Black Cherry Betrayal

Claire's Candles #2

by Agatha Frost

Claire and her friends are invited to their 20-year high school reunion, but things take a turn when one of the old bullies dies!

Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed better as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery with a candle-loving British amateur female sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Contemporary, Mystery Thriller, Family

330 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2020

About the author

AGATHA FROST, an Amazon bestselling author, has written over thirty mystery novels. She lives in the North West English county of Lancashire with her two cuddly beagles and one cat.

When Agatha isn’t writing, she loves reading head-scratching mysteries and thrillers, coffee, baking, and exploring her local countryside on long dog walks.

From a young age, Agatha devoured the great British murder mystery books and television shows, ample inspiration for her Peridale Café and Claire’s Candles series. She loves writing about family women who juggle their ordinary village lives with the challenges of amateur sleuthing.

Add in some good food, close friends and family, cute pets, and plenty of twists and turns, and you have a classic Agatha Frost mystery.

Sign up to the newsletter at www.agathafrost.com

Reviews

[Annu · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good. I loved getting back with Claire and her quirky family. I love Janet, on so many occasions she made me laugh out loud. The mystery was really good, after a point I just gave up trying to guess the who-dun-it and went along with the story. There were a lot of things going on in this book, a little progress in Claire's personal life (which never overshadowed the mystery), a glimpse of Sally's married life, a past mystery which Alan wasn't able to solve. There never was a dull moment in this book. However, I think I missed Claire and Damon sleuthing together as they had in the first book. Although, Em was a good addition. The murderer reveal in Agatha Frost's books are so heart-racing. And with that ending, I just can't wait for the next book 😁😁

[AmBerGUR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book is just as good as the first one. I love Agatha Frost writing style. And the family dynamic is really great. I love Claire too she’s pretty funny.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is the second book in a new series: Claire’s Candles, by Agatha Frost.

This book was just as good as book one! We got to know Claire’s parents more. It was pretty funny that her mom kept shrinking her pants over and over. Really enjoying this series. I was sad to see Claire’s friend, Damon, whom she spent so much time with in book one, was only sporadically in this story. Loved that friendship dynamic. I missed it here.

The mystery whodunit isn’t always the most important thing in Frost’s books. I love how she focuses in on all the characters and they all grow so much from book to book.

If you love a good cozy mystery, check this one out. What a fun read!

Can’t wait for the next one to come out!

[Anne Stripeycat Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really clicked with this one

I found the first book a little hard to get into. I think I was missing Peridale and feeling a bit bleak about poor Claire in her dead end job being made to feel like a useless fatty by her own mother. This book feels like Claire is beginning to take back control of her life and I enjoyed her friendship with Em. Looking forward to the next book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started with Claire getting the keys to her shop and beginning the process of making it into her dream. Claire doesn't get to enjoy her shop for long before making a terrible discovery. Claire tries to solve who committed the murder, because she doesn't trust the local police to handle it without her dad.

This story was enjoyable from start to finish, but I especially loved the scene between Claire and her mom in the hospital and also the ending with Em giving the shop to Claire. Looking forward to continuing with the series.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery was quite interesting. We had a bit more character development with Claire, and some more insights into her friend Sally. Damon and Ryan were pretty much off-page this time. There were a few odd transitions between chapters, but overall I'd give this a C+/B-, so am rounding up to 4 stars.

[Jo Ann Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do enjoy this series, it's difficult to keep up with a full change of characters in each book. I miss the camaraderie Claire had with Damon in the first book as he's only mentioned a couple times in this book. I truly hope she won't hook up with Ryan . they're all wrong for each other.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

April

This story has photographs, murder, a missing person, an observatory, and an unusual friendship. I enjoyed the friendship, but it didn't last beyond this book. I would rather have her around than Ryan. I don't like that guy. I liked how this connected several mysteries into one story. I hadn't expected it to end quite the way it did.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of the series of "Claire's Candles Mysteries" starts from the point the first one ends, but the story can still be read as a stand-alone. All necessary background information is given. Still, starting with "Vanilla Bean Vengeance" would enrich the understanding of this story
Claire finally gets the lease to the old tearoom, that she wants to change into her candle shop. When the keys are handed over and the last walk-through happens, there is an awful stench. After an extended search they find the old owner of the tea shop, mostly decomposed, in the attic. The police is without any clue, so Claire, starts looking into the death, when the owner's daughter asks her to.
The story is full with intrigue and hidden secrets of the past, involving the family of the local royalty and misplaced loyalty.
A great story,, entertaining and unpredictable in quite a few ways.. A truly wonderful read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars.
A great all around classic cozy mystery. The character development is progressing nicely with this second installment of the series. Agatha Frost does not disappoint with coming up with some really good mysteries for Claire to unravel.

