The Guest Book Trilogy: Combining Women's Fiction with Romance, Cozy Noir Mystery & Suspense

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Guest Book Trilogy from author Chrysteen Braun. When seven 1920 era cabins in Lake Arrowhead, California, are restored to their original vintage charm, the new owner has no idea that the cabins have their own stories to tell. 

Bonus: This "trilogy" also includes a The Maidservant in Cabin Number One: The Beginning, essentially a prequel to the series.

"Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over." ~Publisher's Weekly Booklife Review

When Annie Parker discovers her husband’s infidelity, she doesn’t let it destroy her. She packs her bags and heads to Lake Arrowhead, California, the mountainside town where her family used to summer. Immersing herself in the restoration of seven 1920s-era cabins, Annie begins to put the pieces of her life back together. But starting over is never easy.

Alyce Murphy needs closure. When she discovers her father did not die from a heart attack, as she’s been led to believe for the last 30 years, but in a murder/suicide, she is determined to uncover the truth of his death. But when she visits the cabin where her father ended his life, Alyce has to accept she may never know the true story.

Annie is looking toward her future while Alyce needs to put the past to rest. In parallel stories, both women are drawn to the rustic mountainside cabins as they search for the missing pieces—but they soon discover that the cabins have their own stories to tell.

Praise for The Man in Cabin Number Five
"A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin." ~BookLife

"A masterpiece with smooth storytelling that juxtaposes the serenity of the mountains with the eruptive chaos of dangerous secrets." ~San Francisco Book Review

"Masterfully written, intriguing, mystifying, and spooky." ~Readers' Favorite

"Blends memoir and mystery in an entertaining page-turner." ~Susan Denley, former Associate Features Editor, Los Angeles Times

In book two of the Guest Book Trilogy, eighty-one-year-old Annie Parker recounts taking on an out-of-town design project that leads her down a path that is more than she bargained for.

Back in Lake Arrowhead, California, a long-awaited mystery is buried in Cabin Number Three. Annie meets Carrie Davis who wants to update her childhood home on the lake and feels a tie to Annie’s cabins. Apparently, Carrie’s parents stayed here during the Roaring ‘20s when Bugsy Siegel ran an underground speakeasy and distillery. Unconvinced, Annie decides to investigate and finds their names in the old guest books—Elizabeth Davis and Thomas Meyer. As exciting as that sounds, it’s only the start of a winding tale that Carrie and the new man in her life uncover. The pair unravel a family history filled with gangsters, working girls, and a surprising twist to a family tree.

Praise for The Girls in Cabin Number Three
"Great for fans of Julia Kelly’s The Light Over London and Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife." ~BookLife

"Rife with charming characters, a gorgeous mountain setting, and meticulous research." ~IndieReader

"Personal drama and historical tidbits combine nicely for a quick and entertaining read." ~Kirkus

"With themes of love, family, friendship, new beginnings, and the complexity of life, readers will get hooked from the very beginning." ~San Francisco Book Review

In this heartwarming tale of friendships, forgiveness, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour, a young Annie Parker is struggling to overcome her grief over the recent loss of her sister, when a childhood friend unexpectedly turns up seeking refuge from an ill-fated marriage. It would have been easy for Annie to sink deeper into sadness, but when she learns her newest design client, Hudson Fisher, is the son of the late film actress Celeste Williams, her curiosity is peaked.

As it turns out, the Roaring 20s starlet was no stranger to the Lake Arrowhead cabins—and this revelation sparks the unraveling of a scandalous story from Hollywood’s bygone era. Did an illicit romance between this leading lady and her dashing costar take place in Cabin No. 7? What really went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of that silent picture? Will discovering a piece of the past bring closure to Annie’s present?

Praise for The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven
"Feels like catching up with old friends as the narrative amiably revisits the highlights of Lake Arrowhead…. A light and engaging read, with an enticing mountain setting.” ~Kirkus Reviews

"A delightful read for fans of cozy mysteries and those who appreciate stories of hope, redemption, and the enduring bonds of friendship. " ~Readers’ Favorite

After her father’s death in 1923, when Ruth Ann Landry is just ten, she joins her mother as a maidservant for a wealthy Seattle family. The hours are long, the rules are strict, but she and her mother desperately need her wages to survive.

By the time she’s seventeen, Ruth and her mother have moved into the house, and Ruth has become a mistress to her employer. While accompanying the family on vacation, she sees an opportunity to start a new life, and leaves. Ruth eventually finds solace in the mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, California, where she stays in one of the cabins owned by a man who becomes part of her future.

The Maidservant in Cabin Number One is the beginning of the story of The Guest Book Trilogy, and of Annie Parker, who eventually comes to own the cabins where Ruth Landry stayed.

Praise for The Maidservant in Cabin Number One
"Braun uses the mountainous area and cabins to her advantage in telling the stories of her characters. An exceptional plot. Her character development is outstanding." ~Readers'Favorite

"It is truly uplifting to follow the life of a young woman who is in a predicament and then watch her fight to create a better life for herself. The story carries themes of hardship, family, love, perseverance, and strength." ~City Book Review