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Marketplace #2
A Dismal Harvest
Autumn on the Sonoma Coast. A welcome chill is whipping through the crisp Pacific air, but something else is stirring in this rural California town…
Witty and down-to-earth Claudia Simcoe is sure that the gourmet harvest dinner being held at her artisan marketplace will wipe away any memories of the unpleasantness last summer. Not to mention give her a chance to figure out the bewildering relationship budding with her craft-beer-brewing neighbor, Nathan. But rather than dealing with carefully curated food and cautious flirting, Claudia finds herself thrown into the center of a murder investigation when a secret compartment in her market is tied to the death of a local lawyer.
At least this time she isn’t the prime suspect. Instead, it’s one of Claudia’s marketplace tenants who is wanted by the the locally-famed cheesemaker, Julie Muller. Determined to help clear her friend’s name—and to discover the history connecting her market to the murder victim—Claudia is forced to test her mettle as a detective once more. As she starts digging into San Elmo’s long-buried past, she is confronted with Prohibition-era mysteries, shady land deals, and a small town bursting with motives to kill the crooked lawyer. But just as she thinks she’s getting a handle on this investigating thing, another gruesome death brings Claudia dangerously close to the killer.
The second installment in Daisy Bateman’s Marketplace series delivers cozy mystery and charming humor as Claudia works to uncover the truth about the murders, her marketplace, and her feelings for her ruggedly attractive neighbor.
Witty and down-to-earth Claudia Simcoe is sure that the gourmet harvest dinner being held at her artisan marketplace will wipe away any memories of the unpleasantness last summer. Not to mention give her a chance to figure out the bewildering relationship budding with her craft-beer-brewing neighbor, Nathan. But rather than dealing with carefully curated food and cautious flirting, Claudia finds herself thrown into the center of a murder investigation when a secret compartment in her market is tied to the death of a local lawyer.
At least this time she isn’t the prime suspect. Instead, it’s one of Claudia’s marketplace tenants who is wanted by the the locally-famed cheesemaker, Julie Muller. Determined to help clear her friend’s name—and to discover the history connecting her market to the murder victim—Claudia is forced to test her mettle as a detective once more. As she starts digging into San Elmo’s long-buried past, she is confronted with Prohibition-era mysteries, shady land deals, and a small town bursting with motives to kill the crooked lawyer. But just as she thinks she’s getting a handle on this investigating thing, another gruesome death brings Claudia dangerously close to the killer.
The second installment in Daisy Bateman’s Marketplace series delivers cozy mystery and charming humor as Claudia works to uncover the truth about the murders, her marketplace, and her feelings for her ruggedly attractive neighbor.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
240 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2022
4 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 16, 2022
Claudia Simcoe’s marketplace is serving as the host for a library fundraiser when one of the volunteers makes a surprising discovery. There’s a hidden compartment in the wall, and someone has opened it in the middle of the event. Claudia quickly determines that it was Clark Gowan, a local lawyer. In fact, Gowan had been part of the deal when Claudia bought the marketplace. When she goes to confront him the next morning, she discovers his dead body. Did what he took from the compartment lead to his murder?
Having enjoyed the first in the series, I was looking forward to this one, and I wasn’t disappointed. Claudia is a very relatable main character, and she leads a cast of good suspects. I did find the tenants in the marketplace hard to keep straight, but they were background characters, so that was okay. The plot is strong with plenty of pieces to keep us guessing until Claudia puts it all together. I laughed and smiled my way through the book at Claudia’s observations about what was happening. I grew up near the part of Sonoma County, California, where the fictitious San Elmo is located, so I really enjoyed that as well. If you’ve missed this series, fix that today. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll enjoy this one, too.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Having enjoyed the first in the series, I was looking forward to this one, and I wasn’t disappointed. Claudia is a very relatable main character, and she leads a cast of good suspects. I did find the tenants in the marketplace hard to keep straight, but they were background characters, so that was okay. The plot is strong with plenty of pieces to keep us guessing until Claudia puts it all together. I laughed and smiled my way through the book at Claudia’s observations about what was happening. I grew up near the part of Sonoma County, California, where the fictitious San Elmo is located, so I really enjoyed that as well. If you’ve missed this series, fix that today. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll enjoy this one, too.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 14, 2022
A Dismal Harvest Earns 5/5 Secret Cupboards…Engaging & Clever!
The marketplace agreed to host a fundraiser to support the town’s library, and despite the evening being hectic, crowded, a bit noisy, it was a huge success! While cleaning up, a young employee approaches Claudia reporting some damage to a wall in the produce area. Everyone gawked at what lie behind a damaged wood-paneled wall: a secret prohibition-era cupboard. Claudia had upgraded security measures, so she immediately reviews the video feed to discover a guest, local lawyer Clark Gowan, had pulled apart the wall and retrieved a legal sized envelope. Why? The next morning Claudia goes to Gowan and Finley office to get some answers, but she finds the front door unlocked and Gowan shot by one of his own vintage guns. When the law partner arrives, finding Claudia in the office, and hearing about Gowan’s death, a tussle ensues. It’s a relief to Claudia that there’s a new police chief, diligent and accommodating, and that she’s not considered a person of interest. But, again, a mystery and a murder is somehow connected to her marketplace, her friend is suspected of murder, and the FBI show up. It’s again necessary for a bit of nosying about.
Brilliant! Daisy Bateman’s second book in her Marketplace Mystery series is a must read! I read book one, Murder Goes to Market, first, and although newbies can easily start here, I recommend starting at the beginning for a complete experience with an introduction to characters and better understanding of motivations. The crime is revealed early, the way I like it, putting the official and unofficial investigation as the central element. The victim has a connection to our heroine since he was the lawyer who helped Claudia finalize the sale of the marketplace property, and she fears this mess and the victim’s business ethics might effect her continued ownership. The clues are gathered through realistic means—conversations, visiting possible insiders, searching the internet—revealing many with serious complaints about the victim’s dubious businesses. Add engaging twists with issues of possible identity theft, intriguing questions about the item stolen from Claudia’s place, frogs, geese, a unique restaurant, and a cool cliffhanger discovery for a “couldn’t put it down” experience. Claudia is a favorite character as she continues to fine tune her new relationship with Teddy, the German shepherd that made herself at home, and navigating an “Are we dating?” relationship with Nathan is somewhat awkward, but in both cases, there is hope. A well-developed story with great characters, and an “I didn’t see that coming!” ending…loved it!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the publishing team. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
The marketplace agreed to host a fundraiser to support the town’s library, and despite the evening being hectic, crowded, a bit noisy, it was a huge success! While cleaning up, a young employee approaches Claudia reporting some damage to a wall in the produce area. Everyone gawked at what lie behind a damaged wood-paneled wall: a secret prohibition-era cupboard. Claudia had upgraded security measures, so she immediately reviews the video feed to discover a guest, local lawyer Clark Gowan, had pulled apart the wall and retrieved a legal sized envelope. Why? The next morning Claudia goes to Gowan and Finley office to get some answers, but she finds the front door unlocked and Gowan shot by one of his own vintage guns. When the law partner arrives, finding Claudia in the office, and hearing about Gowan’s death, a tussle ensues. It’s a relief to Claudia that there’s a new police chief, diligent and accommodating, and that she’s not considered a person of interest. But, again, a mystery and a murder is somehow connected to her marketplace, her friend is suspected of murder, and the FBI show up. It’s again necessary for a bit of nosying about.
Brilliant! Daisy Bateman’s second book in her Marketplace Mystery series is a must read! I read book one, Murder Goes to Market, first, and although newbies can easily start here, I recommend starting at the beginning for a complete experience with an introduction to characters and better understanding of motivations. The crime is revealed early, the way I like it, putting the official and unofficial investigation as the central element. The victim has a connection to our heroine since he was the lawyer who helped Claudia finalize the sale of the marketplace property, and she fears this mess and the victim’s business ethics might effect her continued ownership. The clues are gathered through realistic means—conversations, visiting possible insiders, searching the internet—revealing many with serious complaints about the victim’s dubious businesses. Add engaging twists with issues of possible identity theft, intriguing questions about the item stolen from Claudia’s place, frogs, geese, a unique restaurant, and a cool cliffhanger discovery for a “couldn’t put it down” experience. Claudia is a favorite character as she continues to fine tune her new relationship with Teddy, the German shepherd that made herself at home, and navigating an “Are we dating?” relationship with Nathan is somewhat awkward, but in both cases, there is hope. A well-developed story with great characters, and an “I didn’t see that coming!” ending…loved it!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the publishing team. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
April 11, 2022
I love Claudia's sense of humor and her snarkiness. The setting is unique and the mystery was interesting but I still don't really feel like I can connect with any of the characters. Hoping for more character development in the next one.
April 9, 2022
Good mystery, the main character is growing on me, she is a smart woman with an interesting sense of humor. I wish there was a bit more character development and details to the stories but the mysteries are definitely good!
July 11, 2022
A Dismal Harvest is the second installment in the “Marketplace Mysteries” series by Daisy Bateman. Based on the main character, Claudia, and her marketplace shop. The characters, such as Claudia’s budding romantic interest, Nathan, who runs a craft beer brewery, Julie, a local cheese maker, and others, are well written and easy to imagine. The setting of the marketplace and the local area will allow readers to enjoy a small-town atmosphere without small-town limits.
Claudia’s marketplace is busy, and all of her tenants are getting sales, which is vital to her bottom line as well as theirs. The Staff is running around, ensuring everything is running smoothly, but when they find an unknown secret compartment in a wall, things take a strange turn. When a local lawyer turns up dead, and Claudia’s cheese-making friend, Julie, is the main suspect, she jumps in to save the day. However, there is more to this murder than meets the eye. History, secrets, and lies all combine to keep the reader guessing the motive and the killer’s identity. Claudia has her work cut out for her, and when another murder occurs, she becomes the next target. The killer isn’t difficult to spot, but I recommend that readers follow the clues closely.
I did not read the first book in this series, but I found A Dismal Harvest to be an easy read with characters that make readers smile. I love the marketplace; it is original and in a great location. Claudia’s friends are wholesome without being overdone. Julie, the cheese maker, is a great suspect and keeps things lively. I did find that some of the dialogue didn’t feel genuine and could use some work, and the pace was a bit slow for my tastes. But characters always have a certain amount of growth in each book. Hopefully, these characters will continue to grow and mature and keep readers entertained. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next.
Claudia’s marketplace is busy, and all of her tenants are getting sales, which is vital to her bottom line as well as theirs. The Staff is running around, ensuring everything is running smoothly, but when they find an unknown secret compartment in a wall, things take a strange turn. When a local lawyer turns up dead, and Claudia’s cheese-making friend, Julie, is the main suspect, she jumps in to save the day. However, there is more to this murder than meets the eye. History, secrets, and lies all combine to keep the reader guessing the motive and the killer’s identity. Claudia has her work cut out for her, and when another murder occurs, she becomes the next target. The killer isn’t difficult to spot, but I recommend that readers follow the clues closely.
I did not read the first book in this series, but I found A Dismal Harvest to be an easy read with characters that make readers smile. I love the marketplace; it is original and in a great location. Claudia’s friends are wholesome without being overdone. Julie, the cheese maker, is a great suspect and keeps things lively. I did find that some of the dialogue didn’t feel genuine and could use some work, and the pace was a bit slow for my tastes. But characters always have a certain amount of growth in each book. Hopefully, these characters will continue to grow and mature and keep readers entertained. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next.
September 6, 2022
Another great book in the series. The town still feels familiar, but the plot was just outlandish enough to keep it interesting.
About halfway through there is a scene with a bunch of food in it. Don't read it on an empty stomach.
About halfway through there is a scene with a bunch of food in it. Don't read it on an empty stomach.
April 26, 2025
The story was pretty good. A little confused about a couple of characters that were missing/different from the first book but the story was good. Curious about the direction for some of the characters but that me in the weeds. The mystery was good and enjoyed the journey.
Happy Reading
Happy Reading
January 13, 2024
I am loving this series, such a fun read. Well-written and engaging.
March 6, 2025
Characters are just o.k. (not sure if i really like Claudia), felt cheated on the "why" for the murders although the "who" pretty obvious.
November 9, 2022
This is even better than the first book in the series - just the perfect mix of mystery and humor. Bateman has a real talent for creating believable, interesting characters and conveying a great sense of place in her depiction of a small town in Sonoma. The scene where two of her characters discuss the mystery over a very high end farm-to-table meal was so good and so funny - that's the moment when I knew I'd be putting this on my reread list and highly recommend it!
March 13, 2023
A Dismal Harvest by Daisy Bateman was a nice quick fall read. It’s the second book in the Marketplace Mystery series following Claudia Simcoe, Artisan marketplace owner turned sleuth when unfortunate events lead her to stumble upon the dead body of a local lawyer, whose shady business practices seems to have caught up with him, placing the purchase of her marketplace into questionable standing.
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The setting of the Sonoma Coast in fall was idyllic. Engaging twists, like identity theft, and a list of shady people who would be happy to see the crooked lawyer dead kept me guessing about the whodunnit. Plenty of interesting characters kept the humor flowing, and a unique dining experience I would have loved to enjoy in real life made this an enjoyable read. Reading about the marketplace’s Prohibition-era history of being a family owned orchard and Claudia’s craft-beer-brewing neighbor/potential love interest Nathan experimenting with hard ciders, made me think of the family owned orchard down the road and the ciders they carry. So naturally I had to pick some up to try. They even had a pumpkin spice one! Though I loved their Cranberry Apple best.
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However I will say this is one the times I wished I had read the first book before diving into the second. I was able to follow the story just fine. There was enough detail to follow the setting, the who’s who, and such. I just got the feeling I would have connected with the characters more if I had read these books in sequence.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The setting of the Sonoma Coast in fall was idyllic. Engaging twists, like identity theft, and a list of shady people who would be happy to see the crooked lawyer dead kept me guessing about the whodunnit. Plenty of interesting characters kept the humor flowing, and a unique dining experience I would have loved to enjoy in real life made this an enjoyable read. Reading about the marketplace’s Prohibition-era history of being a family owned orchard and Claudia’s craft-beer-brewing neighbor/potential love interest Nathan experimenting with hard ciders, made me think of the family owned orchard down the road and the ciders they carry. So naturally I had to pick some up to try. They even had a pumpkin spice one! Though I loved their Cranberry Apple best.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
However I will say this is one the times I wished I had read the first book before diving into the second. I was able to follow the story just fine. There was enough detail to follow the setting, the who’s who, and such. I just got the feeling I would have connected with the characters more if I had read these books in sequence.
October 25, 2022
I was excited when the second installment in the series came out. It was another fun read. Great characters, great story and I must say I also enjoyed the food descriptions. A very different story than the first book but just as good a read! Suspenseful and also very clever. A very good cozy mystery.
August 3, 2025
A library find.
Clever! Written well!
Great characters!
Great plot!
Great story!
Great flow!
Don't miss!
Second read July 2025.
Clever! Written well!
Great characters!
Great plot!
Great story!
Great flow!
Don't miss!
Second read July 2025.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews