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Olive Grove Mystery #1
One Foot in the Grove
First in a delicious new mystery series about Eva Knox and her family’s Georgia olive plantation.
In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you...
After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.
With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim...
In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you...
After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.
With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim...
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 5, 2016
46 people are currently reading
890 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Lane
14 books64 followersFarm gal, garden junkie, recipe lover, award-winning photographer, animal hoarder and anti-housekeeper, Kelly Lane is author of Berkley Prime Crime's Olive Grove Mystery series. Awarded a Library Journal starred review, the series opening book, ONE FOOT IN THE GROVE, is Lane's first cozy mystery.
Lane lives and writes in the bucolic foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. She's worked as a journalist, copywriter, editor, as well as a PR consultant for Fortune 500 companies. Before moving to Virginia, she enjoyed competitive sailing and owned one of New England's largest equestrian facilities. A member of Sisters in Crime, Lane credits workshops, advice from generous fellow authors, along with "oodles" of hours reading a literary agent's manuscript slush pile as stepping stones for her foray into mystery fiction.
"If you take the time to read one of my stories, my goal is to entertain and always leave a smile on your face," she says.
Lane's soft spots include old-fashioned roses, wooden boats, cowboy boots, coffee yogurt, and toll house cookies with milk.
http://berkleysignetmysteries.com/boo...
Lane lives and writes in the bucolic foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. She's worked as a journalist, copywriter, editor, as well as a PR consultant for Fortune 500 companies. Before moving to Virginia, she enjoyed competitive sailing and owned one of New England's largest equestrian facilities. A member of Sisters in Crime, Lane credits workshops, advice from generous fellow authors, along with "oodles" of hours reading a literary agent's manuscript slush pile as stepping stones for her foray into mystery fiction.
"If you take the time to read one of my stories, my goal is to entertain and always leave a smile on your face," she says.
Lane's soft spots include old-fashioned roses, wooden boats, cowboy boots, coffee yogurt, and toll house cookies with milk.
http://berkleysignetmysteries.com/boo...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
November 24, 2016
It's been a while since I've read a cozy mystery that's bugged me to this level. It's not the TSTL heroine, although dear god, why and how is she still living? It's the y'all. I can't. I live in North Carolina, travel to the boonies around here, and hear y'all often enough. I use it too, even though Indian English doesn't have much use for it. But I couldn't stand the over usage here, I felt like throwing the book at the wall when I read it. Daphne also says fiddle-dee-dee, and I hated it enough when the divine Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara said it. So that's another strike against.
The mystery is weird, the dialogue, even without the usage of y'all is not very good. Another thing I failed to comprehend is why do these men salivate over Eva, when pretty much the entire book, she is dirty. I mean, stinky, mud and pond scum on her body, hair in a birds nest kind of dirty. There are so many opportunities for her to have a shower or even just a simple clean up that she doesn't take. Never mind the kind of house she keeps - I'm lazy as anything and even I feel icky just thinking about it.
Another thing that bugged the hell out of me, Eva is a PR consultant, but makes one bad PR move after another. She has a phone that she refuses to pick up, because of a scandal she's running away from. She doesn't even *carry her phone around, even though she's been told multiple times that her dad is trying to reach her. Her dad, who also employs her to market those olive oil bottles. Her only marketing ploy is living in the Georgia Virgin tee shirt, (see above as to her living conditions), which shirt I don't believe she ever washes. Ack! I'm done.
The mystery is weird, the dialogue, even without the usage of y'all is not very good. Another thing I failed to comprehend is why do these men salivate over Eva, when pretty much the entire book, she is dirty. I mean, stinky, mud and pond scum on her body, hair in a birds nest kind of dirty. There are so many opportunities for her to have a shower or even just a simple clean up that she doesn't take. Never mind the kind of house she keeps - I'm lazy as anything and even I feel icky just thinking about it.
Another thing that bugged the hell out of me, Eva is a PR consultant, but makes one bad PR move after another. She has a phone that she refuses to pick up, because of a scandal she's running away from. She doesn't even *carry her phone around, even though she's been told multiple times that her dad is trying to reach her. Her dad, who also employs her to market those olive oil bottles. Her only marketing ploy is living in the Georgia Virgin tee shirt, (see above as to her living conditions), which shirt I don't believe she ever washes. Ack! I'm done.
January 27, 2016
There were three things that first drew me to want to read author Kelly Lane’s ONE FOOT IN THE GROVE.
The story is set in a small Georgia town, the theme deals with olive growing, and it is a new murder mystery series. I was rewarded with a tantalizing story featuring a very likable protagonist and a cast of delightful townsfolks.
Eva Knox seems to have the worst luck with men, she keeps leaving them at the altar. After her second failed attempt to marry, Eva leaves Boston and returns home to Abundance, GA, to help with her family’s olive farm.
While she knew there’d be a few rough spots (she’d run away from home 18 years ago leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar), she wasn’t expecting to be a murder suspect. To make things worse, the investigating officer is her ex, Buck. With her sisters’ help, Eva has to find the killer before she gets squeezed out.
Lane has crafted a fun setting for this charming new series. The small town atmosphere is spot-on with zany residents and a beautiful described backdrop. The characters are well-developed, likable and realistic.
ONE FOOT IN THE GROVE moves at a good pace and holds your interest from beginning to end The suspense is blended with humor and friendship for a well-rounded story.
Lane has harvested a winner with this first installment in her Olive Grove Mystery series.
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
The story is set in a small Georgia town, the theme deals with olive growing, and it is a new murder mystery series. I was rewarded with a tantalizing story featuring a very likable protagonist and a cast of delightful townsfolks.
Eva Knox seems to have the worst luck with men, she keeps leaving them at the altar. After her second failed attempt to marry, Eva leaves Boston and returns home to Abundance, GA, to help with her family’s olive farm.
While she knew there’d be a few rough spots (she’d run away from home 18 years ago leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar), she wasn’t expecting to be a murder suspect. To make things worse, the investigating officer is her ex, Buck. With her sisters’ help, Eva has to find the killer before she gets squeezed out.
Lane has crafted a fun setting for this charming new series. The small town atmosphere is spot-on with zany residents and a beautiful described backdrop. The characters are well-developed, likable and realistic.
ONE FOOT IN THE GROVE moves at a good pace and holds your interest from beginning to end The suspense is blended with humor and friendship for a well-rounded story.
Lane has harvested a winner with this first installment in her Olive Grove Mystery series.
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
January 7, 2016
Half the chapters are useless and should be left out. All of the characters are annoying. I almost didn't finish this book and won't be checking out the next one.
December 26, 2019
Eva runs from Boston on the day of her wedding, going back to her small hometown in Georgia. There the man she left at the altar, 18 years ago is now the sheriff. When a accident happens on the night of the big storm and Eva is found next to the body of her guide, Lenny, she is the number one suspect because of her history in the town and her absence for 18 years.
I found this a good plot but the character of Eva fell a bit below expectations. While the three sisters were totally different from each other, which was good, Eva, a dog owner either forgot he existed or was terrified for his safety and well being. The dog was used only as a means to get her out of trouble in the story and otherwise ignored. Not well done which is unfortunate because the plot and characters are pretty good.
I found this a good plot but the character of Eva fell a bit below expectations. While the three sisters were totally different from each other, which was good, Eva, a dog owner either forgot he existed or was terrified for his safety and well being. The dog was used only as a means to get her out of trouble in the story and otherwise ignored. Not well done which is unfortunate because the plot and characters are pretty good.
March 1, 2016
Probably one of the best cozy debuts I've read in a long time, One Foot in the Grove was a simply breathtaking first book in what I hope will turn out to be a great series!
The characters were amazing, I absolutely loved Eva, she was witty, smart, and courageous. Buck, Pep, Precious, and Daphne were also wonderful and completely stood on their own as strong characters. Precious was absolutely a hoot! Daphne, though a good character, however, was slightly annoying with her overuse of the word y'all. Besides that, however, all of the characters were great.
The mystery was also stunning. I loved how the author crafted the mob and organized crime into the small town southern life. The ending was a surprise, though not as big of a surprise as it could have been because of the limited pool of suspects.
Overall this was hands down one of the best, most well-written cozy debuts I've read in a while. I will be reading the next one as soon as it comes out!
The characters were amazing, I absolutely loved Eva, she was witty, smart, and courageous. Buck, Pep, Precious, and Daphne were also wonderful and completely stood on their own as strong characters. Precious was absolutely a hoot! Daphne, though a good character, however, was slightly annoying with her overuse of the word y'all. Besides that, however, all of the characters were great.
The mystery was also stunning. I loved how the author crafted the mob and organized crime into the small town southern life. The ending was a surprise, though not as big of a surprise as it could have been because of the limited pool of suspects.
Overall this was hands down one of the best, most well-written cozy debuts I've read in a while. I will be reading the next one as soon as it comes out!
May 11, 2017
I tried to like this book, I really did. I just found the characters very grating on the nerves, too much very Southern y'all and the damn Fiddle Dee Dee just got on my last nerve. The story was very slow, the murder part itself was silly, and I just never related to any of the characters in the book. I had such hope for it, with the runaway bride angle, and I wanted so much to find a good new cozy writer that I could add to my extensive list, but alas, this was not to be. Even for a "light" reading, it was just not my thing. Perhaps if you really, really like the setting, you might get a bit more out of it. Overall I was thoroughly disappointed.
January 29, 2017
Just awful. The dialogue is beyond bizarre.
March 4, 2018
Okay, I admit it, I was curious.
Eva Knox has returned to Abundance, Georgia and her family's olive plantation after leaving her fiancé at the altar in Boston. This is a repeat of a scenario eighteen years ago when she left Buck Tanner at the church. The Boston episode went viral because she was engaged to a high profile weatherman. Eva hopes to use her public relations experience to promote the bed and breakfast her sister is running and the olive oil business for her dad. Soon after her return, Eva trips over a dead body during a run and suffers side effects of a nearby lightening strike.
This is a good introduction to the series. The main characters are presented well and with a good amount of information about them. It is interesting to see the differences between Eva and her sisters, Daphne and Pep.
The guests are a little sketchy from the start. The two couples don't seem to fit into the story until we learn more about the murder victim.
Eva's ex fiancé, Buck is now the town sheriff. He takes her return in stride whereas she is still feels badly about the way she left him.
Precious is a wonderful character! The description of her clothing alone is enough to make you love her. Her employer, Ian Collier is a huge mystery and often appears when he is most needed.
The mystery plot was good with plenty of suspects. The reveal was well done.
I would have liked to see more information on the olive grove. I wanted to know about the processing of the oil. I would have liked to learn more about the olive oil soap making and the use in beauty products. Perhaps that will come in future books.
I look forward to reading the next book.
Eva Knox has returned to Abundance, Georgia and her family's olive plantation after leaving her fiancé at the altar in Boston. This is a repeat of a scenario eighteen years ago when she left Buck Tanner at the church. The Boston episode went viral because she was engaged to a high profile weatherman. Eva hopes to use her public relations experience to promote the bed and breakfast her sister is running and the olive oil business for her dad. Soon after her return, Eva trips over a dead body during a run and suffers side effects of a nearby lightening strike.
This is a good introduction to the series. The main characters are presented well and with a good amount of information about them. It is interesting to see the differences between Eva and her sisters, Daphne and Pep.
The guests are a little sketchy from the start. The two couples don't seem to fit into the story until we learn more about the murder victim.
Eva's ex fiancé, Buck is now the town sheriff. He takes her return in stride whereas she is still feels badly about the way she left him.
Precious is a wonderful character! The description of her clothing alone is enough to make you love her. Her employer, Ian Collier is a huge mystery and often appears when he is most needed.
The mystery plot was good with plenty of suspects. The reveal was well done.
I would have liked to see more information on the olive grove. I wanted to know about the processing of the oil. I would have liked to learn more about the olive oil soap making and the use in beauty products. Perhaps that will come in future books.
I look forward to reading the next book.
September 15, 2019
Meh, I could not get into this one at all. Not sure if I will check out the rest.
January 13, 2016
Note: I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was definitely a good start to a new cozy series! Set in Georgia on a combination B&B/olive grove, Eva and her family work hard to establish their new business ventures amidst a murder investigation on their plantation. And it doesn't help that Eva has a reputation in town- moving back south after living as a Yankee for several years, having just left her second fiance at the alter- she's not the town's favorite person. It also doesn't help that the first fiance she left at the alter, Buck, is the son of the town's salon owner (which, we all know means town gossip) and now the county sheriff. I really enjoyed all of the characters and want to know more about their lives- what does the handsome Scottish neighbor do? What will Pep and Daphne get up to next? What is going on with Buck?
This was definitely a well crafted mystery and I liked that the ending still had some shock factor since I hadn't been able to guess the entire ending. There were enough suspects to make the mystery interesting but not too many that it got confusing. And while the characters sometimes did stupid stuff to try and find the killer, they mostly had enough common sense to stop at a certain point (my biggest cozy pet peeve is main characters who act invincible throughout the entire book and tell the police how to do their job- SO happy this didn't happen much).
So, overall, this was a good cozy. The book spent a lot of time building the world and the characters, which I appreciate, but also sometimes took away from the action. For a first book in a series, this was good, not great, but I can definitely see the potential for great books in the future.
This was definitely a good start to a new cozy series! Set in Georgia on a combination B&B/olive grove, Eva and her family work hard to establish their new business ventures amidst a murder investigation on their plantation. And it doesn't help that Eva has a reputation in town- moving back south after living as a Yankee for several years, having just left her second fiance at the alter- she's not the town's favorite person. It also doesn't help that the first fiance she left at the alter, Buck, is the son of the town's salon owner (which, we all know means town gossip) and now the county sheriff. I really enjoyed all of the characters and want to know more about their lives- what does the handsome Scottish neighbor do? What will Pep and Daphne get up to next? What is going on with Buck?
This was definitely a well crafted mystery and I liked that the ending still had some shock factor since I hadn't been able to guess the entire ending. There were enough suspects to make the mystery interesting but not too many that it got confusing. And while the characters sometimes did stupid stuff to try and find the killer, they mostly had enough common sense to stop at a certain point (my biggest cozy pet peeve is main characters who act invincible throughout the entire book and tell the police how to do their job- SO happy this didn't happen much).
