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Home Crafting Mystery #6
Deadly Row to Hoe
Harvest time in Cadyville, Washington, finds Sophie Mae Ambrose volunteering at the local organic farm--and trying to make a little sprout of her own with Barr, her police detective husband. A dead body found in the farm's compost heap is enough to cast dark clouds over Sophie Mae's sunny mood, and when Barr's boss lets her know they need help identifying the body, a reluctant Sophie Mae presses her network of friends and neighbors into action. When a farmhand is found unconscious with a shovel-shaped bump on his head, Sophie Mae turns up the heat on their crop of suspects. If she and Barr don't root out the killer, it's only a matter of time before another victim is squashed.
264 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2012
6 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Cricket McRae
12 books256 followersCricket McRae enjoys home crafts like food preservation, cheese making, candle making, and fiber arts. She writes the Sophie Mae Reynolds Homecrafting Mystery Series. As Bailey Cates, she also writes the Magical Bakery Mysteries.
For two years Cricket managed her own soap making business, including all product design, manufacturing and marketing. The recipes included in her first book, Lye in Wait, are all Cricket's original formulations. She has also worked in a variety of other fields ranging from drivers license examiner to program manager for a major software firm. This fulfills her mothers warning that shed never have a regular job if she insisted on studying philosophy in college.
The sixth Home Crafting Mystery, Deadly Row to Hoe, released November, 2012. Her books are also available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Ibooks and Google E-books.
Series:
* Home Crafting Mystery
For two years Cricket managed her own soap making business, including all product design, manufacturing and marketing. The recipes included in her first book, Lye in Wait, are all Cricket's original formulations. She has also worked in a variety of other fields ranging from drivers license examiner to program manager for a major software firm. This fulfills her mothers warning that shed never have a regular job if she insisted on studying philosophy in college.
The sixth Home Crafting Mystery, Deadly Row to Hoe, released November, 2012. Her books are also available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Ibooks and Google E-books.
Series:
* Home Crafting Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 3, 2013
I just like this series. That being said, it is harvest time for the community garden and we find Sophie Mae Ambrose busily helping. That is until the body is found mouldering in the compost heap.
Sounds dramatic, well it is and the solution is not easily visible to the readers. When another farm hand is injured, a connection is formed and it is up to our sleuths to figure it out before it is too late and there is no harvest.
Sounds dramatic, well it is and the solution is not easily visible to the readers. When another farm hand is injured, a connection is formed and it is up to our sleuths to figure it out before it is too late and there is no harvest.
December 10, 2012
It wasn't quite as good as her other ones. I liked when the author spent time in the book describing a craft like spinning, winemaking, cheesemaking, etc. She really didn't do that in this book. There was just gardening. The criminal made me sad.
June 25, 2012
What a great cozy mystery when a woman is mysteriously murdered on the community farm it's up to Sophie Mae and the police to find out what is going on. Lots of people seem to know the victim from time spent on a commune together. When tragedy early on strikes some wonder if that has anything to do with the current murder. A great cozy mystery full of all sorts of adventures. I really enjoyed reading about people in this community.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2018
Really hated this one. It was somewhat interesting until you got to the end and the murder was revealed. It didn't make sense and I absolutely hated it. I don't know if it's the last book in the series, but I don't like how it ended...but I'm not sure if I would read the next one, if there is one.
May 19, 2021
I'm sad that this series seems to be over. I do admit to liking the earlier books more. I love when I can learn something from a book, and the earlier books had more descriptions of Sophie Mae's activities. This book was mostly about the mystery and her home life. Less interesting to me.
November 15, 2018
Well, I don't know what I'm going to read for cozy mysteries now that this series seems to be over with. It is one of the few that I actually enjoyed and ended quite nicely.
July 18, 2019
Deadly Row to Hoe
I just love all of this authors series. I thoroughly enjoy the characters from this Home Crafting Mystery. Please more!
I just love all of this authors series. I thoroughly enjoy the characters from this Home Crafting Mystery. Please more!
