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Cranberry Cove #1
Berried Secrets
The small town of Cranberry Cove has a deadly harvest in the first mystery in this delightful series from the author of the Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries.
When Monica Albertson comes to Cranberry Cove—a charming town on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan—to help her half-brother Jeff on his cranberry farm, the last thing she expects to harvest is a dead body.
It seems that Sam Culbert, who ran the farm while Jeff was deployed overseas, had some juicy secrets that soon prove fatal, and Jeff is ripe for the picking as a prime suspect. Forming an uneasy alliance with her high-maintenance stepmother, Monica has her hands full trying to save the farm while searching for a killer. Culbert made plenty of enemies in the quaint small town...but which one was desperate enough to kill?
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
When Monica Albertson comes to Cranberry Cove—a charming town on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan—to help her half-brother Jeff on his cranberry farm, the last thing she expects to harvest is a dead body.
It seems that Sam Culbert, who ran the farm while Jeff was deployed overseas, had some juicy secrets that soon prove fatal, and Jeff is ripe for the picking as a prime suspect. Forming an uneasy alliance with her high-maintenance stepmother, Monica has her hands full trying to save the farm while searching for a killer. Culbert made plenty of enemies in the quaint small town...but which one was desperate enough to kill?
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!
292 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 4, 2015
330 people are currently reading
1732 people want to read
About the author
Peg Cochran
31 books394 followersMystery 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.)
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.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
April 23, 2019
Monica Albertson comes to Cranberry Cove to help her half-brother Jeff. Jeff's cranberry farm is about to go bankrupt and she wants to help him keep his business. Just after she notices some anomalies in the farm's financial records, the former manager's body is found floating in the cranberry bog during harvest. Apparently, Sam Culbert was stealing from the farm the entire time Jeff was fighting in Afghanistan, making Jeff the prime suspect in his murder. But, Monica knows Jeff isn't a murderer. She has to find the real killer before her brother ends up in jail!
I love cranberries. I buy a year's supply each fall when they appear in stores for the holiday season. I keep them in the freezer and put them into my morning protein shake almost every day. So when I saw a cozy series set on a cranberry farm, I had to read it! There are four books in the series.
I enjoyed Monica as a main character. She is intelligent and dedicated to helping her brother. Jeff is recovering from injuries sustained in Afghanistan and really does need her help. The one character I really didn't like....and that almost made me stop reading the book on more than one occasion....is the overbearing stepmother, Gina. I found the character just a bit too annoying. Gina did mellow out and became helpful when the mystery got rolling. That's what kept me reading when I wanted to jump into the book and tell her to shut up. Lord have mercy -- what an annoying character! lol
All in all, a nice start to a cozy series! Since this series is a relatively short one....just four books...I will definitely read the rest of the series. I liked the side theme of a cranberry farm....there was a lot of information on growing and harvesting cranberries sprinkled in with the mystery. I enjoyed it!
This is definitely a cozy mystery. No cursing, no sex, no graphic descriptions of murder victims. An enjoyable "clean'' read. On to book 2!
This is the first book by Peg Cochran that I've read. She has written several other cozy series including the Gourmet De-Lite series, Lucille Mysteries and a new series, Murder, She Reported.
I love cranberries. I buy a year's supply each fall when they appear in stores for the holiday season. I keep them in the freezer and put them into my morning protein shake almost every day. So when I saw a cozy series set on a cranberry farm, I had to read it! There are four books in the series.
I enjoyed Monica as a main character. She is intelligent and dedicated to helping her brother. Jeff is recovering from injuries sustained in Afghanistan and really does need her help. The one character I really didn't like....and that almost made me stop reading the book on more than one occasion....is the overbearing stepmother, Gina. I found the character just a bit too annoying. Gina did mellow out and became helpful when the mystery got rolling. That's what kept me reading when I wanted to jump into the book and tell her to shut up. Lord have mercy -- what an annoying character! lol
All in all, a nice start to a cozy series! Since this series is a relatively short one....just four books...I will definitely read the rest of the series. I liked the side theme of a cranberry farm....there was a lot of information on growing and harvesting cranberries sprinkled in with the mystery. I enjoyed it!
This is definitely a cozy mystery. No cursing, no sex, no graphic descriptions of murder victims. An enjoyable "clean'' read. On to book 2!
This is the first book by Peg Cochran that I've read. She has written several other cozy series including the Gourmet De-Lite series, Lucille Mysteries and a new series, Murder, She Reported.
February 24, 2016
Cranberry cove feels like a home away from home
To be honest I waited a little to long to write this review after I listened to the book, which I know I shouldn't do because I have forgotten some of the things I wanted to write in this review but I will do my best.
I love reading about Cranberry Cove, I've had this book on my TBR list since I first heard about it. I am starting to become a big fan of farm themed cozy mysteries. I think its the feeling they give me, if there's animals, harvesting of fruit and vegetables, reading about the farm life and Monica's recipes is a comfort to me and farm's being in the country it's a refreshing change from a cozy mysteries set in a small town, so that's a comfort to me and Berried Secrets fit that bill
I liked Monica Albertson, the protagonist right off the bat. She is coming back to Michigan to help out her brother run his cranberry farm and she is starting to feel like she's at home when she's helping out her brother in the cranberry bog she comes across the bloated body of one, Sam Culbert. Sam is a not so good guy or so it seems, He previously helped out Monica's brother,Jeff run the farm after Jeff is deployed overseas but when Monica does the books and discover a discrepancy and finds out someone has been embezzling money, Jeff is shocked.
Naturally Jeff becomes the number one suspect in Sam's death. Between the embezzlement, the running of the farm and her as feisty as ever step-mother, Monica has a list of suspects on her radar and needs to find the killer so she can save her brother and the Cranberry farm. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. This was a tasty and brilliant beginning to what I know will be a great series from author Peg Cochran.
Cranberry cove feels like a home away from home. A fine cast of characters, with a suspencful plot and Did I mention I liked Monica? It could be because she cooks and Monica's salsa had me wanting to sample a taste, I loved her spunk and her determination to help her brother and his farm. This was a highly enjoyable and entertaining reading from the narrator too, she brought the characters and the story to life.
August 3, 2015
Author Peg Cochran has a new series! YAY!
Already being a fan of author Peg Cochran’s writing (I so miss her Vintage Lingerie series written as Meg London), I was beyond thrilled to hear about her new Cranberry Cove Mystery series. When I finally got a copy of BERRIED SECRETS in my hands, I was as excited as a child on Christmas Day!
For sure worth the wait, BERRIED SECRETS was everything I had built it up in my mind to be….no, wait…it was more! I was hooked on the book from page one and the beautiful image of Cranberry Cover author Cochran painted of the quaint town. I wanted nothing more than to climb into the book and explore more of the town, meet the people.
Monica Albertson is a fantastic new protagonist. She’s strong and spirited, but very real and relatable. I’m not sure who I’m going to fall in love with, but it’s a tossup between Monica’s brother Jeff and Greg Harper, the owner of the local bookstore. And the twins that own the candy shop, well, I’ll let you meet those ladies yourself.
This was a wonderful story from the beginning until the last page, everything in this book flowed so well. It was a fast paced, intriguing mystery that urged me to keep reading, to turn another page, and I did. Before I knew it, and much too soon I was at the end. Oh, and major points to Peg Cochran for an amazingly original place to find a body!
And don’t miss the delicious cranberry recipes you’ll find at the back of the book!
If you are choosy about the new series you start, I would suggest adding this one to your list. I can’t say enough good things about it. Well, I can’t but this review would be as long as the book!
Already being a fan of author Peg Cochran’s writing (I so miss her Vintage Lingerie series written as Meg London), I was beyond thrilled to hear about her new Cranberry Cove Mystery series. When I finally got a copy of BERRIED SECRETS in my hands, I was as excited as a child on Christmas Day!
For sure worth the wait, BERRIED SECRETS was everything I had built it up in my mind to be….no, wait…it was more! I was hooked on the book from page one and the beautiful image of Cranberry Cover author Cochran painted of the quaint town. I wanted nothing more than to climb into the book and explore more of the town, meet the people.
Monica Albertson is a fantastic new protagonist. She’s strong and spirited, but very real and relatable. I’m not sure who I’m going to fall in love with, but it’s a tossup between Monica’s brother Jeff and Greg Harper, the owner of the local bookstore. And the twins that own the candy shop, well, I’ll let you meet those ladies yourself.
This was a wonderful story from the beginning until the last page, everything in this book flowed so well. It was a fast paced, intriguing mystery that urged me to keep reading, to turn another page, and I did. Before I knew it, and much too soon I was at the end. Oh, and major points to Peg Cochran for an amazingly original place to find a body!
And don’t miss the delicious cranberry recipes you’ll find at the back of the book!
If you are choosy about the new series you start, I would suggest adding this one to your list. I can’t say enough good things about it. Well, I can’t but this review would be as long as the book!
Want to read
October 9, 2025Started might finish. I wasn’t connecting with any of the characters or the mystery but it’s a cute setting and concept so I’ll give it a chance another time.
January 16, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a very intriguing mystery with vibrant characters.
We meet Monica Alberston. She has brother, Jeff, a veteran who was injured while deployed, leaving one arm basically useless. I can relate due to my own right arm left paralyzed after an accident 15 years ago. Jeff has a cranberry farm and also a store where they sell cranberry baked goods and related merchandise. The former owner, Sam Culbert, ran the farm while Jeff was overseas and it isn’t making a much of a profit as Jeff had hoped. Monica has come to Cranberry Cove to help Jeff turn things around. Finding a dead body in the cranberry bog is not what she had in mind though. In fact it may mean the end of her brother’s farm. Monica and Jeff share a father but have different mothers. We meet Jeff’s mother in this story too.
Monica is a strong, smart, woman, a perfect protag. She uncovers something very surprising when she goes over the accounts. I really like Jeff. He has a battle ahead of him as he adjusts to his new reality. His mom, Gina is different than I expected. I was afraid evil stepmother thing would come out and am thrilled that I was wrong. She and Monica make a great team. The supporting cast is great too. Just to name a few, we have the VanVelsen sisters, identical twins, who own the candy store. They also have a black cat, named Midnight. Greg Harper owns the local bookstore. And Bart, owns on old fashioned butcher shop. They all have great depth for the first installment of a new series.
The story bends around and twists. The deceased wife doesn’t seem that upset, are there some secrets to be uncovered? Could she have killed her husband? The man may have owned a lot of property and be the mayor but he wasn’t very well liked. The police may think Jeff had motive but there are so many other possible suspects. Peg Cochan has written one heck of a mystery. She had me guessing all the way to the end.
A delightful setting and engaging characters including a great amateur sleuth has this series off to a fantastic start. Book 2, Berry The Hatchet, comes out May 3.
This is a very intriguing mystery with vibrant characters.
We meet Monica Alberston. She has brother, Jeff, a veteran who was injured while deployed, leaving one arm basically useless. I can relate due to my own right arm left paralyzed after an accident 15 years ago. Jeff has a cranberry farm and also a store where they sell cranberry baked goods and related merchandise. The former owner, Sam Culbert, ran the farm while Jeff was overseas and it isn’t making a much of a profit as Jeff had hoped. Monica has come to Cranberry Cove to help Jeff turn things around. Finding a dead body in the cranberry bog is not what she had in mind though. In fact it may mean the end of her brother’s farm. Monica and Jeff share a father but have different mothers. We meet Jeff’s mother in this story too.
Monica is a strong, smart, woman, a perfect protag. She uncovers something very surprising when she goes over the accounts. I really like Jeff. He has a battle ahead of him as he adjusts to his new reality. His mom, Gina is different than I expected. I was afraid evil stepmother thing would come out and am thrilled that I was wrong. She and Monica make a great team. The supporting cast is great too. Just to name a few, we have the VanVelsen sisters, identical twins, who own the candy store. They also have a black cat, named Midnight. Greg Harper owns the local bookstore. And Bart, owns on old fashioned butcher shop. They all have great depth for the first installment of a new series.
The story bends around and twists. The deceased wife doesn’t seem that upset, are there some secrets to be uncovered? Could she have killed her husband? The man may have owned a lot of property and be the mayor but he wasn’t very well liked. The police may think Jeff had motive but there are so many other possible suspects. Peg Cochan has written one heck of a mystery. She had me guessing all the way to the end.
A delightful setting and engaging characters including a great amateur sleuth has this series off to a fantastic start. Book 2, Berry The Hatchet, comes out May 3.
September 3, 2018
Monica Albertson coaxed her ancient Ford Focus up the last hill, past the boarded-up vegetable stand, the abandoned barn and the Shell Station.
Monica leaves Chicago for Cranberry Cove to help her brother Jeff run Sassamanash Farms. A quick look at the books shows that Mayor Sam Culbert embezzled money from the farm while he was managing it. Unfortunately, Sam's body is found in a cranberry bog before Jeff can confront him. It comes to light that many people were unhappy with Sam and anyone could be the killer.
This was a very nice introduction to the series. The characters are well portrayed and believable. The town is easily imagined when I close my eyes. I loved the information on the cranberry farm. I cannot see myself standing in cold water harvesting cranberries but I am so thankful that someone does.
Monica is a strong character with many talents. I'm surprised that her café in Chicago didn't make a go of it. I like that she wants to get that farm to table feel with her home baked goods rather than using mass produced items. I really want to try cranberry salsa now. Monica has a strong sense of family and will do what she needs to do in order to clear her brother.
I like that the main detective was not only a woman, but a very pregnant woman that obviously knows her job. A very well written character.
Jeff's mom, Gina is a bit of a wild card and I look forward to seeing where she goes in the storyline.
Some of the medical information was a bit off, but not enough to make me not want to read on.
The suspects were many and varied. Sam had pretty much ticked off a good part of the town. The culprit was a bit of a surprise until I went back and reread a few chapters.
Overall, a good book with twists, turns and a black cat! Oh! And yummy recipes are included.
I look forward to reading the next book.
3.5 stars
Monica leaves Chicago for Cranberry Cove to help her brother Jeff run Sassamanash Farms. A quick look at the books shows that Mayor Sam Culbert embezzled money from the farm while he was managing it. Unfortunately, Sam's body is found in a cranberry bog before Jeff can confront him. It comes to light that many people were unhappy with Sam and anyone could be the killer.
This was a very nice introduction to the series. The characters are well portrayed and believable. The town is easily imagined when I close my eyes. I loved the information on the cranberry farm. I cannot see myself standing in cold water harvesting cranberries but I am so thankful that someone does.
Monica is a strong character with many talents. I'm surprised that her café in Chicago didn't make a go of it. I like that she wants to get that farm to table feel with her home baked goods rather than using mass produced items. I really want to try cranberry salsa now. Monica has a strong sense of family and will do what she needs to do in order to clear her brother.
I like that the main detective was not only a woman, but a very pregnant woman that obviously knows her job. A very well written character.
Jeff's mom, Gina is a bit of a wild card and I look forward to seeing where she goes in the storyline.
Some of the medical information was a bit off, but not enough to make me not want to read on.
The suspects were many and varied. Sam had pretty much ticked off a good part of the town. The culprit was a bit of a surprise until I went back and reread a few chapters.
