The roots of the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency reach back to the 1980s in the little town of McGill, Georgia—where Stella Reid and her seven grandkids enjoy some spooky Halloween fun and stumble into murder . . . Even if she has to stick to a budget, Stella Reid always makes holidays like Halloween memorable for twelve-year-old Savannah and the rest of her grandchildren. After joining … grandchildren. After joining trick-or-treating and the annual parade down Main Street, Granny Reid and the kids head to Judge Patterson’s antebellum mansion, where a corn maze awaits. Most of the youngsters are too terrified to make it all the way to the middle. It’s lucky for them, because when Savannah and Granny get there, it proves to be even scarier than they expected—half buried in the mud at the center of the maze lies a human skull.
The grisly discovery uncovers a mystery that stretches back decades—and seems to be related to the long-unsolved murder of Granny Reid’s own part-Cherokee mother. After all this time, the culprit may be long gone . . . or still hiding among them. It’ll be up to Granny to dig into this Southern town’s history and a mess of old family secrets . . .
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Stella always liked to d all that she can for her grandchildren which includes making Halloween a fun and memorable holiday. She can’t afford to buy all of them new costumes but with a little bit of ingenuity making them isn’t hard at all and can be quite fun. After the town’s Halloween parade is over everyone is looking forward to the annual Corn Maze that a local judge has on his property. Stella’s longtime friend has gotten her tickets and the older kids are looking forward to it while the younger bunch get to enjoy story time. While making their way through the maze they become lost, her granddaughter decided to climb a tree to figure out where they are and ends up finding bones. The bones look like they have been there for years and it is a huge shock when Stella realizes she knows who it is. It comes at a bigger shock when she sees that the person was killed in the fashion her own mother was murdered. Stella knows that the bones belong to the mother of her best friend and that she needs to do.everything she can to help find the killer. Follow along as Stella, with the help of the Sheriff, and her oldest granddaughter search out clues to this decades old murder. Will she be able to shake out the murderer and finally know who killed her own kother? This was a great read that hooked me from the beginning, I didn’t put it down until I had all the answers!
In this second of the series we are once again pulled into a story that tugs at your heart and at the same time keeps you guessing at every turn about how it will all turn out.
I liked so much I bought ALL the books on the series. Really fun reads.
I am now reading the entire series because I enjoyed this book so much! The relationship between grandma and grand daughter is so special! But this isn’t the only relationship that pulls you into this book and this series!
This book had me laughing out loud and clearing the tears from my eyes. The bond between the women who both suffered the same loss made me want a bond like that too.
I love this series! I just preordered the 3rd book.
A great book with a twist.
I enjoy Granny’s stories much more than Savannah’s (sorry). The grandkids are so entertaining even if I want to “take them behind the woodshed” myself . I laughed alot but it was Extremely sad too. Loved the book alot.
For fans of the Savannah Reid mystery series, this story is set when Savannah was around 12 and Granny Reid is the detective with the help of young Savannah. Of course, I loved the characters since I’ve been reading the Savannah books from the start. However, Granny’s mind works differently than Savannah’s so the flow of the story was different.
Savannah, Granny, and her brother get lost in the corn maze. While Savannah is searching for a way out, she stumbles over a dead body. Once they find their way out of the maze, they have to return to show the body to the detective. This story allows Savannah to develop some of her early detective skills as both she and Granny help the police solve the crime. This is definitely a good read.
Riveting Rural South Mystery
I would not call this a cozy mystery. It is a very good, contemporary thriller that gave me nightmares. It is more like the TV show Criminal Minds than Agatha Christie. You’ve been warned. It is a very good story that is well written. It is quite the page-turner. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Murder in the Corn Maze is the second book in the Granny Reid Mystery series. I have not read book 1 but was able to get up to date quickly.
It’s Halloween and Granny Reid has taken her grandchild to the local parade in the costumes she has created for them and from there they are going to the corn maze that Judge Patterson puts on every year. The younger children will stay and listen to a story while the 2 oldest will go into the maze. Once inside they get to the middle but trying to find the exit teenage Savannah falls onto a skeleton on the edge of the maze. When it is determined who was buried in the woods, Granny knows she has to know the answers to who and why could do this.
This story has history of Savannah’s family, love, friendship, humor, and plenty of twists and turns. It shows the fans of Savannah how she was lead to her current life.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley for an honest review.
I’m so happy that Stella has her own series as prequels to Savannah’s series. Granny raised Savannah and her siblings and times were hard, money was scarce but love was the glue that kept them all together. In this, the second of the Granny Reid series, Stella (Granny Reid) takes the children to visit a corn maze but only Waycross and teen aged Savannah go with Stella into the maze. When they take a wrong turn, Savannah stumbles upon human remains. When the police investigate they discover that they belong to Elsie’s mother who went missing many decades ago. Elsie is Stella’s best friend and the emotional ties are strong. Is the killer the same person who killed Stella’s mother?
Even as a young girl, Savannah knows she wants to be in law enforcement and we get to see her interact with the local police as they try to track down the killer. I had several people on my list and none of them were correct guesses. That’s the way I like my mysteries. With twenty-five books in the Savannah series, it’s a pleasure to read the backstories of Stella and the family she nurtured.. Stella may not have much money but her grandchildren know what is really important in life thanks to Stella.
I have read both series from the beginning as each was written but I think this can be read as a stand alone. If you are new to these series then you have a lot of reading enjoyment in your future.
Series: A Granny Reid Mystery – Book 2
Author: G.A. McKevett
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 288
Publishing Date: September 24, 2019
The new addition to the “A Granny Reid Mystery” cozy mystery series from Kensington Books comes the fantastic captivating book Murder in the Corn Maze by G.A McKevett. This is an emotion-filled mystery full of intrigue, compassion, and ultimately, love. It will leave readers hearts begging for more, and a few tears on their cheeks.
Stella Reid is one of my favorite characters in a cozy mystery. She has a heart as big as the moon and loves her friends and family with all her being. Her seven grandkids, most of all. Even though her life has never been easy, and money is always short, her home and her life have always been filled with love, even at the worst of times. But when she discovers, with the help of one of her granddaughters, the body of a woman who was like a mother to her, it is almost more than she can take. But once again, Stella shows that love and compassion, with a touch of stubbornness and manipulation, can work for the good of those around her.
The characters in this cozy mystery have readers delighted, filled with a sense of right and wrong, good and bad. Stella, along with her mischievous grandkids, and loyal friends that she wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world keep readers content and enthusiastic until the last word is read. The killer learns that not all grannies are equal and some, like Stella, are a force to be reckoned with.
The writing is smooth and flawless. The plot is never far away, and the detail is just enough to keep readers reading with excitement. This cozy mystery book is fast-paced and easy to read. The twists and turns keep coming until the very end and will have readers on the edge of their seats.
I adore Stella Reid; her friends, and grandkids. I am thrilled when I can recommend a book so wholeheartedly and am happy to do so with this cozy mystery series and this the second book in the series. I hope everyone gets their hands on this unique book, and that Murder in the Corn Maze will be as thrilling to them as it was to me. I can’t wait to read the next one!