In the third Farmer’s Daughter Mystery from the national bestselling author of Sowed to Death, finding a dead body in her own backyard lands blogger and farmer Shelby McDonald in one trough spot…Wedding preparations are in full swing at Love Blossom Farm as food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald transforms the property for her friend Kelly’s down-home country-style reception. But when the … reception. But when the lead singer of the wedding band turns up dead–drowned in a trough full of rainwater and strung up like a scarecrow–the police round themselves up a barnful of suspects.
It seems that Travis sowed the seeds of discord wherever he went, and when it becomes clear that everyone from the groom to Shelby’s own staff has motive, tracking down Travis’ killer is going to be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. As Shelby finds herself drawn deeper into the investigation, she’ll have to move quickly before the killer decides to put her out to pasture…
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES
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Bought the Farm by Peg Cochran is the third novel in A Farmer’s Daughter Mystery series. Shelby McDonald has been busy getting Love Blossom Farm ready for Kelly Thacker and Seth Gregson wedding. Kelly has even arranged a special surprise for Seth. The wedding is lovely, but Seth is not thrilled with his surprise of Travis Cooper and his band. After the festivities are over, Shelby and Bert notice that one guest is still hanging around. Travis has been murdered and strung up on a post to resemble a scarecrow. Seth, the band along with the wedding guests are all suspects in the singer’s death. Detective Frank McDonald has his work cut out for him this time. Of course, Kelly cannot help but do some digging especially with Seth being on the suspect list. The killer, however, is displeased with her sleuthing and leaves her a threatening blog comment. Join Shelby as she weeds through the suspects to expose the evil doer in Bought the Farm.
Bought the Farm is an engaging cozy mystery. It is well-written and has a steady pace throughout. There is a good flow and smooth transitions. Bought the Farm has great characters and a beautiful setting of Love Blossom Farm in Lovett, Michigan. I especially liked Shelby’s blog entries at the beginning of each chapter. They were informative and useful. It was interesting to learn the history behind some wedding traditions. The mystery was well-crafted with multiple suspects and misdirection. The author provided good clues to aid readers in resolving the crime. While Bought the Farm is the third book in the series, it can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know about Shelby is included. Chickens, planting seeds, gathering herbs, taking care of the kids and the dogs, spending time with friends, dating, creating new recipes, cooking and Shelby working on her blog are some of the cozy moments in Bought the Farm. I like the world that Peg Cochran has created for A Farmer’s Daughter Mystery series. Shelby’s daughter, Amelia stands up for a girl in her class who is being bullied and comes up with an anti-bullying campaign. I appreciate how the author addressed the situation and her suggestions for dealing with bullies. I hope that the children will start doing chores in future books to help out Shelby (she needs assistance with work around the house and farm). My rating for Bought the Farm is 4 out of 5 stars. I could have done with less romance and the debate between the two fellas in her life (I believe she should pick Frank). There is some repetition of facts (like information regarding secondary characters). There are recipes at the end of the book.
Synopsis:
In the third Farmer’s Daughter Mystery from the national bestselling author of Sowed to Death, finding a dead body in her own backyard lands blogger and farmer Shelby McDonald in one trough spot…
Wedding preparations are in full swing at Love Blossom Farm as food-and-lifestyle blogger Shelby McDonald transforms the property for her friend Kelly’s down-home country-style reception. But when the lead singer of the wedding band turns up dead–drowned in a trough full of rainwater and strung up like a scarecrow–the police round themselves up a barnful of suspects.
It seems that Travis sowed the seeds of discord wherever he went, and when it becomes clear that everyone from the groom to Shelby’s own staff has motive, tracking down Travis’ killer is going to be more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. As Shelby finds herself drawn deeper into the investigation, she’ll have to move quickly before the killer decides to put her out to pasture…
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I like the fact that Shelby is a mother of two children, and unfortunately she is raising them by herself since her husband died. Having the protagonist be a mom makes this book more unique than many of the cozies I read. I feel she is more relatable, having the same troubles and responsibilities of a lot of the readers. She works hard to run the farm by herself and sometimes I feel sorry for her. But she does not feel sorry for herself, she just keeps doing the things that she needs to do. So when a dead body turns up on her farm, she feels compelled to find out who the culprit is, even if her plate is already full. I really like Bert, who helps Shelby on the farm as much as she can. And it looks like maybe Shelby has made up her mind about her three potential beaus, and she knows who she wants to choose.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all the farm activities and Shelby performing her farm chores. I think maybe too much description was spent on her cooking and working in her garden, I felt like it made the book drag a little in spots. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me. I really enjoyed the blog posts at the beginning of each chapter, I thought that added another level to the book. They were interesting and gave the reader tidbits of information that I found helpful.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book was an easy read. I liked that the author included the social of issue of bullying in this book. That is a very serious social problem and I thought that she handled it well with some insight and ideas for fighting bullying.
The mystery was was well plotted and it was not easy to solve. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through and I found myself getting nervous towards the end of the book, before I knew who the culprit was. That makes for a great mystery.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I have read all three of the books in this series and I have enjoyed them all.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
This is my favorite series by this author. All 3 in the series are fun easy reads, and the main character and her family are wonderful. This was my favorite of the 3 in the series.
Once again, another great book by author Peg Cochran. I have read every series she has written, and the Farmer’s Daughters Mysteries are no exception.
When I finally found myself with enough free time to read uninterrupted, I went straight to my copy of BOUGHT THE FARM. Once again, page one pulled me in, and I was hooked for the rest of the book.
Love Blossom Farms is busier than ever as protagonist, Shelby McDonald preps up the farm for her friend’s wedding reception. But of course, this is a murder mystery. Nothing is going to happen smoothly. So it will be no surprise to the reader that things hit a sour note with the wedding singer is found dead.
I had the best time reading BOUGHT THE FARM. Ms. Cochran’s descriptions are so perfect that I could see everything in detail as I read. Honestly, I could even smell the aromas of the farm. Good and bad.
As for the murder, there were plenty of suspects to keep me speculating. Each new theory more intriguing and plausible than the one before. I was thrilled when I knew I had finally figured it out! And then I read the reveal and I was so wrong. Ha, nothing new for me. LOL
BOUGHT THE FARM is a perfect addition to this already wonderful series.
Oh, don’t forget to check out the amazing recipes included!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Love is in the air at Love Blossom Farm. Shelby McDonald is hosting her friends, Seth and Kelly’s barn wedding. The mother of the groom wanted an entirely different venue, but Shelby’s barn does look really pretty. The bride’s cousin and his band are on hand for the music and food is being barbecued for the dinner. After the wedding and the reception has ended and everything is back to “normal”, Shelby makes a frightening discovery. The lead singer from the band strung up like a scarecrow. Dead, yes, he is very dead, but Shelby has no idea what could have killed him. There is no blood, so obvious cause. Could one of her guests have killed him? or someone in the bridal party? or someone Shelby had hired? Maybe it was another member of the band? Everyone at the wedding is a suspect. Detective Frank McDonald may need Shelby’s help to solve this one. At least that is what she thinks.
These characters are very down to earth. Shelby is a food and lifestyle blogger who has a huge garden. She sells some of her harvests at Jake’s store. She posts recipes and gardening tips on her blog. I love that her blog posts are part of the book.
She is also raising 2 children, Billy and Amelia. Amelia is dealing with a bully issue at school. A current and relevant topic and I appreciated the insight shown by the author in a fictional way that really resonates. Shelby is also worried about Bert who is not feeling well. Also, a member of the church has asked her to check out the pastor’s girlfriend. The member is sure she has a shady past.
The murder mystery itself is full of twists and turns and even includes another murder that changes not only Shelby’s thinking but this reader’s as well. The singer’s past is pretty dark and his actions could lead to a few people that would have the motive to kill. So many suspects are holding things back or outright lying. That makes the case hard to solve. There are some suspenseful moments as the killer is revealed. I may have solved it just a little bit before.
The setting in Michigan, Love Blossom Farm sounds like a perfect place. A great place to raise children. A place I would have loved to live when our family was just starting out. I think leasing out the barn for weddings is a great source for extra income. If no one else gets murdered, of course.
I do enjoy the way Ms. Cochran writes. Her “Hello Reader” blog posts and tidbits make me feel right at home. Her descriptive style brings everything into focus. She builds up her characters lives in a very realistic way. I found myself invested in what was happening with all the characters. Shelby does make a decision about her romantic life. It was hard, but I feel she made the right decision.
The entire story is very entertaining. A great installment to this series. I hope we get to visit Love Blossom Farm again soon.
Bought The Farm is the third book in The Farmer’s Daughter Mystery series.
This is busy times for Shelby at her Love Blossom Farm, not only is she busy with the vegetables and herbs she grows but her best friend and vet, Kelly Thacker and her husband-to-be Seth Gregson are getting married at the farm. The reception immediately following the ceremony is in full swing. The guests are enjoying the catered food and the music provided by a band featuring singer, Travis Cooper. The happy event makes a downward spiral when the lifeless body of Travis is found face down in a water trough in a nearby field.
Travis is a local boy who made a name for himself by winning on America Can Sing. Travis was supposed to appear with his brother, Jax, but an auto driven by Travis crashed and Jax was hospitalized and couldn’t make the show. In addition to Jax, there are several other people that would want to seek revenge on Travis. To mention just a couple, Jax’s wife, Jessie was once engaged to Travis and was left at the altar. Cody, a member of the band and is also responsible for setting up the equipment without and Travis, for the most part, treats him as a gofer. Also Seth, comes under suspicion when it is learned that a person was seen near where the body was found with a hat similar to the one Seth had been wearing on his arrival.
As in previous books, there are excerpts from Shelby’s blog at the start of each chapter. I find that they provide interesting and useful information. The story is well-plotted and told with an interesting cast of well-developed and believable characters. The book kept me guessing until the end.
Delicious sounding recipes are also included with the book.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this wonderful series.