Dear Friends,
Welcome to the fifth instalment of the Cedar Cove series. Whether this is the first Cedar Cove book youâre reading or the fifth, my hope is that youâll feel right at home.
Like some of the residents of Cedar Cove youâll find a few surprises â and a new romance in the making. And I hope thereâll be a lot of smiles and a laugh or two along the way.
I always enjoy hearing from my readers. You can reach me through my website by signing the guest book at debbiemacomber.com. Click the Cedar Cove button and youâre in for some fun. If you arenât online, you can write to me at PO Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366, USA. Three or four times a year I provide updates on the characters â letters from the characters themselves â and they often have a recipe they want to share.
So make yourself a cup of tea and settle down with your friends from Cedar Cove. Olivia, Jack, Grace, Charlotte, Ben, Roy, Corrie and everyone else â theyâre all eager to fill you in on whatâs happening in town. Theyâre delighted youâre back. And so am I!
Warmest regards,
Debbie Macomber
Some of the Residents of Cedar Cove, Washington
Olivia Lockhart Griffin: Family court judge in Cedar Cove. Mother of Justine and James. Married to Jack Griffin. Lives at 16 Lighthouse Road.
Jack Griffin: Newspaper reporter and editor of The Cedar Cove Chronicle. Recovering alcoholic. Married to Olivia. Father of Eric, who lives in Nevada with his wife, Shelly, and their twin boys.
Charlotte Jefferson: Mother of Olivia. Now married to widower Ben Rhodes.
Justine (Lockhart) Gunderson: Daughter of Olivia. Married to Seth Gunderson. Mother of Leif. The Gundersons live at 6 Rainier Drive.
Seth Gunderson: Justineâs husband. Co-owner, with Justine, of The Lighthouse restaurant.
James Lockhart: Oliviaâs son and Justineâs younger brother. In the navy. Lives in San Diego with wife, Selina, and daughter, Isabella.
Stanley Lockhart: Oliviaâs ex-husband and father of James and Justine. Now lives in Seattle.
Will Jefferson: Oliviaâs brother, Charlotteâs son. Married and lives in Atlanta.
Grace Sherman: Oliviaâs best friend. Librarian. Widow of Dan Sherman. Mother of Maryellen Bowman and Kelly Jordan. Involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Cliff Harding. Lives at 204 Rosewood Lane.
Cliff Harding: Retired engineer and now horse breeder living near Cedar Cove. Divorced father of Lisa, who lives in Maryland.
Cal Washburn: Horse trainer, employed by Cliff Harding.
Maryellen Bowman: Oldest daughter of Grace and Dan Sherman. Mother of Katie. Married to Jon Bowman.
Jon Bowman: Photographer, married to Maryellen. Father of Katie.
Zachary Cox: Accountant, married to Rosie. Father of Allison and Eddie Cox, aged seventeen and eleven. Lives at 311 Pelican Court.
Anson Butler: Boyfriend of Allison Cox.
Cecilia Randall: Navy wife, living in Cedar Cove. Accountant, working for Zach Cox. Married to Ian Randall, submariner. Lost a baby (Allison). Is now pregnant.
Rachel Pendergast: Works at the Get Nailed salon. Friends with Bruce Peyton and his daughter, Jolene. Romantically involved with sailor Nate Olsen.
Bob and Peggy Beldon: Retired. Own the Thyme and Tide Bed & Breakfast at 44 Cranberry Point.
Roy McAfee: Private investigator, retired from Seattle police force. Two adult children, Mack and Lynnette. Married to Corrie.
Corrie McAfee: Royâs wife and office manager. The McAfees live at 50 Harbor Street.
Lynnette McAfee: Daughter of Roy and Corrie. Moves to Cedar Cove to work as a nurse practitioner in the new medical clinic.
Gloria Ashton: Police officer for Bremerton force. Lynnetteâs friend and neighbour.
Troy Davis: Cedar Cove sheriff.
Pastor Flemming: Local Methodist minister.
Corrie McAfee was worried. And she knew that her husband, Roy, was too.
Who wouldnât be? Starting in July, Royâa private investigatorâhad received a series of anonymous postcards, and while the messages werenât overtly threatening, they were certainly distressing.
The first communication, which had been mailed to the office, spoke of regrets. During the intervening weeks, thereâd been several others. Corrie had read each postcard so often sheâd memorized them all. The first one stated: EVERYONE HAS REGRETS. IS THERE ANYTHING YOUâVE DONE YOU WISH YOU COULD DO OVER? THINK ABOUT IT. There hadnât been a signature then, or on any of the other cards. Theyâd arrived at infrequent intervals and been mailed from different locations. The cryptic messages kept playing in her mind. The passing of time hadnât helped; she was as much in the dark now, in October, as when sheâd seen that first postcard.