Lucy Resnick’s nerves are as tight as a tea cozy. Her new goats, Hot Lips and Gidget, keep making a break for the town square, her truck is dying, and her boyfriend’s gorgeous ex-wife is in town for the holidays. Worse, someone’s digging holes on her land…and uprooting her peach orchard and dewberry patch in the process. Lucy needs additional holiday stress like she needs a blow to the head—which … head—which she receives one night, courtesy of the mystery digger.
When the dim-witted sheriff arrests one of Lucy’s best friends, the former reporter puts her own problems on the back burner and starts investigating. What she finds is a patchwork of clues—an injured puppy, a sapphire necklace gone missing, and a string of poison-pen letters—that draws her deep into a web of small-town secrets.
Word travels fast in Buttercup. When the killer learns Lucy’s on the trail, Lucy finds she needs more than her reporting skills to save her friend—she needs a Christmas miracle.
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This is the second installment of the Dewberry Farm series. Not having read the first one, I admit being apprehensive since it wasn’t stated if you could read this one as a standalone. Luck was with me though and I was able to enjoy this story without feeling like I was missing a whole lot. If you want a full backstory, I would recommend the first in series to be read prior to this one, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.
Cozy mysteries can be a difficult genre. The problem is they tend to get predictable and stale after a while. Even though I can’t say this one is completely unique, it was still a fun, quick read that I was able to get drawn into. Lucy is a likeable character who has a background for investigating so you don’t get that feel of some amateur just sticking her nose in for no reason. Her curiosity is understandable even if it hadn’t been her friend who was arrested. Something a bit different from most of the women sleuth tales I’ve read in the past. The rest of the characters fit well with the small town theme even if they were a tad stereotypical and of course there are plenty of different animals in the story for those that enjoy some fur pets thrown into their novels.
You can read the rest of my review on my blog at the link below:
Overall I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. This is the second book in the series. Lucy and the Town of Buttercup, Texas are celebrating Christmas. Lucy is woken in the middle of the night by someone digging for treasure on her property. The next day when picking up her goats they smell smoke and discover a house on fire and a dead body in the house. When her friend is arrested for the murder she sets out to solve the crime. I like the characters and the small town setting. I do not like it when the police are portrayed as stupid and need the amateur sleuth to solve the crime. The mystery was good and there were enough suspects to keep it interesting. There are a few surprises. The visit from Lucy’s parents was a nice distraction. Enjoy this Holiday Cozy
Lucy’s dog, Chuck, wakes her one night leading her to discover someone digging holes on her property and damaging her peach orchard and dewberry patch. When she goes to investigate she is hit in the head by the unknown digger. Lucy hesitates to call the sheriff since he isn’t particularly fond of her.
Things get crazier when Lucy goes to pick up some new additions to the farm, goats. Hot Lips and Gidget are quick to figure out how to escape their enclosure and lead their new owner on chases from farm to town. Stress builds when local crime takes off, her friend Molly is arrested, Molly’s 17 year-old daughter runs away to elope, and Lucy’s parents arrive for a surprise visit. It shouldn’t be a shock when secrets are discovered and a killer has a new target. Will Lucy live to see Christmas?
I enjoyed this book very much. The setting is peaceful (if you can look past the crime). I would love to live on a farm outside a small town. The characters are relatable and well-written. There is just the right amount of tension between some of the characters. The plot moves at a steady pace. I didn’t want to put the book down. I recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading book 3 (I bought all of the books on my mother’s recommendation).
Typically fun read with romance, a strong woman and mystery.
Enjoyable cozy series. Can’t wait for the next book and I have read all but one so far.
A fun murder mystery that entertains!
I love this series!
Love the settings of this series
Was ok but not a page turner
I love to read this author. Always entertaining, quick reads and great characters
Loved this book and the characters in it. Fun read!
narration not good
The Dewberry Farms series is a glimpse into a cozy, small town. Lucy has purchased the family farm, and with it all the character and warmth of her grandmother. Hot Lips and Gidget remind me of the marauding goats in the Gray Whale Inn series, which happens to star Lucy’s college friend Natalie. The snarky cow that likes to kick the milking bucket is even a part of the woven tapestry of loveable characters.
The series is well written. Once I start the book I read straight through. The mysteries are engaging and there are plenty of twists and turns thrown in.
It’s December, and Lucy Resnick has her hands full because someone digging on her property, the local Christmas market and the protests against it, and her boyfriend’s ex-wife being in town. Things get even more complicated when Lucy is on the scene of a house fire when a dead body is found. Worse yet, the sheriff is certain that Lucy’s friend Molly is the killer. Can Lucy clear her friend before the holiday?
It was wonderful to revisit these characters and get to see them grow over the course of the book. The plot moves swiftly with the murder and various sub-plots expertly balanced to keep our attention focused. The Christmas setting was a lot of fun as well and added to the book and influenced the recipes at the end.