secrets and a cranky owner. There is a death and the new maid carefully asks questions and is joined by the house hold staff in oncovering the perpetrator as well as uncoverng several secrets. There is the cat, the secret gathering, the scandals? of the past and rather strange characters. It is more a curious story than dark and forboding. Fun read. I'm on to the next one.
May 10, 2021
Ghosts or Not?
Good characters with distinctive personalities. Some parts of the plot didn't ting true, but nothing that would ruin the story or the reader's enjoyment of it. The quirky cat was a nice touch.
Good characters with distinctive personalities. Some parts of the plot didn't ting true, but nothing that would ruin the story or the reader's enjoyment of it. The quirky cat was a nice touch.
March 17, 2022
I love the start to this new series by CeeCee James. The author created a feeling of "old-world" with the distinctive class system within the household. It could have easily been a historical mystery and would have been just as good. The characters come to life under the skill of Ms. James writing, and each one is distinctively different. I loved the idea of saving the books and creating a book club. The secret passages throughout the house were a perfect addition. The mystery was easy to follow and leaves you waiting for the next in series with anticipation. Witty, and easy to read. Highly recommend!
August 26, 2022
I didn't love this. I'm not a huge mystery fan. I read a few I enjoy but I'd not say it was my genre of choice.
I couldn't get my head around the era it was set. Felt very historical for me but not sure if it was meant to be.
I couldn't get my head around the era it was set. Felt very historical for me but not sure if it was meant to be.
August 25, 2021
Picked this up because I wanted a cozy mystery and I love the cover. It started out with gorgeous gothic style descriptions, but the actual story was not that exciting or rememberable.
May 26, 2021
Great book!
I found the book very interesting!! I loved the newest housekeeper. She kept drawing me in. I loved Hank also the secret garden.
I found the book very interesting!! I loved the newest housekeeper. She kept drawing me in. I loved Hank also the secret garden.
June 1, 2021
Really enjoyed this, light-hearted and fun
July 29, 2021
Enjoyed this light, easy read. Good mystery!
March 4, 2021
Fun
A real fun book. Happy entertainment. Written well and easy to follow. The characters are witty, my favorite being Hank the cat. Give it a go.
A real fun book. Happy entertainment. Written well and easy to follow. The characters are witty, my favorite being Hank the cat. Give it a go.
June 29, 2021
Adorable
Secret garden, Nancy Drew with a touch of Downtown Abbey thrown in. The only bad thing I found about the book is that there was so many characters I kept getting them confused and t wish they better described the main character. However the setting was so wonderful that it made up for the flaws.
Secret garden, Nancy Drew with a touch of Downtown Abbey thrown in. The only bad thing I found about the book is that there was so many characters I kept getting them confused and t wish they better described the main character. However the setting was so wonderful that it made up for the flaws.
March 21, 2025
fun mystery
Although this was a fun mystery, it lagged at times for me. I won’t be continuing the series, but I’m sure plenty will!
Although this was a fun mystery, it lagged at times for me. I won’t be continuing the series, but I’m sure plenty will!
February 18, 2021
I enjoyed CeeCee James' other series so I was happy to see this one come along while I was waiting for new books in the previous series. I love Laura Lee and the household staff from Cook to Marguerite on. I don't want to give away the plot. But surfice to say that it was a wonderful addition to CeeCee's books. I'm anxiously awaiting "Pawsibly Guilty" which is being released tomorrow.
February 13, 2021
Couldn’t Put It Down
I was caught up in this story from the beginning (finished it in one sitting). The threads of the mystery were woven together in a way that reminded me of stories penned by Agatha Christie. The character development was very good and the location descriptions put me right into the story. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
I was caught up in this story from the beginning (finished it in one sitting). The threads of the mystery were woven together in a way that reminded me of stories penned by Agatha Christie. The character development was very good and the location descriptions put me right into the story. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
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