Scan barcode
scarlettletters's review
2.0
Ok this would really be a 2.5, but I rounded down just to make the distinction from other cozies I've read that I rated a 3.
First, the good things:
I liked the general premise here. The main character is a young computer programmer-turned-organic farmer. There are some fun supporting characters and relationships that I could see being fleshed out in subsequent titles. I read this book quickly and enjoyed my time reading it.
The not so good things:
There are a few sort of weird transitions, where time skips a bit and the author basically just tells what the main character did/said during that time. It didn't really feel natural; sometimes I would make sure I hadn't skipped a page. There were also some kind of cartoony/straw man antagonists, and I'm not sure it would have been possible to "solve the case" just from the information in the book. I also feel like if you're going to write a cozy mystery about food, include the recipes! There was some tasty sounding stuff in here that I wish I could make.
I would describe this as a promising debut that was worth the 2 bucks or whatever it was I paid for it.
First, the good things:
I liked the general premise here. The main character is a young computer programmer-turned-organic farmer. There are some fun supporting characters and relationships that I could see being fleshed out in subsequent titles. I read this book quickly and enjoyed my time reading it.
The not so good things:
There are a few sort of weird transitions, where time skips a bit and the author basically just tells what the main character did/said during that time. It didn't really feel natural; sometimes I would make sure I hadn't skipped a page. There were also some kind of cartoony/straw man antagonists, and I'm not sure it would have been possible to "solve the case" just from the information in the book. I also feel like if you're going to write a cozy mystery about food, include the recipes! There was some tasty sounding stuff in here that I wish I could make.
I would describe this as a promising debut that was worth the 2 bucks or whatever it was I paid for it.
randi701's review
2.0
I know it's a cozy mystery, so I really tried not to judge so harshly, but it was slow moving and the main character is kind of rude, and not very bright.
vkemp's review
3.0
Cameron Flaherty left her cubicle lifestyle as a computer programmer to run her great-uncle's farm in rural Connecticut. She wants to go all organic, no pesticides. She joins a locavore group, sells at a local farmer's market and provides produce for a local restaurant. She did not count on discovering her handyman dead in her greenhouse, with a pitchfork through his neck. Since Cameron had just fired Mike Montgomery for trying to use a pesticide, she is the prime suspect. However, another suspect soon emerges, Cameron's friend and one of her most loyal volunteers, Lucinda DaSilva, is arrested. Cameron knows Lucinda is incapable of murdering anyone, but her status as an undocumented immigrant makes her suspicious in the eyes of local law enforcement. Not to mention the local Patriots' Militia, who is always looking to blame immigrants for everything. There are a lot of balls for Cameron to juggle as she tries to keep her farm running and uncover the real murderer. A very enjoyable debut for a new cozy series.
More...