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.
A Murder of Aspic Proportions (A Sunflower Café Mystery)
Cozzy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Kansas
Publisher : Kensington Cozies
Publication date : June 27, 2023
Print length : 304 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1496733479
ISBN-13 : 978-1496733474
Kindle
Print length : 306 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1496733481
ASIN : B0BGYXKM64
Twenty-something Sissy Yoder never imagined herself running her Aunt Bethel’s café, but her help is needed, so she’s making a go of it. And she must admit that life in tiny Yoder has been anything but dull–she’s already solved one homicide—after being named the prime suspect in the case! Enjoying a peaceful respite after all that excitement, Sissy just wants to write her advice column, hang out with her loyal Yorkie, Duke, and procure some of local farmer Walt Summers’ scrumptious “To Die For” tomatoes for the Sunshine Café’s menu. But when the unsavory Summers–resented by just about everyone in town–turns up murdered in his garden shed, it’s up to Sissy to roll up her sleeves, dig for some clues, and weed out the culprit . . .
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sissy Yoder is running her Aunt Bethel’s café with a lot of input from her aunt. She knows they have to keep the menu fresh using crops they can purchase locally. In that effort, Sissy takes the woman and her Yorkie, Duke, to check out some tomatoes said to be “To Die For”. Bethel is less enthused. They arrive at Walt Summers’ farmstand, but the man appears to be missing. After a quick search, they find him in the garden shed, and he isn’t going to be selling any tomatoes today or ever. Walt Summers is dead, definitely murdered.
It looks like there are a bushel of suspects, but Deputy Earl Berry gets a surprising confession from someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Soon, Sissy and Aunt Bethel are traveling all over to find out why the person confessed and trying to dig up clues to pick the actual killer and haul them to a jail cell.
Sissy is getting comfortable in her little Chicken Coop tiny house in Yoder, Kansas. She is still writing her advice column, pretending to be a seventy-five-year-old woman with no one yet the wiser. Her days are filled with running the café and giving Duke, her Yorkie, as much attention as possible. Bethel surprised me. She gets her cast off in the first chapter and is ready to get back to her life. She seems to start to enjoy riding around in Sissy’s “little car”, a Fiat convertible. Enjoy may be a little strong, but she instigated places to go to and people to see to move their investigation along, and didn’t give Sissy too much flak. We meet more Amish family, friends, and neighbors, too. Lizzy continues to be on bed/couch rest as the birth of her twins draws near. I enjoyed the Friday Family Supper night. There’s an open invitation for one and all to come to Bethel’s home. Sometimes the house is pretty crowded, others only a few relatives make an appearance. It brings people together to catch up with family and catch up on the murder investigation. It also allows Sissy to put more of her family history together.
I found Deputy Earl Berry frustrating. Yoder may be a small town, but accepting a confession without family or representation present was beyond the pale. Of course, it was the easy way out and required no additional effort from him. Thank God for Bethel and her push to get to the truth. The residents of Yoder fear the woman enough to answer her questions or put up with her rath. Sissy is happy to help in any way she can. I honed in on the guilty party early in the story, but it wasn’t easy for Sissy and Bethel. They were spinning their wheels, going nowhere a lot. The reveal was exciting and humorous. The ending made me smile.
A Murder of Aspic Proportions is a lighthearted, funny cozy mystery filled with unique characters, and a lot of talk about crops and fertilizer. It’s a story to pick up, relax, and escape into after a stressful day. Book three, A Murder for the Sages, is screaming even louder from my To-Be-Read shelf, now that I have read this one. I hope to get to it early in the new year.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
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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.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
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