Apples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year’s crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . . ONE ROTTEN APPLE Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny’s beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it’s struggling. That’s why they’re trying to drum up business … they’re trying to drum up business with the “First Annual Christmas at the Orchard,” a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike—until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny’s long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder . . .
“The characters are delightful . . . Plenty of action and suspense.”
—RT Book Reviews on Murder in Real Time
Includes Recipes!
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This was a cute, seasonally appropriate read. Winnie Montgomery is trying to make a year round concern of her Granny’s apple orchard business. Buses of tourists seem eager to stop for cider and hopefully take a look at the winter festival she hopes to continue. The banker Winnie is trying to get a loan from is continually interrupted by one thing or another and the last straw is when Granny’s neighbor and nemesis is found dead. Winnie takes some risks the new sheriff doesn’t agree with but she continues her nosing around like any good cozy protagonist! I really enjoyed meeting the people of this community and learning a bit about the history of Mail Pouch barns.
Apple Cider Slaying is the first book in a new series, A Cider Shop Mystery, written by Julie Anne Lindsey. Who loves apple cider? Me!! Well, Winnie Montgomery’s passion is creating these fabulous homemade apple ciders and sold at her Granny Smythe’s Orchard in the gorgeous Blossom Valley, West Virginia. Ready to start a new life, and a goal of turning around the family business, after being dumped by her fiancée, she asks for a bank loan. During the inspection a neighbor’s dead body turns up and poor Winnie thinks her chances of a loan is shot. Unless…she helps solve the murder for another shot at an inspection by Mr. Sherman, the banker for the loan. With the bank and the sheriff investigating the murder and Winnie as one of the suspects. How is she going to get out of this precarious situation?
If you love cozy mysteries then this one is not to be missed. I loved the writing and the awesome fast pacing of the book. There is a bit of a background story which is awesome to learn about the characters and is already making me look forward to the next installation. The twist and turns kept me guessing and I loved it.
Bonus recipes are provided for this delicious read. I highly recommend this amazing read!! So, grab a warm cider and enjoy this fun and cozy mystery read.
I enjoyed reading this Holiday Cozy Mystery. This is the first in the series and I really liked the West Virginia apple orchard setting and the characters. Winnie and Her Granny Smythe are keeping the orchard open through the Christmas Holidays to help ease their financial problems. Winnie hopes to open a year round Cider House but she needs a bank loan to make it happen. While giving the head of the bank a tour of the orchard they find the body of Granny’s neighbor in an apple press. The new sheriff in town suspects Granny. To clear her Granny’s name Winnie sets out to solve the murder. Soon other accidents on the orchard are happening. The mystery was OK but I was able to solve it. I would have liked more motives and suspects. Winnie realizes that she never got to know the victim and by the end of the book the reader does not either. There are some unrealistic scenes and the romance is predicable. Overall this was a fun start to a new series and I look for word to reading the next one. Enjoy the Holidays in Blossom Valley
What a great start to a new cozy mystery series! I loved the storyline and the characters. And the mystery kept me guessing until the end.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.
So, I was already SUPER excited to have an ARC of Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey. Then I happened to find out about a Kensington Cozy Con happening about 2 hours from me. You know who was going to be there? Yep! Julie Anne Lindsey. I met her and you guys…she is SO sweet. After meeting her, I was even more excited to read Apple Cider Slaying.
My first visit to Blossom Valley, West Virginia did not disappoint. Winnie and Granny wriggled right inside my heart from the very first page. I loved the setting. Being from small-town, eastern Ohio, bordering West Virginia, it felt like home. Winnie was so easy to like. The story swept me up and I was on pins and needles wanting to see how this one turned out. Apple Cider Slaying is a thoughtful mystery perfect for curling up with on a crisp fall evening. You’ll find yourself loving the mystery…and craving some of Winnie’s apple cider!
I’m ready to start a countdown for the release of book two…I can’t wait to read it!
From the first page, we meet Winnie, her Grammy, who owns Smythe Orchards, and a glimpse of their background story. Grammy has been struggling since her husband passed away and Winnie steps up to help save the orchard. By creating a new festival, Christmas at the Orchard, Winnie hopes to draw in tourists, not only for tours of the orchard, but to sample her gourmet apple cider, turning it into a money-making business.