Overall, a good book with twists, turns and a black cat! Oh! And yummy recipes are included.
I look forward to reading the next book.
3.5 stars
February 19, 2016
Monica Albertson has moved to Cranberry Cove to help her half-brother, Jeff, run his cranberry farm. But when a body is found in one of the bogs on the first day of the harvest and the victim is someone who was stealing from Jeff, Monica soon realizes she must save him from being arrested for murder.
The book started out very slowly as it was setting up characters and the location. Unfortunately, I still had a hard time connecting with the characters until the second half. Likewise, the plot does pick up in the second half, but a day that vanishes from the timeline bothered me. The climax was wonderful and the killer a surprise, but overall, the book was just average.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
The book started out very slowly as it was setting up characters and the location. Unfortunately, I still had a hard time connecting with the characters until the second half. Likewise, the plot does pick up in the second half, but a day that vanishes from the timeline bothered me. The climax was wonderful and the killer a surprise, but overall, the book was just average.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in hopes I would review it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 14, 2017
I enjoyed this, I really did, so why a lower rating for me at three stars? I think it was the slow start, combined by the fact I never really warmed to Monica. The woman thinks showing a bit of skin is scandalous and would normally wash all her dishes immediately; not something that appealed to me. It was like she tried for perfection and the more she tried the less I liked her. What I did like though were the other characters; Gina, Jeff, the twins. Even the promise of a kitten in the next book sounds good. Even rumpled Greg the bookstore owner so they can have a few more prim dates sounds good. What would be GREAT would be to see Monica loosen off a little, but we'll see.
Potential here, but it needs to grow. Three stars.
Potential here, but it needs to grow. Three stars.
July 11, 2020
My rating hovers between a 3.5 and 4 due to a few inconsistencies. Good story, though, so I'm planning to read the next in the series to see where it goes.
March 8, 2016
This is my first Peg Cochran book, I can guarantee it won't be my last. This book had me guessing right up to the end. The author brilliantly paints the town of Cranberry Cove in your imagination from the quaint downtown streets to the cranberry farms beautiful colors. The storyline was tight and the "who done it" was unexpected. I enjoyed the theme of cranberry farming and the characters were easy to imagine as well. I was salivating over the mentions of the tasty goodies. Berried Secrets was a satisfying mystery and I truly look forward to the next installment in the series. This is definitely a great read for all cozy readers and foodies.
October 14, 2017
This took me a while to get into then I kept pushing it off to keep up with my book clubs. I really did end up liking it. I love it's set in my home state Michigan! It was interesting learning about the cranberries.
March 24, 2016
BERRIED SECRETS by Peg Cochrane: But, What About,…?
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
This is a nice enough story with nice enough characters in a nice enough town but it had a fatal flaw for me:
The suspect is disabled; I did not believe he would have been more than superficially considered in the first murder. But no one ever says anything about a lack of strength or ability to knock someone out, drag them to where the body is found and dump him there.
Come to think of it, the actual murderer would also have had issues with moving the body.
That was enough to turn me off from the book and series.
There was also an issue with Monica's commercial food preparation in a home kitchen which set my old license inspector-self on edge.
The characters' personalities don't seem like they could all belong to the same family; especially that both would be raised by the same inconstant father who seems to have a penchant for younger wives.
I did like the tough-as-nails, pregnant police detective. She was a really fun character. And I enjoyed the description of the location and farming. There's just enough information on the cranberry farming methods and technology.
The narrator has a bright and pleasant voice I enjoyed listening to. She does a great job with the character's voices - and doesn't send the slightly older women to creaky granny land.
But, I don't think I will continue with this series because I thought the premise was too weak.
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
This is a nice enough story with nice enough characters in a nice enough town but it had a fatal flaw for me:
The suspect is disabled; I did not believe he would have been more than superficially considered in the first murder. But no one ever says anything about a lack of strength or ability to knock someone out, drag them to where the body is found and dump him there.
Come to think of it, the actual murderer would also have had issues with moving the body.
That was enough to turn me off from the book and series.
There was also an issue with Monica's commercial food preparation in a home kitchen which set my old license inspector-self on edge.
The characters' personalities don't seem like they could all belong to the same family; especially that both would be raised by the same inconstant father who seems to have a penchant for younger wives.
I did like the tough-as-nails, pregnant police detective. She was a really fun character. And I enjoyed the description of the location and farming. There's just enough information on the cranberry farming methods and technology.
The narrator has a bright and pleasant voice I enjoyed listening to. She does a great job with the character's voices - and doesn't send the slightly older women to creaky granny land.
But, I don't think I will continue with this series because I thought the premise was too weak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2015
I love this book from the first paragraph. Peg Cochran ' s description of Cranberry Cove had me. Since it was going to be a mystery I knew I would enjoy it. It had just the right about of surprises and twist and turns a good mystery should have. Of course a mystery should have a good reason for the main character good reason and this one does to save her brother. I loved learning about harvesting cranberries and of course the recipes in the back once the weather turns cooler I will be making Sassamanash Coffee Cake.I can't wait to get to know all of main characters so much better. I only have one request that the next book which I can't wait for includes the cranberry salsa recipe.
