The first novel in Mollie Cox Bryan’s brand new mystery series, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, will keep you guessing until the cows come home . . . Christmas is a time for new beginnings, so after her big breakup, Brynn MacAlister takes the gouda with the bad. With her three Red Devon cows, she settles in bucolic Shenandoah Springs, eager for a new life as an organic micro-dairy farmer and … micro-dairy farmer and cheese-maker. Then her dear cow Petunia’s bellows set the whole town on edge. But it isn’t until Brynn’s neighbor, Nancy, dies in a mysterious fire that her feelings about small town life begin to curdle . . .
It seems some folks were not happy with Nancy’s plan to renovate the Old Glebe Church. But is a fear of change a motivation for murder? As a newcomer, Brynn can’t ignore the strange events happening just on the other side of her frosty pasture—and soon on her very own farm. Suddenly Christmas doesn’t feel so festive as everyone demands she muzzle sweet Petunia, and Brynn is wondering if someone wants to silence her—for good . . .
Praise for Mollie Cox Bryan’s mysteries
“A playful charmer!” —Woman’s World on No Charm Intended
“Scrapbookers and hobby cozy fans will enjoy this delightful holiday escape.”
—Library Journal on A Crafty Christmas
“A font of ingenuity . . . superb entertainment.”
—Mystery Scene magazine on Scrapbook of Secrets
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I had read some of Mollie Cox Brynn’s mysteries and was happy to see that she had a new series. Following her craft theme mysteries, this series is centered around a micro farm in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Brynn has kicked her cheating fiance to the curb but kept their plans of setting up a new life in Shenandoah Springs making cheese. He’s now history and Brynn is happily making cheese with the milk from three sweet cows – Petunia, Marigold and Buttercup. She often doubts if she will be able to make this chapter of her life work out, especially trying to deal with a mourning cow. Petunia lost her calf and her grief if trying the patience of the neighbors because she is very loud and vocal about her pain. Christmas is coming and Brynn is a bit adrift dealing with the holiday cheer. Things go from bad to worse when her nearest neighbor, Nancy, dies in a fire. Sure, some people didn’t like her plans to turn the old church she called home into a artisanal market but who would resort to murder? Next thing she knows, Brynn finds herself the target of harassment and her self doubt becomes worse. She’s no detective but she sets out to find some answers and comes to realize who her friends are. She also finds out how strong she really is.
There are some great characters in this series, both human and animal. I love her cows and the dog she adopts, Freckles. While there isn’t a romance, I had the feeling that there might be the start of one in future books. As for the puzzle, it was first rate and I didn’t guess whodunnit. Plenty of twists, turns and red herrings sent me in the wrong direction several times. Now I have another series to add to my not to be missed series.
I am enamored with the beginning of this series. I have a soft spot for cows and found myself wishing I could meet Petunia and her sisters.
This is the first book by the author I have read and am already looking to see if my local library or Hoopla carries her other series. If you like strong female characters this is the book for you. There are four strong females. One is briefly mentioned but I think she will make plenty of appearances in future books. If not it would be a great shame.
Opening the series at Christmas time was perfect for me. Where I live we are still in a terrible summer heatwave and drought even though it is almost October. I found myself shivering thinking of the bone-chilling cold Brynn experiences and I appreciated that! The author uses the perfect amount of descriptive words without overdoing.
This perfect if you love Christmas, cows, and murder. Available now from your favorite bookseller.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Christmas Cow Bells is an udderly delight of a book! It’s the first book in the Buttermilk Creek Mystery series and I’m already looking forward to the next book. Set against the beautiful scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Brynn MacAlister has settled into her new home with her three cows determined to start a new life as a cheesemaker. The only thing that bothers her is that the town, Shenandoah Springs, isn’t all that welcoming for some reason. When her neighbor is killed in a suspicious fire, and strange things begin happening to Brynn, her guard goes up. Why was the fire set and who did it? Who is behind the strange happenings? Why are some of the townspeople unfriendly? Once you start reading you won’t be able to put the book down. As an added bonus there a several delicious recipes included. I definitely recommend this book!
Bryan has created another ensemble of intriguing, likable, and inquisitive characters. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.
A fun cozy mystery. This is the first book in a new series looks to be the start of a fun set. this one is about Brynn who moves to Shenandoah Springs with the hopes of starting her organic dairy business But with the death of her neighbor Nancy and the noisy cow Petunia things don’t go very smoothly for her. Why did Nancy get killed and will there be more deaths before they can be found. A fun quick read. looking forward to reading more by this author.
Brynn is in a new community, tending her cows and making cheese. But, someone doesn’t want her there. As expected of this author, the writing is fresh and skillful. The plot is tight and multi-layered and filled with believable characters. It was a delightful read and I’m looking forward to future installments. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
What a delightful start to a brand new series for author Mollie Cox Bryan. I was completely engaged in the story from the very first pages and just wanted to keep reading to find out how the story would end. The author has set this series in a charming location. I have visited the Shenandoah Valley and her wonderfully descriptive writing style allowed me to picture it once again. The character of Brynn is easy to like. She is starting out on her own after calling off her engagement and has something to prove to herself as to whether she can make a go of the farm and cheese business. Ms. Bryan has surrounded Brynn with a great cast of secondary characters that are diverse in gender and age. Each one provides something different to the story and the life of the main character. The mystery was well done and layered throughout the entire story. She planted enough clues and red herrings that I was not sure who I thought was behind everything. I very much enjoy this author’s books and stories and I was charmed by this first book in the new series. I will definitely be making a return trip to Buttermilk Creek Farms to see what the author has in store for Brynn and the rest of the characters.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
Not a bad story. The town sounds nice but really small and some of the towns people seem to be stuck in the past. Nothing wrong with old fashioned, I like old fashioned but sometimes you have to grow with the times. I liked how the “girls” were treated like the other characters and we were given descriptions of their personality traits. I really liked this author and I’m looking forward to reading her other books.
A delightful holiday book full of wonderful characters in a quintessential Blue Ridge Mountain town. The setting was what won be over, but I loved the storyline, too.
Christmas Cow Bells is a fun holiday story with a little murder and mayhem. I really like when a craft is involved in my mysteries, and cheese making is a new one for me. The “cheeseballs” of information had me chomping at the bit(should I have said curd?) to learn more about making my own cheese! The recipes included in this book look delicious. The big reveal was a huge surprise! I guess Christmas for me isn’t all candy and elves. I love the relationships formed in this book and it is refreshing that even though single, there wasn’t a man chasing Brynn down. I believe it takes time to recalibrate your life after a big upset like a breakup of that magnitude. Kudos to Mollie Cox Bryan, this is a great first in series! I’ll be on the lookout for #2!
Thank you so much for the chance to read this book (Provided a copy through Netgalley)
Christmas Cow Bells by Mollie Cox Bryan is an amusing (except for the crime) story of Brynn, a cheese maker in rural Virginia. Her fiancé, Dan, and she had bought the old manse before their breakup (he cheated) and now she is having tea with her friend, Nancy, another outside to the close-knit community. Nancy lived next door in the old church, which she was planning on rehabbing into a marketplace for handmade good and organic and artisanal foods. For some reason, many in the community were against the rehab but Nancy wasn’t detoured. All was well until Brynn woke up at 3 a.m. to the sound of sirens, sirens headed toward the old church-Nancy’s home. From there things went downhill fast.
Brynn is a great character, she and her three cows, and her friends, Willow and Schuyler, the animal acupuncturist. One of Brynn’s cows, Petunia is suffering from extreme grief over the loss of her newborn calf and was making anyone close suffer with her mournful mooing…just one of the many quirky characters in this delightful missive. It is typical small town with all kinds of characters, from her Mennonite neighbors, to Schuyler and her brother, Mike the fire marshal, who apparently don’t speak to one another. There’s Wes, one of Nancy’s grandson who has taken a liking to cheesemaking and Buttermilk Creek. All humorously written, interesting characters who are destined to make this new series a hit with the cozy mystery market. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of Christmas Cow Bells. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #christmascowbells
Cozy Mystery in the Shenandoah Valley
This is a very good mystery and well done. The plot is tight and well executed. I do have some real issues with the stereotypes about home schooling and fundamentalist Christians. Almost as bad was the over-the-top ignorance about organic and renewable agriculture. Having been a self-sufficient farmer and cheese-maker, the inaccuracies were very annoying. However, if you can overlook that or don’t know and don’t care, this should be a great book for you. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Brynn MacAlister dumps her cheating fiancée and decides to go it alone to become an organic micro-dairy farmer and cheese maker. She is thrilled to be living in Valley Springs with her three cows, meeting neighbors other townspeople and doing what she loves. That is, until a deadly fire is at a neighbors home and other strange things begin to happen to Brynn.
An enjoyable fast paced, cozy by Molly Cox Bryan that is a good reading start to the Christmas season. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. The review and comments regarding this book are of my own opinion.
Christmas Cow Bells by Mollie Cox Bryan is a fabulous first in hopefully a long line of books in the new Buttermilk Creek Mystery series. It takes place in a “quiet” little town in the Shenandoah Valley/Blue Ridge Mountains, VA. The main character, Brynn MacAlister is trying to make her dream come true by running her own small artisan cheese company. She has purchased three beyond adorable cows: Petunia, Marigold, and Buttercup.
Brynn has her work cut out for her trying to take care of the mini farm, her sweet and precious cows, milking Petunia and dealing with her sadness after losing her stillborn calf, creating her amazing cheese, and trying to get her budding business off the ground.
Add a fire, a death of a new friend, and then strange and scary occurrences happening to her as well, makes a great multi-layered storyline come to life.
I love Brynn. She is strong (despite what she thinks), is a hard worker, honest, an animal lover, a good friend and family member, and has personality to boot. I love her moral compass and her loyalty. I love the whole host of characters added as well, especially Wes, Willow, Tillie, Freckles the dog, Mike (he needs to be a love interest hello…), and Schuyler.
I loved the plot, the murder/mystery, the location, and the ending was realistic, satisfying, and appropriate.
This series really has a lot of potential and I cannot wait to see how it progresses. There are so many story lines that can be developed from this initial book.
I give this a huge 5/5 stars.