Dead Man Cakewalking (Apple Orchard Cozy Mysteries Book 20)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798854609173

Independently Published

228 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

August 18, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's one week until Chelsea's wedding...

...and she's got a killer to catch.

When Chelsea arrived in Pine Grove, she was fresh off a massive heartbreak, and she struggled to get back on her feet.  Solving mysteries gave Chelsea the confidence she needed to finally move on, and now she's ready to give her heart to a new man.

But murder gets in the way, just like it always does.

And this time Chelsea's a suspect.

Chelsea sets out to solve the most scandalous murder yet...seven days before "I do."

With the help of her elderly besties, Teeny and Miss May, Chelsea uncovers more secrets than a wedding planner.  And as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes she'll have to put herself in harm's way -- and risk missing her wedding -- to catch the killer.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

It's finally happening.  Chelsea is at last marrying her love, Wayne, and nothing is going to spoil the wedding for her.  That is, until her ex-fiancé Mike shows up at her Christmas tree farm with his new fiancée Priscilla, and they start arguing.  Trying her best to ignore the situation, she comes across them once again at Teeny's diner and they've appeared to make up.  But unfortunately, Mike leaves his wallet behind at the diner and Chelsea and Miss May go to his house to return it.  Big mistake.  When they arrive, Mike is dead, and there is a letter incriminating Chelsa.

Now she's a suspect in his murder.  Mike, the man who left her at the altar in New York.  But for some reason, police chief Sunshine Flanagan doesn't seem to be interested in her all that much, which is weird; or anything else, for that matter.  Chelsea knows that if she's going to marry Wayne, she needs closure to her past.  That means finding Mike's killer.  But it isn't going to be easy, since she discovers that he made enemies everywhere he went, and people don't want to talk to her.  How can she solve a murder in less than a week, finish planning her wedding, and get ready for Christmas?

This is the 20th book in the series, and I have read them all.  This one brings Chelsea full circle from her disastrous relationship with Mile to her perfect one with Wayne (Wayne is the better deal).  When she tries to question Mike's family members, they're haughty and cold (pretty pretentious for people named after pickles -- Gherkin -- just my observation, ha!).  But she does get some information from Priscilla, and even Mike's cousin, which is surprising.

She also gets a chance to come to grips with all her old feelings about Mike, and that gives her something, at least.  But finding a killer in the allotted time isn't a sure thing.  It takes everything Chelsea has inside of her to figure it out, and when she does, it puts her in danger.  Interestingly, help comes from an unexpected corner.

When everything is said and done, the murderer is found (as we know they will be) and Chelsea can once again look forward to peace and quiet in her life.  I have loved this series for a long time, and I want it to continue.  I've come to love the characters and Pine Grove, and I will miss them until the next book.  Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from Booksprout but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Man-Cakewalking-Humorous-Page-turner-ebook/dp/B0C4411GKT/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5790356246

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Murder on the Orient Espresso (Apple Orchard Mysteries Book 19)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798395909923

Independently Published

218 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

June 3, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Chelsea moved back to Pine Grove, she expected relaxing afternoons in the orchard, fresh-baked apple pie, and time with family and friends.  And she got all that.  But what she didn't expect...

...was murder.

This time the dead body turns up at Pine Grove's new coffee shop.  The adorable coffee shop, housed in an old train car, was eagerly anticipated by everyone in town.  But the dead guy has tons of enemies, so there are plenty of suspects.

And Chelsea is one of them.

Chelsea's aunt Miss May is ready to help solve the mystery, just like she always is.  And their bottle-blonde bestie, Tenny, never backs down from an adventure.  But the local chief of police is determined to lock Chelsea up, and the killer sems determined to strike again.

Will Chelsea and the ladies solve the mystery in time?  Or will Chelsea end up in jail...or worse?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea thinks her old truck has finally died.  So, she heads to the only car dealership in town, Adams Automotive.  But when the owner, Scott Adams, is rude to her and she also observes him being rude to one of his employees, she and her aunt Miss May leave.  When they are having coffee at a new local shop, Scott Adams is there also, and after a nasty conversation with the owner, he retires to a back booth.  But not for long... he keels over from what appears to be a heart attack.  But the ladies -- along with their best friend Teeny -- think he's been murdered, and want to investigate.  

Which is exactly what the police don't want them to do.  Especially Detective Wayne Hudson, Chelsea's fiancé, who wants to plan their wedding instead.  Apparently, someone else doesn't want them to investigate either, when they receive a telephone call that is supposedly from a hospital doctor telling them the death was natural, as Scott had hereditary heart disease.  But did he?  And was the call legitimate?  Of course, the only way they will know is if they investigate, right?...

To make matters worse, Chelsea's ex-fiancé Mike has moved to town with his new girlfriend Priscilla, and the last thing Chelsea wants is to see the dirtbag who left her at the altar.  But she knows she can't avoid him forever, but she can try.  

When the ladies start looking for people who might have had it in for Scott, they find there are plenty of suspects.  But no one wants to seem to talk about him, not even his ex-wife.  With little to go on, they keep plugging away, garnering what information they can from those who knew him.  And when they get closer to the killer, they just might be too late...

I love this series and every time a new book comes out, I know that I must read it.  I love all the characters (well, almost all; Sunny is not my favorite person -- or Chelsea's, if it comes to that).  At any rate, I love the small town of Pine Grove, New York, where people live quiet lives (albeit with a side of murder now and then) and seem happy to do so.  It would be delightful to visit the orchard, and pick out your own Christmas tree.

Chelsea and Miss May are not slouches in the amateur detective department, either.  Teeny has more enthusiasm than actual logic, but she's fun to listen to.  Between Chelsea and Miss May, they always come up with the right solution, even if it does take time to get there.  But without time, what would we have to read?  The plot is excellent, as always, and Chelsea is finally coming into her own, with no stuttering and actually being able to think fast when needed.  She's a complicated woman, but aren't we all?

In the end, when the murderer is discovered, I figured it out a tad bit before Chelsea (but then again, I always say I read a lot of mysteries on top of watching true crime shows on TV), yet the climax is definitely worth it all, and I even read it twice.  This is one of the best in the series, and highly recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author and BookSprout, but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Orient-Espresso-Humorous-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BW6C9YDC/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5591360630

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Muffin But Trouble (Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Book 17)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0B6PQ7YB2

Independently Published

$5.99 Amazon

January 14, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chelsea, Teeny, and Miss May are trying to have a fun trip to Los Angeles.

But they've barely checked into their hotel when they get a call from their old friends Amy and Petunia...

There's been a murder!

Worse yet, all the evidence seems to point to everyone's favorite dog groomer...Amy Stewart.  This is not good for Amy.  And it's not good for our vacationing Pine Grove ladies, either.

Chelsea wants to enjoy the sunshine and celebrities of SoCal.  Miss May wants to sample the pies.  Teeny wants to eat every meal at Sprinkles Cupcakes.

But first they've got to catch a killer.  Because death never takes a day off.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

It's time for vacation for the sleuths of Pine Grove.  Chelsea, Miss May, and Teeny -- along with Chelsea's cop boyfriend, Wayne Hudson, are heading to LA.  Unfortunately, when they arrive, they're waylaid by their friends Amy and Petunia, who moved to LA some time back to open a dog grooming business.  It seems Amy's friend and employee Betsy is suspected of murder in the death of movie producer Rayna Kim -- all because Betsy TP'd her house right before the death.  Now they're back on duty, hoping to free Betsy and find a killer before their vacation time is up...and the killer figures out what they're doing...

The really unfortunate part is the fact that Rayna didn't have any friends, but she sure had a lot of enemies.  The problem is they don't know where to look or who to start with, and this time they might find themselves in a real Hollywood murder mystery ending...

I have read this series for awhile now, and I have loved every one of these.  This book is a crossover between Ms. Thomas's two series, The Apple Orchard Mysteries and The Dog Groomer Mysteries.  While Amy and Petunia are way too busy trying to get dogs ready for the annual Halloween pup parade, they've called on their sleuth counterparts from New York to help them.  Unfortunately, the three Pine Grove women have no idea how to navigate Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.  They're helped somewhat by Amy's friends, and Wayne has found a true friend in Amy's cop boyfriend Mike.  The two have bonded and Wayne is hanging out with Mike to see what they can find out on the murder.

But when Chelsea, Teeny, and Miss May start investigating, there is no stopping them.  Not even gaining entrance to movie studios -- and other exclusive areas.  These three are on a mission not only to free Betsy, but to sample every type of food they can while they're at it.

Following them along their trail makes you hungry.  It also makes you want to figure out who the killer might be.  Did this woman make any friends, or just enemies along the way?  Not wanting to say more because I don't want to give the plot away, you'll just need to read this yourself.  You'll have a fun ride through the streets of LA (and its restaurants).  

When the killer is discovered, the answers come surprisingly with a strange clue that shocks Chelsea.  But there is more in store, and you'll love the ending.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Muffin-Trouble-Apple-Orchard-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B6PQ7YB2/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5177569971

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Whisking Everything (Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Book 15)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B098FFCVLR

Independently Published

229 Pages

$5.99 Amazon

December 26, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's a train headed for Pine Grove...

...and no one likes it.

It's autumn in upstate New York.  Every neighbor is out on the porch enjoying the weather, and there's a pie cooling on every window sill, waiting to be eaten with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

For local sleuths Chelsea, Teeny and Miss May, life is perfect.  There hasn't been a murder in a while.  And all is right in their little town.

The dead body changes everything.

Chelsea has worked hard to become a stronger, more rational person these past couple years.  Solving murders has helped that.  But this one threatens to break her all over again.

Chelsea's cop boyfriend wants to take the next step in their romance.

Chelsea isn't sure she's over her previous heartbreak.  And it's hard for her to deal with big emotions in the middle of a murder investigation.

Sixty-something Miss May leads the investigation, but she relies on Chelsea for help.  Will Chelsea be able to put her heartbreak aside and solve the murder?  Or will this be the one that sends her reeling?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny attend a town meeting regarding light rail -- Alex Turnbull wants to run it through the town -- and right through Miss May's apple orchard, so naturally she's against it, along with most of the other people in the room.  Surprisingly, the mayor is for it, and they want to know why.  Later that evening Turnbull is in Teeny's restaurant and insults her food and her coffee, which leads to a public fight with the man.  But before they can make a plan to save the town, the next night Chelsea and Miss May and Chelsea come across an abandoned car and enter the woods, only to find the body of Turnbull stabbed with a railroad spike.

Now they have suspects on their hands, and are once again thrust into a murder investigation.  When they start looking for clues, they come across unexpected ones, surprising ones, and intriguing ones.  None of which lead them to a killer; but it does lead them to another viable suspect.  Unfortunately, there's another murder before they can find the killer, and now it's a matter of timing in order to save someone else from being a victim...

I have to say that I absolutely love this series.  It is well written, the mysteries are well thought out, and there is no dearth of suspects.  Then there's the banter between the three women, which is also quite hilarious at times.  Poor Chelsea has a mouth that says unexpected things when she gets nervous (but she's working on it); Teeny's mouth is never under control (she's not working on it); and Miss May is the sane voice of reason (although it doesn't matter because Chelsea and Teeny aren't changing any time soon).  Together they make great sleuths and a humorous trio.  I especially love Teeny's obsession with television series as she applies them to the latest investigation.  (Never right, but still oddly strange).

When they begin investigating, they are surprised to find an unexpected victim in their home town that puts more than one person on the list.  Meanwhile, Chelsea's cop boyfriend Wayne is trying to move their relationship ahead, wanting her to meet his parents, and she starts panicking inside, not sure if she's ready, but also not willing to say no.  It's interesting to watch her thought process; while I understand her hesitancy, I also hope she'll be able to move forward in her life soon.  Ah, well...

When the investigation begins heating up, they begin narrowing down their list of suspects, and at last they know they have the right person.  I have to say that I knew who it was long before our detecting trio, but then again I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that.  To most everyone, it will come as a surprise, and I have to say that while I knew the killer, I did not know the reason, and that's half the solution.

When it all comes together, the reasons for the murder are understood (even if there's no excuse for killing another human being); and watching the climax is always a lot of fun.  While this book can easily be read as a standalone, I suggest you start with the beginning, if for nothing but having fun while you read.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Whisking-Everything-Apple-Orchard-Mystery-ebook/dp/B098FFCVLR/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4452813674

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Apple Orchard Cozy Mysteries Books 1-5

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B09FKK8KCF

Independently Published

905 Pages

$9.99 Amazon

September 18, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Chelsea Thomas gets left at the altar and takes a job working at her aunt's orchard, she expects to bake apple pies and brew apple cider....

...what she gets is murder, mystery, and a closet full of skeletons.

With everyone in town watching her, this 20 something does her best to recover from heartbreak and rebuild her life, but far from enjoying the gorgeous country life -- driving her pick up truck and hanging out with her animals -- Chelsea pokes her nose where it is most definitely not wanted...

...and inadvertently gets targeted as a suspect in a murder that rocks her quaint upstate town.

Chelsea is in over her head, for sure, but there is one thing the criminals, locals and cops all have in common: none of them think she can solve the crime.

It's going to cost them.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea Thomas is standing at the altar in her wedding gown, surrounded by family and friends, when her intended groom bolts out of the church.  What's a girl to do when she discovers he's stolen everything from her?  Hide out in a small apartment eating Chinese food.  Or so she thinks...until her aunt Miss May gets hold of her and drags her back to the farm where Chelsea grew up.  Chelsea, an interior decorator by trade, finds new purpose in decorating for her cousin's wedding.  But when her cousin's groom disappears at the rehearsal dinner, Chelsea sets out to find him, and so she does...thus beginning her successful foray into solving crimes in their small town of Pine Grove, much to the consternation of the police, especially a hunky specimen named Wayne Hudson, who also has his eye on Chelsea...

But how can Chelsea, she of the Babbling Brook Mouth, Teeny, she of the Overactive Imagination, and Miss May, she of the Voice of Reason (most of the time) become class A sleuths and murder solvers?  All you need to do is read these books and find out...

