What do you think?
Rate this book
Orchard Mystery #8
Picked to Die
The new Orchard Mystery--from the New York Times bestselling author of Golden Malicious and Scandal in Skibbereen
A TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT
It’s harvest time in Granford, Massachusetts, and orchard owner Meg Corey and her fiancé, Seth, are both racing to beat the New England winter. Meg is bringing in her apple crop with a team of workers, while Seth is working to restore an old building in the center of town. But when his project is set back due to the unexpected discovery of a skeleton under the building—and even worse, a young man related to one of Meg’s former apple pickers is found dead behind the local feed store—the couple’s carefully laid plans are quickly spoiled…
Meg can’t help but are they just unlucky, or is there something rotten in Granford? If so, she knows she’s got to seek out the bad apple before it ruins the whole bunch…
Includes Delicious Recipes
A TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT
It’s harvest time in Granford, Massachusetts, and orchard owner Meg Corey and her fiancé, Seth, are both racing to beat the New England winter. Meg is bringing in her apple crop with a team of workers, while Seth is working to restore an old building in the center of town. But when his project is set back due to the unexpected discovery of a skeleton under the building—and even worse, a young man related to one of Meg’s former apple pickers is found dead behind the local feed store—the couple’s carefully laid plans are quickly spoiled…
Meg can’t help but are they just unlucky, or is there something rotten in Granford? If so, she knows she’s got to seek out the bad apple before it ruins the whole bunch…
Includes Delicious Recipes
292 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 7, 2014
142 people are currently reading
709 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Connolly
65 books1,392 followersSheila Connolly taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company providing genealogical research services.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
July 21, 2022
I hated this book from beginning to end. It took me awhile to even get into it and read it for longer than 20 mins at a time. I feel like every conversation that Meg has with anyone is very awkward and sounds so cheesy. The interactions between Meg and Bree are weird and I rolled my eyes every time Meg had to ask Bree's permission. How old is Meg again? And the constant pointing out every time a character was drinking liquids was a bit overdone. I wonder how much more this series can be stretched out with mysteries that just happen to always fall on Meg's lap. This was a bore....
October 31, 2014
3.5 out of 5 stars
Initial Thoughts: I do like this series. I do not like Bree or the way she speaks to most everyone in these novels.
Overall Thoughts: I like this series. I think the characters are good, the plots are well-written and the setting is awesome. What I don't like is the way the author has written the character of Bree. I think a lot of other readers agree. It's not that she's a boss in charge of the orchard with a huge chip on her shoulder. It's more that her words come out and are written very harshly. She's a jerk. Plain and simple. Oh woe is me, I'm a Jamaican woman, trying to make it in a man's world. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Meg is a good character. She definitely has a lot of charm and a lot to offer the readers. Seth is a great character too. The dialogue in the books, especially as of late, has been very stilted and almost formal. You almost think the people in the book are just talking in run on sentences and never take a breath of air. They speak in paragraphs, not in sentences where other people can reply. It's a little weird.
Gail was pretty annoying in this book too. She was so frenetic and just desperately wanted her historical society building to be done, done, done.
Every other sentence out of her mouth was, I know we have an aggressive timeframe but we want this done before winter. No kidding, we get it.
It was a good story and a good plot, though VERY slightly similar in the teenage drama area to The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Two different genres but similar theme.
All in all, a good book and moves the major themes and plotlines along. I like the series but not enough to pay money for it.
Initial Thoughts: I do like this series. I do not like Bree or the way she speaks to most everyone in these novels.
Overall Thoughts: I like this series. I think the characters are good, the plots are well-written and the setting is awesome. What I don't like is the way the author has written the character of Bree. I think a lot of other readers agree. It's not that she's a boss in charge of the orchard with a huge chip on her shoulder. It's more that her words come out and are written very harshly. She's a jerk. Plain and simple. Oh woe is me, I'm a Jamaican woman, trying to make it in a man's world. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Meg is a good character. She definitely has a lot of charm and a lot to offer the readers. Seth is a great character too. The dialogue in the books, especially as of late, has been very stilted and almost formal. You almost think the people in the book are just talking in run on sentences and never take a breath of air. They speak in paragraphs, not in sentences where other people can reply. It's a little weird.
Gail was pretty annoying in this book too. She was so frenetic and just desperately wanted her historical society building to be done, done, done.
Every other sentence out of her mouth was, I know we have an aggressive timeframe but we want this done before winter. No kidding, we get it.
It was a good story and a good plot, though VERY slightly similar in the teenage drama area to The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Two different genres but similar theme.
All in all, a good book and moves the major themes and plotlines along. I like the series but not enough to pay money for it.
September 16, 2016
Can Author Sheila Connolly write a mediocre novel? No. Simply put, No. This series was the first that I read to be introduced to Ms. C's talent as an author. We are now Book eight or so, and she amazes me with a new and completely new murder mystery, still written with our character friends from books one and on...yet, with using topics that are currently being discussed in our homes today.
Meg Corey and Seth Chapin are engaged (I'm happy about this.) Meg still shares her home with apple orchard manager, Briona Stewart (Bree.) The town of Granford, MA is still the familiar town we have grown to love. The town is experiencing growth problems, which Is keeping Seth more than busy. The Historical Society needs to enlarge their property and decide to add a basement addition (climate controlled and all.) To the community's shock a skeleton is found. This is just the first body a young High School senior comes across.
Granford has other issues that are keeping pace with the rest of the United States, such as immigration, breaking civil laws, and the age-old problem of women and men.
To say more would spoil this novel and I do want to urge the population to read this volume. Not only did I learn fascinating construction techniques, but also historic forensic pathology and disease patterns. Ms. C. is talented with weaving the past through the present day in her story telling.
I really enjoy every volume of this original series, and hope to continue to for many years to come!
Meg Corey and Seth Chapin are engaged (I'm happy about this.) Meg still shares her home with apple orchard manager, Briona Stewart (Bree.) The town of Granford, MA is still the familiar town we have grown to love. The town is experiencing growth problems, which Is keeping Seth more than busy. The Historical Society needs to enlarge their property and decide to add a basement addition (climate controlled and all.) To the community's shock a skeleton is found. This is just the first body a young High School senior comes across.
Granford has other issues that are keeping pace with the rest of the United States, such as immigration, breaking civil laws, and the age-old problem of women and men.
To say more would spoil this novel and I do want to urge the population to read this volume. Not only did I learn fascinating construction techniques, but also historic forensic pathology and disease patterns. Ms. C. is talented with weaving the past through the present day in her story telling.
I really enjoy every volume of this original series, and hope to continue to for many years to come!
April 15, 2021
In questo libro ci sono due misteri da risolvere: uno molto vecchio (risale grossomodo a metà Settecento!) e l'altro nuovo di zecca. Quest'ultimo riguarda un immigrato stagionale come ce ne sono anche in Italia e questo fatto da spunti interessanti, sebbene l'autrice avrebbe potuto affrontare di più il tema del razzismo contro i lavoratori stagionali agricoli provenienti dall'estero, senza contare che il motivo dietro all'omicidio riflette alcuni cliché su di loro. Il cold case, invece, da luogo a ricerche storiche, appena abbozzate a dire il vero, e questo non può non interessarmi. Devo solo notare che sono molto fortunati: nel giro di una settimana riescono a scoprire morte e miracoli di un cadavere! Fosse così semplice nella realtà per gli storici!
April 9, 2017
Another good entry in the series. It's harvest time and like Meg I feel like I learn more about apple farming in each book. There were some new characters that Meg and Seth had to investigate for. I really enjoy how the towns history also will play a part in these stories (in this case learning about a 200 year old skeleton that was unearthed - amazing what they can tell from just bones).
December 17, 2014
Actually the rating on this should be 2 1/2 stars....it took me almost a week to begin this book; the story-line on this series has become tedious, repeating itself every book the "how + why" of the murders change some but I may put this series down permanently. BORING!
March 22, 2018
Meg and Bree are on their 2nd harvest, they are down an apple picker as one of the team has brought his nephew over and knew that there wasn't space for an extra picker so the two of them joined a different team. This means that everyone in the orchard needs to work that little bit harder. Whilst this is happening Seth is busy with his restoration and plumbing work, but the main focus for him is digging out a basement for the Historical Society, which means more storage, a bathroom! and HVAC, the earth is being removed using a form of vacuum suction and during this a local scout (who asked if he could watch as this would work towards a badge or two) notices a partial skull! On top of that a few days later the same young man finds a dead body and he is the only suspect.
Neither Seth nor Meg believe that Jeffrey could be guilty so they take precious time away from work to find out the truth (oh and at some point they need to plan a wedding - no stress then).
Neither Seth nor Meg believe that Jeffrey could be guilty so they take precious time away from work to find out the truth (oh and at some point they need to plan a wedding - no stress then).
February 26, 2019
This is such a nice series and I like all the characters. Meg has the ability to be in the middle of everything that happens in her new home town, but she is getting through her second apple harvest and building a life on her apple farm.
August 26, 2016
This was my first foray into this series, and unfortunately, I think it'll be the last. I love cozy mysteries, and so when this popped up on the digital library system I use, I decided to give it a whirl. It wasn't so much the content of book that bothered me- actually, the plot wasn't bad at all. What really bothered me were the characters and the dialogue.
The characters- I admit that this being the first time I read this series, I didn't have a feel for them, as other readers would, and that at this point, there wouldn't be much character development. Meg, the main character, wasn't very impressive. She seemed sort of bland, to be honest, and rather naive. She may be a new business owner, but the fact that she didn't know the basics of H2 visas, especially as an employer of mostly immigrants, seems ridiculous (but probably an easy way for the author to explain work visas to the readers). Her one non-immigrant worker, Zee, was unlikeable. It was so odd that whenever Meg wanted to run errands, she had to ask Zee for permission. Probably a running joke, but it wore itself out after the second or third time. And her attitude towards her boss was surly at best, and was basically outright rude. She claimed to be caught in the middle of a cultural/societal divide, which I can empathize with, but the way she handled it was rude and unprofessional, and quite frankly, irritating.
As for the dialogue, it felt very stilted to me. Characters would talk for paragraphs, and it felt more as though they were talking at each other, rather than holding a conversation. It just never felt natural to me. There are definitely situations in which that kind of flow makes sense, such as when a professor is lecturing to a class. Two friends talking to each other? Not as much. Some of the dialogue, especially when dealing with the topic of immigrant visas, felt as though the characters were reading off documents, instead of informing a friend.
TLDR; the characters and dialogue are irritating, don't bother reading unless you're already a fan of the series.
The characters- I admit that this being the first time I read this series, I didn't have a feel for them, as other readers would, and that at this point, there wouldn't be much character development. Meg, the main character, wasn't very impressive. She seemed sort of bland, to be honest, and rather naive. She may be a new business owner, but the fact that she didn't know the basics of H2 visas, especially as an employer of mostly immigrants, seems ridiculous (but probably an easy way for the author to explain work visas to the readers). Her one non-immigrant worker, Zee, was unlikeable. It was so odd that whenever Meg wanted to run errands, she had to ask Zee for permission. Probably a running joke, but it wore itself out after the second or third time. And her attitude towards her boss was surly at best, and was basically outright rude. She claimed to be caught in the middle of a cultural/societal divide, which I can empathize with, but the way she handled it was rude and unprofessional, and quite frankly, irritating.
As for the dialogue, it felt very stilted to me. Characters would talk for paragraphs, and it felt more as though they were talking at each other, rather than holding a conversation. It just never felt natural to me. There are definitely situations in which that kind of flow makes sense, such as when a professor is lecturing to a class. Two friends talking to each other? Not as much. Some of the dialogue, especially when dealing with the topic of immigrant visas, felt as though the characters were reading off documents, instead of informing a friend.
TLDR; the characters and dialogue are irritating, don't bother reading unless you're already a fan of the series.
October 8, 2014
Picked To Die is the eighth book in the An Orchard Mystery series.
Once again Sheila Connolly provides the reader with an excellent story in this interesting and informative series.
It's apple harvesting time, and Meg and Bree literally have their hands full. The same story for Seth, Meg boyfriend. Seth is beginning a new job for the historical society. They are going to dig a basement under their building, as they are beginning a boy scout, Jeffery Green, asks if he can help at the site so he can earn some merit badges. As they are sucking out the dirt for what will become the basement, Jeffrey sees what might be bones. Indeed there are and the project is shut down until a determination can be made as to might have been buried there.
Then, Jeffery finds the body of a young man behind the hardware store when he went to pick some lawn fertilizer, that was left outdoors for him. No one knows who the young man is, but Meg feels compelled to find out, so Jeffrey can get on with his life.
Most of the book centers around Meg, Bree and Seth and Jeffery's uncaring mother. I enjoy all the regular characters, but especially Bree. She's young just out of college and has an enormous responsibility managing the orchard. She does an outstanding job and is just "cheeky" enough, for one to chuckle from time to time.
Delicious recipes are also included with the book.
Definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, as well as any books Ms. Connolly writes.
Once again Sheila Connolly provides the reader with an excellent story in this interesting and informative series.
It's apple harvesting time, and Meg and Bree literally have their hands full. The same story for Seth, Meg boyfriend. Seth is beginning a new job for the historical society. They are going to dig a basement under their building, as they are beginning a boy scout, Jeffery Green, asks if he can help at the site so he can earn some merit badges. As they are sucking out the dirt for what will become the basement, Jeffrey sees what might be bones. Indeed there are and the project is shut down until a determination can be made as to might have been buried there.
Then, Jeffery finds the body of a young man behind the hardware store when he went to pick some lawn fertilizer, that was left outdoors for him. No one knows who the young man is, but Meg feels compelled to find out, so Jeffrey can get on with his life.
Most of the book centers around Meg, Bree and Seth and Jeffery's uncaring mother. I enjoy all the regular characters, but especially Bree. She's young just out of college and has an enormous responsibility managing the orchard. She does an outstanding job and is just "cheeky" enough, for one to chuckle from time to time.
Delicious recipes are also included with the book.
Definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, as well as any books Ms. Connolly writes.
January 10, 2016
An incredibly busy harvest time has hit Meg Corey's orchard in the town of Granford, Massachusetts, and Meg's fiancé, Seth is equally busy attempting to remodel the town's Historical Society building. While excavating beneath the historical society, workers uncover the skeleton of a long ago resident of the area. Concurrently, the body of a young Jamaican worker is discovered behind a local business. In order to help a friend, Meg and Seth dive into the investigation.
Sheila Connolly has an amazing talent to create unique and unpredictable plots, and PICKED TO DIE is no exception. For long time readers of this series, all the old favorite characters are back along with some new additions to the scene. And, somehow, Meg and Seth are able to make their way through this complicated scenario and plan their upcoming wedding, too.
I'm a fan of all of Ms. Connolly's series, but this one is one of my favorites.
Sheila Connolly has an amazing talent to create unique and unpredictable plots, and PICKED TO DIE is no exception. For long time readers of this series, all the old favorite characters are back along with some new additions to the scene. And, somehow, Meg and Seth are able to make their way through this complicated scenario and plan their upcoming wedding, too.
I'm a fan of all of Ms. Connolly's series, but this one is one of my favorites.
August 10, 2018
Good story line but it kind of fell down. There was the mysterious body under the house and there was a resolution of sorts...but I have the feeling there is more to the story. Or I'm hoping there is more to it. I kept waiting to read that Jeffrey had aspergers becasue of how he was presented and it would have made for a really great addition to the story and the series. Connolly tackles some sensitive issues and this one would have added a nice dimension to the story.
I do like how Seth and Meg progress in each story and how their circle of friends grows.
I do like how Seth and Meg progress in each story and how their circle of friends grows.
March 9, 2019
I tend to agree with other reviewers - the interactions between Meg and Bree, her orchard manager, have worn thin. Meg asks for time off from picking apples and Bree gets annoyed. That gets me annoyed. And Bree took offense at a lot that Meg did and said this time around. Poor Meg was just butting in as she always does.
Even more so than in past installments, in this book Meg tended to sit back and expect Bree and Seth to handle things that she started. Which they did throughout the book.
Other than that the plot kept my interest.
Even more so than in past installments, in this book Meg tended to sit back and expect Bree and Seth to handle things that she started. Which they did throughout the book.
Other than that the plot kept my interest.
December 28, 2024
This is another favorite series from another favorite author, although I’m parsing out the remaining books since I know there won’t be more coming.
My parents had a handful of apple trees, but my great-aunt lived on land that was home to a rather large orchard – which she cared for herself until she had to move into an assisted living facility when she was in her late 90s. All that is to say that I’m aware of how much work goes into maintaining an orchard, although starting essentially from scratch is even harder. I admire Meg’s determination – and her willingness to let Bri and Christopher make the major decisions along the way.
The murder victim here was a character we didn’t know much about, even during the early stages of the investigation. I liked that the police chief was willing to hand some of the investigation to Meg because she had a relationship with the victim’s friends and co-workers, who would have shut down had they been questioned by the police. I also liked that Seth was involved too – meaning that Meg didn’t do stupid things or put herself in dangerous situations. The reason for the death was understandable, but I never would have guessed the identity of the killer.
The next book from this series is in my audio collection and I’m eager to read it, but I’ll probably hold off a bit just to make the rest of the series last longer.
My parents had a handful of apple trees, but my great-aunt lived on land that was home to a rather large orchard – which she cared for herself until she had to move into an assisted living facility when she was in her late 90s. All that is to say that I’m aware of how much work goes into maintaining an orchard, although starting essentially from scratch is even harder. I admire Meg’s determination – and her willingness to let Bri and Christopher make the major decisions along the way.
The murder victim here was a character we didn’t know much about, even during the early stages of the investigation. I liked that the police chief was willing to hand some of the investigation to Meg because she had a relationship with the victim’s friends and co-workers, who would have shut down had they been questioned by the police. I also liked that Seth was involved too – meaning that Meg didn’t do stupid things or put herself in dangerous situations. The reason for the death was understandable, but I never would have guessed the identity of the killer.
The next book from this series is in my audio collection and I’m eager to read it, but I’ll probably hold off a bit just to make the rest of the series last longer.
August 25, 2019
Harvest time is in full swing at Meg Corey’s Granford, Massachusetts apple orchard. Meg and her fiancé, Seth, are both swamped with work and haven’t had time to plan their wedding. Meg and her workers are bringing in her apple crop, while Seth is working with the historical society, public library and more. One of Seth’s projects becomes waylaid by the discovery of a skeleton over 200 years old. That is soon followed by another body, one that died less than an hour before the discovery. Meg and Seth are pulled into the search for clues and let their own plans get pushed aside.
As always I enjoyed this series. The plots move along at a decent pace and the characters are well-written. I recommend the book and series. This book took me awhile to get into. It had nothing to do with the book, but the beginning wasn’t enough to pull me away from real life. About 30 pages in I started reading and didn’t want to put the book down. I read the last 200 pages in one day. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
As always I enjoyed this series. The plots move along at a decent pace and the characters are well-written. I recommend the book and series. This book took me awhile to get into. It had nothing to do with the book, but the beginning wasn’t enough to pull me away from real life. About 30 pages in I started reading and didn’t want to put the book down. I read the last 200 pages in one day. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 26, 2018
Meg and Bree are busy with the apple harvest and helping their Jamaican pickers. Seth is busy setting up the expansion of the local historical society - they are digging out the ground underneath to create a basement storage area. When bones are discovered, a forensic anthropologist is brought in. Meg gets to know a young high school student who first noticed the bones and who is interested in history. When the relative of one of Meg's former pickers is discovered dead behind the feed store, and the young man is implicated, Meg and Seth decide to help him. But discovering the real murderer turns out to be a difficult proposition. I enjoyed meeting some new characters, and an old one also popped up towards the end. Now if Meg and Seth could just find time to plan their wedding....
Goodreads, will you PLEASE fix the Date Read column?! It hasn't worked properly for ages.
Goodreads, will you PLEASE fix the Date Read column?! It hasn't worked properly for ages.
November 1, 2017
3.5 Stars. Meg is exhausted, from the efforts to save her orchard from the drought, and now the constant harvesting from the different types of apples that all ripen at different times. Seth, her fiance, is just as busy with his renovation business and town business. They don't even have time to start planning their wedding. Of course, they aren't too busy to involve themselves in another murder. A young man of their recent acquaintance finds a body at an excavation under the historical society, and then finds a much more recently deceased person behind the feed store. The story has some draggy spots, and perhaps a bit too many off shoots. It's no wonder Meg is exhausted. I'm exhausted reading about her life! I'm looking forward to the next one.
April 30, 2019
When a body turns up at a municipal construction site, of course Meg is right there, and is more than relieved that the body is more than 200 years old! It was discovered by a young teen, who was excited to research the find for the historical society...however, when that same teen discovers antoher body, this one MUCH fresher AND the nephew of one of Meg's former pickers, things go sideways, and Meg, along with fiance Seth, must try to find whodunit. This in the middle of harvest season AND planning her own wedding! The only ones staying calm in the midst of this fiasco are the goats, Isabelle and Dorcas, and the cat, Lolly!
Love to report that this one kept me guessing right up until the last few pages.
Love to report that this one kept me guessing right up until the last few pages.
Read
September 8, 2023Once again, the plucky Meg & fiance, Seth, get involved in a murder investigation. It's harvest time in the orchard & there's really no time for anything else but apple picking, but when the nephew of one of her former pickers is found dead by a squeaky clean Boy Scout, Meg feels obligated to help take the heat off him. Especially since he's nice, shy, loves history, & has found the skeletal remains of an early settler during the refurbishing of the Historical Society & wants to find out the history behind the area. Like the last novel in the series, Meg & Seth must face some gray areas in the law & try to decided where the line between justice & mercy actually lies.
November 4, 2024
A friend (AC) gifted me a number of books in this series--so far i have been reading them in order.
I liked that Meg wanted to get to know her pickers--to associate names and faces and learn a little about each one.
I liked that adults befriended Jeffrey.
I liked the researching history aspect--though it seems to go more easily in fiction than it does in real life. Just as the construction on the historical society building seems to go more quickly than it probably would in real life--and I'm not sure how quickly the police would clear a scene--that might have been a bit quicker than real life to0, though I will have to leave it to those with more experience in that area to say.
I liked that Meg wanted to get to know her pickers--to associate names and faces and learn a little about each one.
I liked that adults befriended Jeffrey.
I liked the researching history aspect--though it seems to go more easily in fiction than it does in real life. Just as the construction on the historical society building seems to go more quickly than it probably would in real life--and I'm not sure how quickly the police would clear a scene--that might have been a bit quicker than real life to0, though I will have to leave it to those with more experience in that area to say.
November 16, 2016
Quick, easy, enjoyable read. Even though it's apple harvest time Meg gets to spend more time with her finance Seth in this story since they're investigating who killed the nephew of a migrant worker. It kind of bothers me that Meg has to get permission from Bree, the orchard manager, before she can do anything either related to the orchard or not; I'm getting really aggravated with Bree. I'm looking forward to Meg and Seth actually getting married and to see what trouble they can get into next..
November 6, 2017
I definitely enjoyed this entry in this series. The mystery was very compelling and the solving made a lot of sense. I was annoyed at some aspects: Bree always seems so rude, Meg is always mildly offended by seemingly innocuous comments, and in this one she said and did things based off some racist assumptions. I'm choosing to look at it as a learning opportunity for readers through Meg, but I can do that because I'm white. All in all, a good read.
July 23, 2020
As much as it's so much nonsense that police would keep telling Meg so much, it's still a fun series to read. However, as usual, I'm much more interested in the orchard and other issues around the lives of the characters than I am about the mystery. In this one, an old corpse is found under a building and dead young man is found behind another building. There just wasn't enough there to make the book above average, but it was still a nice read.
September 28, 2023
I love this series, but this one just wasn't it for me. Can I say why, not really, cause I can't pinpoint when I stopped enjoying it.....but I know it took me forever to read. Obviously I will still keep going with the series as I'm this far in. I will say I did enjoy that for once the murderer didn't do it maliciously - and didn't almost kill the characters that I love (Meg, Seth, Bree). So I guess I didn't hate the whole thing...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2023
I got this book from the Stonebridge Club to take with me on our Portugal trip as a backup since I figured I’d finish the other book I brought. I actually walked down there the day we left and found it. Pretty convenient! I was looking for a mystery and there it was! It was an easy read, I didn’t particularly like the writer’s style, but I was interested in solving the mystery so that was enough to keep my attention.
March 24, 2020
Another cute story with a hint of mystery tied into some history. Plus a bit of a social issue in this one. Always fun to escape into Meg and Seth’s world. I just wish I like Bree better. She’s so abrupt and keeps meg at arms length concerning herself but always has an opinion about Meg. I want her to loosen up a bit.
September 8, 2020
Orchard #8
Meg and Seth get involved helping a high school student who discovers a dead Jamaican youth, nephew of one of Meg’s former orchard crew, behind the local feed store and is considered the prime suspect. Yes Meg is butting into Officer Marcus’s investigations again, but her insights provide significant clues and Seth’s connections around town help solve the case.
Meg and Seth get involved helping a high school student who discovers a dead Jamaican youth, nephew of one of Meg’s former orchard crew, behind the local feed store and is considered the prime suspect. Yes Meg is butting into Officer Marcus’s investigations again, but her insights provide significant clues and Seth’s connections around town help solve the case.
March 17, 2022
Another good entry in the Orchard mystery series, this book sees Meg, her fiancé Seth, and her friend Bree trying to find the identity of a skeleton found beneath the Historical Society building. Things get even more complicated when there is a new murder in town and a young man who has been helping them is accused of the murder.
August 27, 2024
Another great slice-of-hometown-life cozy mystery by Sheila Connolly! Two deaths, one in the 1700s and one in the modern day, lots of interesting information about the agricultural pickers who keep our food supply chain going, and a multi-layered mystery. Grannies is definitely a place I’d like to visit, if not live.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews