Secrets Under the Apple Tree

By Anne Pinchera

About Secrets under the Apple Tree is the first in a series of books targeting children ages twelve and up. It is written as a mystery designed to entertain as well as challenge the thinking skills of young readers.

This book takes place in a small town in Upstate New York. The area is predominantly a farming community rich in growing fine New York State apples and grapes. Although this book does not discuss much about the farming industry or its growing apples, grapes, or other products, the book sets the foundation for future readings with mystery overtones.

The main characters in the book are two boys. Corey spent the majority of his young years in New York City and coming up to the country to spend summers with his grandparents. Bobby was born and raised in a small town and is very curious in nature. The story is centered on the family relocating from big city life, coming back to the family roots, and a friendship between the boys' fathers that dates back to Tom Albright and the now chief of police's youth.

The boys get involved with a note and map dating back years. Believing it is something their fathers buried years ago, they set out to solve the mysterious game set before them. Instead, what they find is something that involves the whole town dating back decades.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685175481

Book preview

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Secrets Under the Apple Tree

Anne Pinchera

Copyright © 2022 by Anne Pinchera

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Mystery Box

The Map

Locked In

The Passage

End of the Line

Chapter 1

The Mystery Box

Corey Albright was walking home from school. He stayed after class to work on a special science project and, as a result, missed his bus. The day was warm for mid-October, and he wanted to enjoy the fresh air while he could. Winter in Upstate New York set in early, often forcing even the bravest indoors.

Corey could hear Ginger, his Irish setter, barking in the distance as he approached the one-hundred-year-old Victorian family home. Corey and his parents moved from the city about three years before when his grandfather died suddenly. Making the decision was not a difficult one since Corey’s parents were concerned about the future of city living and their jobs. Business was not going well, and the advertising firm Corey’s dad worked for was feeling the pinch from the recession. His mother, a teacher, was more fortunate, having gotten an online job in home-schooled science and math.

Corey spent every summer here with his grandfather for as long as he could remember. A brook ran just below the apple orchard and was equipped with a comfortable bench on the bank for fishing, and the old oak tree near the water’s edge had a rope tied to one of the large branches hanging over the brook’s edge. It served as a swing and was capable of dropping one young boy into the cool water of the brook.

Over the years, Corey struck up a friendship with Bobby Davidson who lived approximately two miles away. Since the move, Corey and Bobby were almost inseparable, just as their dads were when they were their age. Bob Davidson was the local law enforcement and was glad to see the family return to the small town.

As Corey approached