Winnie's cider shop is the setting for a wedding where the groom ends up dead. Once again Winnie is in the thick of the investigation trying to discover if her ex Hank is the murderer. Of course, she runs up against opposition--from the sheriff, her grandmother, the murderer, the stalker. But trust Winnie to figure it all out.

I enjoyed this story. Now that I know the main characters I am comfortable in Blossom Valley and can figure out how the characters will act. I like these characters. The story was good and I never figured out who the murderer was or why. I'm glad Winnie explained it all. I am liking the sheriff. I like Dot and her menagerie. Loved the goats and the lawn crew. My only complaint was Pittsburgh was spelled wrong, so one point off for that. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book a whole lot. ( )

This series continues to excel at both the suspense and family aspect of the series. Winnie and her grandmother are finally seeing their hard work pay off in their renovations of the family orchard. An onsite wedding is a good moneymaker and good for spreading the word about the Cider Shop. Winnie's ex is the number one suspect after the groom is found dead shortly after the wedding. There is a lot of action and plenty of misleading clues as Winnie gets to the bottom of the murder. ( )

This was a pleasant to read cozy mystery. I enjoyed the cast of characters, all slightly quirky, but none of them are outrageously unbelievable as in so many cozies. The west Virginia Blue Mountains are a lovely setting with a National Forest, apple orchards, and a lovely believable small town setting where gossip/news flies faster than it actually happens. Winnie and her Granny own a struggling apple orchard and cider shop. They are finally seeing a light at the end of a tunnel with the opening of the cider shop. Winnie has converted an old Mail Pouch barn into the shop. The barn is large enough that Winnie can rent it out for weddings and other large gatherings. Winnie is hosting a wedding for a local wealthy family. All was going well until right after the ceremony the groom was found pinned under an old farm truck and Winnie's ex boyfriend was seen running from that direction. The Sheriff's office is called in. The bride is of no help as she went into catatonic shock. Winnie does not intend to get involved, as a previous investigation almost got her killed. However, her ex boyfriend's sister begs Winnie to help save her brother. Winnie can't refuse. Fainting goats, a cider competition, dead loan sharks, deep wood's cabins, financial calamities, needlework clubs, run away bridesmaids, funerals, and a home break-iins, keep Winnie and the Sheriff looking for answers to a myriad of questions. Not to mention that the Sheriff is hiding something from Winnie. ( )

The first book in the Cider House mystery series was my favorite cozy series debut last year and this second book in this series was even better than the first one.

The recurring characters are delightful (and I hope to see more of them), the West Virginia apple orchard setting is lovely, and murder at a wedding is an interesting spin.

Absolutely loved this book!! Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans!!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )

small-business, small-town, family, family-dynamics, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, murder, rural, cozy-mystery, friendship

I never read anything by this author before but now I'm hooked! Terrific characters and sleuthing in a plot full of twists, misdirections, and red herrings. Everything seems so real and not contrived which is a real plus. The publisher's blurb is a good hook, and spoilers won't do, so I'll just say that I absolutely LOVED it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )