History Mystery Series by Deborah Heal

Time and Again book 1 An old house + A new computer program = The travel opportunity of a lifetime…to another century. Abby Thomas is spending the summer in a run-down old house with a bratty pre-teen named Merrideth she is supposed to tutor. Not a dream job. But it does come with perks. There’s John Roberts, a devastatingly attractive neighbor who is almost too wonderful to be real. And there’s the new computer program Beautiful Houses—also too amazing to be real... moreTime and Again book 1 An old house + A new computer program = The travel opportunity of a lifetime…to another century. Abby Thomas is spending the summer in a run-down old house with a bratty pre-teen named Merrideth she is supposed to tutor. Not a dream job. But it does come with perks. There’s John Roberts, a devastatingly attractive neighbor who is almost too wonderful to be real. And there’s the new computer program Beautiful Houses—also too amazing to be real. No one knows how it works, but with it she can rewind and fast-forward the lives of all the people who ever lived in the house, including Charlotte Miles. In 1858, the house is a train stop on the Alton & Chicago Line. And Charlotte is stuck there serving meals to the passengers, wondering if she’ll ever get to have any fun. And then she meets two travelers who change her life forever. There’s James McGuire with whom she falls in love. And there’s his boss, a young Springfield lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. His debate with political opponent Stephen Douglas catapults him onto the national stage. And it inspires Charlotte to take up the cause of abolition. The House A stop on the Alton & Chicago Line. A stop on the Underground Railroad. Watching the house’s history unfold, Abby and Merrideth gain a new perspective on their own lives as time and again they see God’s loving hand in the lives of its inhabitants. less

Unclaimed Legacy book 2 An old house + A new computer program = The travel opportunity of a lifetime…to another century. The People Abby Thomas’ 11-year-old student Merri is finally warming up to her. Her friendship with John Roberts is also heating up. He’s definitely marriage material. Except for the fact that when she tells him about Beautiful Houses he thinks she’s crazy... moreUnclaimed Legacy book 2 An old house + A new computer program = The travel opportunity of a lifetime…to another century. The People Abby Thomas’ 11-year-old student Merri is finally warming up to her. Her friendship with John Roberts is also heating up. He’s definitely marriage material. Except for the fact that when she tells him about Beautiful Houses he thinks she’s crazy. Because a computer program that allows you to rewind and fast forward the lives of people from long ago is surely pure fantasy. Then John sees for himself that it’s not. Together they use Beautiful Houses to help the “Old Dears” next door with their family tree. Rummaging around in their history, they discover that the 85-year-old twins have been keeping a secret from each other since 1941. And the ladies’ ancestors have a few secrets of their own. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family name. But was he really guilty? Abby and John must get inside the mind of a murderer to find out. But there are also heroes in the family tree—like Reuben’s ancestor Nathan Buchanan. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have a few secrets, too. And Abby and John find one that’s lain undiscovered for over 200 years. The House It began life as Nathan’s log cabin built outside the walls of Lewis and Clark’s 1803 Camp River Dubois. It was added onto through the years, and at one time it was a stage coach inn called Shake Rag Corner. Today it is a condemned derelict. While watching its history unfold, Abby and John discover a legacy waiting to be reclaimed and that God’s promise to bless a thousand generations is really true. less

Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life... moreThose who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house. And since Beautiful House worked so well for the Old Dears’ genealogy project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor. Ned Greenfield was born at a place called Hickory Hill in the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. Abby and John reluctantly agree to help her, but only on the condition that she and her fiancé Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother looking over his shoulder. The mayor, police chief, and townspeople of Equality are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. Eventually Abby and her friends find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune. They meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner and eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new. less