Above the Bridge

Paige MacKenzie Mystery #1

by Deborah Garner

When Paige MacKenzie arrives in Jackson Hole, her only goal is to complete a simple newspaper assignment about the Old West. However, it's not long before her instincts tell her there's more than a basic story to be found in the popular, northwestern Wyoming mountain area. A chance encounter with attractive cowboy Jake Norris soon has Paige chasing a legend of buried treasure, passed down through generations. From the torn edge of a water-damaged map to the mysterious glow of an antler arch, Paige will follow clues high into the mountainous terrain and deep into Jackson's history. Side-stepping a few shady characters who are also searching for the same hidden reward, she will have to decide who is trustworthy and who is not.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Time Travel, Contemporary, Amazon

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2012

About the author

Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

My apologies to the author for this - but I could not finish this book. At 48% into it I could not tie it together. The two main characters still had not 'connected' and the story just wandered all over Wyoming. An author friend of mine, while mentoring me with my own work-in-progress, reminded me of a plaque he saw..."A smart woman gets to the point". Hmmm, I think that would have been a good rule-of-thumb here! I rarely, really rarely, leave a book behind unfinished. I just can't find enough interest to finish this one!

[Chrissy D (Chrissysliterarybites) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the first books I've ever rated below a 3! I couldn't get into it for the life of me! I can usually finish a book in a week or less but this one took me a month because every time I read it I lost interest and found something else to do. I don't like how it took over half the book to really get "interesting".... And then I feel like at the end the "interesting" stuff was just brushed away! Like what happened to what Paige discovered and those people she talked to and does she ever show Jake? And she barely talks to the guy she leases the house from even though he seemed like he would be a bigger character... I just feel like for a book with SO many details (almost too much descriptive details) it fell short in so many ways including the end. The only reason I rated it a 2 and not a 1 is because I did like the "mysterious" place she goes... But again it never really touches on it at the end and I don't like that.

[Karsyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an unbelievably AWFUL book. DNF at 30%. I could not stomach another moment, not even for a challenge.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. A search for hidden treasure in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area. A good mystery with a supernatural twist.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above the Bridge by Deborah Garner was a very interesting mystery. I liked Paige MacKenzie and her instinctive drive to follow a story. Ms. Garner's description of Jackson Hole, WY and the surrounding area made me feel like I was there while Paige and Jake Norris finally worked together to solve the legendary mystery.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I got this book for free as a kindle daily deal. I did not enjoy the main character, Paige, who comes across as a stalker and only gets away with it because she's female. If the characters were reversed, and Jake climbed over her fence and peered in her windows, he'd get arrested! Then she follows him around town because she saw him talking to another guy ONE TIME and knows there must be some story behind it? It seems very unrealistic. The writing was pretty blah, and I was not excited to continue this book. I have so many other free ebooks and library ebooks to read that it wasn't worth it for me to finish this.

Then I read in the other reviews there is time travel? W.T.F.? I didn't make it that far, haha

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was vaguely familiar. While the writing is clear, there is far too much description. Out of nowhere, including the book description, there was time travel.
It reads close to a travel book on Montana.
The reason the book was familiar is that I read another one of Deborah's books that was similarly too descriptive. I don't need to know that she shut off the car engine, removed the key, opened the door and stepped out unless it ties into something.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! This is a light, quick mystery with adventure and a hint of romance. The author’s bio says she is a travel writer and you can certainly tell that from her writing. Her descriptions of scenery and the towns are so vivid and appealing! The story takes place in and around Jackson Hole, Wyoming which never appealed to a city girl like me but, after reading this book, I’ll have to consider it! This is her first novel and I hope there are more to come in the future.

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice cozy mystery with a bit of reverse time travel. Paige McKenzie is a reporter who is heading to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to write a story about the old west. Little does she know that her story will be about a hidden gold find that she sets out to discover with Jake Norris whose grandfather was one of the men who found the gold.

Wonderful descriptions of Jackson Hole and the area which made me want to head there this summer since I live in Colorado. Easy to follow, enjoyable cozy mystery.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I purchased this book a few weeks ago because it was set in Wyoming and I needed to read a book set in that state for my Where Are You Reading? Challenge and the synopsis intrigued me too.

I was very surprised by this story led us readers and Paige MacKenzie and I don’t want to give anything away but the mystery does take a track off the well trodden path the Jake was taking.

I liked these characters. Paige is an adventurous woman and proves it more than once. Jake is searching for a treasure that may not even be there but he finds Paige and realizes there may be something more important than gold.

The author gives wonderful descriptions of the mountains, sunrises and sunsets. I have never been to Wyoming but she took me there in my mind and it was a great trip. If you have been to Jackson Hole you would enjoy this very much.

I still have not decided if I liked the ending. I was hoping for something a little different but will be reading The Moonglow Cafe: A Paige MacKenzie Mystery to follow Paige on her next adventure.

[Nick Moser · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had this book randomly on my Kindle, most likely from a free download. I needed a book to read and this was ready and waiting. Well, I'm glad it was free. This is my first novel by this author and it will be my last. The writing style was painful to get through. The book would be half the length without all the unnecessary description language that added nothing to the story (describing in detail the sky, food, clothes, etc.).

I can see why other reviewers didn't end up finishing the book. Especially when the weird time travel piece was thrown in there, that didn't fit with the rest of the style of the novel at all. Which also conveniently helped her solve this mystery. Solving the mystery was basically due to time travel and being in the right place to overhead multiple conversations. Time travel aside, there were other things with characters and situations playing out that just didn't make sense. There are also too many dumb cliches to mention. Will be my first and last Paige MacKenzie mystery.

[Stacie Haden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author should get opinions from people who aren't afraid to hurt her feelings, before publishing. Drags along and then poof, out of nowhere, at 37% she goes back in time to old Jackson Hole, for like 5 minutes (exxageration), and then back to modern day. More dragging along and then back in time for 5 minutes (exaggeration) to learn exactly where the gold is hidden. We had already been subjected at tedium to Jake's search for the gold. It was a waste of pages. She could have cut the book down to 2 paragraphs. The rest of it was all filler, tedious filler. No one that doesn't live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming would possibly want to know that much history or tourist information. I gave it the extra star, for the locals who might enjoy the references.

I bought the next two before reading this one. Not going to read them.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, with some unexpected time travel. Which wasn't really explained too well, but I'm hoping gets explained in future books. I liked both Paige and Jake, although it took nearly 2/3rds of the book for them to finally meet. :O The mystery was simple, but who doesn't love a good treasure hunt. :) I would be interested in reading future books to see how things go. :)

[Peter Baran · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed like something on the intersect between cosy mystery and romance, a journalist goes to write a nebulous travel article in Jacksons Hole and stumbles on mystery and perhaps romance. Fine, Paige MacKenzie is an interesting enough heroine though with next to know internal life and a job where she can seemingly live for a couple of months to produce one magazine article. But there is a bit of a historical mystery, some buried treasure and some nefarious locals also looking for it and just when the idea of a treasure map is broached....

Time travel.

Look I have no problem with random time travel suddenly popping up in a book where no hint of the supernatural was foreshadowed. But here it exists to primarily solve the mystery (she can discover where the treasure is hidden by - er - following them hiding it). Still that won't stop the baddies threatening them - oh, the baddies seem to have drifted away. I don't mind a lack of peroil, though I would expect a journalist to have more curiosity particularly the second time she time travels and it seems like a thing she can do. Flipping it into a romance in the last third felt odd, and not in a good way.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

o my god! what a good and very lovely book! I love it! the Story of the treasure was so good. I loved the setting both now and a 100 years back. Paige and Jake are so cute and good together! I knew Maddy and Old Man Thompson were up to something! the antler arch and the skeleton key trough me for a loop the first time but it was so awesome! the cabin I wouldn't mind to stay in for a couple day with books and needle work. I hope that in the next book Paige gets to reconnect with Jake. I really felt at home in Jackson Hole. see you next time!

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with history

I am a history lover and this book is filled with great true information along with a great what if story of history. I found myself engulfed on the descriptions of the Wyoming area and it's glorious geographical scenery. The story was typical of stories passed down from generation to generation and the wonder of its possibilities.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet romance set in Jackson Hole where Paige, a journalist, is researching the area for an article. A long forgotten legend involving lost gold that her neighbour is trying to find becomes the basis for her article. As they investigate the story, love starts to develop between them. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, but the plot did not keep my interest.

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

#iSpy Reading Challenge

[Vickie Fenimore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Too short to really develop characters but chasing down an elusive treasure—is there a real stash of gold or is it only legend?—is fun to pursue.

[Melissa Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The slight time travel is right up my alley. Adored the small town setting also. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

[S.A. Molteni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Above the Bridge by Deborah Garner is nicely written cozy mystery with a touch of time travel woven in for a unique plot twist later in the story.

The story centers on Paige MacKenzie, a journalist visiting Jackson Hole, Wyoming who is there to write an article for a magazine that she is employed by about the local area and the history behind the town. Paige uncovers many secrets from the colorful and sometimes dangerous local crowd. One secret in particular could be worth a sizable amount of money if the rumors about it are true. Paige digs in to research the legend of the buried gold somewhere in the mountains around Jackson Hole, only to find that the controversy surrounding it can only be validated through a trip back in time.

Having visited the Tetons and Jackson Hole this past summer, I loved the setting for this cozy mystery - it brought me back to the sights and sounds and the overall feel of the beautiful Wyoming area.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it will not be the last. I just purchased the Moonglow Cafe and cannot wait to read it.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

New York reporter Paige Mackenzie comes to Wyoming to find a story. She is a good researcher and hopes to maybe happen on a story her readers and her editor will love. She settles on the town of Jackson Hole, and as she becomes acquainted with a few of the locals, she wonders about a bit of suspense she feels as surveys the locale. The author does a great job at the descriptions of the beauty of western Wyoming.Although it is pretty difficult to describe in words the wonders of the Grand Tetons.

I liked the character development, even though it was pretty predictable. I found the insert of the time travel to be a bit too simple, too contrived. I am not opposed to time travel, but it seemed odd here. The ending to the story is exactly how I assumed it would be. Girl falls for boy, bad guys get their due and there is an open ending for another adventure for Paige.

[Judy Christiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I marked this book as read, since there is no option for "tried but did not completely read it". I tried on 3 separate occasions to get into the plot and read the book and just could not. The author is very descriptive of coffees bought, landscape/surroundings, buildings/rooms, but I did not get any attachment to the characters. After reading for three sessions, I gave up trying to get immersed in the plot.

In the past, I never gave up on a book, but as I am getting ever nearer to 60 yrs of age, I don't push myself to stay in unpleasant situations anymore.

I am sorry to the author, who I am sure put a lot of work into the story. It just wasn't for me. Since I received this book free on Kindle, I feel obligated to leave a review.

[Margaret Standafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Above the Bridge is the story of a reporter from New York who makes her way to Jackson Hole, WY to research a story about the Old West. Her investigation leads her to a legend of buried treasure and to a very attractive cowboy. I loved reading about Jackson Hole, the mountains, and the way of life in this small town. The story has a romantic component though it's only part of the story and there are no sex scenes. There are extensive references to and descriptions of the area. It was, at times, a little slow-moving and I had to suspend reality for a bit to get into the time travel scenes, but overall an enjoyable story.
Above the Bridge is the first in a series and I've started the second.

[Bryan Spellman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Above the Bridge, Deborah Garner reminds us that just because a book is a mystery, it doesn't mean there has to be a murder. Set in the historic Wyoming town of Jackson, the story follows journalist Paige MacKenzie who has come out from New York to research an article about ... well that's just it. What will her research reveal? Toss in a handsome single man, a mysterious supernatural glow, and the Grand Tetons, and you have the makings of a very enjoyable read. Parts of the story are just too weird to retell, but hey, whatever works. It's a fun read.

[Adelheid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring! Cure for insomnia maybe?

There is no way to give zero stars. This book is not littered with grammatical flaws, misused words, or slang like many of the poor books I have read, it suffers the worst curse of a story: I don't care about it, the characters, nothing. It took forever just to get through the first quarter of the book. I've lived near Jackson Hole, WY, and even the setting suffers at this writer's hands. I cannot get past 31% and I give up trying. Author, find a good editor!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and dragged on and on. I'm not going to even tag this a mystery, it doesn't qualify. I ended up skipping thru the middle because I wasn't interested in how she decorated her cabin and why she suddenly, for no reason, started spying on Jake. This book really lacked anything to propel it forward.

It meandered, wandered, took it's time and then...suddenly she's found a portal to the past or whatever. Sheesh. A smidgen of believability would have helped. And all of that meandering should have led us somewhere. Instead, it just jumped around.

[Constant Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I finished this book it left me flat. I felt the story could have been stronger. The setting is great but the book was too much travelogue and not enough story. Not at all believable to find a 'cabin' in Jackson for 80 bucks a week any time in the last 20 years! Not that the time travel aspect is believable but it had the potential to be fun but it didn't have the strength to assist the story. As I write this I actually feel my 3 Stars are generous.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

The “fantasy “ doesn’t work

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just “off.” The storyline could not have played out without the “fantasy” parts, but it still doesn’t work. I stuck it out, but only because I read fast and I kept hoping it might get better. It didn’t. No time spent reading is a waste of time, but this book sure tried!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deborah Garner makes the landscape and the people come to life. This story was enchanting with a hint of romance, intrigue, and an unpredictale story line. I received this book as part of the Goodreads giveaways. I thoroughly enjoyed this light, descriptive story.