What I think you should know:
The Lost Dutchman’s Secret by Rebecca Jones is part of the Ever After Mysteries. The series consists of standalone novels set in the 1920s, all as different fairytale retellings. This story is a play on Rumpelstiltskin and centers around the Lost Dutchman's Mine.

What I think about this book:
Ok so Full Disclosure I am a history geek along with my husband and have seen several documentaries on The Lost Dutchman’s Mine so I was super excited to read this book and see how the author would work it into the story. Jones did not disappoint, she gave an interesting story with dynamic characters, mystery and danger. It was slow to start, but made up for it at the end of the story. Dorothy was a heartbreaking character, raised in the desert by a father obsessed with finding the lost mine. She was disconnected from society, however she had a strength that made me admire her. I adored Artie, it was hard to see how he tried to be different from his father. I also enjoyed Hazel, Theo and Kat. This was a great addition to the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

As part of the Ever After mystery series, this book takes place during the 1920s. This book combines the fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin with a murder mystery. As with all the other books in this series, the author pulled me into the story. Joseph Hodges owes Charles Sinclair money that Charles Sinclair is determined to collect. Joseph’s daughter Dorothy finds herself caught up in the situation.

I disliked the way Joseph and Charles each treated their respective children. Dorothy relies on God and prayers to attempt to find her way out of the situation. When Charles Sinclair winds up murdered, Dorothy becomes the prime suspect. I appreciated how the author kept the suspense moving throughout the story.

So if you enjoy historical stories set in the 1920s along with fairytales, check out this book for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Well this was quite a different story than I am use to. It did take me awhile to get into the book. I was confused on what the plot was and I knew for certain that the author caught my attention. Oh I was confused but isn’t that the idea of this story? It is based on a fairy tale and I decided I needed to look it up. I was curious how the author would tie it into this book.

Poor Dorothy is being used by her father to pay off his debt. I was so upset with him that I wanted Dorothy to run away from him. The strange man that Dorothy meets on the way to the mountains made me uncomfortable. He is willing to help Dorothy but at what cost? Now the story has gotten very intriguing and the author captured my interest. I had to see how Dorothy would get out of this situation.

Artie seems nice and wants to befriend Dorothy but she is frightened of him. He comes to meet her for payment that her dad owes, but there is something not quite right about the whole situation. Why would his father lie and say Dorothy attacked him for no reason? I was ready to see where the author would take this story that kept getting more intriguing and filled with questions and suspects.

The story takes several twists and leaves a trail of faith along the way. I liked how Dorothy prayed about her situation and learned to trust God. The ending is good and caught me off guard. After finishing the story I can say that it was very creative and gives a powerful lesson on greed.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Rumplestiltskin told 1920s style.
“To continue to dwell over and over on what you should or should not have done will change nothing. To continue to wallow in guilt seems to suggest that Christ’s blood is not enough.” “It is enough.” “Then let it be enough.”
What I liked about this retelling was the strong faith thread and how Dorothy was sheltered but had a living faith. Artie was also a Christian and tried his best to be a good son, brother and friend, being resourceful and caring for others. Dorothy trusted God but reluctantly trusted people. We see her grow spiritually and make friends through an unusual request. Her father was not likable, passing on his debt for Dorothy to repay, essentially abdicating his responsibility as a protecting father. It got bogged down a bit when Dorothy walked back and forth to Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains.
A take away from this story was that searching for gold and the Lost Dutchman mine was all consuming for some and led to destruction. But those who had pure motives succeeded and did not crave wealth.
I am enjoying these fairytale retellings set in the 1920s.
*I received a complimentary ebook from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* ( )