On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
Nipped in the Bud (An Orchard Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
12th in Series
Setting – Massachusetts
Beyond the Page Publishing (October 24, 2018)
Paperback: 212 pages
ISBN-10: 1946069876
ISBN-13: 978-1946069870
Kindle ASIN: B07JFP1BQ4
The New York Times bestselling author of A Late Frost
returns with orchard owner Meg Chapin trying to stem the tide of crime . . .
Winter still has a firm stranglehold on the small town of Granford, and newly married orchard owner Meg Chapin is restless to begin her spring pruning and planting, while Seth busies himself with a new project of his own. But their relative peace is shattered when a gunshot breaks the winter silence and they discover the body of a dead woman on their land. What’s just as troubling is that the state police have hushed up the murder and are warning Meg not to investigate.
Never one to sit by idly with a killer on the loose, Meg starts digging for clues and probing for answers as discreetly as she can. When the victim turns out to have been an undercover reporter doing a story on the blossoming trade in illegal drugs in the area, Meg’s stunned to learn that this very modern crime has come to sleepy Granford. Unwilling to accept that the nasty business has put down roots so close to home—and led to a murder that occurred literally in her own backyard—Meg is determined to nip it in the bud before the town she knows and loves turns rotten . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It is always good to catch up with Meg and Seth. The newly married couple is trying to fill their days as they anxiously await Spring to come to Granford, Massachusetts. Meg has a new orchard manager and he and Seth are building him a “tiny house” to give him and the couple their privacy.
Seth and Meg are out for a walk with their dog Max when they hear a gunshot and Max takes off to investigate. Seth is not far behind. He is stunned when he finds Max standing near a woman’s body. He notifies police, and they first decide it must have been a hunting accident. The warn Meg to stay out of their investigation, but with all the free time on her hands and the fact that the woman was killed on her property, there is no way she is going to sit this one out. She is going to nip this death in the bud come hell or high water.
I am thrilled this series has found a new home!
This is such a comfortable cozy. The characters are friendly, believable, and genuine. Meg and Seth going about their lives, still sorting things out now that they are married and dealing with the downtime of winter. They are still getting to know Larry the new orchard manager. He does not live in their house as Bree did. He is renting a room in Seth’s house along with a few other guys until his tiny house is built. I love that they are using the foundation of the old chicken coop to build the house on.
Not so cozy is finding another dead body. Ms. Connolly has produced a delightful mystery for her readers to enjoy. With this one happening so close to Meg and Seth’s home, it keeps the characters and us readers on high alert. The state police add to the intrigue by trying to keep the murder under wraps but Meg is keen to follow each twist and turn herself. What she finds opens several sets of eyes about things happening in the sweet little town of Granford. The story is so well-written and thought-provoking too.
The story was perfectly paced. I liked that it took place in the offseason for the orchard. It gave Meg plenty of time to snoop, but with Bree gone and Larry being so quiet, she worried a lot about things that needed to get done.
Strong characters and a great mystery. A grand addition to this series. Fill up your bushel basket and enjoy them all!

About the Author
Sheila Connolly, Anthony and Agatha Award-nominated and New York Times bestselling author, writes mystery series set in Philadelphia (the Museum Mysteries), rural Massachusetts (the Orchard Mysteries), and Ireland (the County Cork Mysteries), as well as a paranormal romance series (the Relatively Dead series). She will introduce a new Victorian Village series set in Maryland in 2018. In addition, her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. Formerly a professional genealogist, she lives in Massachusetts, surrounded by many, many departed ancestors, with her husband and three cats, and owns a cottage in West Cork in Ireland, where her father’s family came from.
Author Links
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I have not read any of the books in this series yet, but would love to start. Thanks for featuring it in your Flashback Friday!
I’ve read several of her books! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. Kuzlin(at)aol(dot)com