Jeffries, Indiana, is a small railroad town in the early 1930s. Money is scarce, neighbors know your business before you do, and gossip moves faster than the sheriff.
And Anna Marie Ghere notices everything.
Anna tells these stories herself, looking back across a long life. She grew up in a crowded, loving, secret-keeping family during the Great Depression. As a girl, she listened through the air registers and read faces. She spotted the new boots, and the second coffee mug the grown men walked right past. And she refused to let a stranger stay a stranger.
In Edge of Summer, seven-year-old Anna and her siblings find a dead man in the creek. The whole town wants to call it murder. Anna wants something harder to find: his real name.
In Christmas Angels, the winter of 1933 has worn Jeffries thin. Nine-year-old Anna says out loud the thing her family has been avoiding for months, and her father walks away up South Street. Then one small kindness to a stranger sets off a season of miracles.
These are mysteries with heart. They’re light on gore and generous with clues, and they’re full of pie, prayer, and people worth knowing. Meet Jeffries from the beginning with Edge of Summer.
Coming in 2027: Stars in the Attic
Can’t wait for the next book? Every month, Anna opens a new cold case from Jeffries’ past, and newsletter readers get the clues first.