So, overall, this was a good cozy. The book spent a lot of time building the world and the characters, which I appreciate, but also sometimes took away from the action. For a first book in a series, this was good, not great, but I can definitely see the potential for great books in the future.
March 31, 2016
“Okay, I admit it. I was curious. I’d lagged a bit, stepping past the beauty shop doorway.”
This is the first book in the series. I was intrigued at the setting being an Olive Grove Plantation in Abundance, Georgia. Love fresh ideas that break out of the traditional cozy norm. The main character is Eva Knox also known nationwide as “The Runaway Bride.” She returns home after nearly two decades to help her two sisters with the family’s olive farm. She is a feisty, southern gal who makes a great amateur sleuth. It was fun seeing this “Yankee” return to her southern roots and seeing her interactions with the guests of the inn and the gossipy locals. We are introduced with a great cast of interesting characters and a strong foundation has been laid for the future. The author gave us enough suspects to make the mystery interesting but not too many that it got confusing. I liked that the ending still had some shock factor and kept you guessing until the end. I have to say that there is a lot of over the top southern dialogue that took some getting used to. It took me about a quarter of the book to finally get past that and get into the story. I’m glad I stuck it out as I truly couldn’t put the book down after that. Looking forward to next book and can’t wait to try out some of the delicious recipes that are included.
This is the first book in the series. I was intrigued at the setting being an Olive Grove Plantation in Abundance, Georgia. Love fresh ideas that break out of the traditional cozy norm. The main character is Eva Knox also known nationwide as “The Runaway Bride.” She returns home after nearly two decades to help her two sisters with the family’s olive farm. She is a feisty, southern gal who makes a great amateur sleuth. It was fun seeing this “Yankee” return to her southern roots and seeing her interactions with the guests of the inn and the gossipy locals. We are introduced with a great cast of interesting characters and a strong foundation has been laid for the future. The author gave us enough suspects to make the mystery interesting but not too many that it got confusing. I liked that the ending still had some shock factor and kept you guessing until the end. I have to say that there is a lot of over the top southern dialogue that took some getting used to. It took me about a quarter of the book to finally get past that and get into the story. I’m glad I stuck it out as I truly couldn’t put the book down after that. Looking forward to next book and can’t wait to try out some of the delicious recipes that are included.
January 15, 2016
This was a terrific debut for Ms. Lane. I read this book over the course of two days. I probably would have finished sooner but real life got in the way (sleep, work, etc.). I found this to be a very enjoyable read. It had a fast pace with an intriguing mystery that kept you guessing until the end as to the real culprit. The book is set in small town Georgia so you can expect a lot of southern charm both from the town and the characters. There is a lot to like about the cast of characters. The main character, Eva and her sisters are great. They are witty, independent, and unique. The oldest sister is a full on southern belle with all the charm you would come to expect for this type of character. The cast of secondary characters are just as wonderful. I thought all of the characters were well rounded and right on course for the first book in as series. I am definitely looking forward to more installments in this series.
May 15, 2017
This novel is the first in a new series and that normally gets me excited. However, no matter how much I liked Eva at first and loved Dolly... Dolly gets lost at a murder scene and Eva doesn't even think of her precious pooch.
The y'all got me pooped. You do not use that word for first person. I love the state of GA and this book just wasn't for me.
The y'all got me pooped. You do not use that word for first person. I love the state of GA and this book just wasn't for me.
December 28, 2015
Well written, lots of interesting twists and turns. Plot was interesting. Enjoyed very much and look forward to the next book by this author. This one was a win from the Goodreads sweeps, therefore getting me started on this author - glad for that; thoroughly enjoyed :)
December 29, 2019
I have never read a book with so many y’all’s and I live in the South. It really irked me that it was used in regards to just one person... I liked the storyline but honestly couldn’t get past all of the author and the, Look at her talking southern!
June 3, 2016
It was an ok effort. Kind of cuter, but predictable and the characters were a little to done to death already. New York mobsters talking like a 1950's movie- really?
March 10, 2018
I was excited for this series and for the most part I liked the first one. I really liked the story line and most of the characters but I think the Southern-ness was way overdone. It was a little too thick. The sister, Daphne said fiddle-dee-dee which really irritated me for some reason. Eva has returned from Boston to her family's olive orchard in Georgia after her second time leaving her groom at the alter (different grooms). She is using her PR skills to help her dad further his olive oil business while trying to hide out from the media and looky-loos. While out for a run late one night she trips over the body of her wedding cake baker while at the same time being struck by lightening. The handsome and mysterious Ian Collier who has bought the next plantation over finds her in the woods and brings her back to his house to heal. It is there that she meets his estate manager, Precious Darling who ends up being a close friend to Eva and her family. It is also where she learns that groom #1 Buck Tanner is the sherrif looking into the murder. I will read the next one, but I am hoping the southern-ness is toned down a little.
