In a quaint little town… tack.
The handsome and charming Detective Wayne tries hard to solve every crime, but he’s lucky to have Miss May and her loyal friend Chelsea on his side, even if he isn’t sure he wants them meddling in his cases.
A killer is on the loose.
Who would do such a thing?
You’ll love spending time in Pine Grove because if you pull up a chair and listen to the stories, eventually, somebody will bring you pie.
Get it now.
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If this is an author or series that is new to you, this is a great place to start. Fun, well-developed story and characters in a wonderful setting in upstate NY with stories that keep you interested and swiping away at your Kindle! The best thing about these books is that you can read them in any order, but they are best read in the order written if only to give you a little more backstory. However, if you get one before the other (rather than this set) you can start anywhere and not miss a beat! No spoilers in my reviews, just know that you won’t be disappointed, there is a recurring trio that appears in all the books, and the stories (as well as characters) are likable, with twists and turns to keep you guessing. Humorous situations keep you laughing out loud and finally, you can obtain some of the recipes from the author (there is cookbook available, detail in the books! Slick, huh?) So, go ahead and dive into this fun mystery series, then, when you finish this box set, you’ll be ready for the next one. Lastly, although I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them, in this case, I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A lovely, family-friendly trio to fill a long weekend.
Apple Die: Allow most of a day for this PG-13 (little ones will find it too confusing) story of bumbling amateur detectives.
Cooking the Books: Allow a day to savor this family-friendly mystery that I cannot say anything else about because of spoilers.
Candy Apple Killer: Allow a full day for this family-friendly mystery set mostly in Pine Grove with snippets of See-Saw the tiny horse.
I received copies of these books via Booksprout and thoroughly enjoyed them. This voluntary review is my own opinion.
Apple Die: Poor Chelsea is jilted at the alter by her fiancée and as she is wallowing away in her dumpy apartment existing on takeout Chinese food, her Aunt May comes to rescue her and has her come work at the apple orchard where she was raised at after her parents died. Her cousin Maggie is set to get married and they are having the wedding and reception at the orchard, but the groom never shows up because he was killed. Now Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny are teaming up to find the killer. Good lead up to the discovery of the murderer. This is the first in the series and I have read other books in the series, but now starting at the beginning. This was an OK read with some humorous sections as well as a bit of romance. I like that some of the characters are older women which is nice.
Cooking the Books: Most of the people in town have given Charles Fritz money to invest and Miss May is one of them. People are asking for their money back so they can use it for other things and Charles doesn’t seem to want to give it up. Poor Chelsea is entered into a sled race at the Winter Festival and literally sleds right into the frozen body of Charles Fritz. There a lots of suspects and somehow Detective Wayne keeps putting Chelsea on the suspect list either because he really believes she might have had something to do with the murder or he just wants to irritate her so he can be close to her. Miss May, Chelsea and Teeny are out to solve the crime since they have now been hired by someone to solve the crime which irritates Detective Wayne. Love the love/hate relationship going on with Chelsea and the Detective. The interaction between the women is hilarious. I still have to wonder how big Miss May’s purse has to be to carry all the pies she seems to hand out.
Candy Apple Killer: This is the first book in this series that I have read. This is the third book in the Apple Orchard Cozy series. Chelsea was forced to move from Manhattan when her fiancé dumped her, now she solves murders in Pine Grove, New York with her aunt (Miss May) and her aunt’s friend (Teeny). The three musketeers investigate the murder of a socialite that moved into their town and was found at the Candy Apple. The victim and her husband were not making any friends due to their snarky and demeaning remarks about the people of Pine Grove. There was no shortage of possible suspects. Their friend KP is put in jail since he was the last one seen with the victim. On their quest to find the real killer they discover the husband of the victim has also been murdered.
The characters in the story are eccentric, quirky and a lot of fun. I can’t wait to read more of this series to see what happens with the rest of the residents in Pine Grove. The story keeps you interested and engaged to see what trouble the trio will get themselves involved with. I didn’t feel lost when I stepped into the series on the book 3.
I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Chelsea is left at the alter and slips into a deep funk. Her aunt comes to NJ to “rescue” her by offering her a job decorating events for the farm. Unfortunately the very first one she does is a wedding that ends up with a dead groom. Her, Aunt May and Teeney all team up together to solve the case when the local sheriff deems it an accident.
