The New York Times bestselling author of A Late Frost returns with orchard owner Meg Chapin trying to stem the tide of crime . . .Winter still has a firm stranglehold on the small town of Granford, and newly married orchard owner Meg Chapin is restless to begin her spring pruning and planting, while Seth busies himself with a new project of his own. But their relative peace is shattered when a … relative peace is shattered when a gunshot breaks the winter silence and they discover the body of a dead woman on their land. What’s just as troubling is that the state police have hushed up the murder and are warning Meg not to investigate.
Never one to sit by idly with a killer on the loose, Meg starts digging for clues and probing for answers as discreetly as she can. When the victim turns out to have been an undercover reporter doing a story on the blossoming trade in illegal drugs in the area, Meg’s stunned to learn that this very modern crime has come to sleepy Granford. Unwilling to accept that the nasty business has put down roots so close to home—and led to a murder that occurred literally in her own backyard—Meg is determined to nip it in the bud before the town she knows and loves turns rotten . . .
Praise for he Orchard Mysteries:
“Delightful. . . . [A] fascinating whodunit filled with surprises.” —The Mystery Gazette
“Connolly’s cozy has sympathetic characters who are not stereotypes, nice details about life in a small town, and information about a heritage orchard—all of which make this a warm, very satisfying read.”—RT Reviews
“Sheila Connolly’s Orchard Mysteries are some of the most satisfying cozy mysteries I’ve ever read. . . . Warm and entertaining from the first paragraph to the last.” —Lesa’s Book Critiques
About the Author:
Sheila Connolly is an Anthony and Agatha Award–nominated author of numerous bestselling cozy mystery series, including the Orchard Mysteries, the Museum Mysteries, the County Cork Mysteries, and the Relatively Dead Mysteries. In addition, she has published Once She Knew, a romantic suspense; Reunion with Death, a traditional mystery set in Tuscany; and a number of short stories. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three cats and travels to Ireland as often as possible.
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Nipped in the Bud is part of the delightful An Orchard Mystery series. I was happy to see the series find a new publisher so it could continue. However, Nipped in the Bud is not on the same level as the other books in An Orchard Mystery (lots of fluff). Granford is a charming small town with a variety of residents (many of whom were not in the book). I am happy to see Seth and Meg settling into married life (plenty of internal dialogue from Meg on this point). But I did not like how Meg came across in Nipped in the Bud. She is bored and whiney. Their new orchard manager is introduced, and I like that he will be building a tiny home. It is great that they are using the old chicken coop foundation for his new abode (though, their estimate on how long it will take to build seemed off). I must admit that I miss Bree, the old orchard manager, with her friendly demeanor. There are some cozy moments with chatting, eating, having coffee, talking about pruning and the building of the tiny home. The mystery was straightforward, but it was light. There was more discussion than sleuthing (lack of action too). The case details are rehashed along with oodles of speculation. The resolution was incomplete. When a crime is solved, I want to know the facts instead of supposition. Detective Marcus comes across as the cliché nasty detective and warns Meg to not investigate (of course). I did not like that Meg kept putting him down (seemed unlike her). I was surprised that Seth rented rooms out of his house without getting references or doing background checks. There were also inconsistencies in character details especially with Meg’s friend, Lauren. The characters seem to be behind the times when it comes to using modern technology (cell phones, tablets) which was puzzling (there were some odd comments). While Nipped in the Bud can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the series in order. I have enjoyed An Orchard Mystery series until Nipped in the Bud. I am giving Nipped in the Bud 3 out of 5 stars. I hope the author is back on her game with the next An Orchard Mystery.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
It is always good to catch up with Meg and Seth. The newly married couple is trying to fill their days as they anxiously await Spring to come to Granford, Massachusetts. Meg has a new orchard manager and he and Seth are building him a “tiny house” to give him and the couple their privacy.
Seth and Meg are out for a walk with their dog Max when they hear a gunshot and Max takes off to investigate. Seth is not far behind. He is stunned when he finds Max standing near a woman’s body. He notifies police, and they first decide it must have been a hunting accident. The warn Meg to stay out of their investigation, but with all the free time on her hands and the fact that the woman was killed on her property, there is no way she is going to sit this one out. She is going to nip this death in the bud come hell or high water.
I am thrilled this series has found a new home!
This is such a comfortable cozy. The characters are friendly, believable, and genuine. Meg and Seth going about their lives, still sorting things out now that they are married and dealing with the downtime of winter. They are still getting to know Larry the new orchard manager. He does not live in their house as Bree did. He is renting a room in Seth’s house along with a few other guys until his tiny house is built. I love that they are using the foundation of the old chicken coop to build the house on.
Not so cozy is finding another dead body. Ms. Connolly has produced a delightful mystery for her readers to enjoy. With this one happening so close to Meg and Seth’s home, it keeps the characters and us readers on high alert. The state police add to the intrigue by trying to keep the murder under wraps but Meg is keen to follow each twist and turn herself. What she finds opens several sets of eyes about things happening in the sweet little town of Granford. The story is so well-written and thought-provoking too.
The story was perfectly paced. I liked that it took place in the offseason for the orchard. It gave Meg plenty of time to snoop, but with Bree gone and Larry being so quiet, she worried a lot about things that needed to get done.
Strong characters and a great mystery. A grand addition to this series. Fill up your bushel basket and enjoy them all!
Nice series.
Bittersweet to read this knowing author Sheila Connolly passed away earlier this year and there will be no more of her wonderful books. In this last book of the series, Meg and Seth are out for a walk with their dog, Max, when they hear a rifle shot. Max takes off and Seth finds him by the dead body of an investigative journalist who was in town to do a story on drugs. Meg and Seth feel the need to do something since this occurred in their backyard. They investigate with some help from local police chief, Art, and Meg’s orchard manager, Larry. It was nice to get to know Larry a little better in this book. I will truly miss Meg, Seth, Lydia, Christopher, Bree, and Larry as well as the town of Granford. These characters have felt like family. I highly recommend reading this wonderful series!!
This is the latest in Connolly’s Apple Orchard series which I began years ago. The focus is on a woman who inherited an orchard and has gradually invested herself in the growth of the property and in the world of the small New England community to which she has moved. In the very first book she meets a man who is quite unimpressed with her Boston background and her education. He will become an important part of her story and as a native of the village he makes the connections she needs to gradually feel that she is where she belongs. I highly recommend this series.
Poorly written. I couldn’t get through it
This is a story which goes nowhere and has not one interesting element.
I love everything this woman writes!
This book just didn’t measure up to the previous books in the series. I was disappointed with it’s lack of anything interesting.
Sheila’s had quite a few series going at the same time and I enjoy them all…love the characters.
I love the characters in this series. I hope she keeps it going.
Newlyweds Meg and Seth are having trouble staying busy during their slow season. Well, that is until finding a dead body behind their house. When things start getting secretive between the different police departments involved both Meg and Seth can’t stay out of the investigation.
This is the first book in the series that I have read. I have several to read but have not done so. The reviews for this series are exceptional up until this one. The reviews range from “meh” to “love”. I am in the middle. There was a lot of talking and not much action. I am used to more action in my cozy mysteries. I felt like a was reading a book that had to be written.
Based on reviews for earlier books in the series I do plan on reading the series from the beginning. I hope I am not disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Beyond the Page Publishing through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Sheila Connolly writes a great book, these are a series featuring Meg and her inherited apple orchard and how she makes a go of growing the trees from her banking job she had previously. there is of course always a murder that Meg gets to solve. Not gory but a fine mystery. I would definitely recommend reading these from the 1st book and in order. They are totally fun.
I got this book from netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
I haven’t read any of the other books in this series so I was a little lost at first but I very quickly got into the story. Meg and Seth are newlyweds but like me they are a little older (liked that part alot). They are in between busy times with their jobs and are trying to get the hang of being married, when they find a dead body in their backyard! (just what every newlywed needs, right?) Since they have helped solve crimes before they figure they will help with this one too. A few gasp out loud and furious page turning moments leads to a shocking ending that left me saying OMG!
In this twelfth book of the series it is winter time so it’s the off season for both Meg and Seth. With not much for either of them to do when it comes to their work they are both looking for projects to fill their time. Seth has decided to turn an old chicken coop into a tiny house and Meg is looking forward getting some stuff done around the house. While out for a walk one evening the two hear a gunshot which isn’t to unusual with it being hunting season. Things turn on there head though when Max, their dog, runs off into the woods and ends up finding the body of a young woman. Who is she and what brought her out into the woods at such an hour? They call the police who come to investigate, hopefully they will be able to identify the woman. They soon learn that the young woman was a reporter doing a story on the local drug trade in their area. The problem is Narcotics doesn’t want to release the woman’s identity which makes it harder for Homicide to truly investigate. Meg and Seth decide they must look for clues themselves hoping they can figure out who the killer is and why. She was killed in their backyard and they feel a need to help find the truth. Follow along as the two ask questions, look for clues, and delve into a mystery that just might get them killed. This was a wonderful whodunit that had me asking who the culprit was the entire time.
Nipped In The Bud is the twelfth book in the Orchard Mystery series. I was very happy that the series found a new publisher, as I really enjoy reading about Meg Corey Chapin’s endeavors on her apple farm.
Warmer weather is around the corner and Meg and Seth are looking forward to getting back to their work. Soon Meg will be huddling with Larry, her new orchard manager and discussing the plans for the orchard for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Seth had earlier posed making a “small house” for Larry on an existing foundation of an old chicken coop and is anxious to get started on it. While Meg and Seth are out for a breath of fresh air early one evening, the hear a rifle shot. Max, their dog, immediately heads off to where the shot came from, with Seth in pursuit. Soon, Seth comes upon the body of a female. The site is between Meg and Seth’s house and Seth’s former residence, that he now renting to some college students. Seth notifies police chief Art Preston and homicide detective is also called in.
A couple days later Seth and Meg meet with Preston and Marcus, where Marcus identifies the body as Jenn Chambers, a reporter with the Boston Globe. She has come to Granford to do research on drug problems in the area for a story she wants to write. Marcus also informs them that the narcotics unit has ordered everyone to stop any investigation into the murder. They are also unwilling to share any of their investigation with anyone.
With the location of the murder and a possible drug-related problem Meg and Seth set off on an investigation of there own to try and learn who else might have known of Chamber’s research hoping that is doesn’t bring back to Larry.
Another interesting, well-written and plotted story from Connolly. She includes an enjoyable and believable cast of characters. It was nice to see that Lydia, Seth’s mom, and Christopher, Meg’s mentor for her farm, just might be having a blossoming romance.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, especially since Meg will probably be working in the orchard and I love to read about what it takes to have a successful orchard.