That’s the last time Amy agrees to do a favor for a stranger…Down South Cafe owner, Amy Flowers is in over her head. Operating a cafe while hosting the first Farmers’ Market in Winter Garden has her swimming in apples. And when an elderly woman calls the cafe, pleading for a delivery for her upcoming party, Amy relents, feeling compelled to help the desperate customer. But when she arrives, … customer.
But when she arrives, the woman is slumped over her kitchen table, and Amy is catapulted into the middle of a small town crime. Guilt-ridden for not arriving earlier to save the woman, she sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding the woman. Now, between running the cafe and dealing with the chaos of the farmers’ market, Amy is squeezing in a murder investigation, a run-in with her boyfriend’s mom, and her own mother’s quirky life decisions. Life can’t get any worse…or can it? This cafe owner needs a break–in the case.
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Gayle Leeson’s books are always a joy to read.
fun and charming series set in a small town in Virginia. Amy runs the Down South Café and business is booming as they host a farmers market on Saturdays. When Amy gets a desperate call for food from an elderly woman, she can’t say no. When she and her cousin Jackie arrive at the woman’s house, they find her unconscious and it appears that maybe there has been a gas leak. The woman later dies at the hospital and Amy is convinced it was murder especially after she discovers that it most likely was not the woman who died who placed the order for food in the first place. Suspicions fall on the woman’s brother-in-law and the Ostermann family, who have been living on the woman’s property and are currently running a corn maze. Amy feels as if she needs to find justice for the woman, though it causes problems with her deputy boyfriend and cousin. The characters in this series are delightful, such as Amy’s spunky Aunt Bess and café customer Homer, who always has a hero of the day. A new doctor is also in town and starts dating Amy’s mother as well as Shelly, a waitress at the café, making Amy wonder if the doctor has secrets to hide or is just playing the field. I hope to see more books in this fun series and see more of Amy and Ryan’s relationship. Delicious recipes included!
No good deed goes unpunished. And involving Amy wasn’t a smart thing to do.
Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson is an ingenious installment in the Down South Café Mystery series. Amy and her friends are good at helping the Sheriff figure out what is happening at the Pridemore Farm.
Amy Flowers
Our main character, sleuth, and owner of the Down South Café is Amy. She runs the diner with her cousin, Jackie. Amy has a kind heart and has a hard time saying no to people, even strangers. She is one of those busy people, working six days a week and spending Sundays with her mom, Aunt Bess, and Jackie.
Amy’s boyfriend is also a sheriff deputy, and Amy is friends with the sheriff. She has definitely stuck her nose in police business before. But, they all seem to adore her. The one thing that I don’t like about Amy is sometimes she puts the mystery first, and she can’t seem to let it go. But if she didn’t, we wouldn’t be here with her in Winter Garden, Virginia.
My Favorite Character
My favorite character is Aunt Bess. She needs assistance, but what a kick in the pants she is. Aunt Bess has Pinterest boards for People I’ve Outlived, Things I’d Love to Eat but Won’t Fix, Lord Have Mercy, and Crime Scenes. I think her Lord Have Mercy board is my Favorite. Although her Crime Scenes board is pictures that she took at local happenings.
Aunt Bess keeps her family on their toes, that is for sure. In this installment, she took Jenna’s SUV without asking and took off for a house fire. The fire department loves her and follows her boards too. Aunt Bess is so personable and unforgettable.
Mystery
The mystery was so well-plotted, I thought I knew who did it, but I had dismissed that character for being too nice. There were plenty of red herrings and so many clues that led to many different motives. And the way the murder was carried out was so well thought out.
This series is definitely one to follow. Ms. Leeson writes these small towns that make you feel like you are there hanging out with the characters. Homer is another fabulous character I would love to visit. I loved his daily heroes.
4 Stars for Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson
My rating for Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson is four stars. This book is well written, has brilliant characters, a beautiful setting, and a lovely mystery. Oh, and there are a few recipes included at the end of the book too. I recommend it to all of you that like cozy mysteries.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Amy Flowers has an amazing idea for the community of Winter Garden and to bring more business to her Down South Cafe – A Farmer’s Market. She just didn’t realize how much added work it would be for her.
Then she receives a phone call for a food delivery, something the cafe doesn’t have enough staff to offer. The woman sounded desperate so Amy agrees to this one-time delivery. She also persuades her cousin Jackie to come along. But when they arrive they find the woman unconscious at the kitchen table. The police arrive but Amy can’t leave the investigation to them. She feels responsible, in that she hadn’t arrived in time to save Gladys Pridemore.
So she has the Farmer’s Market on her plate where a special vendor gets her nose out of joint, plus a murder case. Add to that a new man in town she thinks is perfect for her mom, an AWOL employee, her Aunt Bess trying to add more pictures to her Crime Board on Pinterest, and dinner with her boyfriend’s parents.
A girl can only juggle so many things . . . good thing Amy is becoming an expert juggler.
Amy Flowers is just so darn nice which is important when you own a customer-driven business. This time her kindness lands her right in the middle of a murder case. She is surrounded by great friends and a few off-the-wall patrons and family members. They are all wonderfully developed and it is easy to get invested in their lives. Homer’s Heroes of the day always make me smile and most times I learn something too. He is a quirky character that has shined in every book in this series.
The mystery had quite a few suspects, twists and complex clues. Like Amy, I try to see the best in people and I think that muddled my thinking. Thankfully, it didn’t muddle Amy’s. I was totally surprised when all was revealed. The author plotted this one out so well.
Oh, I can’t forget to mention the food, so deliciously described, it always leads to at least one dish in an upcoming meal at our house.
I zoomed right through this book. It had a fantastic flow and was totally entertained beginning to end!
This series is a must-read for culinary cozy lovers.
A wonderful cozy mystery, Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson, book four in her Down South Cafe Mystery series, was a fun read. Amy Flowers, owner of the Down South Café was in over her head when she decided to host the first Farmers’ Market in Winter Garden. To top things off an elderly woman calls, pleading with Amy to bring her some food for an upcoming party. This is not something Amy would normally do, but feeling caught in a no-win situation agrees to do it. Her good deed has her finding the woman dead, making her determined to figure out the mystery around this death. Amy is definitely dealing with a full plate. She is running the café, dealing with the craziness of the farmers’ market, trying to get her boyfriend’s mom to accept her, trying to figure out how to deal with her own mother’s strange life decisions, and trying to keep her great-aunt from getting arrested. I loved the quirkiness of her great-aunt as well as all the other craziness that pile onto Amy’s shoulders.
This cozy mystery had all the elements I enjoy interesting likable characters, an intriguing mystery, friendship, and romance. Plus, it isn’t graphic, intense or scary. Ms. Leeson did an excellent job keeping her readers on their toes as they read. She had me miss-guessing who the killer was, quite often. I highly recommend Apples and Alibis to other readers and look forward to Amy’s next adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Apples and Alibis
A Down South Cafe Mystery Series, Book #4
Gayle Leeson
5 Stars
Synopsis:
That’s the last time Amy agrees to do a favor for a stranger…
Down South Cafe owner, Amy Flowers is in over her head. Operating a cafe while hosting the first Farmers’ Market in Winter Garden has her swimming in apples. And when an elderly woman calls the cafe, pleading for a delivery for her upcoming party, Amy relents, feeling compelled to help the desperate customer.
But when she arrives, the woman is slumped over her kitchen table, and Amy is catapulted into the middle of a small-town crime. Guilt-ridden for not arriving earlier to save the woman, she sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding her death. Now, between running the cafe and dealing with the chaos of the farmers’ market, Amy is squeezing in a murder investigation, a run-in with her boyfriend’s mom, and her own mother’s quirky life decisions. Life can’t get any worse…or can it? This cafe owner needs a break–in the case. (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning and pulled me along for a thrilling ride. At times I felt like I was a customer at the Down South Cafe, listening in on conversations (some would say eavesdropping) and watching all the action taking place.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Any time I get to spend with Amy, Jackie and Aunt Bess is time well spent. You can tell how much everyone cares about each other and is willing to go the extra mile to help each other.
The mystery is well plotted and not easily solved. There were numerous clues to sift through and suspects to consider, and you will have to call on your inner sleuth if you want to solve it.
I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Whenever I read a book by this author, I know I’m in for a treat.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by BookFunnel, which I greatly appreciate.
In addition to running her café, Amy has now taken to overseeing a Saturday outdoor market/craft fair outside the café. She needs to take on extra staff when the market causes an influx of customers, making the café extra busy. She also discovers another victim, when she makes a one-time-only food delivery to the woman.
I think this is one of my favourites in the series so far. I really liked the characters, new and old, that added to the charm of the setting to create a really enjoyable read. I always look forward to Guru Guy and his heroes and Dilly’s raccoon is just precious. (Though GG and the raccoon are old characters.) I always enjoy traveling down to Virginia and this is no exception.
Apples and Alibis by Gayle Leeson is the fourth A Down South Café Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not read the previous three books in this series. I like Gayle Leeson’s relaxed writing style which makes for a lovely, easy to read story. Amy Flowers is a kindhearted character who has good friends, a boyfriend, close to her family, and sweet pets. Amy has organized a farmer’s market to take place every Saturday in her parking lot for six weeks which has caused an increase in customers into the café. When Amy receives a call asking for food to be delivered after closing that day, she does not have the heart to refuse Gladys Pridemore. Jackie, Amy’s cousin, tags along and the pair discover Gladys slumped over in her kitchen with a faint pulse. Gladys does not survive, and Amy wants answers despite being warned off by several people. Apples and Alibis is a lighthearted, humorous cozy mystery. It is a character driven story. There are a variety of quirky characters which include Homer and Aunt Bess. Aunt Bess and her zany antics provide many laugh-out-loud moments. Her Pinterest boards are unique especially the one featuring local crime scenes. There is a new doctor in town who Jackie and Amy believe is a good match for Amy’s mother, but another female has her eye on him as well. Amy gets to meet Ryan’s parents after an explosive day at the farmer’s market. The mystery provides a variety of suspects, a red herring or two plus direct clues. This entertaining story has charming cozy moments including the ladies enjoying an evening with Aunt Bess. There are recipes at the end for a couple of Amy’s dishes. I wanted to share one of Homer’s saying with you “curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect.” Apples and Alibis is a witty cozy mystery with an absconded automobile, delectable dishes, a pompous Pridemore, a bothered boyfriend, a spooky corn maze, fiery altercations, and one curious café owner.
Amy Flowers, owner of the down South Café, is once again drawn into a murder investigation after finding a woman dead in her home. Amy had received a call to deliver some food to an elderly woman but when she and her cousin arrive, there’s a nauseating smell and the woman is slumped over her kitchen table. With a number of suspects, can the killers be found? In addition to the mystery, Amy has hosted the first annual Farmer’s Market behind her café which proves to be popular and more work than she had thought.
I really like this series and this book was no exception. It pulled me in from the beginning and kept me hooked to the end. I highly recommend both book and series which I suggest you read in order.
I really enjoy this series. Amy is a very likable character, she is smart, hardworking and loyal and she owns a Cafe right in the middle of all the action! The rest of the characters are interesting and funny and all of them have their own story, in this book Amy’s good deed definitely has consequences as she comes across a person she just can’t save and of course she’s determined to find out what happened. A good mystery with lots of interesting people and good food!!!!
This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/twZDxArW2kE
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-apples-and-alibis-by-gayle-leeson-2/
This series warms your heart with helping you realize what family is, how you can create a family as you go through life I love how everyone pitches in, no matter what the situation, to help and support each other. These are great characters in a town that I would love to visit.