What do you think?
Orchard Mystery #2
Rotten to the Core
Second in the series that readers can sink their teeth into.
Orchard owner Meg Corey must clear her name of murder after the discovery of a pesticide-poisoned body in her springhouse. Includes recipes.
Orchard owner Meg Corey must clear her name of murder after the discovery of a pesticide-poisoned body in her springhouse. Includes recipes.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 20, 2009
About the author
Sheila Connolly
73 books1,409 followersSheila Connolly taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several non-profit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company providing genealogical research services.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
She was a member of Sisters in Crime-New England (president 2011), the national Sisters in Crime, and the fabulous on-line SinC chapter, the Guppies. She also belonged to Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.
Sheila was Regent of her local DAR chapter, and a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. She was also the grandchild of Irish immigrants. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loved restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
October 2, 2018
I definitely enjoyed this book more than the first. I'm not usually a big fan of farm books, but something about the small town and the apple orchard was perfect for reading in fall. It made me want to go apple picking and drink apple cider. I'm liking Meg more and more (though half the book she is worrying about not knowing anything and it got a little repetitive). I'm so rooting for her and Seth. I'd like to see more of the other characters in the next one so we can learn more about them. As for the mystery I picked out the murderer right away so of course it drove me a little nuts that it took everyone else longer to get there. Overall I enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one.
October 27, 2017
#2 in the Orchard cozy mystery series
This was very enjoyable. I like the low-key sense of this cozy, meaning that the mc didn't go off all crazy searching for clues and trying to solve the mystery herself. I mean, she did talk to a few people and worry about herself being involved, but mostly she was just normally checking into things. The murderer was fairly obvious, but it was still interesting to watch things play out in a natural timeframe. The rest of the story--about Meg's house repairs and learning about her orchard--add a homey feel to this series. Very exciting scenes surrounding the dinner party and its aftermath that really moved the story along quickly. I do get a little frustrated that Meg spends a lot more time worrying about her home improvements and less time studying up about her orchard--shouldn't she be educating herself more?--but mostly she's a friendly and pleasant character. Seth, her neighbor and handy-man, is obviously going to be a love interest, and I like his character very much. Very down-to-earth and helpful. And Bree, the new orchard manager, looks like she'll be a good addition. What bothered me to some extent was the accent used by narrator Robin Miles. Although she has a fairly good handle on a New England accent, it seems a little pronounced and more New Hampshire than Massachusetts. I look forward to continuing with this series.
This was very enjoyable. I like the low-key sense of this cozy, meaning that the mc didn't go off all crazy searching for clues and trying to solve the mystery herself. I mean, she did talk to a few people and worry about herself being involved, but mostly she was just normally checking into things. The murderer was fairly obvious, but it was still interesting to watch things play out in a natural timeframe. The rest of the story--about Meg's house repairs and learning about her orchard--add a homey feel to this series. Very exciting scenes surrounding the dinner party and its aftermath that really moved the story along quickly. I do get a little frustrated that Meg spends a lot more time worrying about her home improvements and less time studying up about her orchard--shouldn't she be educating herself more?--but mostly she's a friendly and pleasant character. Seth, her neighbor and handy-man, is obviously going to be a love interest, and I like his character very much. Very down-to-earth and helpful. And Bree, the new orchard manager, looks like she'll be a good addition. What bothered me to some extent was the accent used by narrator Robin Miles. Although she has a fairly good handle on a New England accent, it seems a little pronounced and more New Hampshire than Massachusetts. I look forward to continuing with this series.
