Berried in the Past

Cranberry Cove #5

by Peg Cochran

On a night of heavy snow and bitter cold, newlyweds Monica and Greg are comfortably nestled before a warm fire when they’re roused by a late-night knock at the door. Surprised to find a troubled and confused woman on the doorstep, Monica is even more shocked when the woman vacantly utters that someone is trying to kill her. Sensing distress but not danger, Monica decides to help this mysterious woman, but her clouded recollections yield little—until she dredges up memories of her sister and a nearby home, where they find the woman’s sister, dead.

Unable to deny her own curiosity or the woman’s request for help, Monica begins digging into the suspicious death, only to discover a murky family history of valuable land, a bullying brother, an unscrupulous real estate developer, and endless rumors of good deeds met with bad blood. And when the trail of the killer begins to turn cold, Monica realizes that while the family wants to bury their sister, someone is out to bury the clues—and if Monica’s not careful, to bury her as well .

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2020

About the author

Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books' stats on Amazon.

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan. She is the author of the Open Book Series (written as Margaret Loudon), the Murder, She Reported series, the Cranberry Cove Series, the Farmer’s Daughter series, the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London.)

Reviews

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sense that it took quite a modicum of hard work for the author to put up a competent cozy. She has her heart in the right place. However, she still seemed a trifle lost in her endeavor.

The making of her red herrings sometimes went to strange detailed depictions that were never mentioned or addressed again. I sympathise with her. It's not easy to write a good yarn.

I write my review with the impression that my rating or opinion piece won't acutely harm the writer. I wish her the best and I know she has found her audience already. Most of us wannabes never make it that far.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that if a stranger came to my door at night and told me someone is trying to kill them I would not let them in and invite them to spend the night but it certainly makes for a great attention getter to start the story. In addition it ends up involving Monica in a murder investigation while also worrying about possible changes in her future.

This is the first book I've read in the Cranberry Cove series but it worked fine as a stand alone. I enjoyed the setting and found the characters likable. I look forward going back to Cranberry Cove in the future. Thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been almost two years since the last Cranberry Cove book by Peg Cochran and I have to say I was happy to make a return visit to Cranberry Cove. One of the reasons I enjoy this series so much is that it is set in my home state of Michigan. Cranberry Cove is a fictional town, but Ms. Cochran does such a delightful job of throwing in charming elements of small-town western Michigan that it makes me sad I can't really visit this town. Monica and Greg are settling into married life when a knock on the door one evening changes their peace and quiet. Monica is once again in the center of a death that at first does not seem all that suspicious. However, once Monica gets a gut feeling she has to follow it through.

The mystery was well done and carries nicely throughout the story. There are not a lot of suspects to choose from, but Ms. Cochran does a wonderful job of leaving a trail of clues behind some twists and turns. I was convinced, right along with Monica, that I knew who the killer had to be. And of course, I was wrong, which was revealed in a climactic ending.

I really enjoy the secondary cast of characters that populate this charming town. They all feel like they are hitting their strides and settling into their personalities and are at the right place in their lives. There is still plenty of room for growth and development for the characters as their lives continue to evolve. I sincerely hope that I get a chance to visit this town and these characters in more books to come in this series.

I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Beyond the Page, through Netgalley.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica and Greg's beginning of a quiet married life in Cranberry Cove, Michigan is interrupted in the middle of the night. A stranded woman in the rain is in distress and can't seem to find her way home. When daylight breaks and Dana, the mysterious visitor, finally is able to lead Monica to her sister's home, they find the sister dead. When Dana's physician brother appears to claim his share of the estate, the mystery deepens and puts Dana and Monica's lives on a collision course with danger. Monica's brother Jeff is also dealing with difficult decisions regarding his health, which may have a far bigger impact than what he ever imagined.

I've read this series since the beginning and enjoyed this newest installment. It can easily be read as a standalone with all the necessary background provided. As Monica, Greg, Jeff and his fiancé face all of the challenges, they become closer as a family instead of apart, qualities that I really admire. The plot exposed some long-held secrets, providing great twists and keeping me engaged throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Pager for an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica and Greg are newly married. It is a cold night in Michigan and they are settled in by the fire.
All of a sudden, there is a late visitor at the door who is very confused and disoriented saying someone just tried to kill her.
Monica and Greg decide to try and help her and go looking for the house where she ran from.
Turns out it is the family house where her sister lives. Unfortunately, by the time they get back there the sister is dead.
Monica can't help being curious about what is going on. Especially when Dana, the mysterious night visitor, asks for her help.
When she starts to investigate she finds out that the house is sitting on a valuable piece of land.
Dana's brother, the bully, looks like a good suspect. But there is an unethical real estate developer that would like to buy the house and land as well.
Meanwhile there is an interesting side story about Monica's brother and the cranberry farm where they work.
Endearing characters and the story moves along well.
Its also interesting to read about an area in Michigan, that I have been to many times, even though the town name is fictional.
Enjoyable!