"I received an Advance Reader Copy for an unbiased review"
"I received an Advance Reader Copy for an unbiased review"
January 16, 2016
Berried secrets by Peg Cochran is the first book in the Cranberry Cove mystery series. Monica Albertson moves to Cranberry Cove to help her half brother Jeff manage a cranberry farm only to find the body of their previous manager in one of the bogs during the harvest.
I enjoyed this first book in the series. It was typically cozy and a bit slow paced and I found the information on cranberry farming interesting. Some of the medical inaccuracy of insulin overdosage spoiled it a little for me at the end but overall it was a nice read. The murderer was easy to spot and Monica's actions at the end seemed a little out of character as she came across as quite sensible otherwise.
I enjoyed this first book in the series. It was typically cozy and a bit slow paced and I found the information on cranberry farming interesting. Some of the medical inaccuracy of insulin overdosage spoiled it a little for me at the end but overall it was a nice read. The murderer was easy to spot and Monica's actions at the end seemed a little out of character as she came across as quite sensible otherwise.
August 15, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/be...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Berried Secrets is the first book in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery series and devotees to the cozy genre will find much to like within its pages.
Monica Albertson finds herself available to move to Cranberry Cove, Michigan, after the failure of her café and death of her fiancé. Her half-brother Jeff has purchased a cranberry farm and, being a disabled veteran, could use Monica’s help with his first harvest. On the first morning of the harvest while wading into the bog, Monica stumbles and Sam Culbert’s body rises to the surface. Sam is the town mayor, owns much of the town, and looked after the farm while Jeff was deployed to Afghanistan. Monica thinks that Sam was skimming funds from the farm, and Jeff quickly becomes the police’s prime suspect. Jeff is not alone in his dislike of Sam; most of the town folk had some sort of beef with him. Mauricio, one of Jeff’s workers, takes off before the police arrive. Greg Harper, the local bookstore owner, ran against him in the mayoral race and lost. Sam did not treat his wife well, and she does not seem all that grieved by his death. Cora, the diner’s waitress, had to give up her hair salon when Sam made her rent unaffordable. To complicate matters, Jeff’s mother Gina has come to town for a visit that turns permanent. As the body count rises and with Gina’s help, Monica sets out to clear Jeff’s name and uncover the real killer.
Berried Secrets has all of the ingredients to be a successful cozy series. There is a charming small town with wacky, likable characters, a sensible, but nosy, protagonist with a flawed past that leads her to said small town, a victim that the reader will love to hate, and the seemingly requisite cat. I did indeed find Cranberry Cove to be an enchanting setting, and I would enjoy visiting the shops, especially Greg’s bookstore, and eating comfort food at the diner. Monica comes across as a very down to earth character, almost stodgy and a little too perfect at times, but she did loosen up as the story advanced, and I think I will grow to like her as the series progresses. Jeff is an interesting character and has the potential to develop nicely as he learns to deal with his changed life since his war injury. Honestly, I did not like Gina much at her introduction, but she too seemed to mellow as time went on, and I think she will be a nice addition to the town. Greg is my favorite character of the bunch. I think there is more to him than his bookish exterior.
Cochran does a fine job of pacing the story and revealing clues a bit at a time. I found all of the suspects to be viable and was somewhat surprised when the perpetrator was revealed. I did find the modus operandi in the second murder to be quite clever. The informational tidbits about cranberries were interesting, and I must make the coffee cake recipe that is included at the end of the book.
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Berried Secrets is the first book in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery series and devotees to the cozy genre will find much to like within its pages.
Monica Albertson finds herself available to move to Cranberry Cove, Michigan, after the failure of her café and death of her fiancé. Her half-brother Jeff has purchased a cranberry farm and, being a disabled veteran, could use Monica’s help with his first harvest. On the first morning of the harvest while wading into the bog, Monica stumbles and Sam Culbert’s body rises to the surface. Sam is the town mayor, owns much of the town, and looked after the farm while Jeff was deployed to Afghanistan. Monica thinks that Sam was skimming funds from the farm, and Jeff quickly becomes the police’s prime suspect. Jeff is not alone in his dislike of Sam; most of the town folk had some sort of beef with him. Mauricio, one of Jeff’s workers, takes off before the police arrive. Greg Harper, the local bookstore owner, ran against him in the mayoral race and lost. Sam did not treat his wife well, and she does not seem all that grieved by his death. Cora, the diner’s waitress, had to give up her hair salon when Sam made her rent unaffordable. To complicate matters, Jeff’s mother Gina has come to town for a visit that turns permanent. As the body count rises and with Gina’s help, Monica sets out to clear Jeff’s name and uncover the real killer.
Berried Secrets has all of the ingredients to be a successful cozy series. There is a charming small town with wacky, likable characters, a sensible, but nosy, protagonist with a flawed past that leads her to said small town, a victim that the reader will love to hate, and the seemingly requisite cat. I did indeed find Cranberry Cove to be an enchanting setting, and I would enjoy visiting the shops, especially Greg’s bookstore, and eating comfort food at the diner. Monica comes across as a very down to earth character, almost stodgy and a little too perfect at times, but she did loosen up as the story advanced, and I think I will grow to like her as the series progresses. Jeff is an interesting character and has the potential to develop nicely as he learns to deal with his changed life since his war injury. Honestly, I did not like Gina much at her introduction, but she too seemed to mellow as time went on, and I think she will be a nice addition to the town. Greg is my favorite character of the bunch. I think there is more to him than his bookish exterior.
Cochran does a fine job of pacing the story and revealing clues a bit at a time. I found all of the suspects to be viable and was somewhat surprised when the perpetrator was revealed. I did find the modus operandi in the second murder to be quite clever. The informational tidbits about cranberries were interesting, and I must make the coffee cake recipe that is included at the end of the book.
August 15, 2017
Monica Albertson has left Chicago and her failed cafe to return to her home town of Cranberry Cove, MI so she can help her half brother, Jeff, with his cranberry farm. Who knew that town mogul, Sam Culbert, the man who sold Jeff the farm, would turn up murdered in one of the cranberry bogs during harvest? Jeff is already Detective Stevens' prime suspect but it'll be even worse if it comes out that Sam was embezzling Jeff while he watched over the farm during Jeff's Afghanistan deployment.
The last thing Jeff needs at the moment is his mom Gina hovering around but she's also decided to make Cranberry Cove her new home and open up an aromatherapy shop so she can be close to her son. Monica decides she needs to prove her brother's innocence as well as Mauricio, a suspicious acting Portuguese worker that is on Jeff's work team. She sets out to sleuth, sometimes accompanied by flamboyant but well-meaning Gina. Can these two unlikely sleuthing partners uncover the real killer, or killers now that there's been a second murder? Will Monica or Jeff be next?
I found it hard to put this book down because most of the chapters (which were nice and small!) ended with some type of suspense. Since that's a throwback from what I loved in Nancy Drew books, of course I kept on reading. While I'm not particularly interested in the cranberry industry, it's apparent the author did extensive research on the subject of cranberry farming. I found the mystery to be very interesting and well-written.
I wasn't really expecting to like Gina but she was a lot of fun. I could just picture her and Monica dressing up and going to that crummy bar, overdressed, and attracting all those guys. Gina was a real character that's for sure and turned out to be very likable. It was also interesting to have a female detective who was very pregnant. That just seemed to make her more human and show that not all detectives are perfectly put together like some TV shows want you to think, they're normal people. The town may not have been the most exciting town but the characters were warm and realistic, just like in a typical small town and they cared for one another. And like any small town, they knew what people were doing before the people themselves even knew.
I thought there were enough likely suspects, maybe not tons of plot twists but that's ok, I like a variety in my mysteries. There were still quite a few possibilities of who the killer could be and I didn't guess the killer. I would like to continue the series and see what my new friends in Cranberry Cove are up to next time around.
The last thing Jeff needs at the moment is his mom Gina hovering around but she's also decided to make Cranberry Cove her new home and open up an aromatherapy shop so she can be close to her son. Monica decides she needs to prove her brother's innocence as well as Mauricio, a suspicious acting Portuguese worker that is on Jeff's work team. She sets out to sleuth, sometimes accompanied by flamboyant but well-meaning Gina. Can these two unlikely sleuthing partners uncover the real killer, or killers now that there's been a second murder? Will Monica or Jeff be next?
I found it hard to put this book down because most of the chapters (which were nice and small!) ended with some type of suspense. Since that's a throwback from what I loved in Nancy Drew books, of course I kept on reading. While I'm not particularly interested in the cranberry industry, it's apparent the author did extensive research on the subject of cranberry farming. I found the mystery to be very interesting and well-written.
I wasn't really expecting to like Gina but she was a lot of fun. I could just picture her and Monica dressing up and going to that crummy bar, overdressed, and attracting all those guys. Gina was a real character that's for sure and turned out to be very likable. It was also interesting to have a female detective who was very pregnant. That just seemed to make her more human and show that not all detectives are perfectly put together like some TV shows want you to think, they're normal people. The town may not have been the most exciting town but the characters were warm and realistic, just like in a typical small town and they cared for one another. And like any small town, they knew what people were doing before the people themselves even knew.
I thought there were enough likely suspects, maybe not tons of plot twists but that's ok, I like a variety in my mysteries. There were still quite a few possibilities of who the killer could be and I didn't guess the killer. I would like to continue the series and see what my new friends in Cranberry Cove are up to next time around.
August 27, 2016
I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Loved this book! I felt like I could live in this town and be content with life! I loved all the characters and their own uniqueness. I have always told my husband that I've wanted to live in a small town and this fits with that.
The story starts with Monica travelling to town where you get introduced to some of the townies and right away you're hooked. After finding the body of the town bully, she gets sucked into the mystery of finding out who did it so she can clear her brother's name. The best part about this story...I didn't guess who it was! I genuinely thought it was going to be someone else. There was one spot where I wondered if it was this person (of course, you suspect EVERYONE at first), but the way their character appeared made me cross them off my list. I did feel like some of the issues weren't answered, but seeing as this is the first in the series I'm hoping you will find out more down the road.
I would definitely recommend this to all cozy lovers or just mystery lovers in general (and seeing how I work in a library, I will be!!)!
