Review: The Secret Star Grove Mysteries - The Secret Trunk - Jessica Sorensen

Review: Ella and the Welcome Home - Volume #2 - Jessica Sorensen - October 2020

Readers and fans of Jessica Sorensen will probably understand why the cover of this review looks a little different from the title I have mentioned in the heading. Let me explain!

The book I originally read was The Secret Star Grove Mysteries: The Secret Trunk, and it appears that, some years later, Jessica has taken that story and rewritten it as part of this particular series. This is something Jessica has done on a number of occasions, and I have to admit that, in the beginning, it used to leave me scratching my head. I would start reading a book and think, "Hang on a minute, haven't I read this before?" Only to discover that it had a different title and belonged to a different series! These days, however, I am much more familiar with her little habit, so it doesn't catch me quite so off guard.

In the story I read, we catch up with Ella and Micha Scott, who are now newlyweds and settling into married life. However, things are about to become complicated when Ella receives a call from her father asking her to come home and help him clean the house.

Unfortunately, her father's struggles with alcohol have resurfaced, and he is in a bit of a panic about a missing trunk. But this isn't just any old trunk! Known as the Secret Trunk, it contains photographs of Ella's mother alongside a man who was later murdered. His murder remains an unsolved cold case, and the photographs suggest that Ella's mother may have been the last person to see him alive.

Naturally, this raises plenty of questions. What exactly was Ella's mother's connection to this man? Could she have been involved in his murder, or is there something much bigger hiding behind those old photographs?

Meanwhile, Micha has problems of his own. While touring with his band, he has attracted the unwanted attention of a stalker, who has even left him a rather unsettling present: the very same secret trunk! With Micha heading back to his hometown, he is determined to find some answers for Ella, the woman he loves.

I found this to be a lovely, quick read that brings together romance, family secrets, mystery and a little suspense. It was nice to catch up with Ella and Micha, although there is certainly enough going on to keep the pages turning. The mystery surrounding the trunk adds an intriguing twist, and I was keen to discover just what had happened all those years ago.

Of course, Jessica couldn't possibly let us have all the answers just yet! The story finishes on a rather major cliffhanger, leaving me wanting to grab the next book straight away.

If you enjoy Jessica Sorensen's characters, a little hometown mystery and a romance woven through family secrets, this is one to add to your reading pile. Just be prepared to need the next instalment!

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55948679-ella-the-welcome-home?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=41wHESFT14&rank=2