Skip to main content

Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey Review

 Hello Friends :)

I hope you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

I hope you all had a great day yesterday, and that you're all ready for the weekend. Yesterday, my hubby, my mom and I ended up going out of town for a few hours. We had a lovely lunch at one of my favorite bistros, and then my hubby dropped my mom and I off a the mineral spa to soak for a couple of hours. We finished the day with supper at a sandwich and coffee shop on the way home, and I was so thankful for the quality time I was able to spend with two of my favorite people. 

A couple of years ago, I'd read and reviewed the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery duology by Jacqueline Frost, and I loved them. You can check out those reviews here and here. I kept checking to see if the author had written anymore books as I truly adored that series, and was disappointed she'd never written anything else.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks ago I ended up discovering that Jacqueline Frost is one of the many pen names for popular cozy mystery author Julie Anne Lindsey. To put it mildly, I am now over the moon that there's a whole ton of books I can now read by a favorite author, and today I'd like to share a review with you all of one of these reads.

Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey:


Source: Libby App

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date: October 29th, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Cider Shop Mystery


Synopsis:

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 . . .

(synopsis from goodreads)


My Review:

I was both surprised and excited to discover that one of my all time favorite cozy mystery authors (Jacqueline Frost) was actually a pen name for the much beloved author, Julie Anne Lindsey. I couldn't wait to dive into more of her books, and her Cider Shop Mystery series seemed like a great place to start.

I really ended up enjoying this one. I found the main character Winnie to be extremely relatable, and I really felt for her in her determination to help her grandmother be able to keep the beloved orchard that's been in the family for years. I loved the sense of community that's showcased by the town, and I enjoyed each and every one of the slightly eccentric town members who make up most of the secondary cast of characters. 

One of my favorite things about this particular author's books is how atmospheric and relatable her stories always are, and I felt like the orchard and town truly came alive to the reader in her beautiful descriptions, and the plot points didn't seem as outlandish as most cozy mysteries seem to be. I also always appreciate the fact that the romance element always seems to play more a backseat to the mystery and family situations in her stories, and this one was no exception.

About halfway through this one, I was convinced that I'd figured out the whole mystery and who dun it, and I was really disappointed that it had been so easy to figure out. However, the ending proved that every theory I thought I'd figured out was completely off base, and I was so surprised with who was actually behind everything, and the way everything comes together.

I'm really looking forward to continuing on with this series, and I can't wait to read more about Winnie, Granny, Colton, and Dot's adventures, and I especially can't wait to read more about the adorable orange fluffballs named Kenny and Dolly.

If you're a fan of cozy, clean, heartwarming mysteries then this is definitely the story for you. I loved the fact that the author chose to keep the content pretty squeaky clean with only one or two minor infractions as that hasn't been my experience with a lot of cozy mysteries as of late. I highly recommend checking this one out! It's definitely a new favorite.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

First Line Friday: Carolina Breeze

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week! Mine has actually been pretty good. We've had some really nice days, and my husband and I were finally able to put our garden in, and various flowers and the like. We've also had a couple of lovely, rainy days as well, and I love how green everything is looking in our yard right now. For today's post, I'm excited to once again be linking up with the lovely Hoarding Books  for another edition of First Line Friday. This fun weekly meme simply consists of sharing the first line of the book you're currently reading. For this week's first line, I'm going to be sharing from Denise Hunter's recently released title that I ended up absolutely loving. Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter: About The Book: A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything. Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup a

First Line Friday: Just As I Am

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week, and looking forward to the weekend. Since it is Friday, it's time once again for First Line Friday, which is hosted over at Hoarding Books. For today's first line, I'm going to be featuring a recent debut novel that I had the opportunity to read and review. About The Book: Adeline Rhodes has spent years locked away in a New Orleans apartment controlled by her criminal boyfriend. After a daring escape, she realizes just how far she has grown from the things in which she once believed. Declan King has lived a life of solitude and duty for the U.S. Army. When the deaths of his grandparents bring him home to his family farm, he is forced into contact with people who know too much about his past to simply leave him alone. When Adeline’s past catches up to her, the two strangers find themselves thrust into a fake relationship to protect Adeline from her vengeful ex. As their chance meeting begin

First Line Friday: Courting Mr. Emerson

Happy Friday Everyone :) Since it is Friday, I'll once again be participating in First Line Friday which is hosted by Hoarding Books .  For this week, I'm going to be sharing the first line from Melody Carlson's newest book, Courting Mr. Emerson. About The Book: When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process. A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them. But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The quest