Crime with a Slice of Cherry Pie Cherry enthusiast Whitney Bloom is furiously baking her way into the heart of Chicago with her fabulous cherry pies when she receives a desperate call from her mother. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival has just kicked off at the Cherry Orchard Inn in Door County, Wisconsin, and the manager of the Bloom family orchard has been found dead beneath the cherry … beneath the cherry blossoms. Worse yet, all evidence points to Whitney’s father as the killer. After she races home to help, things really land in the pits for Whitney when she discovers that Jack MacLaren, her old high school nemesis, is Cherry Cove’s only police officer. Putting her cherry-tastic treats on hold, Whitney matches wits against Jack. But will she have what it takes to clear her father’s name and sift out the real Cherry Cove killer?
“The first in an amusing new series features a fearless, reckless sleuth who unravels a complicated mystery while juggling her sex life and her future plans.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Whitney is a well-drawn, sympathetic character, and the small-town frame, with a close-knit community and a cherry orchard, will appeal to cozy readers who enjoy Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen mysteries.”—Booklist
“Hannah displays… talent.”—Publishers Weekly
“Great fun and extremely well-written. The crime, the characters—everything comes together…an extremely “tasty” story you will definitely devour in one sitting.”—Suspense Magazine
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Cherry Orchard and Inn Cozy Mystery
This book is first in a new series. This is a refreshing cozy in that it doesn’t bore the reader with endless drivel about food, clothing, or pets, although all are I the story. There are plenty of suspects in who committed the crimes but I was totally surprised at the big reveal. There is plenty of humor and some romance, too. I bought this book because I loved book 2 and wanted to start at the beginning. This is my honest review.
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! This one really did have you guessing until the very end. And then once you thought you had it all figured out, there’s another twist to the story. The author does a great job of keeping you interested in the characters and the mystery without giving too many secrets away.
Wonderful characters with lots of personality and a few quirks. Plenty of personality dynamics that make it fun and interesting. And the descriptions of the cherry food items…had my stomach growling and my taste buds geared up for something cherry flavored.
I’m pretty sure there needs to be a second book in this series. And, if so, I will be one of the first to buy it. I’m in love with the town of Cherry Cove and the people who live there. I’m ready to continue with more adventures and delicious items on the cherry menu.
Thank you to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
A wonderful start to a new series, A Very Cherry Mystery. What drew me to this story was the description and the cover. The cover is adorable, so full of color and inviting to a summer day in Door County.
Cherry Blossom Festival has just kicked off at the Cherry Orchard Inn in Door County, Wisconsin. Our soon to be sleuth, Whitney Bloom, has returned home to help her family with the festival.
Unfortunately, the orchard manager is found dead and Whitney’s father is the prime suspect.
I liked that it was a little less cozy and this community is tight knit. The writer’s descriptions of the area made me feel as if I were there. Another good point for me was the humor in the book. I enjoy mysteries with a little humor.
Looking forward to book number 2.
I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from Midnight Ink via Netgalley. These are my own opinions.
I enjoyed this first in a new series that I received as an ARC. Whitney Bloom returns home to her family Cherry Orchard to help prove her father did not murder a long-time employee and family friend. The cast of characters introduced include Whitney’s family, friends, and ex-boyfriend, as well as her old school rival and now Cop,Jack. Thoroughly entertaining and suspenseful, this was a great book 1 to a new series. Looking forward to finding out what is in store next for Whitney Bloom. #CherryPies&DeadlyLies #NetGalley
Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies by Darci Hannah is the first story in A Very Cherry Mystery series. Whitney Bloom lives in Chicago, Illinois where after creating a disastrous Superbowl commercial, she finds herself blacklisted by ad agencies as well the laughingstock of the advertising world. To make ends meet, Whitney has started the online business Bloom ‘n’ Cherries! selling her baked cherry creations. She has been corresponding with a man online who calls himself C-Bomb and seems to know Whitney from home town of Cherry Cove, Wisconsin. Whitney gets a frantic phone calls from her mother. The manager of their orchard, Jeb Carlson has been murdered and her father, Baxter is the prime suspect. Whitney rushes home where the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing and is dismayed when she finds that Jack MacLaren, her old high school nemesis, is in charge of the investigation. Not trusting Jack, Whitney declares that she will find out who killed Jeb. Whitney will have to deal with her past while sifting through the clues to identify Jeb’s killer. Someone, though, is intent on destroying her families’ inn and reputation. Can Whitney track down the culprit before it is too late?
Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies has a cute cover and I like the setting of Door County, Wisconsin. The town sounds charming and the acres of cherry trees in bloom sounded beautiful (I would be sneezing up a storm with my allergies). It was interesting to learn more about cherries and the running of an orchard. To get through Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies, though, you need to suspend your disbelief (from beginning when we find out the content of the commercial to the end when Whitney shoots off a gun with no clue who she is shooting at). The world in the book is not one in which normal people live. My mother can enjoy these types of books, but I find myself annoyed, rolling my eyes and becoming exasperated (my mother states I lack a sense of humor). I thought there was an absence of character development and the story rambles. When Whitney is with her friends, she tends to act like a nincompoop. She is told to keep certain key details about the murder to herself, and, within a short time, Whitney is telling her friends. Whitney could be categorized as TSTL. In the story, there is the cliché high school nemesis and, of course, the men who appeal to Whitney are “hunky”. I found many items repeated throughout the book and speculation abounds. The mystery is the best part of the book, but identifying the guilty party is a no brainer. Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies needs rewriting and editing as well as proofreading. As you can tell, I did not enjoy reading Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies (I had a rough time finishing this time and there was skimming involved). I highly suggest that you pick up a sample for your e-reader and judge Cherry Pies and Deadly Lies for yourself.