Although set in modern times the writing in this cozy mystery seems to me very old fashioned, with a 1950’s vibe, “what will the neighbors think of us?”, I like the main characters but the writing about their day to day life seems very monotonous and uninteresting., bake, interview a suspect, bake etc. The mystery had enough red herrings so I wasn’t sure who the killer was but the whole tone of the book seem flat.

4.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the Cranberry Cove mystery series by Peg Cochran.

This is my first foray into the world of Cochran’s Cranberry Cove. I did wonder here and there why Monica was making so many cranberry dessert items. Then when I realized the title of the series, I had that DUH-moment.

Monica is a baker and works from her brother’s farm in her own little cottage, for lack of a better term. Monica and Greg are visited by a woman who claims to have lost her memory but knows that someone is after her. Of course, the two have to help and this draws Monica into the world of Dana. When they follow the few leads they have, they are drawn to a house where they find Monica’s sister dead in her upstairs bedroom. The coroner is late for his vacation and quickly tells them it was a natural death. But Monica isn’t so sure.

We meet here a complex dynamic friends and family where at many times during the course of the book you wonder if each of them had a motive to kill their sister/friend. At every turn I had a different suspect in mind. That tells of a well-plotted mystery and well-placed red herrings. I was completely thrown off track.

I don’t know why I had never heard of this series considering we are already on book five and this is definitely an above average cozy mystery. I know I bought one of Cochran’s book in this series last year. I plan to pull that one out and do a marathon read of books 1-4.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Such a fun and interesting read.

If you love a good cozy mystery book, you need to pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed. I was hooked all the way through. Good stuff!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Typical cozy. Moves slowly and character didn't interest me very much
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

A lovely, character oriented addition to the Cranberry Cove series. I’ll admit some times Peg Cochran is a hot or miss author for me - I tend to like her series but there’s some books that aren’t favorites. This one is a keeper with the continued sleuthing with Monica and Greg and all the other characters. The series as a whole is definitely worth the read!

Being on a no-sweets diet made reading this fun new book a challenge <wink> - muffins and cakes and cookies were in every chapter because the main character was a professional baker! This book will appeal to anyone fond of small towns, their individualistic characters, and cozy mysteries. I always find myself wanting to visit these places even though I know they aren't real.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

On a cold winter night Monica and Greg receive a knock on the door. To their surprise they find a confused woman who states that someone is killing her. Monica comes to her aid as she soon will learn about the woman’s sister nearby as they will soon find the sister’s body.

Soon Monica will not be able to help herself as she digs up information on the murky family and surrounding land. Why is someone willing to cover up things, go as far as murder?

An intriguing cozy read.

family-dynamics, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, Michigan, murder-investigation, developers, greed

A frightened woman on Monica's doorstep led to finding a dead woman in her own home who's death was summarily dismissed as natural causes. Not.
The short tempered greedy brother of the distraught amnesiac is also brother to the dead sister and in deep conversation with a developer working on farm owners. It turns out that he has even made inroads in discussion with Monica's own brother who is considering selling their family farm in order to have restorative surgery.
The motives pile up even faster than the clues. Good sleuthing!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Beyond the Page Publishing via NetGalley.

It's been quite awhile since I visited Cranberry Cove! This is a fun mystery to read. The characters are enjoyable and well developed. The storyline is well written and I was kept guessing all the way to the end.

Berried in the Past is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. The characters are deverse and interesting mix of personalities. The cranberry recipes will have yoyr mouth watering.

Monica and Greg are having a quiet evening at home during a heavy snow storm when there is a knock at their door. A woman says she has gotten lost and her car is stuck, but also that someone tried to kill her. Given the storm, and her supposed amnesia, they take Dana in for the night and Monica helps her find the house she remembers. It turns out it’s her family homestead and they find her sister dead in bed.

While it looks like a natural death, things seem off though and Monica becomes a friend to Dana as she navigates her loss. Turns out a developer made the family a rather large offer on the land and while the deceased woman declined to sell, it seems the other siblings may have a motive to get their sister out of the way and grab their golden ticket. With warnings from the killer, Monica watches her steps as she tries to outrun the killer until the pieces all fall into place.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I enjoyed it. It’s always fun to discover a new author, especially one that has others books in the series that will keep you in reading material until the next release comes out.