Pick Your Own Murder : A Cozy Small Town Culinary Mystery

by Sophia Blake

Blueberry season in Hartbridge, New Hampshire, should mean sunshine, sweet treats, and small-town neighborly fun. But what happens when a big-time social media star sweeps in to make a joke of everyone and everything?

Sarah Thompson has her heart set on finally baking a blueberry muffin that wouldn’t embarrass her, but those plans are quickly overshadowed when an influencer breezes into town with a ring light, a drone, and a flair for stirring up trouble. Lexi Lovette from Lovette or Hate It is here to mock Hartbridge’s Blueberry Creations Contest, and before long, she has ruffled every feather in sight.

When Lexi turns up dead among the berry rows, Hartbridge is thrown into shock. Was it a tragic accident, or something far more sinister?

Sarah, along with her best friend, Karen, her former student-turned-investigative reporter, D'Shawn, and a cast of quirky neighbors, finds herself in the middle of another mystery. She realizes that everyone - from locals to outsiders - is seeing the same events through very different lenses.

As secrets ripen and suspects pile up like baskets of blueberries, our sleuths realize that someone is desperate to keep something hidden. And the closer they get to the truth, the more they is the real danger hiding in plain sight?

Full of charm, laughs, twists, and mouthwatering food (recipes included!), Pick Your Own Murder is a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, Ellie Alexander, and Vicki Delany.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2025

Reviews

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the first book of Author Sophia Blake that I have read but it will not be the last book as I found it very hard to put the book down until I finished it. The story takes place in Harbridge, New Hampshire at the Wilde Organic Berry Fields they are having a contest called Blueberry Creations Contest where the Town Manager will judge all the different entries. But at the start of the festival a blogger named Lexi Lovette from Lovette or Hate it starts to make fun of everything about the small community and the people who live there. The youngest son Mason asked her to come there hoping that it would help advertise the farm but at first she was very friend and nice but by the second day she was making fun of everyone and the next thing that we knew she was found died at the farm after it was closed by the main character Sarah Thompson a retired teacher and part time sleuth with her dog Molly. Well, it looks bad for everyone in the town so Sarah, her dog Molly with her best friend Karen Kennedy and an Investigative reporter D’Shawn Cruz start to investigate. There are lots of twist and turns with lots of suspects. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a clean murder mystery.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Lexie Lovette, the influencer, and her producer?

In this edition of the Cozy Small Town Culinary Mystery Series, we have a contest. A blueberry contest where anyone can enter, as long as they use blueberries in their recipe. Of course, both Karen and Sarah enter. Karen with blueberry scones and Sarah is going to perfect her blueberry muffin baking skills. When Sarah goes back to pick more blueberries for more experimentation with her recipe, she finds the dead body of Lexi Lovette, an influencer in Hartbridge to cover the blueberry contest. We get to sit back and enjoy watching Sarah, Karen, D’Shawn and Molly as they figure out who did the deed and murdered the mean influencer. I really do enjoy these stories. We have the sense of community as Sarah becomes more and accepted in her old hometown, especially with her best friend Karen right next to her all the time. The plots all keep me guessing to find out who and why the murder was committed and the action just doesn’t stop!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[G. Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read. This story has Sarah, Karen and D'Shawn with their heads together. It starts with a influencer showing up at a blueberry field and she starts in right away. If it isn't one thing it is another and the community is not quite understanding what is happening. In stead of trying to help the town, she is looking for anything negative that she can pounce on to hurt the people. Then Sarah finds her one evening where she should not have been and will never be again. Now Sarah, Karen and D'Shawn need to figure it out and bring peace and quiet back to their town. Come along and grab this book, see what happens and how the town rallies for the winner of the Blueberry Contest. Happy reading.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pick Your Own Murder is a great story about Sarah Thompson a Retired Teacher , Molly a clever dog and Karen Kennedy and D'Shawn Cruz a Freelance Investigative Journalist who all work together to solve the puzzle. Sarah and Karen went to a pick-your-own Blueberry farm to sign up for a contest. I love how Sarah is always trying to perfect her baking and use them to help when questioning people. They are working with Chief Hal Whitaker and Sergeant Fred Eldridge to find pieces of the puzzle.
Excellent story and series which I recommend that you read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Thompson is a retired high school teacher that dabbles in murder mysteries. There little town of Hartsbridge is getting ready for the blueberry contest from the Wilde Organic Blueberry farm when an internet influencer is found dead in the berry patch. She has basically insulted everyone in this small town and not a lot of people are sad to see her gone. Sarah and her friend Karen with Sarah's old student D'Shawn investigate while Sarah is trying to get her muffin recipe perfect. Good story!
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Thompson an amateur sleuth is busy trying to bake for the Blueberry Creation Contest taking place in Hartbridge when an influencer is murdered. There is more than meets the eye with more bad news in this intriguing read. I received this ARC copy via Booksprouts and recommend this book to other readers.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable cozy mystery with lots of possible suspects. The town of Hartbridge is front and center in this mystery. The crime solving trio of Sarah, Karen and D'Shawn are working their way through the suspects with the help of Sarah's dog Molly. Sarah is always trying to perfect another type of baked good. Her quest in this mystery is to make the perfect blueberry muffins. A feel good cozy.

[M Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blueberry mystery

Very good read. Mystery murderer investigation entertained with locals and three amateur sleuths and a Friendly crumb rating dog. All wrapped up in a small town blueberry festival.