Do or Diner (A Comfort Food Mystery #1)

Author:  Christine Wenger
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780451415080
Obsidian Mystery
304 Pages
$7.99; $2.99 Amazon
August 6, 2013

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Trixie is in need of a fresh start away from her cheating ex-husband, but she may be biting off more than she can chew when she moves to upstate New York to run her family's famed Silver Bullet Diner.  Not only is she caught off guard by the small town's resident heartthrob, Deputy Ty Brisco, but her first health inspection turns into a nightmare...when the inspector keels over into his blue plate special.

Someone made a deadly addition to an old family recipe, and Trixie is determined to find out whodunit.  But between serving up orders and sniffing out clues, she'd better watch her back - or her next meal might be her last.

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Trixie Matkowski is recently divorced and has moved to a small town in upstate New York, where she's purchased her widowed aunt's diner, home, and vacation cottages.  She plans on running the diner just as her family has done for generations, and renting out the cabins every summer to tourists.

But when she checks the mail, she sees a notice that states the health inspector is due that very day, and heads over to diner to see if she can fix the small infractions that were listed.  But it seems as if the inspector has already arrived...and left permanently.  He's dead, and it seems her daily special has killed him.

But Trixie notices that there are mushrooms in the mix, and her special doesn't contain mushrooms.  Now it's up to Deputy Ty Brisco and the rest of the police department to figure out who poisoned the man and why.  But Trixie knows if it isn't found out soon, her diner may close forever...

I really wanted to like this book, but Trixie - and Ty - grated on my nerves.  Trixie is newly divorced and it seems had no problem walking away from her cheating husband while selling him every single thing that she owns.  Really?  The girlfriend got her husband, but she also gets the house and all the antiques she's acquired in ten years of marriage and, even though Trixie got paid nicely for it, she has no problem handing over her entire life - and husband - to another woman?  This just doesn't ring true.  There was nothing she wanted to keep?  Nothing that mattered more than money?  She didn't have any feelings about him cheating and just handed over everything?  She seems odd right off the bat. 

Then, her aunt sells her the diner and leaves.  She doesn't spend any time with her showing her how everything works, who the employees are, how she pays the bills/employees, etc.  Obviously her aunt doesn't care if the diner fails, because she doesn't care if Trixie knows how to run it.  The cook is a hysterical nut job, the handymen royal jerks.  The two waitresses make goo-goo eyes at Ty and ignore everyone else when he's around.  (There must be a dearth of handsome men in this town).   Her aunt and Juanita have things in common - when a new cook is hired, Juanita bails on her without showing her the ropes. 

Then, because she's afraid of losing customers, she starts giving away coffee and food.  I guess she has no idea what profits are, either.  She must have gotten a lot of money from turning over her home and possessions to her ex-husband.

But I really lost interest when it was painfully obvious that Trixie had just been running the diner for about an hour and Ty accuses her of murder.  Oh, sure.  She had no idea who the health inspector was, had no feelings of hatred for him, but decided to kill him because he was going to give her a bad rating.  Yeah, that's believable.  I'm stunned that this man barely meets her and decides she's capable of murdering someone she's never met.  I guess he figures because she's new in town she must be guilty.

At any rate, the book lost me at that point, and I really, really like mysteries and try to give them a chance.  But these things caused me to lose enjoyment in the book, and therefore, in the entire series.  Sorry, but I couldn't like it and see no reason to read any others in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Do-Diner-Comfort-Food-Mystery/dp/0451415086/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2733350107

More on Christine Wenger's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/christine-wenger/

A Crafter Hooks a Killer (A Handcrafted Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Holly Quinn
Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781643850122
Crooked Lane Books
$26.49; $12.99 Amazon
June 11, 2019

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Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane suspects that a tantalizing thread links the deaths of her best friend and a bestselling author.  But can she weave together the clues?

Samantha "Sammy" Kane is settling into her new life in idyllic Heartsford, Wisconsin, running her late friend Kate Allen's craft shop, Community Craft when one early June day, bestselling crochet author Jane Johnson devotes a chapter in her new book, Behind the Seams, to the store.  Sammy is honored, though satisfaction quickly turns to shock when she finds Jane strangled to death - her cold hands clutching a copy of her most recently published book, with the words "THE END" raggedly scratched into the cover.

Heavens to Etsy!  Not only must Sammy contend with the author's inauspicious demise, she has to untie some knotty details from her own past.  It turns out Kate's death was not what it seemed, and instead somehow hooked to Jane Johnson's demise.  Handsome Detective Liam Nash is on the "skein", more than happy to see the shop owner again, if less than enamored by her sleuthing interventions.  But this was Sammy's best friend - she has to know.

Fortunately, Sammy has a "lace" in the hole.  As a child, she formed the S.H.E. detective team with her cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie.  Having already reconstituted their partnership, the S.H.E. team  searches for a pattern behind the latest death.  As the case starts to unravel, will Sammy and team be able to sidestep Liam quick enough to stitch together the clues?

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Samantha Kane owns the craft shop, Community Craft.  She bought it after the previous owner, her friend Kate, died in an accident.  She's doing well and helping the community by displaying their items for sale.  She's also excited to be having a famous author of craft books come to her shop to sign copies of her newest book.  Jane Johnson is devoting a chapter in her book to Sammy's store, and she's pleased that the author is going to interview her.  But she's surprised, not unpleasantly so, when Jane shows up early and unannounced.  Jane looks around the store until she's noticed by others in the town and is soon feeling cornered.

Sammy shows her the back way out, but before she leaves she tells Sammy that she has information on Kate, and wants to talk to her.  Sammy, stunned, tells her she will meet Jane down by the river.  When Sammy arrives, she finds a book on Jane's lap, with a chilling message "THE END" scratched in pencil; and a very dead Jane.  After calling the police, she begins to wonder who killed the woman and why.

When Detective Liam Nash arrives, he naturally tells her to stay out of the investigation.  But Sammy has a personal reason for wanting to be involved - Kate.  She wants to know what Jane wanted to tell her, and if the two deaths might be related.  So she decides to get together with her sister Ellie and cousin Heidi and between the three of them - the S.H.E. team - she's hoping she'll be able to find the truth before a killer finds her...

This is the second book in the series and I'm glad I had the opportunity to visit with Sammy and her family and friends.  This time out, she's found her place in Heartsford, and is looking forward to hosting a famous author.  But unfortunately things don't go as planned and she's left with more questions than the ones Jane was going to ask her.

She's also got other things which are hindering her - her parents are in town for a week and want to spend time with her, and an old crush named Bradley has come back to visit his mother and he, too, wants to spend time with her.  So now she's trying to keep her mother from finding out what she's doing (the woman would not be pleased) and trying to pump Bradley for information on Kate's death, since he was living in Heartsford while she was elsewhere.

But along with this she has to deal with Detective Nash.  He's not pleased that she's involving herself, telling her she's too impatient and too impulsive.  Stung with the truth, Sammy still goes on with her investigation and hopes to find out the truth about Kate.  If she unmasks a killer in the process, so be it.

I truly enjoyed reading this book.  Ms. Quinn has written characters that have a life of their own.  Sammy has a fierce loyalty to her family and friends, and when she does something she knows she shouldn't, she has an immediate sense of remorse (although it doesn't stop her from doing something else next time).  Detective Nash is closed off and stoic, but in this book we are given a bit more insight as to why, and it might be a break in whether these two can ever find the grounds to venture toward a future relationship.

The plot is taut and woven through with a few red herrings and plenty of clues; it was intriguing and written well.  Watching Sammy sift through the information she received and try to puzzle the pieces together was a pleasure indeed, as I also was doing the same.

When the ending came and the murderer was revealed, while it wasn't a surprise to me, it was done well and the reasons why were plausible; everything meshed together nicely and it was an enjoyable venture into Heartsford and its people.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Crafter-Hooks-Killer-Handcrafted-Mystery/dp/1643850121?

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2732191462

More on Holly Quinn's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/q/holly-quinn/

Something Read, Something Dead (A Lighthouse Library Mystery #5)

Author:  Eva Gates
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781683319504
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$21.51; $12.99 Amazon
March 13, 2019

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Winter falls on North Carolina's Outer Banks as Lucy Richardson and her friends joyfully help her favorite cousin, Josie O'Malley, plan her wedding.  The owner and head baker of Josie's Cozy Bakery and her fiancé, chef Jake Greenblatt, want a small, simple wedding.

But to their horror, Josie's imperious grandmother, Gloria, descends with the "Louisiana Mafia": a gaggle of aunts and cousins who intend to take control of the wedding plans.  Gloria doesn't do small and simple, and cousin Mirabelle has her own ideas for Josie's wedding, something grand and lavish - and paid for by Josie's parents, of course - that will kickstart her fledgling event planning business and get her work shown on the covers of wedding magazines.  To make matters worse, Mirabelle focuses her full Southern charm on the prospective groom...and Jake doesn't seem entirely adverse to her affections.

To smooth the waters, Lucy hosts a bridal shower at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.  But it turns deadly when Mirabelle collapses - soon after eating the gluten-free treats Josie prepared specifically for her.  Now, to save her favorite cousin from prison, Lucy will have to bring a crook to book.

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Lucy Richardson's cousin Josie is finally getting married.  She and her friends are planning the wedding, which will be a simple one.  But they aren't counting on Josie's grandmother Gloria to come swooping in and change everything to the way she wants it.  Along with Gloria is her daughter Mary Anna, and nieces Mirabelle (who is in the wedding) and Florence.  It seems Florence and Mirabelle have an events business, and Gloria has decided they will plan the wedding.

Mirabelle is nothing if not obnoxious, and begins changing things to her liking, including changing the "colors" to one Josie can't stand.  It doesn't help when Mirabelle meets Josie's fiancé Jake she immediately begins flirting with him.  After a disastrous meeting between everyone, Josie gets angry and storms out.  Later on, she mentions how she'd like Mirabelle to be 'bumped off' in front of Lucy and her boyfriend Connor, who is also the mayor.

But during the wedding shower Mirabelle is taken ill and dies at the hospital.  Suddenly Josie's words come back to haunt her and it looks as if she might be the only person of interest.  It doesn't help that the library has a problem with its foundation and needs to be repaired but the money just isn't there, so it's in danger of being permanently closed.  Now Lucy has two things to worry about, but first and foremost is finding out who killed Mirabelle so the wedding can get back on track.

With Lucy and her friends hot on the trail of a killer, she'll need to stay on her toes if she wants to find out the truth and keep herself alive...

The first thing I have to say is when a story begins by irritating you, it doesn't bode well.  Josie's grandmother is past overbearing, and during this, her mother is worthless.  After years of being married, she still won't stand up to her.  First of all, if I was getting married and someone decided to “plan” my wedding, I’d ask them who was getting married.  If they said, “you are” then I’d tell them, “Glad you remembered that.  Since you acknowledged the fact I’m the bride, you can also acknowledge the fact that I will do the wedding my way, and if that doesn’t sit well with you, you know where the airport is.”

I'm not saying the book doesn't get better and eventually someone doesn't stand up and take control, but it goes on far too long for my liking.  Not to mention Lucy doesn't have a backbone either.  I've never understood why books need to have an "evil nemesis" in them to be a good book.  Yet Louise Jane comes in, pushes Lucy's buttons, and Lucy winds up apologizing - for doing nothing.  It's time Lucy grew a spine where Louise Jane is concerned.  It doesn’t make the book an enjoyable read; it's just annoying.

As for much of the rest of the plot, let's put it this way:  Would you want to be in a room listening to a bunch of catty women sniping at each other, while one of them constantly spent her time pointing out your many flaws and doing whatever she could to get rid of you?  Add to that weepy women who proclaim how much they love each other?  Well, I don't.  And that’s much of what this book is, unfortunately.  (Trust me, I'm all for strong female friendships, but everyone sitting around while one is getting pushed around and not saying anything?  Nope.)  I also didn't understand why Aunt Ellen didn't tell Florence to leave her home immediately after she found out that Florence was telling tales to the police about her daughter.  A woman like that wouldn't sleep one more night under my roof.  See what I mean?  No backbone.

As far as discovering the murderer, I found that pretty easy.  I knew who it was by the second chapter of the book; but watching Lucy put it all together took quite a bit longer.  While the ending of the book was satisfactory, and it all came together nicely, I just didn't care for the fact that some of the women were allowing themselves to be pushed around by others.  A decent book, but I felt that it could have been better.

https://www.amazon.com/Something-Read-Dead-Lighthouse-Library/dp/1683319508/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2729699868

More on Eva Gates's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/eva-gates/

Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery Book 1)

Author:  T.C. Westcott
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781732135819
Better Mousetrap Books
330 Pages
$12.99; $4.99 Amazon
November 23, 2018

✮

Tonight, in Christmas Village, a killer is stirring.

Nestled betwixt an opulent garden with meandering footpaths and an ancient grove of plum trees, Plum Cottage Inn is plum-full with lodgers for the Christmas Festival.  There are no vacancies...until one by one the lodgers start dying in inexplicable ways.

Short as a stump, round as a wheel, sweet as a candy cane, and sharp as a whip, Maribel Claus loves a good puzzle.  Can Mrs. Claus solve the mystery and save Christmas?

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When a traveling troupe of what seems to be circus performers arrives in town for a winter festival that is over Christmas, one of them is causing a lot of trouble.  In fact, when he turns up dead - on a snowy hill with no footsteps around him it's a puzzle how he died.  But Mrs. Claus is determined to find out the truth, and sets about looking for a killer, before they kill again...

This book doesn't come right out and say it, but we're given the idea that Maribel Claus is "the" Mrs. Claus.  First off, why is the festival right during Christmas week, when "the" Mr. Claus wouldn't be around to enjoy it?  Just wondering about that one...

Anyway, from the name of the troupe I thought at first they might be whalers.  Who ever heard of a circus troupe named "Harpoons"?  That in itself was odd.  But the name of the man who died - Barnaby Snipes - had me rolling my eyes.  Could you find a more dastardly name?  I almost expected to read about him twirling his moustache as he gave an evil laugh.  The characters were cardboard cutouts and had nothing to recommend them.  The conversations were simple and written almost as if they were for children.  Sorry, but that's my opinion. 

At any rate, I found the book boring in the extreme, with nothing to draw me into the story.  The explanations of the deaths didn't seem plausible at all.  Honestly, I got so bored I kept quitting and starting back up again.  All I can say about this book is it's good reading material if you can't sleep.  It will do the job in no time.  Sorry, but I won't read any more by this author.

https://www.amazon.com/Slay-Bells-Christmas-Village-Mystery/dp/1732135819/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2729582380

More on T.C. Westcott:  https://www.amazon.com/T.C.-Wescott/e/B07DS7X74S/ref

Killed on Blueberry Hill (A Berry Basket Mystery #3)

Author:  Sharon Farrow
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496704900
Kensington Publishing
288 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
October 30, 2018

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The Blueberry Blow Out festival has begun and it's time for Marlee Jacob, owner of The Berry Basket, to shine.  Unfortunately it's also bringing out the worst in her fiancé Ryan Zeller.  Ryan's rivalry with Porter Gale, owner of Blueberry Hill Farm, spills over into a very public and very ugly fight.  And after they compete in the pie-eating contest and a raucous tug of war, their orchard blood feud takes a deadly turn...

The death of the king of Blueberry Hill is a shock but not too surprising - he was a diabetic whose last pig out meal was deliciously fatal.  But when authorities discover that someone tampered with Porter's insulin, a tragic accident is looking like murder - and Ryan is the key ingredient.  Now Marlee's investigation to clear his name is taking her deep into the Gale family secrets, and she's being shadowed every step of the way by a killer whose sweet revenge is just beginning...

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Marlee Jacobs is the owner of The Berry Basket in Oriole Point, Michigan, a store that sells all things related to berries.  She's participating in The Blueberry Blow Out festival, not only having a booth for her wares, but also sponsoring one of the carnival rides, a bounce house (although technically, this isn't a ride, is it?)

She's also having second thoughts about her upcoming marriage to Ryan Zellar, never more so than when she watches his behavior with rival grower Porter Gale, who manages to push Ryan's buttons.  When Ryan attacks Porter, Marlee leaves to cool off and rethink everything that's occurred.  When she returns to the fair, she finds Ryan.  Not too long after while they're walking they hear screams, and realize that something is wrong with Porter's young wife Sloane.  But it's not Sloane that's in trouble - Porter is taken off the ride they've been on and it turns out that he's dead.  What shocks Marlee is Ryan's reaction to the death, and it's not good.

But she soon learns that Porter was murdered, and Ryan is the main suspect.  While Marlee may be having regrets about her engagement, she knows Ryan's not a killer.  She also finds out that more people than Ryan had problems with Porter, including his own sister, who hated him since she discovered that their father left everything to Porter and nothing to her and her children.

Now she needs to clear Ryan's name, and in order to do so must try and discover who has the most to gain, and who hated Porter the most.  Will she find a killer before a killer finds her?...

This is the third book in the series, and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the other two, which fell mostly flat for me.  Marlee has finally developed a backbone where Ryan is concerned; in the previous books she allowed him to push her around and control her and I hate that.  Unfortunately, Marlee is still very much just walking up to people and questioning them.  I'm honestly surprised no one has turned on her yet.  If she hounded me with questions the way she does everyone else, when I saw her coming I'd cross to the other side of the street.  She's not subtle, and she's invasive.  Marlee needs to learn that she's not a police officer, or change the way she questions people.  Seriously.

I also still don't care for the fact that the author compares people to actors and book characters rather than describing them.  The reason for this is, as a reader, I prefer to picture characters in my imagination.  If I'm told they look like an actor or an animated character, I can't picture them any other way.  It's not pleasant to imagine the cartoon character of Alice in Wonderland walking down the street next to Sandra Bullock.  Rather disturbing, actually.  So my personal preference is for the author to describe the character, not tell us someone they look like.

Anyway, I did like this story a bit more than the previous ones, and there weren't as many issues with it, which is always a good thing.  The plot was interesting, and there were enough twists to keep one interested throughout.  A decent book to read for an evening.

https://www.amazon.com/Killed-Blueberry-Berry-Basket-Mystery/dp/1496704908/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2725682870

More on Sharon Farrow's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/sharon-farrow/

Death on Bull Path (A Hamptons Murder Mystery #4)

Author:  Carrie Doyle
Genre:    Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781947936027
Dunemere Books
300 Pages
$15.99; $7.99 Amazon
August 1, 2018

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East Hampton Innkeeper Antonia Bingham relishes the prospect of a cool, calm autumn after the hot, crazy summer.  But when a Labor Day visit by two slick Wall Streeters ends with their gruesome deaths in a summer rental house, Antonia is pulled back to the dark side.

