A cozy mountain town, a sweet romance, and a secret society of sneaky women… this is the place for you. But when a blood smeared package shows up at the post office and it appears to be linked to a scheme that threatens post master, Heidi Collinsworth’s historic home, the Sugar Mountain Ladies Historical Society take matters into their own hands. Heidi would lay odds that slimy Mayor Winslow is involved, but even with the enquiring skills of the society at work, proof is scarce.
The new guy in town, Adam Williams, is determined not to get involved in Sugar Mountain’s business. His last job in a big city planning office ruined his life, but Heidi needs his help. No matter how hard he tries to stay detached, Adam finds himself eyeball deep in Heidi’s problems, as well as the needs of her teenage son and a homeless dog.
With conflicting theories abounding and tensions running high, it’s up to the ladies of the society to don disguises and go undercover. If they’re not careful, the town is in danger of falling to a wrecking ball, Heidi falling for Adam, and the secret society being exposed.
Meet the cast of colorful characters in this charming introduction to a whole new series of romantic, cozy mysteries!
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I grew up in one of these small towns. You know…the kind where everyone knows everyone’s business. Well that’s true in this town in NC too. Except for a secret society. Maybe there was one in my little town. Who knows?
This is an enjoyable read. Just as fun as can be. It’s clean with a little corruption and a very teensy bit of “maybe they’ll get together”. It moved fast. Had enjoyable characters and a little humor.
This is Book 1 in a series titled “Sugar Mountain”. Hope we see Book 2 soon.
Author Kirsten Fullmer has worked in the field of engineering, has been a teacher at the college level, was a freelance consultant, and has an affinity for art. Now retired, she has published eight novels including her six part HOMETOWN SERIES, LOVE ON THE LINE, and now TROUBLE ON MAIN STREET.
An ongoing theme in Kirsten’s romance novels is the presence of strong female characters and how they cope with love, life and relationships. Stepping away from her previous Hometown Girl locale of Smithville, this story takes place in a very ‘special’ town – Sugar Mountain, North Carolina – and the unique aspect of this setting is introduced in the Prologue _ “The little town of Sugar Mountain, North Carolina rests in the high country of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thanks to the beautiful scenery, secluded location, and four changing seasons, the area is a cherished tourist destination. Historians note that the first European settlers came to the area in 1775…What historians don’t know is that the sleepy hamlet of Sugar Mountain harbors a secret society of women. Don’t misunderstand – the society itself is not secret – it’s the true nature of the groups that is hush-hush.’ Mystery, and the reader’s curiosity established, the story presses forward.
Kirsten’s summary outlines the plot: ‘Sugar Mountain is the kind of charming village that tourists adore. If you like small-town charm, quirky shops, and local art, this is the place for you. But when a blood smeared package shows up at the post office and it appears to be linked to a scheme that threatens post master, Heidi Collinsworth’s historic home, the Sugar Mountain Ladies Historical Society take matters into their own hands. Heidi would lay odds that slimy Mayor Winslow is involved, but even with the enquiring skills of the society at work, proof is scarce. The new guy in town, Adam Williams, is determined not to get involved in Sugar Mountain’s business. His last job in a big city planning office ruined his life, but Heidi needs his help. No matter how hard he tries to stay detached, Adam finds himself eyeball deep in Heidi’s problems, as well as the needs of her teenage son and a homeless dog. With conflicting theories abounding and tensions running high, it’s up to the ladies of the society to don disguises and go undercover. If they’re not careful, the town is in danger of falling to a wrecking ball, Heidi falling for Adam, and the secret society being exposed. ’
A cozy mystery, a small town romance, and in Kirsten Fullmer’s hands this novel comes alive with vigor – a refreshing and satisfying experience. Recommended on many levels.
The Cover: Stunning. ALL the covers in this series are STUNNING. I don’t know who Kirsten’s cover artist is, but they do excellent work. Especially good because so many cozy mystery covers are a hot mess.
The Plot: For the most part, it flows and makes sense. The reader will have to suspend disbelief to accept that these women in a small town could be making these kinds of moves, and no one knows. Unless the reader has never lived in a small town and has no idea how weird it is for someone to mention that they noticed you’ve moved your sewing machine onto your enclosed front porch as they were driving by your house, which is on a wicked corner a mile from town. (True story from my life, not the book.) There are some rough transitions in this book, which had me going back a page to see if I missed something, and the end is very abrupt.
The Characters: Here’s where the rubber meets the road for me in every book I read. I can overlook all sorts of problems when I like the characters. Unfortunately, in this book, I didn’t like the main characters, Heidi and Adam, at ALL. Heidi is pushy beyond belief with a new recruit right out of the gate, and that spills over into other areas of her life. Also, her desire to save her ‘home,’ a house that someone else built and decorated, which doesn’t even reflect who she is as a person, is all kinds of weird to me. It’s like she’s obsessed with living in a museum. Adam is rude except when working with Heidi’s son, who is miraculously awesome despite what he’s been handed in life. He is also a poster child for who should NOT adopt an animal. He does and then has zero patience with this animal and wonders why the dog likes Heidi’s son so much. Basically, these two are physically attracted to each other because their personalities ain’t winning this race. I did enjoy some of the peripheral characters, like Sarah and Mildred. The villain is a caricature but an amusing caricature.
