I hope all of you have had a good Thursday. I am featuring Bette Lee Crosby today. Ms. Crosby has written The Wyattsville Series and the Memory House Collection. Readers can follow her on Amazon and Facebook. For information on her books, you can check out her website. The first four books in The Wyattsville Series are Spare Change, Jubilee's Journey, Passing through Perfect, and The Regrets of Cyrus Dodd.
Beyond the Carousel by Bette Lee
Crosby is the fifth book in The Wyattsville Series. It is 1918 in Wyattsville, Virginia. Emory Hawthorne has been married to Rose for
twelve years when he receives an unexpected inheritance from his father, Lester.
Lester Hawthorne left a portfolio of
stocks worth $9,000. Emory and his wife
use the money to purchase of home on Chester Street. Their daughter, Laura is eleven years old
when they move into the home. When Laura
is eighteen she gets a secretarial position at Ridge Valley Savings Bank. It is at the bank that Laura meets Franklin
Wilkes. Franklin is a stockbroker with
Sampson Investment Company. The two
quickly fall in love and marry. They
have a little girl they name Christine.
Franklin does well with the stock market and purchases them a cute
bungalow. In 1928, Franklin invests his
bonus check into stocks and convinces Emory to do the same. But then the market starts to fall. Franklin warns his clients to remove their
money, but many do not listen. George Feldman
had mortgaged his mother’s home and invested the money into the stock
market. Franklin tried to convince him
to withdraw his funds, but George is a stubborn man. Once George has lost everything, he blames
Franklin. One night in 1930 Franklin is
working late when George enters the building.
George goes to Franklin’s office and shoots him six times. George quickly flees town and the police are
unable to find him. Laura raises Christine
with the help of her family. Christine
grows up to marry Patrolman Jack Mahoney in Richmond. When Jack becomes a detective with the
Wyattsville Police Department, he starts looking into Franklin’s murder. Twenty-five years have passed since Franklin’s
senseless death. Jack is hoping to find
some clue that will lead him to George Feldman.
Will Christine and Emory finally get closer?
Beyond the Carousel is a
well-written story with a good pace. The
story contains lovely characters and a moving story. I found Beyond the Carousel to be
heartwarming and heartbreaking. Beyond the Carousel will take you through the full range of emotions (joy, grief,
love). I like how Bette Lee Crosby takes
the reader through three generations of a family. We get to experience their ups and downs with
them. This novel captured my interest
from the very beginning and held it until I read the very last word. I love how the author wrapped up the
story. I give Beyond the Carousel 5 out
of 5 stars (I loved it). While Beyond the Carousel is the fifth book in the series, it is a stand-alone. I have read several of this author’s books,
but Beyond the Carousel is, by far, my favorite. She really brought the characters and story
to life for me.
I hope you enjoyed today's review. I will return tomorrow to share my thoughts on Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle. I hope all of you have a delightful evening. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Thank you Kris for the review!
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