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Bernie Sanders Mystery #1
Feel the Bern
Who knew fighting for a living wage could be so deadly? Bernie Sanders and his Gen Z intern are drawn into a murder investigation in a small Vermont town in this hilarious spin on cozy mysteries from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery
Fall is bursting out all over Vermont, and while the rest of the Congress enjoys its recess, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his beloved home state for a weekend of events in Eagle Creek, “America’s #1 Leaf Peeping Destination.” It’s up to intern and Eagle Creek native Crash Robertson to keep the senator on schedule—and out of trouble.
Crash’s hopes for a quiet homecoming are dashed, however, when the lifeless body of a community banker with ties to “Big Maple” is found in Lake Champlain. While the sheriff’s department closes the case as an accident, a leaked autopsy indicates foul play…with a trail of syrup leading directly to one of the senator’s oldest friends. Bernie, taking a page from the cozy mysteries he’s addicted to, enlists Crash in a quest to uncover the killer’s true identity.
If Crash allows the senator to go too far off-script, it will be the end of her yet-to-begin political career. But as the suspect list grows to include a tech bro set on “disrupting” the maple syrup industry, struggling small-business owners, and even Crash’s own family, she realizes there’s more on the line than her own future. If the unlikely duo can’t solve the mystery of the Maple Murderer before they strike again, Bernie’s life-long fight for justice may come to an unplanned end.
This (totally fictional!) mystery also features recipes from Eagle Creek’s Vermont Country Shed, including Vermont Cheddar Mac & Cheese, “Feel the Bern!” Maple Sriracha Hot Sauce, and more!
Fall is bursting out all over Vermont, and while the rest of the Congress enjoys its recess, Senator Bernie Sanders has returned to his beloved home state for a weekend of events in Eagle Creek, “America’s #1 Leaf Peeping Destination.” It’s up to intern and Eagle Creek native Crash Robertson to keep the senator on schedule—and out of trouble.
Crash’s hopes for a quiet homecoming are dashed, however, when the lifeless body of a community banker with ties to “Big Maple” is found in Lake Champlain. While the sheriff’s department closes the case as an accident, a leaked autopsy indicates foul play…with a trail of syrup leading directly to one of the senator’s oldest friends. Bernie, taking a page from the cozy mysteries he’s addicted to, enlists Crash in a quest to uncover the killer’s true identity.
If Crash allows the senator to go too far off-script, it will be the end of her yet-to-begin political career. But as the suspect list grows to include a tech bro set on “disrupting” the maple syrup industry, struggling small-business owners, and even Crash’s own family, she realizes there’s more on the line than her own future. If the unlikely duo can’t solve the mystery of the Maple Murderer before they strike again, Bernie’s life-long fight for justice may come to an unplanned end.
This (totally fictional!) mystery also features recipes from Eagle Creek’s Vermont Country Shed, including Vermont Cheddar Mac & Cheese, “Feel the Bern!” Maple Sriracha Hot Sauce, and more!
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2022
162 people are currently reading
8644 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Shaffer
48 books1,517 followersAndrew Shaffer is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen books. He lives with his wife, novelist Tiffany Reisz, in Louisville, Kentucky, where he teaches at Lexington's non-profit Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and Louisville Literary Arts.
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September 9, 2022The man. The myth. The mittens.
August 22, 2024
Bernie and his Gen Z intern go on some adventures. There's murder and maple syrup! How Vermont! This isn't the best thing in the world, but if you're also an American millennial that desperately wanted Bernie to win the presidency, this may be for you.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press
Want to read
September 22, 2022WHAT IS THIS😭
Want to read
January 17, 2023No one asked for this, but we all needed this.
August 8, 2023
3.5 stars - very firmly tongue in cheek, I think this is just a fun take on incorporating real characters into the idyllic but treacherous small town world of a cozy mystery. I'm not sure this is something I'd want to read a lot of, but it was a fun palette cleanse of a read so I think all in all, successful in what it was trying to do
October 1, 2022
I mean, there were some parts of this book that were a little TOO goofy, like Ben and Jerry or the almost-over-the-top spoofing of progressives and capitalists. But the really good stuff? It was *really* good. Bernie pursuing two elderly spinsters in a golf cart in a 23 mph chase through a small Vermont village is a scene I never realized I needed to experience. So is the thought of Bernie spending his downtime reading cozy mysteries featuring a cannabis bakery. I just...I needed this book. I can't thank Andrew Shaffer enough for bringing it to life, and the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC copy. 😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2023
I really, really enjoyed this cosy mystery!
Honestly, I had to get it because of the title and the cover, but I think the cosy mystery genre has grown on me!
The book was witty, fun to read and very cosy indeed! I cannot wait for the next one already, for a little happy mystery reading, nothing too heavy, yet still enjoyable.
A well-deserved 5 stars from me.
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
Honestly, I had to get it because of the title and the cover, but I think the cosy mystery genre has grown on me!
The book was witty, fun to read and very cosy indeed! I cannot wait for the next one already, for a little happy mystery reading, nothing too heavy, yet still enjoyable.
A well-deserved 5 stars from me.
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
January 17, 2023
When Crash, a new intern working for Bernie Sanders, accompanies her boss up to a small-town festival in Vermont, the last thing she expects is to discover a dead body – or that Bernie will insist on trying to solve the mystery.
A few years ago I read Hope Never Dies, a comic mystery where Obama and Biden team up in the post-2016 election season to uncover the truth behind an Amtrak conductor’s death. Now Shaffer has expanded his repertoire with the first of a cozy mystery series starring the US Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. As he’s inspired a number of memes in past years, I suppose this is not really coming out of left field.
This was a fun, quirky mystery, chockfull of puns about maple syrup and nihilistic jokes about student debt. The narrator is Crash, Bernie’s new intern, and I enjoyed her ambitious, cynical tone and how often she is baffled by her boss, whose dialogue seems to often quote actual public statements he has made. While the town is full of the usual cozy mystery array of bizarre personalities, the author balanced it with a more realistic depiction of the economic considerations of a dying small town.
