The Note: A Historical Mystery by Allison Maruska

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ariana Reyes loves finding treasures in thrift stores. Sometimes it’s a rare hat, vintage shoes, or a costume to wear for her second-grade class. But when she finds a gorgeous 1950s swing coat, she finds more than a piece of antique clothing.

Reaching into the pocket, Ari discovers a scrap of yellowing paper containing an address and a name. She doesn’t recognize the location, and seeing the chance to motivate her students with a good mystery, she investigates, expecting to find nothing more than an old building.

Instead, she finds a burned-down structure and a cellar secured with a shiny padlock. Her curiosity piqued, she breaks the lock and discovers not only a neglected space but decades-old secrets—secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden.

MY REVIEW

What reason would women have to go to a house in the middle of nowhere in the dark of night and without their own way home?

A note, a locked cellar, and buried bones. My first Allison Maruska novel is fast-paced and filled with secrets, suspense, and an amateur detective determined to solve a mystery.

Ariana “Ari” Reyes is a fun 2nd-grade teacher who is attuned to her students so when she found the mysterious note in the pocket of the vintage coat she purchased, she had them all write a story of how it got there. The truth is stranger than fiction.

Ari and her partner Celeste go down a dark path of uncovering a decades-old secret that destroyed dozens of families. Ari certainly is fearless and reckless as she tracks down the culprits, and the tension builds as she gets closer to the truth.

The writer does a great job of character-building and touching on sensitive and controversial subject matter with sharp and candid prose.

If you are looking for an engaging historical psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, The Note is a good choice.