The Setting: When I left Chicago in 2001, it was a coin toss between moving to Missouri or North Carolina. I chose Missouri, but North Carolina remains in my heart. My one brief trip there and the people I’ve known from there make me feel like it is a fantastic place. It certainly is beautiful.
Final Thoughts: 2 Stars because the best I can say is that I finished it. I will give Book 2, Where There’s Smoke, a go just to see if the character issue sorts itself out. I so much want to love these books.
I received an ARC of this book.
3 Cranky Stars
This book was all over the place. It started out slow then kindly jumped in to something is wrong, the main character falls for the new guy in town. New guy helps her and they fall for each other. That’s the gist of the story.
Heidi is the Post Master on Sugar Creek and part of a secret society. There are several other women, a stylist, a teacher, a waitress and more that apart of this society and they are all women. The town doesn’t know about them except that they do a historical reenactment every year and it’s not great. Heidi gets a package to come through her office for the Mayor that has a “bloody” fingerprint. This sets off an investigation that leads to Heidi hearing about a project that will lead to tearing down her house and some others to renovate Main Street. Adam, is the new guy in town who use to do City Planning and decides to help her. The story has its funny moments. The one character, Rachel, is a shimmer in this story and I believe she needed a little more introduction. Some of the chapters ended and the next would start and it seemed like it would skip information. I hope the 2nd book isn’t the same.
This book is the beginning of the Sugar Mountain series by Kirsten Fullmer. She sets the stage by telling us about a stately old house currently owned by a middle-aged widow with a young teenaged son and about the Ladies’ Historical Society that meets in the attic surreptitiously. The house and the town are both full of hidden passageways. Even the master bathroom in the house is hidden, as is the staircase to the attic meeting room. The middle-aged widow turns out to be the postmaster of the town. We meet the assortment of ladies who are in the historical society and we find out how much they do, or meddle with, things that have nothing to do with the history of this North Carolina town. I enjoyed myself reading this book.
Cute, contemporary romance set in a small town in NC. Heidi, a widow, is the grand master of a secret ladies society. They meet in her historic home on Main Street. As postmaster of this small town, she discovers a strange and bloody package in the outgoing mail.
Heidi enlists her ladies to investigate, and they determine that the mayor of the town is planning a big change to Main Street, including the demolition of her house. This unlikely group of women work together in silly ways to save their town. They discover some sinister secrets along the way.
Enter Adam, a newcomer to town. Heidi and Adam are attracted to each other, but there are some missteps along the way.
Light romance, light mystery. If you are looking for a quick and easy read, this fits the bill. The ladies group reminded me of the characters in the Disney film, The North Avenue Irregulars.
This is book 1 in the series.
#TroubleonMainStreet #KirstenFullmer
Trouble on Main Street is the first book in a new series from Kirsten Fullner. This author is renowned for creating strong female characters and exploring the bonds between them, and this story does just that. Set in the idyllic small town of Sugar Mountain, the characters of this book form a secret women’s society who work to unfold a mystery that threatens to destroy all that they hold dear while offering the reader moments of comedy and sheer sass along the way.
The story starts off gently, mirroring the mood of the small town, but gradually increases pace to become a riveting, page-turning puzzle. This is a feel-good read with elements of romance, that is well written, with a compelling plot and characters you can’t help but like and admire. It sits comfortably in the cozy mystery genre, and will be popular among readers who enjoyed the likes of Joanna Fluke and Ellery Adams.
Trouble on Main Street is really an easy read mystery with lots of intrigue and laughs throughout. The cast of interesting and quirky female characters make it a real page turner not to mention the genius factor of the secret society. I wanted to read this book in one sitting, desperate to discover what would happen next. I cannot wait for the next instalment I know will be just as clever and comical as this one. Fantastic!
If you like the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Novels, you’re sure to like Trouble on Main Street by Kirsten Fullmer. Set in the chocolate box town of Sugar Mountain, protagonist Heidi founds herself deeply entrenched in a mystery when a suspicious blood-stained package arrives at the post office she runs. In come the Sugar Mountain Ladies Historical Society to solve the mystery. What secrets of the seemingly perfect Sugar Mountain well Heidi and the Ladies uncover?
A mystery and a romance novel novel that is perfect for a weekend read, with the tension being balanced with a developing love story between Heidi and newcomer Adam. There is also an adorable homeless dog that you’re sure to fall far, I know I did.
It was a nice light read, so I’m looking forward to reading more of the Sugar Mountain Books soon.