By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: The Keys to Gramercy Park

Author: Candice Sue Patterson

Genre: Christian / Historical / Romance

Release date: April, 2023

Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Investigative historical journalist Andrea Andrews is tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. If she could find and write the next breakout story, she could secure a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But not much happens in lower Manhattan out of the ordinary until she discovers post-Civil War counterfeit bills hidden in the wall of her historic district apartment.

Politics have always been Beau Davidson-Quincy’s passion, despite his family’s real estate empire. His clean image and single status make him a target in the media as he prepares to build his campaign for New York governor. He has nothing to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that could destroy his family’s reputation.

Two centuries earlier, wounded Civil War veteran Franklin Davidson lost everything—his house, his wife, his standing in society. In his darkest moment, he’s awarded a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. Secrets are meant to be kept, and Franklin will take his to his grave.

My Thoughts:

The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson gave me thrills of a good novel. A good novel should capture my imagination and allow it to soar with the characters and the setting on the page. The Keys to Gramercy Park dived right into a historical mystery, which I love. I loved the idea of some element in the past tying to the present day. I love watching the heroine of the present try to solve the mystery while watching the story take place in the past. Patterson did a wonderful job at bringing Post Civil-War New York and the Gramercy Park to life. I never knew this place actually existed. After reading this story, I want to stand outside the gates and peer inside. I loved the Gilded Age Mansion and stories. Patterson’s story took me for a treasure hunt and a little bit of romance on the side. The ending has a twist with the historical element that surprised me but in a good way. The plot moved at a rapid pace, and I stayed up way too late and finished this novel in less than a day. Now I need to purchase it to put it on my bookshelf. A wonderful novel. If readers are fans of treasure hunts filled with history, romance, and a little mystery, I highly recommend readers purchasing this novel. This is one of my first 5 star reviews for the year.

I received a complimentary copy of The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Keys to Gramercy Park

About the Author

Candice Sue Patterson studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or decorating cakes, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance—where the past and present collide with faith. Her debut novel How to Charm a Beekeeper’s Heart was a 2012 ACFW First Impressions finalist and made INSPYs Longlist for 2016.

More from Candice

A locked secret garden in Manhattan with historical significance and the only ones privileged to step inside are the wealthy residents who purchase a key—count me in! The plot for The Keys to Gramercy Park was born at our dining room table when my husband looked up from the book he was reading and asked if I knew about Gramercy Park. I hadn’t, so we started Googling and discovered it was a real garden in Manhattan built in 1841 for the cream of society. The fact that it’s been off-limits to the public for one hundred and eight-two years instantly brought all kinds of story ideas to my mind.

Not long after, I discovered that Barbour Publishing Inc. was looking for dual-time stories to fill their Doors to the Past series. I love reading dual-time novels but I’d never written one. I love a good challenge, so I began plotting and before I knew it, I had another first—creating a villain.

I’ve only ever seen the New York City skyline from the New Jersey ferry that travels to and from the Statue of Liberty, so after the story was contracted, I spent several weeks researching Manhattan and Gramercy Park. New York is full of rich history and it was so fun to stumble across the historical details of The Player’s, Edwin Booth, and the stories behind each home along Gramercy Square.

One of my favorite things about writing this story was the juxtaposition of the timelines. We don’t have the present without the past, and what happens in the past affects the future, but the future can also determine how we view, feel, and learn about the past. That’s essentially what The Keys to Gramercy Park is about—the butterfly effect of past events reaching ahead two centuries with dire consequences. I love how in one scene the characters are sending telegraphs and in the next scene, they’re sending text messages.

What’s your favorite thing about dual-time novels? Make sure to check out the other books in the Doors to the Past series!