February 25, 2025
Oh boy, that was bad. Too long, and while I have a feeling that the stereotype characters in this are supposed to be funny, they aren't. They're cringeworthy and I dislike 90% of them. Moreover, the POV character is TSTL. Plus it's obviously setting up for a love triangle, and I'm very bored of those.
February 18, 2016
http://openbooksociety.com/article/on...
One Foot in the Grove
An Olive Grove Mystery #1
By Kelly Lane
ISBN#9780425277225
www.kellylanewrites.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis: One Foot in the Grove
In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you…
After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.
With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim… (Goodreads)
Review:
After a very public breakup with her locally famous fiancé on their wedding day is spun to look like her fault, Eva returns home after eighteen years in Boston to work and live at her family’s plantation turned B&B and olive grove. Though her family welcomes her back with open arms, the same cannot be said about the residents of Abundance, Georgia. The majority of folks still hold ill feelings about Eva because she left her first fiancé, who is now the sheriff, at the altar, too. Things go downhill when Eva stumbles over the body of the family’s new nature guide in the grove. She recognizes him from Boston and just cannot understand what is going on. In addition, the B&B’s cook has disappeared. Circumstances make Eva the prime suspect, and after she is threatened by a guest at the B&B, she decides to investigate on her own.
I had a hard time with this freshman entry in the Olive Grove Mystery series. It is full of dreadful stereotypes, both of Southerners and Yankees. I am a Texan and lived in Georgia for a few years, and I have to say that no one, and I mean no one, talks like the Knox sisters do. Every time one of them used y’all as a singular pronoun I cringed. And they did it a lot…in every conversation.
I am sure that the above greatly influenced my opinion of the characters, but I have to say that I did not like any of them very much, with the exception of Precious and the mysterious Scottish neighbor. Daphne is supposed to be a classy Southern Belle, but she comes across as a brainless business woman with eccentricities that go beyond eccentric. Pepper-Leigh is a bit better in all her Goth leather, but she comes across as trashy. We never learn why Eva and Buck did not get married, and this made it hard to get a read on Eva. She seemed immature and did a lot of stupid things in her investigating.
The mystery itself was over-the-top and totally unbelievable. The suspects and their motivations were silly, and again, horribly stereotypical. Even though there is one final twist at the end, it was not unexpected.
I am sorry to say that One Foot in the Grave was not an enjoyable read for me. If you do not think that you would be bothered by the things I have pointed out, then please take a chance and read it. I hope other readers find greater pleasure in it than I did.
One Foot in the Grove
An Olive Grove Mystery #1
By Kelly Lane
ISBN#9780425277225
www.kellylanewrites.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis: One Foot in the Grove
In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you…
After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.
With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim… (Goodreads)
Review:
After a very public breakup with her locally famous fiancé on their wedding day is spun to look like her fault, Eva returns home after eighteen years in Boston to work and live at her family’s plantation turned B&B and olive grove. Though her family welcomes her back with open arms, the same cannot be said about the residents of Abundance, Georgia. The majority of folks still hold ill feelings about Eva because she left her first fiancé, who is now the sheriff, at the altar, too. Things go downhill when Eva stumbles over the body of the family’s new nature guide in the grove. She recognizes him from Boston and just cannot understand what is going on. In addition, the B&B’s cook has disappeared. Circumstances make Eva the prime suspect, and after she is threatened by a guest at the B&B, she decides to investigate on her own.
I had a hard time with this freshman entry in the Olive Grove Mystery series. It is full of dreadful stereotypes, both of Southerners and Yankees. I am a Texan and lived in Georgia for a few years, and I have to say that no one, and I mean no one, talks like the Knox sisters do. Every time one of them used y’all as a singular pronoun I cringed. And they did it a lot…in every conversation.
I am sure that the above greatly influenced my opinion of the characters, but I have to say that I did not like any of them very much, with the exception of Precious and the mysterious Scottish neighbor. Daphne is supposed to be a classy Southern Belle, but she comes across as a brainless business woman with eccentricities that go beyond eccentric. Pepper-Leigh is a bit better in all her Goth leather, but she comes across as trashy. We never learn why Eva and Buck did not get married, and this made it hard to get a read on Eva. She seemed immature and did a lot of stupid things in her investigating.
The mystery itself was over-the-top and totally unbelievable. The suspects and their motivations were silly, and again, horribly stereotypical. Even though there is one final twist at the end, it was not unexpected.
I am sorry to say that One Foot in the Grave was not an enjoyable read for me. If you do not think that you would be bothered by the things I have pointed out, then please take a chance and read it. I hope other readers find greater pleasure in it than I did.