This is the first five books in the series, and while they don't need to be read in order to enjoy them, I would recommend it because otherwise you're missing out.  Missing out on humor, murder, mayhem, and Chelsea's rattled thoughts every time she opens her mouth.  I would probably stare at her like I'm looking at a two-headed goat, but not Miss May.  She turns everything Chelsea says into some semblance of reason.  How, I don't know.  I do know that by the fifth book you are absolutely addicted to this series and wanting to read more.

This is a hefty set of pages (905!) and while it took me a few days to read it, I pressed on waiting for the next fiasco to occur.  Chelsea has a habit of finding dead bodies the way some of us find extra pairs of reading glasses around the house.  We know they're around somewhere, we just don't know the exact location.  Neither does Chelsea, until she does (make sense of that statement!).  But by then, it becomes a race for Miss May and Chelsea to find the killer before the police do, just to prove they can.  Amateur sleuths, my eye...

It's all a farcical riot of fun, and watching them all (especially Teeny, who likens everything to a favorite television series) is a hoot.  Except that the police aren't happy with them, everyone in town thinks they're a suspect when the three show up at their door and try to avoid them, and two men are vying for Chelsea's attention (keep reading, you'll get there...).

In the end, the books are fun, full of mystery and dead bodies, and even a few murderers with strange motives.  But it's all worth it in the end, and I think I hear the sixth book calling my name...Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Orchard-Cozy-Mystery-Books-ebook/dp/B09FKK8KCF/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4249888180

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Hot Cross Guns (Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Book 14)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798460934966

Independently Published

258 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

September 20, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Murder Ruins Everything. 

It's the start of fall in Pine Grove, which means the leaves are vibrant, the coffee is warm, and the days are crisp and cool.  Autumn really is the best season in upstate New York.

But bottle blonde Teeny has her 65th birthday coming up, and for her, that's ruining all the good stuff about fall.  Teeny HATES her birthday, and she doesn't want anyone to know how old she is.

But then one of Teeny's many evil exes turns up in town -- with an enormous birthday float --  and makes a big deal of Teeny's upcoming birthday in front of everyone in town.

The nerve of this guy!

Teeny is furious, of course, and she dresses the guy down in front of half the town.  But then the evil ex turns up dead at a hot new local bakery, and Chief Flanagan identifies TEENY as the top suspect in the murder...

It's up to Chelsea and Miss May to solve the murder.  Because if they don't catch the real killer soon, Teeny is going to have to spend her birthday alone in JAIL.  No one wants that.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea, Miss May, and Teeny are at a local coffee house when they see a man sitting at a table in the far corner.  Teeny immediately recognizes him as one of the magicians she dated in the past.  The Great Gregory apparently left things in tatters with her, and when she confronts him, all she wants is some money that she lent him, which he refuses to acknowledge.  After the blowup, they go to see her sister Peach, who admits she hired him for Teeny's "surprise" birthday party.  

Teeny is definitely angry and refuses to attend the party, but Chelsea and Miss May talk her into it.  Bad idea.  When Gregory is found dead by Chelsea, Teeny is the main suspect.  Now the three women have to once again start a murder investigation to find a killer, or Teeny won't have this birthday or any other in the company of her friends...

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and I must admit that I haven't read any of the others.  I know, I know...but now that I've read this one, I've already got the first and am going back to start at the beginning.  That's how good this book is.

The three women are a hoot, each in their own way.  Miss May is no nonsense, and she wants everything done the way she expects -- even if she comes up with ideas that don't seem practical.  Teeny is a cook who takes her frustrations out on the people who come to her restaurant -- even if her recipes are bad ideas.  And Chelsea just goes along with it all -- even when very strange words come out of her mouth at the most inopportune times.  She just isn't good at thinking on her feet.  Oh well...

Together these three women make the strangest team of crime fighters that I've ever come across.  And also the most endearing.  They are funny, loyal, caring, and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  Even if the police can't.  Because the police are a tad inept.  Not that it matters.  Chelsea is dating a detective, and while he's cute, he's not sharing information, so the three are on their own....trying to figure out if another magician killed Gregory...

Because that's the direction the investigation is going, but they're not sure how to find out who wanted him dead.  His assistant, who wants to do magic on her own?  His agent, who had a beef with him?  Or another magician, because he wasn't well liked?  With a plethora of suspects, and a lack of clues, they set forth to the big city (Manhattan) and are determined to find out.  Unfortunately, the killer would rather they didn't -- and is willing to kill again to keep a secret.

When the ending comes, whether it's a surprise or not doesn't matter, because it's fun to watch how they put thing together and come out on top.  Yes, there is a surprise twist, but even that is interesting to see when we find out the truth of the matter.  Once again, everything is fine in Pine Grove...at least for the time being.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Guns-Apple-Orchard-Mystery-ebook/dp/B091JGG9YC/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4200615503

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/