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran is the fifth A Cranberry Cove Mystery. New readers will have no problem reading this story. We get to return to the cozy town of Cranberry Cove with its charming shops and friendly citizens. Monica and Greg are newlyweds who live a cottage on Sassamanash Farm. Monica creates baked treats featuring cranberries which are sold in the farm store plus does the accounting for the farm and Greg owns Book ‘Em in town which sells used plus new books. It is after nine p.m. on a winter night when someone knocks on their door. Dana Bakker’s car skidded off the road after she escaped from the hospital. She believes someone is trying to kill her, but Dana is unable to recall more details. Dana was in the hospital from where she hit a tree and is now suffering from amnesia. She recalls a house with a red door (a common thing in Cranberry Cove). Monica takes her hunting for the red doored house and they find a dilapidated farmhouse with Dana’s sister dead inside. At first blush, it looks like the woman died of natural causes. Soon evidence points to murder. I thought the whodunit was straightforward and can easily be solved early in the book. Dana’s amnesia does not slow down our amateur sleuth. There are less than a handful of suspects for Monica to consider. There are good clues along with misdirection. I kept hoping the author would throw in a twist to surprise me at the end (one can dream). I did enjoy the action-packed reveal scene at the end and the clever way the guilty party is captured. There is further intrigue when Jeff considers selling Sassamanash Farm to pay for an experimental surgery on his arm. The town is up in arms and someone leaves threats at the farm and has notes delivered to Monica. There are warm, cozy moments in the story between Monica and Greg (newlyweds are lovey dovey). Kit, Monica’s assistant, is having some relationship and housing issues, another farm employee has happy news, plenty of baking with mouthwatering descriptions plus time spent with friends and family. Gina provides some lighthearted moments with her search for Mister Right. There are recipes at the end of the book. Berried in the Past is a warmhearted cozy mystery with a body in a bed, auto accident amnesia, cranberry cookery, troubling threats, a determined developer, nuzzling newlyweds and a mysterious murder.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this one was MUCH better than the last one!! YAY!!! And I am glad, because I really wasn't ready to give up on Monica and Greg and all of the assorted characters that come along with them.
This one starts on a snowy night with a bang on the door and just goes and goes until it ends with a gun and a roll down a hill, a chase and a reveal. And its a doozy. And I never saw it coming. Not until close to when Monica did [and I didn't have the why either]. It is amazing just how much years of anger and bitterness can turn you into a cold-blooded murderer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran is the 5th book in a Cranberry Cove series, and another fun addition. I really enjoy this series. Monica and Greg are married, and enjoying an evening home when a women knocks on their door. The women appears confused, and states that someone is trying to kill her. Monica is determined to help this women get her memory back. I found this book interesting, and I couldn't stop reading. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I highly recommended this book and series for any cozy mystery lovers like me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this is my first in the Cranberry Cove series by Peg Cochran, Berried in the Past is book #5. Despite this, I was keen to dive straight in as I adore a good cozy mystery. I did not feel at any disadvantage as the author provided enough backstory on the characters involved.

Set in the state of Michigan, Cranberry Cove is a fictional town, and I enjoyed all of the delightful, charming, small town descriptions and experiences.

Monica Albertson and Greg Harper are newlyweds who live in a cottage on Sassamanash Farm. Monica creates treats using cranberries that are sold in her half-brother's farm shop and she also does the financial accounts for the farm. Greg owns "Book 'Em" in the town, from where he sells new and used books. As Monica and Greg are settling into their harmonious married life on one bitterly cold winters night, a knock on the door disturbs their peace and quiet. The woman, Dana Bakker, standing on their doorstep announces that somebody is trying to take her life. After hearing Dana out, Monica soon finds herself in the centre of an investigation, and a deepening, ominous mystery...

The character creation by Peg Cochran was marvellous, and I especially liked the character of thirty-something baker Monica, also the proud owner of Mittens the cat. With its well-plotted mystery and a number of red herrings, at every turn I had a different suspect in mind. There were plenty of subplots to boost the readers' interest, running parallel with the main event. Berried in the Past is a terrific story that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Beyond The Page Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the series so far. I’ve always loved the idea of Cranberry Cove and it always seem so charming. Monica has grown on me over the series and I like how much more confident she’s become throughout the series. The mystery was well developed and was front and center while still allowing other town matters to be showcased. I really enjoyed this one and am glad there is at least one more in the series.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Berried In The Past is the fifth book in the Cranberry Cove Mystery series.

Cranberry Cove is experiencing bitter cold and heavy snowfall, but Monica and Greg are having a romantic evening curled up in front of their fireplace when there is knocking at their front door. When they answer the door, there is a lady who identifies herself as Dana and says that someone is trying to kill her. She relates that she has run her car off the road while trying to find her sister’s home. They all agree to wait until the morning after the roads have been plowed to help Dana find her sister’s home. The next morning Monica and Dana set out to find Dana’s sister. Soon Dana remembers enough that they can find the house. They receive no response when they knock on the door. Dana tries the door and finds it unlocked and they enter calling her sister’s name. Getting no response, they start searching the house and soon find her dead in her bed. The coroner is called and is in too much of a hurry to start his vacation and states she died of natural causes.

Dana doesn’t believe that the coroner’s decision is correct and asks Monica if she will help to find out how her sister really died and Monica quickly agrees to help. Monica soon learns that some of the sister’s pills are missing and that may have caused her to have a heart attack. She also learns that Dana’s brother has been trying to get his sister to see the house that the three of them own. A real estate developer is also in town and wants the property to build housing. It also appears that a couple of her friends might have wanted to see the sister die.

A sub-plot hits close to home for Monica. Monica’s brother, Jeff, wants to sell the cranberry farm so he will have money to repair the injuries from a war injury to his arm. She’s worried that she and Greg will have to find a new place to live and she will lose her bakery.

The story is well-plotted and written. The residents of Cranberry Cove are well-developed and quite enjoyable. There are plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end.

There are also delicious-sounding recipes included in the book.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between audiobooks and Ebooks, I was able to binge this series and it has been a pleasant series to read. Monica is delightful and makes sleuthing look easy but dangerous. If I had one complaint about Monica it would be that she leaves a lot of the baking to her assistant Kit. Good thing he doesn't mind.

Cranberry Cove feels like a real Michigan town that I would love to visit especially in the fall. I have found it very interesting in learning about cranberries. In all honesty, I thought they only grew in Washington state.

Each book has yummy cranberry recipes included. I am going to try the Orange Cranberry bread in this book very soon.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Beyond the Page, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the Cranberry Cove mystery series by Peg Cochran.

This is my first foray into the world of Cochran’s Cranberry Cove. I did wonder here and there why Monica was making so many cranberry dessert items. Then when I realized the title of the series, I had that DUH-moment.

Monica is a baker and works from her brother’s farm in her own little cottage, for lack of a better term. Monica and Greg are visited by a woman who claims to have lost her memory but knows that someone is after her. Of course, the two have to help and this draws Monica into the world of Dana. When they follow the few leads they have, they are drawn to a house where they find Monica’s sister dead in her upstairs bedroom. The coroner is late for his vacation and quickly tells them it was a natural death. But Monica isn’t so sure.

We meet here a complex dynamic friends and family where at many times during the course of the book you wonder if each of them had a motive to kill their sister/friend. At every turn I had a different suspect in mind. That tells of a well-plotted mystery and well-placed red herrings. I was completely thrown off track.

I don’t know why I had never heard of this series considering we are already on book five and this is definitely an above average cozy mystery. I know I bought one of Cochran’s book in this series last year. I plan to pull that one out and do a marathon read of books 1-4.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Such a fun and interesting read.

