Combining Women's Fiction with Romance, Cozy Noir Mystery and Suspense.
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The Man in Cabin Number Five is now available
"Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over."
-Publisher's Weekly Booklife Review
"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 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.
The Guest Book Trilogy , Book One (The Man in Cabin Number Five), is about two women; one who is looking towards her future and one who has discovered thirty years after her father died, that it was from a murder/suicide and not natural causes.
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Book Reviews
“Chrysteen Braun’s ‘Man in Cabin Number Five’ intricately blends mystery, nostalgia, and vivid imagery, delivering an immersive and captivating read.”
Reader's House
“Annie and Alyce are two women without much in common, but whose lives intersect in a place that has surprises for both of them. In telling their stories, Chrysteen Braun blends memoir and mystery in an entertaining page-turner.”
Susan Denley, former Associate Features Editor
Los Angeles Times
"Braun delivers a moving portrayal of a young woman searching for herself amid personal upheaval."
—Booklife
"Great for fans of: Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret, Linda Holmes’s Evvie Drake Starts Over.
A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin."
—Kirkus' BookLife Review
“An entertaining work that will keep the reader hooked until the end. Congratulations on an exceptional book.”
-Readers’ Favorite
“The picturesque description of the scenes and characters will appeal to readers who wish to get completely immersed and escape. Chrysteen Braun creates a masterpiece with smooth storytelling that juxtaposes the serenity of the mountains with the eruptive chaos of dangerous secrets and ends with a bang. What a terrific story! What a talented writer!”
-The San Francisco Book Review
“For those looking for a complex, engaging novel you won’t be able to put down, this book is for you”
-Book Excellence
Book Awards
Book Excellence Award
"The Man in Cabin Number Five by Chrysteen Braun is an engaging novel that intertwines the stories of two women, Annie, and Alyce, who are connected by cabins in Lake Arrowhead. For those looking for a complex, engaging novel you won't be able to put down, this book is for you."
-Book Excellence.
Global Book Award
Recognizing authors with global appeal in the publishing industry.
The Man in Cabin Number Five
| excerpt |
You know how when people hear your life stories, they sometimes say, “You should write a book.” I suppose that means over the years, some of my stories must have been interesting to others, and lately, I’ve been thinking about writing that book. While I can’t always remember what I had for dinner last night, I can remember things that happened to me over my lifetime...and I’ve also been known to embellish a little here and there, so I’d be able to come up with stories to fill in any gaps.
It’s 1980 and I’ve just had my eightieth birthday, thank God, for I’m getting close. As much as I swore I hated the idea of a party, my family and friends had one for me anyway...and I ended up having the best time ever. People I hadn’t seen for years surprised me by coming, and of course, talking with them brought back a lot of old memories. Some reminded me of unpleasantness, but I recalled most with fondness. My husband’s daughter, Sissy, had gone through my drawers of old photos, much to my dismay, for some of them could have been considered damning. She made up some poster boards showing my life at various ages. She meant well, but I couldn’t help but feel that I was a spectator at my own funeral. Plus, I absolutely hated seeing photos of myself in private, much less on public display.
“Remember the old Helm’s Bakery truck?” my husband asked us all. “The moment we saw it stop down the street, we’d rush to our mother to ask for enough money to buy a doughnut or cookie,” someone said. We’d wait, almost jumping in anticipation, until that long wooden drawer rolled out, revealing all the goodies we had to choose from. I said, “I can picture it all clearly ...
From Book Life Reviews
"Braun’s fiction debut, the first installment of the Guest Book Trilogy, uncovers the stories of two women whose lives are secretly intertwined. Annie Parker, a bi-racial girl who struggled to fit in during her formative years, marries young to David, an older man with three children. When Annie begins to find her feet, forging friendships with the children and starting a career as an interior designer, she also starts to question how much she and David really love each other. Meanwhile, Alyce Murphy, recently remarried and settling into a happy family, is searching for answers about her father’s death when she was young–answers that eventually lead her to Annie’s doorstep.
While elements of mysteries darken the corners of the women’s lives, The Man in Cabin Number Five plays out more as a general fiction novel than a thriller as it follows, in parallel narratives, Annie and Alyce. The primary focus is Annie, and Braun delivers a moving portrayal of a young woman searching for herself amid personal upheaval. When she discovers that David is cheating, Annie escapes to the mountain community where she spent her childhood summers, eventually realizing she doesn’t want to leave. She begins putting down roots, becoming friends with a local hairdresser and starting a romance while forging ahead on her career and finalizing her divorce. Among touching scenes of starting again and facing the past comes some darker material: As Annie comes to terms with her independence, Alyce learns jolting truths about her family’s history.
The central theme is Annie’s transformation from a girl who doesn’t really know what she wants to a self-sufficient woman learning to prioritize herself instead of solely trying to please her husband. Readers will find fascinating connections and correspondences between the two women’s experiences as Braun blends genres and lives with depth and meaning.
Takeaway: A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin.
Great for fans of: Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret, Linda Holmes’s Evvie Drake Starts Over."
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