What do you think?
Rate this book
Seneca James Mysteries #2
Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe: A Seneca James Mystery
Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, ends up in hot water, when she’s accused of stealing a wallet from an angry customer in the Painted Wings Café. The customer also happens to be the local bank manager, who Evie pleads with for a much-needed loan, resulting in a public spectacle as the bank manager refuses, and ridicules Evie. When the manager later turns up dead inside the cafe, and Evie is the most likely suspect, it will take all of Seneca’s sleuthing and help from her best friend, Sheriff Cody Bales, and her cat, Winifred, to get Evie out of trouble.
- GenresCozy MysteryContemporary
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2024
35 people want to read
About the author
Ruth J. Hartman
57 books207 followersRuth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats, and her nights spinning mysterious tales that make you smile. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people's recliners. Not that the cats couldn't get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else's.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling mystery writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of klutzy women who find trouble without even trying. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her insistence that all of her books have at least one cat in them.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling mystery writer uses her goofy sense of humor as she writes tales of klutzy women who find trouble without even trying. Ruth's husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her in spite of her insistence that all of her books have at least one cat in them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 31, 2026
An appealing mystery with a protagonist who raises monarch butterflies! The mystery is perplexing with some good suspects! I felt the story needing a good edit as I got confused a couple of times. I liked the first story a bit better, but this one is really entertaining, also.
December 15, 2024
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, runs Seneca’s Painted Wings Café and does an excellent job but one day the local bank manager humiliates her in front of everyone when he accuses her of stealing his wallet. All she did was ask him why he had not responded to her calls about a loan she applied for that she really needed. He leaves in an uproar but later the man is found dead inside the cafe. Sheriff Cody Bales truly doesn’t consider Evie a suspect but Seneca teams up with him to find the real killer and clear Evie’s name.
Seneca is dividing her time between caring for her butterflies and the cafe now that it is the scene of the crime. She needs to continually assure Evie that the person who murdered Burlington Snare will be found and things in Maple Junction will get back to normal. She usually has her frisky feline, Winifred by her side. I love that she loves to dress up in costumes that are made by two local seamstresses every morning and even has pajamas to wear at night. Murray Grimes is the cook at the cafe and he has a huge heart when it comes to Evie so he looks out for her too. Senaca has been trying to hire someone to replace Annie to help her with the butterflies. She has taken on three temporary people until she can find the perfect person but only one actually wants to do any work. The cafe also has some new regulars, a couple of older twin sisters who Seneca is a little curious about. The town also has a new vet who Ms. Winifred is not happy to go see. Ms. Hartman’s characters are interesting, genuine, and true to life.
The murder has Senaca tied up in knots. She is looking everywhere for suspects, from the bank, to the hardware store, and the cafe. She is eavesdropping on conversations, asking leading questions, and doing some general snooping in hopes of catching the killer. Not everyone was on her radar though. Some great twists and red herrings throughout the story kept Seneca on her toes and she was totally caught off guard when the killer was revealed. I was surprised that the right person was at the top of my list of suspects. The showdown was intense but I enjoyed the way the takedown took place.
I would love to have a butterfly sanctuary like Seneca but they are much more work than one would think. I try to plant flowers that appeal to butterflies and am always thrilled when one or more land nearby.
Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe has a gorgeous cover that draws you to the book and Ms. Hartman’s characters, well-plotted mystery, and vivid descriptions will keep you delightfully entertained. I am looking forward to visiting Maple Junction again soon.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
Seneca James’ cousin, Evie, runs Seneca’s Painted Wings Café and does an excellent job but one day the local bank manager humiliates her in front of everyone when he accuses her of stealing his wallet. All she did was ask him why he had not responded to her calls about a loan she applied for that she really needed. He leaves in an uproar but later the man is found dead inside the cafe. Sheriff Cody Bales truly doesn’t consider Evie a suspect but Seneca teams up with him to find the real killer and clear Evie’s name.
Seneca is dividing her time between caring for her butterflies and the cafe now that it is the scene of the crime. She needs to continually assure Evie that the person who murdered Burlington Snare will be found and things in Maple Junction will get back to normal. She usually has her frisky feline, Winifred by her side. I love that she loves to dress up in costumes that are made by two local seamstresses every morning and even has pajamas to wear at night. Murray Grimes is the cook at the cafe and he has a huge heart when it comes to Evie so he looks out for her too. Senaca has been trying to hire someone to replace Annie to help her with the butterflies. She has taken on three temporary people until she can find the perfect person but only one actually wants to do any work. The cafe also has some new regulars, a couple of older twin sisters who Seneca is a little curious about. The town also has a new vet who Ms. Winifred is not happy to go see. Ms. Hartman’s characters are interesting, genuine, and true to life.
The murder has Senaca tied up in knots. She is looking everywhere for suspects, from the bank, to the hardware store, and the cafe. She is eavesdropping on conversations, asking leading questions, and doing some general snooping in hopes of catching the killer. Not everyone was on her radar though. Some great twists and red herrings throughout the story kept Seneca on her toes and she was totally caught off guard when the killer was revealed. I was surprised that the right person was at the top of my list of suspects. The showdown was intense but I enjoyed the way the takedown took place.
I would love to have a butterfly sanctuary like Seneca but they are much more work than one would think. I try to plant flowers that appeal to butterflies and am always thrilled when one or more land nearby.
Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe has a gorgeous cover that draws you to the book and Ms. Hartman’s characters, well-plotted mystery, and vivid descriptions will keep you delightfully entertained. I am looking forward to visiting Maple Junction again soon.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
December 7, 2024
I somehow missed reading book one of this engaging cozy mystery series, but you can rest assured that I have added it to my Kindle TBR as I thoroughly enjoyed this latest entry (book two). And before I talk about my review of the story, I have to add that the cover of Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe is gorgeous (as well as the cover for book one, Butterfly Betrayal). If you judge a book by a cover, this is one to add to your stack immediately. It just pulls you right in.
I loved the unique premise for this mystery and wished so much I could visit the Painted Wings Cafe. I enjoyed the attention to details in this story, brought to life by vivid writing. The quirky characters were well developed and entertaining. I did not guess the ending, but so enjoyed the twists and turns the mystery took as I tried to investigate. I’ll be reading book one while I wait for another new entry!
I loved the unique premise for this mystery and wished so much I could visit the Painted Wings Cafe. I enjoyed the attention to details in this story, brought to life by vivid writing. The quirky characters were well developed and entertaining. I did not guess the ending, but so enjoyed the twists and turns the mystery took as I tried to investigate. I’ll be reading book one while I wait for another new entry!
April 10, 2025
This is another fun cozy by Ruth J Hartman!
December 18, 2024
4.5 stars
I became a fan of Seneca James, author Ruth J. Hartman’s latest cozy mystery protagonist, in the first book of this series, Butterfly Betrayal. So I was eager to hang out with her again – and sleuth alongside her – in Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe!
Seneca’s butterfly farm attracts tourists and hungry patrons… and also dead bodies, much to her dismay. In this case, the victim is an odious man who dares to rudely pick a fight with Seneca’s sweet cousin Evie shortly before his untimely demise. Fortunately, local sheriff (and Seneca’s best friend) Cody doesn’t think Evie is guilty, but Seneca isn’t taking any chances and decides this case needs to be solved sooner rather than later. Enter a cast of quirky supporting characters who had me laughing nearly from beginning to end. In fact, I was making a list of my favorite giggle-inducing scenes to mention in my review and finally gave up because the list was getting too long. (Okay, so the library scene was my favorite. Or maybe it was the inebriated castle stormers. Oh! Or maybe her conversations with the hardware store owner or with Johnny or … well, you see what I mean.) Basically, it’s barely-controlled chaos, fueled by small town gossip, and I loved every minute of it. Several of those eclectic characters do double duty as plausible suspects with believable motives too, and I kept changing my mind as to who I thought ‘done it’. I like being surprised in a mystery, and Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe did exactly that in its big reveal.
Bottom Line: Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe by Ruth J. Hartman is a lot of fun to read, with a town full of colorful characters who contribute hilarity, emotion, and motive to this entertaining story. The author skillfully uses a heap of red herrings mixed among the legitimate clues to craft a clever and layered plot, and I continue to enjoy spending time with Seneca and her costume-wearing cat Winifred in the process. BFF Sheriff Cody would make a marvelous romantic lead, in my opinion, and this book’s gossip about their near-miss kiss in the last book had me chuckling often. I still think there’s something simmering between Cody & Seneca, and I will keep following this series to watch where their relationship goes, but it stays in the background enough to appease mystery purists. This is another delightful visit to Seneca’s butterfly farm & cafe, and I look forward to the next one!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
I became a fan of Seneca James, author Ruth J. Hartman’s latest cozy mystery protagonist, in the first book of this series, Butterfly Betrayal. So I was eager to hang out with her again – and sleuth alongside her – in Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe!
Seneca’s butterfly farm attracts tourists and hungry patrons… and also dead bodies, much to her dismay. In this case, the victim is an odious man who dares to rudely pick a fight with Seneca’s sweet cousin Evie shortly before his untimely demise. Fortunately, local sheriff (and Seneca’s best friend) Cody doesn’t think Evie is guilty, but Seneca isn’t taking any chances and decides this case needs to be solved sooner rather than later. Enter a cast of quirky supporting characters who had me laughing nearly from beginning to end. In fact, I was making a list of my favorite giggle-inducing scenes to mention in my review and finally gave up because the list was getting too long. (Okay, so the library scene was my favorite. Or maybe it was the inebriated castle stormers. Oh! Or maybe her conversations with the hardware store owner or with Johnny or … well, you see what I mean.) Basically, it’s barely-controlled chaos, fueled by small town gossip, and I loved every minute of it. Several of those eclectic characters do double duty as plausible suspects with believable motives too, and I kept changing my mind as to who I thought ‘done it’. I like being surprised in a mystery, and Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe did exactly that in its big reveal.
Bottom Line: Murder at the Painted Wings Cafe by Ruth J. Hartman is a lot of fun to read, with a town full of colorful characters who contribute hilarity, emotion, and motive to this entertaining story. The author skillfully uses a heap of red herrings mixed among the legitimate clues to craft a clever and layered plot, and I continue to enjoy spending time with Seneca and her costume-wearing cat Winifred in the process. BFF Sheriff Cody would make a marvelous romantic lead, in my opinion, and this book’s gossip about their near-miss kiss in the last book had me chuckling often. I still think there’s something simmering between Cody & Seneca, and I will keep following this series to watch where their relationship goes, but it stays in the background enough to appease mystery purists. This is another delightful visit to Seneca’s butterfly farm & cafe, and I look forward to the next one!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
November 13, 2024
Seneca and her cat Winifred are back to help solve another mystery! The books was fun, entertaining and engaging! I appreciated that while it was a mystery, it allows the characters to still live their lives and brings us along as participants - and I was guessing right along with all of the characters as the "who done it" unraveled! It was not necessary to have read the first in the series to follow along with book two; however, it was just as entertaining as this book, so I do recommend both in the series!
December 24, 2024
Both the beautiful cover and the story drew me right in. I found it very entertaining. I love the characters especially Winifred, the cat. I hope there will be another book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews