Seize Your Copy Mulch Ado About Murder (Local Foods Mystery, #5) Originated By Edith Maxwell Compiled As Digital Version

Thoughts

Spring is such a busy time for a farmer, The last thing Cam needs is a surprise visit from her parents, O. K. thats not the last thing she needs, the last thing she needs is to get wrapped up in another murder, But that is just what she does, When she arrives at the new hydroponic greenhouse to drop off some seedlings she finds the owner Nicole Kingsbury dead in a vat of slurry.
Because of the group protesting outside the greenhouse she has plenty of witnesses to provide an alibi for the time she arrives, Unfortunately that doesnt work for her mom, who happens to be one of the protesters, There are plenty of other suspects too but her mom is hiding something, To keep her mom out of jail she is going to be assisting the local police including her boyfriend Detective Pete Pappas,

What I really like about these stories is that Cam does the her sleuthing but she quickly tells the police anything she finds even if they dont always appreciate her help.
This time her dad even lends a hand,

Edith Maxwell has created such a vibrant cast of characters, Cam has really grown into her role as a farmer, I love that she has a group of volunteers that help with the chores and receive produce for their labors, They span all ages from teenagers to senior citizens,

Of course, I have heard of organic farming but hydroponic farming is brand new to me, The author educates the reader in the course of the story, I found the process very interesting,

The story is well written with important seeds sprinkled throughout getting us closer and closer to finding the killer, The family dynamic that grows between Cam and her parents was just as engaging as the murder mystery, The author gives us suspense and drama peppered with humor and also gives us several heartwarming moments too, Cam and Petes relationship has to take a little break because of the investigation but its strength shines in the way they handle the separation.


This is a strong addition for this series, A perfect summer read. And there are recipes in the back of the book too, Yes, it can be read as a stand alone, PICK yours up today! “Mulch Ado About Murder” earn/Plump Organic Tomatoes!

I am new to Edith Maxwells Local Foods series, so this fifth book in the series was the perfect introduction: Organic farming with murder Who knew farming could be more than strenuous, but deadly I didnt feel that I was left out of the back story and character connections having not read the previous four books, although I am excited to do so.
The story was still exciting with a bit of humor and family entanglements, and kept me engaged, With Californias drought just now easing and a few family members as long time farmers, the trials and tribulations were well addressed for Cam as she struggles with her farming needs and no rain in sight.
I found Ediths characters, my favorite Cameron Flaherty, to be well developed and fun, not juvenile, The connection Cam has with her father evolves well, but to me it is unique most main characters dont team up with a parent to investigate the murder djour.
The setting of Westbury, Massachusetts Massachusetts, a wonderful place to visit and details surrounding organic farming and hydroponics play out in the background along with recipes highlighting vegetables at the back of the book: Cams Dads Roasted Garlic spread for lunch sandwiches, Cams favorite Kale and Couscous Salad, Cams Moms favorite Brown Rice Veggie Risotto, and Jakes Swedish Cheesecake Ostkaka.
I highly recommend this book, or hold off and start from the beginning

"Disclosure: A review copy of this book was selected by me from NetGalley.
All of the above opinions are my own, ”
Murder, mystery, mayhem with an
engaging plot, plenty of twists and turns
are the ingredients for their story that
you will definitely want to read!!!!!
We are going to visit Attic Hill Organic Farm.

It is located in Westbury, Massachusetts, The
farm is owned and run by Cam Flaherty, Cam
lives there with her Norwegian Forest cat,
Preston and a henhouse full of egg laying
chickens, She has a group of local volunteers
who help her with gardening chores in turn
for vegetables, herbs, eggs, . . anything she
grows.
Her parents are visiting her which is a very
unusual occurrence, Cam was never close
to them as they were traveling Professors,
Will Cam and her parents be able to begin
relating to each other sincerely
Cam is delivering several flats of basil amp
lettuce to Seacoast Fresh.
This is a new
hydroponic organic greenhouse, When she
arrives, there is an antihydroponic protest
in front of the greenhouse, One of the
protesters is her mother, Why is she there
Upon entering, Cam calls out to let the owner
know she is there with her delivery, No one
answers . This is very unusual. Cam goes to
leave her flats when she discovers a body,
a dead body. It is the owner dead clutching
a rosary, What happened Was the death a
natural one or something else
The variety of characters are well defined,
very creatively described, vivid, colorful
with a few quirky ones.
Some will bring
a smile to the reader's face, some will make
the reader cringe but the myriad of
character types rounds out the puzzling plot.

There is an interesting trail of clues, lies
and secrets uncovered, Plenty of suspense
with many unexpected twists that rounds
out the story,
A well written cozy murder mystery,
This is bookin the Local Food Market
series, It can be read as a stand alone as the
writer weaves the past and present
characters together effortlessly,
I volunteered to read the Advanced Reader
Copy, Thanks to the author and publisher
via The Cozy Mystery Crew for the
opportunity, My opinion is my own, Cam Flaherty is embarrassed to see her mother, Deb, protesting outside of Westburys newest hydroponics greenhouse, After all, Cam has contracted with Nicole Kingsbury, the owner of the greenhouse, to start some of the seedlings Nicole will use, Unfortunately, Cams irritation soon turns to dismay when she finds Nicole dead, Even worse, the death isnt accidental and now Deb is hiding secrets, Cam knows her mother isnt guilty of murder but can she prove it

MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER is the fifth book in A Local Foods Mystery series but can easily be read as a standalone.
Edith Maxwell does a great job at providing readers with enough background information to jump right in and thoroughly enjoy the story, However, each and every book in A Local Foods Mystery series is enjoyable so I suspect readers will find themselves wanting to read the rest of the series after getting a taste.


MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER provides us with some insight into Cams childhood as we get to know Cams parents, Deb and William.
It took me a while to warm up to Cams parents, as Deb especially is quite secretive and almost cold at times, Its easy to see why Cams GreatUncle Albert and the farm are so important to Cam, Edith Maxwell does a wonderful job at bringing the storyline full circle, however, as Deb and William grew on me, In fact, I hope we see more of them in future books,

Edith Maxwell is quickly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, I love the insight she gives into the ups and downs of an organic farmers life almost as much as I enjoy the mysteries themselves.
However, its the wonderful characters and relationships that make A Local Foods Mystery series such a hit, MULCH ADO ABOUT MURDER is yet another great entry into the series and I look forward to what the next installment has in store for us!
Spring has sprung for Cam Flaherty, the organic farmer in Westbury, Massachusetts.
But all is now coming up roses or whichever vegetable you may want to substitute from Cam's Attic Hill Farm crops,

Rain has been scarce so far, which leaves Cam's crops in danger, And if that wasn't enough to try her patience or cause her stress, Cam's parents have descended upon her, Her academic researcher parents have always been distant in her life but having them staying with her at the farm is getting on her last nerve.


While her father has seemingly changed quite a bit from what Cam remembers, helping or accidentally hindering on the farm and developing a bond with Cam's chickens, her mother remains a stiff, remote and seemingly emotionless figure.


But Cam's own problems take a back seat when she stumbles across the body of Nicole Kingsbury, the new hydroponic greenhouse owner in town.
She's been killed in her own greenhouse and Cam's mother Deb is soon one of the leading suspects, She was protesting the hydroponic facility and had a confrontation with the woman soon before her body was discovered,

As the police investigate, Cam's boyfriend Detective Pete Pappas has to distance himself from Cam due to his role in the investigation.
But Cam digs into the crime, assisted by her father, in order to clear her mother's name, That may be something easier said than done however because Cam ends up discovering that her mother isn't telling the whole truth to her or more importantly, the cops.


Cam needs to not only discover the truth about the murder, but figure out how to get through to her mother about the need for her to take things seriously.
Because there's a killer on the loose and there's no telling if and when they will strike again,

After four books in the series, getting to meet Cam's parents was quite the neat twist in the series narrative, Readers have learned about them from Cam's point of view and while a lot of it still rings true especially in the case of her mother, the emotional distance between the child and parent means Cam has missed those changes.
Her dad is particularly different from what Cam remembers,

The insandouts of running the Attic Hill Farm once more prove interesting as Cam has to deal with an early season lack of rainfall and the attendant need to keep her crops from failing.
As Cam adjusts to new circumstances on the farm, including the need to hire paid help, you can see that she is further settling into this new life as a farmer.


But as always it is the mystery that moves the story along and once again Maddie Day spins a murder yarn that makes me eager to keep turning the pages long after I reached the conclusion.
I liked the continued character work for Cam's supporting cast of friends as well, I remain a big fan of Cam's teenage helper Ellie but the development for Lucinda and others also gave a great lift to the subplots.


And that's a good thing because as this book ends, so does the Local Foods mystery series, It's only been about three years since MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER was published so I'd still wish there was more books to read but I definitely appreciated that Maddie Day tied up the series nicely with a look towards the future, even if we aren't there

to see it.
As with a lot of the mysteries I read, I may not want to take on the job of the main character but it sure does provide for some great reading adventures and I can only hope that someday we'll see what Cam has been up to all these years.
Mulch Ado about Murder is the fifth book in Edith Maxwells Local Foods Mystery series, Even if you havent read the previous books in this series, Ms, Maxwell provides enough character background that you wont feel lost jumping in so late in the series, The storyline is well thought out and the characters well developed, I enjoyed reading this book its a quick, clean read, with an interesting mystery, relatable characters, and some twists and turns that keep you guessing as to the killers identity.
There is no adult language, graphic violence, or sexually explicit situations, I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading clean mysteries,

Cam Flaherty owns Attic Hill Organic Farm, an organic farm in Westbury, Massachusetts and her parents have shocked her with a surprise visit.
Cam is a classic introvert and relishes her alone time and this visit makes that close to impossible, While delivering organic seedlings to Nicole Kingsbury who owns Seacoast Fresh, a soilfree hydroponic greenhouse, theres a group of demonstrators outside and Cam is dismayed to see Deb Flaherty, her mother, among the small group of protesters.
The problem the group has with the hydroponic process is that chemicals are used and they feel that renders the final product as nonorganic.
When Cam enters the greenhouse, she doesnt see Nicole or receive a response when she calls out to her, so she sends a text message to let her know she left the flats.
She hears Nicoles cell phone chirp as the text is received and when she walks around to see if she can find her, she finds Nicole leaning over a vat of hydroponic slurry and when she checked, there was no pulse.
Deb becomes a person of interest because she was involved in the protest and had spent time alone with Nicole in her greenhouse and since Cam found the body, she isnt able to spend time with her boyfriend, Homicide Detective Pete Pappas.
Cam is determined to clear her mothers name and in the process, learns theres no shortage of suspects, Cams dad is an easy going, agreeable, and thoughtful person while her mother is quiet and somewhat secretive, Cam grew up knowing her parents were committed to her but their relationship lacked any signs of affection and she felt there were times when they all tended to keep each other at arms length but they make some real breakthroughs during this visit.


I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it,
.