July 21, 2019
Enjoyable book. 3.5 stars.
January 21, 2023
Have really enjoyed this series. Great books and great stories. We are loving them Debbie my friend and me.
December 28, 2024
Another fun and interesting mystery.
November 24, 2012
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It's no secret I have a huge love of cozies. They're so fun and silly and make the perfect afternoon read. They're also fairly easy to follow which makes jumping in at any book in a series totally doable. So despite never having read the first five Home Crafting Mystery books, I leaped at the chance to review this newest addition.
The best thing about cozies is that they're so unique. My favorite series, for example, is about a psychic detective. There's a series about a White House chef, a cheese shop, you name it, there's a series for it. This series deals with organic farming and homemade products like soap and lip balm. An interesting fact about me: I'm actually really interested in learning how to make my own soap. This book only solidified my curiosity.
Sophie Mae lives with her husband Barr (a police officer), her best friend Meghan, and Meghan's 12-year old daughter Erin in a quiet rural community. The Turner family owns and operates a large farm and for a yearly fee members can collect a portion of the harvest. Sophie Mae helps out on the farm and it's there a body is discovered in a compost heap.
In the past Sophie Mae has helped out with cases and it's only natural for her to want to join in on the investigation. Ignoring the concerned advice from her husband and friends (particularly since Sophie Mae and Barr are trying to have a baby), Sophie Mae jumps in and winds up getting for than she bargained for.
Deadly Row to Hoe was a mere 250 and the pacing makes it feel like half that. Cozies are typically easy to figure out and this one was no exception (although early on I had suspected a different character of being the killer). The characters were fun and even minor characters like Sophie Mae's two employees were fleshed-out and I got a real feel for their personalities.
Whether you're already a fan or are completely new to this series, Deadly Row to Hoe will make for a great read. Lightning fast with lots of humor, it's definitely a book that will hold your attention and can be finished in one sitting. Throughout the story there were lots of great backstory details that not only helped me get to know these characters, but also piqued my interest in the rest of the series. :) Don't be surprised if you see reviews for the first five books soon!
It's no secret I have a huge love of cozies. They're so fun and silly and make the perfect afternoon read. They're also fairly easy to follow which makes jumping in at any book in a series totally doable. So despite never having read the first five Home Crafting Mystery books, I leaped at the chance to review this newest addition.
The best thing about cozies is that they're so unique. My favorite series, for example, is about a psychic detective. There's a series about a White House chef, a cheese shop, you name it, there's a series for it. This series deals with organic farming and homemade products like soap and lip balm. An interesting fact about me: I'm actually really interested in learning how to make my own soap. This book only solidified my curiosity.
Sophie Mae lives with her husband Barr (a police officer), her best friend Meghan, and Meghan's 12-year old daughter Erin in a quiet rural community. The Turner family owns and operates a large farm and for a yearly fee members can collect a portion of the harvest. Sophie Mae helps out on the farm and it's there a body is discovered in a compost heap.
In the past Sophie Mae has helped out with cases and it's only natural for her to want to join in on the investigation. Ignoring the concerned advice from her husband and friends (particularly since Sophie Mae and Barr are trying to have a baby), Sophie Mae jumps in and winds up getting for than she bargained for.
Deadly Row to Hoe was a mere 250 and the pacing makes it feel like half that. Cozies are typically easy to figure out and this one was no exception (although early on I had suspected a different character of being the killer). The characters were fun and even minor characters like Sophie Mae's two employees were fleshed-out and I got a real feel for their personalities.
Whether you're already a fan or are completely new to this series, Deadly Row to Hoe will make for a great read. Lightning fast with lots of humor, it's definitely a book that will hold your attention and can be finished in one sitting. Throughout the story there were lots of great backstory details that not only helped me get to know these characters, but also piqued my interest in the rest of the series. :) Don't be surprised if you see reviews for the first five books soon!
March 2, 2013
Firstly with a name like Cricket McRae, you have to be a cozy mystery writer, it just fits so wonderfully!!
I am totally into Cozy Mysteries lately. They keep my attention but aren't so deep that all life around me ceases to exist while I devour the book. As a mama of six, that is probably good I like the cozy mysteries!
This is a Home Crafting Mystery, like right up my alley!! I will definitely have to get my hands on the other ones in the series.
This book includes gardening and soap making. LOVE!
Sophie Mae, her hubby Barr, and their roomate Meghan volunteer at the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group in Cadyville Washington. Working together with other volunteers and alongside owners Tom and Allie, the group raises crops to share. Tom and Allie guide the process and the volunteers help with planting, weeding, and harvesting to share in the production. Similar to a community garden, but this one is much larger in scale.
Sophie Mae also owns Winding Way Soap and Bath products that she makes out of the basement of their restored Victorian home. Meghan and her daughter Erin are the homeowners, with a small addition on for Sophie Mae and Barr.. a modern day family.
Sophie Mae seems to have a knack for finding dead people.. not something she will be bragging about. This time is Meghan's turn however when she sees boots coming out of the bottom of the compost pile!
Agent Barr.. yep, Sophie Mae's hubby is a police officer, is on the case to figure out who this mysterious woman is that noone seems to recognize. Sophie Mae has great detective skills and helps Barr out on the mission.
We meet some very interesting people along the way, very colorful and lively characters. You may guess who done it.. but Cricket will keep you guessing! Some people were a little too colorful for me in my conservative reading, but I know for some it won't bother at all.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am totally into Cozy Mysteries lately. They keep my attention but aren't so deep that all life around me ceases to exist while I devour the book. As a mama of six, that is probably good I like the cozy mysteries!
This is a Home Crafting Mystery, like right up my alley!! I will definitely have to get my hands on the other ones in the series.
This book includes gardening and soap making. LOVE!
Sophie Mae, her hubby Barr, and their roomate Meghan volunteer at the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group in Cadyville Washington. Working together with other volunteers and alongside owners Tom and Allie, the group raises crops to share. Tom and Allie guide the process and the volunteers help with planting, weeding, and harvesting to share in the production. Similar to a community garden, but this one is much larger in scale.
Sophie Mae also owns Winding Way Soap and Bath products that she makes out of the basement of their restored Victorian home. Meghan and her daughter Erin are the homeowners, with a small addition on for Sophie Mae and Barr.. a modern day family.
Sophie Mae seems to have a knack for finding dead people.. not something she will be bragging about. This time is Meghan's turn however when she sees boots coming out of the bottom of the compost pile!
Agent Barr.. yep, Sophie Mae's hubby is a police officer, is on the case to figure out who this mysterious woman is that noone seems to recognize. Sophie Mae has great detective skills and helps Barr out on the mission.
We meet some very interesting people along the way, very colorful and lively characters. You may guess who done it.. but Cricket will keep you guessing! Some people were a little too colorful for me in my conservative reading, but I know for some it won't bother at all.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2012
Excellent read. I found myself starting and finishing it in one sitting; revisiting old "friends" and enjoying the evolution of family dynamics in this series.
It's refreshing to read an established series where the characters evolve together, instead of constantly banging their heads against the same brick walls in every book. Ms. McRae could have followed the very established pattern set forth in many other cozy series, where the protagonist and her romantic interest constantly bicker and argue about her involvement in solving the mystery - and I'll admit that there is a place for that; it is a good device to establish romantic tension. But I really appreciate that Ms. McRae chose not to beat that device to death, and instead, create a partnership between Sophie Mae and her husband, the police detective.
While I suspected the murderer right away, I can't say why, as I had no real reason to suspect the character of anything and I could have easily easily been wrong. It was a good, solid plot with a lot of interesting information unfolding as the book went on and I liked the ending - again, Ms. McRae could have followed a well worn path and chose not to in favor of something just a bit different, though not radically so.
As always, I love reading about all the ways Sophie Mae and her family are self-sufficient - always informative and never preachy, it makes me want to run out and start canning or baking something. :)
Can't wait for the next one.
It's refreshing to read an established series where the characters evolve together, instead of constantly banging their heads against the same brick walls in every book. Ms. McRae could have followed the very established pattern set forth in many other cozy series, where the protagonist and her romantic interest constantly bicker and argue about her involvement in solving the mystery - and I'll admit that there is a place for that; it is a good device to establish romantic tension. But I really appreciate that Ms. McRae chose not to beat that device to death, and instead, create a partnership between Sophie Mae and her husband, the police detective.
While I suspected the murderer right away, I can't say why, as I had no real reason to suspect the character of anything and I could have easily easily been wrong. It was a good, solid plot with a lot of interesting information unfolding as the book went on and I liked the ending - again, Ms. McRae could have followed a well worn path and chose not to in favor of something just a bit different, though not radically so.
As always, I love reading about all the ways Sophie Mae and her family are self-sufficient - always informative and never preachy, it makes me want to run out and start canning or baking something. :)
Can't wait for the next one.
March 25, 2013
Sophie Mae, husband Barr and housemates Meghan and Erin are now working with a Community Supported Agriculture farm. When Meghan finds a woman buried in the compost pile Sophie is soon on the case to find out who she is and why someone wanted her dead.
Sophie & Barr, Meghan and Erin are fun characters and it seems like each book in this series makes them more fun. Now that Sophie and Barr are married and Erin is hitting the teenage years the complications of their homemade family are growing. Sophie & Barr are working on making the family bigger and Meghan is thinking strongly about marrying beau Kelly.
There is a lot of information on growing your own food, stockpiling it for off-season growing and the joys and trials of freezing and canning food. There were fewer things about soap making but that was also discussed.
I still really enjoy this series and am looking forward to more in the series.
Sophie & Barr, Meghan and Erin are fun characters and it seems like each book in this series makes them more fun. Now that Sophie and Barr are married and Erin is hitting the teenage years the complications of their homemade family are growing. Sophie & Barr are working on making the family bigger and Meghan is thinking strongly about marrying beau Kelly.
There is a lot of information on growing your own food, stockpiling it for off-season growing and the joys and trials of freezing and canning food. There were fewer things about soap making but that was also discussed.
I still really enjoy this series and am looking forward to more in the series.
November 1, 2015
Sophie Mae is helping out at a community farm and her roommate finds a dead body in the pile of compost. She then decides to help find out who the woman is and this leads her in many directions. Someone else on the farm is also attacked and many questions come up about his past and that of the dead woman. Sophie Mae is trying to get pregnant while juggling her bath and body products business and help out the police. Eventually she helps find the killer but gets a little bruised in the process. Her household also grows with her roommate getting engaged.
I like how the author has a different focus for each book. This one centered around a community farm and its workings. Very interesting.
I like how the author has a different focus for each book. This one centered around a community farm and its workings. Very interesting.
February 6, 2013
This is a very good series if you like crafts and gardening. Sophie Mae does everything from running a handmade soap, lotion, etc. business to growing and preserving food and making cheese! Each book focuses on a particular area (this one is about co-op gardening) but there is a lot of interesting how-to information mixed in with a good mystery. There are usually a couple of recipes, too. It is also nice that her policeman husband doesn't constantly argue with her about her sleuthing abilities and actually appreciates her help. The supporting characters are also interesting and I found it a very good read.
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November 11, 2014Harvest time in Cadyville, Washington, finds Sophie Mae Ambrose volunteering at the local organic farm--and trying to make a little sprout of her own with Barr, her police detective husband. A dead body found in the farm's compost heap is enough to cast dark clouds over Sophie Mae's sunny mood, and when Barr's boss lets her know they need help identifying the body, a reluctant Sophie Mae presses her network of friends and neighbors into action. When a farmhand is found unconscious with a shovel-shaped bump on his head, Sophie Mae turns up the heat on their crop of suspects. If she and Barr don't root out the killer, it's only a matter of time before another victim is squashed.
November 29, 2012
** I won this book through a First Reads Give-A-Way**
This was the first book I have read from this author & in this series. What a delight it was to read! It was a very warm & cozy mystery. It also seemed perfect for a November chilly day. I loved how the author really set the tone with the characters and their little community. I really enjoyed the mystery in the story and getting to know the people in the community. I can't wait to read more in this warm series. It is a gem!
I also loved the cover. Especially the sunset as a backdrop. Just lovely!
This was the first book I have read from this author & in this series. What a delight it was to read! It was a very warm & cozy mystery. It also seemed perfect for a November chilly day. I loved how the author really set the tone with the characters and their little community. I really enjoyed the mystery in the story and getting to know the people in the community. I can't wait to read more in this warm series. It is a gem!
I also loved the cover. Especially the sunset as a backdrop. Just lovely!
March 9, 2013
Every one of Cricket McRae's "Home Crafting Mystery" novels is fantastic. "Deadly Row to Hoe" is no exception. As usual, Sophie Mae had me laughing out loud. This installment in the series features the main characters involved in an organic farm with a membership share. A body is found in the compost file, and things go from bad to worse after that. Sophie Mae, Barr, and the usual cast of characters, along with some new friends and suspects, make McRae's latest cozy mystery a delight. As usual, I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
August 6, 2013
I don't generally read books out of order, but I did this time and I don't think it detracted much. As others before me have stated, this is a light read as far as mysteries go. The appeal for me is the "home crafting" aspect. My own life if filled with similar activities (i.e. gardening, cooking real food ect) and that was a welcome dimension. I liked hearing about what they were making for meals and how they were preserving their bounty. It pulled me in enough to go after the first one and read the rest in order. I have to find out more about making soap and spinning, and all the rest.
May 15, 2013
Reading this books makes me want to go back and read all the others again. The bottom line for me is, "do I like the characters"? I have tossed books back on the heap if the characters, esp. the main one annoys me before I get to page 50. As in most cozies, there is the female sleuth with the cop boyfriend/husband and the side kick girlfriend. What is nice about this one is that there are few total whack jobs and those there are don't rule her life. Good plot, lovely setting. Go for it.
January 24, 2013
Newly married soap-maker Sophie Mae and her friends are working on a Community Sustainable Agriculture project when her housemate Meghan finds a body in the compost heap. No one admits to knowing the dead woman, but Sophie Mae has an idea that leads to the identification, and the knowledge that some people have been lying to the police. This is a cute series but I didn't enjoy this one as much.
August 16, 2013
Borrowed from the library. I've read all the ones in this series that I can get my hands on (for free). Some I've downloaded to my Kindle, the rest I've gotten on digital loan from the library. I like them all. This one was really good, revolved around a CSA. I like the characters, and a good, well-written cozy is always up my alley :)
July 24, 2014
The mystery was good, but the way the characters talked and interacted with one another felt weird. I kept thinking that real people would never really say that or do that. I read another series by this author and it is great. It feels like different people are writing the books and the one who writes this series doesn't connect with real people.
November 20, 2012
This series is a favorite of mine because they're always well written, the stories are always great and the characters change & grow! Don't hesitate to try this series......you won't be disappointed! I promise! RECOMMEND!
April 19, 2013
I loved this book, I really had a hard time putting it down. Poor Sophie Mae and the bicycle incident made my backside hurt. Then with the recipe for Ruth's Pickled Dilly Beans......my mouth is still watering. Thanks Cricket for another great book.
December 17, 2012
I came across this book at the library and I'm glad I did. This is a great cozy mystery that I plan on reading the entire series. I wish I would have picked up the first book instead though, but that always seems to happen that way!
June 30, 2015
Nice cozy. While volunteering at a local organic farm in Cadyville, Washington, a woman is there when a body is found in the compost pile. She is determined to identify the person and who killed her. How can you not like a main character named Sophie Mae?
January 7, 2013
cant wait for the next one!!
April 1, 2013
I read this book. This book is a well written mystery novel. It has an interesting story. This book had an ok ending. This book gets kind of boring after a few chapters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews