Biscuits and Slashed Browns (A Country Store Mystery) by Maddie Day
A Country Store Mystery, Book 4
Cozy Mystery
Kensington
January 30, 2018
Mass Market Paperback: 292 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496711212
E-Book ASIN: B071DZ1K5W
About the Book:
For country-store owner Robbie Jordan, the National Maple Syrup Festival is a sweet escape from late-winter in South Lick, Indiana—until murder saps the life out of the celebration . . .
As Robbie arranges a breakfast-themed cook-off at Pans ‘N Pancakes, visitors pour into Brown County for the annual maple extravaganza. Unfortunately, that includes Professor Connolly, a know-it-all academic from Boston who makes enemies everywhere he goes—and this time, bad manners prove deadly. Soon after clashing with several scientists at a maple tree panel, the professor is found dead outside a sugar shack, stabbed to death by a local restaurateur’s knife. When an innocent woman gets dragged into the investigation and a biologist mysteriously disappears, Robbie drops her winning maple biscuits to search for answers. But can she help police crack the case before another victim is caught in a sticky situation with a killer?
Biscuits and Slashed Browns is another wonderful book Maddie Day's Country Store Mystery series. It is Brown County Maple Syrup Festival time and the town of South Lick, IN is gearing up for several fun events such as cook-offs,sugaring off events, and other celebratory events during the festival. The festival, unfortunately, brought in some judges for the cook-off that aren't exactly well-liked by residents or newcomers to the area or festival, in general. When one of the more boisterous visitors, Professor Connolly, is found dead behind a sugar shack on the property of one of Robbie's employees, the festival becomes less festive - especially when the murder weapon is from the kitchen of one of Robbie's friends. To complicate matters, the father of Robbie's employee goes missing after an altercation with the now dead professor. There is a killer running loose in South Lick and with new detective on the case and Robbie working behind the scenes to figure out what happened and why, there is bound to be excitement, misunderstands, and maybe a bit of disobedience on the part of Robbie.
The plot of Biscuits and Slashed Browns is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing about a lot of different things. The author did a great job adding different plot lines into the story and then connecting them all at the end. The whos, whats, and whys of the story are engaging and the reader will not want to put down the book. There are several characters introduced in the book who could be the killer. I was taken on a suspenseful ride that produced evidence of one character being the murderer then turning around and providing evidence that pointed to someone else. Eventually I was able to narrow it down and pretty much figured out who actually did it but the story was fun and exciting despite having an idea of who committed the murder.
The character development continues on in Biscuits and Slashed Browns as we continue to get to know Robbie, Abe, and the rest of the cast. Robbie is a great main character. She's realistically written as a kind, generous person who had a dream and worked hard to make it a reality. She treats people with respect and dignity, the perfect person to work in a retail/food establishment. She gets involved in things she shouldn't much to the chagrin of the police department but her heart is in the right place. Her relationship with Abe is sweet despite the small bit of tension that crops up in Biscuits and Slashed Brown. All of the secondary characters all have their perfect places within the pages of the novel.
I enjoyed the world building in South Lick, Indiana. The interwoven storylines keep the story fresh, exciting, and engaging. If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is fast paced (never a dull moment) and will keep you on the edge of your seat, I suggest you give Biscuits and Slashed Browns a try!
A special thank you to the publisher for a review copy!
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