Crime in the Country: A Zoe Chambers Mystery Anthology

Zoe Chambers Mysteries

by Annette Dashofy

CRIME IN THE COUNTRY is a collection of short stories featuring characters from the Zoe Chambers Mysteries. All have been published previously, either on Annette Dashofy’s website or in other publications. This anthology brings them together in the order they happened, although not in the order they originally appeared.“A Christmas Rescue” features the search and rescue call where Zoe Chambers and the brand-new chief of police, Pete Adams first meet.“A Signature in Blood” first appeared in the Winter 2006-07 issue of Mysterical-E Magazine and was the short story that inspired the series. It was also nominated for the 2007 Derringer Award.“Sweet Deadly Lies” first appeared in Lucky 12 Crime Tales, an anthology from the Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime. It introduces Officer Abby Baronick, Detective Wayne Baronick’s kid sister, prior to her joining the Vance Township Police Department.“Las Posadas-A New Mexico Christmas” revisits the cast from No Way Home.“A Christmas Delivery” has Chief Pete Adams searching for the Vance Township version of the Grinch who stole Christmas.“Secret Santa” features Pete’s dad Harry Adams and his lady friend who try to solve a string of thefts at Golden Oaks Assisted Living.

Genres: Mystery

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2021

About the author

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of 12 novels in the multi Agatha Award nominated Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. In addition, her standalone, Death by Equine, about a veterinarian at a second-rate thoroughbred racetrack, won the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. The second in her new Detective Honeywell Mystery series, Keep Your Family Close, was released in December 2023. Her upcoming What Comes Around (Zoe Chambers #13) is scheduled for release in May 2024. Annette and her husband live on ten acres of what was her grandfather’s dairy farm in southwestern Pennsylvania with their very spoiled cat, Kensi.

Reviews

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non sono una amante dei racconti, ma questa è una delle mie serie preferite e sono stata contenta di scoprire questa raccolta, in attesa che esca il prossimo libro (ho scoperto che la serie continuerà con un altro editore: evviva!). Quasi tutti i racconti sono ambientati nel periodo natalizio, quindi li ho letti al momento giusto. Li ho apprezzati tutti, ma mi è piaciuto scoprire come Zoe e Pete si sono conosciuti. Ora che ci penso, mi è rimasto un libro da leggere di questa serie: mi sa che finirà in cima alla mia TBR...

[Annette Dashofy]

A collection of six short stories featuring the cast of the Zoe Chambers series. Ever wondered how Zoe and Pete met? You can learn here. Ever wonder what Abby Baronick was like before she joined the Vance Township PD? Yep, there's a story about her life with Marsdale PD. Enjoy some feel-good Christmas stories? There are four of them included. I created this collection for fans of the series or as a stocking stuffer to give the mystery lover on your shopping list.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although all of these stories have been previously available, either in anthologies or on the author’s blog, I had only read a couple of them. And I enjoyed rereading those.

[Christie Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas Miracles

These were great short tales, filling in some backstories of Zoe characters we’ve come to love. And who doesn’t love Christmas happy endings?

[a · Rating 1 out of 5]

don't like short stories. don't like anthologies

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cosy collection of short stories.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six short stories, many from the Zoe Chambers and Pete Adams series, are focused on Christmas in this easy-reading collection.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Annette Dashofy, I have had the privilege of reading each of these novella/short stories via her newsletter. Ms. Daahofy is one of a handful of authors who have shown me over the last couple of years that short stories and novellas can be a complete and compelling as a full novel. Each of the stories in this Zoe Chambers Mystery Anthology is proof of that fact. I love the special connections in the series and they are the focus of each entry in this endearing anthology. I am thrilled to have all of them in my Kindle library now in the Crime in the Country anthology because the Zoe Chambers Mystery series including the shorter tales are all rereaders for me. I can not judge how they would read as stand alone stories but they feel complete as I read and reread them and I think they would work fine as an introduction to the series and to the awesome characters.

[Jennifer Wertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime in the Country is a great short story anthology. The stories are all interesting and engaging. I really enjoyed this book.