Genre: Mystery
Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496723475
Kensington Publishing
308 Pages
$7.99; $4.99 Amazon
October 29, 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it's struggling. That's why they're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike -- until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder...
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Winnie Mae Montgomery lives in Blossom Valley, West Virginia. She's trying to make a go of her Granny's apple orchards by bringing in new business via opening a year-round shop where people can buy her custom ciders and Granny's baked goods. She's trying to get the bank to approve a loan which she hopes will pan out, and in the meantime they're offering tours around the orchards and hay rides, which fall right in line with the season.
When Granny's next-door neighbor (as close as you can be in the country), Nadine Cooper, arrives looking for her, Winnie tells her Granny's with a tour group and Nadine leaves, telling her she'll be back. But when Winnie is later showing people how the cider is made, she opens the barn doors and finds Nadine's body in the apple press. Now Granny is suspected of murder, and the new sheriff isn't listening to Winnie's protestations. So Winnie decides to do a little investigating on her own, hoping to discover the true killer. But all her questions have consequences, and they might get someone hurt...
This is the first book in a new series and I will say that I was pleasantly surprised. The mystery is a good one, and there are just as many questions as there are answers. Winnie is a different type of sleuth, being a hard worker with a strong bank account. She has a part-time job at a local diner, goes to school, and helps her Granny run the orchards, all while planning something better for them. She also has acquired a set of twin kittens, named Kenny and Dolly. While I love books with cats, and I really liked these two (eventually becoming key to the plot), I've always felt that cats should be kept indoors. They're less likely to develop diseases and fleas, and live longer. This isn't a working farm but an orchard, so there's no reason they can't be kept indoors before one of them gets genuinely hurt. (As I said, they do become key to the plot, so they're excused this time out, but hopefully in the next book they'll be indoor kitties).
Saying that, I liked Winnie and thought she was intelligent, and even though she was questioning people, I never felt that she was pushy. I did like the banter between her and Sheriff Wise, and I especially liked the fact that while he was telling her to stay out of it, he wasn't being nasty with her. That goes a long way with me.
I even liked her friend Dot (but thought Dot's angst over being four years older was silly); I have a passion for saving animals, too, so that mattered to me. I truly enjoyed this book, showing how the camaraderie of a small town brings people together, and the plot gives us a glimpse into the next book, without leaving a cliffhanger, which is nice.
When we discover the murderer, it came together quickly, and so did the action. Winnie, faced with a desperate situation, did what she needed to do, and it gave us one more insight into the type of person she was. I think that the author has a good future with this series, and I hope to read the next one soon. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Cider-Slaying-Shop-Mystery/dp/1496723473/ref
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3306463290
More on Julie Anne Lindsey's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/julie-anne-lindsey/
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