Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
Syrup To No Good
and will be released on October 31, 2023.
Syrup to No Good (Maple Syrup Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Vermont
Poisoned Pen Press (October 31, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback : 312 pages
ISBN-10 : 1728253969
ISBN-13 : 978-1728253961
Kindle ASIN : B0BRT9MXTN
Spring has finally come to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and with it the end of syrup-making season. But Leila Khoury, new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, won’t be making like molasses any time soon. Her best friend Heather’s wedding is coming up, and Leila will do anything to make sure it lives up to all her sweetest dreams.
Even with Leila’s own romantic past stirring up trouble, everything is going to plan until the bridal shower ends up with a body count.
Heather’s rich and backstabbing aunt had a whole orchard of enemies, so Leila will have her work cut out for her. Can she tap the killer before Heather’s dream wedding becomes a nightmare?
Includes delicious Middle Eastern recipes!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It’s syrup-making season in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and the new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, Leila Khoury has a lot on her plate. In addition to her duties on the farm, her best friend Heather is getting married and Leila wants to make all her dreams come true. That means giving her the best bridal shower ever. Things get a little tense when Heather’s rich Aunt Monica shows up but even with her outbursts Heather and Leila feel the event was a success.
Then, after the shower, Leila finds Aunt Monica dead in her car. Lord knows, the woman had made her share of enemies but who would actually kill her? and why would they do it at Heather’s shower?
Now, Heather’s wedding is in jeopardy. Her family is up in arms and the only way the rest of her dreams can come true is to find the killer. Things could get very sticky before Leila can make that happen, especially with all the people Monica has backstabbed. She just needs to know, who turned the tables on Heather’s aunt?
I really enjoy the friendship between Leila and Heather. Leila is busy with the farm but her friend Heather needs her more than ever. Somehow Leila finds a way to get everything done and still has time to do a lot of sleuthing with Heather. Her relationship with Noah is new. He has a delightful 6-year-old daughter, Emma and Leila is starting to fall hard for them both while understanding Noah’s need to take things slow. Leila also has to deal with her mother and an unexpected blast from her past. As a mother, I was not a fan of Leila’s but by the end of the story, my feelings started to change. We are also introduced to several new characters including a new detective. Great characters make you feel emotions. Some you really want to root for. Others, you jump into the book and have a serious discussion with or worse. Ms. Burns has given us great characters, both in the core characters and those added just for this story.
The mystery of Monica’s death is complicated with several suspects, motives, and a unique weapon. Leila and Heather delve into them all but Leila really takes some risks that put her in the killer’s sights. Ms. Burns sets a quick pace and the killer was a busy person. I love to try to solve the mystery before the protagonist but this time I stuck right with Leila through all the twists and turns. The showdown had me on the edge of my seat and the pages were flying. I wouldn’t have been surprised if my Kindle had started smoking.
I really enjoy the details of syrup making and all the delicious treats that are created with it throughout the book. Six recipes follow the story including a traditional Middle Eastern cookie that may not include maple syrup but sure sounds yummy.
Syrup to No Good
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About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns lives in Upstate New York with an all-male household that consists of her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in both English and Performing Arts and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. In her spare time, she loves to bake, read, and attend live theater performances. Over the past five years, she’s written fifteen mystery novels plus several novellas and has many more stories waiting to be told.
Author Links – Website – Facebook – Twitter – BookBub –
Also by Catherine Bruns
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