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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
4.0
A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson is the first book in A Greenhouse Mystery series. Megan Sawyer has returned to Winsome, Pennsylvania to stay with her grandmother, Bibi. Megan did live in Chicago and worked as a lawyer but came home when Bibi needed her. Megan is helping with the family farm, Washington Acres, and is opening a combination store and café in town. Megan is also turning the Washington Acres into an organic farm. But Megan has been encountering difficulties in opening the store/café. She keeps getting denied the appropriate permits (methinks someone is against her new venture). Simon Duvall is the person behind it (and he is one nasty man). Then Simon Duvall ends up dead in her barn. When Bibi ends up being a suspect, Megan sets out to clear her with help from the local vet, Dr. Daniel Finn. Then the sabotage starts. Will Megan be able to find the culprit and open her new store?
I enjoyed A Muddied Murder. It has good characters, a lovely setting (sounds like a beautiful town and farm), and a good mystery. The mystery was complicated (just the way I like them), but there are few clues provided (you can solve the mystery without them). One thing I did not like was Megan’s impatience. She wanted answers NOW (became frustrating). The romance in the book was a little rushed. It was too much for the first book. I give A Muddied Murder 4.25 out of 5 stars (since I was able to solve it). I think this is the beginning of a good series. I look forward to reading the next book in the series next spring.
I received a complimentary copy of A Muddied Murder from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
I enjoyed A Muddied Murder. It has good characters, a lovely setting (sounds like a beautiful town and farm), and a good mystery. The mystery was complicated (just the way I like them), but there are few clues provided (you can solve the mystery without them). One thing I did not like was Megan’s impatience. She wanted answers NOW (became frustrating). The romance in the book was a little rushed. It was too much for the first book. I give A Muddied Murder 4.25 out of 5 stars (since I was able to solve it). I think this is the beginning of a good series. I look forward to reading the next book in the series next spring.
I received a complimentary copy of A Muddied Murder from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
bookedwithcourtney's review
This was my first cozy mystery and it was so much fun to read! When I discovered one of my favorite thriller authors writes these, I decided to give a cozy mystery a try. I read this in less than a day.
I love that this book is suspenseful but light. This seems like a great genre to read if you’re looking for a fast page turner but are not willing to dedicate all of your emotional capabilities to reading an intense thriller at the moment
I love that this book is suspenseful but light. This seems like a great genre to read if you’re looking for a fast page turner but are not willing to dedicate all of your emotional capabilities to reading an intense thriller at the moment
msdeecm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hugbandit7's review
4.0
A fun new cozy series - especially since it centers around food. I love the idea of farming or having a garden but don't think you'll find me doing that.
There are a lot of interesting characters to round out the story, with several back stories on different characters that I think we will see more of in the future.
Regarding the mystery...I didn't figure out who the "bad guys" were until revealed. I wanted to throw a few of the characters to the wolves and wanted them to be culprit but no such luck. maybe in a future book!
There is a little of a love story between Megan and the local vet and I can't wait to see how that story continues in future books.
There are a lot of interesting characters to round out the story, with several back stories on different characters that I think we will see more of in the future.
Regarding the mystery...I didn't figure out who the "bad guys" were until revealed. I wanted to throw a few of the characters to the wolves and wanted them to be culprit but no such luck. maybe in a future book!
There is a little of a love story between Megan and the local vet and I can't wait to see how that story continues in future books.
git_r_read's review
5.0
I love when a book lives up to my expectations. Henery Press books have never steered me wrong and this was no exception. Excellent characters, fetching premise, neat setting, exceptional mystery...all I require from a superb story.
Drawn right in with the various characters, especially centerpiece Meg, the woman who comes home in Pennsylvania to make a go of the endeavor her family shied away from. It's a farm that she is intent upon making organic and sustainable. Someone is trying to keep that from happening.
I love my own gardening forays, so love when I find a book that adds that into the mix. Realistically done too. Meg and her helper are always working, no shirking of duties and there's always more to be done. The dead body found in the barn puts a kink in the progress and Meg needs to get it cleared up so she can continue work. And keep her family safe.
Excellent mystery, excellent story. I will have a hard time waiting for the next one to come out next year.
Definitely recommend.
Drawn right in with the various characters, especially centerpiece Meg, the woman who comes home in Pennsylvania to make a go of the endeavor her family shied away from. It's a farm that she is intent upon making organic and sustainable. Someone is trying to keep that from happening.
I love my own gardening forays, so love when I find a book that adds that into the mix. Realistically done too. Meg and her helper are always working, no shirking of duties and there's always more to be done. The dead body found in the barn puts a kink in the progress and Meg needs to get it cleared up so she can continue work. And keep her family safe.
Excellent mystery, excellent story. I will have a hard time waiting for the next one to come out next year.
Definitely recommend.
bethanyread's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book and the mystery. Looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. Great book about a small family farm with ties to George Washington. Nice main characters who comes back to save the farm and open a small restaurant/shop.
peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it to be very enjoyable. This is a promising start to a new series. The story is well written with a good pace. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged in what I found to be a solid mystery. I also enjoyed the historical mystery that was woven in to this story about the ancestors of our main character. The author has a wonderful descriptive writing style and I enjoyed learning more about organic farming, which is becoming a more common theme of the cozy mystery genre.
I also enjoyed all of the characters and thought the author did a really good job developing them for this first in the series. It is a balance between providing some background that helps the reader connect with the characters without burdening them in too much of the back story. This author had just the right balance providing what we needed in this book but leaving some questions to be answered in future installments in the series. I enjoyed Megan's character and thought she proved to be smart in her sleuthing. I also found rest of the characters to be very likable and enjoyed the budding romance between the main character Megan and Denver, the local vet. I am looking forward to future installments to see where the author takes this series.
I received an copy of this book from Henry Press, the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The thought express in this review are my own.
I also enjoyed all of the characters and thought the author did a really good job developing them for this first in the series. It is a balance between providing some background that helps the reader connect with the characters without burdening them in too much of the back story. This author had just the right balance providing what we needed in this book but leaving some questions to be answered in future installments in the series. I enjoyed Megan's character and thought she proved to be smart in her sleuthing. I also found rest of the characters to be very likable and enjoyed the budding romance between the main character Megan and Denver, the local vet. I am looking forward to future installments to see where the author takes this series.
I received an copy of this book from Henry Press, the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The thought express in this review are my own.
caitkom's review
4.0
Megan Sawyer has returned to Winsome, PA to take over her grandmothers organic farm and open an organic cafe. She is determined to prove all the naysayers wrong and grits her teeth and bears is when the zoning commissioner continues to deny her permits to further his own agenda. It is easy to see why people would point fingers her way when that same zoning commissioner ends up dead in her barn. With the help of her sassy grandma, scantily clad friend and cafe manager and sexy Scottish local vet she proves that she is not the killer and saves her farm in the process.
This was a great first book in the series. I am looking forward to reading more.
This was a great first book in the series. I am looking forward to reading more.
verityw's review
3.0
***Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****
This is a fun farm and small business centred cozy crime, set in a small rural(ish) community. The heroine grew up here and has recently returned to try and take over and rescue the family farm. But when the zoning manager who is holding up her permits is found dead in her barn, she gets sucked into a murder investigation.
I thought this was very readable but not without flaws. The murder happens very early on and I didn't always feel like we had enough background about the characters to really get under their skin. but the murder is intriguing and well plotted and the set-up for a series works well - with a quirky grandma, a long lost aunt and an attractive vet. I'll keep an eye out for more.
This is a fun farm and small business centred cozy crime, set in a small rural(ish) community. The heroine grew up here and has recently returned to try and take over and rescue the family farm. But when the zoning manager who is holding up her permits is found dead in her barn, she gets sucked into a murder investigation.
I thought this was very readable but not without flaws. The murder happens very early on and I didn't always feel like we had enough background about the characters to really get under their skin. but the murder is intriguing and well plotted and the set-up for a series works well - with a quirky grandma, a long lost aunt and an attractive vet. I'll keep an eye out for more.