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    Apple Cider Slaying
    Apple Cider Slaying
    Apple Cider Slaying
    Ebook306 pages5 hours

    Apple Cider Slaying

    By Julie Anne Lindsey

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Apples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year’s crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . .
     
    ONE ROTTEN APPLE
     
    Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny’s beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it’s struggling. That’s why they’re trying to drum up business with the “First Annual Christmas at the Orchard,” a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike—until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny’s long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder . . .
     
    “The characters are delightful . . . Plenty of action and suspense.”
    —RT Book Reviews on Murder in Real Time
     
    Includes Recipes!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKensington Books
    Release dateOct 29, 2019
    ISBN9781496723482
    Apple Cider Slaying
    Author

    Julie Anne Lindsey

    Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. She lives in Kent, Ohio with three incredible teens and an army of shamelessly supportive friends. Today, she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world. Learn more at julieannelindsey.com

    Read more from Julie Anne Lindsey

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    Reviews for Apple Cider Slaying

    4/5

    42 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Set in small town West Virginia, Winnie and her Granny own an apple orchard and Winnie dreams of opening a cider bar/town gathering space. As a cozy, of course there's a murder plus plenty of threats and a handsome cop.The characters are first-rate and I soon became attached to these delightful people. The plot itself was interesting and fun.This was a top-notch series debut, one of my favorite series debuts of the year.I'd highly recommend to those who love cozy mysteries. I am very eager to read more in this series and from this author.(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
    • 3/5
      Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey is the debut of A Cider Shop Mystery series. Winnie Montgomery and her Granny Smythe run Smythe Orchards in Blossom Valley, West Virginia. Winnie wants to add a cider shop in the Mail Pouch barn, but she needs a loan from the local bank. Winnie is showing around Mr. Sherman, the local loan manager, around the property when they discover Nadine Cooper, Granny’s longtime neighbor and nemesis, dead on the cider press. Sheriff Colton Wise quickly sets his sights on Granny which sends Winnie on the hunt for the real culprit. Apple Cider Slaying is a cute new cozy mystery that gets off to a solid start. We are introduced to Winona Mae Montgomery and her grandmother, Granny Smythe. They have a close relationship that I admired (so sweet together). I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and introduce readers to their orchard. The descriptions of the orchard, Blossom Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains were wonderful. It was interesting to learn about the different apple varieties and how cider is made. The mystery had a couple of suspects and there was plenty of action. While it is a snap to identify the killer, I enjoyed following the investigation. I was curious as to why Mrs. Cooper was killed which took longer come to light. I enjoyed the author’s conversational writing style which made Apple Cider Slaying a breeze to read. There are also two adorable kittens in the story. I could tell the author has experience with kittens from the scenes she wrote. Kittens sharp little claws and how it feels is accurately described (they love to climb up a person’s legs). Winnie also dreams up a Christmas festival for the orchard and spends time getting it organized. She has clever ideas and is a Martha Stewart wannabe. There is romance in the air for Winnie as well. I will definitely be reading Pulp Friction when it comes out next spring. Apple Cider Slaying is a charming new cozy mystery with a strong minded sheriff, cinnamon cider, classic cars, cute kittens, a polluted press and Christmas cheer.
    • 4/5
      Winnie Montgomery is trying to make a year round concern of her Granny's apple orchard business. Buses of tourists seem eager to stop for cider and a look at the winter festival she hopes to continue. The banker she hopes to get a loan from is continually interrupted by one thing or another and the last straw is when Granny's neighbor and nemesis is found dead. Winnie takes some risks the new sheriff doesn't agree with but she continues her nosing around like any good cozy protagonist. I really enjoyed meeting the people of this community and wasn't overwhelmed by too many at once. I look forward to seeing how the Cider Shop comes to fruition.
    • 5/5
      Winnie Mae Montgomery loves working with her grandmother, Granny Smythe, at Smythe Orchards, but business there is struggling and, while Winnie Mae has some great business ideas – including opening a Cider Shop and having a Christmas Festival at the orchard – she is going to need a business loan to open the Cider Shop. She has applied for a bank loan but faces serious challenges when a dead body is found on their property and Granny Smythe is the number one murder suspect. Winnie Mae sets out to clear her grandmother’s name and find out who the real killer is.“Apple Cider Slaying” is the nicely done first book in Julie Anne Lindsey’s Cider Shop cozy mystery series – in fact, I liked this book so much that I bought the second book in the series before I even finished reading this one. I love the apple orchard setting – not only the orchard itself but the various buildings, cars, and personal items that mean so much to Winnie Mae – they make her come alive as a character. And she is a great character – loyal to her family and friends, devoted to her grandmother, brave when she needs to be, and determined to save the apple orchard. I also love Granny Smythe as a character – while I initially thought her name was a bit too “cutesy” I quickly grew to love her feistiness. The relationship between Winnie Mae and Granny Smythe is very well done – the two clearly love each other. Also well done is the mystery which has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing – this is one of those types of mysteries where I thought I had figured out who the killer was but couldn’t figure out what the motivation could possibly be and was totally taken by surprise when the motivation was revealed!“Apple Cider Slaying” is the well done first book in what looks to be a great cozy mystery series.
    • 3/5
      Winnie is going to school, waitressing in a diner, and trying to help her Granny keep her orchard. When the banker is due to come to see about a loan so Winnie can open a cider shop, they find a dead body in the cider press. Who did it and why?I enjoyed this story. I liked the people in the community and the quirks of the community. I liked Winnie and her grandmother as well as the sheriff who was constantly telling Winnie to stay out of the investigation. Like all good cozy mysteries she does not listen and it causes problems for her and others. The world building was good and so was the mystery. The pacing, however, was slow. I took a long time to read this one which is unusual for me. I can read a book of this genre and length in 1-2 days. I hope the second book has better pacing so I can get into the story and not put it down so often. I truly enjoyed Blossom Valley and Winnie and her friends.
    • 4/5
      Winnie Mae Montgomery lives in Blossom Valley, West Virginia. She's trying to make a go of her Granny's apple orchards by bringing in new business via opening a year-round shop where people can buy her custom ciders and Granny's baked goods. She's trying to get the bank to approve a loan which she hopes will pan out, and in the meantime they're offering tours around the orchards and hay rides, which fall right in line with the season.When Granny's next-door neighbor (as close as you can be in the country), Nadine Cooper, arrives looking for her, Winnie tells her Granny's with a tour group and Nadine leaves, telling her she'll be back. But when Winnie is later showing people how the cider is made, she opens the barn doors and finds Nadine's body in the apple press. Now Granny is suspected of murder, and the new sheriff isn't listening to Winnie's protestations. So Winnie decides to do a little investigating on her own, hoping to discover the true killer. But all her questions have consequences, and they might get someone hurt...This is the first book in a new series and I will say that I was pleasantly surprised. The mystery is a good one, and there are just as many questions as there are answers. Winnie is a different type of sleuth, being a hard worker with a strong bank account. She has a part-time job at a local diner, goes to school, and helps her Granny run the orchards, all while planning something better for them. She also has acquired a set of twin kittens, named Kenny and Dolly. While I love books with cats, and I really liked these two (eventually becoming key to the plot), I've always felt that cats should be kept indoors. They're less likely to develop diseases and fleas, and live longer. This isn't a working farm but an orchard, so there's no reason they can't be kept indoors before one of them gets genuinely hurt. (As I said, they do become key to the plot, so they're excused this time out, but hopefully in the next book they'll be indoor kitties).Saying that, I liked Winnie and thought she was intelligent, and even though she was questioning people, I never felt that she was pushy. I did like the banter between her and Sheriff Wise, and I especially liked the fact that while he was telling her to stay out of it, he wasn't being nasty with her. That goes a long way with me.I even liked her friend Dot (but thought Dot's angst over being four years older was silly); I have a passion for saving animals, too, so that mattered to me. I truly enjoyed this book, showing how the camaraderie of a small town brings people together, and the plot gives us a glimpse into the next book, without leaving a cliffhanger, which is nice.When we discover the murderer, it came together quickly, and so did the action. Winnie, faced with a desperate situation, did what she needed to do, and it gave us one more insight into the type of person she was. I think that the author has a good future with this series, and I hope to read the next one soon. Recommended.

    Book preview

    Apple Cider Slaying - Julie Anne Lindsey

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