Beet Fields: A Murder Mystery

by Robin Somers

Olive Post’s bucolic farm life is already off kilter when she finds a body in the beet field. She suspects foul play, but when the coroner  determines the death a suicide, her investigative instincts and years as a crime reporter kick in. Her tenacious pursuit of evidence strains her marriage and places her young children in danger as she uncovers an  ominous scheme that threatens her family and their livelihood.

Set on an organic farm in Santa Cruz, California—where even the most altruistic are flawed—Beet Fields underscores the importance of  vigilance in an era of insatiable corporate agribusiness. With determination and courage, Olive confronts malevolent forces, struggling to restore the constancy in her home that she has worked diligently to create.

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[Patricia]

Such fun to find this book by a woman who once lived in my community. The characters were well defined and relatable. I particularly like the depiction of the mom/grandmother who was quirky in ways that moved the story. I also liked recognizing aspects of the author and her life that were dropped into the tale. Somers presented informative information about organic farming and the discord with those working with genetically engineered crops, all of which was deposited smoothly into the story. Fun read.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it appropriate to write this review upon just returning home from our farmer's market today. Beet Fields was inspired by Somer's son’s organic family farm, Dirty Girl Produce in Santa Cruz, CA. However, I did not know this until the end of the book when I read the 'About The Author' page! Each week for years, I have bought my fruits & veggies from them.

This novel is part murder mystery (an eco-mystery perhaps), part scientific (organic farming methods versus GMO farming), beautifully written & wrapped up into a fictional family saga filled with strong female characters & a few good men.

I have lived in coastal Santa Cruz, Ca, the setting of this novel, for almost 40 years. I live within walking distance of our local downtown Wednesday Farmer's Market & am friends with many of the vendors & the people who run the SCCFM (Santa Cruz Community Farmers' Markets.) It is my community, the market, a gathering place.

I love my town & I loved this book partly because I knew exactly where I was on every page. My stomping grounds! The setting and landscapes are written in such exquisite detail that Santa Cruz and its neighboring towns become characters in themselves.

Thank you, Ms. Somers, for capturing the essence of where we live & thank you to all the farmers who work so diligently to bring us amazing organic produce, year-round.

[Lorraine Devon Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching, complex, page-turning story that immerses the reader in a tense, potentially explosive, mystery in the verdant area of Santa Cruz, California. We’re thrown immediately into that mystery when the naked body of a friend and neighbor is found in the fields by Olive Post, organic farmer, mother, wife, daughter. Having once been a crime reporter, a career she relinquished to take on full-time family life on an organic farm, she’s compelled to begin investigating the death as less the suicide it’s being deemed, and more a potential act of revenge or threat. As her family and neighbors become embroiled in the many questions swirling around this event, we meet a disparate group of characters from corrupt corporate bullies and compromised members of their circle to competitive farmers, concerned neighbors, even Olive’s irascible and irrepressible mother, a proclaimed mystic. It all comes together as an intriguing take on the battle of environmental concerns vs. corporate profits, and the many lives and businesses that battle impacts. A powerful read I highly recommend.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Cruz is not only the setting but, in a way, a character in this book. I enjoyed reading about my former town as the backdrop in a "murder mystery." Yes, it's that--but it's also a book about organic farming. Her lush descriptions of that life kept me enthralled. The characters are lively and multidimensional, and the suspense kept me turning the page...as did the masterful examination of environmental issues.

[Muriel Murch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fields and families drew me in to a world I knew - but not as deeply as I know now, and even that is not completely. The convolutions of mystery kept drawing me back to my kindle until the end - or where you ended this story. For I think of them still, knowing that life, love and farming will continue for this family, with all the joys and hardships to come. Thank you again Robin Summers.

[Farnaz Fatemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about an organic farming family, the fight against GMOs in California, tomatoes, and Santa Cruz, California.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEET FIELDS
By Ms. Robin Somers
Somersault Studios, Santa Cruz, CA.
Copyright 2020

I don’t much like beets; been that way since childhood, so I started-out with zero interest in reading: “Beet Fields” – a book a family member highly recommended. Didn’t imagine that a book with a cover featuring my least favorite vegetable was to be such an absolute pleasure.
If you, like me, enjoy the intricacies of a good murder mystery, then “Beet Fields” should be somewhere near the top of that book stack on your nightstand.
The work of a seasoned crime reporter and very creative writer, it will not only entertain you with its murderous twists and turns, but after you’ve endured the trials of Olive – a true farmer’s wife - you’ll come out the other end much more appreciative of what it takes to be, not only an independent farmer, but also one adhering to the demanding criteria of “organic certification.”
As for me, well, I now find myself fascinated with those purply, roots. And I might even eat one.

Michael P. Walsh
Chicago