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Family Secrets (A Whispering Pines Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Shawn McGuire (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 4,745
See all formats and editions
If you like twisting, turning mysteries set in villages you’ll never want to leave (despite the dead bodies), get ready to fall in love with Jayne O’Shea.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A great mystery with a dash of paranormal!”



Welcome to Whispering Pines, Wisconsin. A place for those who don’t belong.

Sixteen years after a family feud drove her from the cozy Northwoods village of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, former detective Jayne O’Shea returns to prepare her grandparents’ lake house for sale. Once there, not only does she find that the house has been trashed, her dog discovers a dead body in the backyard.

Jayne intends to stay out of it, but when it becomes obvious the sheriff isn't interested in investigating the death, Jayne can't stop herself. Her list of suspects grows faster than the plants in the commons’ pentacle garden. Could it be the local Wiccan green witch with her stash of deadly plants? The shopkeeper who slips into trances and foretells death? The visitor determined to practice black magic?

What Jayne knows for sure is that the closer she gets to solving this crime, the more the sheriff wants her to back off. And when a local fortune teller provides a crucial clue, Jayne knows it’s up to her to solve this murder.



One click to start the series today and find out why readers are saying, “I wish Whispering Pines was a real place”


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Nice clean adventure story. Young love, murder, and a dog what more can you ask for.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “OMGGGG!!!.. Who did it?!!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Absolutely LOVED this book!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Couldn't wait to find out what happened next.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Could not put it down!!!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "There are twists and turns that will keep you reading well into the night."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Once I started reading I was hooked.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I was genuinely pleased with this Wiccan-themed mystery.”
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  1. Book 1 of 13
    A Whispering Pines Mystery
  2. Print length
    285 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 3, 2017
  6. File size
    5345 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fantasy and suspense author Shawn McGuire started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that's episode IV) as a kid. She couldn't wait for the next installment to come out so wrote her own. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her desire to tell a tale is as strong now as it was then. She grew up in the beautiful Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota, called the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin (Go Pack Go!) home for many years, and now lives in Colorado where she loves to read, craft, cook and bake, and spend time in the spectacular Rocky Mountains. You can learn more about Shawn's work on her website www.Shawn-McGuire.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0711FGPJM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brown Bag Books (July 3, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 3, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5345 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 4,745

About the author

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Shawn McGuire

Shawn McGuire

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Shawn McGuire loves creating characters and places her fans want to return to again and again. (She’s lost track of how many times readers have told her they wished they could move to Whispering Pines. Shawn does too!) She chooses topics for her mysteries she’s curious about. This not only makes research even more fun, it satisfies her desire to always be learning something.

When not writing, Shawn enjoys going on long motorcycle rides with her husband and traveling. She’s very much a homebody, though, so fills her days with reading, hiking, doing yoga, baking, watching British television mysteries, and nibbling really dark chocolate.

Shawn’s first job at age thirteen was cleaning her dad’s offices. Writing has been a passion since that time, but she’d never thought it could be a career until later in life. To this day, she wonders how she thought all those books got on the shelves at libraries and bookstores! Until she figured it out, she worked at a pizza parlor, department store, as a receptionist, fast food manager, fabric store manager, and payroll manager. The best job she ever held, aside from author, was stay-at-home mom to her two sons, a position she held for eighteen years.

She was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in the beautiful Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota. After graduating college, she moved to the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin, where she lived for more than twenty years. After ten years in Colorado, she's back in Wisconsin.

Get the free prequel to Shawn’s Whispering Pines world, MISSING & GONE, by signing up for her newsletter: www.Shawn-McGuire.com/Newsletter

For more, check out the FAQ page on Shawn’s website: www.Shawn-McGuire.com/FAQ

Visit her website: www.Shawn-McGuire.com

Follow her on

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ShawnMcGuireAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3231214.Shawn_McGuire

Instagram: https://instagram.com/shawn.mcguire1/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shawnmcguire1/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shawn-mcguire

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
4,745 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BamaGirl90
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling from the Beginning
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024
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I understand other reviews now, I want to live in Whispering Pines. It was very well described but not overly done. It wasn’t your typical cozy mystery either and I loved that. There was plenty of changes and guessing. I found it so captivating.
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tenneh
4.0 out of 5 stars Good mystery
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
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This was a good story with good flow. It kept me involved through the whole story. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
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I. L. McWherter
5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge of the unknown
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2023
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This is like many of the Cozy Mysteries out there and, like many others I have read, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. There is more than enough intrigue and suspense to not let you return the book before you finish. The main characters are interesting and as you progress through the story you find yourself understanding their situations more and more. To me one of the most interesting parts of the story has been the knowledge imparted regarding the religion of Wiccan, of which I knew nothing before this book. I am into book 2 and plan to complete the story line of 13 books. Shawn McGuire may not be another Tom Clancy or James Patterson and this may not qualify to be a part of the Women's Murder Club, but she writes a very good mystery novel.
7 people found this helpful
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Amy Viergutz
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
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Great book Just finished it today
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_KB_
3.0 out of 5 stars This book is NOT a cliffhanger as some reviews have said.
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2021
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All the people saying this book ends in a cliffhanger clearly don't understand what that means. (There's nothing I hate more than cliffhangers, so I know the frustration when that happens, but this book is NOT it.)

There is a very big difference between a book SERIES where there is a general theme or mystery that carries the story forward into the next books but the main mystery of that particular book gets resolved, and a SERIAL where you're only getting chapters of the whole story and things end in the middle of a scene with no resolution to anything that has been happening - you're literally left hanging.

The general theme/mystery of this series is Jayne finding clues and discovering little by little the whole story about the village and her grandmother, deciding what to do with the house and putting that into practice, while each book has an immediate mystery to be solved.

So, Family Secrets is part of a series, NOT a serial, and there is no cliffhanger. The main mystery (the body Jayne found as soon as she arrived in town) is fully resolved. The who, the how, and the why are fully explained at the end (maybe the resolution was a little too easy, but it was done - we know what happened and why).

Then, the last chapter reminds us of all the things Jayne learned about the village and grandparents that she doesn't fully understand (which will be explored in the next books), and tells us the decision she made about the house and Whispering Pines (which sets the tone for what's to come - again, not a cliffhanger). This is the general mystery/theme to be explored over several books.

Reviewers have complained about the series being called Whispering Pines, but there not being any pine trees mentioned at all. Did this person read the same book as everyone else??? There are several mentions of the whispering pines throughout the book. It is a big thing for Jayne, and she constantly describes it and thinks about the significance.

Others complained about Jayne reaching for her imaginary side arm "hundreds of times" throughout the entire book. She only does it twice in the very beginning, which is a very natural thing for a former cop to do btw.

Another complained about Jayne always mentally describing the looks/clothes of everyone she meets. Again, a very natural thing for a former cop to do (always assessing their surroundings). I thought it was a different way to describe the characters. It made me feel like I was in Jayne's mind and seeing the villagers through her eyes (and better than the author simply telling us).

Some even complained about the author not knowing the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft. I only know the basics about both, so to me everything the villagers were doing seemed natural. Maybe a reader with more experience caught something I didn't. Maybe the author did it on purpose. Remember, this is only book 1 and we don't know the background and motivations of most of the people in the village yet. Maybe someone started out seeing Wicca as a religion and way of life, then decided to move on to Witchcraft - or vice versa, and ended up incorporating both into their daily lives.

To me, this book was a solid 3.5 stars. There were some editing/grammar mistakes, some of the dialogue didn't feel natural or moved the story forward enough (but that could be just me wanting everyone to spill all the beans - pun intended - at once), and the way Jayne "solved" the mystery of the dead body was a tad too easy.

I really like Jayne and a lot of the secondary characters: Tripp, Morgan, Lily Grace, and even Donovan with his darkness. Meeka, the not so good at police work K-9 was also super adorable. Give her all the biscuits, please!

I felt the author did a really good job in keeping me engaged and making me want to discover all the secrets of the town and its residents, and to see what happens to Jayne and her grandmother's house.

