Sweet life on the farm turns sour when a guest mooves on to greener pastures. Permanently.
Ivy was happy to put her old life at Flordale Corporation behind her, but with a recent murder tarnishing her new inn’s reputation she can’t afford to be choosy about paying guests. So when her former teammates from HR ask to hold their retreat at Runaway Farm and Inn, she throws down the welcome mat.
… down the welcome mat.
When a guest turns up dead in the cow stall, it’s a terrible shock. The cows are initially on the hook for the crime, but Ivy knows her girls too well to buy that. But if the cows aren’t to blame, it means the killer is continuing to enjoy Ivy’s hospitality and everything bucolic Clover Grove has to offer.
At first Ivy agrees to stay out of the investigation at the police chief’s request. When a family member becomes a suspect, however, she jumps into action with Keats, her know-it-all border collie, and Jilly, her best friend.
Will they be able to find the bad apple on the Flordale HR team before the killer strikes again and Ivy is downsized… for good?
Another fun page-turner in a heartwarming series that’s perfect for animal lovers who dream about buying the farm.
Includes delicious recipes!
more
This is an excellent cozy mystery, with romance , a little action and a cool theme. I will definitely read more by this author.
I just finished Dogcatcher in the Rye and started on book two of this wonderful series. Ivy and Keats solved the dog catchers murder case and is welcoming her first guests to the inn. Only problem… they’re Ivy’s old employees. Tension is high when the ‘vipers’ arrive. Then, her former boss is found dead in a cow stall. Can Ivy solve the murder and manage to get five star reviews?? Again, a wonderful book my Ellen Riggs. 100% recommend!
What a great series! I am thoroughly enjoying each new adventure.
Dark Side Of The Moo
A Bought-The-Farm Mystery, Book #2
Ellen Riggs
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Sweet life on the farm turns sour when a guest mooves on to greener pastures. Permanently.
Ivy was happy to put her old life at Flordale Corporation behind her, but with a recent murder tarnishing her new inn’s reputation she can’t afford to be choosy about paying guests. So when her former teammates from HR ask to hold their retreat at Runaway Farm and Inn, she throws down the welcome mat.
When a guest turns up dead in the cow stall, it’s a terrible shock. The cows are initially on the hook for the crime, but Ivy knows her girls too well to buy that. But if the cows aren’t to blame, it means the killer is continuing to enjoy Ivy’s hospitality and everything bucolic Clover Grove has to offer.
At first Ivy agrees to stay out of the investigation at the police chief’s request. When a family member becomes a suspect, however, she jumps into action with Keats, her know-it-all border collie, and Jilly, her best friend.
Will they be able to find the bad apple on the Flordale HR team before the killer strikes again and Ivy is downsized… for good? (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well developed and well rounded. I really enjoy the relationship between Ivy and Jilly. You can tell that they are good friends and that they will do anything for each other. When someone is killed in the barn, Ivy knows she has to figure out the killer before her bed and breakfast suffers a loss she cannot recover from. Between her and Jilly and her dog, Keats, they will do what it takes to nail the culprit.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions brought the book alive in my mind’s eye. The mystery was well plotted and kept me guessing until the very end. I had a few suspects in my mind that were the culprit but I did not know who it was for sure.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I really like this series and cannot wait to read the next one.
I’m so glad that book number 2 is as good or better as number 1, because I enjoyed that one very much indeed. The writing is good and consistent and the plot always believable, with just the right amount of excitement – and the animals take a very close second place to the humans in reader interest. At times they do take over – in this book the cows play quite a part! Highly recommended.
Another great story for this new cozy series!
Opening an inn to infuse cash into her new hobby farm is a necessity. Playing host to her former HR teammates’ retreat seems to be a necessary evil she will have to endure. She cannot turn away paying guests at this point unless she wants to chance losing everything she has worked to build in her new life. Surely it will not be as bad as she imagines. Oh, yes it can and is when one of her guests turns up dead in the barn. Ivy really tries to stay out of the official investigation, but forces pull her in again. What is a girl to do?
I read the prequel and first book a few weeks back. I was so anxious to read the next story that I put the release date on my calendar. Today finally came and I was able to download the book and it was so worth the wait. I enjoyed reading this entertaining and fun cozy mystery story. Filled with both loveable and not-so-loveable characters acting out in all manner of ways, this story was hard to put down to even grab a bite to eat. There were plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing whodunit, a little romance here and there, and a lot of drama everywhere to keep my attention to the end.
If you enjoy reading a well-written, well-told, clean, and wholesome romantic cozy mystery, then this is a book you will want to read. I can hardly wait for the next book. I’m marking my calendar now for August 11, 2020.
Recipe included: Rockin’ Moroccan Chickpea Stew
I’m so glad I’ve had the pleasure to read each book in this series. No, it’s not my normal genre, but I absolutely love all of these characters and of course the animals, especially Keats. Ivy and Jilly get the first paying guests at Runaway Farm and Inn. The downside is they’re the HR team from Ivy’s old employer, Flordale. When someone is murdered, things don’t look good for ivy’s new venture. Grab your copy and see what Ivy, Jilly, Kellan, Asher, and Keats get up to this time. I loved that I didn’t guess who was guilty. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Dark side of the Moo is a great adventure at Runaway Far(m). Ivy, Jilly and Keats welcome their first guests to the inn. Unfortunately it is the HR group from Ivy’s old company. – not the most functional group! When a guest turns up dead in the barn, it is not the publicity Ivy hoped for. Come along as Ivy and Keats get pulled into another murder investigation. This is a well written plot with many suspects. I did not guess the murderer which is a plus.
This series just keeps getting better. Poor Ivy has to host her old boss and coworkers at her new bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, one of them is murdered their first night there. Ivy takes it upon herself, and Keats, to figure out who the murderer is and of course gets herself in trouble with the local sheriff again.
Even more misadventures than last time!
And a surprise guest at the end that everyone who read the “Dog Town” series will recognize.
I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.
Absolutely love this series. Just enough crazy to make me laugh with a touch of murder. Loveable Keats is back , with Ivy, Jilly, Kellan and Asher . I was given a free ARC by the author . My review is freely and honestly given