September 21, 2026
Spring is approaching in Granford, Massachusetts and Meg Corey is eager to see her orchard in bloom. For now she is eager to learn all she can and meet her new orchard manager. While exploring the property, Meg discovers a dead body in her springhouse. Not again! The body turns out to be a graduate student at the university, thankfully no one Meg knew this time and nothing to do with her. However, her new orchard manager is finishing her undergraduate degree and definitely knew the victim. Seth realizes he probably found the murder weapon in Meg's barn but not realizing what was going to happen, disposed of it safely. Detective Marcus already hates Seth and is suspicious of Meg. Will he try to pin this new murder on them again? Meg decides to preempt suspicion by doing some investigating herself. What she learns may point to her friend Christopher. He can't be a murderer! He's so nice! And what would the orchard do about pest management without him? Meanwhile, a new feline friend adopts Meg and she sets out to tackle one more project on the farmhouse while Seth handles the barn renovation project. He always knows a guy who can help and is supportive of Meg but is their relationship just one of friendship or is there more? A tiny part of her doesn't trust her intuition anymore. What if Seth isn't on the same page as Meg? How can she not want him yet not want anyone else to have him at the same time? There's no time to think about that right now with a killer on the loose, a house and barn to fix up, a few more mouths to feed, and an orchard to manage.
This book wasn't as interesting as the first one in the series. The mystery was boring. I didn't care who killed Jason. He was an obnoxious prig and a narcissist. I couldn't believe this wasn't ripped from the headlines of today. I did guess whodunit pretty quickly but there was at least a twist I didn't see coming. Meg did but none of the evidence pointed in that direction. The story really gets bogged down with historic home improvement details and orchard integrated pest management. There was way too much about pesticides vs. organic and the in between, which was interesting. I have to look more closely at the farming methods of my favorite orchard at the farmer's market. There is a reason I don't buy apples from the grocery store unless they're from a nearby farm and packaged. The characters will explain it all and while all that is interesting and necessary for the investigation, it doesn't make for entertaining reading. Like Meg I don't trust the big pharma pesticide company but that's not her problem. I guess we'll see what happens in the future. The one thing I really liked about this story was how Meg finds the dead body on page 3. That has to be a new record.
Meg is a likable character. The town and the orchard have grown on her. She's invested now and trying to be a good caretaker for the property by learning all she can. I was impressed at all she's done since we last met her weeks after moving in. She seems to have forgotten meeting the ghost of her ancestor or maybe that memory lingers in her mind and that's why she's eager to help Gail catalog the backlog of historical society material. ME ME ME! I want to help too, only I am a professional now and would like to be paid, thank you. I want to know the history of the property as much as Meg. Once she sees it, she starts to feel a connection and feel like this is home - where she's meant to be. The locals seem to be coming around and getting used to her, after all she did expose a murderer so hopefully that earned her some points. She doesn't interact with anyone except Seth in this story though. Only a brief encounter with Gail is all we see. However much I like Meg, I think she'd kind of a pushover. She's worried about money but she doesn't state that clearly when Seth announces something she needs and when he says he knows a guy, she never says I have a budget for x amount no more. How generous was her severance pay because she keeps writing checks! Seth is such a nice guy and so enthusiastic, it's hard to say no. His enthusiasm is catching but he doesn't seem to have a good head for numbers the way Meg does. Seth dreams big and he takes it for granted he can earn more money and his guys will hook him up with a good deal. Meg is unemployed and spending money like it grows in her orchard just to keep the house from falling down. Then there's the barn project and the orchard. I adore Seth but Meg needs to be more firm with him. I don't want to see He does back off when she reminds him it's not up to him and she has limited funds and he admits he's been in big brother mode his whole life it's hard to stop taking care of people. It's obvious Seth cares about Meg as more than a friend but she is right to be cautious because they're business partners and friends and it would be catastrophic to ruin that with a romantic relationship that didn't work.
Christopher who was such a dear in the first novel, is a little more nuanced here. He may or may not be a shady character lying to everyone. He may even be a murderer. I think he's not quite as charming now but also maybe naive and bumbling. Is that an act? I don't want him to be a murderer. But who else knew about the springhouse and who benefits from Jason's death? Rachel, Seth's sister, is a force of nature. I guess the Chapin family is made up of nurturing, caring people, other than Stephen of course. Rachel introduces Meg to Ms. Ruth Ferry. Ruth once lived on and farmed the Chapin property. It was Ferry property before it was Chapin. She never married, never had children and her nieces and nephews could care less about farming life so she had to retire and sell. I thought Seth's family had been there forever since an ancestor married Meg's ancestor? I need some family trees and a map of the area. Ruth is a hot ticket at upwards of 85 years young. She may live in a retirement home and have difficulty walking but she still has her faculties and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is a walking history of the town and the farms. Art, the local police chief, is nice and friendly. He likes Meg and trusts her. He's a big help in a crisis and fights for the people in his community in his own way. Detective Marcus is still a narrow-minded jerk.
In this novel we meet Briona, Meg's new orchard manager. She's young and not entirely likable. Bree has a chip on her shoulder because she's Jamaican and when Meg makes a comment about something, Bree takes it the wrong way and jumps down Meg's throat. Meg, fortunately, explains to Bree it was something about Bree's JOB as orchard manager and Bree does apologize and give way too much information about Jamaican apple pickers, skilled workers and her family. She's also a scholarship student sponsored by Big PESTICIDE like BIG PHARMA, the bad guy. Jason, the dead guy, was the leader of GreenGrow, a organization promoting strict organic farming and very much anti-pesticides. Jason was militant and fanatical about organic farming and pitted himself against big pesticide in a David and Goliath fight. He enjoyed the drama and being portrayed as the little guy against the man. Bree certainly knew him and about the group. She makes me suspicious because she keeps taking off at a moment's notice and doesn't want to talk to the police. I don't entirely trust her. Michael started GreenGrow with Jason and they were friends once until Jason's ego got in the way. Michael claims he was content to be behind the scenes but was he? He seems nice and normal compared to Jason. He's passionate about organic farming but not militant about it the way Jason was. Michael's explanation is rational and sensible. Jason's way was his way or the highway. Did Michael get mad and finally snap after years of Jason hogging the spotlight and taking credit for the group? Jason's girlfriend Daphne is very odd. She worshipped Jason and doesn't want to hear anything negative about him. She adopted his militant attitude and is rude and dismissive of anyone who doesn't feel the same way. When you're an uninvited guest you have little reason to complain about the meal being served. No one really knows Daphne and everyone seems to think she's odd. Did something happen between her and Jason? Did she kill him so she could take over the group and run it the way she wants? Did she snap and get tired of his belittling and dismissive treatment of her because it sounds like the narcissist had little use for anyone and it was a similar situation to Meg and her now late ex. Or perhaps someone at the university got tired of Jason not working on academics? or someone from big pesticide decide to eradicate their biggest pest?
Even though I didn't like this story as much as the first and there aren't any good, unique recipes, I plan to read the third book soon. Now I really want some apples.
This book wasn't as interesting as the first one in the series. The mystery was boring. I didn't care who killed Jason. He was an obnoxious prig and a narcissist. I couldn't believe this wasn't ripped from the headlines of today. I did guess whodunit pretty quickly but there was at least a twist I didn't see coming. Meg did but none of the evidence pointed in that direction. The story really gets bogged down with historic home improvement details and orchard integrated pest management. There was way too much about pesticides vs. organic and the in between, which was interesting. I have to look more closely at the farming methods of my favorite orchard at the farmer's market. There is a reason I don't buy apples from the grocery store unless they're from a nearby farm and packaged. The characters will explain it all and while all that is interesting and necessary for the investigation, it doesn't make for entertaining reading. Like Meg I don't trust the big pharma pesticide company but that's not her problem. I guess we'll see what happens in the future. The one thing I really liked about this story was how Meg finds the dead body on page 3. That has to be a new record.
