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.
Candy Slain Murder (A Country Store Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Indiana
Publisher : Kensington (September 29, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496723171
ISBN-13 : 978-1496723178
Kindle ASIN : B082WQXBG9
Christmas cheer has sent the griddle into overdrive at Robbie Jordan’s popular country store and café. And this year, there’s a new seasonal special to feast on: murder…
As December sweeps through South Lick, Indiana, Robbie’s life seems merry and bright like the string lights glistening around town. But strange happenings signal a bumpy ride into the holidays. First, a man raises eyebrows at Pans ‘N Pancakes when he claiming to be the long-lost half-brother of Robbie’s assistant. Then a fire destroys the home of a controversial anesthesiologist, exposing skeletal remains in his attic. Helplessly intrigued, all Robbie wants for Christmas is to stop her winter wonderland from becoming a real nightmare. With a decades-old mystery taking shape, can she run as fast as she can in pursuit of a killer who’s harder to crack than a stale gingerbread man?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Christmas in South Lick, Indiana is coming to town with some interesting news. A young man comes into Pans ‘N Pancakes and surprises employee, Danna Beedle by claiming to be her half-brother. She is excited by this news by does have some questions that need to be answered.
The second piece of news is an interesting find in a house after a fire, a human skeleton. The home belongs to a local doctor who claims his wife left him several years ago.
Pans ‘N Pancakes owner Robbie Jordan finds herself intrigued by both events. She tries to find out what she can about the young man but she really gets herself totally wrapped up in finding out who the deceased is and how that skeleton got into the attic. Before she gets the answers she needs another person is murdered and this death is definitely connected to the older death. Robbie is doing her best to juggle her busy restaurant/country store, take part in South Lick’s Christmas festivities, and uncover a killer. This isn’t new for her so I am confident she can handle it all.
It is great to have Robbie back in South Lick with all the residents we have come to love and it is for Christmas no less. Pans ‘N Pancakes is super busy serving up fantastic food but plenty of people are Christmas shopping at her Country Store as well. The author serves up this unique cast of characters as only she can. Pans ‘N Pancakes is the central location for everyone to meet to hear and pass on the local gossip and catch up on any developments on the two mysteries taking place in this story. I really enjoyed catching up with everyone. My heart was warmed by the way Robbie treated Sean but I would have been surprised if she acted any other way. It also shows much promise as this series continues.
As I said, there are two mysteries in this story but one just really affects Danna and her family. Any involvement by others was just to confirm an identity and to be sure Danna doesn’t get hurt in any way. Not everyone treated this young man well though. A man’s racism broke out in public going so far as to try to drag the young man into the other mystery, surprising a lot of people I did appreciate the way his appearance was handled by Danna and her family.
The second mystery is one the whole town is crowing about. First, the skeleton is found, and then another person is killed. What I really liked was that any information Robbie gleaned was shared with Lt. Buck Bird and Detective Octavia Slade. She was able to get information they couldn’t and did move the case along nicely. There were some nice twists and the mystery was well-plotted but I did hone in on the solution early and was very pleased with how the whole thing played out.
Not a mystery but a fabulous event occurs that will have fans of this series smiling ear to ear before we wrap up this visit to South Lick and excited for the next installment. No Grater Crime 
Candy Slain Murder
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
Maddie Day is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her beau and an energetic kitten north of Boston
As Edith Maxwell, she writes the Local Foods Mysteries 
You can find all Maddie’s/Edith’s identities at www.edithmaxwell.com. She blogs every weekday with the other Wicked Cozy Authors at wickedcozyauthors.com. Look for her as Edith M. Maxwell and Maddie Day on Facebook and @edithmaxwell and @maddiedayauthor on Twitter.
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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.”