However, I did feel that the pacing of the story was odd at times, as there’s not much productive mystery solving for fairly long stretches of the book. While I thought the solution was funny and unexpected, I wished we’d gotten more hints of what was coming before we reached the end.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
A few years ago I read Hope Never Dies, a comic mystery where Obama and Biden team up in the post-2016 election season to uncover the truth behind an Amtrak conductor’s death. Now Shaffer has expanded his repertoire with the first of a cozy mystery series starring the US Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. As he’s inspired a number of memes in past years, I suppose this is not really coming out of left field.
This was a fun, quirky mystery, chockfull of puns about maple syrup and nihilistic jokes about student debt. The narrator is Crash, Bernie’s new intern, and I enjoyed her ambitious, cynical tone and how often she is baffled by her boss, whose dialogue seems to often quote actual public statements he has made. While the town is full of the usual cozy mystery array of bizarre personalities, the author balanced it with a more realistic depiction of the economic considerations of a dying small town.
However, I did feel that the pacing of the story was odd at times, as there’s not much productive mystery solving for fairly long stretches of the book. While I thought the solution was funny and unexpected, I wished we’d gotten more hints of what was coming before we reached the end.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 14, 2022
I loved Mr Shaffer's Obama/Biden mysteries! And while this first mystery featuring Senator Sanders and his intern isn't quite as fabulous, it's still pretty darn good! Shaffer makes his books very funny, while keeping them just this side of believable. There were definitely a few laugh out loud moments.
I'd guess that most of Bernie's dialogue is made up of quotes he's actually said. At a minimum, it's what he would say in similar circumstances.
I still want more Obama/Biden mysteries, but if I can't have them, I will happily read any politician Mr. Shaffer chooses to honor.
I'd guess that most of Bernie's dialogue is made up of quotes he's actually said. At a minimum, it's what he would say in similar circumstances.
I still want more Obama/Biden mysteries, but if I can't have them, I will happily read any politician Mr. Shaffer chooses to honor.
March 11, 2023
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It was supposed to be a quiet weekend for Senator Bernie Sanders but he decides to head to Eagle Creek Vermont to be the parade marshall for their fall festival and host a few speaking engagements. Surprisingly his intern Crash Robertson is from Eagle Creek and her mom runs the local store/restaurant/B&B so she is pegged to be his staff for the weekend. Basically to keep him on schedule and out of trouble. It is not as easy as it sounds especially when a local banker’s dead body is found floating near the dock on Lake Champlain.
The police quickly close the case declaring it an accident. Then the good senator receives a leaked copy of the autopsy report showing the man was in fact, murdered. It isn’t long before cozy mystery lover Bernie Sanders is on the case and Crash Robertson is doing everything she can to keep up with him. Suspects are plenty in this little town including members of Crash’s family. Bernie is all about justice and he isn’t going to give up until he gets justice for the murdered man. Crash’s political career could be over before it starts and a quiet weekend in Eagle Creek could be Bernie’s final event unless they can catch the killer before the killer catches them.
I am not sure if Bernie has time to read cozy mysteries but it sure makes this book fun. Amateur sleuths Crash and Bern are taking names and chasing clues. I read and reviewed Hope Never Dies a couple of years ago so I knew what to expect from Andrew Shaffer and he didn’t disappoint.
Bernie, maple syrup, mittens, and murder, what could be better? He really captured Bernie, I could hear all the words in Bernie’s voice as I was reading, especially when he was pontificating lines from speeches the man actually gave in real life. I felt for Crash as she tried to keep him on task but it sure was funny. The man was up for anything.
Like any good cozy mystery, this one was filled with quirky characters, several suspects, twists, turns, and a few red herrings. It is also filled with many laugh-out-loud moments. Picture Bernie ringing up customers at the general store or him attending the local “Beefcake Breakfast” or him explaining how to solve a murder based on cozy mysteries he has read like, There Will Be Bud: A Cannabis Beach Bakeshop Mystery.
There is a truly heartbreaking theme in this book that isn’t funny at all. The town of Eagle Creek’s economy is dire as all the small maple farms are being taken over by a conglomerate. Bernie does his best to save the fictional town but it does shine a light on a real-life problem.
Feel the Bern is a sweet hilarious cozy mystery, heavy on the sweet with maple syrup everywhere and a political twist. When things get too stressful or crazy in government, a book like this by Andrew Shaffer is a Perfect Escape. I still have Hope Rides Again: An Obama Biden Mystery on my TBR stack and with all the crazy in Washington I will be moving it closer to the top. I hope Mr. Shaffer has more stories in the works. We are going to need them.
It was supposed to be a quiet weekend for Senator Bernie Sanders but he decides to head to Eagle Creek Vermont to be the parade marshall for their fall festival and host a few speaking engagements. Surprisingly his intern Crash Robertson is from Eagle Creek and her mom runs the local store/restaurant/B&B so she is pegged to be his staff for the weekend. Basically to keep him on schedule and out of trouble. It is not as easy as it sounds especially when a local banker’s dead body is found floating near the dock on Lake Champlain.
The police quickly close the case declaring it an accident. Then the good senator receives a leaked copy of the autopsy report showing the man was in fact, murdered. It isn’t long before cozy mystery lover Bernie Sanders is on the case and Crash Robertson is doing everything she can to keep up with him. Suspects are plenty in this little town including members of Crash’s family. Bernie is all about justice and he isn’t going to give up until he gets justice for the murdered man. Crash’s political career could be over before it starts and a quiet weekend in Eagle Creek could be Bernie’s final event unless they can catch the killer before the killer catches them.
I am not sure if Bernie has time to read cozy mysteries but it sure makes this book fun. Amateur sleuths Crash and Bern are taking names and chasing clues. I read and reviewed Hope Never Dies a couple of years ago so I knew what to expect from Andrew Shaffer and he didn’t disappoint.
