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A Local Foods Mystery #1
A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die
It’s harvest time in Westbury, Massachusetts, and novice farmer Cameron Flaherty hopes to make a killing selling organic produce. But when a killer strikes on her property, her first foray into the world of organic farming yields a bumper crop of locally sourced murder…
Cam’s first growing season has gotten off to a slow start, but her CSA is flourishing thanks to a colorful group of subscribers led by Lucinda DaSilva, an enthusiastic Brazilian volunteer who’s vowed to eat nothing but locally produced food for one year. When Cam fires her only employee, local handyman Mike Montgomery, because he won’t follow organic growing practices, it seems like just another day at the office—until she finds him with a pitchfork sticking out of his neck.
The police suspect Cam of Mike’s murder, but when their investigation goes nowhere, Lucinda joins Cam in the hunt for the real killer. In a small New England town full of eccentric locavores, there’s no shortage of possibilities—from a neighboring farmer who competes with Cam for customers to a Swedish chef whose romantic designs on her have recently taken a turn for the odd. And then there’s the local militia group with its decidedly nonlocal agenda…
To clear her name, Cam will have to dig up secrets buried deep beneath the soil of Produce Plus Plus Farm. And she’ll have to catch a murderer whose motto seems to be “Eat local. Kill local.”
Cam’s first growing season has gotten off to a slow start, but her CSA is flourishing thanks to a colorful group of subscribers led by Lucinda DaSilva, an enthusiastic Brazilian volunteer who’s vowed to eat nothing but locally produced food for one year. When Cam fires her only employee, local handyman Mike Montgomery, because he won’t follow organic growing practices, it seems like just another day at the office—until she finds him with a pitchfork sticking out of his neck.
The police suspect Cam of Mike’s murder, but when their investigation goes nowhere, Lucinda joins Cam in the hunt for the real killer. In a small New England town full of eccentric locavores, there’s no shortage of possibilities—from a neighboring farmer who competes with Cam for customers to a Swedish chef whose romantic designs on her have recently taken a turn for the odd. And then there’s the local militia group with its decidedly nonlocal agenda…
To clear her name, Cam will have to dig up secrets buried deep beneath the soil of Produce Plus Plus Farm. And she’ll have to catch a murderer whose motto seems to be “Eat local. Kill local.”
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
405 people are currently reading
1279 people want to read
About the author
Edith Maxwell
47 books585 followersEdith Maxwell is an Agatha-winning mystery author who writes the Local Foods Foods Mysteries as well as the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries, featuring a Quaker midwife sleuth in 1888.
As Maddie Day, she writes the Country Store Mysteries set in southern Indiana, and the Cozy
Capers Book Group Mysteries.
Her short stories have appeared in twenty juried anthologies and magazines. She is active in Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Edith, a fourth-generation Californian, has two grown sons and lives in an antique house north of Boston with her beau, their energizer kitten, a small organic garden, and some impressive garden statuary. She worked as a software technical writer for almost two decades but now writes fiction full time.
As Maddie Day, she writes the Country Store Mysteries set in southern Indiana, and the Cozy
Capers Book Group Mysteries.
Her short stories have appeared in twenty juried anthologies and magazines. She is active in Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Edith, a fourth-generation Californian, has two grown sons and lives in an antique house north of Boston with her beau, their energizer kitten, a small organic garden, and some impressive garden statuary. She worked as a software technical writer for almost two decades but now writes fiction full time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
July 6, 2013
This is an entertaining enough book to pass the time, but not overwhelmingly absorbing. The heroine's uncle gives her the family farm when he can no longer do the work,and she turns it into an organic food farm. This sets up the possibility for a variety of interesting characters, but most of the supporting cast is indistinguishable-- perhaps they will be fleshed out in later mysteries in the series. A few do become a bit more than two-dimensional, but I found it hard to remember who had which issue for the first half of the book.
The author makes much of Cam (the farmer) and her supposed social awkwardness as an introvert whose brain is more given to computer programming and numbers than to people skills. While a mention of that might be helpful in rounding out the character, Cam came off a little too whiny about it to me-- maybe because I am an introvert whose job requires quite a bit of social interaction whether I feel like it or not. I may sympathize with Cam's feelings, but sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done without complaining about it!
