A fun, light read, and good introduction to this popular series. It seemed a little uneven at times, and I found some of the dialogue a little stilted.

But I liked the main character, Annie. And having lived in a similar small town in the Shenandoah Valley, I felt Cumberland Creek's complexities and contradictions were well told. ( )

To be honest, I didn't finish this book. I found the beginning boring and just couldn't get past the second chapter. Sorry. ( )

I was hooked from the first sentence: For Vera, all of the day's madness began when she saw the knife handle poking out of her mother's neck. This is [a:Mollie Cox Bryan|345378|Mollie Cox Bryan|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1259962115p2/345378.jpg]'s debut novel, an enjoyable cozy mystery that's a very good read. I look forward to reading [b:Scrapped|17080931|Scrapped|Mollie Cox Bryan|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356139628s/17080931.jpg|21531373], and to the release of Book 3 in the Cumberland Creek series. ( )

Scrapbook Of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan
The group of woman who meet to work on their scrapbooking have found out some interesting things. Weird things like one of their mothers getting stabbed in the neck, not feeling it, but having to be operated on. Their way home they drove by the one who had died to discover her husband had cleaned out all his wives things, all her scrapbooking so the woman take it all so they can go through it
later. They do not think she committed suicide as she had young children. They hope to find more clues to back up the fact that they think she was murdered. One thing they find out had brought in a lot of money for the family.
The chapters are very short and there are a lot of them. I do not think with everybody involved that I could even tell you who is married to who and what kids they have. There are just so many people.
The mystery becomes more than that as other things come to light and things are happening to others in the community.
Love the glossary of terms used, tips and tricks and how to do scrapbooking. Also love that this is a series and there is more to come of the same type of mysteries with most of the same group of people. This means that maybe I'll be able to keep the characters straight. ( )

Cumberland Creek, Virginia is home to some interesting people. Beatrice, for one, finds herself with a knife lodged in her neck after she leaves the grocery store. Her daughter Vera, who gave up a dance career in New York City, returned to her childhood home of Cumberland Creek and now owns a successful dance studio. Vera and her friends are scrapbookers. Annie, her husband and children are newcomers to Cumberland Creek. Fitting in doesn't come easily so Annie accepts an invitation to a "crop" which is a gathering of scrapbookers. Maggie Rae, perhaps the most puzzling resident of all, is found dead. Was it suicide or murder? Annie and her new friends find boxes of Maggie Rae's pictures and mementos at the curb the night of her death. They decide to take the boxes and what they find in them leads to shocking discoveries.
Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan is filled with vivid and complex characters. The reader is both drawn to them and frustrated by them. At the same time, it is easy to relate to them. Vera's marriage to Bill is devoid of passion but is seemingly solid. The turn the relationship takes is unexpected. Annie was once an investigative journalist, who is now a stay at home mother and she struggles to find meaning in her new life. The study of Maggie Rae and family could keep psychiatrists busy for years. The novel is filled with subplots and keeps the reader totally engaged.

In summation- I would consider living in Cumberland Creek. I highly recommend reading this book. It touches upon many sensitive issues and the author skillfully presents them. I received this book free of charge through LibraryThing Member Giveaways and I give this review of my own free will. ( )