Meg is a likable character. The town and the orchard have grown on her. She's invested now and trying to be a good caretaker for the property by learning all she can. I was impressed at all she's done since we last met her weeks after moving in. She seems to have forgotten meeting the ghost of her ancestor or maybe that memory lingers in her mind and that's why she's eager to help Gail catalog the backlog of historical society material. ME ME ME! I want to help too, only I am a professional now and would like to be paid, thank you. I want to know the history of the property as much as Meg. Once she sees it, she starts to feel a connection and feel like this is home - where she's meant to be. The locals seem to be coming around and getting used to her, after all she did expose a murderer so hopefully that earned her some points. She doesn't interact with anyone except Seth in this story though. Only a brief encounter with Gail is all we see. However much I like Meg, I think she'd kind of a pushover. She's worried about money but she doesn't state that clearly when Seth announces something she needs and when he says he knows a guy, she never says I have a budget for x amount no more. How generous was her severance pay because she keeps writing checks! Seth is such a nice guy and so enthusiastic, it's hard to say no. His enthusiasm is catching but he doesn't seem to have a good head for numbers the way Meg does. Seth dreams big and he takes it for granted he can earn more money and his guys will hook him up with a good deal. Meg is unemployed and spending money like it grows in her orchard just to keep the house from falling down. Then there's the barn project and the orchard. I adore Seth but Meg needs to be more firm with him. I don't want to see He does back off when she reminds him it's not up to him and she has limited funds and he admits he's been in big brother mode his whole life it's hard to stop taking care of people. It's obvious Seth cares about Meg as more than a friend but she is right to be cautious because they're business partners and friends and it would be catastrophic to ruin that with a romantic relationship that didn't work.
Christopher who was such a dear in the first novel, is a little more nuanced here. He may or may not be a shady character lying to everyone. He may even be a murderer. I think he's not quite as charming now but also maybe naive and bumbling. Is that an act? I don't want him to be a murderer. But who else knew about the springhouse and who benefits from Jason's death? Rachel, Seth's sister, is a force of nature. I guess the Chapin family is made up of nurturing, caring people, other than Stephen of course. Rachel introduces Meg to Ms. Ruth Ferry. Ruth once lived on and farmed the Chapin property. It was Ferry property before it was Chapin. She never married, never had children and her nieces and nephews could care less about farming life so she had to retire and sell. I thought Seth's family had been there forever since an ancestor married Meg's ancestor? I need some family trees and a map of the area. Ruth is a hot ticket at upwards of 85 years young. She may live in a retirement home and have difficulty walking but she still has her faculties and isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is a walking history of the town and the farms. Art, the local police chief, is nice and friendly. He likes Meg and trusts her. He's a big help in a crisis and fights for the people in his community in his own way. Detective Marcus is still a narrow-minded jerk.
In this novel we meet Briona, Meg's new orchard manager. She's young and not entirely likable. Bree has a chip on her shoulder because she's Jamaican and when Meg makes a comment about something, Bree takes it the wrong way and jumps down Meg's throat. Meg, fortunately, explains to Bree it was something about Bree's JOB as orchard manager and Bree does apologize and give way too much information about Jamaican apple pickers, skilled workers and her family. She's also a scholarship student sponsored by Big PESTICIDE like BIG PHARMA, the bad guy. Jason, the dead guy, was the leader of GreenGrow, a organization promoting strict organic farming and very much anti-pesticides. Jason was militant and fanatical about organic farming and pitted himself against big pesticide in a David and Goliath fight. He enjoyed the drama and being portrayed as the little guy against the man. Bree certainly knew him and about the group. She makes me suspicious because she keeps taking off at a moment's notice and doesn't want to talk to the police. I don't entirely trust her. Michael started GreenGrow with Jason and they were friends once until Jason's ego got in the way. Michael claims he was content to be behind the scenes but was he? He seems nice and normal compared to Jason. He's passionate about organic farming but not militant about it the way Jason was. Michael's explanation is rational and sensible. Jason's way was his way or the highway. Did Michael get mad and finally snap after years of Jason hogging the spotlight and taking credit for the group? Jason's girlfriend Daphne is very odd. She worshipped Jason and doesn't want to hear anything negative about him. She adopted his militant attitude and is rude and dismissive of anyone who doesn't feel the same way. When you're an uninvited guest you have little reason to complain about the meal being served. No one really knows Daphne and everyone seems to think she's odd. Did something happen between her and Jason? Did she kill him so she could take over the group and run it the way she wants? Did she snap and get tired of his belittling and dismissive treatment of her because it sounds like the narcissist had little use for anyone and it was a similar situation to Meg and her now late ex. Or perhaps someone at the university got tired of Jason not working on academics? or someone from big pesticide decide to eradicate their biggest pest?
Even though I didn't like this story as much as the first and there aren't any good, unique recipes, I plan to read the third book soon. Now I really want some apples.
August 26, 2014
"Oh man, I can't f__king believe this. Another basement, another elevator. How can the same sh_t happen to the same guy twice?"
-John McClane (Die Hard 2)
After solving the murder of her ex-boyfriend in book 1, One Bad Apple, Meg Corey could be forgiven for thinking that things would settle down and she would be able to turn her attention to making a go of the apple orchard.
Unfortunately, weeks after one crime is solved, another body has shown up on her orchard. A young environmental activist has been murdered. The method of murder, pesticide poisoning. With the State Police eager, nay desperate to hang the crime on her, she needs to investigate and find the real killer.
It's OK. It's even good. I nice way to kill some time for lovers of cosy mysteries. It follows the same basic pattern as the first book and no doubt, book three which I just bought, but it's a pattern I quite enjoy. Not sure how long before I get tired of it, but for now it's good fun.
-John McClane (Die Hard 2)
After solving the murder of her ex-boyfriend in book 1, One Bad Apple, Meg Corey could be forgiven for thinking that things would settle down and she would be able to turn her attention to making a go of the apple orchard.
Unfortunately, weeks after one crime is solved, another body has shown up on her orchard. A young environmental activist has been murdered. The method of murder, pesticide poisoning. With the State Police eager, nay desperate to hang the crime on her, she needs to investigate and find the real killer.
It's OK. It's even good. I nice way to kill some time for lovers of cosy mysteries. It follows the same basic pattern as the first book and no doubt, book three which I just bought, but it's a pattern I quite enjoy. Not sure how long before I get tired of it, but for now it's good fun.
January 25, 2018
Meg is settling into the house and farm, her new Orchard Manager is starting to move in (slowly as she still has classes to attend until the end of the academic year), and Meg has been adopted by an abandoned cat - so everything in the orchard is rosy, until Meg does a walk through and smells something rotten, which turns out to be a dead body! All of a sudden Detective Marcus is sniffing around again and Meg and Seth need to put their heads together to find out why the young man died there.
September 9, 2019
Meg has decided to stay on the farm and tend to the orchard but of course as the season is nearing another body appears. This time Meg didn't know who it was but that doesn't stop her from trying to help figure out who killed him and why place him in her orchard. I would be just as angree as Meg since it is her property. I wouldn't want bodies popping up on my property either. LOL I'm enjoying this series.
October 11, 2016
The novel is the second in the series. And boy was there an apple rotten to the core, and we aren't talking fruit. This book was entertaining and I'm growing to love Meg and Seth. This series is going to be a winner.
August 19, 2017
I am enjoy this series and I really like the characters and the info about orchards.
September 1, 2022
This is the second series that I have read by Sheila Connolly. So far, she seems to follow the same plot: a young girl with few ties to her previous town (Boston in both cases), finds herself in a Mayberry type setting where the townspeople have history that reaches back decades. She wonders if she can fit into this small town, slowed down lifestyle or if she is even worthy of the people she meets. There is a guy, and in this series the romance moved a little faster. All of that to say that I find her stories comfortable, like a worn pair of jeans-good for helping to tackle the day but lacking a lot of style and flair. I found this a quick read with just enough substance to not be a waste of time.
November 5, 2017
3.75 Stars
I liked this 2nd installment of Sheila Connolly's Orchard Series much better than I did One Bad Apple. Meg Corey has grown more confident and stronger. And the writing has gotten much better.
It's Spring in Granford, MA and Meg Corey is walking in her Orchard checking on the still dormant trees when she notices an odd smell. She follows her nose to her Spring house and discovers a body lying face down in the spring. Oh no! Another dead body on her property! Detective Marcus will surely try to pinned this one on her too.
The dead guy is a graduate student at the University and is the face of Green Grow, a group that demands no use of pesticides. And his death comes as the University plans to announce something BIG. But how did Jason get to her Spring house? And why her farm? Meg smells something Rotten to the Core and is determined to solve the suspicious death.
I liked this 2nd installment of Sheila Connolly's Orchard Series much better than I did One Bad Apple. Meg Corey has grown more confident and stronger. And the writing has gotten much better.
It's Spring in Granford, MA and Meg Corey is walking in her Orchard checking on the still dormant trees when she notices an odd smell. She follows her nose to her Spring house and discovers a body lying face down in the spring. Oh no! Another dead body on her property! Detective Marcus will surely try to pinned this one on her too.
The dead guy is a graduate student at the University and is the face of Green Grow, a group that demands no use of pesticides. And his death comes as the University plans to announce something BIG. But how did Jason get to her Spring house? And why her farm? Meg smells something Rotten to the Core and is determined to solve the suspicious death.
May 30, 2022
These are the coziest of mysteries, which makes them fun to read as a change of pace. Meg has decided to keep her home & orchard, thus becoming a farmer. She wants to learn all about running the orchard, so we get to learn along with her as she finds out about integrated pest management programs, learns to drive a tractor, and gets some goats. She's also restoring her old home so there's fun stuff about refinishing her kitchen floor. Oh, and a dead body is found by her springhouse so she has to clear her name while also researching the history of her farm. It's just a relaxing visit to rural Massachusetts with a plucky heroine & a possible relationship with the neighbor.
July 29, 2014
I enjoyed this story, but it seemed a bit slow-moving. Though it's fun to meet more of the people in Meg's new town and to find out what's happening in her orchard as the seasons progress.
August 8, 2017
Fun and light cozy mystery!
May 24, 2025
The little I recall of the previous book, I remember it being a LOT better. This book was just blah, and the main character not very interesting or sympathetic. Doubting whether I will continue the series. 2.5
September 23, 2018
Whoooooole lot of complaining about tractors. If you want to run an orchard you're gonna have to learn to use a tractor and there's no use bitching about it as much as Meg does. SHADDUP, MEG
January 30, 2022
A very enjoyable second installment in this series. Such fun to follow Meg's house refurbishing projects ... to follow the progression of the perhaps budding romance between her and Seth ... AND to watch her mind work as she tries to unwind the mysterious death. In this book she learns a lot about fertilizer, how to drive a tractor, and how to refinish her kitchen floor. Lots of fun.
June 18, 2018
The second book in the Orchard series has a plot that is similar to the first. Meg is now more at home with the residents of the town to which she has moved to renovate her house for sale. But now she has decided she might want to live there herself - IF she can get the house livable, and learn what is involved in maintaining her apple orchard. She will need the income from the orchard to support herself if she stays. She hires a student, Bree, to be her orchard manager, and provides a room in the house for Bree since she can't afford to pay much in salary. Her relationship with the helpful Seth is growing every day, as well. When a anti-pesticide pro-organic activist student turns up dead from pesticide poisoning in her orchard, suspicion falls on her, as usual. Detective Marcus seems to have a one-track mind when it comes to being suspicious of Meg. Luckily, the local police are more help to her. A dinner party given to celebrate her newly finished kitchen floor, nearly is the death of Meg, Seth, Bree from -guess what - pesticide poisoning. The murderer in this case is telegraphed earlier than in the previous book, but the story is still quite riveting. I'm enjoying the series very much.
August 20, 2019
I have enjoyed reading this series. I like the main character, a rising bank officer who had lost her job during the recession and at her mother's suggestion, left Boston to go to the historic home she and her mother had inherited from a pair of unmarried sisters who were distant relatives. Meg had only intended to be in the small Massachusetts town where the house was located long enough to get it in salable condition prior to returning to the business world. However, once she got there, she is finding that the town and the somewhat run down home is growing on her. Even with a reasonably substantial severance package, Meg has to be careful with her finances and as a result, she becomes directly involved in some of the many repairs that the house and its surrounds need. She gets guidance and perhaps something much more from her neighbor, Seth. Of course, this is a cozy mystery so yes, a murder or at least a suspicious death occurs and Meg, as the protagonist, of course becomes involved. Of course there is an obnoxious and not terribly bright investigator. Meg has learned that there is an orchard on her property and decides to try to make a living from it. I am enjoying this series.
February 24, 2010
Second in the Apple mystery series---not as good as the first. Meg is back and trying to run her apple farm, with the help of the local college. Meg soon finds a body on her farm, in the orchard. While she doesnt know the victim, she is compelled to investigate his pesticide caused death. The first book was good because it talks about interesting apple facts. The second doesn't talk so much about apples, more about pesticides...which unsurprisingly aren't all that compelling. The second story lost much of what was good about the first-- a young lady finding an orchard, needing to learn about apples while trying to fix up her house. There is still some house fixing, but love interest Seth doesn't have much of a role. Why would a love interest be introduced (first book) and why exclude him from book two? This book just wasn't interesting and was hard to finish....Missing the magic of the first book.
August 9, 2011
Meg is the owner of a 15 acre apple orchard and dilapidated farmhouse that are about 200 years old in western Massachusetts. She is trying to learn about the apple orchard business and restore the old farmhouse. In this second installment of this cozy mystery series, she finds the body of a young man in her spring house. She does not know the young man at all, but is dismayed at finding yet another body on her property. Once again, she gets drawn into to trying to solve a murder mystery.
I found that this mystery stalled in the middle. It started out okay with finding the body and some interesting developments such as hiring Bree, an orchard manager, but then it just bogged down with a lot of stuff about pesticides and the organic movement and integrated pest management. Near the end, the action picked up and moved quickly then to a resolution. I am not sure yet what my verdict is yet on the series so I'll probably move on to the third book.
I found that this mystery stalled in the middle. It started out okay with finding the body and some interesting developments such as hiring Bree, an orchard manager, but then it just bogged down with a lot of stuff about pesticides and the organic movement and integrated pest management. Near the end, the action picked up and moved quickly then to a resolution. I am not sure yet what my verdict is yet on the series so I'll probably move on to the third book.
July 31, 2009
This is the second book in a series and it is excellent. Not quite as frenetic as the first book, it is a fast read but not because the characters are running around in circles.
Meg is half owner of a 200+ year old farm and 15 acre apple orchard. When she finds a young college student dead in her spring house she is again under suspicion even though she had never seen the young man before.
There are interesting tips about pesticides, apple growing, home improvement and animal care and feeding (cat and goat). And the mystery is well done too. I didn't expect the twist at the end, although I did figure out part of the mystery.
Highly recommended. It can be read as a stand alone but by reading the series you know a little more about the characters and some of the motivations.
Meg is half owner of a 200+ year old farm and 15 acre apple orchard. When she finds a young college student dead in her spring house she is again under suspicion even though she had never seen the young man before.
There are interesting tips about pesticides, apple growing, home improvement and animal care and feeding (cat and goat). And the mystery is well done too. I didn't expect the twist at the end, although I did figure out part of the mystery.
Highly recommended. It can be read as a stand alone but by reading the series you know a little more about the characters and some of the motivations.
February 16, 2012
I agree with some other reviews that the prospect of a Second dead body just showing up on her Orchard in a matter of months. But I don't have as much of a problem with this as others.
I am a fan of Murder She Wrote, Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders. By the time you get to the end of an episode or story of one of these, you're usually surprised anyone is still alive and living in that area. So the Orchard Mystery books don't bug me too much.
This one is good because it expands on the first story, allows Meg to integrate into the local community and delves a little further into her story and that of the Orchard. I will finish this series eventually.
I am a fan of Murder She Wrote, Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders. By the time you get to the end of an episode or story of one of these, you're usually surprised anyone is still alive and living in that area. So the Orchard Mystery books don't bug me too much.
This one is good because it expands on the first story, allows Meg to integrate into the local community and delves a little further into her story and that of the Orchard. I will finish this series eventually.
February 18, 2017
Really, really enjoying this series. Meg is a great character and I can feel her struggles to learn about her orchard, make it a success, fix up her new home and fit into the community. All the progress she is making is marred by finding a body on her grounds in her spring house. When she learns that the young man was poisoned using pesticides it opens up all kinds of possibilities. There is much more to add to Meg's learning curve, as she struggles to learn about her about her orchard, IPM and living with her new orchard manager. How this all unfolds makes for a very interesting mystery. Can't wait for the next!!!!
April 9, 2017
This book was enjoyable. I did not feel like it was something I had to read without stopping, but when I stopped I did not feel like I did not want to finish either. I just took my time with it. My thoughts, in no particular order: it's about time Meg and Seth acknowledged that was going on between them! There needs to be more Rachel. I'm not sure how I feel about Christopher now that he is working with the chemical company. Bree took a while to warm up, but I think she will add to the story nicely. Daphne was a bit obvious, but listening to her retelling of her side of the events was chilling; she was absolutely remorseless. I like this series and will be reading more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2011
I read this on my flight to Boston a week or so ago. I like the main character, Meg Corey, and love Seth Chapin! Some heroines of mysteries start to bug me after a time, but so far, Meg is staying likeable. Interesting mystery, although I was practically shouting at the book (silently since I was on a plane full of people) who the murderer was, even though technically she wasn't. I just began #3 and am delighted to find Meg did NOT stumble over this latest corpse. I enjoy all the information about organic farming and locavore since I'm trying to do some of the same in my small way.
May 8, 2018
I enjoyed the 2nd installment in the series maybe a little more than the first. Watching Meg get her footing in rural life was fun, in spite of that nasty little dead body in the springhouse. Seeing growth in the continuing characters is a good thing, but the addition of spunky Bree to the lineup makes me like the series even more. The mystery in this one, and it's solution, was almost secondary for me to the character evolvement, and while I had some of the solution deduced before the reveal, part still surprised me. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 1, 2010
Book 2 in a series. Follows main character Meg as she learns to manage an old apple orchard (and house) she has inherited. Some information about orchard management, varieties of apples, home restoration. Author's weak spot is probably dialogue. Good story concept and general writing style. A very comfortable cozy mystery. Oh yes, the author has wisely decided to add a cat to the cast of characters. =)
March 18, 2014
Apologies to those who love this series, but Meg just isn't doing anything for me. The first book, One Bad Apple was a weak 3* for me, so I decided that was just because the author was setting the scene and things would liven up, but it didn't happen. I guessed the who early on, and even guessed what was going on at the celebration dinner before it even happened.
October 2, 2012
I truly enjoyed this story! The Characters are great, story well written and even though I began to suspect who the murderer was I wasn't really sure until Connolly told us who it was! I really enjoyed how the cat came to live with her and with Seth's help the two goats! Good series, look forward to another one!
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