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Olive Grove Mystery #2

Cold Pressed Murder

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Eva Knox and her quirky Southern family are back in the second in the “intriguing”* culinary mystery series.
 
It’s the pits for the attendees of the annual Farm Family Fare in Abundance, Georgia, when olive oil farmer Eva Knox finds herself in the middle of a murder case...
 
Eva and the residents of Knox Plantation are oozing with excitement over the activities planned for the Farm Family Fare. The weekend event consists of two days of tours, exhibitions, music, tastings, and, most importantly, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs from the Chow Network. The enthusiasm, however, begins to dribble away after one of the star chefs goes missing—and is later found dead in the back of a refrigerated truck.
 
The scandal gets messier after the police discover that Eva’s sister Daphne spent the night with the victim right before he died, making her the prime suspect for his murder. It’s up to Eva, with the help of her other sister, Pep, and her best friend, Precious, to track down the real killer before Daphne finds herself squeezed into handcuffs...

331 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 7, 2017

16 people are currently reading
607 people want to read

About the author

Kelly Lane

14 books64 followers
Farm 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...

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5 stars
43 (26%)
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65 (40%)
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Jonathan.
588 reviews47 followers
June 21, 2017
Easily one of the top ten mystery series to have come about in the last few years, the Olive Grove series is a winner!

Eva Knox alternates between impulsive absolutely hilarious reactions and sickly sweet sarcasm, and it's a perfect balance! She is smart, kind, and strong, aka a perfect MC. Her sisters are hilarious (and VERY Southern), and Precious. Oh, Precious. Precious is probably one of my absolutely favorite characters in the book. She is stellar, yet I can't even picture her because of how large she's described. I love how she is tight-lipped about Ian, and yet so open about everything else.

The mystery was strong, I had an inkling of the killer, but the motive was never in my mind. The setting is also beautiful, but the orchard was barely even in the story. I loved the descriptions of it in the last book, so I was a little bit disappointed that it wasn't as prominent in this one. I did love the facts about olive oil throughout the book.

Really the only drawback of the book is the fact that it is so southern. Literally it's almost so unbelievable the names of the characters and the businesses (the Palatable Pecan!?!?!). Besides that, this book was absolutely superb, I highly recommend and I will be around for the next one!
Profile Image for Cynthia Austin.
Author 11 books299 followers
November 5, 2018
Another murder has sprung up in Abundance County, Georgia and once again it’s surrounding the Knox girls’ planation.

Eva Knox and her two sisters were hosting a celebrity cookoff when one of the chefs was found murdered. The girls ban together and do some detective of work of their own to find the true killer and steer the heat away from their planation.

A cozy mystery that has a slow start, but then again, it takes place in the South where everything is at a leisurely pace. After about 100 pages in, the pace picks up a bit and you find yourself invested in the “who done it” mystery.

I think the catty behavior between Tammy Fae, Debi and Eva, paired with the town gossip and back handed compliments really make the story interesting. I also liked the back and fourth between Buck and Eva. I have a feeling Buck’s engagement is not going to happen and he’s just waiting for Eva to give him the green light. I hope she does. They sound like the couple who never should have separated in the first place.

A cute, southern mystery paired with gossipy, old hens. Could be read as a stand-alone, or in order as a series.
Profile Image for Nolan.
3,791 reviews38 followers
May 24, 2019
Eva Knox and her two quirky sisters, Daphne and Pepper-Leigh, are back in this second installment about the amateur sleuth who aborted a wedding for the second time and came back to her dad's olive orchard in South Georgia.

It's a big weekend for Eva and her family. They are part of a local festival that raises money for charity. Her family has brought in some celebrity chefs to entertain the audience and cook recipes that feature olive oil. It’s a hot weekend, and all of the chefs from a reality TV show have frictions and secrets of their own. So hot is it that a corpulent peach farmer has a heart attack and dies, falling on top of Eva in the process.

Later, when one of the chefs is found murdered in a refrigerator truck, things get difficult for Eva because she has to figure out how to clear her older sister's name. It appears that aristocratic Daphne is the last person to have seen the chef alive and perhaps to benefit from his sexual services. Nevertheless, he’s a player hard core, so Daphne is far from the only suspect.

This was good enough that I’ll probably read the third book just to tie up some loose ends. I guess because I lack sophistication in the humor department, most of the attempts at humor writing here just came across as a bit farcical and bordering on the ridiculous. However, I’m sure that’s my deficit, not the author’s. That said, a lot of this just seemed over the top and exaggerated somehow. Eva learns a secret that her sisters have harbored for years, and I’m not sure why she needed to make such a massive deal of that new-found knowledge. I’ll try that third book in a few weeks.
Profile Image for Peggy.
1,012 reviews65 followers
August 1, 2017
Cold Pressed Murder is the second installment in Kelly Lane's Olive Grove Mystery series. I enjoyed this one as much as the first and I am looking forward to more to come. The author has done a wonderful job of creating a charming southern setting and has filled it with characters that are entertaining, larger than life and a bit over the top. Each one of the Knox sister is so different from the others, but I love their sibling relationship. It feels authentic and if you have sisters I think you might see a bit or your own relationship between them. Poor Eva, once again she has the unfortunate luck of stumbling over a dead body. Now it is up to her to prove Daphne is innocent and help restore the damage to their family name and the plantation.

I thought the mystery was well done. It is nicely paced and unfolds over the course of the story. The author had done a terrific job of providing a lot to keep the reader guessing. There are plenty of suspects with surprising motives. Throw in twists, turns and a jealous arch nemesis of Eva's and the reader will be delightfully turning pages trying to find out the identity of the culprit. I was surprised by who killed the Chef but when all the puzzle pieces finally fell into place the ending left me satisfied.

I enjoy this series about the Knox sisters and their charming Georgia town filled with big, over the top characters. I am looking forward to more to come from this author.
2,939 reviews38 followers
March 21, 2017
Eva is full of excitement about the farm family fare. Among other things it is going to have cooking demonstrations with chefs from the Chow network. Things go bad when one of the star chefs goes missing and then is found dead. The police find out that Eva's sister spent the night before the chefs death with him. Eva and her other sister set out to prove who the real killer is. Interesting information about Olive farming and recipes made with olive oil.
Profile Image for Kristie.
389 reviews13 followers
February 15, 2019
The beginning of the book annoyed me, however I ultimately enjoyed the mystery. I had to laugh when one of the b&b guests said she wanted to hit Daphne for her over the top Southern plesantries. Daphne annoys the heck out of me with her y’all and fiddle dee dee but I really like Eva and Pep. I plan to continue the series.
836 reviews10 followers
July 15, 2017
Cold Pressed - Hot Blooded!

This is a great book! Main character Eva, is a trouble magnet. She's been a runaway bride in two occasions, one because he cheated on her on her wedding day no less, & the other one is still a mystery. She has returned home to her family's olive "plantation" in Georgia to recuperate & try to get her life in order. Unfortunately men are literally dropping dead by her or even on her! She keeps finding herself in the most awful situations, but fortunately for her she keeps being saved by two wildly gorgeous men - Sheriff & old flame Buck Tanner & mysterious Scotsman Ian Collier. She is attracted to both men but has no idea their feelings for her. This book has it all, suspense, murder, humor, & a bit of romance! Not to be missed!
Profile Image for Aera.
149 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2019
I did not like this at all. A good 99% of the characters were not likable in the least. Nearly all were as obnoxious as they come and irritatingly juvenile. Including the main character. Nearly everybody is either nasty, gross, childish or all three! I know this is supposed to be a "zany cozy mystery" and characters are supposed to be quirky and over the top; I can take zany but only if it's funny. This was not funny at all.

The mystery is ok enough but the fact that I couldn't stomach the characters made it so slow going. The first 250 pages were a chore to read and it only slightly improved the last 50 pages. Too little, too late! I didn't like one single person in this book. Which is a first for me that's how horrible I found the characters to be. Blech!
2 reviews
April 4, 2017
I am a big fan of Kelly Lane, author of the Olive Grove Mystery series. After reading and thoroughly enjoying her first book, One Foot In The Grove, I couldn't wait for the next one to come out. It is the kind of book you don't want to end. Her smart sense of humor is quickly apparent as she introduces her well-developed characters. There are many giggle-worthy moments, unexpected twist and turns that make you think AH HA and pages of exciting suspense that won't allow you to put the book down. JUST A SUPER READ! I now await the third book. I highly recommend this series and I hope that the books keep on coming I love escaping into the Olive Grove! Really fun!!!!!
Profile Image for Kayt18.
416 reviews
March 19, 2017
I love this series and this book is even better than the first. You cannot ask for more in a cozy mystery than this delightful second installment by author Kelly Lane. Eva Knox is a fabulous protagonist and her family is a hoot. The characters are fun and entertaining. The mystery is well written and kept me guessing. I love the southern flair. I recommend "Cold Pressed Murder" to anyone that enjoys a great cozy mystery with fantastic characters and a fun setting.
Profile Image for Lisa Leone-campbell.
693 reviews58 followers
April 20, 2017
Unfortunately I could not get through this book. There were too many characters and too much going on constantly that in the 100 pages I tried to read I could not keep everything straight.
Profile Image for Darlene.
6 reviews
June 20, 2017
Much better than the first book in this series, I think the characters may "grow" on me eventually, like a grove of olive trees, they take time to mature, I suppose.
Profile Image for Denise Kulesa.
395 reviews2 followers
May 17, 2023
Another great book in the Olive Grove mystery series.

Eva and her sisters are always around when dead bodies are found !!!! These 3 sisters are hilarious separately and together they are a force to be reckoned with.