On to book 2 now!
53 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Story
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
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Jayne O'Shea is an unemployed police officer. Her grandmother has passed and her family wants to sell.the property. She goes to Whispering Pines to prepare the dwelling for sale. The dwelling has been vandalised, and will need more work than just cleaning out. Then, a young woman dies. Jayne gets dragged into the circumstances. Hard to put down.
One person found this helpful
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CJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023
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Kept me guessing until the end. Wonderful characters and I look forward to reading more about whispering pines secrets in her next book
One person found this helpful
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Lisarami
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2018
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The promise of a dark long kept secret keeps me connected to this story because I really want to know what happened 50 years ago! I was hooked on this series from the very first book and I’m happy to say the hook has gotten deeper under my skin. Ms. McGuire is an amazing writer with one of the best gifts to keep her readers coming back for more.

Whispering Pines is supposed to be a safe place and family friendly, but it appears to have been built on a mound of secrets as Jayne O’Shea is learning. She’s now the Sheriff full time after a failed attempt to bring in another sheriff after the death of Sheriff Brighton. Not 1 but 2 carnies learned the hard way about exposing secrets by paying with their lives to be kept quiet. This quaint little village isn’t what it seems to be.

With Jayne being Sheriff I feel the bullying and control over previous sheriffs’ lives is now at an end. There will be , I’m sure, other ways to attempt to control Jayne but it won’t be successful. She’s a natural born cop that will stop at nothing to get at the truth about what she now perceives as her grandmother being murdered.

I’m excited to learn more about the bed and breakfast and how things may or may not develop between Jayne and Tripp. I can’t forget about Meeks because she is very a very important character in these stories even though she’s a dog. She is smart, loving, and has funny little quirks. I love how she keeps Jayne on track and how she lets her mistress know when she’s not happy with her. The bond the 2 share makes their roles even more special to me. I can’t wait for the next book in this series because I have a feeling it will blow me away with just enough taste to keep me wanting to keep coming back! I was provided an advance copy of this book for an honest unbiased review.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Carollizc
5.0 out of 5 stars Charming, really.
Reviewed in Canada on June 7, 2023
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This cozy really is charming. The characters are nice people, well, most of them are. The writing was good too, and the pacing - well, I finished reading this in one go. I tried, but I couldn't put it down. Really, I can't think of a single negative about this book. Go on, indulge. Grab a box of peanut brittle to keep you company while you read. After all, you're indulging.
2 people found this helpful
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Sandra Lacey
5.0 out of 5 stars A Change is as Good as a Holiday
Reviewed in Australia on December 15, 2021
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I thought I’ll just read this story for a change. I wasn’t planning on continuing to power through the whole series! I’m on Book 8 so far. This author has a quirky style but Ms McGuire’s consistency in keeping the story going and the various personalities up in the air and still able to juggle is quite impressive. Also, editing is excellent and misspellings are minimal. Being able to write about a complex scene is a talent this author has developed very well. I also do not miss over sharing of the extraneous mundane descriptions of everyday life. This author keeps that to a minimum and for that I am grateful.

I fully recommend the Whispering Pines mysteries and the advancing stories of Tripp and Jayne. The use of characters of colour is also really good as it often reminds me that not everyone is White. It’s an important skill to incorporate in one’s writings to reflect the way the world is right now.

This is an excellent series and yes, I look forward to reading more from this author. I’m regretting cancelling my Kindle Unlimited subscription. How long will I go before I finally re-subscribe. Stay tuned for more reviews.
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Peter W.
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable Read.
Reviewed in Canada on January 26, 2023
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Characters were very interesting, suspense kept you interested throughout the book. I would like to read more of Shawn McGuire.
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Janet Jeffery
4.0 out of 5 stars A good plot
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2021
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It's a book o couldnt put down. Well written. Kept you in suspense.
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A.S.
4.0 out of 5 stars lovely read
Reviewed in Germany on September 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
Whispering Pines is a small village hidden in the deep forests. It started as a slightly other Hippy settlement in the early 1960ties, most citizens being Wicca. When Jayne arrives there to prepare the house of her grandparents for sale, the unemployed police officer stumbles over a body and finds herself in the middle of police investigation.
Mrs McGuire describes a nice setting and writes an interesting cozy crime. I am looking forward to reading more about Jayne, her dog and her maybe future boyfriend in this interesting community.
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