Bernie, maple syrup, mittens, and murder, what could be better? He really captured Bernie, I could hear all the words in Bernie’s voice as I was reading, especially when he was pontificating lines from speeches the man actually gave in real life. I felt for Crash as she tried to keep him on task but it sure was funny. The man was up for anything.
Like any good cozy mystery, this one was filled with quirky characters, several suspects, twists, turns, and a few red herrings. It is also filled with many laugh-out-loud moments. Picture Bernie ringing up customers at the general store or him attending the local “Beefcake Breakfast” or him explaining how to solve a murder based on cozy mysteries he has read like, There Will Be Bud: A Cannabis Beach Bakeshop Mystery.
There is a truly heartbreaking theme in this book that isn’t funny at all. The town of Eagle Creek’s economy is dire as all the small maple farms are being taken over by a conglomerate. Bernie does his best to save the fictional town but it does shine a light on a real-life problem.
Feel the Bern is a sweet hilarious cozy mystery, heavy on the sweet with maple syrup everywhere and a political twist. When things get too stressful or crazy in government, a book like this by Andrew Shaffer is a Perfect Escape. I still have Hope Rides Again: An Obama Biden Mystery on my TBR stack and with all the crazy in Washington I will be moving it closer to the top. I hope Mr. Shaffer has more stories in the works. We are going to need them.
April 20, 2025
3.5/5 stars (rounded down to 3) 🩷⭐️✨
I got to see Bernie on his Fighting Oligarchy tour, and it definitely inspired me to pick up this book! Feel the Bern was such a fun palette cleanser from all the romcoms and romantasy I’ve been reading lately. Cozy, mysterious, and so funny and this book had me laughing out loud more than once!
It’s a quick read (I actually wish it had been a little longer), but it totally delivered on the vibes promised in the blurb. This isn’t my typical genre, but it was a refreshing change of pace and really enjoyable for what it is.
If you’re a Bernie Sanders fan, this is a must-read!
I got to see Bernie on his Fighting Oligarchy tour, and it definitely inspired me to pick up this book! Feel the Bern was such a fun palette cleanser from all the romcoms and romantasy I’ve been reading lately. Cozy, mysterious, and so funny and this book had me laughing out loud more than once!
It’s a quick read (I actually wish it had been a little longer), but it totally delivered on the vibes promised in the blurb. This isn’t my typical genre, but it was a refreshing change of pace and really enjoyable for what it is.
If you’re a Bernie Sanders fan, this is a must-read!
December 4, 2022
This book is really weird and unhinged. It’s hard to imagine Senator Bernie Sanders do literally any of this, and I know that’s supposed to be the run of the book, but it didn’t work for me. It would have been better if it wasn’t about Bernie Sanders. The mystery aspect was also bland and had no stakes, and I didn’t care whether or not it got solved.
Want to read
January 17, 2023i can’t say i’m sure what this is, because i’m definitely not. i do know that i need it though.
i mean, if you haven’t read a bernie sanders fanfiction, have you truly lived?? because that sounds like a miserable existence to me 😩😩
i mean, if you haven’t read a bernie sanders fanfiction, have you truly lived?? because that sounds like a miserable existence to me 😩😩
February 6, 2025
“Drowning your pancakes in maple syrup is one thing. Drowning a man in maple syrup is something else entirely.” –Bernie Sanders
Light and frothy. Almost exactly what’s advertised—a Vermont murder mystery solved by Sanders and his intern. It has a biting comedy that, though it’s not an old book, reflects a progressive optimism that already seems like it’s from a different era.
Light and frothy. Almost exactly what’s advertised—a Vermont murder mystery solved by Sanders and his intern. It has a biting comedy that, though it’s not an old book, reflects a progressive optimism that already seems like it’s from a different era.
December 14, 2022
Continuing in the vein of his Obama/Biden mystery series, author Andrew Shaffer takes democratic socialist and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders into the realm of the cozy mystery genre.
Sanders and political intern Crash Robertson arrive in Eagle Creek as Bernie is set to take part in several events surrounding one of the town’s annual festivals. Unfortunately for the pair, plans are altered when Crash stumbles upon the body of the community’s banker who, following an autopsy, is revealed to have drowned in maple syrup.
Can “Crash and Bern” uncover the mystery of the maple murder?
I am a big fan of Shaffer’s Obama/Biden mystery novels. Sure, they have a gimmick that obviously relies on parody, but they’re also solid whodunnits. When I heard Shaffer was targeting the mitten-wearing octogenarian politician as his next novel’s hero, I was all in.
While I did enjoy this for the most part, I did find that the maple syrup references and puns got a little tired after a while. There is only so much a man can take! That being said, there were still moments that made me laugh out loud like when Bernie stopped Crash from swatting a bee by offering a grim warning of the decreasing honeybee population as well as Crash believing her death was not imminent for the simple reason she still had unpaid student debt.
I will say that while I’m not well versed in the cozy mystery genre, this was more or less what I expected it to be. Shaffer has really carved himself out a niche in his politician-led amateur detective novels. Bring on the next one!
Sanders and political intern Crash Robertson arrive in Eagle Creek as Bernie is set to take part in several events surrounding one of the town’s annual festivals. Unfortunately for the pair, plans are altered when Crash stumbles upon the body of the community’s banker who, following an autopsy, is revealed to have drowned in maple syrup.
Can “Crash and Bern” uncover the mystery of the maple murder?
I am a big fan of Shaffer’s Obama/Biden mystery novels. Sure, they have a gimmick that obviously relies on parody, but they’re also solid whodunnits. When I heard Shaffer was targeting the mitten-wearing octogenarian politician as his next novel’s hero, I was all in.
While I did enjoy this for the most part, I did find that the maple syrup references and puns got a little tired after a while. There is only so much a man can take! That being said, there were still moments that made me laugh out loud like when Bernie stopped Crash from swatting a bee by offering a grim warning of the decreasing honeybee population as well as Crash believing her death was not imminent for the simple reason she still had unpaid student debt.
I will say that while I’m not well versed in the cozy mystery genre, this was more or less what I expected it to be. Shaffer has really carved himself out a niche in his politician-led amateur detective novels. Bring on the next one!
January 15, 2023
It’s only January and I have no doubts this will be my favorite book of the year. Full of current references, hilarious quotes and memes, and more syrup than any sweet toothed person such as myself can take.
February 24, 2023
I was SO excited for this book. A satire with Bernie Sanders sounded like a dream come true but I was so disappointed.
- Everyone was so nonchalant about murder. This guy was murdered and after a literal three pages everyone didn’t care
- The narrator kept addressing the reader to be like “am i right?”
- Godawful similes “Edwinas face went white as vermont cheddar”
- WHY ARE THE LAST 33 PAGES RECIPES? THIS BOOK ISNT ABOUT FOOD AT ALL
- Cliche ending with a new murder? setting up for a second book that nobody wants
- Predictable plot line and boring story
- Trying to be a leftist book while also glorifying cops
- Way too many pop culture references! Dogecoin, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, SHUT UP
-So many jokes and none of them landed
#hated
- Everyone was so nonchalant about murder. This guy was murdered and after a literal three pages everyone didn’t care
- The narrator kept addressing the reader to be like “am i right?”
- Godawful similes “Edwinas face went white as vermont cheddar”
- WHY ARE THE LAST 33 PAGES RECIPES? THIS BOOK ISNT ABOUT FOOD AT ALL
- Cliche ending with a new murder? setting up for a second book that nobody wants
- Predictable plot line and boring story
- Trying to be a leftist book while also glorifying cops
- Way too many pop culture references! Dogecoin, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, SHUT UP
-So many jokes and none of them landed
#hated
January 16, 2023
honestly just because its bernie i loved it but i will say the ending felt rushed in a way? like all the events and twists seemed to happen within like 3 chapters. either way i can’t wait to read the biden/obama series ✌️
December 12, 2022
Crash is the newest intern for Bernie Sanders. When he is scheduled to be the grand marshal at the Champ Days Parade in her hometown, she finds herself going home and taking him along. The first night in town, she finds the local banker mysteriously murdered by drowning in maple syrup. The two launch an investigation to find the killer since the local police for is out of commission from food poisoning.
Like the Obama Biden mysteries before it, this was a fun read, if somewhat improbable. Crash and the residents of her hometown were a lot of fun to read about and seemed like they would belong in any small town. Fits well as a cozy mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
Like the Obama Biden mysteries before it, this was a fun read, if somewhat improbable. Crash and the residents of her hometown were a lot of fun to read about and seemed like they would belong in any small town. Fits well as a cozy mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
April 16, 2024
The title and the cover should prepare you for what this is. Is it a great literary work? No. Is it a life changing novel? No. Is it fan fic mystery? Yes. It knows what it is and leans into it. It did not disappoint. Andrew Shaffer understood the assignment. While never rising to the level of Agatha Christie, he inserted every necessary clue into a quaint environment. He topped it off with a recognizable Brooklyn voice and served it up in around 200 pages. The characters are rather shallow but fulfill their purposes. There are just enough to flesh out the small town setting but not too many to be a forgettable cast.
June 22, 2024
A nice cozy mystery with Bernie and I loved the recipes :)
October 10, 2023
Exactly as advertised. Vermont, Fall, maple syrup, murder, Bernie Sanders.
December 10, 2022
Fun time. I laughed a few times. PERHAPS not as funny as his second book about Joe Biden, but this was still pretty funny, and left me with a warm feeling for Bernie, for Vermont, and especially for maple syrup.
January 2, 2023
I haven’t read any of the books in the Biden-Obama series by this author, but I couldn’t resist the premise for this one. The narrator is very funny, and her descriptions of chasing after Bernie, who is a loose cannon, are excellent. Bernie, it turns out, is a fan of cozy mysteries and is determined to figure out who committed murder in a sleepy Vermont town. The protagonist is interning at his office and has been warned that she’ll get fired if she doesn’t keep him on task and on schedule. Definitely an enjoyable, light read.
I received a gifted copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2023
Crash Robertson, a straight-A, poli sci grad student is a wannabe campaign manager. Her ticket to the big time is an internship on Capitol Hill. She has her sights set on not just any internship but her dream job, interning for Vermont's own Bernie Sanders. As a native Vermonter whose mom owns the local country store, Crash has the inside scoop into the way to charm the crusty senator- Grade A Golden pure barrel aged Vermont maple syrup! It works like a charm, along with memories of Crash's hometown Champ Days festival. When Bernie is tapped to be the grand marshal at the Champ Days Festival, Crash is dragooned into going along as Bernie's handler. Her job is to keep him on track and on time without letting him out of sight. That's easier said than done. Shortly after arriving, Bernie wanders off and while Crash is out searching for him, she discovers a body floating in the lake. Oh dear! The death of Ferman Fletcher, the local banker, is declared an accident but an autopsy report mysteriously lands on Bernie's room doorstep and launches an investigation that digs up corruption in Eagle Creek. Bernie is eager to investigate just like in one of his favorite cozy mysteries. Crash has no choice but to keep up, especially once she begins to suspect her own family! Can they solve the mystery before Bernie has to go back to Washington?
This was a fun and funny mystery. It's a little different from your average cozy because it does feature a real politician as sleuth. I'm not sure what the real Bernie would think about the portrayal of him but the book is supposed to be light satire. The small town Vermont setting had me craving maple! There were enough suspects and twists and turns to keep me turning pages long after I should have shut my light off and before a trip. I had to leave the book at home and pick it up later. Fortunately, a friend read it before I did so we were able to discuss it to keep me memory fresh. The whodunit was not so obvious but at the same time, it kind of was. It was a different sort of reveal. The twist with Champ at the end was a little silly. Like Crash, I'm not sure I believe in such beasts but my parents have been to Lake Champlain and people do swear there's a prehistoric sea beast in the lake! There are recipes to try at the end. The one thing missing is the maple creamee popular in the area. Wrong season I guess.
Crash is not a likable character. She's very Type A and super driven. That's admirable but she doesn't do much else. There's no warmth or depth to her. It's Bernie Sanders who is the quirky sleuth. Bernie can be crusty (don't ask about the mittens) but passionate about helping the people, which is why he's hugely popular in New England. This Bernie loves a cozy mystery series Cannabis Beach Bakeshop and he and his wife, Jane, get them all from a Little Free Library. He's grumpy the neighbors are slow readers but excited to introduce Crash to the series and get involved in his own real life small town mystery! It turns out Bernie has long ago ties to one of the suspects so he's motivated to prove his old friend's innocence. Crash, too, has ties to suspects and wants to make sure her mom's livelihood is protected and her cousin stays out of jail. Crash goes on a personal journey and by the end, she's more likable. It's funny that she doesn't like Lana, Bernie's chief of staff. Lana is uptight and anal. She doesn't like Crash, interns in general or anyone really. She lacks passion and continually threatens Crash's job, which Crash needs because it pays a living wage. All Crash needs to do is get through the internship with a letter of recommendation. Lana doesn't seem inclined to provide letters of recommendation. Her demands for Bernie are pretty tough to follow. He's elderly but energetic still and always moving. His mind is sharp and he needs to keep moving all the time. Crash is young but not as energetic.
The characters in Eagle Creek are real characters in the eccentric meaning of the word. Crash's mom owns the local general store and B&B. She's hard working and loyal to the small maple farmers and their traditional way of life. The flatlanders came in and purchased all the land and now Big Maple has moved in and hired drones. The people are out of jobs and the town is decaying quickly. Crash's cousin Tyler a contractor, has lost his job and his business. Mr. Fletcher was pressuring Crash's mom to sell her store just as he did with the small farmers. Travis has every reason to want Mr. Fletcher gone but if not Fletcher, it would be someone else. Travis seems suspicious and I don't think he's been up to anything good recently.
Rhea Kelly, the sheriff's deputy, is working her first murder case. Her father, the sheriff, is out of town on a golf trip. Rhea declares Fletcher's death accidental drowning and closes the case. Crash always liked the younger woman but now they seem to be at odds. Is Rhea feeling pressure from her father to close the case quickly? Does she feel she has to cover up murder to keep Champ Days going? I don't think she's as nice as Crash thinks she is. Her father sounds awful- a good ol' boy and Rhea is being trained to follow in his footsteps. The trip to Eagle Creek and subsequent murder brings Crash back into contact with her old flame Joey, who turned out to be gay. He's now a homicide detective in Burlington and come home to see his little sister compete in the Champ Days pageant. His sister sounds like a girl after Crash's own heart and mine too. I hope she becomes mayor, governor and President some day! Joey is a nice guy. Crash hasn't kept in touch much but he doesn't hold it against her. He's busy too and his sexuality makes things less awkward than the usual bumping into exes cozy mystery plot. Joey is a good guy. He loves the life he lives solving crimes and is happy to unofficially help Crash and Bernie with their investigation. Joey is also a great big brother, helping his sister with her pageant talk.
Ferman Fletcher was the most hated man in Eagle Springs. He was a bank manager but lacked the personal charm locals prefer. He was single and a little sleazy. He had a lot of power in town and could make or break a small business, including Crash's mom's store.
Doc McGilliam, maker of the syrup that won Crash her internship, is a local eccentric farmer. His maple syrup is as pure as it gets and the only one that is barrel aged. Climate change has put his business on the line and now Big Maple is threatening his small business. Doc goes missing after Fletcher's body is found and he becomes the #1 suspect.
Bernie and Crash have a different #1 suspect in mind. Jagger Wardlow, a tech bro, has come to Eagle Creek and opened Maplewood Springs, a huge farm where he employs robots and secrecy. He seems to have bought the town in exchange for high speed internet. Jagger is an Elon Musk type eccentric. His drones seem to talk and think for themselves. He doesn't treat them very well, angering Bernie. Maplewood Springs is a big business and people are lining up for tickets to tour the business. It's very mysterious and strange. This Jagger guy is a little weird. He's supremely self-confident and unused to hearing no, his ego knows no bounds. He thinks he can waltz into some small town he considers a dump in godforsaken wilderness and buy them all off. Then he turns around and puts everyone out of business and doesn't even hire locals. When Crash and Bernie think they've discovered Jagger's secret project, it angers Bernie to no end. Jagger better watch out or there might be another murder in Eagle Creek.
Crash also thinks the Blooming sisters are acting mysterious. They're relative newcomers to Eagle Springs, childless, elderly sisters who knit, gossip and insult Crash's mom's store. They run their own store selling dubious unauthorized products like Big Maple maple syrup and "Feel the Bern" hot sauce. Dina Bowers, former school bus driver, is a little overly friendly for Crash and Bernie's tastes. They get creepy vibes off her. She also has ties to an illegal operation and the murder weapon! Uh-oh! I don't get the same creepy vibe off her. She seems harmless to me but she is rather selfish. I get that times are tough but she may be harming small business owners with her selfishness. Mayor Seely seems suspicious too. She has an explanation for what she was doing near Doc's property and I guess it makes sense but it sounds fishy to me. It makes her seem suspicious. I don't trust politicians, aside from Bernie, and I think she has a stake in whatever got Fletcher murdered. She isn't very friendly either.
This was such a fun mystery and I would totally read another if the library had it. I recommended this to a friend and another friend read an e-ARC and recommended it to me. I think Bernie fans will love this one and New Englanders and New Yorkers in general probably will too. I doubt it sells well in other parts of the country aside from California.
This was a fun and funny mystery. It's a little different from your average cozy because it does feature a real politician as sleuth. I'm not sure what the real Bernie would think about the portrayal of him but the book is supposed to be light satire. The small town Vermont setting had me craving maple! There were enough suspects and twists and turns to keep me turning pages long after I should have shut my light off and before a trip. I had to leave the book at home and pick it up later. Fortunately, a friend read it before I did so we were able to discuss it to keep me memory fresh. The whodunit was not so obvious but at the same time, it kind of was. It was a different sort of reveal. The twist with Champ at the end was a little silly. Like Crash, I'm not sure I believe in such beasts but my parents have been to Lake Champlain and people do swear there's a prehistoric sea beast in the lake! There are recipes to try at the end. The one thing missing is the maple creamee popular in the area. Wrong season I guess.
Crash is not a likable character. She's very Type A and super driven. That's admirable but she doesn't do much else. There's no warmth or depth to her. It's Bernie Sanders who is the quirky sleuth. Bernie can be crusty (don't ask about the mittens) but passionate about helping the people, which is why he's hugely popular in New England. This Bernie loves a cozy mystery series Cannabis Beach Bakeshop and he and his wife, Jane, get them all from a Little Free Library. He's grumpy the neighbors are slow readers but excited to introduce Crash to the series and get involved in his own real life small town mystery! It turns out Bernie has long ago ties to one of the suspects so he's motivated to prove his old friend's innocence. Crash, too, has ties to suspects and wants to make sure her mom's livelihood is protected and her cousin stays out of jail. Crash goes on a personal journey and by the end, she's more likable. It's funny that she doesn't like Lana, Bernie's chief of staff. Lana is uptight and anal. She doesn't like Crash, interns in general or anyone really. She lacks passion and continually threatens Crash's job, which Crash needs because it pays a living wage. All Crash needs to do is get through the internship with a letter of recommendation. Lana doesn't seem inclined to provide letters of recommendation. Her demands for Bernie are pretty tough to follow. He's elderly but energetic still and always moving. His mind is sharp and he needs to keep moving all the time. Crash is young but not as energetic.
The characters in Eagle Creek are real characters in the eccentric meaning of the word. Crash's mom owns the local general store and B&B. She's hard working and loyal to the small maple farmers and their traditional way of life. The flatlanders came in and purchased all the land and now Big Maple has moved in and hired drones. The people are out of jobs and the town is decaying quickly. Crash's cousin Tyler a contractor, has lost his job and his business. Mr. Fletcher was pressuring Crash's mom to sell her store just as he did with the small farmers. Travis has every reason to want Mr. Fletcher gone but if not Fletcher, it would be someone else. Travis seems suspicious and I don't think he's been up to anything good recently.
Rhea Kelly, the sheriff's deputy, is working her first murder case. Her father, the sheriff, is out of town on a golf trip. Rhea declares Fletcher's death accidental drowning and closes the case. Crash always liked the younger woman but now they seem to be at odds. Is Rhea feeling pressure from her father to close the case quickly? Does she feel she has to cover up murder to keep Champ Days going? I don't think she's as nice as Crash thinks she is. Her father sounds awful- a good ol' boy and Rhea is being trained to follow in his footsteps. The trip to Eagle Creek and subsequent murder brings Crash back into contact with her old flame Joey, who turned out to be gay. He's now a homicide detective in Burlington and come home to see his little sister compete in the Champ Days pageant. His sister sounds like a girl after Crash's own heart and mine too. I hope she becomes mayor, governor and President some day! Joey is a nice guy. Crash hasn't kept in touch much but he doesn't hold it against her. He's busy too and his sexuality makes things less awkward than the usual bumping into exes cozy mystery plot. Joey is a good guy. He loves the life he lives solving crimes and is happy to unofficially help Crash and Bernie with their investigation. Joey is also a great big brother, helping his sister with her pageant talk.
Ferman Fletcher was the most hated man in Eagle Springs. He was a bank manager but lacked the personal charm locals prefer. He was single and a little sleazy. He had a lot of power in town and could make or break a small business, including Crash's mom's store.
Doc McGilliam, maker of the syrup that won Crash her internship, is a local eccentric farmer. His maple syrup is as pure as it gets and the only one that is barrel aged. Climate change has put his business on the line and now Big Maple is threatening his small business. Doc goes missing after Fletcher's body is found and he becomes the #1 suspect.
Bernie and Crash have a different #1 suspect in mind. Jagger Wardlow, a tech bro, has come to Eagle Creek and opened Maplewood Springs, a huge farm where he employs robots and secrecy. He seems to have bought the town in exchange for high speed internet. Jagger is an Elon Musk type eccentric. His drones seem to talk and think for themselves. He doesn't treat them very well, angering Bernie. Maplewood Springs is a big business and people are lining up for tickets to tour the business. It's very mysterious and strange. This Jagger guy is a little weird. He's supremely self-confident and unused to hearing no, his ego knows no bounds. He thinks he can waltz into some small town he considers a dump in godforsaken wilderness and buy them all off. Then he turns around and puts everyone out of business and doesn't even hire locals. When Crash and Bernie think they've discovered Jagger's secret project, it angers Bernie to no end. Jagger better watch out or there might be another murder in Eagle Creek.
Crash also thinks the Blooming sisters are acting mysterious. They're relative newcomers to Eagle Springs, childless, elderly sisters who knit, gossip and insult Crash's mom's store. They run their own store selling dubious unauthorized products like Big Maple maple syrup and "Feel the Bern" hot sauce. Dina Bowers, former school bus driver, is a little overly friendly for Crash and Bernie's tastes. They get creepy vibes off her. She also has ties to an illegal operation and the murder weapon! Uh-oh! I don't get the same creepy vibe off her. She seems harmless to me but she is rather selfish. I get that times are tough but she may be harming small business owners with her selfishness. Mayor Seely seems suspicious too. She has an explanation for what she was doing near Doc's property and I guess it makes sense but it sounds fishy to me. It makes her seem suspicious. I don't trust politicians, aside from Bernie, and I think she has a stake in whatever got Fletcher murdered. She isn't very friendly either.
This was such a fun mystery and I would totally read another if the library had it. I recommended this to a friend and another friend read an e-ARC and recommended it to me. I think Bernie fans will love this one and New Englanders and New Yorkers in general probably will too. I doubt it sells well in other parts of the country aside from California.
January 4, 2023
This was a fun and short cozy mystery featuring Bernie Sanders. This book was over the top and ridiculous, but I also laughed out loud and enjoyed reading it. The pacing is good and there is enough activity to keep things moving pretty much the entire 200 pages. Lots of Vermont and maple syrup information and all the characters were unique and well developed. The last section of the book contains several recipes, which I probably won't make, but appreciated.
March 29, 2023
This book was FUCKING GREAT! Honestly, it is so self-aware and does not take itself seriously. Its perfect in a way a that Borat is a perfect mockumentary? And if you follow Bernie, politics, or have been to New England- the jokes are fantastic. And the recipes all weirdly sound good?! (I personally really want to try the maple baked beans). I honestly hope that Shaffer writes a sequel. The only reason it did not get 5 stars is because I still have linger questions about Doc.
August 17, 2023
I know cozies often require suspension of disbelief, but this was just too much.
May 10, 2025
This is one of the best things I’ve read! It is so goofy and fun that I’m not even bothered by the weak plot. Very nice palate cleanser between books.
March 13, 2023
When I first saw the book Feel the Bern, the first in A Bernie Sanders Mystery series, while I wasn’t associated with either political party, at the time, I knew who the book was about. Who wouldn’t? And I was entranced, excited, I mean, who has ever taken a popular, currently living politician, and included them in a mystery book? And, a mystery? So, when I was approved to read an advanced copy, months after asking, mind you, I was so excited because I had waited so long. I had tried to forget about the book, having not gotten an advanced copy and, with so many I did have to read, just figured maybe, one day I’d pick it up. But, as I looked at the approval in my email, I wouldn't have to. And, even though I don’t like to read digital, I can't read it as much as print (if you need to know why I’ll personally explain as it is too long to include here), I was determined to get through this book and I started it right away. Let me tell you, it lived up to my hype (IDK if others had hype about it).
The author, Andrew Shaffer has done a wonderful job of taking Bernie Sanders out of real life and inserting him into the pages of a cozy mystery. The books reminded me very much of the Monk books, based on the TV series. Yes, I loved the funny detective so much that I read the books based on the series and some of them were even funnier than TV (the books). I felt the same spirit that was in those Monk books, the many of them they wrote, and if you are as much of a fan of Monk as I am, you will like Feel the Bern too. But, while Monk had all those psychological picadillos that made watching and reading him funny, the Bernie Sanders in the book, he has a certain elder, generational humor, in the book, that brings light to the pages.
However I must warn readers, I don’t know whether the author is a fan of Sanders or not, the book seems to be a fair portrayal of the older man I would believe him to be; while he is not like the bumbling detective, he is a man of a past generation and portrayed as such. For instance, when the main character in which the story comes from says that she doesn't think a hippie would commit a murder that Sanders replies, “Manson was a hippie”, is very much what we would think a man of his age and station to say. And, I must say, I loved that comment so much, I had to stop and mention it to my husband. It was funny (in that strange, dark way that I love). That the author names the B&B they stay in, Eagle’s Nest. Well, I just hoped it wasn’t “subliminal” messaging to readers, to get them to vote for Sanders for President, if he ever runs, in the future. But, even if the book does include propaganda, I didn’t care. It is a new take on something no one has done yet. Even though I’m from Ohio, I still find it very much something I deeply want to read more of.
The main character calls herself Crash Robertson. Yes, even when she introduces herself to Bernie Sanders, when interviewing to be part of his team. Thinking that she got one up on competition, she brings Sanders a bottle of Maple Syrup. Because, well, I guess Bernie Sanders loves maple syrup. Or, at least in Feel the Bern he does. However, in real life I hardly doubt he carries a flask of it in his jacket. But, you never know. All in all, Crash ends up spending a week of her salary on the bottle, outbidding it seems, Sanders himself. But, she covers it up with a lie, saying it was from her mothers store in a small town they both know. That it is Crash’s mom who ultimately gets her the job, that Sanders really wants to be Grand Marshall for the Eagle Creek parade is a surprise to all, especially Crash who hadn’t thought she would be mentioning it.
Bernie’s team consists of many people and as Crash starts her new job, she does not spend any time with the man. Oddly, it is on the very weekend that no one else can be with Bernie from the team that Crash is tasked with “keeping Bernie on task”, the ultimate job of all who work with him. Many of the workers have turned away from Sanders only to find him long gone, far from what he should be doing, off in nature, with others, asking them if they vote. So, on the weekend of the Champ Days in Eagle Creek, Crash’s hometown, she is asked to escort Bernie around. And, although she has been so engrossed in work and school as to not go home in five years, since nothing ever changes in Eagles Creek, she expects everything to go fine and be just like she remembered. Crash has no expectations of what is to come.
Right from the minute they arrive, things seem different. Although the speed limit of Main St. is still 23 mph (though no one knows why) and the sign when you get to the town says, “YOU LOVED HERE, YOU'D BE HOME ALREADY (and no one know what it means), her mother has turned the house into the local bed and breakfast, where she and Bernie will stay, and then, a murder occurs. That the local policeman on the case was once her boyfriend, before he came out and said he was gay, does not seem to help as mysteries surround the case from the beginning.
It seems right as the case would begin, it is promptly closed, when the autopsy is issued. And, when a copy of the report is left anonymously for Bernie to find, when the Senator discovers that the victim has drowned in maple syrup, well, that is no natural death, indeed. So, why has the case been closed? Why has it been ruled a natural death? A little clue comes in the hair of Crash’s policeman friend/ old boyfriend, when readers get to the part of his hair gel. It's surprising, in a way, I guess. Men will put anything on their hair nowadays. And they call women vane?
Also, Eagle Creek has always been proud to buy and support local produce. That they have no chain stores, or big business that residents buy from is a source of pride to the locals. So, when Mr. Wardlow, a Silicon valley success story, swoops in and begins to buy up all the struggling maple farms in the area, no one says a word; even when all the workers on them will be robots. Maybe it was that Mr. Warlow has come to Eagle Creek and sponsors Champ Days, backing an all you can eat breakfast that supports the local firefighters. It is definitely not the aging, shirtless, heroes the public has come to see at the breakfast though, as they all dine on Maple Syrup that was Maple syrup in name only (what MINO means, Maple In Name Only, a new term for me). But, at least Bernie gets to use that flask as he does at the “beefcake breakfast”, slaughtering his flapjacks only in the best. No high-fructose corn syrup for anyone with the Senator!
Feel the Bern was the first in a new cozy mystery series and a totally new take on a current and popular politician. If not just for the inventiveness of using a person like that, in a mystery series, you have to read this new release. But, the story was over and above awesome, Crash Robertson and Sanders teaming up to give readers a good time, good mystery and a great story!
Happy Reading
The author, Andrew Shaffer has done a wonderful job of taking Bernie Sanders out of real life and inserting him into the pages of a cozy mystery. The books reminded me very much of the Monk books, based on the TV series. Yes, I loved the funny detective so much that I read the books based on the series and some of them were even funnier than TV (the books). I felt the same spirit that was in those Monk books, the many of them they wrote, and if you are as much of a fan of Monk as I am, you will like Feel the Bern too. But, while Monk had all those psychological picadillos that made watching and reading him funny, the Bernie Sanders in the book, he has a certain elder, generational humor, in the book, that brings light to the pages.
However I must warn readers, I don’t know whether the author is a fan of Sanders or not, the book seems to be a fair portrayal of the older man I would believe him to be; while he is not like the bumbling detective, he is a man of a past generation and portrayed as such. For instance, when the main character in which the story comes from says that she doesn't think a hippie would commit a murder that Sanders replies, “Manson was a hippie”, is very much what we would think a man of his age and station to say. And, I must say, I loved that comment so much, I had to stop and mention it to my husband. It was funny (in that strange, dark way that I love). That the author names the B&B they stay in, Eagle’s Nest. Well, I just hoped it wasn’t “subliminal” messaging to readers, to get them to vote for Sanders for President, if he ever runs, in the future. But, even if the book does include propaganda, I didn’t care. It is a new take on something no one has done yet. Even though I’m from Ohio, I still find it very much something I deeply want to read more of.
The main character calls herself Crash Robertson. Yes, even when she introduces herself to Bernie Sanders, when interviewing to be part of his team. Thinking that she got one up on competition, she brings Sanders a bottle of Maple Syrup. Because, well, I guess Bernie Sanders loves maple syrup. Or, at least in Feel the Bern he does. However, in real life I hardly doubt he carries a flask of it in his jacket. But, you never know. All in all, Crash ends up spending a week of her salary on the bottle, outbidding it seems, Sanders himself. But, she covers it up with a lie, saying it was from her mothers store in a small town they both know. That it is Crash’s mom who ultimately gets her the job, that Sanders really wants to be Grand Marshall for the Eagle Creek parade is a surprise to all, especially Crash who hadn’t thought she would be mentioning it.
Bernie’s team consists of many people and as Crash starts her new job, she does not spend any time with the man. Oddly, it is on the very weekend that no one else can be with Bernie from the team that Crash is tasked with “keeping Bernie on task”, the ultimate job of all who work with him. Many of the workers have turned away from Sanders only to find him long gone, far from what he should be doing, off in nature, with others, asking them if they vote. So, on the weekend of the Champ Days in Eagle Creek, Crash’s hometown, she is asked to escort Bernie around. And, although she has been so engrossed in work and school as to not go home in five years, since nothing ever changes in Eagles Creek, she expects everything to go fine and be just like she remembered. Crash has no expectations of what is to come.
Right from the minute they arrive, things seem different. Although the speed limit of Main St. is still 23 mph (though no one knows why) and the sign when you get to the town says, “YOU LOVED HERE, YOU'D BE HOME ALREADY (and no one know what it means), her mother has turned the house into the local bed and breakfast, where she and Bernie will stay, and then, a murder occurs. That the local policeman on the case was once her boyfriend, before he came out and said he was gay, does not seem to help as mysteries surround the case from the beginning.
It seems right as the case would begin, it is promptly closed, when the autopsy is issued. And, when a copy of the report is left anonymously for Bernie to find, when the Senator discovers that the victim has drowned in maple syrup, well, that is no natural death, indeed. So, why has the case been closed? Why has it been ruled a natural death? A little clue comes in the hair of Crash’s policeman friend/ old boyfriend, when readers get to the part of his hair gel. It's surprising, in a way, I guess. Men will put anything on their hair nowadays. And they call women vane?
Also, Eagle Creek has always been proud to buy and support local produce. That they have no chain stores, or big business that residents buy from is a source of pride to the locals. So, when Mr. Wardlow, a Silicon valley success story, swoops in and begins to buy up all the struggling maple farms in the area, no one says a word; even when all the workers on them will be robots. Maybe it was that Mr. Warlow has come to Eagle Creek and sponsors Champ Days, backing an all you can eat breakfast that supports the local firefighters. It is definitely not the aging, shirtless, heroes the public has come to see at the breakfast though, as they all dine on Maple Syrup that was Maple syrup in name only (what MINO means, Maple In Name Only, a new term for me). But, at least Bernie gets to use that flask as he does at the “beefcake breakfast”, slaughtering his flapjacks only in the best. No high-fructose corn syrup for anyone with the Senator!
Feel the Bern was the first in a new cozy mystery series and a totally new take on a current and popular politician. If not just for the inventiveness of using a person like that, in a mystery series, you have to read this new release. But, the story was over and above awesome, Crash Robertson and Sanders teaming up to give readers a good time, good mystery and a great story!
Happy Reading
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