Cam willfully conceals clues or simply "forgets" to turn them over to the police, no matter how serious they may be. She renews a friendship with one of her childhood buddies, who happens to be a police officer. The friend then sometimes behaves professionally in regard to the investigation and sometimes doesn't. For some of the characters, any real motivation for their behavior seems to be lacking. And I did find myself wondering why on earth there were so many illegal immigrants in this one small New England town.
The red herring sown is actually more interesting than actual resolution of the crime.
The author makes much of Cam (the farmer) and her supposed social awkwardness as an introvert whose brain is more given to computer programming and numbers than to people skills. While a mention of that might be helpful in rounding out the character, Cam came off a little too whiny about it to me-- maybe because I am an introvert whose job requires quite a bit of social interaction whether I feel like it or not. I may sympathize with Cam's feelings, but sometimes you just have to do what needs to be done without complaining about it!
Cam willfully conceals clues or simply "forgets" to turn them over to the police, no matter how serious they may be. She renews a friendship with one of her childhood buddies, who happens to be a police officer. The friend then sometimes behaves professionally in regard to the investigation and sometimes doesn't. For some of the characters, any real motivation for their behavior seems to be lacking. And I did find myself wondering why on earth there were so many illegal immigrants in this one small New England town.
The red herring sown is actually more interesting than actual resolution of the crime.
April 7, 2022
Cam hung the pitchfork on the back wall of her antique barn with a tired hand.
Cam has taken over her Great Uncle Albert's farm in Westbury, Massachusetts and is trying to have it certified as organic. She fires her hired hand when she discovers he plans to use pesticides on her crops. Cam finds his body later and must find the killer before it destroys her farm.
This was a good entry to a new series. I enjoyed meeting the townspeople and learning more about organic farming. The addition of a radical militia made for interesting reading and created a number of suspects.
I applaud Cam for standing up for her friend, Lucinda and really going to bat for her with the local authorities. The subject of immigration was not something that I have seen a lot of in cozies.
The characters are well written and the mystery was intriguing. I had picked out several people as the culprit as the story progressed. I was not surprised by the revelation but it fit in nicely with the plot.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
Cam has taken over her Great Uncle Albert's farm in Westbury, Massachusetts and is trying to have it certified as organic. She fires her hired hand when she discovers he plans to use pesticides on her crops. Cam finds his body later and must find the killer before it destroys her farm.
This was a good entry to a new series. I enjoyed meeting the townspeople and learning more about organic farming. The addition of a radical militia made for interesting reading and created a number of suspects.
I applaud Cam for standing up for her friend, Lucinda and really going to bat for her with the local authorities. The subject of immigration was not something that I have seen a lot of in cozies.
The characters are well written and the mystery was intriguing. I had picked out several people as the culprit as the story progressed. I was not surprised by the revelation but it fit in nicely with the plot.
I look forward to reading more in this series.
February 10, 2015
Cam Flaherty has taken over her great-uncle’s farm and is hoping to adjust to her new life as a farmer in her first growing season. However, things take an unexpected turn when she finds her recently fired farm hand, Mike Montgomery, dead in the hoop house with a pitchfork in his neck. Can she figure out who killed him?
The book starts a little slowly, but once the story really gets going, it builds to a suspenseful climax. Cam is an introvert and a little blunt, which is a nice change for a series heroine. I wish more nuance had been given to an issue brought up in the book, but overall this is an enjoyable debut.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
The book starts a little slowly, but once the story really gets going, it builds to a suspenseful climax. Cam is an introvert and a little blunt, which is a nice change for a series heroine. I wish more nuance had been given to an issue brought up in the book, but overall this is an enjoyable debut.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 24, 2018
This book just about drove me crazy; I am not sure if it was the formatting or if it just was truly written that way, but WHO writes a sentence where one thing happens and then totally skips on to something else in the next sentence? Not next paragraph [which is how it should be done], but the next sentence. I felt like I was in a bi-polar cozy mystery. I never knew where I was or what was really happening and I spent a lot of time being confused.
I knew who the killer was from the first chapter; it was not a well-written story or plot. I wasn't even remotely surprised when the killer revealed themselves. And the jump from that to the end was awkward and...well, see above about the weird sentencing and wording.
I had high hopes for this; I know people who love these books and this author. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me.
I knew who the killer was from the first chapter; it was not a well-written story or plot. I wasn't even remotely surprised when the killer revealed themselves. And the jump from that to the end was awkward and...well, see above about the weird sentencing and wording.
I had high hopes for this; I know people who love these books and this author. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me.
April 17, 2013
A mystery series about organic local farming? I love both, so this was a perfect premise for me! In this first book in the Local Foods mystery series, we meet Cam Flaherty, who has taken over her uncle's farm in Massachusetts, after being a computer programmer. I got a kick out of the name of Cam's CSA: Produce Plus Plus (a play on C++ computer programming). Little details like that really set the scene and made for an enjoyable read. Edith Maxwell sprinkled in lots of of interesting information about farming, but not in a way that slowed down the mystery. Now I've got added respect for the farmers at my local farmer's market and who run my local CSAs, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book.
I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book.
January 16, 2016
An excellent debut!!
Cam Flaherty is a protagonist that is easy to identify with. She has come back to Westbury to take over the farm where she spent so many summers growing up. Just when her ideas starts to bear fruit a man is murdered.
Maxwell has surrounded Cam with more than a few suspects and friends that keep her strong as she fights to clear her name. These characters are really well fleshed out for the first book in a series. We learn a lot about their backgrounds which always makes the reader invested in their lives and the story. It also makes the book extremely hard to put down.
With issues like a local militia, some residents with immigration problems, and the localore way of eating many Westbury area residents are adapting makes this a very interesting story in addition to a well plotted mystery.
Edith Maxwell has firmly planted a great foundation for what I know is going to be a very tasty series!
Cam Flaherty is a protagonist that is easy to identify with. She has come back to Westbury to take over the farm where she spent so many summers growing up. Just when her ideas starts to bear fruit a man is murdered.
Maxwell has surrounded Cam with more than a few suspects and friends that keep her strong as she fights to clear her name. These characters are really well fleshed out for the first book in a series. We learn a lot about their backgrounds which always makes the reader invested in their lives and the story. It also makes the book extremely hard to put down.
With issues like a local militia, some residents with immigration problems, and the localore way of eating many Westbury area residents are adapting makes this a very interesting story in addition to a well plotted mystery.
Edith Maxwell has firmly planted a great foundation for what I know is going to be a very tasty series!
February 27, 2021
Cameron (Cam) is given a farm by her Great Uncle Albert, who can no longer run the farm due to the lose of a leg. Cam decides to run the farm, but as all organic. Add into the mix, a cast of characters from the local community that help and hold shares of the crop - Locavore - this is a community to support eating locally grown foods and you have some nice unique characters.
Mike a recent (fired) farm hand is found dead in the greenhouse on the farm and everyone is a suspect.
Add to this a local fanatic group called the Patriotic Militia that is against illegal aliens in the country and a surprising number of first generation immigrants and you have even more suspects.
Cam's farm helper Lucinda is arrested for the murder and Cam sets out to prove her innocence.
Lots of twists and turns but I gave it a 4 because I found it a might unusual that there were so many first gen immigrants in one small town in Massachusetts. Good rating for a first in series...
Mike a recent (fired) farm hand is found dead in the greenhouse on the farm and everyone is a suspect.
Add to this a local fanatic group called the Patriotic Militia that is against illegal aliens in the country and a surprising number of first generation immigrants and you have even more suspects.
Cam's farm helper Lucinda is arrested for the murder and Cam sets out to prove her innocence.
Lots of twists and turns but I gave it a 4 because I found it a might unusual that there were so many first gen immigrants in one small town in Massachusetts. Good rating for a first in series...
July 20, 2013
Edith Maxwell knocks it out of the park with the first in her Local Foods series. Cam Flaherty, who takes over her uncle's organic farm and immediately finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation, is a great protagonist. And the murdered victim - well, who can resist an unruly employee meeting his demise by pitchfork?
I got a sense of knowing Cam right away, like a new friend you click with instantly. Her blossoming romance with the Swedish chef is fun too, and meeting all the townies and suspects in town was lots of fun. Hailing from this part of New England myself, the characters and setting were done flawlessly and made me wish for home. And the farming component was excellent too - educational and interesting for us non-farming types.
The plot kept me guessing at the killer right to the end - I do love a surprise! - and I already can't wait for the next in the series.
I got a sense of knowing Cam right away, like a new friend you click with instantly. Her blossoming romance with the Swedish chef is fun too, and meeting all the townies and suspects in town was lots of fun. Hailing from this part of New England myself, the characters and setting were done flawlessly and made me wish for home. And the farming component was excellent too - educational and interesting for us non-farming types.
The plot kept me guessing at the killer right to the end - I do love a surprise! - and I already can't wait for the next in the series.
June 13, 2019
This was a good first book to the series. I liked the characters even if I was suspicious of several of them. The mystery kept me guessing and the ending was very exciting. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
February 3, 2019
How could I not love a book about a cat-loving, organic farming, wannabe sleuth? Well "love" is a strong word, but I did enjoy the story and will likely read the others by Maxwell in this series. There is actually very little detective work that goes on in this story. It is primarily about her experiences as a city girl turned farmer with a murder thrown in. It would work better if the side characters were more fleshed out but all-in-all I found the "murder mystery" aspect falling a little flat. As far as the aforementioned mystery aspect goes, I also found it to be a little too obvious who was behind the whole thing. Could I write something better? Highly unlikely! But it didn't meet all my criteria even though - given the theme - I so desperately wanted it to.
Also, like, teenagers don't like, always use like the word "like" when they like talk - just saying.
Also, like, teenagers don't like, always use like the word "like" when they like talk - just saying.
June 15, 2019
42%. So bored. So, so, so very bored.
November 14, 2019
Dull. Could not get into this book.
December 15, 2020
While Edith Maxwell's Local Foods mysteries were one of her earlier series, I am only just now getting around to reading them. That's due in large part to the need to actually find all five of the books, but also because I have such a backlog of books to read it has taken this long to get started.
But once I had them all signed by the author, I had to start reading and wouldn't you know it, I really did like this debut novel in the series.
In A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE readers are introduced to Cameron Flaherty, the owner of Produce Plus Plus organic farm in Westbury, Massachusetts. She's taken over the place from her Uncle Albert after a career in the city working in technology.
It's hard work running a farm and working towards being certified as an organic one is even harder I'd imagine. But Cam has subscribers who pay a fee for a weekly batch of fresh fruit and vegetables.
But things take a turn for the worse when the employee she only recently fired for good cause turns up dead on her property. Now the police are looking into the murder and it's causing a lot of havoc in Cam's life.
When a friend of hers is arrested for the murder, Cam feels obliged to get involved and she is soon squarely in the sights of the real killer. The more she digs, the less she likes what she finds out about the people in her life and the seedy underbelly of the town. The question is can she outwit the murderer before they decide to turn Cam into fertilizer for her own farm?
The plot surrounding the murder was damn good. Besides the host of possible suspects, the way certain darker aspects of the townspeople are peeled away like an onion works in ways that are guaranteed to bring you back to the series for the next four books in the series. I have to say that I was a bit surprised at the reveal of the killer. Not because it wasn't possible or anything but more because it sat there staring you in the face the whole time and yet you couldn't really believe it until it was laid bare in the story's climax.
In a lot of cozy series, the jobs the main characters have usually things I would never want to do myself. But learning even the most basic ideas behind those jobs has always been an interesting addition to the notion of catching the killer.
Given the author's own background dealing with farming, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that Cam's day to day life as a farmer rings with authenticity. Between worrying about the weather and the endless chores to make sure things grow properly, it is not an easy life.
I loved the way Edith Maxwell made Cam less of a warm and cuddly presence than you might typically find in these kinds of stories. While she's not rude or anything, the fact that she has to work at being outgoing and friendly towards her customers is a nice twist on Cam's seemingly more taciturn nature. She'd rather be in her own head and taking care of the tasks she has to accomplish. But the realization that she needs to have a good public persona to build the farm into a successful business makes for great character building potential.
The supporting cast of characters was pretty interesting as well. Between Cam's friends, family and business acquaintances, there's a host of possible suspects for the murder but plenty of room to play with any kind of subplot the author may desire to introduce.
I'm not sure what I think of the potential love interest for Cam, but seeing her re-establish a long ago friendship and reaching out to a young girl who shows an interest in farming serve to soften a few of Cam's rough edges, character-wise.
But in the end, the first book in Edith Maxwell's Local Foods Mysteries series is a winner because the author knows how to grow a flat out good (and entertaining) murder mystery. What more can a reader ask for than that?
But once I had them all signed by the author, I had to start reading and wouldn't you know it, I really did like this debut novel in the series.
In A TINE TO LIVE, A TINE TO DIE readers are introduced to Cameron Flaherty, the owner of Produce Plus Plus organic farm in Westbury, Massachusetts. She's taken over the place from her Uncle Albert after a career in the city working in technology.
It's hard work running a farm and working towards being certified as an organic one is even harder I'd imagine. But Cam has subscribers who pay a fee for a weekly batch of fresh fruit and vegetables.
But things take a turn for the worse when the employee she only recently fired for good cause turns up dead on her property. Now the police are looking into the murder and it's causing a lot of havoc in Cam's life.
When a friend of hers is arrested for the murder, Cam feels obliged to get involved and she is soon squarely in the sights of the real killer. The more she digs, the less she likes what she finds out about the people in her life and the seedy underbelly of the town. The question is can she outwit the murderer before they decide to turn Cam into fertilizer for her own farm?
The plot surrounding the murder was damn good. Besides the host of possible suspects, the way certain darker aspects of the townspeople are peeled away like an onion works in ways that are guaranteed to bring you back to the series for the next four books in the series. I have to say that I was a bit surprised at the reveal of the killer. Not because it wasn't possible or anything but more because it sat there staring you in the face the whole time and yet you couldn't really believe it until it was laid bare in the story's climax.
In a lot of cozy series, the jobs the main characters have usually things I would never want to do myself. But learning even the most basic ideas behind those jobs has always been an interesting addition to the notion of catching the killer.
Given the author's own background dealing with farming, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that Cam's day to day life as a farmer rings with authenticity. Between worrying about the weather and the endless chores to make sure things grow properly, it is not an easy life.
I loved the way Edith Maxwell made Cam less of a warm and cuddly presence than you might typically find in these kinds of stories. While she's not rude or anything, the fact that she has to work at being outgoing and friendly towards her customers is a nice twist on Cam's seemingly more taciturn nature. She'd rather be in her own head and taking care of the tasks she has to accomplish. But the realization that she needs to have a good public persona to build the farm into a successful business makes for great character building potential.
The supporting cast of characters was pretty interesting as well. Between Cam's friends, family and business acquaintances, there's a host of possible suspects for the murder but plenty of room to play with any kind of subplot the author may desire to introduce.
I'm not sure what I think of the potential love interest for Cam, but seeing her re-establish a long ago friendship and reaching out to a young girl who shows an interest in farming serve to soften a few of Cam's rough edges, character-wise.
But in the end, the first book in Edith Maxwell's Local Foods Mysteries series is a winner because the author knows how to grow a flat out good (and entertaining) murder mystery. What more can a reader ask for than that?
August 28, 2017
Overall, I liked this first in a new-to-me series. A nifty premise of a computer programmer, Cam, come home to run her uncle's farm that he's given her in Massachusetts. She wants it to be organic and is working hard, even with odds against her. Someone is sabotaging her crops and a former employee is found dead in her barn.
I liked her blossoming relationship with a chef that's off to a bumpy start. I liked seeing how hard she works to keep her farm going, seeing how many different types of crops she grows. I would like to get a mental image of the size of the farm.
There are quite a few characters to keep track of, the volunteers and the militia that is hinted at and will hopefully show up in future books. Some characters are fleshed out and others are mentioned in bits here and there. I had a bit of trouble keeping folks straight, that may have been just me though.
I did like how Cam came to investigate the murder. It felt natural since the suspect is Cam's friend and the police seem to stop looking now that they have someone in custody.
A little rough around the edges, but I do like the main character, the setting and the premise. I love gardening and growing crops and seeing how others accomplish it. I look forward to seeing how Cam and her potential beau get along. And where the militia fits in. I'll be getting the next in the series, TIL DIRT DO US PART.
I recommend this mystery.
I liked her blossoming relationship with a chef that's off to a bumpy start. I liked seeing how hard she works to keep her farm going, seeing how many different types of crops she grows. I would like to get a mental image of the size of the farm.
There are quite a few characters to keep track of, the volunteers and the militia that is hinted at and will hopefully show up in future books. Some characters are fleshed out and others are mentioned in bits here and there. I had a bit of trouble keeping folks straight, that may have been just me though.
I did like how Cam came to investigate the murder. It felt natural since the suspect is Cam's friend and the police seem to stop looking now that they have someone in custody.
A little rough around the edges, but I do like the main character, the setting and the premise. I love gardening and growing crops and seeing how others accomplish it. I look forward to seeing how Cam and her potential beau get along. And where the militia fits in. I'll be getting the next in the series, TIL DIRT DO US PART.
I recommend this mystery.
August 10, 2021
A new author and series for me. I look forward to reading more books in this series
July 15, 2017
I have read this book before but I do not exactly remember when. It was an good mystery, but the farming parts just did not ring true to me. With the character thinking that she can just remove a little bit of the soil and then attempt to rake in the rest of any salt that fell off the plants is just not right. If enough salt was put on the plants to kill them then enough salt was scattered around to be in the soil and make the soil unable to grown anything. There is a reason beaches and salt water does not have many plants by it.
The author may have attempted to have a hobby farm at one time but she really does not know much about farming or farm life. Really no idiot would keep a grill, lighter fluid or matches in a barn. Barns always have more than one way in/out. The description makes me think it was more of a shed than a barn. Hell the tobacco barn here on the farm has 6 double doors and one single door on the side. Then it has the stripping room that has an outside door. The stable has an open front with four double doors on the back, one on the front, and 3 side doors not to mention the large door in the hay loft or the opening about the door hay loft.
Just because someone attempted to play hobby farming does not mean diddly squat. What really happens on a farm is nothing compared to what happened in this story. I will read the second book in the series but I do not hold out much hope. The author just cannot write about farming with any type of knowledge.
Borrowed from my public library.
The author may have attempted to have a hobby farm at one time but she really does not know much about farming or farm life. Really no idiot would keep a grill, lighter fluid or matches in a barn. Barns always have more than one way in/out. The description makes me think it was more of a shed than a barn. Hell the tobacco barn here on the farm has 6 double doors and one single door on the side. Then it has the stripping room that has an outside door. The stable has an open front with four double doors on the back, one on the front, and 3 side doors not to mention the large door in the hay loft or the opening about the door hay loft.
Just because someone attempted to play hobby farming does not mean diddly squat. What really happens on a farm is nothing compared to what happened in this story. I will read the second book in the series but I do not hold out much hope. The author just cannot write about farming with any type of knowledge.
Borrowed from my public library.
May 29, 2019
This is a pretty good first book for a cozy mystery series. The author is a former certified organic farmer, so she got the gardening details right and understands how much work a CSA requires. The mystery was well done, I wasn't sure who did it until the final unveiling, and there are some interesting minor characters to meet along the way. I even liked that the heroine didn't set out to find the killer as soon as she found a dead body, instead it was kind of forced upon her.
The weakness of this book for me was the MC. She doesn't have any real personality but remains pretty much a bank throughout the story. Still, I'll happily read another one of these. Perhaps she'll become more fleshed out as the series continues.
The weakness of this book for me was the MC. She doesn't have any real personality but remains pretty much a bank throughout the story. Still, I'll happily read another one of these. Perhaps she'll become more fleshed out as the series continues.
June 21, 2014
Cam Flaherty left her job in the corporate world to take over her uncle's farm after his lost his leg. She's determined to go all organic and has a group of friendly volunteers who are excited to help her out. But one leftover farm worker from her uncle, is found in her barn with a pitchfork in his neck. Now all her plans seem to come up against someone who doesn't want her to succeed. Worse yet, her good friend, Lucinda, is caught up in all the trouble. If Cam wants her farm to work, she'll have to find the murderer.
I really enjoyed the characters and the focus on all organic, locally grown foods, perhaps more than the mystery. I was a bit disturbed by the addition of the three " great" illegal immigrants from Brazil, Poland and Sweden, no less. It felt a bit like a political viewpoint was being forced into this cozy mystery. But the fledgling romance with the local chef felt very real. And her fun Uncle, and all his Assisted Living buddies, feel like they'll play into future books. Since this is the first in a series, I'm looking forward to reading more about locally grown and organic in mysteries!
I really enjoyed the characters and the focus on all organic, locally grown foods, perhaps more than the mystery. I was a bit disturbed by the addition of the three " great" illegal immigrants from Brazil, Poland and Sweden, no less. It felt a bit like a political viewpoint was being forced into this cozy mystery. But the fledgling romance with the local chef felt very real. And her fun Uncle, and all his Assisted Living buddies, feel like they'll play into future books. Since this is the first in a series, I'm looking forward to reading more about locally grown and organic in mysteries!
May 22, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! Cam has inherited her Uncle's farm and even though she doesn't know much about farming except what her Uncle taught her things are working out! When her farm hand Mike gets murdered in her barn Cam hopes she is not on the top of the suspect list since she just fired him! When one of her volunteers is arrested she knows the woman is innocent and sets out to prove it! With every clue she uncovers she gets a little closer to finding the real killer! With strange things happening on the farm she has to act quick or she might just become the next victim! I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next book!
August 19, 2019
This was a nice mystery, with several suspects and an interesting cast of characters.
I thought the flashback to her childhood was unnecessary and out of place, since it involved only a very small end of the book episode. So it felt forced or an afterthought to me.
I learned a bit about farming, locavore and girl scout badges :)
The critical clue was held back until the end, which is the author's right.
I borrowed a copy from the public library, and will possibly read further in this series.
I thought the flashback to her childhood was unnecessary and out of place, since it involved only a very small end of the book episode. So it felt forced or an afterthought to me.
I learned a bit about farming, locavore and girl scout badges :)
The critical clue was held back until the end, which is the author's right.
I borrowed a copy from the public library, and will possibly read further in this series.
May 29, 2013
I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. I received it free through Goodreads. The lead character, Cameron, is quirky with a good back story. The use of organic and local produce is timely and of interest to me. The author introduces a varied cast of characters who will be fun to learn about in future volumes of the series.
June 27, 2016
Nice little first in a series. Nothing really fantastically twisty or shocking about the plot (murderer seemed pretty obvious about halfway through), but a good solid mystery that moves at a good pace and comes to a logical conclusion. Likable characters, with lots of potential for further developments as the series progresses. Looking forward to picking up the second in the series.
May 15, 2014
Good cozy mystery. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book in the series.
September 9, 2014
Could the author be any more liberal? I will never read another book by her.
July 1, 2023
First of all, Maddie Day is one of my favorite mystery writers. So I was eager to read this first book in her new series. However, this wasn’t an easy book for me to read. There were so many characters to remember and so much information to take in about organic farming. The first couple chapters were overwhelming and yet the only thing I knew for sure was a militant hired hand who had no problems using chemical pesticides and came to work reeking of alcohol was murdered on Cam’s newly acquired farm. Later chapters weren’t much better. Cam noticed significant scary tattoos on various community members but so what? There’s the hint of another story line but nothing develops. The most annoying piece for me was when Cam finally discovers who is responsible for trying to shut down her farm, she does NOTHING! She doesn’t call the police, she just puts the evidence away and worse apologizes to the perpetrator for hurting them. Who does that? And that’s it, the story moves on back to finding the murderer. I’ll admit the next two chapters are exactly what I like about Maddie Day’s stories. Quick, exciting and satisfying. But the rest of the book not so much…
August 3, 2020
Cameron Flaherty left her cubicle lifestyle as a computer programmer to run her great-uncle's farm in rural Connecticut. She wants to go all organic, no pesticides. She joins a locavore group, sells at a local farmer's market and provides produce for a local restaurant. She did not count on discovering her handyman dead in her greenhouse, with a pitchfork through his neck. Since Cameron had just fired Mike Montgomery for trying to use a pesticide, she is the prime suspect. However, another suspect soon emerges, Cameron's friend and one of her most loyal volunteers, Lucinda DaSilva, is arrested. Cameron knows Lucinda is incapable of murdering anyone, but her status as an undocumented immigrant makes her suspicious in the eyes of local law enforcement. Not to mention the local Patriots' Militia, who is always looking to blame immigrants for everything. There are a lot of balls for Cameron to juggle as she tries to keep her farm running and uncover the real murderer. A very enjoyable debut for a new cozy series.
May 13, 2025
Cameron Flaherty leaves her corporate job in the city to run her uncle's farm. She decides to get it certified as an organic farm. Sells CSA shares, goes to the farmers market once/week, strawberries and greens for a local restaurant.
Volunteers help at the farm at least once a week.
Mike Montgomery, an employee she had to fire, was found dead with her pitch fork in him.....
Cam and her one volunteer, Lucinda DaSilva were suspects. Lucinda was arrested.
Volunteers: Ellie, working on a girl scout badge, David Kosloski, Felicity, Alexandra, Irene; Jake restaurant owner, and potential love interest.
Uncle Albert; Ruth-friend from years ago and her twin girls; Chief Frost, Det Frost;
Stuart Wilson KILLED Mike due to jealousy over Katie, attempted to kill Cam and Ellie by trapping them in the barn and setting it on fire. He had put a bug on a flower container to listen to Cam.
Mike's Mom, Bev Montgomery was caught sabotaging some of her crops, rhubarb, potatoes.....
Volunteers help at the farm at least once a week.
Mike Montgomery, an employee she had to fire, was found dead with her pitch fork in him.....
Cam and her one volunteer, Lucinda DaSilva were suspects. Lucinda was arrested.
Volunteers: Ellie, working on a girl scout badge, David Kosloski, Felicity, Alexandra, Irene; Jake restaurant owner, and potential love interest.
Uncle Albert; Ruth-friend from years ago and her twin girls; Chief Frost, Det Frost;
Stuart Wilson KILLED Mike due to jealousy over Katie, attempted to kill Cam and Ellie by trapping them in the barn and setting it on fire. He had put a bug on a flower container to listen to Cam.
Mike's Mom, Bev Montgomery was caught sabotaging some of her crops, rhubarb, potatoes.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2023
I picked up books 1 and 3 in this series at a book sale and liked 1 enough to read on to 3. But the problems in book 1 are magnified by the third book in the series, so I probably won't read on. Generally as cozy mysteries go, it's fine - you've got an interesting premise of a young woman taking on her great uncle's Massachusetts farm and turning it into a Community Sponsored Agriculture share program and organic farm. However, Cam isn't a very likable or relatable character to me. I felt the same about the other characters. It's hard to feel anything for them. They are like cardboard cutouts moved around for the plot. It's okay as far as a cozy goes but not a favorite.
December 3, 2025
Cam lost her job in computers as her Uncle had to stop farming. Her Uncle gave her the farm. She decided to go organic with the farm as well as forming a co-op type group of people to buy her produce. She sells weekly at the farmer's market. She becomes friends with one of her co-op members, Lucinda. When the farm hand she fired for bringing a pesticide on the farm is found dead in her hoop building, Lucinda is arrested for the crime. Cam is sure that Lucinda is innocent and is determined to prove it. Interesting story. I like that Cam solved her problems and the book didn't have a man rush in.
June 29, 2017
Former computer geek, Cameron "Cam" Flagherty, takes over her great uncle's farm with plans of making it an organic farm. After she fires her employee for attempting to use pesticides, he is later found stabbed to death on the farm. The victim was a part of a militia group against immigrants. Now Cam tries to figure out who the murderer is before one of her friends is wrongly sent to jail and while dealing with sabotage to some of her crops. A very good book and I look forward to the next one.
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