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nixbix_reads's review
2.0
While I didn't enjoy this book, I think fans of the series will. I enjoy thrillers & mysteries set at Christmas, but this fell flat. I did think it was well written, but it just wasn't for me.
Thanks to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Kensington Books & NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
dukefn99's review
4.0
One of my favorites in this series, up to this point. Robbie did some solid sleuthing and there was a satisfying ending. The mystery was plausible and interesting and hooked me pretty early into the book. I am still enjoying the cast of characters from South Lick, Indiana and each return to this town feels like a homecoming to old friends. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
Candy Slain Murder is the 8th book in the Country Story Mystery series and after her visit to Santa Barbara in the last book, Robbie is back home in South Lick Indiana. This is a wonderful series and I always anticipate each new book. It has a great cast of diverse characters that are interesting and diverse. The setting, for me (as a Midwesterner), is charming. I also like how Ms. Day peppers some midwestern colloquialisms and speech patterns into the dialogue giving the stories an overall genuine feel. It's the start of the Christmas holiday season in South Lick when the discovery of a body in a cold case leads to a current day murder. This story has some nice surprises for various characters that will add to the overall festive feel of the book. The murder mysteries are well-plotted and the author provides plenty of suspects for her readers to mull over. Robbie once again finds herself trying to puzzle out the identity of the killer, only to find herself in the killer's crosshairs.
Fans of this series will not want to miss this latest installment. You won't be disappointed.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy which was provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
Fans of this series will not want to miss this latest installment. You won't be disappointed.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy which was provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book through the publisher on Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Candy Slain Murder is the 8th book in this series. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I am always happy to be back in South Lick for another mystery. Even more so this time as the previous book took place in another setting and it felt great to be back in the familiar setting again. This was again a great read and I really enjoyed it.
One of the things I like about this series is seeing main character Robbie going through her normal every day life of managing her store and restaurant as well as solving the mystery. Most of her sleuthing is done by talking to people in her restaurant when she can or going for short trips after the store closes. I like how her job comes first and how the author still managed to strike a great balance between her normal every day life and solving the mystery. There's something comforting about picking up another book in this series and spending some time with Robbie in her restaurant.
The mystery in this book had a very interesting set-up. Not only is a cold case opened again when the bones of person are found after a storm hits a house, but a new case quickly follows when a women is found death in her house. I thought the combination of a cold case and a new case that might or might not be related was quite interesting. The way the mystery developed was a bit of on the slow side with only rarely new clues surfacing, but there still was some progression and I liked how Robbie discovers some important clues and how she makes sure to pass those along to the detectives. There are a few potential suspects and the reveal of who the murderer is wasn't too surprising, but it was a good mystery all around.
This book had besides the mystery some interesting plot lines involving the characters as well. A young man arrives claimed he's the half-brother of Robbie's assistant, Dana. They never knew she had a half brother and there's a bit of uncertainty about whether he is who he claims he and how the characters deal with this new revelation. There also were a few more Abe scenes and we saw a bit more of his son Sean as well. I don't think we've seen much of him before this book, so it was nice to see more of him here.
Then there is the usual, by now large cast, of side characters that all play a role in the story, from the detective Buck, to another detective Octavia that's back in town to solve these mysteries. Then there is Robbie's aunt Adele and her partner Samuel. We see quite a bit of Dana's mother Corinne too. And then there are the persons of interest in the mystery as well. This book also has a mild Christmas/ holidays theme, which was subtly done, but still added some holiday cheer to the book.
To summarize: Another great read in this series. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and it always feels so comforting to return to South Lick and Robbie's store in another book. The author has a great balance between Robbie's daily life and side character related plot lines as well as a solid mystery. I liked reading about Robbie's restaurant and store and have a great mystery as well. This mystery had an unique set-up with both a new murder and a cold case, which might be connected or not. The mystery progressed a bit slowly, but it was interesting to follow along and I liked Robbie's role in finding some important clues. The reveals of who the murderer was wasn't really a surprise, but I didn't really mind too much. It was a solid mystery. I also like seeing more of the side characters and some plot lines related to those. Another great read and I hope there will be more books in this series!
Candy Slain Murder is the 8th book in this series. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I am always happy to be back in South Lick for another mystery. Even more so this time as the previous book took place in another setting and it felt great to be back in the familiar setting again. This was again a great read and I really enjoyed it.
One of the things I like about this series is seeing main character Robbie going through her normal every day life of managing her store and restaurant as well as solving the mystery. Most of her sleuthing is done by talking to people in her restaurant when she can or going for short trips after the store closes. I like how her job comes first and how the author still managed to strike a great balance between her normal every day life and solving the mystery. There's something comforting about picking up another book in this series and spending some time with Robbie in her restaurant.
The mystery in this book had a very interesting set-up. Not only is a cold case opened again when the bones of person are found after a storm hits a house, but a new case quickly follows when a women is found death in her house. I thought the combination of a cold case and a new case that might or might not be related was quite interesting. The way the mystery developed was a bit of on the slow side with only rarely new clues surfacing, but there still was some progression and I liked how Robbie discovers some important clues and how she makes sure to pass those along to the detectives. There are a few potential suspects and the reveal of who the murderer is wasn't too surprising, but it was a good mystery all around.
This book had besides the mystery some interesting plot lines involving the characters as well. A young man arrives claimed he's the half-brother of Robbie's assistant, Dana. They never knew she had a half brother and there's a bit of uncertainty about whether he is who he claims he and how the characters deal with this new revelation. There also were a few more Abe scenes and we saw a bit more of his son Sean as well. I don't think we've seen much of him before this book, so it was nice to see more of him here.
Then there is the usual, by now large cast, of side characters that all play a role in the story, from the detective Buck, to another detective Octavia that's back in town to solve these mysteries. Then there is Robbie's aunt Adele and her partner Samuel. We see quite a bit of Dana's mother Corinne too. And then there are the persons of interest in the mystery as well. This book also has a mild Christmas/ holidays theme, which was subtly done, but still added some holiday cheer to the book.
To summarize: Another great read in this series. This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and it always feels so comforting to return to South Lick and Robbie's store in another book. The author has a great balance between Robbie's daily life and side character related plot lines as well as a solid mystery. I liked reading about Robbie's restaurant and store and have a great mystery as well. This mystery had an unique set-up with both a new murder and a cold case, which might be connected or not. The mystery progressed a bit slowly, but it was interesting to follow along and I liked Robbie's role in finding some important clues. The reveals of who the murderer was wasn't really a surprise, but I didn't really mind too much. It was a solid mystery. I also like seeing more of the side characters and some plot lines related to those. Another great read and I hope there will be more books in this series!
gwenm's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
lindscodycats's review
2.0
This one has been my least favorite of the series. The killer was pretty obvious and there weren't too many surprises.
asanford's review
3.0
Here's the deal - I should not listen to this series, I should only read it. I like the narrator but not for Robbie. The murder was hard to care about and the central characters were all annoying and I couldn't care about any of the new ones, even Markus had too much drama around him.
kristirose's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
While not my favorite installment in the series, I did enjoy the book. It was nice to visit all of the familiar characters especially at Christmas time. The plot excelled at pushing the main character's personal story forward. It's worth a read based upon that alone.
The mystery itself was a bit unsatisfying. I don't really buy into the motive for some reason.
The mystery itself was a bit unsatisfying. I don't really buy into the motive for some reason.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Islamophobia, and Racism
jennshelfishlife's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The story centers around our amateur sleuth, Robbie, who recently moved to Indiana to run her Pan 'N Pancakes. And there is an abundance of mysteries, from a cold case to a more recent murder and suspects in the Candy Slain Murder.
The story had tension and a bit of suspense but is a cozy (as cozy as murder can be, right?!).
I liked most of the characters and their relationships. The mystery is solved towards the end, with the reader following along with the mystery with little clues. This is one of those mysteries solved at the end of the book by all (reader and characters).
I would not recommend the book on audio. The narrator was terrific, but her voice didn't match the character.
⭐⭐⭐
The story had tension and a bit of suspense but is a cozy (as cozy as murder can be, right?!).
I liked most of the characters and their relationships. The mystery is solved towards the end, with the reader following along with the mystery with little clues. This is one of those mysteries solved at the end of the book by all (reader and characters).
I would not recommend the book on audio. The narrator was terrific, but her voice didn't match the character.
⭐⭐⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, and Racism
randombookgrl's review
5.0
When skeletal remains are found after a fire at the home of a local doctor, speculation runs rampant that they belong to the doctor's long missing wife. shortly thereafter, the missing woman's sister is found dead. With no shortage of suspects, starting with the miserable doctor himself and including
former lover and step-son of the dead women, a possibly grieving estranged husband, an unhappy tenant, and even the newly discovered long lost brother of her assistant, Robbie finds herself digging for clues to figure out who's responsible before she becomes victim number 3!
I vaguely remember reading books 1 and 2 in the series, many moons ago...now I'm wondering why I didn't continue with the series! While the main characters are engaging and enjoyable, this tale does introduce some extremely unlikeable ones, including the racist, bigoted misogynist doctor who leads the list of suspects. The setting itself leaves the reader with the desire to go visit this small town, where breakfast and lunch are always freshly served at the charming little restaurant and the adorable aw-shucks demeanor of the local law enforcement officer hides a mind more clever than the casual observer might expect. The mystery itself with was fun, containing enough clues to point you in different directions before wrapping up pretty much how you might (probably) anticipate.
I definitely plan on going back to re-read the first books, as well as the rest of the series that I missed!
former lover and step-son of the dead women, a possibly grieving estranged husband, an unhappy tenant, and even the newly discovered long lost brother of her assistant, Robbie finds herself digging for clues to figure out who's responsible before she becomes victim number 3!
I vaguely remember reading books 1 and 2 in the series, many moons ago...now I'm wondering why I didn't continue with the series! While the main characters are engaging and enjoyable, this tale does introduce some extremely unlikeable ones, including the racist, bigoted misogynist doctor who leads the list of suspects. The setting itself leaves the reader with the desire to go visit this small town, where breakfast and lunch are always freshly served at the charming little restaurant and the adorable aw-shucks demeanor of the local law enforcement officer hides a mind more clever than the casual observer might expect. The mystery itself with was fun, containing enough clues to point you in different directions before wrapping up pretty much how you might (probably) anticipate.
I definitely plan on going back to re-read the first books, as well as the rest of the series that I missed!