Rating: Very Good
Source: Publicist
Description: It’s the holiday season, and the mood in Winsome is anything but jolly…
Megan Sawyer is determined to farm year-round. She’s braving a December snowstorm after pitching her greenhouse greens to Philadelphia chefs when she sees a stranger stranded on the side of the road. It’s Merry Chance’s niece Becca, who’s headed to Winsome to sell her “love potions” at holiday events—or so she thinks.
Merry has an ulterior motive in inviting her niece to Winsome, but Merry’s plan to reunite Becca with her estranged father goes awry when Becca’s father turns up dead. Megan soon realizes that Becca was not the only person in Winsome who despised her father. When Megan’s aunt, the famous mystery author, is implicated through her novels, things become personal. Megan must follow the literary clues while sifting through the victim’s sordid past, but can she uncover the truth before someone else in Winsome is murdered?
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed previous books from Wendy Tyson and this series really appealed to me.
My Impression: I had heard rave reviews for this series about lawyer turned organic farmer Megan Shaw and it definitely lived up to the hype. Megan's a likable amateur detective. She's not intrusive but is curious and doesn't resist too much when the main suspect's aunt asks for her help in the investigation. As well, the police chief, Bobby King, uses her frequently as almost a consultant so it felt very natural that she'd get involved.
I was caught up not only in the mystery but in Megan's world right from the start, This is a town I'd want to visit (minus the surplus of violent crime of course) and I would love to eat at the cafe with Clover and the rest of the residents of Winsome. The mystery was well paced and very intriguing and I was really clueless about The Who and the Why until the end when it all made sense. The mystery itself was complex but not convoluted and I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it before.
This is the 3rd book in the Greenhouse Mystery series but I had no problem jumping in here. I thought the characters were distinct and vivid enough that I had no trouble keeping them straight. There are a few mentions in passing conversation regarding Megan's relationship with her mother which is probably explained in an earlier book but I didn't feel that that distracted from the plot or the characters in anyway. This was a fun and unique cozy mystery with a main character I'd love to be friends with. I can't wait to read more from the series!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and especially more in this series.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy a good cozy that isn't too cutesy this series would be a great choice.
I must admit, cozies are usually too cutesy for me, I love action, but you gave this a good recommendation, and I love the cover! You will most definitely not like the book I just put up. Warning you!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fantastic. I love small town books. I read more small town romances, but small town mysteries work too! It's like Cabot Cove!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read anything by Wendy Tyson before, but this sounds like a great cozy--and a holiday one at that! I am glad you enjoyed it. I like Megan already. I look forward to giving this one a try.
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