While trying to make an impression with a local banker, Winnie takes him on a tour to show him where her cider shop would be located. Throwing the doors open to display the interior, the display featured a dead body! When Grammy is accused of the crime, Winnie jumps in to uncover the clues to the killer. With the victim being so disliked, Winnie had a variety of suspects to choose from.
Ms. Lyndsey, has successfully created a story that has all the elements of a great cozy mystery. The plot was well developed, along with the characters, with the secondary characters adding to the appeal of small-town life. Winnie and Grammy had a very endearing relationship that was quite apparent throughout the story. The clues centering around several suspects made it difficult to uncover the murderer, with the ending suspenseful as Winnie fights for her life!
Ms. Lyndsey has created all the elements needed for a cozy mystery that is a definite page turner. As a first in a new series, this one is off to a great start! Looking forward to the next book which cannot come out soon enough! I received this copy as a gift and the opinions expressed are my own.
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey is the debut of A Cider Shop Mystery series. Winnie Montgomery and her Granny Smythe run Smythe Orchards in Blossom Valley, West Virginia. Winnie wants to add a cider shop in the Mail Pouch barn, but she needs a loan from the local bank. Winnie is showing around Mr. Sherman, the local loan manager, around the property when they discover Nadine Cooper, Granny’s longtime neighbor and nemesis, dead on the cider press. Sheriff Colton Wise quickly sets his sights on Granny which sends Winnie on the hunt for the real culprit. Apple Cider Slaying is a cute new cozy mystery that gets off to a solid start. We are introduced to Winona Mae Montgomery and her grandmother, Granny Smythe. They have a close relationship that I admired (so sweet together). I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and introduce readers to their orchard. The descriptions of the orchard, Blossom Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains were wonderful. It was interesting to learn about the different apple varieties and how cider is made. The mystery had a couple of suspects and there was plenty of action. While it is a snap to identify the killer, I enjoyed following the investigation. I was curious as to why Mrs. Cooper was killed which took longer come to light. I enjoyed the author’s conversational writing style which made Apple Cider Slaying a breeze to read. There are also two adorable kittens in the story. I could tell the author has experience with kittens from the scenes she wrote. Kittens sharp little claws and how it feels is accurately described (they love to climb up a person’s legs). Winnie also dreams up a Christmas festival for the orchard and spends time getting it organized. She has clever ideas and is a Martha Stewart wannabe. There is romance in the air for Winnie as well. I will definitely be reading Pulp Friction when it comes out next spring. Apple Cider Slaying is a charming new cozy mystery with a strong minded sheriff, cinnamon cider, classic cars, cute kittens, a polluted press and Christmas cheer.
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey is the first in an excellent series of cozy mysteries located in Blossom Valley, WV. Winnie , a 28 y/o local gal, lives with her grandmother (Granny Smythe) on their own Apple Orchard.
I love the location jn WV, and being from WV, this series makes me proud, and does justice for the Wild and Wonderful state. I love the Christmas setting, the murder/mystery, and the heartfelt message.
I love all of the characters that I was introduced to: Winnie, Granny, Dot, Granny’s knitting club, Jake, and Sheriff Colton Wise. The author even introduced some pesky characters (I am talking to you Hank). Winnie is an excellent character. I identify with her, she is smart, hometown, humble, realistic, sweet, feisty, and imperfect. I love the chemistry between her and Colton.
I loved everything about this book. This is my new favorite series, and I am excited about the next book and getting to read more about Winnie and Colton, as well as the crazy antics with Kenny Rogers and Dolly.
5/5 stars
This is the first book in the Cider Shop Mystery series and my introduction to author Julie Anne Lindsey. This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series that I can easily see becoming one I look forward to reading. It hits all the areas I look for in a series – it has well-written characters, a charming small-town setting, a strong plot, and a solid mystery. I enjoyed being introduced to Winnie and her Granny along with Dot, Sheriff Wise and the rest of the cast of secondary characters. Winnie is a very likable character – she is coming into her own and is out to make sure the orchard belonging to her Granny (who raised Winnie along with her Grampy) survives its current financial crisis. I was hooked right from the beginning and kept turning pages to see what would happen next. I thought the mystery was well done and there were a few plausible suspects to choose from. The author didn’t make it easy to guess the culprit behind the neighbor’s murder and other incidents and I was a bit surprised when the culprit was revealed. This person was not on my suspect list. There is a potential love interest for Winnie and I hope that the author does not turn this into a love triangle with Winnie’s ex-boyfriend Hank. The love triangle seems to be a trend lately in cozy mysteries and not one I particularly care for. That is one of the things that will turn me away from a series. For right now, I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes the characters and the series so I will definitely be back for the next book.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley.
For me, cozy mysteries tend to be very hit or miss with recently more of them being misses. This one however seems to have broken that streak for me. Apple Cider Slaying was a refreshing read to me that dealt with real-life problems and didn’t make everything sickeningly sweet nor did it rush into a romance.
Winnie wants to expand her grandparent’s farm and make it more sustainable to the changing times and to make sure it has a solid income all year long. She’s been taking business classes slowly and she knows convincing the bank that she can do this won’t be easy but she decides to do it anyway and pulls out all the stops. That is until she ends up finding the body of her grandma’s neighbor who she’s not on the best of terms with. With a murder suspect on the loose, a potentially failing farm, and her dream possibly not becoming a reality Winnie has a lot to deal with. Add in a new sheriff in town who believes her grandma is the killer and her deciding to take solving the mystery into her own hands we have a fast-paced book.
Overall I liked and enjoyed this book. I liked Winnie as a character as well as her best friend and grandma and the relationship they had throughout the entire thing. The sheriff is someone who fascinated me slightly because of his background and curious as to why he had decided to move to this small town. The mystery itself was one that I didn’t rush to try and figure out on my own and just went with the book and the suspects that we were being shown. The town itself was one that I enjoyed as well especially with how they all did end up coming together to help each other despite differences that they had when someone was falling on hard times.
I am interested in reading the second book to hopefully learn a little bit more about the sheriff as he is a character that confuses me slightly.
What a cute book – loved the cover, the story, the characters, the setting and everything in between. It’s definitely worth checking out!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/zY0dRh5-TV0
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/cozy-escape-book-club-chat-apple-cider-slaying-by-julie-anne-lindsey-cider-shop-mysteries/
Read 10.31.2019
Sigh.
This book had such great potential. Unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to that potential at all. Imagine taking every cozy mystery you have ever read and all of the tropes that are used to write said book and put them all in ONE book and this is what you get with this read. It is a jumble, fair to poorly written for most of it and when the reveal happens, you go “WHAT?”. Add in a potential love triangle and it becomes a hot mess. I will not be reading any more of these should they be written.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
**UPDATE** I am SO glad that I didn’t listen to myself and I read the next book. Sometimes a series just needs a second chance and I am glad I took that.
Winnie is a great character. I loved Winnie’s great work ethic, determination and I am not giving up attitude. I was definitely cheering for Winnie. There are times when cozies are predicable and the bad guy becomes evident; not this one. I also enjoyed how the small town community rallied around Winnie and her grandmother. There is a developing relationship between Winnie and Colton (detective/police) but yet some mastery still remains. Looking forward to the next one.
I loved it, I could hardly put it down to get some sleep.
In the three years since Winnie’s grandfather passed away, business has been declining. Her Granny Smythe supports her plans to expand the business to keep it open and profitable year round. So, she books several tours for the day the bank official is to come and assess her proposal. After a rocky start, he seems to be coming around, but that all changes when her big reveal ends up being a dead body in the apple press. Turns out the dead woman is someone that Granny Smythe has been at odds with, making her the prime suspect. The business isn’t the only thing in jeopardy now.
I’m a huge fan of cozies. They have such fun titles and cover art. Apple Cider Slaying says fall and the cover is a perfect representation to the story. Including those two adorable kitties, which Winnie adopted.
