Nipped In The Bud is the twelfth book in the Orchard Mystery series. I was very happy that the series found a new publisher, as I really enjoy reading about Meg Corey Chapin’s endeavors on her apple farm.

Warmer weather is around the corner and Meg and Seth are looking forward to getting back to their work. Soon Meg will be huddling with Larry, her new orchard manager and discussing the plans for the orchard for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Seth had earlier posed making a “small house” for Larry on an existing foundation of an old chicken coop and is anxious to get started on it. While Meg and Seth are out for a breath of fresh air early one evening, the hear a rifle shot. Max, their dog, immediately heads off to where the shot came from, with Seth in pursuit. Soon, Seth comes upon the body of a female. The site is between Meg and Seth’s house and Seth’s former residence, that he now renting to some college students. Seth notifies police chief Art Preston and homicide detective is also called in.

A couple days later Seth and Meg meet with Preston and Marcus, where Marcus identifies the body as Jenn Chambers, a reporter with the Boston Globe. She has come to Granford to do research on drug problems in the area for a story she wants to write. Marcus also informs them that the narcotics unit has ordered everyone to stop any investigation into the murder. They are also unwilling to share any of their investigation with anyone.

With the location of the murder and a possible drug-related problem, Meg and Seth set off on an investigation of there own to try and learn who else might have known of Chamber’s research hoping that is doesn’t bring back to Larry.

Another interesting, well-written and plotted story from Connolly. She includes an enjoyable and believable cast of characters. It was nice to see that Lydia, Seth’s mom, and Christopher, Meg’s mentor for her farm, just might be having a blossoming romance.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, especially since Meg will probably be working in the orchard and I love to read about what it takes to have a successful orchard.

In an interesting twist, this Orchard Mystery deals with the murder of an unknown woman and frustrating turf issues among the law enforcement groups.

Newlywed Meg and Seth hear a gunshot while walking Max, their golden retriever. Before they can stop him, Max takes off in the direction of the gunshot and Seth follows to find a dead woman, shot in the back, on their land.

Local police chief Art Preston begins investigating only to be shut down by homicide detective Marcus who in turn is told to back off by the narcotics unit, who, by the way, knows the dead woman is Jenn Chambers, a freelancer for the Boston Globe, working undercover on a drug dealing story.

Both Meg and Seth find themselves waiting for their respective busy seasons to begin. So, Seth is working with Larry Bennett, Meg’s new orchard manager, to convert an old chicken coop into a tiny house for living quarters. Currently Larry is renting a room at Seth’s old house along with three other guys – two UMass students and one employed fellow – which doesn’t suit him. Unfortunately, Larry becomes a suspect in Jenn’s murder due to circumstances in his background.

The mystery is well plotted and the story fascinating. Author Sheila Connolly efficiently weaves observations and concerns about drug dealing in small towns throughout without compromising this very engaging adventure. Ms. Connolly also fleshes out her newer characters while she continues to detail the evolving relationships among her primary characters. Nipped in the Bud is an excellent read.

Nipped in the Bud is an exciting addition to this series by Sheila Connolly.
Meg Chapin is embracing married life, but is itching to get her apple orchard ready for the next season.
When a dead body is found on her property, Meg can't resist the temptation to investigate. What she discovers shatters her image of small town living.
This story is full of twists and turns and will leave the reader on the edge of their seat.
I would highly recommend this book to all cozy mystery fans.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

From my blog: www.cozymysteryreviews.org

In Book 12 of Sheila Connolly’s Orchard Mysteries, orchard owner Meg Chapin and her new husband, Seth are enjoying a peaceful but brief respite from orchard responsibilities when tragedy strikes. Winter still has its icy grasp upon the small Massachusetts town of Granford, giving Meg and Seth a chance to catch up on neglected projects, including the construction of a “tiny house” for their new orchard manager, Larry. While walking the grounds of their property one afternoon, Meg and Seth hear a gunshot in the distance, and their golden retriever, Max disappears in pursuit, and Seth follows him. What he finds is shocking: A woman lay face down, a gunshot wound to her back.

Who was this woman? And why was she in Granford of all places? Deciding to investigate, Meg discovers the woman worked as a reporter for the Boston Globe, and was investigating suspected drug activity in the area. Suspects begin to surface, including a young man claiming to be dead woman’s boyfriend, a group of male collegiates renting Seth’s old home, and even Meg’s orchard manager, Larry, an awkward man with a questionable past. With no help from the state police, who have warned them not become involved, Meg and Seth seek out their own clues, ones that lead all too close to home.

Fast-paced and well-written, Connolly’s Nipped in the Bud, sports convincing characters and a cozy winter setting. Lacking the light heartedness and humor of other cozies, Nipped in the Bud adopts a more serious and realistic approach to amateur detection. In this book you will not find any ditzy protagonists, bumbling their way through the case, putting themselves and those around them in danger. (That being said, those ditzy protagonists and their zany sidekicks can be quite fun and entertaining at times.) Clues do not fall into Meg’s lap nor does she go to unrealistic means to attain them. Connolly’s characters read like real people, ones who have experienced the trauma of finding a dead stranger on their property. Whether one prefers a lighter or more serious approach to his or her cozies, is up to the individual reader. I enjoy both styles depending on my mood.

The plot could be a bit redundant at times, with Meg, Seth, and policeman Art, hashing and rehashing the same evidence and theories over and over again. While this helped me stay abreast of who was who and what was what, it did not make the book more interesting. In addition, the guilt party was obvious, at least to me, early on in the book.

Nevertheless, this is a pleasant read for a chilly autumn day by the fire.