With mysterious guests (and possible suspects) popping in and out of the inn, Antonia has no choice but to put back on her sleuthing cap and try to decipher who butchered these men.  Wading through social media, the local nightclub scene, share houses, and other unfamiliar haunts of the young and glamorous is an eye-opener for Antonia - and a major time commitment.  And the timing couldn't be worse: Nick Darrow, Antonia's movie star crush, is back in town, finally available and ready for a commitment...while Antonia's sinister ex-husband is making his presence known in her life again, too.

The high season may be over by Antonia has never been busier, juggling work and crime - and fighting for her own life, too.

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Antonia Bingham owns the Windmill Inn in the East Hamptons.  It's just after Labor Day, when the tourist season is slowing down and she can take it easy...or so she thinks.  Two men are at the inn one evening, obviously drunk, and the bartender sends them on their way after assuring they have a ride and aren't driving.  But when Antonia's friend Sergeant Flanagan shows up, she knows there's going to be trouble.

Unfortunately, that trouble comes in the form of the two men being dead, killed in a most gruesome way.  Since they spent some of their last hours there, he wants to know who the woman was that was with them, and if anyone knows her.  But Antonia never saw them, and even if she feels because it was her inn, Flanagan tells her nothing.

But it's reporter Larry Lipper who shows up and convinces her that they should investigate the case.  As they say, the plot only thickens when a woman comes stumbling out of the woods and another is found in one of Antonia's guest rooms, and neither seem to know what's going on...but do they?

Then movie star Nick Darrow returns and wants to rekindle their romance, but with him not quite divorced from his wife, she wonders just how serious he might be; and things might turn deadly when her ex-husband Philip makes his presence known and sends fear down her spine.  Now Antonia needs to keep her wits about her if she's to survive her ex-husband and maybe even a killer...

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  There is plenty of suspense and intrigue going on, and Antonia is kept busy trying to sift through everything that's thrown at her and discover the truth.  While she's not officially investigating the murder, and the police share nothing with her regarding the same (which is nicely believable) she has the help of Larry, who doggedly pursues right along with her, following any and every lead available.

But Antonia isn't sure which of the many suspects have the best motive to kill the men.  For one, she's not even sure why they were murdered.  No one seems to have answers, and they also don't want to answer her questions.

While for the most part this book was a wonderful read, I didn't care for the fact that she would just decide to question someone without really knowing what to say.  You don't just knock on someone's door and demand answers; that's the best way to put them on the defensive.  It also seems sloppy, in my opinion. 

But I do like Antonia.  She's still the scared ex-wife of Philip, probably because his chief joy is in terrorizing her at every opportunity.  But she's grown and this time she's using her wits and willing to fight back, which is admirable.  She's trying to decide if it's worth pursuing a relationship with Nick, while not telling him that Philip is in town.  And her ex has some nasty tricks up his sleeve that even Antonia couldn't believe he would do.  I also didn't care for something regarding one of the suspects had done to Antonia.  I couldn't believe that there was no recourse by her for this, and wish something would have been said.  I certainly wouldn't have walked away from it.  It irritated me no end throughout the book.

Never fear, the romance angle isn't overshadowing the mystery, and what a mystery it was.  There were plenty of red herrings and every time any of the suspects opened their mouths, it sent her in a different direction looking at someone else - and wondering if any of them were telling the truth at all.

The story was taut and well-written, the characters believable; and while there weren't a lot of descriptions of the area, it didn't really matter since not much of the action took place outdoors.  The twists and turns were numerous, and in the end, I was completely surprised by the identity of the murderer; while I realize that there are things which can drive people to desperation, this was a new one for me.  All the pieces came together nicely, which boded for a very good tale indeed.

This is the fourth book in the series but can be read as a stand alone.  There is very little referencing any of the other books (save a small conversation in the beginning) so one will not feel lost in reading this book nor that they've stepped into the middle of a conversation.  All in all, a delightful read.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Bull-Hamptons-Murder-Mysteries/dp/1947936026/ref

Goodreads:

More on Carrie Doyle's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/carrie-doyle/

Blackberry Burial (A Berry Basket Mystery #2)

Author:  Sharon Farrow
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496704887
Kensington Publishing
320 Pages
$7.99; $3.99 Amazon
October 31, 2017

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As owner of The Berry Basket, Marlee Jacob has learned a thing or two about surviving the summer tourist season in Oriole Point.  So she gladly agrees to help run the annual road rally in honor of the local Blackberry Art School's centenary celebration.  While alumni arrive from around the country, Marlee hopes the expansive Sanderling farm will make an appropriate starting point for the race - despite rumors that the land is cursed...

But when Marlee surveys the property, she stumbles upon a long-dead body hidden in the bramble.  It's a horrifying mystery to everyone except her baker, who's convinced the skeletal remains belong to a former student who had gone missing twenty years earlier.  As the Fourth of July activities heat up, Marlee must rush to catch an elusive murderer - before the next 'blackberry victim' is ripe for the picking!

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Marlee Jacobs owns The Berry Basket, a store centered around berries (obviously) in Oriole Point, Michigan.  She's helping Piper Lyall-Pierce with the Blackberry Road Rally; the person who owns the land where they were going to start has backed out and they need a new place, so with Marlee's suggestion of using the Sanderling place, the two of them - along with Piper's Great Dane - head out to see if it will be suitable.  But when they arrive, the Great Dane escapes and heads to the woods, with Marlee in chase.  But when she finds him, he's digging at something and she sees that he's unearthed a skeleton.  With a call to the police, they're stuck where they are for the moment.

After returning to town, it's not long before the remains are identified - by an unlikely source - and the hunt is on for who buried the woman in the woods and why.  As Marlee starts to dig for answers, she doesn't realize that the closer she gets the more some people are noticing, and one of them wants her out of the way...permanently...

While I really wanted to like this book, I found myself rolling my eyes several times.  Some scenes were just unbelievable.  When her friend Natasha leaves a Yorkie puppy at Marlee's shop (in Natasha's handbag), somehow the little dog escapes and manages to terrorize the people in the shop.  A Yorkie puppy?  A Yorkie?  Really?  Also, this tiny thing also manages to jump into the display window.  Are Marlee's windows only a foot off the ground?  Because the ones I've seen are higher than that, and a puppy couldn't jump into them.  I also have to note that the dogs portrayed in this book are not trained.  They do whatever they want with the owners merely accepting it.

Marlee's also not the brightest bulb in the box.  At one point she asks one of the detectives if they think more bodies were buried in the woods.  Is this place a hot spot for murders to get rid of bodies?  Find one, there must be more?  Just bring your unwanted bodies to Oriole Point and dump them in the woods!  Honestly?  She's also unlikable as a person, and invasive in asking questions of people.  She walks right up to them and wants answers, like she thinks she's a police officer.  Her boyfriend Ryan is just as unlikable, and he never spends any time with her; he seems awfully controlling.

Then there's the fact that somehow Marlee's driving can rival Jeff Gordon's.  It's a wonder she's not out on the track along with Danica Patrick.  Another eye roll.  It's amazing no one was thrown, no one was hurt.  Not realistic.

In the end, the mystery was just so-so; probably because I got tired of Marlee's behavior.  Maybe I expected a better reason for her to involve herself in the investigation, I don't know.  But the book just never drew me in the way others do.  However, I try to give authors the benefit of the doubt, and will read the third in the series before I decide whether to continue on with it or not.

Also, as a bit of trivia in response to something Dean mentioned in the book as to Goya's Naked Maja (which was actually titled The Nude Maja and is coupled with another Goya painting, the Clothed Maja; the Naked Maja was a film based on it) her identity is unknown.  The film took liberties to showcase Ava Gardner.

https://www.amazon.com/Blackberry-Burial-Berry-Basket-Mystery/dp/1496704886/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2721996645

More on Sharon Farrow's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/sharon-farrow/