And they usually have homey settings. The town felt like home. We had a crab apple tree where I grew up. There was nothing I liked more than to climb it and settle on these two branches that made a perfect place to sit and read a book. I suffered many an upset tummy from munching the apples before they were ripe. LOL
And the characters could be your family and neighbors. They are so genuine. Winnie was smart and brave. I thought she was awesome in how she handled the banker. Despite being nervous she really stepped up to the plate. Just like she did when her Granny was suspected of the murder. She dug in and sorted things out while also juggling other issues.
And the mystery kept me guessing. I had two suspects in mind for the murder and didn’t know which one it was until right near the end.
While cozy mysteries usually have a murder to solve, I found myself just as wrapped up in the characters everyday lives. Apple Cider Slaying is a great beginning to a wonderful series and I’d happily read more.
This book was amazing! I love going to Cider Mills so I was very excited for this series. Julie Anne Lindsey is a phenomenal writer!
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Winnie lives on her Grandma’s working Apple Farm and time are tough for them right now. Winnie is trying her best to secure the funds to keep the farm and apple orchard going and make it profitable again. She has all sorts of ideas, but just need the money to do it. Add to all of that he ex coming back to town; a sheriff that she wants to dislike, but starts having feelings for; and (the worst part) a body found on the apple press on the farm!!
Winnie is determined to find the killer and prove to the sheriff that her Granny DID NOT kill anyone. When dangerous things start happening to Winnie and her Grandma, she knows she has to solve this case before either one of them wind up the next victim.
I love cozies and this series is amazing! I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!
I am a NH grown girl who would love to go to apple orchards each fall with my family so when I heard about this book, I could not wait to read it!
Julie Anne Lindsay sweeps you into the setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains and you become immersed as if you are there yourself. The characters were great in this story as they welcome the reader into their small close knit group. They had me laughing, cringing and wanting to read more to find out how the story would continue.
If you enjoy mysteries that are rich in characters and settings, this book is for you. If you love mysteries where the female main character tries to assist in the solving, this is for you. I have a new series to continue in reading!
Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey is an exquisite cozy mystery that goes on my “best of the best” list. The narrative is well written, characters are rich and appealing, and the vivid setting becomes an integral part of the story. I was caught up from the first page and never wanted to put it down.
West Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountain town of Blossom Valley in the fall, home of the Smythe family orchard, provides a setting rich in atmosphere. Winnie, having returned home to help her beloved Granny Smythe run the struggling family business, has some creative ideas of her own when it comes to apple cider recipes. There’s even some recipes included that I’m eager to try.
Enjoyable subplots add to the complexity and richness of this story. Granny feels bad for letting the business slide after her husband’s death, but Winnie’s dreams of using their historic Mail Pouch barn for a future apple cider store promises some good storytelling in this series. Subplots include trying to secure a bank loan from Mr. Sherman, taking in two rescue kittens who aren’t weaned yet, the sudden appearance of an ex-boyfriend, and a delightful romantic interest between Winnie and Sheriff Colton Wise. There a great need for people willing to foster kittens in need, so this was a theme that I loved – and the two orange kittens – Kenny (Rogers) and Dolly – stole my heart.
When Granny is suspected of involvement in the murder of a neighbor that she had difficulty with over the years, Winnie starts listening to gossip and asking questions, seeking to find another viable suspect. I enjoy this type of investigation, but always miss clues that would reveal the murderer’s identity. It’s so much fun just to go along for the ride, however.
Apple Cider Slaying is thoroughly entertaining and I’m eager to spend more time with these characters. The story is clean, with no profanity at all. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Apple Cider Slaying is a wonderful first book in the Cider Shop Mysteries. The mystery was solid, exciting, and kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the small town setting with the main character living with her granny on an apple orchard. Winnie is a fantastic, down-to-earth heroine who wants nothing more than to clear her granny’s name of an unfortunate death on her property and expand the orchard to include a cider shop.
Besides the murder, Winnie finds herself going head-to-head with the local sheriff, the local loan officer, a maniac, and the ill-timed arrival of her ex-boyfriend. The author packed a lot into this first book but it was done well. I didn’t feel like there was too much crammed in the book. We were provided excellent imagery, character development, and various plot lines.
The author’s writing style is fluid and I found myself engaged in the story from the very beginning. The book is written well and so easy to read. I really enjoyed Apple Cider Slaying and can’t wait for the next book.