Trouble seems to follow Chelsea like baby ducks follow their mama. This time around, Chelsea's best friend Tilly has been accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, Adam. When Adam's fiancé points the finger at Tilly, the police dig up a secret motivation that make things look really bad for Tilly.. and she has no alibi.
There has to be a way to clear her friend, but Chelsea is running out of ideas.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is chasing her own demons as a mystery surrounding her family comes to light. The more she learns about her past, the less sure she is of the future. Has everything in her life been a lie?
In book two of this fun, humorous cozy series, Chelsea and Tilly discover 6 year old Emma’s imaginary friend, Freckles, in the barn! LOL! That barn sees a lot of action! Tilly’s in trouble when someone murders her ex-boyfriend and tries to cast suspicion on her.
This is a well-written, entertaining mystery with a lovable cast of characters—both human and animals! I highly recommend.
Farmer in the Dead is the 2nd book in this great new cozy mystery series by talented author CeeCee James. I had a blast reading it.
Chelsea, the main character is very lovable and if I were in these stories, I'd really want to be her friend.
She does have a strong tendency to get mixed up in all sorts of trouble though, so being her friend might be a bit dangerous, but she would have your back.
This book, as well as the previous one, is a fun romp through the countryside, complete with cantankerous farm animals and all their crazy pranks, quirky characters and a healthy dose of friendship, lovingly woven together with a terrific thread of humor.
Chelsea's friend, Tilly has returned from her photo shoot in Australia. Needless to say, both Tilly's daughter, Emma, and Chelsea are happy to have her home, even if it is only for a short time. Tilly is discussing her next project with her ex-boyfriend, Adam Foster. Unfortunately, Adam's fiancee, Margo Vanderhout, threw a fit when she saw him kiss Tilly. As a result, the next photo shoot may be history before it even starts.
Chelsea and Tilly are discussing a picture from Chelsea's childhood when a police car pulls into the driveway. The officers want to talk to Tilly about an incident that happened that morning. It seems that Adam Foster has been murdered and Tilly was thought to be the last person to see him alive. Meanwhile, Chelsea has issues of her own related to her family history and her mother is still out of touch in Mexico, due to severe weather.
Who killed Adam? Why was he killed? Can Chelsea prove Tilly's innocence? Will Chelsea be able to get some answers from her mother about her own family history?
CeeCee James has another winner with this nail-biter of a mystery. There are more than enough clues and red herrings to keep the reader guessing clear to the end.
Oh this was so good, and anyone who was worried about a few stragglers being left in the first book, no worries, your answers will all come in time in this book. Chelsea's story was a very sweet one. I loved that Emma's friend Freckles was in this book more. I won't give anything away, but it's really cool. Tilly was the main suspect this time when her ex-boyfriend was found dead, but Chelsea was determined to find out who really killed him. It was definitely not who I thought probably did it. A great second book for this fun new series, and I've already preordered book 3.
The second book in the Chelsea Lawson series picks up right where the last one left off. Chelsea's friend Tilly has returned from her trip and is accused of her ex boyfriends' murder as she was the last to see him alive. This book has great characters and a great mystery. I loved that we got some answers about Chelsea's background. Definitely a series worth reading.
Farmer In The Dead Chelsea Lawson Cozy Mystery, Book #2 CeeCee James 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Trouble seems to follow Chelsea like baby ducks follow their mama. This time around, Chelsea's best friend Tilly has been accused of murdering her ex-boyfriend, Adam. When Adam's fiancé points the finger at Tilly, the police dig up a secret motivation that make things look really bad for Tilly.. and she has no alibi.
There has to be a way to clear her friend, but Chelsea is running out of ideas.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is chasing her own demons as a mystery surrounding her family comes to light. The more she learns about her past, the less sure she is of the future. Has everything in her life been a lie? (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoyed spending time with Chelsea, Tilly and Emma. It has not gotten much easier for Chelsea to help keep the farm going, but at least she now has Tilly to help her. When Tilly is a person of interest in in the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Chelsea will do whatever it takes to prove her friend’s innoncene.
There are a couple of mysteries found within this book. The first is who killed Tilly’s ex-boyfriend and the other is Chelsea’s memory of her childhood. She will be forced to face facts that she never thought she would be facing. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider in the murder and it was not easily solved.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.
The mystery of Chelsea Lawson's life, and her recurring nightmare, further unfolds in Farmer in the Dead. And, of course, there is a murder to solve. Start with book one, Mooved to Murder, to fully appreciate this one.
Chelsea Lawson moved back home to take care of her friend Tilly's daughter and home while Tilly was on a work assignment. But the day Tilly arrives back, she needs to go see her ex-boyfriend about another photography job. When she calls Chelsea to pick her up, she seems angry. And when the police show up at Tilly's farm, they have her as a suspect in the man's death, since she was the last one to see him alive. Now Chelsea's made a promise to find out the truth, and she intends to do so.
But Chelsea's also wondering about a strange man who showed up at her place of work. And wonders what her mother has been keeping from her. With two mysteries she needs to solve, she doesn't know which one is more important...
This is the second in a three-part series, and while I hate the fact that the author leaves us with another cliffhanger, I was going to read the book anyway, so there it is. What I hate is the fact that Chelsea would rather avoid people than confront them when they treat her badly; and also am still wondering why she can't cook when she's almost thirty. Sorry, but that's just lazy. Even the busiest person should be able to cook eggs.
We also get some answers, but there are more questions. I also thought the ending was done more as an afterthought, since there weren't any clues to the murderer throughout the book, just as the point toward the end where Chelsea was figuring it out -- and the police already had. So the mystery itself seemed more of a subplot and the main plot was about Chelsea figuring out her past. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read that can be read in an afternoon.
This series seems to be written using the theory that readers will be intrigued by plot threads left dangling. It could be an interesting hook. But in my opinion this author doesn’t pull it off. From the other ratings, clearly I’m in the minority with that opinion. Still, I’m sticking to what I wrote in my review of the first book: I’m not sure other reviewers read the same book I did.
Terms like “well crafted” “descriptive” “nail-biter” and “humorous” are peppered throughout the 5 star reviews. The mystery was a killing, the police apparently inept at gathering clues, and the main character’s prime suspect . The writing is so lacking in detail that two books in I have no idea what kind of dog Jasper is. It’s not an important detail but an example of many glaring descriptive omissions. Characters are introduced, never heard from again and serve no purpose as red herrings. Which would generally be considered providing character depth if the author delivered the other expected elements of a good story. And, like the first book, I was unable to find any “humor” that’s so often mentioned in the reviews here.
The second book, in the Chelsea Lawson Cozy Mystery series, was as wonderful as the first! Chelsea's best friend Tilly is accused of the murder of a louse of an ex-boyfriend and her only hope at justice is Chelsea's sleuthing skills.
I love this character! Chelsea is smart, kind, makes mistakes, fiercely loyal to those she loves and all these qualities make her a very relatable and likable character. I enjoyed the "mystery within a mystery" which at times made me tear up. While reading about this complex character, I felt Chelsea could "jump from the pages" because she is so well written. The farm setting is fun, the supporting characters are both endearing and humorous (especially a certain goose) and there is a unique twist to Emma's friend, Freckles!
I'm looking forward to the next mystery and to see what happens in Chelsea's backstory!I
I received an ARC from the author as a gift with no expectation of a review.
Tilly is lucky to have a friend like Chelsea in her life!
The 2nd in the “Chelz” Series didn’t disappoint! Many strands which were left open in the first book “Moved to Murder” were answered, though not wrapped up completely, as they will seemingly continue through the series. I was much more satisfied with the ending of this book vs. the first which left me frustrated with a cliffhanger and a wait for the release of book 2. I am excited for the next in the series but can now wait more patiently this time around. Thank you CeeCee!
I love the characters and relationships in the story including the farm animals who manage to communicate without words. Each book has a different mystery which is resolved within the bigger picture and keeps you guessing and turning pages. My only wish is that they were longer books. Great stories could easily be adapted to television episodes.
Who wouldn’t love to have a BFF that gives up her job in the city to enable you to pursue your dreams? Especially when said BFF is a single city girl who transplanted herself to a small-town rural life in order to care for your six-year-old daughter and menagerie of farm pets? Not to forget the neighbor’s pet gander who attacks and chases her around the farm at will. That is what I consider a true BFF.
The backstory of the main characters is further revealed in this story which solves a portion of the little mysteries hidden within the pages of this murder mystery. I really appreciate that Chelsea’s character respects law enforcement and does not purport herself to be superior to them in any way. She is just a really great friend, and person in general, who wants to safeguard the people she cares about.
This was a clean, entertaining, fun, and easy read that I highly recommend to those who enjoy a good cozy mystery story.
Farmer in the Dead is book number 2 in this delightful new series by CeeCee James. Chelsea is helping her friend Tilly by taking care of her hobby farm while Tilly is in Australia working. Tilly arrives home and is suspected of murdering her no good boyfriend. Chelsea is going to help Tilly in the investigation and still work on why people keep mistaking her for a girl named Denise. Read this book to find all the answers to who committed the murder and the mystery that Chelsea's mom has been hiding all these years. I lalso love the animals at the farm and quirks they have. Makes for a great refreshing read.
While Chelsea is stressing over life in general, her childhood nightmares return. On top of that, Tilly returns from her overseas photoshoot, and asks Chelsea to pick her up from her ex-boyfriends home. A couple of hours after returning home, the police show up to interview Tilly about the murder of said ex-boyfriend. As if this isn't all enough to deal with. Chelsea learns that Mr. Freckles (Emma's imaginary friend) isn't imaginary after all. And then there's the person who shows up in town claiming to be her father.
This was a really fun book, lots of twists, and lots of information about Chelsea's past come to light.
Chelsea returns in this second book. She is still at Tilly's house but no longer alone as the only adult so there is kind of a different tone, none the less still exciting. I really like that there is more than one mystery going on at the same time. Add the animals and her new job in and the story is great. The new character or rather getting to meet the real Freckles was nice. It only added to a great list of characters. Although one mystery is solved, the second one leaves you craving the next book. Well written and very enjoyable.
Chelsea is settling in taking care of her best friends house, farm animals and daughter, but she’s relieved that Tilly is on her way home. The relief is short lived when her friend is the last known person to be with a murder victim who just happens to be her ex. So now Chelsea takes on the job of clearing her friends name while trying to sort out a secret her mother is keeping.
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily am providing a review.
In the second Chelsea Lawson book, the mystery of Chelsea’s‘doppelgänger’ moves forward as she learns more about her background. Of course, there is another murder; this time Tilly (her longtime friend who owns the farm where Chelsea is living) is a prime suspect. Chelsea learns more about her background AND gets Tilly off the hook! I can’t wait to read Book 3 of this exciting series
This is what I love about cozy series. While each book in the series will have a main plot that starts and finishes in that book, they also have one of more subplots that will thread from one book to another before picking up a new thread. Good writers do this to move a story along and keep the readers wanting more. Great writing, fun reading.
Children's best friend and housemate is a suspect in the murder of a man she had dated a few times, so Chels works to find the real killer. Meanwhile, her mother is in Mexico working to rebuild houses for the poor. A man comes to see her, telling her that he is her father. She has never known her father and is unable to reach her mother. So she has a lot to deal with. An interesting story with twists and turns to keep the reader involved.
Farmer In The Dead is book two of the series. Once again there is murder mixed in with laughter and the craziness of the farm. Ms. James has a genuine way of spinning a tale that makes you feel like you are in with the characters while the story plays out. I can't wait to see what happens next time
I love this new series by CeeCee James. This book 2 is an awesome read. It shines more light onto Chelsea’s family past, while she’s dealing with a whole other level of drama, her best friend being accused of murder. Freckles is back and he has some thoughts on what happen! Take a read to find out!
A true cozy, filled with charm, quirky characters and an interesting story. Some questions from book one are answered but more are raised. The animals sometimes steal the spotlight, especially George the guard goose, for me. Chelsea's sleuthing abilities not only help her find answers about her life but the case of murder her friend Tilly is a suspect in.
Farmer in the Dead continues the fascinating new series of cozy mysteries from CeeCee James. Her friend Tilly comes home just in time to be accused of the murder of a former boyfriend, a strange man wants to talk to Chelsea, and Mr. Freckles provides what might be a clue. Join in on all the fun and read this fast-paced new addition to this intriguing series. You won't regret it.
Like I said yesterday this is one good author!!! Loved this book of hers also, but don't know which I like the best yesterday's or today's!!! Both are awesome! You are one of a kind! Now on to the next one!!!
I don't know what I'm about to read but I do know one thing for sure it's gonna be by. Cee Cee James
The book was a good read. I will read the next one in the series. However, the author needs a proofreader. Many words left out, spelling errors (prices instead of prizes) and the author did not know what Epilogue meant. She placed her Comments to Readers there.
Loved both the first and the second. Interesting story as well as a murder thrown in for good measure. An unexpected twist at the end. Can’t wait for the third one. I’ve already pre ordered it. 😊
I have other Car Car James books and enjoyed them. That's why when I saw the author I was looking forward to reading the book. This book is nothing like the others. I usually read a sample it I don't know the author.
Chelsea Lawson is trying to clear her friend Tilly of a murder charge and deal with a family secret she never knew about. Can she do both without her life falling apart and not be run down by the mailman who won't deliver her mail.
Fun, entertaining story. Characters are great, animals make it more fun. The small town friendly neighbors make it a light-hearted mystery. I really enjoyed the first two books of this series. I will move on to book three.
Another great entry in the Chelsea Lawson series of books. Really enjoyed this book. City girl turns into a country girl. She also gets some answers about her past. Look forward to the next book in this series.