Under the Apple Tree is the first book in the Whistle Stop Café Mysteries fiction series.

What happened to Eleanor? Through a miraculous turn of events, Debbie buys a fixer-upper craftsman-style home near the historic train depot. When she uncovers an old Victrola and a crate filled with WWII-era memorabilia, she pays a visit to Raymond, the longtime former homeowner.

Among the items is a recording of a woman singing, “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” with a handwritten label that says To Ray, With Love, Eleanor. Seeing it brings tears to the WWII veteran’s eyes and he pleads with Debbie to help him figure out Eleanor's mysterious disappearance before he returned home from WWII.