[Joy Stephenson]

Enjoyed this book better than the first, looking forward to the next one. Not really a kindle person, I'm of the old school. Want to actually hold a book.

[LJ (ljwritesandreviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first in Claire's candles mystery series, Vanilla Bean Vengeance back in 2020, so I went out and bought the second, but of course me being the book hoarder that I am didn't get around to reading it until now.

This is the second in the series while it can be read as a standalone, but I would definitely recommend reading the first, as there are a few references to it in this book.

I was in the mood for a book on the lighter side after my last read and Black Cherry Betrayal was just what I needed!

Claire is on the verge of getting what she's always wanted; opening up a candle shop which stocks all of her handmade candles. Tragedy strikes when she finds the body of Jane, former owner of her shop, in the attic. Jane was about to start her retirement. Why would anyone want to kill her? It's up to Claire to find out.

The book has all the ingredients for a good cozy mystery; a likeable sleuth, a small town setting, a good few suspects with plenty of clues and red herrings along the way.

What I liked about this book, apart from the mystery, was the character development. In the first book, I felt that Claire's mum was a little harsh on her and always nitpicking at her dress sense and size just to be mean. She still does that in this novel, but there's more of a sense of love there and the author explained more about why she was that way.

The book really kept me guessing. I didn't figure out the whodunnit until near the end, which I always enjoy.

Black Cherry Betrayal is a lighthearted mystery with a likeable sleuth and a puzzling mystery that keeps you guessing.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Claire has now secured the funds to open up her candle shop, she must get the keys from Sally. Almost as soon as Claire opens the door, Janet notices a smell emanating from somewhere in or near the shop. Sally is certain they had sorted the sewer problem. But the odor only gets worse as everyone moves from the shop to the flat above, until eventually a body is discovered in the attic. The body belonged to Jane, former owner of the tea room set to become Claire’s Candles. Claire agrees to help Jane’s daughter Em find out the truth of what happened to her mother.

This book was still an enjoyable read for me, and a good continuation of the series, but I felt this book was a bit light on dialogue and heavy on the description of climbing a bunch of different hills, all somehow leading to the estate Em’s grandmother still lives on. Therefore, parts of this story dragged for me, as I found myself wishing for the narration to end and to get to something interesting. I also guessed the killer before it was revealed, as I found that to be much more telegraphed in this than in the first. But I still look forward to the next two volumes to see where the author takes us next with this series.

[Colleen Chesebro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This next book in the series begins with Claire renting the space that was Jane’s Tea Shop for her candle shop. As Claire’s family and friends help her move into the shop, they discover a powerful smell coming from the attic. Claire discovers Jane’s body! It turns out the older woman was killed in the attic and never left town to move to France.

Claire starts to investigate and meets Jane’s daughter, Em, who is a yoga teacher with tattoos. You can imagine what Claire’s mother has to say about that!

The mystery deepens as Claire pokes deeper into Jane’s life. She works hard to unravel all the secrets. Em is convinced Jane (her mother) killed her father. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the ending is a real surprise.

An old friend, Ryan, suddenly reappears with his two children after living abroad in Spain. The two grew up together, and he was the love of Claire’s life. Unfortunately, Ryan is still married!

Jane’s family keeps things hopping. I’m enjoying the characters. Her mother and grandmothers will remind of you people you know in your own family. This is an excellent series, and it’s great watching the characters change and grow.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great who-done-it.
After reading the first book in this series I could not wait to read about Claire's adventures in mystery. She is a great character and I am enjoying every minute I spend reading about this female sleuth. Who knew that simply wanting to make and sell candles would be so dangerous? Like the first book, there are some happy moments but also some sad ones too. The author has written a very well balanced piece showing Claire’s troubles and triumphs it was a good mix and oh the who-done-it part was splendid too. I am looking forward to the next book. High praise and I recommend you check this cozy out. If you loved cozies this is one you will want in your collection. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading Agatha Frost Peridale Cafe mysteries so I was curious about her Claire's Candles series. In this series, thirty-five year old unmarried Claire Harris has left the Warton Candle Factory to open her own candle shop. When she begins checking out her new place, she discovers a terrible odor which turns out to be a dead body. The body is Jane Brindle the former tenant and owner of a tearoom. Claire ends up doing a lot of sleuthing in order to solve the murder. I liked Claire as well as the other people of Northash: her mother Janet, father Alan, and her friends Sally Halliwell, Damon Gilbert, and Ryan Tyler. With Claire just beginning her new venture, I look forward to reading future books.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guessed right

4.5 stars

The beginning was a little slow, but once the intricacies of the mystery came into play then it became a whole other ball game. The layers to this mystery was great and kept me on toes. After a while I needed to know what was going to happen next, so I kept on trucking through. Despite the fact I guessed who it was by the middle, it was still interesting as the puzzle pieces came together. There were just so many connections that I didn’t see coming, but they totally made sense. It became this really satisfying ending by book’s end as the past and present came together and completed the picture. I loved that.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the least likely place, Claire finds a new friend, Em. But is Em a murderer or just a yoga, tree hugging new age hippy? I really liked Em’s character. I liked how Claire looked past appearances to like Em just the way she is. Maybe the murderer was Colin...he was a total grump and definitely had secrets. Well, I’m not telling! The book is really good, so pick it up and read it! I will say that, just like the first book, I was surprised with how things worked out. Loving this author!

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

[Gary and Sandra Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Agatha Frost writes such delightful books and this one is no exception. This is book two in the new series of a young woman living out her dream making candles in her village, she also has a knack for solving murders which she stumbled across regularly. This time around she discovers a victim who's be dead when she should be living the retired life. Following the meager clues leads to more victims and danger. Wonderful storyline and characters brings this book to life.

[Regina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series by Agatha Frost! Claire's dream of opening her candle shop is coming true until she along with her best friends Sally and Damon and her parents discover the body of the former owner of the Tea room Jane who everyone assumed had retired to the South of France. When Jane's daughter Emma ask her to investigate her mother's Murder Claire agrees.

There were so many twists and turns plus a missing person and cold case. I loved this second book and couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read Coconut Milk Casualty (book 3).

[Brian Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book, just as good

This is the second book in this series and it was worth the wait. If you like mystery, false clues and a great back story these books are worth a read. It's nice to have true to life people with real problems in a book.
Everyone has a friend like Claire or no someone critical like her mother Janet.
I can not wait for third book. Well done really good read

[Shweta · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all book 2, is an improvement over book 1 and hopefully each book will be better than the previous.

The mystery plot, the small town bickering, an inept police officer are rather typical of the cozies that have been coming in. I'm quite eager to see how the author creates a unique different niche for her series and sets it apart.

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

[Ealásaid Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this!

Well, I’m finally coming round to Claire’s mother. She annoyed me so much in the previous book, but either I’m getting used to her or she’s been written a bit note sympathetically this time. The story was really enjoyable-the new characters introduced were believable and interesting, and the criminal wasn’t too obvious. My favourite cozy mystery writer, so I’m glad the case series is living up to my expectations of Agatha’s writing.

[Elsbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of cozy mysterie series. All of them entertaining. But only a handful are really worth your while.
This is definitly one of those!
Good story, with well developed characters. And not only the main character.
When I downloaded part 3 of this series from Booksprout, I got curious about the first parts. So I decided to buy them. Even though I hate reading with the kindle app.
But I'm really glad I did!
Now, of to reading part 3! I can't wait!

[Dave Measner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written with strong, interesting characters and a very good mystery as to who done it. The author does a great job of weaving the village into the story and gives you the ability to picture yourself being present for the story. Claire's sleuthing skills are quite good and she discovers clues and suspects as opposed to bumbling into them. i look forward to the next book.

[Tom Runge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Cherry Betrayal

Agatha Frost did a wonderful job bringing Claire and Ryan to life .
You instantly become part of Claire's journey..
You instantly become part of the community feeling as though you have made new friends and feel as though you are standing at Claire's side during her journey through all her experiences is a pure joy.
A book for the middle teens to the 100's.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and straightforward cozy. I was a little sad she didn't get to open her shop and that the candles weren't as central in the story as they have been in the previous book. But that will likely change in book 3.

In the very beginning, there were tóó many city descriptions. It was easy to get lost in the picture that was written down. That may be because english isn't my native tongue. But I had to skim that part.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It didn’t take long to get caught back up with Claire and her family, although there were some things I’d forgotten about, but the author does a good job of catching people up. When Claire discovered the owner of the former tea room hadn’t actually gone to France after finding her body in the attic, she teamed up with Jane’s daughter to do some sleuthing. The showdown was tense but fairly quick, and Claire got a nice surprise at the end of the book.

[Christine Newnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Winner!!!

You have done it again , Agatha! Another brilliant story. Love the twist in the story, near the end of the book! Loving Claire's mum's OCD with cleaning and her dad's good natured acceptance of the fact, he is never going to win!! The very everyday normal atmosphere of the village is a sure winner for this series!! Well Done Agatha !

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 of the Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed book 2. I thought it had an interesting plot that flowed well. I enjoyed the characters and found them well developed. Agatha Frost is a wonderful author and I look forward to reading more of her books. I would recommend reading.

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