Customer Reviews

44 Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove, Book 4)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The characters I have grown to enjoy through the first three Cedar Cove books are all back and moving forward/backward in their lives. Opening the pages of this book was like going home to visit with these dear friends I've become very fond of. Debbie Macomber has not only given us another visit to this charming town and added new dimensions to the characters, but also provides us with a suspenseful resolution to the murder that occurred back in book one.

The focal point of this story is the home of Peggy and Bob Beldon who manage the Thyme and Tide B and B at 44 Cranberry Point. Nerves have been on edge with Peggy and Bob since a fellow Vietnam soldier, Max Russell, was found murdered at the inn. Bob, a recovering alcoholic, has the biggest challenge of his sober years when the need for a drink overtakes him. Will he manage to control himself or will he throw away all his hard work and good intentions?

Judge Olivia Lockhart of 16 Lighthouse Road is back from her honeymoon with newspaper editor Jack Griffin, but the adjustment period is harder than either imagined. Can a neat freak health nut live in harmony with a sloppy fast-foot addict?

Maryellen and Jon Bowman finally marry and seem happy with daughter Katie. But will the arrival of Jon's parents disrupt their happy home? Can the disowned son ever forgive his parents' betrayal? Jon is stubborn and it will take a major tragedy to get him to even consider reconciliation.

Grace Sherman has made a decision and Cliff Harding is the one she wants. Alas, Grace's internet romance with Will Jefferson may have ended any hopes for a life with Cliff. When Will visits Cedar Cove, what will Grace do?

Romance is in the air for septuagenarians Charlotte Jefferson and Ben Rhodes, but will a background search uncover facts about Ben that would stand in the way of this romance?

Ian Randall is home on leave but tensions are mounting with wife Cecilia. Will they put their grief over losing daughter Allison in perspective and be ready to try to have another child?

Private investigator Roy McAfee has been getting strange and rather threatening notes. A package left on his doorsteps is the ultimate cliffhanger ending and it should be no surprise to followers of this series that the spotlight will now shift to the McAfee home at 50 Harbor Street for the next installment in the series.

In addition to the main characters, minor characters such as Rachel the nail tech, widower Bruce Peyton, Stanley Lockhart and others make appearances and propel the storyline, thanks in large part to a hilarious Dog and Bachelor auction which makes matches and mismatches aplenty.

Debbie Macomber has given us the perfect soap opera in book form and I eagerly look forward to each new installment. I would advise readers to begin at the beginning to eliminate any confusion in this multi-populated series.

Cedar Cove is the the fictional town that Debbie Macomber has created for this series and 44 Cranberry Point centers around the mystery of the death that occurred one rainy night at the Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast that is owned by town residents Bob and Peggy.

As in the previous books in this series, you will also get the chance to meet up with all the past towns people that have been highlighted. Just to name a few you have....

Ian and Cecilia from 16 Lighthouse Road
Grace Sherman from 204 Rosewood Lane
and
Rosie and Zach Cox from 311 Pelican Court

I would never say that this series should be considered literary classics, but they are an enjoyment to read and I am looking forward to 50 Harbor Street that comes out in September 2005.

The mystery of the B&B is solved althought the killer became obvious it was still fun to read. Charlotte got a love interest, Maryellen moved forward with her life with Jon and their daughter. Cecelia decided it was time for another baby but Ian didn't quite agree. Grace had her hands full with her love interests while Olivia adjusted to life with her new husband. Read and enjoy.

Macomber's work is so believable. Her characters are so real, with interesting problems. 44 Cranberry Point makes me wish I lived there. I always enjoy her work.

Bob and Peggy Beldon, owners of Cedar Cove's Thyme and Tide Bed and Breakfast, are featured in this fourth book of the Cedar Cove Series. They are puzzling over the death of one of their guests who turned out to be one of Bob's fellow servicemen during his tour of duty in Viet Nam. He and Bob shared a terrible secret and Bob is afraid that his life may be in jeopardy too. Woven into this mystery are the everyday relationships of the people in the town--newlyweds Olivia and Jack Griffin, about-to-be-wed Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman, the widowed Grace Sherman and her love interests, and Olivia's mother Charlotte who has a new male friend. As usual author Debbie Macomber keeps all of these threads going as she weaves them into an interesting plot. The setting is a beautiful seacoast town near Seattle, but the real draw is the interesting cast of characters who continue to develop as the series progresses.

This was the first book that I read in the Cedar Cove series, but even without having read any of the earlier books I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the books that follow. I thought the author did a good job for new readers in giving them some background on the numerous characters, but I did need the handy "who's who" provided at the front of the book and, having put the book down, often had to pause to remember which character was which when I resumed reading. Overall, it was worth the effort to catch up!

I know that a lot of books will have a next installment in the series, but at least they will usually try to tie up loose ends in some sort of fashion. This book just left you hanging. I thought, "Is that really the end?!?" I liked it otherwise.

"44 Cranberry Point", the fourth book in Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series, focuses mainly on solving the mystery of the man who died while staying at Bob and Peggy Beldon's Bed and Breakfast. Cedar Cove in general is excited about a "dog and bachelor" auction fundraiser, but several of the residents also have other things on their mind. Jon Bowman and Maryellen Sherman are in love and have a child, but disagree about Jon's relationship with his parents. Grace Sherman is still dealing with the consequences of her on-line romance with Will Jefferson, and wondering if Cliff Harding will ever forgive her. Newly married Olivia and Jack Griffin are struggling to adapt to each other's lifestyles - she's a neat freak and he's a slob, plus she worries about his eating habits. And who is sending Roy McAfee those mysterious messages?

Out of the four books I've read so far in Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series, I liked this one the best. I enjoyed the plot line about the man who died while staying at the B & B, although the identity of the murderer was pretty obvious. Macomber does a great job describing Bob Beldon's struggle with alcoholism, especially at one point when he almost gives in to his cravings. Other characters are equally well written especially Jon Bowman and his troubled relationship with his parents. Macomber introduces several new characters and sets up an interesting love triangle between hairdresser Rachel, single dad Bruce, and navy man Nate, who has a girlfriend back home. Finally, she ends the book with a cliffhanger, which makes me want to immediately pick up the next book in the series.

"44 Cranberry Point" is a nice, cozy read.

I was thrilled when I got my copy of 44 Cranberry Point, and I couldn't wait to curl up with an afghan and enjoy a warm reunion with old friends. Within minutes, I was enthralled with the daily happenings of Cedar Cove.

I am only giving it 4 stars, because I feel that it not completely up to Debbie Macomber's standards. As someone else has already suggested, it seems as though some details have been glossed over. However, this by no means that it's not worth reading, because it most definitely is. And, I'm very much looking forward to the 5th book in the Cedar Cove series!

There just seemed to be too much rehashing of the previous books. If you have been reading this series from the beginning you already knew what Macomber was telling you in the first third of this book.

Cranberry Point finally ties up the story behind Max Russell and why he died at the B&B. Marriages and babies abound and a couple new love interests are sparked. And who would have thought that a dog and bachelor auction would ignite so much.

Besides the repeating of old stories lines, this book hit me a little wrong with the tone of voice of many of the women. I just wish that they didn't sound so whiney and unsure of themselves. Even Olivia, the judge, sounds whiney and at times pathetic. Macomber needs to get back on track and give these women some more strength and backbone.