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March brings a maple syrup festival to Brown County, Indiana, and Robbie Jordan is hoping to snag some of the tourists into her shop, Pans ‘N Pancakes. However, the festival has also brought Dr. Warren Connolly to town, a professor hated for many reasons. He is found murdered one morning before the day’s events can get started, and the police begin to look at one of Robbie’s friends as the killer. Then a local maple syrup farmer goes missing. What is going on?

I thought we might be in for some lectures as Dr. Connolly is first introduced to us as a climate change denier, however, this was dropped after the second chapter as we begin to find real motives for his murder. In fact, we get several strong motives and suspects that kept me turning pages and guessing until the end. While I missed one of the regular characters, the rest were present and accounted for and were as charming as ever. The setting is fantastic, too. I’d love to visit Robbie’s store.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/02/book-review-biscuits-and-slashed-browns.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
    365 holidays. Full version.

    365 holidays. Full version.

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    365 days a year there are national holidays held all over the world. These can be festivals and...

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated No Parm No Foul in Books

Nov 1, 2022 (Updated Nov 1, 2022)  
No Parm No Foul
No Parm No Foul
Linda Reilly | 2022 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Only Harm Would Be Skipping This Book
Carly Hale is excited to be able to participate in the Balsam Dell fall food festival for the first time. However, one of her other contestants is throwing a wet blanket on things. Ferris Menard owns a sub shop across the village square, and he has turned his temper on Carly. The festival ends with him creating a public scene. However, the next day, he is found dead in his shop. A clue at the scene points of Carly’s boyfriend. Can she find the truth?

I enjoyed meeting this cast of characters in the first book, and they were just as charming and fun to be with here. The plot was strong. I thought I had it figured out early, but I quickly realized I was wrong. There was one element that wasn’t really resolved, but I still understood the killer and motive just fine. I enjoyed the fall setting and could feel the crispness in the air. I also appreciated the cheesy puns, especially in the sandwiches that Carly serves in her restaurant. Speaking of which, we get recipes for two of them at the end. I already have the next in the series pre-ordered, and I’m looking forward to reading it.
  
Murder at the Marina
Murder at the Marina
Janet Finsilver | 2019 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Heritage Festival Brings Murder
Kelly is taking an afternoon to see the boat that her friends, Ivan and Rudy, own. But the tour never happens when she finds a dagger covered in what looks like blood on the boat. While neither of the brothers own it, they do recognize it from their past. A few days later, the owner of a Russian merchandise store turns up dead on their boat as well. What is going on? Does it have to do with the Russian Heritage Festival taking place in town?

I love it when background characters get a chance to shine, which is what happens here. I was intrigued from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it would all play out. Unfortunately, I did feel the climax was abrupt, and therefore weaker than it could have been. While the suspects are appropriately shady, the rest of the cast is charming, which is no surprise to fans of the series. I really do love these characters. As always, I enjoyed spending time in a fictional version of the area where I grew up. If you are looking for a fun cozy series, be sure to check this one out.
  
Mushroom Capped
Mushroom Capped
Cathy Wiley | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jackie Finds Murder Mushrooming
Former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood has landed in Conway, Maryland, for their second annual mushroom festival. She’s especially excited about connecting with her friend, Marshall. However, she quickly discovers that there’s lots of tension in town thanks to a big farming company trying to buy up the mushroom farms in the area. When Jackie finds the owner of the company dead, Marshall becomes the prime suspect. Can Jackie clear him?

I loved the first book in the series, and it was great to be spending time with Jackie again. All of her family and friends from the last book are back as well. While it would have been nice to see a bit more development for them, I still enjoyed spending time with them and loved the humor they brought to the story. The story started quickly, and when I reached the end, I appreciated just how the clues and motives were layered into the story. I was engaged the entire time, and the ending made perfect sense. If you like mushrooms, you’ll be interested in the five delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book. This is looking to be a great culinary cozy mystery series, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens at Jackie’s next festival.
  
    Growth

    Growth

    Luke Norris

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    A comedy about growing up and manning up. Tobes is young, free and having a ball. Off. He's...