Loved this book! I felt like I could live in this town and be content with life! I loved all the characters and their own uniqueness. I have always told my husband that I've wanted to live in a small town and this fits with that.
The story starts with Monica travelling to town where you get introduced to some of the townies and right away you're hooked. After finding the body of the town bully, she gets sucked into the mystery of finding out who did it so she can clear her brother's name. The best part about this story...I didn't guess who it was! I genuinely thought it was going to be someone else. There was one spot where I wondered if it was this person (of course, you suspect EVERYONE at first), but the way their character appeared made me cross them off my list. I did feel like some of the issues weren't answered, but seeing as this is the first in the series I'm hoping you will find out more down the road.
I would definitely recommend this to all cozy lovers or just mystery lovers in general (and seeing how I work in a library, I will be!!)!
August 12, 2017
Berried Secrets, the first book in the Cranberry Cove cozy mystery series by author Peg Cochran, is a pleasant and very easy mystery to read. The town of Cranberry Cove is situated on the edge of Lake Michigan, and is where Monica Albertson has moved to to help her half-brother, Jeff, run his cranberry farm. After Sam Culbert is found dead in the bog during the cranberry harvest, Monica must help her brother clear his name while also helping to save his business from financial ruin. Several characters are introduced that will hopefully feature in future series installments - including Jeff's mother, a very pregnant police detective, bookstore owner/potential love interest Greg Harper, and the twin spinster sisters who own the town's candy store. The mystery itself was well crafted, and I was surprised by the ending. A+
June 1, 2016
What a great mystery. Could not put it down. Monica returns to Cranberry Cove to help her half brother Jeff with his cranberry farm. When a body is found in the fields Jeff is the prime suspect. With help from her stepmother Gina, who is a handful to begin with, Monica sets out to find the real killer. She also has to deal with the detective who is in charge of the case and about to have a baby any minute. There are several suspects which always makes for a great mystery and everyone in town hated the dead man so the killer could be anyone. Another thing I liked about this book were the town people. This book is full of very interesting characters and being a small town everyone knows everything. Can't wait to read the next book in this series.
May 30, 2019
This is a novel filled with bland. Bland characters, town, plot, dialogue ect. In a few days I'm sure I won't remember much of anything about this book other then the fact that cranberries are one of America's native fruits. I managed to get 90% of the way through the novel before calling it quits. Once the murderer was discovered, it was immediately deleted off my Kindle. I was able to guess who the killer was within the first few chapters and kept reading hoping that I'd be proved wrong and the bland characters would gain some much needed spark. Neither of which happened.
June 11, 2016
This is my first Peg Cochran book but it won't be my last. I love the quaint little town of Cranberry Cove. Monica comes home to help her brother Jeff run the Family Cranberry Farm. He is a wounded Veteran. A very well written cozy mystery filled with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end of the book. Amazing cast of characters too. I loved every minute of the book and look forward to the second book in the series!
May 17, 2017
this book was a delight, from the first page to the last, except, that at one point i said to my self.... oh i hope she is not going to make "so and so" the murderer, and she did :( the only other problem with this book, is, it left me REALLY wanting coffee cake! (Fortunately there is a recipe for it in the back of the book) even with the murderer being who it was, i REALLY enjoyed this one, and can't wait to read the rest!
August 26, 2017
Excellent beginning of a new [to me] series; I really enjoyed this one a lot. I like the characters [even the crazy Gina] and the mystery was very good with a lot of red herrings thrown in. I wasn't surprised at who the killer was, but I WAS surprised at the why.
Looking forward to reading the next one in this series!!
Looking forward to reading the next one in this series!!
August 12, 2023
This was a great start to the series. I enjoyed the characters. The cranberry farm setting was fun and I like that there are recipes at the end for me to try out. The mystery was good, kept me guessing and I enjoyed the conclusion.
September 12, 2017
It took me a little bit to get into this book, but it drew me in and was very good.
April 28, 2024
I just couldn’t get into it! I read once that Cranberry farming has a lot of wild spiders and so when drown the cranberries they’ll climb up on people to live and that wasn’t mentioned (at least as far as I read as I dnf).
January 2, 2024
Audible listen on road trip from AZ to VA
August 28, 2017
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March 3, 2016
Monica has come back to Cranberry Cove to help her brother Jeff who was injured in the military and now has one arm that won’t work. He needs help harvesting the cranberries and she was glad to help.
Her and her brother only share one parent their father. She was upset when her father left her mother for Gina but she loved her younger brother. Gina on the other hand was a bit of a handful and she has decided to come and visit Jeff because it seems their father is getting rid of Gina. Gina has come to be close to her son and maybe start a business.
While Jeff was in the military serving his country he left his business in the hands of a man named Sam, whom he thought he could trust but he ended up ripping him off and taking his money. Now he is trying to do what he can with the money he has left, so when Sam is found dead in the cranberries Jeff becomes a suspect.
Monica knows that her brother couldn’t have done it so she decides to try and figure out who might have wanted Sam dead, it seems he wasn’t the nicest guy. There was plenty of people that might want to see him dead even a guy that Monica recently met and took a shine too.
The detective in charge is a very pregnant lady and so Monica takes it upon herself with the help of her brothers mother Gina to find out what happened. Monica finds out that it’s not easy getting information out of the people in the Cove as she is considered an outsider. So Jeff goes missing and she has to amp up her sleuthing to help her brother.
For my first meeting with Monica, I liked her. I thought it was nice of her to come and help her brother out with his cranberry farm. She is also great at dealing with Gina whom she is not a huge fan off but she is her brothers mother so she tolerates. She believes in her brother and his innocence even though at times it seems he really could have done it. I look forward to seeing what will happen with Monica next.
Gina I have a feeling will be my favorite secondary character and she was a lot of fun. You feel a little sorry for her but not much as she seems like someone who can take care of herself in the end.
It has a good mystery though I guessed who the murder was about half way through the story but was interested in seeing if I was right. It’s always nice being right…lol.
Another good first in series and I will be checking out the next book and if you like cozies then you will probably enjoy this one.
Her and her brother only share one parent their father. She was upset when her father left her mother for Gina but she loved her younger brother. Gina on the other hand was a bit of a handful and she has decided to come and visit Jeff because it seems their father is getting rid of Gina. Gina has come to be close to her son and maybe start a business.
While Jeff was in the military serving his country he left his business in the hands of a man named Sam, whom he thought he could trust but he ended up ripping him off and taking his money. Now he is trying to do what he can with the money he has left, so when Sam is found dead in the cranberries Jeff becomes a suspect.
Monica knows that her brother couldn’t have done it so she decides to try and figure out who might have wanted Sam dead, it seems he wasn’t the nicest guy. There was plenty of people that might want to see him dead even a guy that Monica recently met and took a shine too.
The detective in charge is a very pregnant lady and so Monica takes it upon herself with the help of her brothers mother Gina to find out what happened. Monica finds out that it’s not easy getting information out of the people in the Cove as she is considered an outsider. So Jeff goes missing and she has to amp up her sleuthing to help her brother.
For my first meeting with Monica, I liked her. I thought it was nice of her to come and help her brother out with his cranberry farm. She is also great at dealing with Gina whom she is not a huge fan off but she is her brothers mother so she tolerates. She believes in her brother and his innocence even though at times it seems he really could have done it. I look forward to seeing what will happen with Monica next.
Gina I have a feeling will be my favorite secondary character and she was a lot of fun. You feel a little sorry for her but not much as she seems like someone who can take care of herself in the end.
It has a good mystery though I guessed who the murder was about half way through the story but was interested in seeing if I was right. It’s always nice being right…lol.
Another good first in series and I will be checking out the next book and if you like cozies then you will probably enjoy this one.
January 19, 2016
Monica Albertson has left the big city and moved to the quaint town of Cranberry Cove. There, her half brother, Jeff, owns and operates Sassamanash Farms. Jeff has recently returned from deployment with a paralyzed arm and could use some extra assistance running the cranberry farm. Monica bakes all of the goodies for the on sight store, oversees the paperwork and conjures up new business ventures. She also unfortunately discovers a dead body while harvesting one of their cranberry bogs. In her attempt to clear the farm's reputation and remove her brother from the suspect list, she must start searching around for clues and suspects. She quickly discovers that no one in town liked the victim and this might be one tough mystery to solve.
This was a great introduction to a new series. I really enjoyed the setting. The little tidbits about cranberry farming were interesting for this Southerner to read about. I loved Cranberry Cove and its inhabitants. The townsfolk were charming, gossipy and just plain likeable. The lead character, Monica, was pretty good as well, but my favorite character so far was Detective Stevens. It's not too often that you find a strong, pregnant, female detective in a cozy! I also like Gina, Monica's stepmother. She is the exact opposite of Monica, but will make a great comic relief and sidekick to the series. Jeff's look on life regarding his injury annoyed me at times and I was upset that he disappeared at one point in the storyline. I also got a bit annoyed reading Sassamanash Farms over and over again. At one point, it was in nearly every paragraph on one page. The mystery was well written and paced. I did figure out very early on who the culprit was going to be so was not surprised when it was finally revealed, but the story still continued to hold my interest until the end. Monica's baked goods sure sounded pretty tempting too! I look forward to catching book two once it it released.
This was a great introduction to a new series. I really enjoyed the setting. The little tidbits about cranberry farming were interesting for this Southerner to read about. I loved Cranberry Cove and its inhabitants. The townsfolk were charming, gossipy and just plain likeable. The lead character, Monica, was pretty good as well, but my favorite character so far was Detective Stevens. It's not too often that you find a strong, pregnant, female detective in a cozy! I also like Gina, Monica's stepmother. She is the exact opposite of Monica, but will make a great comic relief and sidekick to the series. Jeff's look on life regarding his injury annoyed me at times and I was upset that he disappeared at one point in the storyline. I also got a bit annoyed reading Sassamanash Farms over and over again. At one point, it was in nearly every paragraph on one page. The mystery was well written and paced. I did figure out very early on who the culprit was going to be so was not surprised when it was finally revealed, but the story still continued to hold my interest until the end. Monica's baked goods sure sounded pretty tempting too! I look forward to catching book two once it it released.
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