If you love a good cozy mystery book, you need to pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. I was hooked all the way through. Good stuff!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

[Anna Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica and Greg are settling in to married life, enjoying quiet pursuits together and dreaming of the future; one evening their idyll is disrupted when a woman comes to their door seeking help after getting her car stuck in the snow - and alarming them with a tale of someone trying to kill her. When it turns out the woman’s sister was murdered, Monica can’t help but wonder who would have wanted the quiet, unassuming woman dead - and there seem to be plenty of choices. Narrowing down the options will mean bringing up a long-held grief from the past, with deadly consequences.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Ms Cochran can surely write a cozy mystery that will keep you hooked.
The plot is well crafted, the setting is lovely and the cast of characters well thought and likeable.
The mystery was solid and kept me guessing.
I can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read many books in this series, however, Berried in the Past is an excellent story. Returning from her honeymoon, Monica is looking forward to settling in to married life with her husband Greg. On a dark, snowy night, a stranger knocks on their door and the whirlwind of events puts Monica in the path of a murderer. I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the ones I missed.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, quick listen to get through a sick day. Nothing too serious went on that I had to really pay attention to so that was a plus.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cranberry Cove, Michigan is the home of
Greg and Monica.
One cold, wintry night there is a knock
at the door. A woman is standing there
freezing cold saying someone is trying to
kill her.
And so there adventure begins. When
they return this woman to her sister’s
home, they discover the dead body of
the sister. The sister has been dead for
several days.
Monica becomes aware of a brother who
likes to bully his sisters especially over
valuable piece of property and an
unethical real estate developer.
The characters are well developed.
Each has a complex personality.
The story presents the back story to
keep the reader current with this story.
The plot is well written, complex with
a subplot within it.
A good read. Delicious cranberry delights.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monica and Greg are having a quiet evening at home during a heavy snow storm when there is a knock at their door. A woman says she has gotten lost and her car is stuck, but also that someone tried to kill her. Given the storm, and her supposed amnesia, they take Dana in for the night and Monica helps her find the house she remembers. It turns out it’s her family homestead and they find her sister dead in bed.

While it looks like a natural death, things seem off though and Monica becomes a friend to Dana as she navigates her loss. Turns out a developer made the family a rather large offer on the land and while the deceased woman declined to sell, it seems the other siblings may have a motive to get their sister out of the way and grab their golden ticket. With warnings from the killer, Monica watches her steps as she tries to outrun the killer until the pieces all fall into place.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I enjoyed it. It’s always fun to discover a new author, especially one that has others books in the series that will keep you in reading material until the next release comes out.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book to read. The characters are well developed and enjoyable. The story is also well written. I was definitely kept guessing until the end.I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I'm voluntarily providing an honest review.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran is the fifth in her Cranberry Cove mystery series. Monica and her husband, Greg, are comfortable sitting in front of the fireplace on evening when there is a knock at the door. Concerned because it is a little later than one normally expects guests, they hesitantly opened the door and found a confused woman who insists someone is trying to kill her. After inviting her in, and seeing to her welfare, Monica can't let it go and needs to find about more about her. She can't seem to remember where home is so the next day Monica drives her around town to see if she recognizes the house. She does. They enter the house only to find the dead body of her sister, several days old, lying in her bed. The mystery deepens.

Monica is a baker, specifically, making cranberry delights for the farm store she runs on her brother, Jeff's, cranberry farm. She is in her mid-thirties and loves her job. She loves being creative and being her own boss. She loves coming up with cranberry delicacies, and she loves her husband. He runs a used bookstore in their small town and she had never expected to have someone like him in her life. Their life is a good one but she does seem to attract dead bodies. Her friend, Detective Stevens, is not convinced it was death by natural causes, despite being told that by the ME, who arrived on his way to the airport for a well-deserved vacation. She decides to look into it. She is also the harried single mother of a toddler, but she is more careful than the ME. This is a very character-driven book with terrific characters. There are plenty of lesser story lines, holding the reader's interest until things happen in the main one. This was a terrific story. I recommend it.

I received a free ARC of Berried in the Past by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #berriedinthepast

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful read! Despite Berried in the Past being the fitfth in the Cranberry Cove Series, I had no problem reading gthis as a standalone. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline, so I am very glad there are already more books in the series for me to read.

This story is about Monica, a local baker who works at her brother's cranberry farm. Monica and her husband Greg live on property, and are disturbed one night by a woman who is clearly upset and disoriented. The woman tells Monica that someone is trying to kill her. As they are able to calm the woman, named Dana, they realize that she has some memory loss, and she reports she had a car accident on her way to escape the person who wanted to harm her.

Monica helps Dana retrace her steps, looking for a house with a red door. They come across a farmhouse, which Dana immediately recognizes as her childhood home. They go inside and find Dana's sister dead. During this time, a real estate developer has also come to town to try and buy Monica's brothers farm to build a mall. It appears that the property Dana's sister lived at is also targeted by the developers. As Monica starts looking into Dana's memory loss and Dana's sister's death, several warnings come to Monica, including being passed a note on the street that tells her her brother better not sell his property.

I enjoy the way the author describes the town, with just enough detail to connect all the characters and really get a picture of the town itself. I really enjoyed this mystery and would encourage anyone who likes cozy mysteries to check out this series.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth Cranberry Cove mystery. I recently read Berried at Sea, so I was already in Western Michigan with Monica and Greg. I wasn't quite prepared for the cold of winter, but Berried at Sea was fall harvest so the timeline is in order.
I enjoy Cranberry Cove and all the small town descriptions and experiences. I don't know if life is really this way in small town America anymore because the small town I grew up in was not this way. It is lovely to read about and maybe that makes this fictional town even better.
Monica and Greg are settled in for an evening by the fire when a pounding comes at their door. A woman they have never met before is standing outside in the snow. She says someone is trying to kill her. Thus begins this new mystery. At first it doesn't look like murder, but it must be for the story to gain traction.
There are internal stressful situations at the cranberry farm. There are outside threats. And one person far down the suspect list is the murderer because of something long in the past.

I felt a little out of sorts with Monica during her investigation. She feels guilty about investigating but still goes ahead and abandons Kit to do the baking for the farm store. Then even though Greg warns her to be careful she gets herself into danger with the murderer. I wish she would learn to call Detective Stevens earlier on. Also she needs to quit leaving home without her cell phone. These things brings this down to 4 stars.
There are enough explanations of the town and the staple characters for someone to read this mystery as a standalone without reading the rest of the series first.

[Rolé - Hooked By That Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found on my blog www.hookedbythatbook.com

Monica and her husband, Greg, are having a quiet night at home when there is a knock at the door. On the other side is Dana, who claims someone is trying to kill her. Monica quickly becomes involved in Dana’s attempts to find out what had happened to her.

Shortly after, Dana’s sister, Marta, is found dead in her home. There are plenty of suspects and the situation turns out to be a lot more complicated that thought at first. It doesn’t help that Dana can’t remember what happened the night of her car accident.

I liked Monica. She’s level-headed and thinks things through before acting. She was also dealing with some issues of her own in between all the other drama going on. Gina was also a very interesting character.

I did not see the ending coming. Like I said before, there were plenty of suspects, but the real one managed to slip by without notice. There were some questionable actions towards the end by Dana and Monica, but I can’t go into more detail without giving away too much about what happens in the story.

This was an alright read. I haven’t read any of the books prior to this one in the series, and you don’t really have to to still enjoy this one. But I did feel like there was some information about Monica that I missed out on.
I enjoyed Peg Cochrane’s series Murder, She Reported, a lot more.

I received an advanced copy of the book from Netgalley to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was I hooked by this book? Slightly, yes. I might have to go back to the start of Monica’s story.

[Cathleen (Woven From Words) · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received Berried in the Past through NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review**

The past few days placed me in a mood where I longed for a story to help me escape the complicated times the world is currently experiencing. I found that story in Berried in the Past! This told the story of Monica Albertson, a small-town baker in Cranberry Cove (a village set in Michigan). Monica sets out to solve the murder of Marta Bakker, after her sister unexpectedly appears at her doorstep one night. Everyone who Monica meets has an explanation (and possibly a motive) for the woman’s death!

My interest was held from beginning to end, since I was curious to see how the mystery of Marta’s death would be solved. The side characters (and the conflicts that added on to the tale) kept things very interesting as well!

This book is the fifth installment of the Cranberry Cove series, but you don’t need to read the previous books to catch up on the goings-on in this small town. While I was relieved to discover that fact, I plan on picking up one of the earlier books in the series to learn how Monica’s relationship with the townspeople solidified!

The book was also filled with mouth-watering treats and baked goods. There are some recipes in the back of the novel which I’m very interested in trying out this week (I enjoyed reading about the Cranberry Orange Cake)!

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran is sure to bring that escape from the crazy times happening in our world. You won’t be disappointed!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newlyweds Monica and Greg are surprised when a stranger knocks on their door in a snowstorm one night. She says she was in a car accident and that someone is trying to kill her. Aside from that, amnesia is preventing the woman, Dana, from providing more details.

Monica, who runs a cranberry bake shop utilizing the crop from her brother Jeff's cranberry farm, finds herself in a mystery. She drives the stranger around town to try to job her memory, and they end up at the Dana's sister's home only to discover a dead body. The death is ruled natural causes, but Dana and Monica aren't so sure. It turns out quite a few people had motive to kill Marta, and one major motive seems to be money.

The story is set in the quaint town of Cranberry Cove on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. I enjoyed the area and the small town. However, I found it hard to believe that Monica and Greg would let a stranger into their house to spend the night rather than calling police. I know small towns are a little different than the suburban area where I live, but I still thought it was a bad idea and can't imagine people actually doing that.

This is the first book in the Cranberry Cove series I've read, though it's the fifth installment. I always seem to read cozy series out of order, but it rarely causes a problem because the reader doesn't need to read them in order to understand the story. This was no exception, though I do have book one in the series and I plan to read it next.

FTC disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th installment in the popular cozy mystery series "Cranberry Cover" by cozy author Peg Cochran. I have read the entire series and was pleased to receive this next in series for review. This is a favorite series of mine and one I enjoy returning to . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. I love the Cranberry Farm that the author created and returning to favorite charcters for the next sleuthing adventure.

In this next installment we visit newlyweds Monica and Greg. The are enjoying time at home in a snowstorm by the fire when a strange unknown women comes to their door begging for help. The women is disoriented and is desperate for their help is claiming someone is trying to kill her.
Concerned they both take action for her as she asks them to take her to her home . Once they arrive they find her sister dead. Grey and Monica decide to investigate and soon numerous clues and red herrings appear as they delve further into the mystery of the two sisters.

I enjoyed this next in series and always love returning to this series. The charcters are done to perfection and the setting is beautifully described by the author. The sleuth was very well crafted to surprise this reader to the conclusion. I highly recommend this next in series for your cozy mystery reading enjoyment.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is good for Monica and Greg. Newly married and life is looking good, they are snug indoors on a cold snowy night when their late night calm is disturbed by a knock at the door. Who on earth would e out on a night like this? When Monica opens the door she sees a woman, definitely not dressed for the elements, who asks for help. She says somebody is trying to kill her. Amnesia has clouded her memory and saying that she remembers a house with a red door won't get them far. Monica, of course, lets her stay the night and the next day the search begins. when they do find the right red door they also discover her sister, dead. Natural causes turn to murder and Monica is drawn into family troubles. Will she be able to catch the killer before she becomes the next target?
I enjoy the small town of Cranberry Cove, Michigan and all of the people living there. Monica's husband owns a new and used book store, Monica makes tasty cranberry edibles and helps her brother with the cranberry business. The mystery left me satisfied - a puzzle complicated enough to keep me guessing and I guessed wrong.
My thanks to the publisher Beyond the Page and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Pamela Duarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a dark and stormy night when a stranger knocked on the door of the home of Monica and Greg. Thus began the fifth book in the Cranberry Cove series. The stranger, Dana Bakker is convinced someone is trying to kill her but, because of an automobile accident a few minutes earlier, she doesn’t remember who or why. Actually, she finds her sister Marta Kuiper was the target – she’s dead in the family home.

There are several possible suspects and reasons why Marta is dead. Combined with the development potential of the Kuiper land and Monica’s brother’s land, Cranberry Cove is a dangerous place to be. Monica puts on her sleuthing hat to identify the guilty party, asking questions and checking information.

A busy story with a lot going on with Monica and with various secondary characters keeps the reader involved. I love mysteries where it’s not obvious “who done it” and why. One chapter and I was sure I knew who the killer was, but in the next chapter new facts were revealed and my opinion changed. While this wasn’t my favorite cozy mystery, it was engaging enough that I finished it in one day (no housework completed, however.)

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. The opinion is completely my own.

[Marilyn Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peg Cochran throws you right into the mystery with a bang-up first chapter. There is a knock on the door and a woman, disheveled and stunned, claims someone is trying to kill her. She is taken back the next morning to her family home, and it is apparent that her Sister is dead and has been for several days. The writing is smooth and continuous allowing us to catch up with the back history of Monica and Greg. They are living in a small cottage owned by Monica until they build their own House and start a family.

The background is scrumptious. We have a baking area and a store which means lot of recipes and food...the air is filled with all those goodies. I love anything with cranberries so there is no problem with that. The atmosphere is icy and snowy, with winter days and a shivery, continuous, mystery. Red herrings are folded into the story as neatly as a recipe. In fact, I highly recommend you get a cup of tea and a muffin and read this on an evening you can pretend you are next to a roaring fire. This book has everything...likeable characters, mystery and great food.

My thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing