Rating: 3.5 ★
Farm to Trouble, Amanda Flower
Poisoned Pen Press, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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Shiloh Bellamy knows she has a lot on her plate. Returning to her hometown of Cherry Glen, Michigan after several years of California livin’, her dream is to fix up her old family farm and transform it into a hip, farm-to-table establishment. But when her shady investor turns up dead at the local farmer’s market, Shiloh finds both herself and her father as prime suspects in the murder investigation. In order to clear her name and realize her dream, Shiloh must first solve the crime.
My thoughts
This was my first Amanda Flower and I did, overall, enjoy the writing and the farm-to-table theme. I adored Shiloh’s adorable pug, Huckleberry, and the cute farm setting.
Without spoiling anything major, I’ll say that there is a twist in this one. I certainly didn’t guess the killer, but I did suspect another character who ended up a villain, too. That said, I would say the twist is more for shock value than for a logical murder mystery. In other words, there were other characters I’d rather see implicated.
Mystery aside, my main gripe with this story was how mean the characters were to Shiloh. While having unsupportive characters in any book is realistic, to have nearly all of a small town upset with someone who didn’t directly ruffle their feathers felt unrealistic and unnecessary. Despite Shiloh financially supporting the family farm for years, her father and cousin were rude and unappreciative. As a result, the story didn’t feel as cozy as I’d like.
Would I read the second book in the series? YES! I’m not ready to quit on Shiloh just yet, and I think this premise has promise. I’d love to see when and how her farm grows over time. I just hope she finds a stronger support system.
Note: I read this as the June pick for the Cozy Mystery Book Club. ♥