"Forgotten History" by Pam Hanson and Barbara Andrews

Miriam went to the oven and took out the pan of crusty croissants, sliding them into a basket lined with a blue-checkered linen napkin. "Do you like iced tea? I don't remember you as a tea drinker."

"I am since I learned there are no calories in tea," Bess said with a chuckle.

— Forgotten History by Pam Hanson and Barbara Andrews

I was browsing in a Goodwill store recently when I came across this Guideposts book, part of their Chesapeake Antiques Mysteries. It's the story of Miriam Maxwell, who inherits an antiques business from her late sister Ruth. Miriam returns to her old hometown on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland to decide what to do with the store, and there she reconnects with quite a few people from her past. There's Bess Watkins, an old high school friend, and also Samuel Bentley, whom Miriam dated many years ago.

Although no one wants to lose a sister (at least I hope you don't!), I think many of us might not actually mind inheriting an antiques business. Miriam, however, is no antiques expert and finds herself overwhelmed at all the furniture and antiques her sister managed to pack into her cluttered building. One of her earliest customers happens to be her old flame, Samuel, who buys an antique desk that once belonged to Miriam's family. When he gets home with it, he finds an old letter from Miriam's ancestor in a hidden compartment inside, and that kicks off an intriguing subplot that is woven throughout the book.

I enjoyed meeting Ruth and her friends, and it was fun to learn about antiques through the eyes of someone new to the collecting scene. In fact, I found myself reaching for my iPhone so I could look up things like Westmoreland glass, which I'd never heard of before. The only negative about this series is that there appears to be only one more title, according to the Guideposts website, but I have it and am ready to see what's in store for Miriam next!