February 8, 2016
She's known nationwide as the Runaway Bride, a Boston public relations expert who left her popular TV weatherman fiancé at the altar in a viral video that shows her in an unflattering light. In order to get away from the flurry of media attention, Eva Knox returns to her family's plantaion inn in Abundance, Georgia, to help run her father's new olive grove, and to market its award-winning olive oils. Her sisters Pep and Daphne welcome Eva back, but not everyone in the small town is happy to see her: eighteen years ago, she left her first fiancé at the altar, and fled Abundance for Boston.
The last thing anyone in this story needs at this stressful time is for someone on the paid staff to be murdered right at the edge of the olive grove, but that's what they get, and as Eva tries to sort things out, her life may also be at risk. Our heroine has a cute puppy, a handsome sheriff, and all kinds of personal issues to deal with, and because she seems remarkably resilient even while privately going through boxes of Kleenex in her cabin behind the inn, she's easily embraced by the reader.
There's lots of local flavor here, with enough description of Eva's hometown and its people to give the novel all the color it needs. Author Kelly Lane mostly saves the olive oil talk for later in the series. I do want to know as much as I can about olive trees and olive oil from a character who is now immersed in this world, but I can wait, because Lane's already won me over with good characters and a really well-paced narrative. I suspect it doesn't take a lot to assemble the ingredients for a good series in this genre, but I know it takes a good writer to keep me engaged this well, especially given the interesting timeline the plot sticks to, which I will not spoil. I'm perfectly fine with a writer who sticks to the formula; how nice instead to find one who can really put a story together, too. More, please.
The last thing anyone in this story needs at this stressful time is for someone on the paid staff to be murdered right at the edge of the olive grove, but that's what they get, and as Eva tries to sort things out, her life may also be at risk. Our heroine has a cute puppy, a handsome sheriff, and all kinds of personal issues to deal with, and because she seems remarkably resilient even while privately going through boxes of Kleenex in her cabin behind the inn, she's easily embraced by the reader.
There's lots of local flavor here, with enough description of Eva's hometown and its people to give the novel all the color it needs. Author Kelly Lane mostly saves the olive oil talk for later in the series. I do want to know as much as I can about olive trees and olive oil from a character who is now immersed in this world, but I can wait, because Lane's already won me over with good characters and a really well-paced narrative. I suspect it doesn't take a lot to assemble the ingredients for a good series in this genre, but I know it takes a good writer to keep me engaged this well, especially given the interesting timeline the plot sticks to, which I will not spoil. I'm perfectly fine with a writer who sticks to the formula; how nice instead to find one who can really put a story together, too. More, please.
June 28, 2018
Oh I wanted to like this book. I was really looking forward to some information and education about olive growing and olive oil production in the US south. But I got....nothing! Just a constant list of all the things you could make out of olives or olive oil, passed off as an afterthought. There are recipes at the end of the book but by that time I didn't care. There has been such a scandal and misinformation about olive oil and the types of faux products that are on offer in the stores it would have been nice to read about a real olive oil "farm" or production facility and how that is done. What a missed opportunity. It certainly would have been more interesting than the story the author chose to tell. First I have to get this out of the way: STOP IT WITH ALL THE Y'ALLs! How irritating that was! I have lived in the South and have traveled in almost every southern state and NO ONE talks like that! Also, making the mysterious neighbor Scottish and using the word "drookit" (incorrectly, I might add!) and "lass" and "ye" shows that the author should never write accented dialogue! And yes, I've lived in Scotland, my husband is Scottish and NO ONE talks like that there either! Besides the cringe-worthy dialogue, the story and characters was impossibly unrealistic and I didn't warm to one of them! Except maybe the dog... I know that in the South we parade our eccentrics but this nutty family was just as pleasant as wool underwear in July! The book CRIES out for an editor because in the denouement the author has the criminals in two places at once which makes the fact that they were supposed to be guilty, suspect. Sorry Ms. Lane, I know this is a first effort and you do show some writing promise but this didn't show it very well. I'm tempted to only give 1 star but I will be generous for the effort and hope that the author will learn, find a good editor, and do better.
January 20, 2016
"One Foot In The Grove" is a charming Southern-themed cozy that features not one, but three amateur sleuths in the form of the Knox sisters. This makes for a whirlwind of a story!
I really enjoyed the interaction between Eva and her sisters, and I was especially intrigued with the setting of this novel - a Georgia olive grove. I didn't know they grew olives in Georgia! And I enjoyed the lively action as the three sisters work to figure out who was trying to mess with their family - and lordy, you don't want to mess with a Southern gal's family! They will all band together to make sure you don't do that again, and that is true in this novel! I think this is going to be a great series, and oh my goodness, do NOT miss the recipes in the back! Delicious and tempting!
May 27, 2018
Should have been called "Ya'll Foot in the Grave." The ending was pretty good, but getting up to it was just about a DNF read. If it wasn't a book club discussion read I would have just tossed it. No love triangle....but it IS book 1...although I could do without the mystery man business. It comes across like a ploy to get readers to buy book 2 just to find out who he is. Since I never warmed up to any of the characters I won't be finding out about him. There were just too many "Ya'lls"....and I don't have much of an appreciation for all southerns being portrayed as stupid.
February 17, 2016
Lot of stuff going on in this book! The story was jammed packed with quirky people like Precious Darling, a housekeeper-cook who wears designer clothing and shoes and this is only one of many in this book. Yes, there were some flaws here and there but the story ran at a fast pace and was very entertaining. I can see that future stories will enlarge on the role of some of the characters.
June 10, 2017
It seemed like the author had never actually been to the northeast, and probably should have done more research. Also the whole premise was completely ridiculous.
May 5, 2019
Eva Knox is a runner. Granted, she runs for exercise, but that’s not the kind of running for which she’s known. Eighteen years before the book opens, Eva walked away from the marriage altar, standing up bad-boy Buck Tanner. So much heat did she receive for that decision that she fled town as well, working in public relations in Boston for nearly two decades.
But Eva ran again. This time, she escaped what would have been a loveless marriage to a philandering TV weatherman who wanted to marry her because doing so would further his career. When she caught him on their wedding day playing doctor with an associate of hers, she ran while he engineered the story such that he looked like the victimized jilted one.
So now Eva is back in Abundance, Georgia at her dad’s olive plantation. The goal is to regroup and reboot her life. Eva is surrounded by two zany sisters who clearly love her and who have unique ways of looking at life. Daphne is the Scarlet O’Hara southern bell type; Pepper is the short curvy sister who is married to a lowlife musician who doesn’t deserve her.
On a rainy sleepless night, Eva goes out for a run among the olive trees, taking with her Dolly, her little dog. As she runs through the darkened rain-swept night, she hears what sounds like gun shots. Paying little attention to them, she runs on until she trips over the foot of what turns out to be a dead body in the grove. She recognizes the face as that of a guy from whom she bought pastries when she lived in Boston. But what was he doing in Georgia? And who killed him?
Before it all ends, Eva is a suspect in the killing, and it is to her jilted-at-the-altar ex-boyfriend, Buck Tanner to whom she must plead her case of innocence. As the story heats up, Eva transitions from suspect to potential victim.
There’s enough that’s good about this first book in a series to make me want to read the next one. Although there are a couple of clumsy turns of phrase here and there, the book is written in a style that makes you instinctively like these three sisters, despite their imperfections. I personally found some of the humor to be a bit overdone. Giving characters ridiculous names like Precious Darling is an example. But I suppose parents indeed do weird things when they name their offspring, so maybe that’s not as over the top as I initially thought. On balance, if you do cozy mysteries that include a tiny bit of sizzle and some recipes at the back, you may find this of value.
But Eva ran again. This time, she escaped what would have been a loveless marriage to a philandering TV weatherman who wanted to marry her because doing so would further his career. When she caught him on their wedding day playing doctor with an associate of hers, she ran while he engineered the story such that he looked like the victimized jilted one.
So now Eva is back in Abundance, Georgia at her dad’s olive plantation. The goal is to regroup and reboot her life. Eva is surrounded by two zany sisters who clearly love her and who have unique ways of looking at life. Daphne is the Scarlet O’Hara southern bell type; Pepper is the short curvy sister who is married to a lowlife musician who doesn’t deserve her.
On a rainy sleepless night, Eva goes out for a run among the olive trees, taking with her Dolly, her little dog. As she runs through the darkened rain-swept night, she hears what sounds like gun shots. Paying little attention to them, she runs on until she trips over the foot of what turns out to be a dead body in the grove. She recognizes the face as that of a guy from whom she bought pastries when she lived in Boston. But what was he doing in Georgia? And who killed him?
Before it all ends, Eva is a suspect in the killing, and it is to her jilted-at-the-altar ex-boyfriend, Buck Tanner to whom she must plead her case of innocence. As the story heats up, Eva transitions from suspect to potential victim.
There’s enough that’s good about this first book in a series to make me want to read the next one. Although there are a couple of clumsy turns of phrase here and there, the book is written in a style that makes you instinctively like these three sisters, despite their imperfections. I personally found some of the humor to be a bit overdone. Giving characters ridiculous names like Precious Darling is an example. But I suppose parents indeed do weird things when they name their offspring, so maybe that’s not as over the top as I initially thought. On balance, if you do cozy mysteries that include a tiny bit of sizzle and some recipes at the back, you may find this of value.
January 20, 2024
I used to be a slave to cozy mysteries but after reading them for years I felt like all of them were following the same outline. Quickly introduce your character, kill someone at the end of the first chapter and then if the main character is not law enforcement or a PI give a lame reason why they want to solve the crime. Don't get me wrong a ton of writers have made a lot on this but it is a huge reason why I stopped picking up cozy mysteries. Until a month ago. I miss the genre, so I took a chance and picked up two. The first was a bust, I didn't even bother reviewing it because I like to only write nice things, although I did leave a star rating.
However, author Kelly Lane throws all those cliche rules the widow and writes a book full of rich detail and character development. She wisely saves her murder for chapter six. As we get to settle in and learn about the Southern town of Abundance and the big family of Eva Knox who is now back living on her family's Olive tree plantation. The book is heavy in conversations, the past of Eva and the family tribe. I enjoyed this book more than any cozy I have read in a long time. There are almost no time jumps in this book, Eva's quest is almost hour by hour and the conversations make you feel like they are real people talking, not just people around to drop clues. As a result, the characters can get off topic, like real people, or they just are busy poking at each other. But most important the main character does nothing predictable like wander off alone multiple times and put herself in danger. But man, Eva does get injured a lot and really should have been in the hospital at some point. While there is a hint of romance in the book the writer once again is wise to just hint at it instead of forcing it down our throats.
I see some people found the book tedious, but I think it is due to all cozy mysteries being written the same way all the time, perhaps they are used to things moving at that same pace as the rest. I highly enjoyed Eva's antics and the only thing she did that bothered me was not find her dog right away. But that is just me. Highly suggested if you want some southern fun, it's laid on thick but to me as a Texas gal I found it charming. Gives me hope for the cozy mystery again!
However, author Kelly Lane throws all those cliche rules the widow and writes a book full of rich detail and character development. She wisely saves her murder for chapter six. As we get to settle in and learn about the Southern town of Abundance and the big family of Eva Knox who is now back living on her family's Olive tree plantation. The book is heavy in conversations, the past of Eva and the family tribe. I enjoyed this book more than any cozy I have read in a long time. There are almost no time jumps in this book, Eva's quest is almost hour by hour and the conversations make you feel like they are real people talking, not just people around to drop clues. As a result, the characters can get off topic, like real people, or they just are busy poking at each other. But most important the main character does nothing predictable like wander off alone multiple times and put herself in danger. But man, Eva does get injured a lot and really should have been in the hospital at some point. While there is a hint of romance in the book the writer once again is wise to just hint at it instead of forcing it down our throats.
I see some people found the book tedious, but I think it is due to all cozy mysteries being written the same way all the time, perhaps they are used to things moving at that same pace as the rest. I highly enjoyed Eva's antics and the only thing she did that bothered me was not find her dog right away. But that is just me. Highly suggested if you want some southern fun, it's laid on thick but to me as a Texas gal I found it charming. Gives me hope for the cozy mystery again!
April 18, 2025
I enjoyed this first in series culinary cozy. It was a little slow to start, but I was intrigued be the premise and the cast of characters so I kept on reading. I’m very glad I did, because I felt it got better and better as it went along. Eva, also known as the Runaway Bride, has retreated from Boston and returned home to her family home in Abundance, Georgia where her father owns an olive grove and olive oil business. She’s not flying under the radar like she would like, particularly when she stumbles over a dead body. Not only does she find herself as a person of interest, she discovers she’s dealing with mobsters, and a sheriff who she left at the altar before fleeing to Boston. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the mystery and the book as a whole. Yes it’s a first in series which means we are just being introduced to characters which can be a tad rocky, but they did interest me enough that I plan on continuing with the next book.
October 2, 2017
This could be a really good series; it certainly has a lot going for it - quirky, but loveable characters, southern charm, a unique setting on an old plantation now serving as olive grove, some backstory that is intriguing (the runaway bride - why did she run the first time?), etc. However, there are some detractions too, such as the over the top Southern dialect and colloquialisms and the ruminating/fantasizing internal dialogues that go on too long, imho.
I liked this enough to give the next in series a chance, but if Eva doesn't show just a little more common sense in the next book, I'm finished. As a review said below, it's a miracle the heroine lived since she made so many, too many, really unbelievably stupid choices.
Here's hoping!
I liked this enough to give the next in series a chance, but if Eva doesn't show just a little more common sense in the next book, I'm finished. As a review said below, it's a miracle the heroine lived since she made so many, too many, really unbelievably stupid choices.
Here's hoping!
April 2, 2025
Oh my gosh, I loved this book! This is a new author for me and a new series, and I am so sad it only has 3 books. The characters are all very unique and there's so much going on and despite some of the characters being pretty scary and threatening, the story was so funny. Having a bit of experience with the runaway bride thing myself I could relate to Eva (though there certainly weren't two buff heroes waiting in the wings to rescue me!) There weren't a lot of suspects in the story and it seemed pretty clear right away whodunnit, but the few red herrings we had were all people I wanted so badly to be innocent that it ramped up the suspense. Fortunately, I have the next 2 books in this series, I can't wait to read them!
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