Great read and I can’t wait to read the next two.
In the second book, there is the budding romance between Chelsea and the handsome detective. They team up to solve another murder
In this one, Chelsea and Miss May have to solve the murder on their own as Detective Hudson has turned against them. They are getting ready for the 20th annual Candy Apple Hoedown when they have a run in with the neighbors. One of them is murdered by eating a poisoned apple. KP is blamed for the
murder and Chelsea and Miss May do everything in their power to prove him innocent
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Entertaining Cozy Mystery Box Set!
A great introduction to Pine Grove, NY and the zany trio of sleuths-Miss May(Mabel) Thomas, her niece Chelsea and Teeny, friend and local restauranteur. The set includes the first three novels: Apple Die, Cooking the Books, Candy Apple Killer and a novella A Knead to Kill. A thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read series that combines madcap antics, wonderful heartwarming characters, intriguing storylines and enough twists to keep you guessing. I’m hooked on the series and look forward to the next book. Enjoy!
I received an advance copy and am happy to leave my honest review.
These are great reads that have humor along with cozy murders. They are well written and you get more for you money. A recommended read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Funny, witty, charming wait can I use those words to describe a murder box set? YES!! Poor Chelsea having got jilted at the altar to only have a murder on her hands helping out her Aunt! Each book was fun to read with charming people and by gosh there were murders!! I thoroughly enjoyed following her in each book trying to find the killer. Stupendous!
I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book set
This box set includes the first 3 books in the Apple Orchard Mystery series. The books are an easy read and fun to follow. It;s fun to watch how the characters grow with each book. I feel like I am getting to know them as they are getting to know more about themselves. I live in an area similar to the setting in the books, so it is easy to identify with the quirks of the people in the community. Miss May and Chelsea are a great team and I look forward to reading more books in the series. And who doesn’t love pie?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was so thankful that the APPLE ORCHARD COZY MYSTERY SERIES came in a Box set. After getting hooked from the first chapter of the first book, I needed to continue reading and finding out more about the charming characters and their adventures. I just love Chelsea, Miss May and Teeney. I get hungry every time Miss May goes peeking into her purse. I won’t include any spoilers but be prepared to stay awake and lose sleep as you get caught up in all the excitement and then you too will want to keep reading the next book and then the next book….
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have read each of these stories as they came out. You will love Miss May and Chelsea as they go around solving murders in their small town, even though the local police don’t like them doing it. There are humor and a little romance and many quirky characters.
The Apple Orchard cozy books were so much fun to read. The books are easy reads that grab your attention from the start. All of the characters are relatable and you are cheering for them throughout the books. These are definitely books that I would recommend to everyone to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Apple Die
Not long after her fiancé leaves her at the altar, Manhattan interior designer Chelsea Thomas moves home to her Aunt May’s apple orchard in Pine Grove, New York. During her cousin Maggie’s rehearsal dinner, the groom no one really likes or trusts is found face-down in a creek on the property. Maggie is the main suspect, but as Miss May and Chelsea discover, the killer could be even closer to home.
Cooking the Books
Second-generation CPA Charles Fitz has pushed most of Pine Grove’s business owners, including Miss May, to invest their profits in his high-yield investments, but gives them the stiff arm when they demand refunds. Then Chelsea has the bad fortune to discover the accountant’s frozen body at the Pine Grove Winter Festival. That he left behind half a million dollars of debt and a mistress surprises his wife, Florence, the high school principal , which means Miss May and Chelsea have their work cut out for them as they sift through the accountant’s enemies to find the one bad apple.
Candy Apple Killer
Retired newcomers Reginald and Linda Turtle have rubbed everyone in Pine Grove the wrong way by the time Chelsea finds Linda dead in her seat at the orchard’s annual candy apple hoedown. The last person she’d encountered was KP, the orchard’s rustic wizard, so the Pine Grove police are happy to pin the murder on him. But when Miss May and Chelsea find Reginald hanging from a ceiling fan with a suicide note in his pocket, the case isn’t as tightly spun as it seems, since someone else in town hand-writes in such a particular manner.
I loved this series for many reasons, one being the characters, May, the main one, is a baker with many talents. She can sleuth out murder sites and solve the crime with or without the help of the Police. She is a steadfast and loyal friend to her two friends that “help” her with all her endeavors. Finally, Miss May, as she is called, can make a mean Apple pie, so my suggestion is you make or buy if you must a pie. Then get cozy with your pie, this series and the drink of your choice, for you will not want to get up until the very last page of the very last book! Chelsea Thomas has made pie-eating while reading cozy mysteries a must for me! Now I’m off to make another pie while I download the next boxed set in this series. Happy reading!
I love this series from Chelsea Thomas. The main characters are very likable. The books make for decent cozy mysteries and are not always predictable early in as to who the murderer is. They are set in New England and have a little humor added in as there is one character who is a little on the silly side. Definitely worth the money getting this box set.
Very good clean cozy mystery with murders, humor, romance and a few off the wall characters. One of the amateur detectives is a single woman who is attracted to the handsome detective assigned to the cases. Her slightly wacky aunt pulls a pie out of her bag whenever she feels it is needed.
I received a free copy for my review.
Apple Die is a short, fun, first in series mystery. The characters were very interesting. The plot includes too many suspects and more than one twist.
Cooking the Books is another fun Apple Orchard mystery. I love these zany characters – Miss May, Chelsea and Teeny! They are an absolute delight. This is a well written, well paced murder mystery with too many suspects and most of the townspeople’s life savings missing. Can Chelsea and Miss May help the police solve this case?
Oh no! Not another murder at the apple orchard – just when they had hoped to recover from the first murder there! In Candy Apple Killer, Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny need to quickly find the murderer because KP has been arrested. This series has fun quirky characters. There are always too many suspects and nearly as many possible motives.
If you like well written cozy mysteries, you will love these books!
I read all three of these books in a row, so I feel like I got to know the characters. They are fully fleshed-out characters and you begin to understand their personalities, the quiet competence of Miss May, the slightly awkward Chelsea, and the annoying Teeny. I really enjoyed the storylines but I’m hard-pressed to understand that many bodies in such a short time span.
There were a couple of issues, such as a duplicate chapter in the first book, Apple Die, a few spelling/grammatical errors, and one where the main character talks about where she buys her cleaning supplies and applesauce. That didn’t make sense as she lives on an apple farm, makes cookies and pies for their bakeshop and would undoubtedly make their own applesauce.
So, no spoilers here. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and slightly quirky characters, this is definitely the series for you.
Books included in this set are: Apple Die, Candy Apple Killer, Cooking the Books. I’m including a quick review of the first book to let you see what’s in store for you!
*** Quick Review of Apple Die ***
When Chelsea Thomas (yes, same name as the author) was left at the altar, all she wanted to do was return to the family’s apple orchard to live with her quirky Aunt May so she could heal in peace and help out with one of the many things to be done to keep herself busy. But as bad luck follows bad sometimes, after hearing a nasty argument between a bride and groom, she found a dead body face down in a stream! Chelsea, Aunt May, who was a formidable former NYC lawyer, and Teeny decide to tackle the investigation themselves and bring the killer to justice before someone else dies and to prove cousin Maggie’s innocence! As a distraction from heartache, this incident works pretty well for Chelsea! Will they catch the killer? Will this open a whole new line of work for Chelsea as an amateur detective? Can the hottie Detective Wayne Hudson take her mind off her troubles?
These little cozy mysteries are so much fun! Meet some of the characters – you’ll be seeing much more of them in books to come. There is just enough here to peak your interest, get you laughing, and prepare you for the next one!
What a delight these 3 books are! Yes, there are murders but minus the gore. Three amateur sleuths to help solve the murders that the police department seems unable to handle. Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny are quirky and well developed. So many twists and turns kept me guessing who did it. I loved these books and highly recommend them!
Cozy Mysteries in an Apple Orchard
These are cute cozy mysteries based in a small apple orchard outside of a small town. Everyone in town knows everyone’s business. These are fun stories that keep the reader guessing. The author is very good at painting a word picture. The reader can almost smell the baked goodies. I have read the whole series and have truly enjoyed it. I think that you will, too.