A Berry Suspicious Death

Cranberry Cove #9

by Peg Cochran

Weddings are murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The cranberry bogs at Sassamanash Farms have never looked more festive than when Monica’s half-brother celebrates his wedding there. It’s a genuinely joyous occasion, and even greeting a strange assortment of guests and witnessing a heated argument can’t spoil Monica’s mood. But that all changes when one of the guests is found murdered at the reception—and then one of Monica’s employees is accused of doing the deed to get his hands on the dead woman’s money.

It doesn’t take long for Monica to discover that the victim had amassed her fortune by marrying a very wealthy—and very ill—older man. What’s more, the old man’s daughters despised the scheming, gold-digging woman, and thought the inheritance money should have been theirs. That seems like motive enough for murder, but Monica suspects there’s more to this case than simple greed. With her employee in hot water and time running out, Monica will have to act fast to catch the killer, before a case that started with a family wedding ends with her own funeral . . .

Includes a mouthwatering bread recipe!

Praise for Berried

“Peg Cochran has a truly entertaining writing style that is filled with humor, mystery, fun, and intrigue. You cannot ask for a lot more in a super cozy!” —Open Book Society

“I can’t wait for Monica’s next tasty adventure—and I’m not just saying that because I covet her cranberry relish recipe.” —Victoria Abbott, national bestselling author of the Book Collector Mysteries


About the

Peg Cochran is the USA Today bestselling author of the Lucille Mysteries, the Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries, the Cranberry Cove Mysteries, and also, writing as Meg London, the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, and as Margaret Loudon, the Open Book series. She has two daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson, and two beautiful granddaughters. You can read more at www.pegcochran.com and www.meglondon.com.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

193 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books' stats on Amazon.

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan. She is the author of the Open Book Series (written as Margaret Loudon), the Murder, She Reported series, the Cranberry Cove Series, the Farmer’s Daughter series, the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London.)

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, A Berry Suspicious Death, by Peg Cochran, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book nine in The Cranberry Cove Mystery series. Monica should be celebrating a joyous occasion, the wedding of her brother, but when someone is murdered, Monica has a killer to catch! This was a nice cozy mystery,

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Berry Suspicious Death (A Cranberry Cove Mystery #9)" by Peg Cochran falls a few months after Monica gives birth to her son, Theodore (Teddy). It starts off at the wedding of Monica's half brother. At the end of the reception the vendors are picking up their items and the port-o-potty guy comes for his rentals. Well, one wasn't as unoccupied as it should be. I have to say that has got to be a gross place to be left. Luckily that's all that the port-o-potty was used for, a hiding place.

Monica seems to mostly just collect the gossip. Everyone seems happy to spill the tea to her wherever she goes. I was totally ready to pin everything on one particular person. They did do some illegal things but not what the primary crime of the story was. Thankfully the dire situation that was part of the reveal happened when the baby was home with Monica's husband/the dad. Yay, Cozy Mysteries! Keeping babies and animals safe.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know, maybe I am just on a bad run lately. I used to enjoy this series more. Monica is a good main character, even dragging a baby with her, but this particular mystery just seemed very formulaic. Monica is just given a reason to show up somewhere, a delivery for the shop, a dance class with her stepmother or dinner out with Greg and clues just appear for who did in her baker's new wife, at Jeff and Lauren's wedding and stuffed her in a port-o-potty. While the framework for a series I really did enjoy is still there, it definitely feels hollow and more just going thru the motions. Hopefully, the next mystery brings back a little more of the spark! Thank you to #Netgally, #BeyondthePagebooks, and the author for a chance to read. #ABerrySuspiciousDeath #PegCochran #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

New mom Monica is delighted when her brother gets married. The wedding is perfect until the portable potties are removed and the body of one of the guests tumbles out. Not a nice way to end the festivities. Monica’s insatiable curiosity is already in gear when the woman’s daughter begs Monica to help her. With newborn baby duties, making sure her business does not falter while she is on maternity leave and her own step mother’s penchant for dragging her off to all sorts of things, one might surmise Monica would not have time to investigate but she still manages to uncover clues that point her and the reader to the villain. But things may not be quite as the reader and Monica might expect. There is a lovely twist that allowed me to be right and wrong at the same time. Well done. It does make me chuckle when an author can do that.

This is an enjoyable series and the current book could be read as a standalone but it will be a richer experience if you have the entire backstory. Four purrs and two paws up.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica is back in action sleuthing the town after having baby Teddy.

The book opens with Monica’s brother, Jeff, marrying Lauren. Towards the end of the reception a woman is found deceased in the porta potty. Who is the woman and how did she die? Monica finds clues as she navigates new motherhood.

I enjoyed the mystery but it wasn’t as attention grabbing as the books before in the series. I’m sure it is just me as I usually view the character in a much different light when they start becoming new mothers. In my mind I would think they would be less likely to put themselves in danger.

I will continue the series if more are written. A cranberry bread recipe is included in the book.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ABerrySuspiciousDeath #NetGalley is another delightful book in this series.
Monica's brother is getting married and she couldn't be more proud.
The day seems perfect, until the end, when a body tumbles out of a porta potty. That's not exactly wedding etiquette.
Monica soon finds herself wrapped up in the murder investigation, trying to balance motherhood and marriage while trying to catch a killer.
Thank you to NetGalley for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

[Melanie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think about weddings, I am always thinking about the perfect gift or what shoes to wear. Murder and porta potties never cross my mind but I sure as glad they crossed the author mind because they make up the central plot of this story. Once again, this story takes us back to Cranberry Cove which immediately made me think fall. The town sounds picturesque, and I admit to a mild curiosity to see a cranberry farm at harvest time. I bet it makes a thoroughly unique wedding venue.
While weddings are beautiful, this star of this wedding was a drama and tension which skyrocketed with guests and staff when Jolie made her appearance. Monica, our somewhat reluctant investigator and new mom on leave, finds herself with a plethora of motives and suspects to chase sometimes with a baby in tow. As I mentioned, Monica is somewhat reluctant and at one point pushes her laptop aside to let the professional do the job, but curiosity wins out and she is back chasing leads. On one hand we have money and, on the other, had we have more money leading to two suspect pools. The author did an amazing job of laying out cases against the heirs, the possible heirs, the greed card chasing hubby and her former employer. All had motive – money and a lot had opportunity – the wedding.
You simply had to keep turning the pages are new information was uncovered, new scenarios bloomed as to the identity of the murderer. As a new fan of cozies, I am finding more reasons to enjoy these stories. One the surface, our FMC are normal women with normal jobs and no special powers but below the surface they are more. They are diligent and loyal friends who hate to see justice not served or the wrong person punished. The normalcy of the FMC's live made her relatable although I don't know if I am ready to jump in and play hero. LOL
I liked how her two stories Monica was investigating had ties that possibly bound them together into one mystery. The question is do coincidences exist? I mean do ghosts exist or will solving one case solve the ghost mystery too?
This is my first book in the series but by the time I reached the midway point I had added another book in the series to my kindle.
Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[June Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't as taken with this one as I'd expected to be but it was still an enjoyable read. Monica's half-brother's wedding is going well until, well, the end. Having a dead body fall out of a porta-potty is enough to put a damper on about any occasion. That's when things get really complicated. Who is Jolie Clawson and why was she even there? Turns out, much to the surprise of almost everyone, she was married to Micky, Monica's newest baker. From there, the web of connections expands, pulling suspicion in many different directions. We're also introduced to a rather large cast of characters in the beginning, most of them guests or workers at the wedding, as well as Monica's barely two-month old son Teddy.

I won't detail the plot, that's what blurbs are for, but will say it involves family squabbles, worries that a house is haunted, packing and moving, a rather new age spa, a missing porta-potty, health aides, and more. For me, it was a slow build, with Monica more finding out more info/clues more by the luck of being in the right spot at the right time than any actual sleuthing. Given the presence of a baby in her life now, that's probably understandable, but there seemed to be lots of chit-chat and overhearing conversations but little actually happening much of the time. And, of course, she's selective in what info to share with police rather than all of it. Husband Greg seemed to be in and out of scenes but wasn't contributing much but a convenient body to care for little Teddy, as was one of his bookshop workers.

Bottom line, although I neither loved nor hated this book, it did hold my interest to keep reading to find out whodunit. While I was thinking maybe a 3 star rating for me, the ending was creative and timely, so it bumped it up to a 3.5 rounded to a 4 star for me. Others may find it more to their taste as it was, overall, an enjoyable read. Cranberry Cove sounds like a neat place to live, especially if you're into all things cranberry, and the characters, while sketchy in my mind, seemed overall to be likable. Thanks #NetGalley and #BeyondThePagePublishing for the early invite to drop into Jeff's wedding and check out what everyone was up to at Sassamanash Farms in Cranberry Cove.

[Sarah Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Peg Cochran book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The idea of murder happening around a cranberry farm in Michigan is really what caught my attention. This is definitely not something you see or read about every day, so I was intrigued. Being as how this is the most current book, I knew it would be a little more trouble catching up on everything and everyone. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought. It only took me a few chapters to figure out who everyone was.

I really enjoyed the world building, being able to imagine myself sitting around a massive cranberry bog enjoying the sunshine and the view. I especially liked the idea of a farm store where they turn the yummy cranberries into delicious baked goods sold to visitors and local stores alike. A very neat idea.

Monica is a great character, and I liked the dynamic on new motherhood but also trying to take care of her family, the farm store, and the family farm accounts. I also liked that she left most of the snooping to the police but helped where she could. Yes, you cannot always bypass danger, but a lot of it just kind of fell into her lap. No one asks for bodies to just fall at your feet or that you find blood in erstwhile places where it should not be.

She is very caring, and her maternal side really came through, especially how she had compassion for the victim's daughter, even though most wouldn't have had. But her just having had a new baby, a lot of those hormones and emotions make you see things and people a different way. I appreciated being able to see her character in that light. It all just added together to make the book even more interesting.

I appreciated the mystery on top of a mystery angle as well. I love it when I have to go through twists and turns to figure things out. It just makes it that much more fun. I enjoyed everything about this book, and I recommend it, even if you haven't read the other books yet. The only thing that I could complain about at all was perhaps too many characters in the story all at once. I understand it was at a wedding so there will be naturally more characters but that part, was a little confusing. I still figured everyone out, I am just expressing this thought for the future. That's all.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publisher, and to Peg Cochran for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are honest and are completely my own.

[Tracy Condie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 9th book in the series and it starts out with Monica‘s half-brother Jeff getting married at the Sassamanash cranberry farm. Everything starts out joyous and thankfully the happy couple is on their way to their honeymoon before the body is found by our sleuth. Monica had only just met Jolie Spencer when her talented baker/employee Mick introduced her as his wife…Monica didn’t even know he was dating. Guess who ends up at the top of the suspect list when Jolie turns up dead? As usual, our sleuth feels compelled to look into things because she just can’t imagine Mick killing anyone. Mick hasn’t exactly been 100% truthful with Monica but a being a killer is not one of the things he is hiding. It turns out that Jolie is a recent widow who had a rather well off and much older husband, whom she had met while working as his health aide while he was terribly sick. He died not long after they were married leaving behind Jolie and his two adult daughters. One can imagine what the adult daughters think about their now rich stepmom. Thus the plot thickens like a nice soup you might find at the Pepper Pot, and excellent restaurant who Monica often goes for dinner with husband or lunch with a friend. Another possible suspect is Jolie’s daughter who is not as well off as Jolie, in fact she is struggling financially and works at a seedy bar to make ends meet. Monica having recently become a mom herself, does a pretty good job of balancing “new mom” responsibilities with hunting down clues. She even takes time to get in a little exercising with Jeff’s mom, Gina. The visits to the fitness facility lead Monica down an entirely different rabbit hole...and perhaps another suspect as well. The story has you guessing and second guessing with well laid clues and tricky red herrings. In addition to an engaging and entertaining mystery you also have a great seasonal bread recipe using fresh cranberries, bananas, and walnuts waiting for you at the conclusion of the story.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Berry Suspicious Death by Peg Cochran takes us back to Cranberry Cove, Michigan where we join Jeff’s and Lauren’s wedding in progress. All is beautiful until well after the reception, when the bride and groom have left for a short honeymoon and the vendors are tearing down the food and the tent. The port-a-potty guy is there to take those back to his yard when one falls off his cart and a body falls out. Several people rush to her side only to find out it’s too late. What a weird end to a glorious day. Monica was still on maternity leave after birthing adorable Teddy, but that didn’t stop her from investigating. It was all odd. First Mick, her baker, introduces her to his new wife, a woman several decades his elder, and now she is dead. Thankfully Jeff and Lauren missed this part.

Monica did as much research online as she was able, but she also drove into town and asked questions of several people. She also listened when people were talking to others. It was a complicated mystery with many moving parts and they were slow to come together. Then, her prime suspect ends up dead. Meanwhile there was Teddy and the farm shop to occupy her time. Monica is a good character. She is a regular person living her best life in a small town. She is clever and curious, but also loyal and loving. Her marriage to Greg appears to be going well and in her spare time she is packing to move to their new home. Jeff and Lauren will move into her cottage. This are all lovely people that Peg Cochran has written into a community. They are just everyday folks, like the ones the readers all know. It is a fun series and this was a good addition. Thanks Peg Cochran for creating this series!

I was invited to read A Berry Suspicious Death by Beyond The Page Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #PegCochran #ABerrySuspiciousDeath

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Berry Suspicious Death by Peg Cochran is the ninth A Cranberry Cove Mystery. It is nice to return to Cranberry Cove and Sassamanash Farm. I enjoyed the description of the cranberry bog filled with the different colored cranberries ready to be harvested. The murder begins at the end of the first chapter (a wee bit early). I found the mystery to be formulaic. Monica, sometimes with and sometimes without the baby, asks questions and searches for clues. A reason is found for Monica to be at certain places where she gathers helpful information or evidence (right place at the right time). The solution to the whodunit was obvious and it did not take long to figure out why. I did find one aspect of the mystery to be unique and amusing. Greg was not prominent in this story. He was helpful in taking care of Teddy and as a listening ear. I feel bad for Greg’s bookstore employee. She has a crush on Greg, and the couple use this to their advantage when they need a babysitter. I did feel that Gina was too much (I do not know why Monica does not put her foot down and tell her no) at times. A Berry Suspicious Death is a nice story, but it is different from earlier books in the series (lacking joie de vivre). This story can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. A Berry Suspicious Death transports readers to Cranberry Cove for a sweet wedding, a bouncing baby, nanny interviews, a slain spouse, fitness fun, and tempting cranberry treats.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica’s brother Jeff gets married as fall comes to the cranberry farm. It’s a beautiful day for Jeff and Lauren, and they leave for their honeymoon before anything goes wrong. A dead woman tumbles out of a porta-potty when it is being picked up at the end of the wedding.
Monica intends to stay out of it as she is now Mom to baby Teddy (Theodore). I have to say I’m glad we final know Monica and Greg had a little boy. I was a little bit put out to not know the gender of the baby at the end of the last book.
Back to A Berry Suspicious Death. Jeff’s Mom Gina keeps pulling Monica away to go to this new health spa that has opened up in town. The owner Kiran conducts classes in an interesting fashion. He also seems a bit suspicious with some of his activities and what Monica is hearing about his past.
There are suspects that don’t pan out, there are new issues that rise to the surface, and I didn’t suspect who the murderer turned out to be.
I enjoyed reading A Berry Suspicous Death and taking a journey with Monica as a new Mom and preparing to move to the new home she and Greg were building in a previous book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page for the opportunity to read this book.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place in the Cranberry Bogs of Sassamanash Farms. I have never read a book in this type of setting. It was interesting to read about the process while try to figure out the true murderer. Monica's half-brother is getting married at the Farm. At the end of the reception, one of the guests is found murdered in a port-a-potty. Luckily the newlyweds have already departed. Unluckily, the murder victim is the new wife of one of Monica's employees. As Monica digs deeper, she finds that the woman if very wealthy and her employee becomes a prime suspect. Monica does not believe he killed his wife, and the woman had lots of enemies. She married older, sick and very rich men. She then inherited their money. Were the wills real? Were the men coerced or bamboozled into cutting off their own children? Monica wants to solve this quickly, not only to save her employee but to save their business as well.

This was an easy-to-read story. I have not read all the books in this series, but it was pretty easy to understand who the characters were and how they fit into the "family". The story had several twists. Very fun. Thanks to NetGalley for the change to read and offer my unbiased opinion on the book.

[Deborah Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Berry Suspicious Death
By: Peg Cochran

Book 9 of A Cranberry Cove Mystery

Publish Date: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Beyond the Page

Cooking, Food and Wine/Mystery and Thriller/Parenting and Families

#ABerrySuspiciousDeath#NetGalley





I would like to thank both NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:

I gave this cozy mystery 4 stars. I read and reviewed book 8 in this series a while ago. I enjoy me a quick and fun mystery.

In this book Monica has had her baby and is on maternity leave. Her half-brother is getting married, and everything is going great until the guy comes to pick up the port-a-potty. As he is lifting the potty a body falls out of it. The person is the new wife to the cook she hired before she went on leave. Who killed her and why?

Come to find out she wasn't well liked and had a not so perfect pass. Monica is on the case because she wants to help her cook and somethings just don't add up.

[Luis Nuñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 9th. book in the Cranberry Cove Mysteries.

Death by porta-potty? The porta potty happens to be an important element in this book, and it is all revealed at the end.

I liked the fun plot, and the characters, well…most of them. This is a typical cozy in that there are so many characters, and you are led to believe one of the characters is the guilty one, but then things change and you believe that another is the murderer.

One important fact that is explained in this book is how to alert a policeman when you are in danger without saying a word. I like to learn from books in addition to getting involved in a mystery.

I give this book 4 stars because of the fact that since Monica just had a baby, obviously she had to feed it. In my opinion, there was too much written about feeding times. I felt this was overdone, and distracting.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.

Thank you to Beyond the Page Publishing and Net Galley for making an advance reader’s copy available for me to read and then post a personal review.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In A BERRY SUSPICOUS DEATH Monica attends the wedding of Laura and Jeff, Monica's step-brother. Jodie Amantas, a wedding guest and wife of one of Monica's employees, is found dead after the wedding when Timmy Fisher, a Johnny-on-the-Spot worker, tips a porta potty for removal. How did Jodie Amantas wind up dead in a porta potty? I read on to find out.

It feels good to read another book in the Cranberry Cove Mystery series. Setting the wedding at Sassamanash Farms is perfect. Many mysteries I read take several chapters to establish the setting and characters but I am happy the author is able to do this in one swoop. In fact, the murder victim appears at the end of the first chapter. The mystery is well-constructed with a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading other books in the Mystery Cove series. Thank you, Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of A BERRY SUSPICOUS DEATH.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Berry Suspicious Death" is a cozy mystery. It's the 9th book in the series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this novel didn't spoil previous mysteries.

Monica just happened to repeatedly be right where she needed to be to see or overhear some clue to the mystery. She also stumbled upon a side mystery, which was actually the easier one to guess as she gathered more clues about it. However, Monica didn't seem very clever as she had troubles putting the clues together. I was a little confused by the ending--not whodunit, but why Monica didn't just tell the cop when she had the chance rather than hope he understood an little-known signal. Anyway. The writing also didn't read smoothly, but this is an Advanced Reader Copy, so the writing might be more polished in the final copy. There was no sex. There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of cozy mysteries.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Deana-Coffee, Books, Life Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica should be celebrating the most joyous time with her brothers wedding however things turn drastically grim when a body is found after a body is found at the reception. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse one of her own employees becomes a suspect in the murder. Now Monica can’t help but to dive in headfirst and figure out what what’s really going on. She soon finds herself with a crazy task of trying to balance marriage, motherhood, while trying to figure out who is a killer.

This is my first Peg Cochran read and definitely will not be my last. I know this series as well established, but I was able to catch on quick even jumping in at the ninth book. Monica is one of those people that people feel safe to be able to spell everything and then some to her. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and I love the cast of characters. I very much enjoyed the twofold mystery that we got within the story. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Berry Suspicious Death is the ninth cozy mystery in the Cranberry Cove series. Monica’s brother is now married and everything is goin great until a dead body is discovered during the wedding reception. As Monica uncovers tidbits of information that could lead to the killer, she isn’t able to stop investigating until she’s solved the case. Will she be able to unravel the secrets before it’s too late?

I have enjoyed this series since I first started it and am always up for another visit to Sassamanash Farms. I like the characters in this series and think Monica is a fun lead sleuth. Teddy was a great addition to this book and I loved seeing Monica’s maternal side. This mystery kept me guessing as all of the puzzle pieces started to fall together. The story was fast paced and easy to read. The mystery was complex and made for a good, entertaining read. This was another great installation in this series and I look forward to seeing if more comes for Monica!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the ninth in the Cranberry Cove mystery series, but I had no issues reading as a standalone. This book seemed a lot longer than the under 200 pages it was. I think my difficulty getting into the story was that it was full of commentary about Monica's baby Teddy and what she was dressing him in, or how she had to push is stroller, or finding a sitter, or putting him in his car seat. I was just over that and I guess it's been many years since having my son, but it just seemed like too much focus was on the baby than the actual mystery, which didn't keep me engaged.

I give it four stars because the murderer was not obvious and though I figured it out before the reveal, I didn't know who it was in the first few chapters, which is always worth bonus stars in my book.

Overall, however, I may want to try earlier books in the series before baby Teddy's arrival to cut down on the baby commentary.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her brother’s wedding, a body is found in one of the porta potties that was rented for the event. Doesn’t really concern Monica, even if it was found on the farm, she finds herself drawn in to helping her stepmother Saul a Billing issue with the Porta potties. This then turns into links that tie to other people and places in town.

Being Monica, she can’t help but pull the threads and try to solve a mystery that is right in front of her. But as a new mother, can she do it without bringing danger home to her family?

This is another solid entry running series. I love the setting on the farm with the cranberry bogs. I find myself craving cranberry bread and a cup of tea whenever I read a book in this series. This goes along really well with the mystery so have a nice cuppa and a couple slices of bread ready when you start reading.

[Marty Tool · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 but round up to 4 stars. Nice clean murder cozy, flows well and the characters are well written. I have not read any other previous books in this, and it was easy to get into the comfort of the setting, although I might get tired of cranberries in everything. There are a couple of mysteries in this, a murder, drugs, and another murder, along with shenanigans from an employee of a hospice center. All are solved, but I don't know that the evidence would hold up in a court of law as to how they were found. Not nitpicking I did enjoy this cozy and the characters. Several suspects looked promising. I received a free copy of, A Berry Suspicious Death, by Peg Cochran, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ninth book in the Cranberry Cove Mystery series. The writing was great. It’s too bad that people can’t take responsibility for themselves and their actions. Learn to work and make your own way in life.

I have notes to this book that say “Cry me a river! For Pete’s sake do what you can legally to get the life you want to lead.” Expecting others to give you everything is just unfathomable to me.

I am glad that we kept babies and pets safe in the book. I would expect nothing less in a cozy mystery. The mystery was well plotted with enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages.

I was given an advanced copy and am not required to leave a positive review. I would rate it 3.5 but since the rating system is whole numbers, I’ll be rounding up.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica's half-brother is getting married at Sassamanash Farms and the cranberry bogs have never looked better. The wedding was beautiful and all was going well until a guest was found dead during the reception. Monica becomes upset when one of her employees becomes the main suspect. She decides to look into things and soon discovers quite a bit about the victim. She received most of her fortune from marrying a wealthy man, one who was not only older but ill. The mans children hated her and felt they should have inherited his money. Monica begins to wonder if greed was the only motive and wants to figure out what she is missing. Follow along to see if she can keep her employee out of jail and nab the real killer.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica’s half brother is having his wedding at their cranberry farm and everyone is having a wonderful time. That changes when the celebrations are winding down and the company comes to pick up the porta-potties and a body tumbles out of one!
Monica is busy with her new baby and keeping up with their cranberry store and moving to a new home, but she still manages to find clues to the murder. Everywhere she goes in the small town, she bumps into the main suspects and picks up hints as to what is really going on. There are red herrings and intertwined motives which makes this a fun cozy mystery.
Thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

[JoAnn Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally learn the name of her baby! All the trails of motherhood are here, along with the mystery of who killed her employee's wife at her brother's wedding? And how is it that no one knew they WERE married? The answer to question two was he overstayed his visa, and she was willing to help if he helped her spend her money. The answer to the first happened to be a shock - with all the suspects, the culprit was as unlikely as they come. Not only was the employee's wife killed but the Port A Potty driver as well. The shocker of them all - what was going on with the company? The answer came out of nowhere but the end was every bit as shocking as all the other Cranberry Cove books!

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of excitement in the cranberry community in Michigan. Monica's half brother is getting married, her new baby is doing great, the new house is almost ready, and the store is doing ok. But then, a body falls out of the port-a-potty at the wedding. Who killed the new wife of one of Monica's employees? Lots of characters to track, and lots of clues to put together to find the guilty party in the land of cranberry scones. It was a good cozy--likeable heroine --.Am sure a sequel will be coming.
Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed the mystery and how it played out. The amateur sleuth is different than any of the previous books of read and that’s something that I really enjoyed. The mystery is captivating and I enjoyed the role that Monica played in solving the case. The secondary characters – including her infant son – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The book is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The body in the porta-potty was not an asset to the wedding breakfast. The victim was a shady woman suspected of overdosing her terminal husband then marrying a man needing a green card. Add in a couple of believers in ghosts and folklore and you have the basic background. But it's the group sleuthing that held my interest through the plot twists and odd red herrings. Besides, I really like this series.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
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