This is a series worth reading
Profile Image for Terri.
1,206 reviews8 followers
January 19, 2019
I get a kick out of Kelly Lane’s books - very zany, quite funny. Roll with it and you’ll enjoy!
Profile Image for Kenzie Weitzeil.
80 reviews
May 24, 2019
Great read

I love these sisters so much. The characters and setting are vibrant and relatable. This and the Apple orchard series are my favorite.
Profile Image for OpenBookSociety.com .
4,111 reviews136 followers
March 27, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/co...


Cold Pressed Murder
Olive Grove Mystery, Book #2
By Kelly Lane
ISBN13: 9780425277232
Author website: http://www.kellylanewrites.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt

Synopsis:

Eva Knox and her quirky Southern family are back in the second in the “intriguing”* culinary mystery series.

It’s the pits for the attendees of the annual Farm Family Fare in Abundance, Georgia, when olive oil farmer Eva Knox finds herself in the middle of a murder case…

Eva and the residents of Knox Plantation are oozing with excitement over the activities planned for the Farm Family Fare. The weekend event consists of two days of tours, exhibitions, music, tastings, and, most importantly, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs from the Chow Network. The enthusiasm, however, begins to dribble away after one of the star chefs goes missing—and is later found dead in the back of a refrigerated truck.

The scandal gets messier after the police discover that Eva’s sister Daphne spent the night with the victim right before he died, making her the prime suspect for his murder. It’s up to Eva, with the help of her other sister, Pep, and her best friend, Precious, to track down the real killer before Daphne finds herself squeezed into handcuffs..

Review:

I love this series. Author Kelly Lane’s “An Olive Grove Mystery” series is so much fun and full of characters that invite you into their world and keep you entertained. Cold Pressed Murder is the second installment in the series and I think it is even better than the first. The lovely setting in small town Abundance, Georgia is delightful. I love the southern atmosphere and thank the author for explaining the over use of y’all in the singular. The first book drove me crazy with that being a southerner, so I really appreciated her taking the time to discuss this usage. (Sorry for that aside, but it had to be done, lol). Protagonist Eva Knox is a character that is not only strong and independent, but loves her crazy family warts and all.

In the second book of this wonderful series, Eva and her family are excited to be hosting the Farm Family Fare at the family Knox Plantation. Along with all sorts of fun activities, there will be a cooking demonstration put on by three completely different celebrity chefs from the Chow Network. At the demonstration, the chefs poke at each other and amuse the crowd with their feud. Everything is going well until the next day when one of the chefs is missing. Eva finds his cold, frozen body in the freezer truck when she goes to get some of the homemade ice cream. Things really go bad when it is found out that her sister Daphne spent some time with him the night before and may have been involved with him before that. When the chief of police has it in for your family, what is Eva to do, but find out who the real killer really is.

I love the characters in this series and the interaction between all of them. In this second book, they have developed into even more entertaining people. It is so much fun to visit with them in their small town. The touch of southern hospitality and tradition makes the story even more enjoyable. As tasty as a finely aged olive oil, sprinkled with sass and spice like a wonderful olive, and full of delightful interplay and humor. You cannot ask for more than this well written mystery and fabulous character driven story.

I absolutely love this series. Cold Pressed Murder is everything you want in a cozy mystery. The suspects are believable and the intrigue is continuous. Eva is a fantastic protagonist and I for one would love to hang out with her. Her family is a blend of everything southern, the southern belle – Daphne, the wild child – Pep and of course the strong independent woman – Eva. I cannot wait to see what the next installment brings for the Knox family. If you enjoy southern cozies, family driven mysteries, well written characters and storylines, this is the book for you.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
Profile Image for Mason.
Author 2 books25 followers
April 1, 2017
Author Kelly Lane pulls you into COLD PRESSED MURDER with her quirky characters and the charm of a small-town setting.
The story flows smoothly and at a good pace. The twists and turns will keep you on your toes until the killer is revealed. The charming setting is inviting and captivating. The author’s vivid descriptions make you feel you’re there with the action.
The zany characters are likable and well-developed. The protagonist is easy to relate to and the supporting characters add depth to the story. The author’s blend of humor with family loyalty makes for a well-balanced tale. The author also weaves in a bit about olives and includes several tempting recipes to enhance this culinary mystery.
An enticing tale you’ll enjoy from beginning to end.
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
2,253 reviews44 followers
April 19, 2017
Before reading, Cold Pressed Murder, Kelly Lane was an unknown author to me. After reading this book, I can't wait for the next installment in this Olive Grove mystery series! This book has everything you want in a cozy mystery:great small town feel, likable but flawed characters, hint of a love interest triangle, a mystery to solve, and lots of twists, turns, and surprises. This book was well written, nicely paced, entertaining, with Southern charm mixed in! Five stars!
2 reviews1 follower
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May 10, 2017
This book is fantastic! I absolutely have fallen in love with this series. I read the first one and immediately went out and got the second book. I haven't done that since I read Harry Potter's first book! The characters jump to life in this series. Eva is easy to relate to - an instant connection. The book moves along at a great pace and you don't want to put it down! I am eagerly awaiting the next book - it can't come fast enough!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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